An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (1997)

User Rating:

3.4/10   

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 | Celebrity | Cameo

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:

Joe Eszterhas announced through the media during post-production that Cinergi Pictures didn't have the money to pay for soundtrack. He said that he would finance the soundtrack from his own money and asked to submit tracks for it to him. He received 9,200 CDs and cassettes from mostly unknown and unsigned artists, listened to all that was sent (at least a couple of tracks from each record) and compiled the soundtrack.

Quotes:

Dion Brothers: Use that name everyone be using!
Alan Smithee: I can't! I *am* Alan Smithee!

Movie Connections:

Features Die Hard: With a Vengeance (1995)

a "love it or hate it" thing

Why did I buy this movie? Because several (British) friends of mine were discussing it passionately, declaring it a masterpiece satire full of wit and irony that Americans (and Germans) would probably never understand.

And because the cast list looks like a dream collection of funny actors: Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, Whoopi Goldberg, Eric Idle, Ryan O'Neall....

And then this. My friends were right. If there is any humour, I did not get it. The movie tells of film-editor Alan Smithee, who has been given a chance at directing for the first time. An action blockbuster of unseen proportions (and budget). Seeing this movie, I could not help suspecting that it depicts quite accurately what might have happened behind the set of "M:I-2", with a kind director being overrun by his star's and producer's egos.

Unfortunately, the story isn't told linearly, but in flashbacks, and in interviews, and with the trailer for the blockbuster. It wants to be a mockumentary. Like "Bob Roberts".

But it just isn't all that funny. And Eric Idle is wasted, as he only ever gets to run around screaming manically during most of the few scenes he has.

To some it might be a classic. For me it was agonizing....