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Hollywoodland (Widescreen Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Allen Coulter
Actors: Ted Atherton, Robin Tunney, David J. Macneil, Dash Mihok, Kevin Hare
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy Used: $0.73
You Save: $14.25 (95%)
New (55) Used (112) from $0.73
Rating:  144 reviews
Sales Rank: 9639
Format: Ac-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language), French (Dubbed)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 127 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: D62028846D
UPC: 025192884627
EAN: 0025192884627
ASIN: B000KWZ7JC
Theatrical Release Date: September 8, 2006
Release Date: February 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
The fact-based mystery of Hollywoodland takes place in 1959, when the death of Adventures of Superman TV star George Reeves cast a pall over the waning days of golden-age Hollywood. As written by Paul Bernbaum, this intriguing whodunit effectively evokes the tainted atmosphere that surrounded Reeves' death (officially ruled a suicide but never conclusively solved), and speculates on circumstances to suggest that Reeves may have been murdered. In combining the melancholy course of Reeves' career with the investigation of a down-and-out private detective into the possible causes of Reeves' death, the film evolves into an engrossing study of parallels between lives on either side of the Hollywood dream. Building upon a distinguished career in TV including episodes of HBO's The Sopranos, Rome and Six Feet Under, director Allen Coulter finds a satisfying balance between the tragic overtones of the Reeves case and the time-honored elements of the gumshoe genre, with Adrien Brody doing fine work as private eye Louis Simo, a fictional composite character who is our conduit to the desperate yearnings of Reeves' final months. In a critically acclaimed performance, Ben Affleck plays Reeves in moody flashbacks, caught between Superman stardom and financial dependence on his lover Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), the somewhat predatory wife of Hollywood "fixer" and MGM honcho Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins), whose mob connections suggest foul play as Simo's investigation progresses. Reeves' subsequent lover (played by Robin Tunney) may also be culpable, and as Simo's own personal life unravels, his empathy for Reeves takes on added significance. In presenting its mystery as a set of plausible scenarios, Hollywoodland holds interest as a mystery that's refreshingly compassionate toward the fate of its characters. Warts and all, they're likable dreamers in a town where dreams don't always come true. --Jeff Shannon
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| Customer Reviews: Read 139 more reviews...
 Mildly entertaining... August 24, 2008
nodice (Manchester, Ga United States)
but in the end, it sort of falls flat. The main reason is because the film refuses to take a position. It doesn't have to be the truth, but just this detective's point of view or position. Instead, in the end, the message is: we don't what happened. Geez, I sat through all that to be back where I started? And as much as I like Brody, his character in this film is dull as dishwater. I care nothing about him or his issues. Why should I? This film shouldn't even be about him. Affleck, compare to his usual flare, did a decent job, but it's still not anything to really write home about. I thought Diane Lane was the most impressive by far. This film will keep your attention if you have nothing else to do, but there are other ways to pass the time.
 EVEN SUPERMAN COULDN'T SAVE THIS MOVIE! August 3, 2008
Bambi Shangri-La (HOTLANTA, GA USA)
OMG!! Could this movie be any worse?! I thought that Ben Affleck had finally gotten a role that he could sink his teeth into. But all he did was SHOW his teeth, cheesing like an idiot the whole time, even when he was in pain.
The problem with this story is that THERE IS NO STORY! The plot and sub-plots make no sense and fall flat. Based on supposition and theory, this is an attempt to make George Reeves death more spectacular than his boring life. I remember when "Superman" died. Even as a child I thought there was some kind of conspiracy around his death but I still believe that it was perpetrated by Lex Luthor. Everyone knows that bullets bounce off "The Man of Steel", that he could only be felled by Kryptonite. That's the angle that PI-on-welfare Adrien Brody should have investigated since the one advanced in this movie is lame. I mean, "The Usual Suspect", Eddie Mannix (Bob Hoskins) the husband of George Reeves' lover, Toni Mannix (Diane Lane), SHOULD have had Reeves shot! Along with this director Allen Coulter!
