Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov March 27, 2023

Robert Townsend's "Hollywood Shuffle" (1987) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the release include exclusive new audio commentary recorded by the director; new program with actors Bobby McGee, Rusty Cundeieff, and Anne-Marie Johnson; vintage trailer; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The dreamer

Is Robert Townsend over the target? Of course, he is. Hollywood has been racially profiling actors and denying them work for decades and very little has changed despite claims to the contrary. But racial profiling is not the only ugly practice that has thrived in Hollywood. Ideological profiling has been and still is a very popular practice. In fact, it is so popular now that it is de facto institutionalized. The evidence that it is so is right before your eyes, too. When was the last time Hollywood recognized with an Oscar statuette one of its own that did not share the socio-cultural views of the previous five winners? This special one does not exist? Why? This special one exists but does not have access to the same parts everyone else does? Why? This special one exists, has access to the same parts that everyone else does, but keeps getting rejected? Why?

If at least one of the possible answers to the questions above makes you slightly uncomfortable, then it should be quite easy for you to understand why Townsend felt compelled to shoot Hollywood Shuffle in 1987. To be honest, it is not at all difficult to understand Townsend’s motivation to do Hollywood Shuffle. It is quite difficult to pretend that you do not recognize the many barriers that are installed across Hollywood and appear convincing out in the open.

In Hollywood Shuffle, the existence of some of these barriers is revealed through the use of often suffocating satire. Townsend plays Bobby Taylor, a young hard-working African American man, who dreams of becoming a great actor while struggling to impress the right people. Though not a brilliant actor, Bobby’s biggest flaw is his appearance, which instantly limits the range of parts he is deemed suitable for -- the best is an Eddie Murphy doppelganger, the worst is a pusher from the ghetto. To numb the repetitive pain from the frequent disastrous auditions, Bobby gradually begins to spend more time in a fantasy land where his acting skills are better appreciated and success seems easier to achieve. But the more intense and satisfying Bobby’s visits to fantasy land become, the harder it gets to reenter reality.

Bobby’s dreams give Hollywood Shuffle an episodic structure that is not managed very well. Two things could have been done much better. First, the satire is routinely overdone in ways that strengthen many of the stereotypes it is targeting, so it should have been balanced better. Second, the writing must have emphasized wit rather than profanity to fully expose the prejudice and hypocrisy behind the barriers as well as the institutional powers that validate their existence. A generic message that the playing field is not the same for everyone is instantly forgettable.

Townsend’s inexperience as a director must be acknowledged as well. For example, there isn’t a shortage of material that looks quite choppy, oddly prolonged, or incomplete. Also, in a few areas, it feels like something is preventing the cast from establishing a proper chemistry that could have produced memorable sparks. The late and great John Witherspoon, for instance, brings a very familiar enthusiasm to his part but does not leave a lasting impression. The same can be said about Keenen Ivory Wayans’ contribution as well.

When the final credits appear, it is difficult not to concede that Hollywood Shuffle should have been a much more effective film because the frustration behind it is unquestionably legit. However, in its current form, it is something of a raw draft of this effective film. Parts of it look decent, some even good, but more polish work was needed to have it done right.

*Criterion’s Blu-ray release of Hollywood Shuffle is sourced from an exclusive new 4K master that was struck from the 35mm original camera negative. The 4K master was supervised and approved by Townsend.

Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Hollywood Shuffle arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion.

The following text appears inside the leaflet that is provided with this Blu-ray release:

"Supervised and approved by director Robert Townsend, this new digital transfer was created in 4K resolution on a Lasergraphics Director film scanner from the 35mm original camera negative. The original monaural soundtrack was remastered from the 35mm DME magnetic track.

Colorist: Gregg Garvin/Roundabout, Burbank, CA."

Hollywood Shuffle made its high-definition debut via Olive Films in 2015. (You can see our listing and review of this release here). The previous release was sourced from an older but very solid master that was supplied by MGM. After the recent 4K makeover, the film looks very healthy and boasts an all-around solid organic appearance. On my system, all visuals looked outstanding. Delineation, clarity, and depth, I think, are as good as they could be in 1080p. I feel that some of the darker footage could have superior dynamic range, but for the difference to become easy to appreciate the film will need to be presented in native 4K. The color grade is very convincing. I think that the blues and reds are very clearly better balanced now and as a result other smaller nuances appear more convincing as well. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is outstanding. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I did not encounter any technical issues to report in our review. The dialog was very clear, sharp, and clean. Stability was excellent. A few of the spoofs produce decent dynamic contrasts, but it is easy to tell that the film was made with a small budget because the original soundtrack is quite modest. Is there any room for meaningful improvements? I do not think so.

Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - a remastered vintage trailer for Hollywood Shuffle. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Doing the "Hollywood Shuffle" - in this exclusive new program, actors Bobby McGee, Rusty Cundeieff, and Anne-Marie Johnson recall their involvement with Hollywood Shuffle and discuss some of the key themes in the film. The program was produced for Criterion in 2022. In English, not subtitled. (25 min).

• Robert Townsend with Elvis Mitchell - in this recorded conversation, Robert Townsend discusses Hollywood Shuffle with critic Elvis Mitchell. The conversation was aired during the radio show The Treatment on October 22, 2022. It is presented courtesy of public radio station KCRW (Los Angeles). In English, not subtitled. (27 min).

• Commentary - this exclusive new audio commentary was recorded by Robert Townsend in 2022 for Criterion.

• Leaflet - an illustrated leaflet featuring critic Aisha Harris' essay "Against Type" as well as technical credits.

Hollywood Shuffle Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Robert Townsend is over the target. However, the overwhelming satire prevents him from striking hard enough to produce lasting ripple effects that would have made it possible for a big enough audience to begin pondering the issues he cared about. Ironically, Townsend's directorial debut could be just as relevant today if you replace racial stereotyping with intellectual stereotyping and begin examining Hollywood's behavior again. Criterion's Blu-ray release of Hollywood Shuffle is sourced from a solid exclusive new 4K master that was supervised and approved by Townsend. If you are a fan of the film, consider an upgrade. If you are not, RENT IT.