Echo Park
“I love that everyone is really an actress, is really a singer,” confesses the ever hopeful Susan Dey, a bartender turned singing strip-o-gram still waiting for her big break. So, apparently, does director Robert Dornhelm, an Austrian who brings a fresh eye and an easygoing sympathy to a familiar story. Dey’s new roommate, pizza delivery guy/budding songwriter Tom Hulce, is hopelessly in love with her while she falls madly into bed with her delightfully deluded duplex neighbor Michael Bowen, an Austrian bodybuilder (“body sculptor,” he’s quick to correct) waiting to become the next Schwarzenegger. The modesty of this 1986 American indie is infectious: they may never get their break, but the little family they make will provide the support they need along the way. Cheech Marin costars as Bowen’s training-gym boss, and that’s Cassandra (“Elvira”) Peterson as the gym receptionist. –Sean Axmaker
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Incredibly offbeat, interesting, good lines, very funny.
I’ve only seen this thing once, but loved it. I cannot believe that a movie this good isn’t released on video.
5 Stars A fun movie filled with quirky characters.
Echo Park is an extremely funny movie, filled with some classic humor presented by a trio of truly quirky characters. Perhaps Susan Dey’s best movie of all time! The character that is an Arnold Schwarzenegger wannabe is terrificly funny! This film is more timely now than ever!
4 Stars I Like Echo Park – the neighborhood
The movie itself isn’t bad, but what I like best is the locale. Echo Park is a neighborhood that, while it might not be the safest place, has a lot of character. I also enjoyed watching a younger Tom Hulce work with an offbeat script. The ending is too abrupt and the movie gets rather bizarre at times, but at least it is unique. And it is more unique in a good, rather than bad sense.
