How to Conquer Hollywood; Rhinoskin: The Making of a Movie Star

Although we do not review older titles, both of these programs arrived with labels or testimonials assuring us that they were 1996 productions. Coincidentally (or not, remember these come from Hollywood), both productions actually date from 1993. The first, How to Conquer Hollywood, is a decent all-around guide to the business, with the usual lame skits--I've yet to meet a break-into-Hollywood video that successfully resisted the urge to "act"--and a handful of interviews with casting directors, acting instructors, dialogue coaches, and actors, including Seinfeld's Jason Alexander (director of the abysmal For Better or Worse [VL-7/96]). The interviewees offer advice on having a plan before moving to L.A. ("a bad place to be on spec"), getting an agent, pertinent weeklies to peruse, the art of schmoozing, auditioning ("if you're supposed to be sad, I think tears are called for"), factors you can't control ("you may be too short, too fat, not related to the right person"), and the importance of giving your best shot every time, since casting directors run on negative time in Tinseltown ("people have remote controls in their head"). All in all, one of the better guides we've seen, this is strongly recommended. Aud: C, P.And the box for Rhinoskin should be arc-welded to How to Conquer Hollywood or any other become-a-movie-star "how-to." Rhinoskin tells the true story of Tod DePree, a hunkish young wannabe actor who moves to Hollywood from the little town of Holland, Michigan. A camera crew follows Tod around to see what it's really like trying to become one of the 35,000 actors working in Hollywood (85% of whom are unemployed on any given day), which attracts 50,000 people (just like Tod) every year who try to "make it." The filmmakers interview a host of wild types, including a colon therapy practitioner, a stylist to the stars, an acting coach who demonstrates how to talk sensual to a chair, and a cosmetic surgeon who suggests a trim job on Tod's nose. They also travel back to Holland to get the local opinion (former schoolmate: "I've heard that since he's doing the artsy-fartsy thing, he's probably gay"). Over the course of filming, Tod goes to one audition after another (bumming rides), works in a chicken suit at California Chicken Café, attempts--unsuccessfully--to woo an acting classmate (a former Miss America), and tries very hard to achieve his lofty goal: "just one line of dialogue on a network sitcom." I won't give away the ending. Well worth watching. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)