I'm a big fan of Ueda Shin'ichiro's 2017 film. I didn't know what I was getting into when I sat to watch, and the swerve from fun zombie flick to wonderfully clever and funny comedy was an absolute joy. Just as much to the point, the high energy and enthusiasm that everyone carried with them in the project was palpable, and these informed the earnest hard work and care that brought the title to fruition. Be that as it may, the very nature of sequels instilled some doubt about this follow-up; could Ueda, and the same cast and crew, recapture the magic of two years before?
It seems silly now, but I freely admit that it's been a while since I watched 'One cut of the dead' - long enough that it's no longer fresh in my mind - and stepping into 'In Hollywood' I was taken aback by the opening sequence. Anyone who was approaching Ueda's projects with fresh eyes undoubtedly would be, too, for at the outset the writing, direction, acting, cinematography, and fundamental production values are of the lowest quality, plainly resembling not schlocky B-movies but outright amateur film-making, and not the best representation of even that. The outward parodying of the United States, and of Hollywood-style horror film-making, goes so hard that it becomes comes full circle and becomes that which it is targeting. If nothing else is true, then apart from the additional casting of a couple American actors, this is one of the biggest disparities with the previous feature, as the prior opening came off remarkably well all on its own, and that's not really the case here.
But of course I should have known better. Ueda is no slouch, and while I don't think it's entirely the case that the team has fully caught lightning in a bottle for a second time, this picture is absolutely cut from the same cloth as its predecessor. Once the turn comes and the presentation shifts from deliberate low-grade romp to pure cheeky frivolity, the result is marvelously funny, and that opening sequence is definitely, inherently cast in a new, resplendent light. The same outstanding wit that made the 2017 release so entertaining and rewarding is alive and well in this television successor: reveling in the chaos, camaraderie, and creativity of film production while taking sidelong jovial potshots at the executives who greenlight and oversee such affairs, and even weaving in a smidgen of story, too. All told the self-declared spin-off may not be as striking as the progenitor, but that's no specific fault of its own and more an illustration the risk that is run with playing in the same territory.
The cast are just as admirably committed to the reverie, bringing the same electricity with them, and from production design and art direction, to stunts and effects, to costume design, hair, and makeup, everything is impeccably flavored to taste. Ueda's writing is again low-key ingenious; as Nakaizumi Yuya takes over directorial duties this time around, the execution is for all intents and purposes just as effective, at once shrewdly free-wheeling in the vibes that are sustained but tight and precise with regards to the exact orchestration of each shot and scene. With adept original music bolstering the proceedings at all times, when all is said and done I have nothing but praise for this film. The initial roughness is a conscious choice in keeping with the overall tenor, flowing along the same riverbed as 'One cut of the dead,' and like works in other genres and styles that develop in their own time, ultimately the doing here is altogether terrific. While it won't appeal to all, by the same token I feel sorry for anyone who checks it out and totally misses what the movie is doing. I had a blast with 'In Hollywood,' and I can only give it my hearty and enthusiastic recommendation!
