Hollywood 90028

While everyone praises a film that is timeless, those that are of their time an inevitably more interesting. And Hollywood 90028 (1974) occupies a singular moment of L.A. cinematic history written by the early generation of UCLA film school grads; an urban desert of sleazy peep shows and dashed artistic aspirations populated by Midwest transplants looking to make it big.  Director Christina Hornisher’s obscure addition to this tragic catalog was sold as a sexed-up piece of violent exploitation (and retitled The Hollywood Hillside Strangler and Twisted Throats) but this low-budget effort is really anything but.

 

Mark (Christopher Augustine) is a frustrated filmmaker shooting dirty movies to pay the bills, unable to put together a highlight reel that will get him out of the celluloid gutter.  Michele (Jeannette Dilger) is on the other side of the camera, ashamed of her “performances” but lured by the easy money.  Their connection is surprisingly sweet and a delicate courtship follows.  But Mark’s penchant for strangling his one-night-stands to death – as shown in the film’s opening scene – is a dark cloud hanging over this doomed relationship.  

 

Post-dubbed with a cast of one-and-done actors, Hollywood 90028 was probably lucky to get the limited exposure it had at the time.  Hornisher ensures the film is top loaded with all sex and violence upfront so at least any walkouts would get their money’s worth.  But those who bothered to stick around discovered a melancholic slice of cinematic poetry, capturing two people on the brink of an unexpected happy ending.  Lead actress Jeannette Dilger is a natural beauty who’s also natural on camera, delivering one of the best soliloquys on the life of a porn actress ever put on film.  It’s like an eloquent obituary for every young girl taken in by the temptation of the big city. 

 

Hornisher balances the wool-gathering narrative with a dangerous sense of voyeurism, staging scenes with an almost De Palma level of self-awareness.  Still, it takes a lot of patience to put aside one’s expectations.  Striking shot compositions and clever editing can only support so much running time without a few bones thrown out along the way.  And Hollywood 90028 is probably best appreciated by those with an affinity for early L.A. cult efforts like Messiah of Evil or ‘60s holdovers like Curtis Harrington’s Night Tide.  Experimental, unpredictable and surprisingly gentle, Hornisher’s film is a living, breathing relic of its era.

 

A decades long labor of love for Grindhouse Releasing, this three-disc set sports a new 4K restoration from the original 35mm negative, interviews with cast and crew, audio commentaries, X-rated alternate scenes, outtakes, stills, trailers, Hornisher’s early short films, a comprehensive set of liner notes and a bonus CD featuring the original soundtrack from none other than Basil Poledouris of Conan fame.

 

 

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