Fahr zur Hölle Hollywood (1997)

Fahr zur Hölle Hollywood: Directed by Arthur Hiller. With Ryan O’Neal, Coolio, Chuck D, Eric Idle. When a rookie filmmaker with the unfortunate name Alan Smithee realizes he’s an unwitting studio puppet, being forced to make a big-budget action movie he knows is horrible, he steals the master reels and tries to make a deal.

“I disagree with the people here saying this is one of the worst films ever made. Iu0026#39;m somewhat of a connosieur of bad films, and that just isnu0026#39;t the case. Itu0026#39;s competently put together from front to back, but the script definitely could have used another draft or two.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAt its worst, itu0026#39;s just unfunny, not mind-bendingly horrible as some would have you to believe. Certainly if you know nothing about the inner workings of Hollywood you wonu0026#39;t understand the references and almost none of it will be funny.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIu0026#39;m sure there were lots of references I didnu0026#39;t understand — I get the feeling people working in Hollywood would get more out of this movie than the rest of us. One odd reference is the repeated name of u0026quot;Michael Ovitzu0026quot; throughout the movie. It appears in the song u0026quot;I Wanna Be Michael Ovitzu0026quot; in the soundtrack, thereu0026#39;s a u0026quot;Paging Dr. Ovitz…u0026quot; in the background in a hospital, etc. Itu0026#39;s not quite clear what writer Eszterhasu0026#39;s feelings toward Ovitz are — does he hate him or look up to him?u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAnother thing I donu0026#39;t understand is why director Arthur Hiller felt he had to change his credit to u0026quot;Alan Smitheeu0026quot;, except that itu0026#39;s amusingly appropriate. Looking at the film, I canu0026#39;t imagine that it was changed too radically in the editing, except perhaps the ultra-acidic put-downs on the title cards that introduce new characters.”