Echo Park

This is a fairly low budget 1985 film which was made with the help of finance from Austria, which explains why one of the main characters is August, an Austrian body sculptor. He lives next door to May & her 8 year old son, Henry. May needs money so she takes in a paying boarder, Jonathan. The story centres mainly around these 4 people.

May wants to be an actress but the trouble is she's never managed to land a part & supports herself by waiting tables. Jonathan is a wannabe writer working as a pizza delivery man. August has a silly dream of getting film stars to to use the gym where he works so he can capture their 'star energy' into a battery. His hero is Arnold Schwarzenegger (he has a poster of him as Conan the Barbarian) but he can't get Arnie so makes do with a Burt Reynolds look-alike. May goes for an audition but finds the job is for a strip-o-gram. At first she can't do it but eventually makes it as a telegram stripper.

The essence of this story is about people living mundane lives, doing mundane jobs while aspiring to be something better which, I guess, applies to most of us. Tom Hulce, who was so good as Mozart in the multi Oscar winning Amadeus is likeable as Jonathan but he hasn't done anything of note since. Susan Dey is adequate as May although this is not exactly one of her best roles.

This will not be remembered as a great film but it is pleasant enough & does somehow manage to retain one's interest throughout. I'm glad I've seen it.

Format: DVD

In the Echo Park neighbourhood of Los Angeles, everyone is more than they initially seem. May waits tables, raises a son, Henry, and is an aspiring actress. She needs a roommate and takes in a pizza deliverer named Jonathan, an aspiring songwriter. In the adjoining flat is August, an Austrian body sculptor who appears in a deodorant commercial and dreams big dreams. May takes a job delivering singing telegrams as a stripper, Jonathan invites Henry to tag along with him on deliveries, August gets into trouble with the police who call his father in Austria, and the friendships, frustrations, and love affairs of everyday life come to a head.

very poor storyline and Susan Dey was not at her best, seen her in better movies.

Would not recommend this one.

I thought this was going to be a new'ish film.

What was good about it? Nothing!!!!

thought it was actually going to be a new film, as it was released in Feb 2005 but it was 1986. Not much of a story line just enough to keep me watching. Wouldn't reccommend.