Hollywood Boulevard: Old School Gossip and Not Much Else

Is it worth the time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white studio-era dramas, you might find some charm here. But honestly? It's pretty skippable unless you're a hardcore fan of 1930s character actors.

It’s not for everyone. The pacing is a bit all over the place, and it tries to be a serious drama one minute and a tabloid parody the next. If you hate movies where people just stand around talking about contracts for twenty minutes, you will probably be bored stiff. 🥱

The Vibe

There is this one scene where John Blakeford—the has-been actor in question—is sitting in this office that feels way too big for him. The way he fumbles with his pen? It felt so real. Like he wasn't even acting, just a guy who realized he’d sold his soul for a few bucks.

The whole movie has this weird, slightly dusty feeling. It’s like the props were borrowed from the set of Chinatown Squad and just dumped in here. You can almost smell the hairspray and cheap cigarettes.

The gossip angle is actually the most fun part. Watching these magazine writers scheme over a story is gross, but in a way that feels totally believable. It’s a nasty business, and the movie doesn’t mind showing that.

Little Oddities

• The lighting in the publisher's office is so bright it almost hurts your eyes. Why?
• I’m pretty sure I saw the same background extra in three different scenes, wearing the same hat. 🎩
• The dialogue is lightning fast. Blink and you’ll miss a character calling someone a 'scoundrel' or 'parasite.'

It’s nowhere near the depth of something like His Greatest Sacrifice. That movie actually had something to say. This one just kind of shrugs and ends.

I left the screen feeling like I’d just read a supermarket tabloid from eighty years ago. It’s not great art, but it’s an okay way to kill an afternoon if you like old Hollywood trivia. It’s just... fine. Sometimes fine is enough. 🎬