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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. 365 Nights in Hollywood remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you've got a soft spot for the kind of B-movie that doesn't quite know what it wants to be, give it a whirl. Fans of 1930s studio filler will have a blast. People who need a plot that moves like a bullet should probably skip this one and watch The Last Flight instead.
The whole thing feels like it was filmed in a frantic weekend. Jimmie Dale is just trying to stay afloat in this acting school, and the energy is all over the place.
There is this one scene where an aspiring actor is practicing a monologue, and I swear the camera operator forgot to zoom in. You’re just looking at a guy’s ear for like ten seconds. It’s bizarre.
The dialogue has this weird, clipped rhythm to it. Everyone talks like they’re trying to catch a train. It’s not exactly The Age of Innocence, is it? Not even close. But there’s a certain grit to it that I kinda liked.
I found myself wondering if they just ran out of film stock halfway through. Some scenes just end. Like, hard cut to black. No goodbye, no nothing. It’s jarring but weirdly honest.
It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not even a particularly good movie by normal standards. But there’s something about the way Jimmie Dale looks at the camera—like he’s asking for a sandwich—that stayed with me. Definitely a strange little artifact of a bygone era. 🎥