Hollywood Shuffle

Hollywood Shuffle (1987) is Robert Townsend's sharp comedy about chasing fame while staying yourself, and you can watch it online on iFILM. Bobby Taylor works a hot-dog stand and dreams of acting, but the only parts Hollywood offers a young Black man are pimps, thugs and clowns.

Townsend directed, starred and famously bankrolled the whole thing on credit cards after every studio passed. When Bobby lands the lead in a cheap exploitation flick saddled with the title "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge," he tumbles into a string of daydreams that skewer the industry's racial clichés one by one — a "Black Acting School," sham movie critics, humiliating auditions. The Wayans brothers, Keenen Ivory and Damon, turn up alongside him. It's funny, angry and warm all at once, and it became a landmark of 1980s independent African-American cinema. A treat for anyone who likes their satire aimed straight at the business. Stream Hollywood Shuffle (1987) online on iFILM.