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Death
In Hollywood / When The Applause Died
Directed By Nick Bougas
Released: 1990
Running Time: 175 minutes (combined)
DVD Released By SRS Cinema
From the producers of Death Scenes 1 and 2, Meatcleaver Massacre,
and Fart: The Movie, comes these two trashy documentaries on the
pitfalls of Hollywood and the dangers of being a celebrity. Both of these
titles have been relegated to out of print and former rental store copies
for quite a while, but thankfully Sub Rosa has picked up these two titles
and released them together. Both of these films deliver the guilty
pleasure goodness big time. Let’s take a look.
When The Applause Died begins with some hilariously corny graphics
depicting a skeletal arm holding an Oscar. Shortly after that, the viewer
is plunged into the seedy world of the ex-child stars such as Bobbt
Driscoll. The film also focuses on the downfalls of John Belushi, Bela
Lugosi, Lenny Bruce, and William Holden. The film really dishes up the
dirt and makes no excuses about wallowing in the unsavory facts of these
shattered lives.
If you didn't get enough tantalizingly trashy trivia (and really, who
could), then Death In Hollywood is right up your alley. After
another bout of delightfully cheesy graphics, this film looks at the
untimely deaths (mostly suicides) of many Hollywood's most beloved stars.
From Bruce Lee to Marilyn Monroe to Jean Harlowe to Bob Crane, this one's
got them all. One of the most interesting stories surrounds the life and
death of the vivacious and voluptuous Jayne Mansfield who was killed in a
car accident at the age of 34.
Death In Hollywood and When The Applause Died compliment
each other very well. Watching them back to back may be a bit much for
some viewers but those out there who crave the exploitative and the seedy
will have a freakin’ blast. Both films utilize clips from yesteryear to
give some reference as to who the stars were. This saves both films from
being more than just a list of the deceased. If you’re looking for a
sleazy good time then make it a point to check these documentaries out.
Just because celebrities are rich and famous doesn’t mean they can’t die
horrible deaths or live pointless lives that end in horrible deaths.
DVD Specs:
Both Death In Hollywood and When The Applause Died look
pretty good. I’m fairly certain they were produced for television or were
straight-to-video, so I doubt restoration would have done much good here.
The sound is fine and you should have no trouble hearing the audio. The
only extra that I could find is a casually hidden trailer for another one
of Sub Rosa’s fine releases.
For more information, check out
SRS Cinema’s website.
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