Hollywood Shuffle

Although haphazardly paced and scattershot in approach, when it works, this satire on Hollywood's attitudes toward African-Americans is downright hilarious. Bobby Taylor (Robert Townsend) is a struggling young actor trying to land a big role in a "blaxploitation" film entitled "Jivetime Jimmy's Revenge." His grandmother (Helen Martin) does not approve of the role and worries that Bobby's younger brother (Craigus R. Johnson) will grow up thinking that blacks can aspire to be nothing more than pimps, thieves, street hoods, murderers, rapists, and slaves--all images from television. Eventually Bobby gets the part, but he feels ambivalent about taking it. While he stru...