Hollywoodland (2006)
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Reviews Counted: 179
Fresh: 123 | Rotten: 56
More than a movie star murder mystery, Hollywoodland takes it slow in order to reveal the intriguing details of the rise and fall of superstar fame.
Average Rating: 6.5/10
Critic Reviews: 42
Fresh: 26 | Rotten: 16
More than a movie star murder mystery, Hollywoodland takes it slow in order to reveal the intriguing details of the rise and fall of superstar fame.
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Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 77,095
Movie Info
The mysterious and unexpected death of an iconic Hollywood star may be just the tip of an iceberg of scandal in this showbiz drama based on a true story. George Reeves (played by Ben Affleck) was a journeyman actor who had played a small role in Gone With the Wind and appeared onscreen with the likes of James Cagney, Rita Hayworth, and Marlene Dietrich, but his career was not exactly booming when he was cast as comic-book hero Superman in a 1951 B-movie, Superman and the Mole Men. A year later,
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Cast
-
Adrien Brody
Louis Simo -
Ben Affleck
George Reeves -
Diane Lane
Toni Mannix -
Bob Hoskins
Edgar Mannix -
Lois Smith
Helen Bessolo -
Robin Tunney
Leonore Lemmon -
Larry Cedar
Chester Sinclair -
Jeffrey DeMunn
Art Weissman -
Caroline Dhavernas
Kit Holliday -
Brad William Henke
Russ Taylor -
Dash Mihok
Sergeant Jack Paters... -
Molly Parker
Laurie Simo -
Kathleen Robertson
Carol Van Ronkel -
Joe Spano
Howard Strickling -
Gareth Williams
Del -
Zach Mills
Evan Simo -
Kevin Hare
Robert Condon -
Steve Adams
Bob Maxwell Producer -
David Bolt
Judge Eisler -
Richard Fancy
Alford "Rip" Van Ron... -
Bill Lake
Cigar Man -
Jack Newman
Izzy Berne Tailor -
Michael Rhoades
James Engelmann -
Eric Weinthal
Barney Sarecky Produ... -
Eric Fink
Dominick's Waiter -
Dendrie Allyn Taylor
Mrs. Sinclair -
Ted Atherton
Detective Doug Johns... -
Phillip Mackenzie
Bill Bliss -
Neil Crone
Chuck -
Seamus Dever
Phillip -
Cotton Mather
Dark Figure -
Brendan Wall
Harold Chiles Castin... -
Joan Gregson
Chopard Saleswoman -
Diego Fuentes
Natividad Vacio -
David J. MacNeil
Officer Daniel Korby -
Lorry Ayers
Phyllis Coates/Lois ... -
Jason Spevack
Kenneth Giles -
Todd Grinnell
Times Reporter -
Peter James Haworth
Fred Zinnermann -
Robert Kennedy
Tommy Carr Director -
Natalie Krill
Camera Girl -
Eric Kolder
Barbell Man -
Jon Vladimir Cubrt
Morgue Attendant -
Veronica Watt
Rita Hayworth -
Aymui Iizuka
Miss Yoshida -
Jeff Teravainen
Lester Koenig Auditi... -
Joseph Adam
Jack Larson/Jimmy Ol... -
Sven Van De Ven
John Hamilton/Perry ... -
Gray Powell
Chad -
Tim Campbell
MGM Hunk -
Kerin McCue
Superman Announcer -
Jeff Cowan
Maxwell Arnow Castin... -
Tim Dorsch
Docville Bank Teller -
Alexander Drogemulle...
Stunned Boy -
Jody Jaress
Mannix Maid -
Murray Oliver
Funeral Reporter #1 -
Walter Rinaldi
Funeral Reporter #2 -
Terry Barna
Buddy Adler -
Erin Gooderham
Jackie Leonore's Fri... -
Cameron Mitchell Jr.
Earl Wilson -
Steve Brandes
Thug Detective -
Donald Burda
Rick Harris -
Charlie Lea
5-Year-Old Evan
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Hollywoodland Trailer & Photos
All Critics (188) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (123) | Rotten (56) | DVD (26)
It's worth seeing for Affleck alone, deftly communicating the distance between the put-on cardboard debonairness of this hunk-about-town and the gnawing uncertainties beneath his Superman outfit.
Top CriticTake my word for it: Hollywoodland is well worth seeing.
Reeves had an easy but peppy presence that was very likable, and Affleck's moroseness doesn't do him justice.
... even though parts of the picture don't quite hold together, in the end, it sticks with you.
In this bland, ultimately dull reimagining, the question of who killed Superman turns out to be less of a mystery than a plodding attempt at what has been done so much better before.
Hollywoodland explores an intriguing bit of Hollywood history, and through the strength of its performances keeps us engaged and entertained.
Outside of the novelty of seeing Ben Affleck assaying a dramatic role, there isn't much in Hollywoodland to keep us hooked.
Starts with artful delusions before dribbling into nothingness
Despite a stellar cast, Coulter and screenwriter Paul Bernbaum can’t decide whether to plumb the depths of 'noir' or tug at the heartstrings of failed ambition.
Like Ben from Bennifer, George Reeves aspired to be a Great Actor, but was weighed down by audience expectations. Affleck does a terrific job with this role.
Strong ensemble performances, tight direction, and a stand out from Affleck make this an excellent revisiting of an old Hollywood case...
every bit as ambitious, if never as flawed, as the characters it portrays.
May not have all the answers about the death of one of the icons behind the big red 'S,' but by gathering one of the better ensembles of the year, it makes the legend interesting again.
Tentando evocar a mesma atmosfera sufocante de Los Angeles %u2013 Cidade Proibida, surge como pálida (literalmente) imitação do excepcional trabalho de Curtis Hanson.
From a character point of view, Adrien Brodey's emotional journey as a broken down investigator and a broken down father from a broken marriage, is the film's incomplete centrepiece, Ben Affleck's superb portrayal of George Reeves notwithstanding.
Un atractivo y bien logrado ejemplo de cine negro donde se mezclan glamour y misterio, con estupendo elenco y excelente recreación de época y atmósfera.
Tells this tale with energy and panache.
Middle-aged angst - and not the mystery of Reeves' unsolved death - lies at the heart of Hollywoodland.
Worthwhile for the amusement of the escape to a bygone era alone. But when you factor in an absorbing pulp fiction plotline, you've got all you can ask of a cinematic experience.
But dreams of fame evolve. And where once it would have just been enough to be recognized, it becomes apparent only later that this is not quite enough.
Frustratingly ambiguous as a thriller, Coulter's strong debut should be approached as a disturbing parable on the nature of fame.
It is not just that people die in the film, its the way their souls get mauled while they are still alive.
It's Affleck's ghost of film future. Watch his hurt-glazed eyes as he sits in the screening of From Here to Eternity while all around him people laugh at 'Superman' pretending to be someone else.
Stark, probing and beautifully crafted, Hollywoodland is a slow-burning mystery/thriller that intriguingly jumps along with each suspenseful frame.
A well-meaning mediocrity.
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The concept and set up are great, but the results are unfulfilling. This one is really trying to swing for the fences and place itself amonsgt the ranks of Chinatown (possibly) or L.A. Confidential. It's a noble try, but it doesn't quite make it. The performances are actually pretty decent, especially from Affleck and Brody, but the story is meandering, plodding, and not as gripping as it needed to be.
It's a bit of a bore, and doesn't really provide the insight I was hoping it might. I dug the technical side of things, and there are some good sequences, but ultimately this is just an unfocused bore.