An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

Directors:

Arthur Hiller
Alan Smithee

Writer (WGA):

Joe Eszterhas (written by)

Release Date:

20 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

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:

Director | Hollywood | Fake Documentary | Amazing Grace Hymn | Film Making

Awards:

5 wins & 5 nominations

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

Also Known As:

An Alan Smithee Film (USA) (working title)
Burn Hollywood Burn (UK) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong language and some sexual humor.

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

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

Trivia:

Arthur Hiller removed his name from the credits after the film's production company, Cinergi Pictures, preferred the cut made by producer/writer Joe Eszterhas over Arthur Hiller's cut.

Quotes:

Alan Smithee: [beating his head] I cut the picture. They cut the picture. I didn't cut the picture. They cut the picture...

Movie Connections:

Features Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

The WORST movie of the 1990'S!!!

Joe Eszterhas is not the best writer in the world, but this is just pathetic. All we get is a bunch of talking heads that speak to the camera for an interminable period of time. The plot is practically nonexistent, the dialogue is lame, the acting pretty crummy, and the direction uninspired.

The result: an extremely boring, tedious, pointless mess. This film has no reason to exist. It offers no real insight into the studio system. It was made just so Joe could badmouth the studio execs who were presumely mean to him. Ironically, it turns out he's just as bad, as he recut the film against director Authur Hiller's wishes.

In short, "Burn Hollywood Burn" represents just about everything that can possibly be bad about a movie. It should be mandatory viewing for film students as a warning of the depths to which the medium can sink.

NOTE: Hiller removed his name from the project-so now it's really an Alan Smithee film!!

Rating: ZERO STARS!!!

86min/Released by Hollywood Pictures