Lonny Goes Big Time

“Lonny Goes Big Time”

Directed by Lonny

United States, 2011

About 4 minutes

This is an episode of “Next Time on Lonny” which is billed as a reality web series. However, it doesn’t show a whole episode. Instead, we only see the tail end which, in a parody of clichéd reality TV show endings, ends in a sweet moment. The turning point comes after the credits where we expect a small teaser of what will happen in the next episode. Instead, we are shown a complete story that is much more comparable to a film than a television show. This episode ends with Lonny making his girlfriend’s friends laugh. After the credits, Lonny completely changes and starts his stand up career in California. Another example includes credits rolling on Lonny on a date, and “next time on Lonny” aliens end up invading the world. The short becomes a comedy once we see this twist in the story.

Much of the humor also comes from the fact that the story after the credits is insanely different from the beginning that the audience can’t even be sure if the second part exists in the same reality as the first part. After all, Lonny becomes famous and kills somebody in order to huff his soul. Yet, we see him by the end of the episode again in front of the confessional camera coming to terms with his actions.

“Next Time On Lonny” begins as any other reality television show and, I know when I first saw an episode, I expected to see a parody of reality TV shows. But, instead what we see is more of a parody of movies.