Howard Scott Movies

A determined band of show-business bottom feeders struggle to rise through the food chain in this satiric comedy. Paulette Gittleman (Katherine Morgan) is an aspiring documentary filmmaker whose father (Nicholas Worth) is a top executive at a major film studio. Paulette, who doesn't get along especially well with her father, has decided to give the hand that feeds her a strong bit by making a film about the hapless souls who struggle along the lowest rungs of the entertainment industry, taking all manner of abuse in the hope that they'll some day rise to a position in which they'll get to do what they want. Paulette's subjects include Fisher (Hill Harper), personal assistant to a sleazy music video producer; Thomas (Howard Scott), who sorts mail and dodges abuse at a major talent agency; Dean (Andre Barron), an out-of-work filmmaker who thinks the ghost of Alfred Hitchcock speaks to him; George (Elliot Markman), another mailroom worker whose boss is literally in league with the devil; and Roman (Rob Hyland), who appears to have already learned the lesson that the sleaziest tend to survive best in Hollywood. Slaves of Hollywood was the first feature film from writing and directing team Terry Keefe and Michael Z. Wechsler. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

One glance at the title and you know this ain't a Merchant-Ivory film. Reversing the premise of the 1967 masterpiece Mars Needs Women, this one features a covey of gorgeous space babes who come from a planet without men. Having perused a teen fan mag, the female extraterrestrials assume that all males on earth are handsome hunks. They beam down and invade a typical high school, disguised as typical teenagers. Soon the outer-space vixens have infuriated every earth girl within miles because they have better luck scoring with the guys. Earthling Amy Crumpacker organizes a united front (in every sense of the word) against the invaders, only to discover that her own mother is an alien, having landed on Terra Firma during the Elvis craze. After this, things really start getting unbelievable. Revenge is engagingly acted in the sober, straight-faced fashion of a typical 1950 sci-fi flick. Despite the title, there's nothing remotely offensive in the film-unless you count the deliberately awful special effects. Break down and rent it: you'll come down with a loose case of chuckles in spite of yourself. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi