Farewell Song 

Say Good-Bye To Hollywood
Stars: Michael Collins, Balta Monkiki, Corey Embry, Martell Randolph, Marko Karovic and Bryan Staggers
Director/Scriptwriter: Steve Helgoth
Composer: Jacob Bunton
Cinematographer: Carlos Azuena
Cinekat Filmworks
Rating: not rated but could be PG 13
Running Length: 90 minutes

 Many a person has said “good-bye to Hollywood,” after suffering failure in the motion picture industry. The title of this film, “Say Good-Bye To Hollywood” has a different meaning, though, it is an end-of-the-world type of meaning.  Hollywood here, is truly, no more. In our world, the Covid virus has taken hold of the population and no nation is safe. This has given scriptwriters a new theme to follow in stories.  This film is one of them.

 We follow the adventures of Sean (well played by Michael Collins), who is traveling across the country westward – backpack and all - and ends up in Hollywood. Sean doesn’t know what has happened, but finds out that most of humanity apparently are dead of a virus. He meets various people along the way, most of whom are afraid of him and each other. Sean ends up by a Greyhound Bus Terminal, where he meets Carla (Balta Monkiki).  This is the first 30 minutes of the film. The last 60 minutes of the film, done in colorful outdoors when Sean goes with Carla, is like night going into day. Not only is there a quiet time for two people to get to know each other, but the audience begins to see that something is going on around Sean that he is unaware of. What to do when the ball drops?  Oh, yes, and this film has a bright spot – a pet black and white mouse named Sam, who has admirers. Sam is even included in the screen credits.

 As far as acting is concerned, this is a Michael Collins acted film all the way. His facial expressions say more than dialogue. The rest of the cast’s dialogue is stilted, at times, as though reading from a script. There is a dire mood at the beginning, and the audience isn’t sure just what is going on. The last 60 minutes, which could be a short movie in itself, has unique photography by Carlos Azuena with the use of sun and shadow. Jacob Bunton’s soundtrack is well done, along with solo songs, but in the beginning of the film, the music is loud and distracting. 

 The idea of a world Pandemic has been done before, but this is a gentler approach with no zombies to clutter the setting. There are jibes against those who began the virus. Hollywood, indeed, has ended.  The Hollywood people think of movie studio lots, fancy restaurants, expensive automobiles and homes. In “Say Goodbye To Hollywood,” you can sing a sad song, because what was before, is gone.  What is now, will stay and the word “leadership” has a surprising new meaning.

 

 

Copyright 2022 Marie Asner