This is the show. This is the show that demonstrates the downfall of society, that life is all about teenage crushes and partyn' hard. I never used to watch MTV before college, because everything on the network is pure trash. My roommates enlightened me to this show called Laguna Beach, and they told me the reason why it was so awesome was because it was all real. The beginning of each episode opens with the statement that "the drama is real". Sorry, you may fool stupid and empty-headed teenagers, but any film enthusiast can prove that the show is scripted trash. Notice how many cuts are used throughout the show, notice how many different camera positions are predetermined as the conversations ensue. Every camera is perfectly setup to frame the subjects, they move to another room and a camera is right there waiting for them as they walk perfectly into center frame. Reality television means that the cameras move around and pick up what they can, and the camera work on true reality television is actually very shaky and the camera is always moving on a steadicam. These shots are all tripod shots, which blows my mind. I pointed this out to my roommates and after a pause one of them uttered "man, he's right". This show makes me angry because it shows hot young college students whose only priorities in life are to have a good time and find a hot companion to get with. I can truly say that I am embarrassed to be in the generation that makes this show so popular and successful.

Image & Sound:

The show is shot in 1.78:1 widescreen (ooooh, how cinematic) and we get a Dolby 2.0 stereo mix. The picture is quite sharp and vivid for a reality show if you ask me. No motion blurs because the camera is always on a tripod, and the airheads on the show are all conveniently placed so that their blocking matches with the camera set ups. We also get to hear all the endless gossip and talking behind the back in Dolby 2.0, woooo! Sense my sarcasm? ---

Plenty of mindless special features to make up for the fact that a season of this show is mere 17 episodes. I guess it's hard to write good teen gossip these days and make it seem fresh on a weekly basis.

Final Words: