I got this on a recommendation from my coworker and thought it would be great. This movie has some moments of fun, but more times than not, it’s just stale. Robert Townshend plays an actor who tries to get his foot in the door with Hollywood and ends up finding out that the stereotypes are true, and he can’t find solid work outside of playing a gangster, pimp, slave or some other typical role for an African American.

This movie however isn’t always serious, it plays on a lot of comedy and satire with such a funny way, through the main characters day dreams and daily visions. It’s a funny movie that is not showing its age that well, considering this is over 20 years old, and pushing it.

As usual, we got to wikipedia.org to find out more on the plot:

“The movie was the first directed by Townsend, and it has become part of Hollywood folklore that Townsend produced the movie by using his own money and credit cards and making the crew wear college sweatshirts to keep from paying filming fees. The credit card angle was played up in the film’s trailer (included on the MGM DVD release), which is hosted by Townsend who reveals that the film was financed by his credit cards. As the trailer ends, he begs the audience (even suggesting that patrons take a bum with them) to see the film as repo men repossess the set’s furniture. He’s eventually reduced to finishing the trailer by the light of a disposable lighter when the electricity is turned off. The movie is centered around Bobby (Townsend) and his quest to make it as an actor in Hollywood. He is stuck working at a fast food stand with some hilarious and demented characters who consistently try to destroy his plans for the future. When he finally gets a break, it is for a role that makes him question his own morality. Should he join the system and play stereotypical roles? Or should he say ‘no’, and possibly destroy his dream of becoming an actor? As he travels around he frequently has ‘visions’ which are shown to us the audience. They are visions of the possible future roles he could have, the consequences of playing stereotypes, and so forth.”

Is it worth watching?

On one hand yes, this is a great film and showcases seriousness with comedy in a great way. It suffers from some prolonged delays and quick shifts from dream to reality, but overall this film has enough funny moments to make this a rental. However, I don’t think that a lot of people are going to find this relevant today as it was maybe 20 years earlier.

At times it seems more like UHF than anything serious, but then things revert back to an underlying message.

I do recommend it to those that enjoy a good comedy, as it does work on a lot of levels. However, it is not without its stale moments. You can pick up this dvd on Amazon.com, by clicking here.