God bless the burgeoning independent cinema of the late 80s. The independent landscape would proliferate into the 90s, arguably peaking commercially with 99's The Blair Witch Project, but there's an undervalued history leading up to that little film's success. It starts somewhere in the 60s with John Cassavetes, or arguably even earlier with United Artists, but somewhere in between lies its heyday. The point is, independent cinema should be seen and treasured when given the chance, and this includes watching the cult classic Hollywood Shuffle.
The film follows Robert Townsend as Bobby Taylor, as he tries to make it in the cutthroat, superficial world of Hollywood. Taylor struggles to balance his home life and day job with the challenges of making it in L. A. and often fantasizes about the larger struggle black actors must overcome for dramatic, diverse roles. The film is largely a satire of the treatment and perception of black actors in Hollywood, with several sketches interlaced throughout the main story.
The most striking element of the film, aside from its quasi-sketch-film structure, is the independent feel and ingenuity of its construction. The film was made for only one hundred thousand dollars, a startlingly meager amount, even in 1987. The most squalid and hopeless studio productions at the time had budgets thirty to fifty times larger, and the real blockbusters were starting to creep into eight figures. For comparison, Fatal Attraction and 3 Men and a Baby had budgets of fourteen and fifteen million dollars respectively. Hollywood Shuffle feels stark, it feels stripped down, almost raw, but it doesn't feel cheap. It's a charming element of the film, and the passion of those involved is evident.
The satirical sketches work well. They're irreverently clever and deeply felt; Townsend and Kennan Ivory Wayans don't pull punches, making perfectly clear their displeasure with the (lack of) real opportunities they've been given. The best sequences in the film deal with the subject; the first is a sketch for The Black Acting Class, where both white and black actors are taught to "speak and move black." The second comes near the end of the film, when a scene of outrageously exaggerated gang violence is filmed. Townsend's impression of a stereotypical pimp is side-splitting.
The rest of the material is hit and miss, but it's got a nice ratio and misses are nearly unavoidable in sketch comedy, even under the best circumstances. What lacks a steady hand is the direction. The film is visually sparse and there's rarely a demonstrable command of the framing; most of it feels visually random and unplanned. The miniscule budget obviously contributes to the problem, but Townsend and cast's lack of experience also plays a factor. Hollywood Shuffle is clearly the starting point of a career, and for a first step it's a commendable effort.
Overall, Hollywood Shuffle is a diverting, ponderous satire from a perspective not often seen at the time. It's set on a small scale but has big ideas, and, most importantly, it's likeable to a fault. It's hard not to root for everyone involved here, both the fictional characters and the real men and women behind them. The film was successful too, launching a long and prestigious career for Townsend, and a mind-bogglingly expansive family dynasty for Wayans. Honestly, considering the lowbrow, critically panned material the Wayans are most known for, it's difficult to remember his humble, pioneering origins. But Hollywood Shuffle does pioneer, it is fun to root for, and it's certainly worth seeing.
The film follows Robert Townsend as Bobby Taylor, as he tries to make it in the cutthroat, superficial world of Hollywood. Taylor struggles to balance his home life and day job with the challenges of making it in L. A. and often fantasizes about the larger struggle black actors must overcome for dramatic, diverse roles. The film is largely a satire of the treatment and perception of black actors in Hollywood, with several sketches interlaced throughout the main story.
The most striking element of the film, aside from its quasi-sketch-film structure, is the independent feel and ingenuity of its construction. The film was made for only one hundred thousand dollars, a startlingly meager amount, even in 1987. The most squalid and hopeless studio productions at the time had budgets thirty to fifty times larger, and the real blockbusters were starting to creep into eight figures. For comparison, Fatal Attraction and 3 Men and a Baby had budgets of fourteen and fifteen million dollars respectively. Hollywood Shuffle feels stark, it feels stripped down, almost raw, but it doesn't feel cheap. It's a charming element of the film, and the passion of those involved is evident.
The satirical sketches work well. They're irreverently clever and deeply felt; Townsend and Kennan Ivory Wayans don't pull punches, making perfectly clear their displeasure with the (lack of) real opportunities they've been given. The best sequences in the film deal with the subject; the first is a sketch for The Black Acting Class, where both white and black actors are taught to "speak and move black." The second comes near the end of the film, when a scene of outrageously exaggerated gang violence is filmed. Townsend's impression of a stereotypical pimp is side-splitting.
The rest of the material is hit and miss, but it's got a nice ratio and misses are nearly unavoidable in sketch comedy, even under the best circumstances. What lacks a steady hand is the direction. The film is visually sparse and there's rarely a demonstrable command of the framing; most of it feels visually random and unplanned. The miniscule budget obviously contributes to the problem, but Townsend and cast's lack of experience also plays a factor. Hollywood Shuffle is clearly the starting point of a career, and for a first step it's a commendable effort.
Overall, Hollywood Shuffle is a diverting, ponderous satire from a perspective not often seen at the time. It's set on a small scale but has big ideas, and, most importantly, it's likeable to a fault. It's hard not to root for everyone involved here, both the fictional characters and the real men and women behind them. The film was successful too, launching a long and prestigious career for Townsend, and a mind-bogglingly expansive family dynasty for Wayans. Honestly, considering the lowbrow, critically panned material the Wayans are most known for, it's difficult to remember his humble, pioneering origins. But Hollywood Shuffle does pioneer, it is fun to root for, and it's certainly worth seeing.