Plot: What’s it about?
I’m From Hollywood is an in depth look at the trials and tribulations endured by everyone when Andy Kaufman decided to step into the wrestling ring. When Andy first began to wrestle, he was simply trying to prove his point, that women were meant to be in the kitchen, not in a wrestling ring. So, he’d offer up large amounts of money, offer to shave his head, and even offer his hand in marriage, all to whichever woman could score a pinfall on him in the ring. Tough women tried, large women tried, all manner of women tried, but Andy somehow came out on top in every match. And after he scored the win, he’s rub their faces in the mat and kick them a couple times, just to humiliate them even more. But when he defeated Foxy Jackson, a professional female wrestler and decided to humiliate her, he became a marked man, marked by Foxy’s trainer and manager. Foxy’s trainer was Jerry “The King” Lawler, who stood as the most dominant wrestler in Memphis at that time. Once Lawler threw Kaufman off of Foxy, the sparks were flying between the two. Kaufman threatened Lawler with a lawsuit, Lawler challenged Kaufman to wrestle against a man for a change. The two were bound to settle their differences in a wrestling ring, but who would emerge the victor?
In the middle of this feud with Lawler, Kaufman took the time to have breakfast with his friend “Classie” Freddie Blassie, a veteran wrestler and self proclaimed King Of All Men. This meeting is the subject of My Breakfast With Blassie, which gives us some insight into Kaufman’s mindset at the time, while also giving us more of the trademark comedy we expect from him. This breakfast summit is timed right in the thick of Kaufman’s battles with Lawler, and he even dons the neckbrace he needed after being pummeled by Lawler on The David Letterman Show. As the two order, wait for, and finally eat breakfast, we listen as they discuss a wide variety of issues and topics. Of course, the two discuss wrestling at some length, and Blassie seems to have respect for Kaufman’s actions, as he should since was a hated bad guy in his time as well. But they talk about much more than that, with the conversation swinging from the pros and cons of fame all the way to what Kaufman should order on that day. While this is a little unusual, Kaufman fans would expect no less, and this is a fantastic segment.
This release from Rhino offers two pieces on the legendary Andy Kaufman for the price of one, and makes for a terrific package. I’m From Hollywood run s about sixty minutes in duration and My Breakfast With Blassie clocks in at just over an hour, so both are near feature length pieces, not just fluff by any means. The audio and video are adequate on this release and the price is very fair, but I do feel Rhino made one error with this release. The disc used is a double sided, single layered disc, with one feature on each side. With the pieces running near a total of two hours, I don’t see why both couldn’t have been placed on one side of this disc, even better a dual layered one. Aside from that, I think Rhino has done a wonderful job with this release, thumbs up from me, for sure. As for the features themselves, both are well made and filled with Kaufman’s brand of comedy, so fans of his have plenty to like here. Of course, Kaufman haters, and I know there’s some of you out there, will want to steer clear. I recommend this release with a high commendation, and look forward to similar releases in the future.
Video: How does it look?
I’m From Hollywood and My Breakfast With Blassie are both presented in the original 1.33:1, or full frame aspect ratio. The image looks much like you’d expect from broadcast television, with the sharpness a little above that. The live footage in I’m From Hollywood looks decent, but not as good as the interviews, which look very good. The colors appear to be in order, with flesh tones looking natural as well. The contrast can sometimes be overly dark or light, but I think that has more to do with the source material than this transfer. There are some small compression hiccups, but nothing to worry about.
Audio: How does it sound?
With features of this nature, the only audio you’ll be worried about is the dialogue, so the stereo track used is more than adequate. The music tends to be a little louder than the rest of the audio, but this is only true when dialogue isn’t present. When the dialogue picks up, the music returns to normal levels. The dialogue is excellent, with crisp vocals and no volume issues at all.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This release contains no true supplements, although My Breakfast With Blassie is billed as a bonus movie. Either way, this isn’t the type of release you expect bonus materials with.
