Quiet Days in Hollywood

You can always count on some mercenary to take advantage of an actor's success by releasing one of his or her early roles in some worthless B movie. 'Quiet Days In Hollywood' is an abominable ensemble production produced in 1997 and never released in theaters in the United States (it saw a limited release in Germany). It was recently released to the video market with Hilary Swank as the marketing hook. Actually, despite the fact that her picture and name dominate the package, Swank has only two limited appearances in the film.

The film is a series of chain linked sex vignettes. Each character has sex with another character and then the second character moves on to the next vignette and has sex with another who moves on to another etc., until finally, the circle is complete and the last character has sex with the first character. The story has all the substance of a porn movie, with banal, profanity-riddled dialogue serving to bridge the gap between sex scenes. Since the sex scenes were mostly implied, even the prurient aspect was limited.

Hillary Swank plays a hooker on the streets of Hollywood. She is brash to the point of stupidity, taunting and insulting dangerous people as if she has some sort of death wish. Her performance here is very amateurish and unpolished. Natasha Gregson Wagner was the only other cast member worth mentioning. She gave a reasonably good performance as a woman in an open marriage having sex with one of her husband's employees (the husband knows).

There is not really much more to say about this sham. I rated it a 2/10. Don't get duped into seeing it as I did just because Swank is on the cover.

I saw this film not long after it's release in Germany. It was presented in German although I believe the original version is in English. Until now, this rather clever film has eluded all film outlets and video retailers I have cared to visit.

This film really attempts to shock and gets away with it. The often hectic and ambiguous dialogue left me part-confused and part-stunned by the accuracy of the characters and their ability to cut-down other characters with mere conversation. How the script writer got his ideas remains to be seen, but here lies a person who knows his psycho-babble.

I really cannot remember too many plot details, I think I sat there powerless to control my reactions and was lead thorugh the barrage of different situations to the end of the film, which only a few deep breaths and a strong cup of coffee could help.

Search this film, and see it : - regardless of your taste (action, comedy, thriller, drama) this film contains all, albeit in forms that are hard-hitting and sometimes very difficult to interpret, and the humour is strong irony, on the nature of humans and their interactions. A scary encounter...

When I think the term "bad movie", I seem to think of Quiet Days in Hollywood first; it looming so large in my mind as to block out memory of all others. I know what you're thinking: It can't be that bad. Oh, yes, it be.

The movie is exceptionally bad in every film-making area. The acting isn't bad just because the writing is so bad. The acting is bad all on it's own, too. What story there is is an unnecessary story. If good direction is Sean Connery in a tuxedo, this direction is an obscene clown. The movie is embarrassing to watch for human beings. One wonders how it survived unhindered through human minds to it's current form.

All that said, Hilary Swank manages to be good. Talent can make such a difference. Otherwise, film teachers and students should use this movie as a template for what not to do.

If everyone in Los Angeles ran around having sex in car washes, water fountains, public balconies, etc., I would know about it. (I live here.) The scene where the lady cop pulls her gun, then believes the young, skinny black thug is Barry White was utterly stupid. Chad Lowe does a good job as a rapist suit lawyer. I especially liked Peter Dobson, he has real charisma, and a voice exactly like Martin Sheen! Hilary Swank has come a long way since this stinker, both in her career, and her craft.

I can't believe that some people gave this movie a 10! I could barely stay awake while watching it and I had just woken up!

There didn't seem to be any distinct plot, the acting was horrible, and the dialogue was bland. I honestly don't know why this movie was ever made.