Tinseltown (1997)

User Rating:

4.4/10   

Director:

Tony Spiridakis

Writers (WGA):

Tony Spiridakis (play) &
Shem Bitterman (play) ...

Release Date:

22 January 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

A plot to commit the act of moviemaking.

Plot:

In Hollywood it's all about who you know, and the only person two friends know is a serial killer.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Costume | Serial Killer | Christmas | Spy

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Arye Gross	...	Max
Joe Pantoliano	...	Arnie
Ron Perlman	...	Cliff
Kristy Swanson	...	Nikki Randall
Tom Wood	...	Tiger
John Considine	...	Wolfie
David Dukes	...	Jake
Nicole Hansen	...	Eugenia
Mark Neal	...	First A.D.
Nichole Pelerine	...	Opera Singer
Rebecca Gray	...	Artist's Model
Eli Cross	...	Cockney Musician (as Bryn Prior)
Ron Thomson	...	Policeman
Hershey Felder	...	Piano Player
Saleem	...	Belly Dancer

Also Known As:

Self Storage (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violence and sexuality.

Runtime:

85 min | Germany:81 min | Argentina:88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Germany:16 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Denmark:15

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Tonik Productions

Trivia:

The picture of Ron Perlman that Max and Tiger shows to people when they are looking for him, is from 1990, when Perlman acted in "Self Storage".

Quotes:

Cliff: I'm special.

Movie Connections:

References "Cops" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer

while it's hard not to criticise Tinseltown, give it a chance.

The first 30 minutes of Tinseltown had my finger teetering on the remote, poised to flick around to watch something else. The premise of two writers, down on their luck, living in a self-storage-space "bin" was mildly amusing, but, painfully bland.

The introduction of the character, played by Joe Pantoliano - the big deal movie guy, that lives in the park and sleeps in a lavatory, offered hope and I decided to give it a few more minutes. And then a few more until Kristy Swansons introduction as a budding film director & borderline nymphomaniac, added a bit of spice. Her solid acting performance raised her presence above and beyond just a very welcome eye-candy inclusion.

Ultimately, the obvious low-budget impacts on the film with poorly shot scenes, stuttured pace and slapstick handling of certain moments. Some of my favourite movies of all time have been low budget, Whithnail & I being one that also deals with 2 guys with a dream, but down on their luck.

However, for my money, the actors save Tinseltown from the "Terrible movie" archives and just about nudges it into the "could have been a cult movie" archives. I laughed out loud at some of the scenes involving Joe Pantoliano's character. In particular, the penultimate scenes in the terribly clichéd, but still funny, rich-but-screwed-up characters house, where the story unravels towards it's final moments.

I can see how Tinseltown was a great stage play and while the film-makers did their best to translate this to celluloid, it simply didn't work and while I laughed out loud at some of scenes and one liners, I think the first 30 minutes dulled my senses and expectations to such a degree I would have laughed at anything.

Unless you're stuck for a novelty coffee coaster, don't pick this up if you see it in a bargain bucket.