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Jason makes cut, one of last four on 'On the Lot'

August 08, 2007|Katheran Wasson

Winchester native Jason Epperson made the cut last night on Fox's "On the Lot" reality series, and he even landed among the show's top three vote-earners, despite worries that his film last week didn't impress the judges.

"I thought he had a good film last night," said his father, Carl Epperson. "I thought it was a lot better than the week before."

Tuesday night the show's contestants participated in a log line challenge where they all had to start with the same plot - a man waking up wearing a dress - and go from there.

Epperson's film told the story of a man who wakes up not only in a dress, but with a bomb wrapped around his waist. A mysterious, yet nerdy, voice directs him to do embarrassing things, like dance ballet in the street and pick a fight with a burly neighbor.

It turns out the voice is of a former high school outcast, seeking decades-old revenge on a member of the baseball team who taunted him. But he's got the wrong guy.

Judges Carrie Fisher and Garry Marshall praised the "kindness" Epperson shows in his films, but guest judge F. Gary Gray said he played it too safe. He said Epperson's earlier effort, "Old Home Boyz," was a bigger risk, and that made it one of his best.

All three judges said their favorite film came from Adam Stein, who directed "Army Guy" about a toy soldier who wakes up in a dollhouse wearing a frilly, pink doll dress. Will Bigham's film "The Yes Man" also did well with judges.

Sam Friedlander's film "Dress for Success," about a sexist boss who is taught a lesson by his female coworkers, was panned by the judges as an unoriginal cross between "Nine to Five" and "Saw."

Zach Lipovsky got the ax Tuesday. If Epperson makes it through to next week, he will be one of three contestants to battle it out in the final round.

His father credits his strong group of supporters, including those in Winchester, for helping him over last week's hurdle. People gather at the homes of his father and aunt to vote.

"I kind of tell all my friends to vote, and I vote for two hours myself," Carl Epperson said, laughing. "It gets kind of old, but I just get up and go to the bathroom and come right back and vote some more."

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