DbcultAccessing Vault...
4.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 4.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Kid in Hollywood remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you have a high tolerance for old-timey weirdness, sure. It’s perfect for people who like to dig into the odd corners of movie history. If you get creeped out by kids trying to act like jaded adults, you will probably hate every second of this. 👶🎬
There is this moment where Arthur J. Maskery is trying to do his best 'serious industry professional' bit, and it’s just… it’s something else. You keep waiting for the punchline, but the movie just keeps going. It’s not exactly like The Enemy Sex, that’s for sure.
The whole gimmick is that these kids are playing adults. It’s like a school play that went off the rails. You’ve got Shirley Temple in the mix, and she’s already got that look, you know? The one where she’s seen too much.
The pacing is all over the place. Sometimes it feels like a professional studio production. Then the camera lingers on a kid’s face for about five seconds too long, and it just feels like someone’s home movie. It’s bizarrely grounding in a way I didn't expect.
I found myself wondering if they just handed these kids suits and told them to go have at it. There’s a specific scene in a casting office that feels way more tense than it has any right to be. It’s not quite the level of drama you’d find in Modern Love, but it’s got a weird energy.
It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Oh, Yeah?, just with way more pigtails and fewer actual adults. The movie doesn't really have a 'message' or anything deep to say about the industry. It’s just kids playing dress-up. And maybe that’s enough? Or maybe it’s a fever dream I had.
Don't look for a deep plot. Just enjoy the weirdness of it all. It’s short, it’s loud, and it makes zero sense. 🤷♂️