Photos
Video
'13 - Fear Is Real' Review
Don't watch 13 - Fear Is Real alone. No, it's not scary -- at all -- but you'll need to provide snarky commentary to enhance the entertainment of watching real people act just as silly as the folks in horror movies do.
The concept is simple: Thirteen people of varying levels of attractiveness, nubility and chutzpah have been stranded in a Louisiana bayou. A disembodied, computerized voice known as The Mastermind growls at the contestants, telling them what to do and threatening them with fake death.
In each episode's first challenge, the Group Ritual, the contestants are forced to face their their fears. Those who don't prove up to the challenge go to the elimination challenge, aka the Execution Ceremony, in which only one "survives." Last person alive wins $66,666. Nifty, eh?
There's a twist of course, a rather predictable one, but it nevertheless adds to the group's paranoia, which generally makes for desperate/sloppy/amusing strategies and loud, outraged finger-pointing.
The creatively spelled Steffinnie from Laos (above) makes one of the most brilliant and then boneheaded moves in the game during the first episode that had me yelling at her. She better redeem herself or I'll be rooting for her to get executed.
Another standout is Leah, who is so scared of the dark, she takes a running start to bed -- to avoid those monsters underneath. She thinks being on the show is a great way to overcome her fears, but during the first Group Ritual, she's doing everything but cry out for Mommy and soil herself.
If I were another contestant, I'd spook Leah just for the fun of it. And strategy too. Yeah.
Cody, the pierced ghosthunter, seems to be the resident horror expert, unfazed by everything except for the fact that his mohawk appears to be droopy out in the humidity. It'll be interesting to see if he gets his comeuppance.
As previously mentioned, the problem with 13 - Fear Is Real -- from producers Sam Raimi and Jay Bienstock -- is that it's not scary in the slightest. The horror movie conventions such as "blood"-stained walls, mysterious phone calls and words from the grave (those going to the Execution Ceremony must pre-record a farewell message to play in the event of their "death"), just come off as cheesy.
This is not to say the situations aren't pretty scary since they play off your worst enemy -- your mind. Being claustrophobic, I know I would NOT enjoy being buried alive for any period of time, but watching this from the comfort of my own couch? Yawn. Pass the popcorn.
It's mildly amusing seeing just how the mind games take over the competitors, but the show would be more accurately named 13 - Fear Is Implied. No amount of creative camerawork, musical stings or dicey situations will make you cringe, but The CW will be on the edge of their seat hoping that the last of their new original programming of the season survives.
Check out the 13 - Fear Is Real photos.
What did you think of the show? Who do you think is smart? What's your worst fear? How well do you think you'd do on the show?
I watched the show ALONE and was so freaked out at first! I ended up liking it, though. At first i thought they really killed off the people who lost, wow i am so weird, but i found out they just went home! I wonder who the dudes "Minions" are! They look SCARY! I love the show! I cant wait for next week! Oh yeah, you dont have to be such a freakin jerk about it. Jerk!
Abbie! | Jan 7, 2009 7:30:09 PM | #I feel like yelling at the tv!! That girl that keeps screaming is pissing me off..I won't watch again
Jaime | Jan 7, 2009 8:36:49 PM | #The show fails utterly, as the review suggests, in scaring the viewer. One can't even muster belief that the "people" in this show - your basic assembly of worthless refuse as is common in the make-up of a reality tv cast, so generic that one wonders if they even HAVE last name - are even remotely scared of anything. They do have a remarkable tendency to play for the intrusive cameras. "This is frightening!" they'll say. "I'm really scared!" But then we see their faces and their eyes aren't even dialated and they're not sweating or shaking even when they say they are. But you have to wonder how scary all of the events can be when there are clearly four or five cameramen following them around as they wander "alone" through the woods - since they are filmed not only with their own handheld cameras but also by clearly-studio-level cameras from outside their own circles. "Eek - get out of the way, cameraman!"
What a failure.
Spymunk | Jan 7, 2009 9:51:48 PM | #I was waiting for someone to burst out laughing when the "scary" voice of the mastermind played. I wonder if they had to edit out the laughter. I didn't like the camera work on the show. I think they should try not to scare the tv viewers but make it more a reality comedy to laugh at these over-acting contestants. I don't watch anything on primetime on Wednesday (seems all the good shows are on Monday or Thursday) so I'll try 1 more episode. Otherwise, I'll continue to use Wednesday to watch TV shows on DVD that I did not watch in their original broadcast.
SLP | Jan 8, 2009 8:43:45 AM | #Abbie, you thought they really killed off the contestants who lost...wow...
CC | Jan 8, 2009 10:59:20 AM | #Dude, Abbie didn't think they killed them off for real. I suspect Abbie's post was made by a plant from the CW. It can't possibly be a real person.
Spymunk | Jan 8, 2009 11:56:24 AM | #Absolutley Aweful.............
Susan | Jan 8, 2009 2:26:34 PM | #I loved the show. It was cool to see Adam on the show. I have been a Fan of his music for quite some time now. Looking forward to next week!
Miles Jackson | Jan 8, 2009 7:27:00 PM | #OK ... yes another reality show and you have to take that with a grain of salt. I love video and I thought the editing was great. I am not affiliated with the CW. I know Adam indirectly and it was cool to see him on the show. I am a fan of his Music and would like to help him to get it out and heard in anyway possible ... you can check him out at www.adamwoodband.com
- miles
In response to how they someone thought they were killed off... I thought the show was gonna at least put some make up on one eliminated to make it seem like they were dead. Some blood and guts would of been nice.
Seth | Jan 8, 2009 9:39:27 PM | #It really annoyed me how surprised the contestants seemed to be that things were "scary" You signed up for a show about fear, you better expect to be scared. It's all a mindgame. Personally, I know I wouldn't do well on that show, but maybe that's why I don't try out for reality shows intent on giving contestants coronaries.
Brian | Jan 10, 2009 7:39:49 AM | #It seems like there trying to do a Blair Witch type thing. Trying to create a buzz and leave it open as to whether or not the people on the show are still alive. So we wonder was real or fake. However, you would have to be pretty dumb to think that reality show airing on CW would actually be killing people. Blair Witch had a much more believable background story. This is funny.
Katie | Jan 14, 2009 8:20:29 PM | #this has got to be the most dumb show i have ever seen. they should call it 13: fear is funny, cause all i did was laugh when i watched this. its so unbelievably fake and staged that its hilarious. has anyone noticed that when they walk through the woods that a camera follows their feet? i doubt the contestants dont notice a moving camera at their feet, its just completely staged and not even put together well. seriously, do they really think theyre gonna die?
Bryce | Jan 21, 2009 6:29:52 PM | #i think that they should show who the killer is to the veiwers but not the contestents.
yasmeen | Jan 22, 2009 3:23:48 PM | #As pertaining to the comment made on your ridiculous show, January,21 that Pentagrams are a "symbol of black magic", I will explain the true meaning.
The Pentacle (Pentagram) signifies the rulership of higher mind over the lower elements of human nature. The use of this Divine Symbol signifies the awakening of Cosmic Consciousness and the Initiaion of Human Consciousness manipulating its enviroment by reaching beyond the realms of physical form and perception limited linked to the five physical senses. The origins of the Pentagram go back to the remotest of historical antiquity, as far back as Pre-Babylonian Sumer. It has been venerated by many other civilazations. To the Jews, it symbolically designated the Pentatetauch,and The five books of Moses. Early Christians recognized it as pointing out the five Stigmata- the wounds Christ suffered on the cross. It has survived under a variety of titles, including "The Druid's Foot" and "The Witche's Star".
To the followers of Pythagores, it was called "The Pentalpha", being composed of interlacing A's or Alphas.
With Alpha being the first letter of the Greek alphabet, we can view the Pentacle as symbolically protraying the Unity of ALL THINGS in the midst of multiplicity.
Ceremonial Magicians throughout hte Middle Ages considered the Pentagram to be among the most potent, holy, and protective of all symbols-being stronger than in this way than even the cross. Those involved in Occult Practices could be certain that whenever the Pentacle was displayed, that evil had no power.
Tradionally, each of the five angles has been attributed to the Five Metaphysical Elements of the Ancients.
Earth(lower left hand corner)
Fire(lower right hand corner)
Water(upper right hand corner)
Air(upper left hand corner)
Surmonted by
Spirit(at the topmost point)
This becomes a graphic portrayal of Spirit ruling over the four elements and when the Pentagram is placed within the Circle(a symbol of eternity and totality or unity), its energy is focused and directed.
The averse Pentagram, with the single point buried in the depths of matter, has for many centuries been misinterpreted by the ignorant and those of ill intent as emblamatic of the powers of evil and darkness.However, to the true student of symbolical philosophy, it represents Spirit submerged and bonded into the material elements. While the inverted Pentagram is representative of Spirit's descent into matter, the Pentagram aright, to those of Spiritual Perception, represents the redmption of Spirit from matter by ruling over it.
I truly hope this will enlighten ones.
And yes, this is a comedy!
first off ppl do some listening or research the cameras are hidden from the contestants during the rituals and when they were in the wood the cameramen were in camoflauge!!! So please don't bash a show on somthing when u don't even know what you are talking about!!!! It makes u look like a fool!
kait | Jan 30, 2009 10:25:58 PM | #Leah even know we were close and you don't really get killed your my sis and it was not cool to watch that
RIP LEAH | Feb 11, 2009 6:14:23 PM | #im just glad erica didnt win..thank god !
who do you guys think this mastermind is?
whoknows | Feb 20, 2009 7:06:00 PM | #At the first episode I simply couldn't wait for some Saw-style slaughter of that person who failed in the ceremony.
When nothing happened and the person was just "gone" I was disappointed. When there was no actual death recorded in Episode 2.. I stopped watching entirely.
Maphesta | Feb 28, 2009 9:37:30 AM | #This show is like a bad horror film, minus the horror! A waste of producers money.
SupernaturalFan | Mar 2, 2009 9:15:05 PM | #
Zap2it Twitter Talk
