Slaves of Hollywood takes a satirical inside look into the gauntlet of abuse and humiliation endured by tinsel town’s players-in-training.
Paulette Gittleman (Katherine Morgan) sets out, against her studio head father’s permission, to film a documentary about the lowest of the lowest on the Hollywood totem pole, the assistants. As we learn, Paulette’s motivation is to better understand her father’s (Nicholas Worth) bizarre metamorphosis from studio assistant to sadistic executive. All five of her subjects are fairly new to Hollywood, armed with degrees from top universities and high-hopes of overnight success. Fisher (Hill Harper), an assistant to a decadent music video producer, carries his boss around on his shoulders at parties and is forced to dress like a Soul Train reject. Thomas (Howard Scott) a mail room assistant trainee at a big name talent agency, struggles in an environment where a pecking order of verbal abuse weeds out the weak. Dean Palermo (Andre Barron) an angry filmmaker visited by the ghost of his idol Alfred Hitchcock, was once the assistant to big name agent, Griffin Larosh (Johnny Venokur), until he was fired for not reserving Larosh a table at Spago’s for him. George Pink (Elliot Markman), a studio mailroom assistant with a devil worshipping, metal-head boss, eventually goes back to New York after having a nervous breakdown in his backyard kiddy pool. Roman Sofine (Rob Hyland) is a shifty and scrupulous agent’s assistant working in the same agency as Thomas. Roman’s philosophy on making it in the business, “cars, lunches, green lights and studio executive daughters.” Though a promising agent to be, Roman is eventually brought down by a scandalous past. With Dean’s inspired guidance, Thomas and Fisher persevere. Finally freeing themselves from slavery. The film ends with Fisher being fired for suffocating his boss and Thomas becoming a slick agent’s assistant, only after turning in Roman. Paulette leaves Los Angeles, fed up with her father and the industry which created him.
Reportedly made for $100,000, Slaves of Hollywood has top quality production values and solid performances. Slaves of Hollywood delivers a humorous and biting glimpse into the behind the scenes hazing rituals and treachery that go with attaining success in the business of Hollywood. – Brian Bertoldo
