Some of my favorite films from Hollywood are films about the process of filmmaking. Sometimes, the most entertaining characters are the ones behind the camera as opposed to in front of it. I always feel as though I’m there with them, realizing a boyhood dream of being a filmmaker alongside some of the most bizarre and twisted individuals that every called “action!” Here are some of my picks for movies on movies that are close to my heart.
5. Bowfinger
“Bowfinger” is a tale starring Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy about a fast-talking and slightly unscrupulous movie director/producer trying to make a huge movie in Hollywood. With stolen equipment, an illegal immigrant crew from the deserts outside of Los Angeles and a mentally unstable movie star who doesn’t know he’s been cast as the lead, this film has a selection of great jokes and gags that are memorable long after it has ended. It didn’t get very good reviews after it came out in 1999. During that time, the popularity of Eddie Murphy had already begun its descent, and the film didn’t really have all that much marketing behind it. Directed by Frank Oz and written by Steve Martin, the gags are still great, even if it’s not the strongest film in the genre.
4. Tropic Thunder
“Tropic Thunder” is also a comedy much in the vein of “Bowfinger”: zany, out of control and over the top. “Tropic Thunder” is almost an insider’s commentary of the picture business as it is today. The film is also loaded with star talent with a nigh bloodthirsty producer played by Tom Cruise (with unbelievably convincing fat, hairy make up), and Robert Downey Jr. as high-brow thespian Kirk Lazarus as the dude playing a dude disguised as another dude (writing that almost confused me as much as it seemed to confuse Kirk Lazarus). “Tropic Thunder” garnered much more than “Bowfinger” in the way of critical reception. The jokes are far less subtle and the cast is heavily padded with big-name talent, it’s not surprising that people went ape for it. But mostly Robert Downey Jr. carried the film. His performance was epic, as well as the writing for his character. He was even nominated for an Oscar from Tropic Thunder in 2009. Downey is a sorcerer, what can I say?
3. Shadow of the Vampire
John Malkovich plays Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau directing the old silent vampire classic “Nosferatu” opposite Willem Dafoe’s character (and honest-to-goodness vampire) Max Schreck. Shadow suffered from some timing issues. The performances were great, and though it wasn’t necessarily a horror film, the plodding pace of the movie sometimes helped to build tension. A good movie about movies and an obsessive director willing to pay whatever the cost to see his creative vision revealed.
2. The Artist
“The Artist” is a gem. It’s a silent film (that at time uses sound for the biggest effect) about a silent-era actor on top of the world and losing it all. Having won a bunch of Oscars in 2011 for Best Picture and Best Actor, “The Artist” is one of the best films I’ve seen in a long time. Everyone does a great job of exaggerating their acting by degrees to help bring emotion across without seeming overdone. I have to be honest, this film had me in wonder the whole time I watched it. This is cinema: emotion, art, story … it’s all there. It had me in tears.
1. Ed Wood
Back in 1994 when the team of Tim Burton and Johnny Depp could do no wrong, biopic “Ed Wood,” blew us all away. Ed Wood made what some believe were the worst films (Plan 9 From Outer Space, Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster) in the history of filmmaking. Not an easy task! But, Ed Wood is really the story of Bela Lugosi, addicted to morphine and living alone and forgotten by Hollywood. Bela is recruited by Wood to act once again. Martin Landau’s performance as Bela Lugosi won him an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and it is well deserved. And Bill Murray’s “Bunny Breckinridge” is marvelous. Surrounded by other unusual characters in the scene, “Ed Wood” is a touching story about acceptance, loss, and friendship against all odds. And maybe some crazy thrown in for good measure.