Zeroville

2019

Johnny's comments:

Zeroville is another James Franco movie that takes place from 1969-1979 in which Vikar (Franco) comes to Hollywood to make movies after watching the movie A Place In The Sun and becoming obsessed with Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor, so much so that he shaves his head and gets a tattoo of the two of them from the movie.

He gets a job making sets for movies but he wants to be more involved and one day while watching the making of Love Story, he meets two people who will help him make his dream come true; bullish writer Viking Man (Seth Rogen) and editor Dotty (Jacki Weaver). He starts editing movies as an apprentice to Dotty where he comes across a movie called Vampyros Lesbos and become interested in its star Soledad (Megan Fox), whom he meets at a party at film producer Rondell's (Will Ferrell) house where they end up falling for each other. After working on Apocalypse Now, Rondell asks Vikar to edit a directorless movie he is making starring Soledad and he becomes obsessed with making the perfect movie. Despite constant conflict with Rondell, the movie wins top prize at the Venice Film Festival. Soledad is a troubled soul and he finds out that she's been hiding her daughter Zazi (Joey King) and then looks after her when Soledad dies in a car accident. Even after death, Vikar keeps seeing Soledad everywhere and he's determined to make the memory of her everlasting.

Baffling movie that's a loving tribute to an era of cinema that is often looked upon fondly. This movie makes so many references to people, movies and things that happen throughout the period that it becomes an overwhelming mess where dates become incredibly muddled. There's scenes that are absolutely surreal, including one where Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorcese, George Lucas, Brian de Palma, Paul Schrader and Marlon Brando are having a conversation at a party that is interrupted by Viking Man, who is clearly Apocalypse Now writer John Milius, That scene is absolute wank and has to be seen to be believed.

The major plot involving Spanish actress Soledad Miranda (although she's not named that in the movie but it's clearly her) is a bizarre addition, even more so as she died in 1970. I'd love to know what the point of it all is beyond a tribute to a prominent era of film but that would probably only ask more questions than it would answer. See Franco's other new release Pretenders instead unless you want to see a bunch of scenes recreating moments in 70s cinema.

Tamzin Brown film clip (collages below)

Thalia Ayala film clip (collages below)