Hollywood Homicide [DVD] [2004]

Harrison Ford lends his solid, perpetually disgruntled presence to Hollywood Homicide, an action comedy in which he's paired with the squinty eyes and peaches-and-cream complexion of Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down). Radical French film-maker Jean-Luc Godard would appreciate this complete deconstruction of the buddy-cop flick genre; basic cinematic elements (mismatched partners, a hard-ass superior riding them, arguments about who's going to drive, arguments about intuition vs. diligent detective work, the bad cop who killed Hartnett's father, etc.) have been scrambled and slapped together with no concern for coherence, making clear their innately artificial nature. Sex scenes and car chases come out of nowhere and disappear without consequence, providing arbitrary visual stimulus. During shoot-outs, it's impossible to tell who got killed or why, underscoring a basic doubt about the purpose of making movies like Hollywood Homicide. It's rare for a mainstream movie to be so daringly (if perhaps accidentally) avant-garde. --Bret Fetzer

From Oscar-nominated Ron Shelton (Best Writing, Original Screenplay, Bull Durham, 1989) this hot action comedy is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat...and in stitches. Starring Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett, Hollywood Homicide redefines the buddy-cop genre. In Hollywood, no one is who they really want to be. Veteran police detective Joe Gavilan (Ford) and his rookie partner K.C. Halden (Hartnett) are no exception. Between Joe's struggling real estate business and K.C.'s fledgling acting career and yoga instruction, they've got a major murder case to solve. With both Internal Affairs and their main suspect on their tails, Joe and K.C. have to infiltrate the dangerous world of the hip-hop recording industry. Juggling two careers proves to be a comical adventure, with Joe and K.C. desperate to stay alive long enough to catch their big break.

Harrison Ford lends his solid, perpetually disgruntled presence to Hollywood Homicide, an action comedy in which he's paired with the squinty eyes and peaches-and-cream complexion of Josh Hartnett (Black Hawk Down, O). Radical French film-maker Jean-Luc Godard would appreciate this complete deconstruction of the buddy-cop flick genre; basic cinematic elements (mismatched partners, a hard-ass superior riding them, arguments about who's going to drive, arguments about intuition vs. diligent detective work, the bad cop who killed Hartnett's father, etc.) have been scrambled and slapped together with no concern for coherence, making clear their innately artificial nature. Sex scenes and car chases come out of nowhere and disappear without consequence, providing arbitrary visual stimulus. During shoot-outs, it's impossible to tell who got killed or why, underscoring a basic doubt about the purpose of making movies like Hollywood Homicide. It's rare for a mainstream movie to be so daringly (if perhaps accidentally) avant-garde. --Bret Fetzer

A pair of detectives investigate the murder of a rap group while pursuing their other full-time professions. Welcome to Hollywood Homicide - the only profession where a guy can come to work hungry, horny, thirsty, and broke, and resolve all four by the end of the watch.