It Came from Hollywood

Good intentions aside, at times I had trouble really getting into this pleasantly interactive, short-lived little documentary/Mystery Science Theater 3000 style arrangement that presents a variety of random clips from supposedly old b-grade to z-grade Hollywood features (though its hard to grasp why "War of the Worlds", "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "The Day the Earth Stood Still" made its way in) that are set-up through specific genders (monsters, gorillas, animals going berserk, brains, troubled teenagers, Ed Wood, Aliens, giants and musicals) with them being wittily dissected/or informatively discussed by comedians Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Gilda Radner, Cheech and Chong. The thing was I thought the best moments actually involved the crazy movie clips themselves, than that of it focusing on its mugging stars and the wraparound sequences. The problem was that I found most of the remarks (which at times were surprisingly sparse) not to be all that funny, well Cheech and Chong came across more so genuinely smooth in their humour within the cinema (especially Chong at the candy bar and sitting their watching the films) and it came across an inspired choice for them to rip on the eccentrically pitched cautionary drug movies. However some of those scenes with the other stars in between the collection of clips just didn't gel, as for one Aykroyd really did get on my nerves. Some skits were better implemented than roughly penned others, but the feature does feel like one big trailer (or movie preview) for bad schlock movies… some which are hard to believe you're actually seeing it on screen. Nothing is safe in the wryly tongue-in-cheek "It Came from Hollywood".

...for several reasons. For one, a couple of these cast members - actually narrators - left us too soon. That would be John Candy and Gilda Radner. Also, it mixes the comedy styles of SCTV's John Candy, the original Saturday Night Live crew members of Gilda Radner and Dan Akroyd, and Cheech and Chong. This was right before the "Just Say No Era" and Zero Tolerance aged out the latter's style of humor. The 70s were just a more lay back era, even with the shag carpet and the high inflation.

Next, there are all of the B sci-fi and horror movies shown here. This film was made during a bridge era when the old B movies were not being shown that much anymore on TV, and long before youtube and Turner Classic Movies and even the dawn of VHS made them accessible again. And just to let you know, some of these films are not even of the sci-fi/horror genre. Several of them are early sound musicals from the early 1930s, probably even harder to find at the time than the 50s horror films.

And finally, and I think another reviewer even mentioned this in his title, this film was my introduction to Ed Wood Jr. At first I thought it was some kind of a joke. The production code was still in force in the 1950s. How are they going to let you make a film about cross dressing? That was just how B minus Ed Wood's films were. They never even got on the radar of the censors.

It could probably never have a DVD release because of all of the rights of all of the films involved, plus the music. But it is on youtube if you ever want a look back at a look back.

The film's genesis came from the Golden Turkey Awards books by the Medved Brothers, but got morphed into a sorta Cult Movie version of the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT! Series. It features clips from dozens of B movies separated into segments like: Aliens, Gorillas, Monsters, The Brain, Giants and Tiny People, Technical Triumphs, Troubled Teenagers, Prevues/Coming Attractions and A Salute to Edward D. Wood, Jr.. The chapters were hosted by Comedians Dan Aykroyd, John Candy, Cheech and Chong and Gilda Radner.

IT moves pretty quickly and has some laughs along its 80 minute runtime. IT was where I first encounted the glories of THE GIANT CLAW on the big screen! Some of the dozens of movies excerpted include PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, ROBOT MONSTER, THE CRAWLING EYE, TEENAGERS FROM OUTER SPACE, REPTILICUS, THE INCREDIBLE MELTING MAN and ATTACK OF THE KILLER TOMATOES.

Unfortunately, Directors Malcolm & Andrew Solt included clips from some very good movies including THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN and THE DAY THE EARTH STILL (and over the objections of the oriiginal Director and the Medveds). It definitely takes away from the experience, and some of the comedy intros seem quickly tossed together.

Unfortunately, IT CAME FROM HOLLYWOOD hasn't been available legally since the days of VHS and Laserdisc because of rights issues over the myriad of clips. A DVD was announced 20 years ago, but never issued. You can easily find it on YouTube and through grey-marked DVD dealers. It's worth seeking out.

This film still has me rolling whenever I see it. This film not only makes fun of the grade Z stinkers, but in it's on weird way, pays tribute to these films at the same time. The only problem I have with it is the fact that it includes two classic sci-fi films, "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "War of the Worlds". Other than that this is one funny film, especially Cheech and Chong's look at the anti-drug films like "Reefer Madness" and "High School Confidential".

I've always enjoyed this hodge-podge of "bad" movie scenes and previews. But only for the previews themselves. Unfortunately, this movie takes a very smug and pompous attitude toward its subject matter, largely due to the fact that Golden Turkey Award creator Michael and Harry Medved were "advisors" on the project.

Anyone who is a real fan of these movies enjoys them for the silly schlock that they are. The Medveds revel in ridiculing and lampooning them with no appreciation for them at all. Surprisingly, this is the sense one gets from hosts Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, two performers one would think would have a special place in their hearts for these classics.

Only Cheech and Chong and Gilda Radner seem to get into the spirit of things. While Candy and Aykroyd poke fun and insult the movies, Cheech, Chong and Radner play along with them, and create some genuine laughs.

But the real stars are the clips themselves, which are great fun and great nostalgia. Oddly, amid these "bad" movies are such recognized classics as THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL. Scenes from outrageously over-the-top cautionary films about sex and marijuana are utterly hilarious.

Highlights are Chong ordering a truckload of candy at the concession stand and Radner doing her little girl schtick from Saturday night live.