The Hollywood Complex (2011) Reviews

• I hate these people....

  MartinHafer2012-04-07

  "The Hollywood Complex" follows several families who live in a strange apartment complex in the Hollywood area. I say it's strange because it is made up of families who think their child will become a star--and the management host a variety of events geared towards these kids. These families have allowed the filmmakers access to their lives--to follow them and show their quest for fame. This is a hard film for me to watch. I agree with the previous reviewer that children should NOT be working and should be allowed to be kids. And so, seeing these nutty and selfish parents pushing their kids or allowing their kids to become obsessed with stardom really irritated me. While I wasn't as irked as I would have been if these had been child beauty pageant contestants, they aren't a whole lot different. Don't these folks have any values or life aside from pushing their kids to become actors?! Look at what they give up in search of this dream. And, how many of these kids really want stardom and how many are just pushed into it by insane parents? The film has many strange yet fascinating moments. A few that stood out for me included: One family rummaging through trash can for aluminum cans to recycle in order to afford to live out their dream of stardom--as they can barely afford this lifestyle. Tami Erin--a 38 year-old star with only five IMDb credits. She portrays herself as a great star (her big claim to fame was playing one of the Pippi Longstockings) and talks about her acting school or some such nonsense. "Crying on Cue Workshop". This is just too amazing to put into words. Cory Feldman at awards ceremony for child actors! No one seems to see the irony of this even though Feldman is the poster child for the screwed up child actor. One child acting school touts Brittany Murphy as an alumnus. Murphy died recently from a combination of things--including drugs--at age 32. Sad and VERY ironic. Families leaving fathers and other siblings back East for months or years at a time. One mother dabbling in Scientology by taking classes, as it might give them an edge on getting closer to the Hollywood elite! One lady who insists her child will NOT compromise their values. Later, however, the kid does a reading for a cursing hermaphrodite. The lines the man at the audition reads are SICK--and the man talks about hacking off a person's manhood to this child. Scams, scams, scams--with talent agencies and photographers making HUGE promises to untalented and unattractive kids. I know these comments seem harsh, but I just couldn't help think that none of these kids needed to be doing this---they should just be kids. The filmmakers chose, quite wisely, not to narrate or comment on all this--just showing everything and letting the viewer make up their own minds--which, I assume, are about as negative towards these folks as I am. Well made and fascinating--like a very nasty train wreck that I just couldn't stop myself from watching.

• Absolute train wreck

  jc1305us2013-01-19

  Caught this movie on Netflix, and I had to watch most of it through my hands because it is so humiliating for everyone involved. The movie revolves around an apartment complex in LA that kids and their parents stay in while the networks cast new TV pilots. The movie follows a group of kids and their parents as they go on auditions, meet casting agents, and directors, and try to find jobs. The kids seem very nice, but it is sad that 99.9% of the people going to Hollywood to pursue their (or their parents?) dreams of stardom will wind up with nothing to show for all of the THOUSANDS of dollars spent, months away from family and friends, scams suffered, and humiliation of constant rejections. The whole underbelly of the Hollywood machine is open to see, and it is not pretty. No one has the guts to tell these parents that their little boy or girl is just not going to make it, as they see just another sucker they can wring a few dollars from. "You need different head shots" is a familiar refrain (Neglecting to tell you that the photographer of those head shots is their husband) The saddest thing is that these aren't kids in the normal sense, they have been taken over by their overriding ambition to be "somebody" Instead of living a normal childhood, they are already sounding, and resembling like slick adults. It is sad to watch this movie and think of all the wasted time and money, but even sadder to think of the wasted youth. Highly recommended

• Interesting Lifestyle Choices

  GAWeldon2013-02-11

  I've stumbled onto this documentary a couple of times now, and I really enjoyed it. I like shows like this that introduce you to people with weird or unusual hobbies (in this case, the parents' hobby, not the kids'). These people are so into what they're doing that they're oblivious how out of touch they've become with reality. Do they really believe their children are going to become big stars? Although I don't understand their thinking, and I'd never want to put my kids through this, I appreciate that these people have a dream and are trying to make it happen. In reality, 99% of these kids will return home with zero TV/movie credits. They'll return to their "regular" lives and, in 20 years, will probably tell they're friends about how they once "spent 3 seasons living in Hollywood, trying to become a big star, haha". It'll make for great after-dinner conversation. The kids I would worry about are the ones who actually succeed in LaLa Land. You know, the future "Corey Feldman Lifetime Achievement Award" winners. I liked the dark-haired young lady who was there with her Mom and got no auditions and no call-backs. One year later, she was back home, riding horses, and infinitely happier. I also liked the black woman who was determined to keep her kid out of jail. I wasn't sure if she REALLY wanted him to be a star, or just wanted him out of the neighborhood they used to live in. The only "sad" story was the heavy-set woman with the blond, irritating daughter. They lived in what had to have been the tackiest apartment I've ever seen. They live there full time, yet her daughter had less talent than just about anyone else in the movie. I doubt she could get cast in a school production, much less a Hollywood show. I wish someone would have stepped in and told them to just Go Home! Anyway, a very interesting and informative movie. Definitely not my lifestyle preference, but a valid one just the same.

• a major scam to avoid!

  dano960-750-6439522013-07-28

  Wasn't shocked at all seeing Jim Richer with The Exposure Studio and Tiffany (Atwood) Richer with RPM Talent Agency in this movie (btw are husband and wife) These 2 have been scamming newbie's to Hollywood for years and now you get to see it on film.. 1st they will try and convince you that u will need a talent agent (Tiffany) and after Tiffany's little song and dance sales pitch she will agree to represent you, she will then send you to "the man down stairs" (her husband Jim) to buy head-shots and acting classes " that she clams she can get you a discount on because she represents you now" tiffany knows the only way she's going to make money off you is if you fall for Jim's little song and dance sales pitch. I have a friend that worked for Jim, she ended up quitting because of his shady practices and she ended up getting another photographer for new head-shots. There practices (husband and wife tag team) are against the rules of SAG (Screen Actors Guide ) My friend while working for Jim saw a letter from SAG asking them to stop there tag team scam back in 2008, but as you can see, there still doing it... Its a shame that there are people like Jim and Tiffany Richer in Hollywood. I wish someone in SAG will read this and watch the movie and then put a stop to these self centered dream crushers!

• I found it worth my time .

  oscar-352014-06-24

  *Spoiler/plot- The Hollywood Complex, 2011. A yearly ritual of child actors and their parents converging on a large condo complex to work together to land a Hollywood gig. *Special Stars- NOne. Some casting directors and acting coaches of some note. *Theme- Persistance is the way to stardom. *Trivia/location/goofs- Documentary. Shot in the large Oakwood condo complex on Barham Blvd across from the back lot hill area of Universal Studios and up the road from Warner Brothers Studios. *Emotion- Probably too boring for anyone not connected or interested in The BiZ. I found it worth my time in viewing. Although very little new clues or insights in making it big was NOT contained in this film's story. Seeing the work involved is enlightening to the average film audience viewer. *Based On- Yearly Hollywood pilot season casting matters.