Hollywood Shuffle (1987)

Classic Comedy

My husband and I watched this movie weekly for several months when it first came out. I still find myself quoting lines at times. I hope things in Hollywood have changed in the last 20 plus years. But thanks to Robert Townsend this is a hilarious movie that I'm happy to now find in DVD. November 23, 2008

Winky Dinky Delicious!

lt could've used more Eddie Murphy type humor. You'll be BATTY BATTY BATTY over this tounge in cheek expose of despite leaps and bounds that Afro-Americans have made in ''the biz'', from their point of view, Townsend explains that they've gone from point A to point A.OOOO1 and point B still seems light years away.

Sit back and relax with a plate full of ho-cakes. September 5, 2008

Boyfriend loved it, I thought it was ok

I brought this as a gift for my boyfriend. He loves it and qoutes it all the time. It's a classic. May 9, 2008

Get lost in this shuffle

Hollywood Shuffle is one of the best black comedies of all-time. It served as a big f--- you to Hollywood for its sickening portrayal of black people. Robert Townsend used comedy for a great purpose(to convey a truth) and it worked out splendidly.

Premise: Bobby(played by Robert Townsend) has dreams of making it big in Hollywood. He works for a crummy hot dog stand called Rinky-Dinky Dog(no, really) with idiotic co-workers as well as an idiotic boss. The only problem Bobby faces is the negative roles that Follywood tends to offer black people. He soon has to make a decision if he wants to go with the BS roles of the movie industry or to go a different route.

Opinion: This movie hits the nail on the head with the types of roles that Follywood has destined for us to play. Its funny as well as sharp in its delivery. The Black Acting School skit has to be the funniest sketch in the movie. The black detective is the second funniest thing. Sure most people might say that the acting is over-the-top but these actors who play in the types of movies that Hollywood Shuffle parodies are always over the top with their performance so what are you talking about? I respect Hollywood Shuffle for using humor to address a serious subject instead of stooping to the brainless comic dung that you get from these Chittlin Circuit movies that are produced nowadays. And the sad thing is that people are trouncing gems like Hollywood Shuffle while embracing minstrel rubbish like Soul Plane, Norbit, Code Name: The Cleaner, Juwanna Mann etc. A sad state of affairs. In closing I would say support comedies like Hollywood Shuffle any chance you get. They're the only bright light you get in the dark tunnel of comedy in Hollywood. May 1, 2008

lessons learned in a comical style

Simply hilarious! Enough said. Well, not quite enough. Very tasteful too (somewhat). Ok, just watch it :-) April 27, 2008

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