Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

Bobby Taylor wants to be a respected actor, but he has to settle for stereotypical roles in the white-dominated world of cinema. It is clear, as he rehearses in the movie's opening scenes, that the role he is auditioning for is not exactly what he has in mind. When the movie is actually filmed, it gives the term 'Blaxploitation' a whole new meaning.Bobby lives with his brother Stevie and his grandmother, and he is often told he could work at the post office. He does have a job at Winky Dinky Dog, a hot dog place where Donald and Tiny are his co-workers, though his auditions interfere with his ability to be on the job when needed. The most popular sitcom on TV stars a comical bat/man who isn't exactly Cliff Huxtable.As Bobby agonizes over this role, he has fantasies about what could happen. The fantasies are the best part of the movie.In one scene, slaves are escaping, and the one guy who worked in the house makes Stepin Fetchit look like Sidney Poitier. The same actor later turns quite sophisticated in a commercial for Black Acting School, which is taught by white instructors, where aspiring actors only learn stereotypes. Light-skinned blacks need not apply.In another fantasy, Bobby imagines that, since Siskel and Ebert are white guys who don't know what they are talking about, his people are represented by a couple of brothers in 'Sneakin' In The Movies'. Among the characters lampooned in this fantasy are Amadeus, Indiana Jones and Dirty Harry. And there is a movie about pimps and hookers that is ten times worse than anything real.Probably the best fantasy of all happens while Bobby and his grandmother are watching 'Sam Ace', a Humphrey Bogart type movie. The film 'Death of a Breakdancer', done in black and white with the film noir style (including jazz music) stars Bobby as a black Sam Ace. While the film shows positive images, stereotypes can still be found--Jerry Curl is one of the suspects and very funny.Rambo becomes Rambro in another scene.Should we be enjoying all these offensive portrayals of African-Americans? Of course. Robert Townsend is black, and he produced, directed and co-wrote this movie and did a fine job of acting as well. His purpose was obviously to make fun of stereotypes. And Bobby shows that he has pride, and doesn't have to accept disrespect.As a white person, I was not bothered by the fact that the majority of white people in this movie are portrayed in an over-the-top manner, especially the people responsible for the movie for which Bobby is auditioning. We're not like that, and I know it.This movie was made on a budget, but one reason was the use of the same actors in many different roles. For the most part, it doesn't seem low-budget.One of the better moments in the 'real' world takes place in the barbershop run by Bobby's Uncle Ray. David McKnight does an admirable job in a dramatic scene.I highly recommend this movie.

