What’s this? The sequel to Someone is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe by Lionel Chetwynd and Roger L. Simon? Now there’s a subject I’d love to research. Ferran Adria anyone? Who would you kill for a reservation at El Bulli?
But I digress. This week’s Poliwood is about “Who Killed Hollywood?” – assuming somebody did. Or perhaps, as I state, cribbing the great words of Preston Sturges referring to chivalry: “It’s not only dead, it’s decomposed.”
Other Poliwoods here.








It should be against the law to reference movies you cannot rent (or buy). I’ve been keeping an eye out for a copy of that classic for years.
Pshaw! I can only speculate on the number of films that have disappeared from the international market because Hollywood bought them, shelved them, remade them, distributed them as Hollywood productions; and, then, in some cases, (to ease conscience), released the original to art houses for limited play. It may be dead in spirit, but certainly not in deed.
What’s dead & decomposed is the recycling the same lame cliche every other month to make the same lame arguments. I might have believed The Death, Decomposition & Resurrection Show was the result of professional laziness or lack of creativity, now you’ve got me thinking it’s OCD.
Its obvious what killed Hollywood, it’s own success. Happens all the time, just look at Detroit. Once the battle is assumed over, then the victors let the good times roll, falsely believing they will never end.
But eventually, they always do.
The selection of “Slumdog Millionaire” for major awards is simply beyond comprehension. It was a mediocre film that barely deserved a three star rating out of five. The judges must have been intimidated by the fact that the key actors were dark skinned. There is simply no reason to respect the Academy Awards. “Slumdog Millionaire” should be the last straw for any reasonable human being.