Ringmaster (1998)

Fictional movie about some people who are going to appear on the Jerry Springer show. Trailer trash Connie (Molly Hagan) is married to good for nothing Rusty (Michael Dudikoff). He's sleeping with her and her daughter Angel (Jaime Pressly) who is his step daughter. Also Angel is dating Willie who Connie seduces! Another story involves Demond (Michael Jai White) who's sleeping with someone and her best friend. They all get on the show and things go out of control.I'm no fan of Jerry Springer's show. I find it sickening--these poor people and their problems are paraded in front of an audience who judges them. I find the scenes where the audience cheers and applauds when people are physically fighting very disturbing. I saw this movie out of pure curiosity. In some ways I found it terrible--in others, quite interesting.The characters and situations here are fictional and that makes it easier to take. Also the acting here is actually pretty good--even Dudikoff (who I never liked) gives a good performance. Only White is bad. His character is a complete jerk but he plays it so badly I didn't know how to take it. However he's a very attractive man with a great body and is introduced almost completely nude! I THINK this was supposed to be a comedy but I found the final confrontation on the show more harrowing than funny. The nonstop swearing and fighting was just hard to watch. As for Springer--he's hardly in it. That's a good thing because I hated him. They show him hosting the show and, after the people are attacking each other and swearing, he stands there with a sad look on his face and nodding his head. On one hand he's saying isn't this sad--on the other he's rubbing our face in it. I just find that kind of behavior revolting. So--as a drama this movie works. It's pretty well written with good acting. As a comedy it's just too sick to be funny. It's not the disaster I was expecting. I give it a 6.

I have seen this movie and I don't understand why everyone spends 3 paragraphs talking about how horrible it is. This movie was clearly never intended to Win best picture- And I am sure the Producers and Directors were aware of that while filming. The intent of the movie is to make fun of people and the way some people live.I actually thought the movie covered every base, everything from the magazines lying around their house, to the food they eat, to hanging out at the laundromat! Obviously nothing you can take too seriously, but I got a kick out of it.6/10

For the life of me, I cannot get why they would want to make a movie about the "Jerry Springer Show". It's so incrediably trashy. Some ways, sadly it's a guilty pleasure. We all have to admit that we've seen at least one episode. It's part of our pop culture. I saw this on USA recently. It's pretty bad. I will admit that. Jerry does a horrible job of what I think he meant as acting. Or something like it. Jamie Pressley is in it. She's playing herself basically. All she needed was her lover boy, Kid Rock. It would've been perfect then. So, I would recommend skipping "Ringmaster". Just watch the "Jerry Springer Show". It's more enjoyable than this.2/10

Jerry Farrelly runs a successful television chat show that revels in unusual relationships – but even he is left flabbergasted by some of the issues that come onto his show. While he tries to explain the popularity of his show, several groups of guest arrive for his newest show. Angel lives in a trailer with her mother and stepfather – but is sleeping with him! When her mother Connie finds out she gives Angel's boyfriend a blowjob in revenge. Meanwhile Starletta catches boyfriend Demond sleeping with both Vonda and Leshawnetta. The natural step for both groups is to appear on Jerry's show – even if it makes the conflict greater.I started watching this film once but didn't review it because I gave it up as a bad job once it turned into nudity for nudity's sake, however I decided that I'd give it another try despite my better judgment. Of course, it is not any good but this is not to say that it was one of the worst films ever made because it wasn't. The plot focuses around two sets of trash that emulate the guests on Jerry's real show and this is part of the problem. The characters here seem to revel in ignorance and trashiness and it makes it hard to really care about any of them. This isn't helped by the fact that they have no real story to speak of – their bits are set up and then they all flirt/fight in the hotel on their way to the recording of the show.Not enough happens to justify a 'story' so called so it resorts to 'sexy' clinches, fighting and vulgarity.It is a shame because the film does have a few interesting moments – although you wouldn't think it from the reviewers on this site. One interesting point is the character of Connie; she is damaged and hurt and wants more than the vulgarity she has – but when the fighting and swearing happens, this interesting part of the character is forgotten aside from a few all too rare sensitive moments. The film has a few interesting lines about the show but it doesn't throw itself open enough, instead it uses its platform to defend itself and attack its critics; I don't mind it doing this but there was no balanced view to be had here – although it is hard to disagree with Jerry's speech near the end that defends the fact that people are like this…even if we don't like it. Parts of it are a little funny but this, and some other qualities are just lost in a plotless film that is vulgar rather than interesting and noisy rather than really funny.The cast are average as you would expect from the material they are given. Hagan manages to create a few good moments but she is betrayed by the film for her good work. Pressly is very sexy – even as white trailer trash! She doesn't have much to do apart from be sexy, so it is just as well that she does it well. Robinson, Ambrose and Micheaux have all done some good jobs in other films/shows but here they are loud, brash black stereotypes and they embarrass themselves. Why action star White bothered to do this is beyond me, he has nothing to do apart from flirt around and get to kiss a couple of girls. McNamara is pretty good and sends himself and the show up equally well. Springer is so-so and he overdoes the 'world-weary' thing and never lets interesting moments, where he seems bothered, go anywhere of value. Like the material itself, the cast throw up some OK moments but these are lost in a sea of bad stuff.Overall this is a bad film although it has moments that show it could have been more interesting (if not actually good per se). However, without a decent plot the interesting ideas/moments only occasionally float to the top by chance but the dominant qualities are ones of vulgarity, cheap titillation, fighting and ignorance – none of which are reason enough to watch it.