| Host | |
| Chris Gore | |
| Broadcast | |
  | |
| Packager | |
| Mindless Entertainment | |
"Tonight from an abandoned theater in Los Angeles, CA, it's IFC's search for the ULTIMATE FILM FANATIC! With special guests, (insert celebrity guests)! I'm your host Chris Gore and welcome to the ULTIMATE FILM FANATIC!"
Ultimate Film Fanatic was a two-season movie quiz show.
Format[]
42 total contestants (six from each region of the country) competed in a season-long tournament in which the ultimate winner would be crowned Ultimate Film Fanatic of the country, receive $10,000 and the right to run IFC for one day.
There were two formats to the game, the first one was used on the regional episodes, and the second one was only used on the national finals (the concluding episode of the season).
Gameplay (Regional Episodes)[]
Round 1: The First Cut[]
The contestants were challenged on their cinematic knowledge with a series of head to head sudden death battles. The two contestants with the highest scores on a qualifying exam were shown three categories. Each contestant would choose a category they were the least comfortable with, and the one that wasn't chosen was the one that was played. A maximum of eight questions were asked in the category, getting harder as time passed. The contestant who failed to give a correct answer received an airplane ticket home, while the winner got a movie ticket to the next round. This process repeated with the other two pairs of contestants, with the last played category removed and replaced with a new one.
Round 2: The Great Debate[]
With three contestants remaining, they would face off in head to head debates. Two of the contestants were randomly chosen to go first. They would then face off in a debate, which ranged on a variety of movie topics. These included the problems of a director, producer, or actor, what movie is the best or worst of all time, etc. The contestants would each talk about their side for 20 seconds, and then they each had 10 seconds for a final say. They had colored lights on their podiums which were the exact same ones on a traffic signal, with the exact same functions (green for talk, yellow for five seconds left in the turn, and red for stop and let the next person go). Afterwards, a panel of three celebrity judges (a different set of judges was used in each season) would vote on who made the better impression. The contestant with the most votes would get a movie ticket to the next round. This process was then repeated with the loser of the last debate competing against the remaining contestant. After this, the losing contestant received an airplane ticket home (just like in the first round).
Final Round: The Obsession War[]
The two winners of the previous round would face off against each other. Each contestant brought three things from home that they thought would make them the Ultimate Film Fanatic. Each contestant would select an item, and describe the reason it could help them win. The judges would then vote on which contestant's item had the better chance in doing so. The contestant who received the most votes would earn a star. This process repeated until a contestant had won two stars, winning the game, the bottom half of a trophy, and $5,000 (plus a big screen television in the second season). They also advanced to the national finals at the end of the season. The loser would get an airplane ticket home.
Gameplay (National Finals)[]
Round 1: The Final Cut[]
The seven regional winners were given a category. In turn, they had to name movies that fit the category. The first two categories each related to a specific film person, the third one related to two film people, with a linking name, and the fourth one related to three film people, all of whom have a common name. A correct answer kept them in the game, but a wrong answer, a repeat of an answer, or failing to respond in time, eliminated them and they would receive an airplane ticket home. This repeated until three contestants were left.
Round 2: The Great Debate[]
Played in the exact same way as on regional episodes.
Final Round: The Final Decision[]
The two remaining finalists would meet a person famous in the movie industry for many years, at a special meal that the show had set up for them. The finalists would try to convince the film person that they should be the Ultimate Film Fanatic during the meal, and at the end, the film person would declare the winner and give them the top half of the trophy. That contestant also received a total of $10,000 (plus a complete home entertainment center in the second season) and the right to run IFC for a day.
Availability[]
All episodes of the show are available for viewing on YouTube.
Rating[]
Link[]
Official Website (via Internet Archive)
YouTube Link[]
FilmFanaticFan's Channel (WARNING: U.S. Game Show Wiki discretion is STRONGLY advised)