Hacks

I saw this a few weeks back on HBO and was: a) suprised I hadn't heard of it before, with such a strong cast and all. b) thoroughly entertained. The dialogue and performances were great. c) wondering how it managed to get two other titles...

The late John Ritter works well with Dave Foley, both skilled comedic actors who seem very relaxed and into the material.

Richard Kind plays a typical type of character for him, but he's good (that's why he plays this type).

I am a Stephen Rea fan (he has made some mediocre films bearable) and thought his performance here was particularly good. He's playing all dopey and whatnot...well, I won't give much of the plot away, but the title "The Big Twist" seems appropriate.

"Sink or Swim"! What kind of title is that?! It's like saying "Swimming with Sharks Part Two!" "Hacks" is more appropriate, and as mentioned before, I like the title "The Big Twist." So, why change the name so many times? Was the idea to sell the film like some sort of retitled Independent International picture, giving it a new title to trick people into seeing the same film more than once?

Darned if I know. I do know this is a good film, not great (it should have been longer) but it is good. All the other performances are sharp, the director is in control, and the dialogue simply crackles.

Recommended (especially to writers)...

Saw it on HBO or Cinemax a while back, twice mind you. Starts off kind of slow but even then has enough one-liners to keep one interested. When the gloves come off between these writers the laughs are numerous as the viscous world of Hollywood gets exposed. Dave Foley and John Ritter are great together as a duo of screenwriters hoping to get a coveted job. The other teams also have memorable moments, such as Richard Kind sucking up to the producer by offering him Chococinnos. While not a phenomenal movie, there have been worse that are released widely. Just another example of what mainstream audiences are missing.

I love this movie. The dialogue, the situations, the acting, the ensemble cast, are all top-rate. I particularly enjoy the scenes of writing partners trying to come up with TV story lines, and the ridiculous ideas they come up with. In addition to the main cast, there are several excellent actors in smaller parts, such as Tom Arnold as the sleazy double-dealing Hollywood agent, Ryan O'Neal as the psychiatrist to the stars, and Lisa Kudrow as the cynical insomniac script reader. If you like movies about the inside business of Hollywood, you'll love this one. If you like good ensemble acting, great dialogue, and a comedic story line that does not involve murder or some other gratuitous violence, you will like this movie.

"The Big Twist" was a good title- recently shown on HBO. This is well-constructed, creative comedy, that doesn't rely on slapstick.

Stephen Rea and Ileana Douglas are very good (she was also excellent in "Ghost World") John Ritter and Dave Foley hysterical- as two desperate TV writers, trying to come up with a new gimmick.Wish Ritter got better film offers in his short career- instead of films like Kindergarten Cop or whatever it was called.

There are some funny scenes- where they have to take a bus in LA- and remark how Hollywood used to be glamorous, now it looks like Guatemala.

There are also scenes with Douglas at the Château Marmont- Ryan O'Neal portrays Rea's psychiatrist. Lisa Kudrow and Jason Priestley also have bit parts. Some scenes work better than others, all in all this is a decent comedy that is worth a try.

The script of Gary Rosen is the real star of this satiric depth-charge with Hollywood as the prime target, obviously written from the inside by Someone Who Knows. A genuine sleeper, it boasts a boss cast adept at Altmanesque overlapping dialogue: Stephen Rea and the underrated Illeana Douglas. Here's a gem that slipped between the cracks with a plot with more twists than a pretzel.