Features: DVD, Widescreen, Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, Dolby Surround Sound, English, Subtitled
Director Paul Mazursky (Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Scenes From a Mall) takes a bite out of Hollywood with a hilarious look at the artistic sell-out. Starring Danny Aiello, Dyan Cannon Shelly Winters, Jerry Stiller, Chris Penn, and Ally Sheedy, this merciless comedy exposes the underside of the movie land commercialism with a crisp sense of humor, a knowing edge, and supporting cast boasting the talents of Clotilde Courau, Barry Miller, Little Richard, Spalding Gray, and a host of celebrity cameos. Harry Stone (Aiello) always dreamed of making "The Great American Movie." Instead he made The Pickle--a teenage sci-fi flick about a flying cucumber. Harry just wanted to get out of debt; and now everyone he's ever known, loved and neglected is standing in line for tickets. In the angst-filled hours before the lights go down for the New York premiere, his mother, children, agent, ex-wives and girlfriend lend their support in this high-pressure comedy. Harry has no choice but to pucker up and laugh along.
Editor's Note
Harry Stone (Danny Aiello) is in quite a pickle. After a succession of box-office bombs, the film director has produced a glossy Hollywood flick about a group of plucky young teenagers and their space-traveling gherkin that is being deemed a huge hit. Ironically, the film stinks, and Harry is terrified of being considered a sellout and an artistic failure. On the eve of the movie's premiere, he returns to New York after a long sojourn in Paris to find many faces from his past waiting to descend on him--his girlfriend, agent, mother, children, grandchildren, ex-wives, and fans. As Harry lies in his Plaza Hotel suite, he indulges in cigarettes, alcohol, food, and sex, desperately trying to forget the grisly details of his past and the many personal and professional mistakes he has made along the way. While reminiscing about his Brooklyn childhood and his early creative vision, Harry is filled with mounting anxiety over his artistic dilemma. The terror of the pickle film looms on the horizon, revealed in hilarious flashbacks of the making of the movie. Segments of the film-within-the-film feature an all-star cast, including Isabella Rossellini, Ally Sheedy, Griffin Dunne, and even Little Richard as the alien president. Director Paul Mazursky satirically exposes the fickle world of filmmaking--and one man's creative vision--as Harry emotionally prepares for his premiere. The supporting cast includes Dyan Cannon as Harry's sultry ex-wife, Shelley Winters as his eccentric mother, and Chris Penn as his drug-addicted son.
Plot Summary
After a string of box office bombs, a noted movie director with primal doubts about his talent accepts a job directing a teenage sci-fi film about a flying pickle. In the hours leading up to the film's premiere he seeks support and solace from the people in his life whom he has neglected through the years.
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