subject: The Hollywood Machine: Watching The Best California Films On Satellite Tv [print this page] While practically every city on earth has been captured on celluloid, nothing has been focused on quite in the same way that Hollywood has. The realm of the big guns in terms of how movies get made, Hollywood is the machine that churns out the hits of yesterday and the blockbusters of tomorrow. While studios might have changed their focus from producing top-notch dramas to popcorn flicks, the truth is that the film industry of Hollywood does continue to guide what everyone else does. From the art-house cinema of the United States to the major media in foreign countries, Hollywood has definitely had an impact.
For satellite tv viewers who want to take a pick at how the machine has depicted itself over the years, flipping on a television set is all that it takes to see California in the movies. In fact, the backdrop of Hollywood has played a major part in hundreds of films, some of which are fantastic and some of which are worth forgetting. From the days of black and white talkies to the gritty handheld camerawork of the past couple of years, watching California captured onscreen is one of the easiest options for a movie-goer. Here are a few examples of Hollywood focusing on itself as the subject matter.
Sunset Boulevard. This classic tale of all that can go wrong in Hollywood ends up on AFI Top 100 film lists year after year. In a world of slick filmmaking and endless focus on style over substance, it's interesting to see a film that predates HDTV by decades, yet seems to understand just how the star-maker machinery actually happens to function. Incredible performances and a noir feel only add to the film's appeal.
Ed Wood. Johnny Depp absolutely wows in his performance as the director some say was the absolute worst in Hollywood. Easy to catch on satellite tv thanks to its cult status, the film is shot in black and white and also features incredible performances by other highly skilled actors like Bill Murray, who complete the ragtag team assembled to make the world's most famous B movies.
Bowfinger. This underrated 1999 film pairs Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy, who manage to keep an uneven plot afloat with their comedic performances. Eddie Murphy plays two different parts: one, a successful actor who has gone a little bit crazy, and the hopeless average Joe who happens to look just like him. All of the Hollywood tropes are in this comedy, though it manages to stay quite enjoyable.
A Star is Born. The making-of a major Hollywood starlet, as played by one of the most memorable household names of the past century. A moment of golden Hollywood, and the perfect film for making the entire family happy during the holidays after all other options have been exhausted.
The Big Picture. Not Christopher Guest's first attempt at taking on how movies get made, but perhaps his best. This 1989 film features a lovable performance by Kevin Bacon and a well-written script that shows just what can go wrong when anyone begins to believe his or her own hype. Watching someone learn the pain of the bottom line has never been so hilarious.