Affleck, while dressed nice for a change, is just as wooden and flat as George Reeves was. That's why he was broke when he died - HE COULDN'T ACT HIS WAY OUT OF A PAPER BAG! I was only 9 when he died but even I could see that he had no real talent. Why else would he put on those ugly tights!? And Affleck isn't much better here. Moving like an "Transformer" throughout the film, he looked so bored faking an orgasm that one wonders what made J-Lo so stupid over him? From that one scene, we know what it WASN'T!!
In the movie's defense, the production captured the feel of "film noir" with great camerawork and editing. But other than that, this is a forgettable version of whatever happened to Superman that night.
 Great Movie July 30, 2008
Dr.Suess 648 (Melbourne, Fl USA)
Great acting, strong supporting cast. This movie was interesting and made you think about what was going on. Definately worth the time and money.
 Nuanced performances in interesting examination of fame and disappointment July 27, 2008
RMurray847 (Albuquerque, NM United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've seen , as a child, one or two ancient reruns of the SUPERMAN TV series starring George Reeves. Even in the late `60s, this show looked cheap and uninteresting. Yet for a couple of seasons, it made hunky actor Reeves famous through the nation. It also resulted in typecasting that prevented him from getting any other roles and eventually led him down a path of heavy drinking and other destructive behavior...culminating in his suicide. Simple enough.
But HOLLYWOODLAND informed me that Reeves' death, though ruled a suicide, might actually have been a murder. And what we see with this movie is the investigation into the life and death of Reeves. A private detective, Louis Simo (well-played by Adrien Brody), who is looking for his own "Big Break" takes on the challenge and is met with resistance on all sides...the police, the film industry and by those closest to Reeves. Are they hiding something, or are they simply clinging to some privacy. Naturally, our thoughts are skewed towards believing Reeves was murdered. After all, the movie couldn't possibly take us back to where started, could it? That Reeves simply committed suicide.
But the thing about HOLLYWOODLAND is that it isn't really about this mystery. It's about the ravages of an unreasonable quest for glory...about the failings of always wanting more. It isn't simply another cliched film about gaining fame and the disappointment of losing it. It examines how our own unreasonable goals can lead us down a path of self-destruction...making our goals that much harder to achieve.
We see, through flashbacks, the later career of Reeves (Ben Affleck). He had a small part in 1939's GONE WITH THE WIND...and now, in the late `50s...he's never achieved anything like it again. He does meet and fall into a passionate affair with rich society lady Toni Mannix (Diane Lane) who takes him under her wing. He becomes something of a kept man...but he's okay with that because he believes she can help his career. She is married to a studio chief, after all. A chief who doesn't mind their affair because he has his own mistresses. The couple are genuinely fond of each other, and for awhile, things go well. But when SUPERMAN comes along, Reeves is literally trapped behind his caped costume. His show is so wildly successful that he cannot convince in anything else. (Chances are, the way Affleck plays Reeves, he may not have been a very good actor either.) As his career stalls, Reeves becomes more and more frustrated. He leaves his love for a younger woman...and thus sets up a series of motives for who may have killed him.
What works so well about the film is that we see this "star" on a destructive path...paralleled by the path of the detective, who is also wracked by guilt, drinking and anguish over a failed marriage and a troubled son. He's driven to prove himself as something of a "star PI"...something he may simply not have the skills for. Will his life take a path similar to Reeves.
The film isn't saying, "don't reach of the stars, you may get burned." But it does say, behind all the gloss, bad language and period detail..."take a moment to be grateful for what you DO have." This is a pretty nice message, and a surprising one to find in a gritty and icy film like this.
