What makes Hamblin unique as a Mopologist filmmaker is that, unlike Shirts, who sought to mimic the style of the Italian neo-realists, Hamblin is unabashedly wallowing in the all-American genre known as "Reality TV." Hamblin, with his squarish, potato-like head, and his perpetually shocked-looking eyes (it's as if he's just been slapped), is like Peter Griffin in the flesh, and he makes a great, albeit somewhat off-putting, protagonist.
In this episode, one can get a clear sense of his general aesthetic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSADNt99 ... 1fkomq1BvN
As the film opens, we get a glimpse of "Mt Tabor and the Sea of Galilee," as a stringed instrument is plucked plaintively in the background. Rays of sunlight beam down gaily from the scattered clouds above--a technique that Hamblin has clearly lifted from Jersey Shore. With the appearance of the title card, the music turns jaunty, and we know we're in for a treat. We're told that "Biblical Explorations" are on the slate for today. How exciting! Sadly, these high hopes are immediately dashed by the next title card, which states that, instead, today's film will be about "Going to Work at the BYU Jerusalem Center."
Indeed, the rest of the movie is rather disappointing. Early on, we catch a glimpse of Hamblin's bloated corpus as he pans the camera (and it's a "wide angle" lens, we're helpfully informed) across his apartment. The rest of the film consists of him gasping for breath as he drags himself "up 100 stairs," swiftly offering up a high-speed tour of the facility. At one point, the rather prurient Hamblin delights in photographing the "derrieres" of a pair of co-eds--a moment which seems oddly out of place in this otherwise staid, yet strangely shabby production.
The film concludes on a solipsistic note, with Hamblin filming himself--belly abreast of his workdesk--as he checks his own email. Sadly, this just isn't interesting at all. "Nobody loves me," Hamblin sighs.
All in all, the film is worth a brief look, though clearly his talent is nowhere close to being on par with Shirts's.
