Perhaps the finest, and most instructional, yet still entertaining course in filmmaking for movie fans as well as aspiring filmmakers, the entire first season of “PROJECT GREENLIGHT”, an HBO series, is now available from BUENA VISTA. Each episode follows a contest for aspiring screenwriters, established by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck as part of their production company.  Contestants submitted a part of their screenplay, which was then narrowed down to finalists by other contestants.  After narrowing the field substantially, the finalists were each then given funds to film part of their script, and the winner of this stage, was then ultimately given the funding up to “one million” dollars to complete their film as director and writer!

The “winner” of the contest, Pete Jones, wrote a script, “STOLEN SUMMER”, about a young catholic boy trying to do good by converting a jewish boy to Christianity.  Making things more complex, the boy he’s trying to “save” is the son of a Rabbi(Kevin Pollak) and also sick with leukemia.

The entire series, “PROJECT GREENLIGHT” and the film, “STOLEN SUMMER” resulting from it, are now available as part of a boxed set, over four dvds.

The series really demonstrates just how difficult it is to keep a project going, on-budget, and in any way close to its original conception.  The actual film, “STOLEN SUMMER” is disappointing. While not bad, it’s not recommendable either.  Sure it has plenty of heart-tugging moments, but they’re all manipulative and overly transparent.  The cast includes some great talent, including Brian Dennehey, Bonnie Hunt, and Aidan Quinn, but none of them are at their best here, and almost every scene reminds us of this.  By the film’s end, Pollak and Quinn actually start to display the type of performance they’re worthy of.
 

The transfer for the series, “PROJECT GREENLIGHT” is better than average. Presented in 1.33:1 and it’s produced on digital video, giving it a slicker look than most television material.  While color quality varies, the contrast is excellent, allowing for great detail in darker scenes.

The audio for the series is presented in Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo.
“STOLEN SUMMER” is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with 16:9 enhancement.  The colors appear to have been intentionally dulled, and the look of the film is meant to represent a Chicago Summer in 1976.  Fleshtones appear natural.  Contrast is only average, lacking great detail in darker scenes.  This isn’t a horrible transfer, but again, it’s disappointing.

“STOLEN SUMMER” is presented with 5.1 sound.  However, with its limited budget, the sound mix wasn’t much of a priority, and it shows.  There is little directionality in the front soundstage. .1 LFE effects are minimal.  Still, there are some ambient surround effects, and dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.

“STOLEN SUMMER” offers a running commentary with the writer/director, and two of the producers.  It’s a great commentary, offering plenty of insight into filmmaking via the candor with which Jones exhibits, allowing the film’s flaws, and a less-than-honorary side of him to come through.

There is also a deleted scenes segment, with optional commentary.  Some of these scenes are interesting, although redundant, as they’re already shown in the series.
A “SCENE VS. THE FINAL FILM” segment provides a scene comparison between Hi-8 and the finished film. The theatrical trailer is also included.

“PROJECT GREENLIGHT” offers the best supplementary material here.  “NOTABLE FILMMAKER VIDEOS” is awesome! It consists of a variety of short videos submitted into the contest, and almost all of them are impressive.

We also get to view the “TOP TEN FILMMAKER VIDEOS” and the “TOP THREE MINUTE SCENES”.
There is also plenty of additional material than what’s mentioned, much of it funny, playing like a Letterman Top Ten List.  Suffice it to say, even with the multi-flawed film, “STOLEN SUMMER”, “PROJECT GREENLIGHT” deserves to be an addition to any serious film lover’s dvd collection!