Product Description

The best example of urban guerilla filmmaking is ironicallyand happilyalso one of Hollywood'smost triumphant success stories. Actor Robert Townsend (I'm Gonna Git You Sucka!), decrying the lack of good roles for black actors, puts his money where his mouth is and co-scripts (with Keenen Ivory Wayans), directs and stars in this "exuberant, tirelessly energetic, funny, appealingly mean-spirited and easy-to-like" comedy (Janet Maslin, The New York Times) that took Tinseltown by storm! Actor wannabe Bobby Taylor (Townsend) dreams of landing a role any role. But in a town where the best black roles are usually jive-talkin' gangsta stereotypes, Bobby learns that you have to make your own partseven if they're just in your head. Spoofing everything from Michael Jackson's "Thriller" and Eddie Murphy to Siskel & Ebert, Bobby's vivid imaginationand Hollywood Shuffleare "an exhilarating blast" (New York)!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31780 in DVD
• Brand: TOWNSEND,ROBERT
• Released on: 2001-07-24
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish
• Subtitled in: Spanish, French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 81 minutes

Amazon.com
The alumni of Hollywood Shuffle are spread across dozens of current comedies and TV sitcoms--this is the movie that introduced Robert Townsend and the Wayans Brothers to the world. Townsend plays a young actor who struggles with being offered stereotyped street hustler roles while trying to maintain his self-respect and the approval of his family. Between scenes of comically humiliating auditions, Bobby has satirical fantasies about the plight of black actors, including the classic "Black Acting School" sketch, in which white teachers demonstrate jive talk and street moves for the befuddled black students. Townsend has a charming, low-key comic style, one considerably more subtle than that of some of the black comics who have risen to success with supposedly self-aware renditions of the stereotypes Townsend mocks. Townsend made this movie on his credit cards and it is clearly a heartfelt labor of love. --Bret Fetzer

Customer Reviews

F@#$ing Mother's Turkey Jive
This film is a classic. When I first saw it as a kid, I just thought it was funny, not realizing that it had a message as well as being comical. I don't know what my favorite scene is, but there are some classics such as Rambro, and Black Acting School. Keep an open mind when watching this film and try not to forget, in between laughs, that Townsend does have a serious theme about disrmination in Hollywood.

Go Jheri, Go Jheri, Do Da Jheri Curl!!
This has got to be the funniest movie I have ever watched, and the fact that Townsend put so much into getting it made makes me appreciate it even more. While the film touches on a very important subject concerning the downfalls of being a black actor, it still manages to keep the humor alive and strong. Highly recommend this film to all aspiring actors and all those who just love a good laugh.

hilarious comedy
Hollywood Shuffle is a spoof of many of the 'blaxploitation' films of the seventies. This was hollywood's introduction to Robert Townsend, as he wrote and starred in the film, reportedly financing it with credit cards.

Townsend stars as an actor trying to break into the bigtime. He finds it tough to break out of the hollywood ideas for black actors. The movie sends up several popular films, including Dirty Harry and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Be sure to look for the Siskel and Ebert parody.

Not very deep, and probably not for those who can't laugh at themselves. Some of the humor might be considered insensitive. I consider it hilarious.