Blu-ray Review Hollywoodland Blu-ray Review (1 Viewer)

[Matt Hough]

Director Allen Coulter offers up an engrossing look at the Hollywood of more than half a century ago in Hollywoodland, a movie whose double-barreled construction works against its being as effective and as memorable as it might have been without the encumbrance of its fictional frame story.



Hollywoodland (2006)



Released: 08 Sep 2006
Rated: R
Runtime: 126 min




Director: Allen Coulter
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Mystery, Romance, Thriller



Cast: Adrien Brody, Diane Lane, Ben Affleck, Bob Hoskins
Writer(s): Paul Bernbaum



Plot: A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).



IMDB rating: 6.5
MetaScore: 62





Disc Information



Studio:...

Continue reading...

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Nice review, Matt. I haven’t seen this since it first came out but I recall having the same reaction - the fictional story just wasn’t as interesting as the true one contained within, and it’s kinda stunning that no one on the filmmaking team realized that. I had a similar reaction to “Julie & Julia,” where that film’s Julia Child biographical segments were outstanding but the present day story about a blogger reading her cookbook was an unnecessary distraction.

 

[Robin9]

Thanks for the review.

I've never seen this film and I can't make up my mind if I really want to. I'm always reluctant to buy a disc I'll watch only once.

 

[Matt Hough]

Thanks for the review.

I've never seen this film and I can't make up my mind if I really want to. I'm always reluctant to buy a disc I'll watch only once.

I have to admit that I had only watched my HD-DVD of the movie only once or twice in all the years that I've had it.

 

[John Dirk]

Thanks for the review.

I've never seen this film and I can't make up my mind if I really want to. I'm always reluctant to buy a disc I'll watch only once.

Same here. It is intriguing but I this is a case where a streaming alternative would be welcome.

 

[Worth]

Same here. It is intriguing but I this is a case where a streaming alternative would be welcome.

It's available for rent and purchase on iTunes - in Canada, anyway.

 

[dpippel]

It's available on iTunes in the States as well.

 

[John Dirk]

It's available on iTunes in the States as well.

Thanks.

I also found it on Vudu but I'm not crazy about their rental terms which are reminiscent of Divx. I don't always have time to finish a film in a single sitting and they only give you 24 hours once you start. iTunes gives you 48 hours so I guess that's the way I'll go.

 

[William Ferry]

This is a very perceptive review. I had exactly the same reaction when I saw it: George Reeves' story was compelling enough to warrant its own telling.