An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn
A parcel wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. The tagline reads "The movie Hollywood doesn't want you to see"
Theatrical release poster
Directed byArthur Hiller (as Alan Smithee)
Written byJoe Eszterhas
Produced byBen Myron
Starring
CinematographyReynaldo Villalobos
Edited byL. James Langlois
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution (Americas)
Cinergi Productions (International)
Release dates
  • October 1997 (1997-10) (Mill Valley)
  • February 27, 1998 (1998-02-27) (United States)
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$10 million[citation needed]
Box office$59,921[1]

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn (stylized on-screen as Burn Hollywood Burn) is a 1997 American mockumentary black comedy film directed by Arthur Hiller, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Eric Idle as a director unfortunately named Alan Smithee, a traditional pseudonym used in Hollywood for directors disowning a project. The film follows Smithee as he steals the negatives to his latest film and goes on the run.

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was universally panned by critics and tanked at the box office. It won five awards (including Worst Picture) at the 19th Golden Raspberry Awards. The film's creation set off a chain of events which led the Directors Guild of America to officially discontinue the Alan Smithee credit in 2000 after its use for decades when an American director disavowed a film.[2] The plot, about a director attempting to disown a film, described the film's own production; Hiller requested that his name be removed after witnessing the final cut, and he is credited as Alan Smithee. Burn Hollywood Burn was also the final film produced by Cinergi Pictures to be released before the company declared bankruptcy.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference mojo was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Wallace, Amy (January 15, 2000). "Name of Director Smithee Isn't What It Used to Be". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 25, 2019.