An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1998)

Directors:

Arthur Hiller
Alan Smithee

Guionista (WGA):

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

20 febrero 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Frase comercial:

The movie Hollywood doesn't want you to see

Plot:

Filmmaker Alan Smithee finds himself the unwilling puppet of a potentially bad, big budget action film which he proceeds to steal the reels and leave the cast and crew in a frenzy.

Plot Keywords:

Box Office Flop | Hollywood California | Fake Documentary | Amazing Grace Hymn | Film In Film

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

Comentarios de los usuarios:

Starts well as a potential satire but does very little with it

Cast

Ryan O'Neal	...	James Edmunds
Coolio	...	Dion Brothers
Chuck D.	...	Leon Brothers
Eric Idle	...	Alan Smithee
Richard Jeni	...	Jerry Glover
Leslie Stefanson	...	Michelle Rafferty
Sandra Bernhard	...	Ann Glover
Cherie Lunghi	...	Myrna Smithee
Harvey Weinstein	...	Sam Rizzo
Gavin Polone	...	Gary Samuels
MC Lyte	...	Sista Tu Lumumba
Marcello Thedford	...	Stagger Lee
Nicole Nagel	...	Aloe Vera
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	Bill Bardo
Erik King	...	Wayne Jackson

También conocida como:

An Alan Smithee Film (USA) (working title)
Burn Hollywood Burn (UK) (video title)
¡Arde Hollywood! (Spain) [es]
Hollywood al rojo vivo (Argentina) (video title) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some sexual humor.

Duración:

86 min

País:

USA

Idioma:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sonido:

Dolby Digital

Clasificación:

Australia:MA | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Portugal:M/12 (video premiere) | Singapore:R(A) | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:12

Filming Locations:

La Brea Tar Pits, Hancock Park, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Cinergi Pictures Entertainment

Trivialidades:

'Alan Smithee' exclaims that the film is "worse than Showgirls (1995)", also written by Joe Eszterhas.

Quotes:

James Edmunds: [whispers] Call me "Daddy"!

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made (2004) (V)

Starts well as a potential satire but does very little with it

Real life director Alan Smithee is an editor by trade but is signed up to direct the action movie `Trio' starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sly Stallone and Jackie Chan. However when the producer's final cut leaves it, in Alan's opinion, a mess, he steals the master negative and runs. This documentary follows the story of what happens when a director is forced to watch his art turned into a poor money spinner.

I hadn't really read the very negative reviews of this film before I watched it and am a little surprised by the strength of feeling from the majority of the critics. Having said that, I can understand why this film is so hammered – as it really isn't very good. It started well and I thought it had potential – it seemed that people were making fun of themselves and that it would be a good satire on the industry and in particular, studio execs. However after a certain point it doesn't really do very much other than be flabby, repeating, self indulgent and silly. After Alan actually takes his film and seeks refuge with the Brothers Brothers, the film is very messy and not very funny at all. The documentary approach had worked well up till this point but from here it was a strange mix of action and documentary. It gets increasingly silly and increasingly less clever and funny.

It had a few laughs but satire is meant to be funny – not just taking easy pot shots with crude characterisations and jokes. I still maintain it had potential but it is a good idea crying out for a better script and director (I notice it is directed by Smithee – I don't know if that's a joke or if the real director really did disown it). So from a good idea it goes nowhere – the little touches are nice but the total plot is rubbish. In away it is both made worse and more bearable by the actors, who are a mixed bunch.

Eric Idol is awful and he simply doesn't suit the material – watch the scene where he turns his hat sideways and says `cool' and you'll see what I mean. Chuck D should really have known better than to deliver a meaningless performance here – although I totally expect that from Coolio! However, Stallone, Goldberg and Chan are all quite funny and make fun of themselves quite well. O'Neal and colleague as the producers are quite good but are dumbly stretched to extremes for the sake of humour. For the majority of the cast there seems to be a problem gelling – it feels like every single person thinks they are in a cameo and thus add to the feeling of this not being a film so much as a cobbled together affair. The support cast is good for names but the quality of delivery isn't really that high.

Overall I'd stop short of adding to the list of boots that have been put into this film, but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't feel like I'd waste 90 minutes – I do. It started with a good idea but the script was nowhere near sharp enough and the majority of the cast (certainly those required to carry the film and not just be cameos) are just not up to the job. Could have been a fun satire but instead is an unfunny messy affair that doesn't really have anywhere to go beyond taking easy shots at the producers.