It Came from Hollywood

When this film first came in 1982, it gave me chance to see many old clips and trailers from old horror and science fiction flicks with a few clips from unusual films other film genres thrown in. In 1982, unlike today, not many old horror/science fiction films were out on video and these films were getting harder to see on TV. So watching this was the closest for me to seeing many of these films again and parts of ones I missed. I really didn't pay much attention to the wrap around sequences provided by Gilda Radner and others, except for the parts with Cheech and Chong, whom I have always found stupid and annoying. I found their presence here repugnant then, and I still do. At the time I overlooked the films repulsively arrogant, condescending attitude it adopts towards these old films.

Now however, viewing this film, there is no longer a reason (for me at least) for this films existence because:

1)Almost all of the films excerpted in this film are obtainable on video, some even on DVD for you high tech yuppies, if you know right places to look.

2)The so called "funny" wrap around sequences featuring many comedians were not considered very good when this film first came out, and they look even worse today. These sequences have accomplished what seems to be the impossible - making clips from notoriously boring turkeys like ROCKET ATTACK USA somehow seem more interesting then they really are. But that is no credit to the comedians or the films makers. Its that these wrap around sequences are so dull, that the films they attempt to lampoon seem exciting in comparison.

3)The films overall smarmy, cynically condescending attitude towards these films becomes annoying. Granted, a good percentage of these films are turkeys like ROBOT MONSTER and PLAN NINE FROM OUTER SPACE. Some are only mediocre, but a few are generally and rightfully so, regarded as classic films like WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN. Others like are ATTACK OF THE MUSHROOM PEOPLE, while rebuffed by "mainstream" movie watchers, is generally highly regarded by knowledgeable fans of horror and science fiction movies. Apparently, the writers of this sorry excuse for a film were suffering from the limited, narrow minded view that if its science fiction or horror, its automatically worthless.

4) This film features Cheech and Chong, a comedy team whose own career has been made on appealing to the lowest common denominator in public taste. Throughout their long and dubious one joke career, they have managed to make even the worst Jerry Lewis films seem brilliant. Its a tad bit hypocritical for two stars of some of the worst movies ever made to make fun of other peoples movies. The bad films excerpted here look like Oscar winners when compared to films like UP IN SMOKE.

5) The only wrap around sequence I found appealing was the clips of various female monsters while the fifties classic "Whats Your Name?" played on the sound track.

Thank you and have a nice day.

...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.

This isn't as much a movie as it is a loose assembly of B- to Z-grade movies that have been produced between the 1940's and late 1970's (and not only did they come from Hollywood but Japan as well), narrated by numerous "Saturday Night Life"-comedians. We're talking movies like "Mars Needs Women", "Reefer Madness" (who but Cheech and Chong would be more likely to make fun of that one?), "The Incredible Strange Creatures who stopped living and became mixed up Zombies"; indeed, we're talking the works of Edward D. Wood Jrn.

It's nice to see some of your favorite 80's comedians, some which have passed on since (John Candy, Gilda Radner), others which have fallen into obscurity (Dan Akroyd, Cheech and mainly Chong). Granted the gags and jokes are all rather silly, definitely not especially gifted (and considering that this is from 1982 and that we are used to a little sharper, even cynical humor these days, they haven't aged very well), but then again, we're dealing with bottom-of-the-barrel films, hence let's just call them appropriate.

It's also interesting to reflect, 30 years down the road, how many truly awful movies have been produced since then and the path that the industry in general has taken. Movies like "Battlefield Earth" or M. Night Shyamalans "The Last Airbender" (well, actually every Shyamalan picture since "The Sixth Sense") would certainly not be out of place if they ever remade "It Came from Hollywood". However, there is one exception: while "It Came from Hollywood" focuses on films that were generally generated by a shoe-string budget, the more recent cinematic train-wrecks have swallowed millions upon millions of dollars.

Seven from ten points out of sheer curiosity value – wait; make those six points for having included "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and "War of the Worlds".

It's just sad how little this movie is recognized and how it has been recalled for DVD. You have some of the biggest stars of the time taking about bad B movies of the 50's 60's and 70's like A.p.e the giant claw Earth vs the flying saucers the Colossal man. I can only imagine a movie like this today stars like johnny Depp Leonardo Dicaprio Jake Gyllenhaal Taking about old B movies of the past including ones from the 80's like Hobgoblins the Abomination Deadly spawn Lobster man from mars and bad shot on video movies. This is a classic that more people should know about all the stars do a good job the clips are great it never takes it self seriously. I first saw this on HBO way back in 92 or 93 and i will never forget the first time seeing it this any fan of John Candy Gilda Radner Dan Aykroyd or b movies should see it.

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.