Here is an odd one. This film opened June 12th, did well at the box office and departed. In early September, it came back the theaters. Since I missed the first run, here is what I found out during the re-release.
Seth Rogan co-directs and co-writes. He also co-stars. TITE is about the Hollywood elite, aged 20 to 40, showing up at James Franco’s house for a big party. Everybody is a big star. They appear under their own names. Drugs, sex, bad language and bad behavior are the rule.
Then el poopo hits el fanno. A 9.7 earthquake hits L.A. and big sinkholes devour the Earth. The Hollywood hills are in flames. Smoke is everywhere. Fires are out of control. Satellite TV is gone. There is no Internet service. Cell phones go dead. Most of the Hollywood stars are sucked into a hole in the ground. The five main stars and a couple of others are stuck inside JF’s house. There is not much water, so they do the smart thing and use up all the remaining drugs and party as long as they can. Good move.
As time passes they realize they are in big trouble. This does not stop them from doing stupid things meant to entertain us. Most of them involve a massive, violent bloodletting and more stupidity. Along the way they do skit-like scenes from The Exorcist, The Omen, Rosemary’s Baby and just about every film of this nature they can think of. They satirize ideas of Heaven and Hell and sit around petrified. Not of death, but of not being able to reach their pusher and get more drugs. Most of the film is very claustrophobic as it takes place in a few of the rooms in JF’s home.
Eventually they go outside and face their fate. It turns out to be a kind of plea from Hollywood. Seth R. seems to be saying, “Hey, we are big stars living the drug culture but we are really good people who should go to Heaven. Please.” Okay, Seth you can go to Heaven. Just don’t make a sequel.
Filmed for $32 million there are some good effects and some that look a little cheesy. Due to a cut in the original budget, they had to film in Louisiana instead of L.A. Looked real to me.
The film as since left the yeaters, but is available on Blu-ray and DVD.
Rated 2.2 out of 4.0 Apocalypse Now’s. Or later. Whatever.