Prostitution in Hollywood ( Part IV)

USA / CANADA, 1996, 110min
director: Everett Lewis
cast: Barry Wyatt, Alan Boyle, Garret Scullin, Chad Kula, Nicole Dillenberg, David Arquette (Cameo)
world sales: Alliance Independent Films

Young men disillusioned with their "acting careers" as callboys with fantasy fulfilment guarantee.

Henry, Dean, and Billy earn money doing jobs supplied them by their agent Ghislaine: they fulfil the sexual fantasies of Hollywood's rich women and, in particular, men. Dressed up for the parts, they play their roles not only in private houses, but will even, on demand, beat up a client in a parking lot, when a white man in LA also wants to be mistreated by a cop. Occasionally they make erotic films, so playing out their own fantasies of being artists. Artists they are, but in the end they are left by the wayside: in contrast to socially accepted artists, the sex actors are treated as mere products, which exist only for the satisfaction of their paying clients. It can happen that those who have hired them act as if they own them, a trait their agent has also taken on. A profitable exit from this trade seems hopeless, but the boys cannot resist an attempt...

If Skin & Bone were not so funny in places, it would have to be described as a melodrama. Everyone has dreams in this films, many of which have already become an obsession. And in an Everett Lewis film these desires are dangerous, because they are manipulated by others and so you are at their mercy. All in all the film is consistent, the American Dream is over on this side of Hollywood. The callousness of the sex industry is accurately portrayed, there are very few bright spots. Even death does not mean the end of sexual exploitation.

Skin & Bone assumes that you do not know much about this trade and have not yet seen many films on the subject. And so a lot of crazy "perverse" episodes are thrown together; we are to look on, astonished at what turns these people on. Naturally this takes up a lot of time, but there are almost two hours available for the characters themselves, and the plot.

All in all, the film is very convincing, even though the audience is not really compelled to experience the story along with the characters and to suffer with them. However, the mix of sex, violence and humour in Skin & Bone should win it a broad audience.

ki, Berlin
translation: andrew

Deutsche Version

Prostitution in Hollywood, Part I: Johns
Prostitution in Hollywood, Part II: Quiet Days in Hollywood
Prostitution in Hollywood, Part III: Star Maps
Prostitution in Hollywood, Part V: Hustler White

Seen during the:
European Film Market 1997