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Movie Info & Details
Release Year1996
Runtime0h 45m
LanguageEnglish
CertificationNR
GenresDocumentary
Votes—
DirectorPeter Jones
WritersPeter Jones
TypeFeature Film
Rating0.0 out of 10
Cast8 credited
Also Known AsBallyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow!
About Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow!
This documentary celebrates the ridiculous stunts used by Hollywood over the years to market its worst movies. These include the ’50s drive-in where moviegoers could drop off their dirty laundry and pick it up after the show, horror filmmaker William Castle’s vibrating seats and producer Sam Arkoff’s offer to pay for the funeral of anyone scared to death by his film. Amusing interviews with critic Roger Ebert and director John Waters, creator of Smell-O-Vision, enliven a program that has one central failing: host Frankie Avalon, who remains as schlocky as ever.
Directed by Peter Jones, Ballyhoo: The Hollywood Sideshow! leans on a strong ensemble — Frankie Avalon, Peter Bogdanovich, Nick Clooney — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 1996.
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