"Hollywood 90028" (movie review) - a newly discovered 70s film as arty and sleazy as Los Angeles itself

In hindsight, watching this 50+ year old film in 2026 is shocking in every way besides one; the idea that Los Angeles, CA, was ever the paradise it was sold to the United States public.

"Hollywood 90028" follows Mark (Christopher Augustine), an aspiring cinematographer who moves West from Indiana to work in film. As both his prospects and mental health become bleak over several years of rejection and isolation, he finds himself in the seedy word of Hollywood's true identity. Navigating the landscape of low-rent skin flick studios, sticky-floored peepshow shops, and a one-bedroom apartment which is decorated in psychopath-chic, Mark finds himself inexplicably preying on young women and strangling them to death.

But when he starts to build an emotional connection with Michele (Jeannette Dilger), one of the performers in a smut film, Mark works towards a redemption arc that infects the viewer with sympathy, even after he brutally murders his first victim within minutes of the film's introduction. But the film draws to a close, a quick succession of primal sounds, a stark scene cut, and a lingering extreme long shot creates a visceral ending every bit as stark as Mark's impulsive murders.

Like a pulp novel, "Hollywood 90028" (which was remastered and distributed by Grindhouse Releasing in 2024) is driven by exaggerated characters, including the slobby, sweaty porn film director Jobal (Dick Glass); the babyface actresses in his films who slowly realize they bit off more than they could chew; and the enigmatic, heartless camera man who sees more behind the lens than in front of it. Conversely, in pure pulp fashion, the story lacks a certain exposition that probably would've propelled the narrative into a definitive statement of Hollywood's biggest losers, and what they have to do to survive.

The exploitation vibe of the film fits snuggly inside the decade in which it was created, but for 21st century viewing, its timelessness comes from scenes with pure shock value, especially with its warped take on a Hollywood ending. After half a century of cautionary tales documenting delusions of grandeur tipping over into madness ("Taxi Driver", "Mulholland Drive", "The King of Comedy"), "Hollywood 90028" may not be anything new, but in an era where everyone can be a star from the comfort of their own couches, it's a good reminder that some people were so determined to fulfill their dreams of fame, they would end up naked in some empty warehouse with a wet, fat man watching them with binoculars.

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