Hollywood Shuffle

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Steve D Sometimes funny and has some worthy goals. It has no idea how to reach them. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/02/23 Full Review Audience Member Even the state of Hollywood could use a re-shuffling Robert Townsend stars and directs a look inside the movie industry of the African American cinema landscape It's true many black actors and actresses have been relegated to secondary roles such as butlers, drivers, etc. As Bobby Taylor he sees the ire of his grandmother He's auditioning for a movie Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge regrettably putting him as a misconception of his community After winning the part he starts having a series of conflicted dreams covering black stereotypes in the movie business so now it has him re-thinking his career goals Plus his little brother looks up to him so Bobby wants to set a good example It's true there's enough negative images out there of a community of people, to some it's work to others it's personal, for some black actors it's always the white man's rule of thumb, more sophisticated roles are always within our reach This spoof of blacks in Hollywood is quite eye opening Yes this thing is tight on its budget and the narrative is shaky at best but it gets by with sharp humor and high energy Townsend shows his talent and sensitivity satirizing Tinseltown Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member A mandatory viewing experience, and a film which does everything right, and gives you all kinds of different tastes on the Hollywood experience. The scene where Townsend is dreaming his Eddie Murphy dream in an audition line-up of Eddie Murphys, which sends him into his best Eddie Murphy impression despite wanting to be himself, is so wonderful. The absolute highlight of the film which I am stumbling all over by explaining it. Brilliant movie, which should be at the top of every Best Comedy list instead of Caddyshack (although I still love you too, Caddyshack). Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member One of the precursors of the black independent film genre, this film is funny as well as poignant, and still holds up today in it's portrayal of Hollywood stereotyping. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Audience Member A couple giggles to be had, I found my self bored. Perhaps more prominent in its time, or not…. Certainly, a nice satirical lense into a time that for a specific person was accurate. Wouldn't watch again. Rated 2/5 Stars •  Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member The clever Mittyesque metanarrative framework does a lot to elevate this beyond the satirical sketch anthology it might have otherwise been, yet the film is nonetheless held back by precisely what makes it so refreshing and impressive. As a virtuosic vehicle driven by Robert Townsend's undeniable talent both in front of and behind the camera, his self-confidence is essential to the movie being made at all even as his self-indulgence gets in the way of the political and ethical points being made. While the movie acerbically rips Hollywood for its reliance on and perpetuation of oppressive racial stereotypes, it never is able to fully commit to the project by seeing beyond what most concerns its own station, making a number of all too easy misogynistic and homophobic cracks, such that Townsend ends up repeating the same structures of cruelty he seeks to upend. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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