North Hollywood (film)

North Hollywood is a 2021 American comedy drama film directed by Mikey Alfred and written by Rusty Johnson. The film is loosely based on Alfred's life and his relationship with his father.[1] The film stars Ryder McLaughlin, Vince Vaughn, and Miranda Cosgrove.[1] Alfred began looking for funding to produce and direct the film in 2018, after being a co-producer on Mid90s (2018).[2]

North Hollywood
Theatrical release poster
Directed byMikey Alfred
Written byRusty Johnson
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAyinde Anderson
Edited byAlex Tsagamilis
Distributed byIllegal Civilization
Release date
  • March 26, 2021 (2021-03-26)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Plot

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Michael is a high school graduate living in North Hollywood, California with dreams of becoming a professional skateboarder. After being noticed by two professional skaters, Michael quits his water polo team to focus exclusively on skating. This leads to tension within Michael's relationship with his friends and his father. Michael thinks that his friends, Jay and Adolf, are not taking skating as seriously as him and he does not want to waste time with them. For this reason he starts to skate with them less and more with the professional skaters, which adds to the tension in their relationships. His father does not see skating as a realistic career and wants him to go to college and pursue stable employment. Michael is ultimately faced with the decision between choosing the future his father wants, or following his dream of becoming a professional skater.[3]

Cast

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Cameos

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There are several cameos in North Hollywood, ranging from popular skaters, actors, musicians, and entrepreneurs.

  • Andrew Reynolds, founder of Baker Skateboards and professional skater is seen at the table scene
  • Louie Lopez, professional skater for Converse, Independent trucks, Hardies Hardware, and Mob Grip is seen at the table scene
  • Kader Sylla, skater sponsored by Baker Skateboards is seen as a ticketer in the film
  • Davonte Jolly, skate filmer, is seen filming in the movie
  • Sunny Suljic, actor, musician and skateboarder also former member for Illegal Civ is seen twice in the movie, appear as character named Clark
  • Na-Kel Smith, actor, musician, and professional skater for Fucking Awesome and Supreme is seen multiple times in the film
  • Zach Saraceno, a professional skater for Illegal Civ is seen in the film
  • Kevin White, professional skater for Illegal Civ, and sponsored by Hardies Hardware is seen in the film
  • Jason Dill, professional skater and co-founder of Fucking Awesome is shown as Father Mahoney in the film
  • The Garden, popular band from Orange County, California.

Release

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The film had its world premiere starting on March 26, 2021, at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It was the first public event for the Sofi Stadium. Due to the pandemic, it was a drive-in style. The premiere was hosted for three nights in a row.[4][5]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 78% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6/10.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b "'I Always Chase the Fun': Mikey Alfred's Journey to 'North Hollywood'". Complex. Archived from the original on June 4, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2020.
  2. ^ Ducker, Eric (October 10, 2018). "From skateboarding to Hollywood, Mikey Alfred dreams big". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  3. ^ Alfred, Mikey (May 14, 2021), North Hollywood (Comedy, Drama, Sport), Illegal Civ, archived from the original on November 13, 2023, retrieved March 25, 2022
  4. ^ Parker, Ashley Joy (March 30, 2021). "Noah Centineo, Miranda Cosgrove, Frank Ocean, More Attend Family Style & Blondie Beach's Drive Thru Theater For Premiere Of 'North Hollywood' — Photos". OK Magazine. Archived from the original on April 3, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  5. ^ Haring, Bruce (March 13, 2021). "SoFi Stadium's The Lot To Host Drive-in Movies And Concerts Starting This Month". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 14, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  6. ^ "North Hollywood". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
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