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Poster for Hollywood Shuffle

Hollywood Shuffle

Bobby Taylor was on his way to becoming a star, when a funny thing happened...

1987 · 1h 21m · R Comedy
Directed by Robert Townsend

Seen it?

Overview

Aspiring actor and hot-dog stand employee Bobby Taylor catches the ire of his grandmother for auditioning for a role in the regrettably titled exploitation film "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge." When Tinseltown Studios casts Taylor in the title role, he has a series of conflicted dreams satirizing African-American stereotypes in Hollywood, and must reconcile his career goals with his desire to remain a positive role model for his little brother.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
88%
Tomatometer
Rotten

Brimming with imagination and energy, Hollywood Shuffle is the kind of shoestring effort more appealing in theory than execution.

Variety Staff, Variety
Fresh

Improv talent Robert Townsend is pretty much the whole show.

Pat Graham, Chicago Reader
Fresh

Despite the film's conspicuously minuscule budget and shaky narrative structure, it is funny. If you value enthusiasm and imagination more than glossy sophistication, you'll laugh.

Geoff Andrew, Time Out
Fresh

Mr. Townsend has taken aim at the industry's funny bone and struck a solid blow.

Janet Maslin, New York Times
Fresh

For a mere $100,000, Townsend and company have made a funny, poignant and technically proficient film -- one that should thoroughly embarrass those studios that routinely offer up badly made, multimillion-dollar disasters.

Richard Harrington, Washington Post

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