Was this a comedy or was it a drama? I begin this review by asking this question because the film that I just witnessed, Hollywood Shuffle, was neither funny or rather dramatic. While it tried so hard to make a point, because of this lack of definition (comedy or drama), the clever themes and pointed remarks were lost. While I am a strong believer that there is too much racial profiling happening in Hollywood, even today, I do not believe that Townsend's directorial debut did much to stop it. Instead, I feel it only added more fuel to the fire. Townsend's comic timing in this film was disastrous due to the fact that the elements he was supposed to be making fun of, he was instead promoting and vice versa. The parts that were supposed to be serious were somehow destroyed by the poor lack of funny comedy. Townsend had a decent concept with this film, but sadly the execution is what ultimately hurt this film. If you watch the preview before the film (which I constantly do), you will immediately get the wrong impression of what you are going to see. The preview gives the impression of a very intelligent, comic film that prides itself on the intelligence of the viewers, but the actually film could not be further from the truth.The main problem with Hollywood Shuffle is not story itself (because it is lacking in elaboration); it is Townsend's direction. He had a wonderful concept with this film. Exploit the Hollywood that exploits our race. Decent idea, but why couldn't he execute it very well? The first reason is that his ideas are too random and sporadic. The structure of this film was like watching a heart attack on a monitor at the hospital, we are literally everywhere without any warning or map. It was obvious that Townsend had quite a bit to say, but only a short amount of time to do it in. So, instead of defining his characters, developing his themes, and actually creating a smart film, he just throws it all together and prays that it works. Sadly, it doesn't. Instead of a smart comedy, we have a hodgepodge of so many ideas, comedic skits, and underused actors that this film goes from decent to nearly unwatchable. What hurts Townsend the most are his brief, attempt to be funny, interruptions throughout the film. From battling a villain known as Jerry Curl to parodying Siskel & Ebert, Townsend's attempt to poke fun while speak a message about the film industry falters. This is because these small intermittent skits actually distract from the central focus of the film and actually destroy internally. While Townsend seems to be trying to make a joke about life in Hollywood, he actually is simply connecting to every stereotype and cliché in the book. What could have been beautiful satire transforms into simply generic humor that never quite stands apart from the rest.So, if you find yourself not laughing at the humor of this story, perhaps there is some comfort in knowing that some of the Wayans brothers are around to help spice up this dull story. WRONG! The Wayans are in this film, but Townsend demonstrates that he has the ability to even bring the worst out even in this entertaining family. Definitely in their pre-In Living Color moments, we see that comedy was something that all needed to constantly improve upon. Perhaps it was Townsend's direction, or just maybe this atrocious story, but these typically funny comedians were obviously underused and ignored when it came to critics of this film. I just thought that with the talent pool that Townsend had to pull from that Hollywood Shuffle would have been funny, bright, and a true stab at this obvious Hollywood dilemma. Sadly, it was none of the above.Finally, I would like to say that this was a workable film. There were some moments (while they were few and way far between) that had a smile on my face, the final product just didn't settle well with me. Townsend can be funny, but in this film it just felt like he was playing against himself, instead of through his personal experiences and troubles. I realize that he was probably speaking the truth, but it never came through as that. Instead, we are threaded through a weak story, which supports itself with idiotic flash clips that may have worked for a sitcom, but surely didn't work for this film. Even for those that comment that this was his directorial debut and that he was learning from this film, I would have to disagree. If you are starting fresh, either have a tight script or defined themes. Townsend had neither of these, and combined with the inability to control his actors, he just failed in a ball of flames.Overall, this was rather disappointing to watch. It reminded me of a grade school Spelling Bee where it is finally your child's time to spell. The word is tough, but as the first two to three letters come out, you think that it is going to work perfectly, but then there is that random "P" and silent "R" that forces your excitement to come tumbling down. That is how I felt with Hollywood Shuffle. At first, I saw the potential, I saw the theme and the motive behind the picture, but through fuzzy and inexperienced technique and after the first couple of scenes, I experienced that deep fall feeling. Townsend sank his own ship on this one, and I don't think Hollywood Shuffle will ever re-submerge as a pivotal moment of Hollywood cinema.Grade: * out of *****

Interesting and impressive, Hollywood Shuffle allows the characters to make the point that Townsend is making, without being too harsh or lecture-like. The film incorporates some great parody scenes such as the Siskel and Ebert inspired "Speed and Tyrone" where the reviewers sneak into movies. Most impressive is the background to the film, which makes the finished product all the more impressive. Townsend's freshmen effort is a true success, and goes where few first timers are normally able to go.8/10

As a black man and a longtime movie fan, it angered and frustrated me as to how blacks were stereotyped and exploited in Hollywood over the years. This was especially true during the first half of the 80's when I saw talented actor like Larry Fishburne play a hoodlum in DEATH WISH 2, Wesley Snipe play a hoodlum in WILDCATS and Mario Van Peebles play a hoodlum in EXTERMINATOR 2. Of course they've gone on to bigger, and totally unexpected, better things. That's why this satire hit a nerve with me. The one scene that sticks in my mind are the audition scenes where blacks audition for demeaning roles casted by clueless white producers and directors trying to tell blacks to act the way they think blacks should act (ain't that a blip!) and looking for an "Eddie Murphy type". The script, co-written by Townsend and co-star Keenen Ivory Wayans is accurate and on the money. While Wayans has sone on to better things (IN LIVING COLOR, I'M GONNA GIT YOU SUCKA and SCARY MOVIE), Townsend has not been so fortunate (The uneven THE FIVE HEARTBEATS, The lame TV sit-com THE PARENT 'HOOD and the godawful B.A.P.S.). The film also features Helen Martin, Damon Wayans, Anne-Marie Johnson and John Witherspoon. If you a fan of on-target satires, I strongly recommend this movie.