The director lets actors do their thing, to a fault, which makes Frederick's blitzkrieg of a performance often off-putting but occasionally mesmerizing.

An indifferent stylist at best, [Jaglom's] films stand or fall depending on the talent and appeal of his leads, and he's found a good one in Frederick.

Amateurishly put together and reverently self-referential it's hard to imagine this movie having much appeal for anyone beyond its own cast and crew. Given the apparent size of its budget, though, that's probably enough to make it profitable.

Hollywood Dreams is a must for Jaglom fans. For other viewers, it will depend upon how much they can take of Jaglom's improvisational style and Frederick's over-the-top, tear-filled acting.

The biggest problem is inexperienced lead Tanna Frederick, who overplays every scene.

Hollywood Dreams is meant to be an insider's tale, but it feels like it comes from the cinema of hangers-on.

An exceedingly modest comedy an annoying motormouth with almost nothing interesting to say. ... If I ever laughed, I don't remember it.

Too often Jaglom's touch is slightly off, piling up a mountain of absurdist scenes rife with oddball, "human" behavior that tests viewer patience.

Like John Cassavetes and Martin Scorsese, Jaglom knows how to push a scene into realms of such emotional nakedness that the viewer starts to feel like a voyeur looking in on relationships that are none of his or her business.