As with many period films, everyone feels just a little trapped in the past. We are held at an emotional remove from the actions...yet Affleck, Lane and Brody are good enough to pull us in. Lane continues to dazzle as the "go to" actress of a certain age. Her age is a crucial part of the film, and she is glamorous, yet also quite aware that her beauty is on the edge of fading. Affleck is a revelation, much as his directing was with GONE BABY GONE. As he did in venues such as SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, he plays his square-jawed good looks for fun, and is happy to let his full features run just a little bit to fat. He's always handsome...but he finds a sadness and an anxiety that makes him seedy as well. He's got a quick wit...but it only partially masks his anger and disappointment. Brody gives another mannered performance...he's ideal for these period films because he is just slightly larger than life, like a stage actor making an uncomfortable transition to film. He makes it work for him in HOLLYWOODLAND.
Jeffrey DeMunn and Bob Hoskins also give good performances in smaller roles. Robin Tunney, in her role as Reeves fiance, is less convincing because she finds only the unlikeable side of her character.
The very end of the film is a little disappointing. I don't mean the result of the investigation...but literally the final scene with Brody. I would have liked to see it go just 15 seconds longer...to reassure me that what I thought he was doing really was what he was doing.
It's an adult film. The themes will only be fully understood by people who've lived with disappointment and letdown. It has a leisurely pace...but it is telling a pretty interesting story, both the mystery and human investigation. I recommend it.
Superman's Kryptonite -- The Toni Mannix/George Reeves Story July 24, 2008
Scotman (Los Angeles)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
"He was an iconic guy because of who he played but he died tragically", said Affleck (of George Reeves). "What he had was never enough. You need to learn there are far more things to make you happy, like a wonderful wife and child. I'm lucky I was able to see the hollowness of fame. Family's what really matters."
Ben Affleck and Diane Lane Untraceable star in the film, Hollywoodland, name taken from the original Hollywood sign back in the early 50s (the "land" fell apart, now we have "hollywood").
Basically the movie surrounds the death of George Reeves, who felt his career was slipping into television typecasting, considered a minor medium at the time, and some say was so depressed that he committed suicide. Another theory is that he died at the hands of the women he scorned. Another, he was the victim of a mob hit. All theories are presented in the film, and the director, Allen Coulter, does a decent job of presenting each one in its own context.
The romance angle gets boring real fast. The turgid romance scenes are bouyed up with the 1950's accuracy. Everyone had cigarettes and a drink in their hand and were living it up as the studio scene was drastically changing. Television was taking over and the studio system was falling apart. Quite a time to live.
Louis Semo, played by Adrian Brody, Liberty Heights at first gets involved in the Reeves case for his own publicity and to be a top detective. But as time goes on, he finds that it may not have been a suicide as reported. He also loses a client to a murder-suicide, which I felt the movie could have done without. This whole subplot was unnecessarily boring and could'da been cut out.
Parallels can be drawn: Reeves career was going nowhere after shooting for stardom. Louis detective career was going nowhere, living in rented apartments and being in denial about his former wife and son and their relationship. And even Ben Affleck, after his "Bennifer" adventure, not really making much of his career, either. But unlike George Reeves, Affleck has an epiphany about the hollowness of fame (see above quote).
Acting, could have been better. 1950s scenes and detail: perfect. Noel Neill, the original Lois Lane who worked with Reeves, felt they made Reeves look like a bad guy and he really wasn't. I agree, and felt the unbridled sex scenes were unrealistic for the time period, as well as making Reeves a womanizer. Nah. Special Effects: Putting Affleck into the George Reeves scene with Burt Lancaster in From Here To Eternity (George Reeves' last film appearance) was the only CGI I saw. Not badly done.
Scary scene where Ben Affleck as Superman has a kid walk up to him, with a real, loaded gun and asks if he can pull the trigger and see if the bullets bounce off. Oops!
The DVD has some pretty good extras, including recreating Old Hollywood, Behind the Headlines, Hollywood Then and Now and a deleted scene section that does not add much to the film.
Overall, a good rental. A watchable film, don't know about the historical accuracy, but it does make you think: was it suicide? The director purposely keeps it vague and lets you decide.
Oh, great big band music and smooth jazz horns at the end. Nice.
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