The Queen of Hollywood Blvd

Executive summary: not a waste of time, but you won't missing a thing if you don't watch this one.

If you are a movie buff, I challenge you to the following exercise: 1. watch this movie, 2. imagine making this movie in the 1970's, with no digital cameras, no digital editing tools, no digital post-production with no Kodachrome preset... Almost every good thing in this movie is borrowed from someone else, or is accomplished only through technical means. Don't get me wrong: anyone can see that this is a movie made by talented people. But it fails to bring anything new or remotely remarkable. I guess the main problem is the plot: it's as thin as a stripper's g-string. The acting is good, but just enough. The script is good, but just enough. The dialogue... not enough. The characters... not enough. The only notable thing in this movie is the stunning beauty of the supporting actress.

Orson Oblowitzs movies are fun. They aren't trying to be Citizen Kane. And, Michael Parks is in this!

Seriously, ANY Director who sought out Michael Parks gets my full respect.

Sadly Parks is very much in his twilight days here, but he's still awesome

There was a reason I mentioned Michael Parks outside of him being cool. Parks began his career appearing sometime in the early 60s and via a mix of TV roles and Hollywood movies.

By the late 1960s Michael Parks was starring in his own show 'Then Came Bronson'. For "reasons" he irked a few people and wound up appearing in lots of TV movies and some very cool independent movies, and exploitation movies.

When watching this movie I felt like Orson Oblowitzs had seen those movies, or at least some. Because he weaves a together a really cool exploitation here.

If those kind of films don't do it for you, then you might not enjoy this.

But don't down vote it because it doesn't have a huge budget or because it didn't meet whatever your expectations were.

If you watch it for what it is, and you dig these cool movies, you'll love this.

The titular Queen of the titty-bar, wizened beyond her years, Mary weaves an eccentric path through the day of her 60th birthday; a day on which she will revisit the past, engage the present, and reflect on the future. Taking its aesthetic and cinematographic queues from 60s and 70s (X)ploitation films, Queen of Hollywood Blvd maintains a coherent style, meandering through familiar and sleazy genre-appropriate tropes, imagery and lines at a syncopated but languorous pace.

Whilst derivative, it maintains interest throughout its run-time, chiefly through the colour and texture of its main character, and that of its key supporting cast. The film's greatest asset is also its greatest weakness; Rosemary Hochschild's Queen Mary is given to moments of uneven delivery, more like momentary character-drops than revealing idiosyncrasies. This issue, which could have been recovered in the editing suite, as well as the similarly easily-remedied (and brief) problems with overall cinematic cadence, is where Queen of Hollywood Blvd loses points. Pulp Fiction this film is not, but TQoHB is still an entertaining ride worth your time, if you have some to spare.

The story is typical mid-century crime thriller, on a slow train to madness and mayhem- kind of day. Either 20th or 21st, you decide. The visual and written drama could fit easily in both centuries. With its extravagant way of taking the daily affairs of a downtown life which explodes in sinful, cigarette stained fanfare. Although it isn't completely original, Orson's film is unique and entertaining. There are moments when the sensations of the mundane motion of moving through the day seems to drag on just a little too much.

The acting, especially by Rosemary Hochschild, is memorable. Recognizable characters displayed in almost "half-life" nuances pepper the scene in true boulevard fabulousness. The dialog and drama ebb and flow a bit choppy in some scenes while other times the story pulls you in to near Tarantino-esque coolness. The inconsistencies, although noticeable, never really dampen the overall quality of "The Queen Of Hollywood Blvd.

As far as the violence and crime segments are concerned, the movie never really gets you to true, and ultimate exploitation or grindhouse levels. There are only a few moments of cruelty and blood splatter, done well, but with a story and characters such as Oblowitz offers up, the excessive and gratuitous violence was justifiably warranted. Still the cinematography and atmosphere helped ease the loss of brutality some. Especially the scenes washed over in delicious neon light.

Overall "The Queen Of Hollywood Blvd" is a nice noir , arthouse drama. The story is entertaining, the characters are familiar, and the overstylized indie concept is kitch. Those seeking Tarantino level of violence and bloodshed won't find it here, but this a good one worth watching for indie avant garde fans.

I actually had it figured out from beginning to end in the first 10 minutes. There were a few turns, but no real twists. The acting was very good (thus the 7) but lacked the grittiness that would have helped to set up the ending.

Defiantly worth watching, but remember your watching an older character and actress.