The Reinactors is a 2008 documentary film directed by Dave Markey about the lives of film character impersonators and celebrity look-a-likes on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. The film was well received by critics and audiences during its world premiere at the 2008 Rotterdam Film Festival, going on to screen around the world at various film festivals. The documentary also aired on Canada's Super Channel in September and October 2009. The DVD was released in the United States September 2009 by We Got Power Films. Filmmaker Spike Jonze is cited in the film's marketing calling it "A strange and tragic portrait of a dream that lives on one square block in Hollywood, and kind of in our whole country, too."
The film records the lives of film character impersonators and celebrity look-a-likes on Hollywood Boulevard over the span of a year. Elvis, Freddy Krueger works alongside Superman, Marilyn Monroe, Shrek, Batman, Borat, and Minnie Mouse as competing Chewbaccas, Spidermen and Captain Jack Sparrows vie for a spot on the limited real estate of Hollywood Boulevard's Walk Of Fame. The street characters featured have dreams of breaking into the big-time but the realities of the situation soon catch up with them.
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor and film director. He is known for his roles as mentally disturbed outsiders and rebels. He earned prizes from the Cannes Film Festival and Venice International Film Festival as well as nominations for two Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Golden Globe Awards. Hopper studied acting at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and the Actors Studio in New York. Hopper also began a prolific and acclaimed photography career in the 1960s.
The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,788 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Los Angeles, California district of Hollywood. The stars, the first of which were permanently installed in 1960, are monuments to achievement in the entertainment industry, bearing the names of a mix of actors, musicians, producers, directors, theatrical/musical groups, fictional characters, and others.
Arthur William Matthew Carney was an American actor and comedian. A recipient of an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and six Primetime Emmy Awards, he was best known for his role as Ed Norton on the sitcom The Honeymooners (1955–1956).
An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the iconic status of Presley. In addition, there were several radio stations that exclusively feature Elvis impersonator material. Some of these impersonators go to Graceland on the anniversary of Presley's death to pay tribute to the artist.
Kevin Elliot Pollak is an American actor, comedian, impressionist and podcast host. He has appeared in over 90 films; his roles include Sam Weinberg in Rob Reiner's A Few Good Men, Jacob Goldman in Grumpy Old Men and its sequel Grumpier Old Men; Todd Hockney in The Usual Suspects, Phillip Green in Martin Scorsese's Casino, and Bobby Chicago in End of Days.
Billy Barty was an American actor and activist. In adult life, he stood 3 ft 9 in (1.14 m) tall, due to cartilage–hair hypoplasia dwarfism. Because of his short stature, he was often cast in films opposite taller performers for comic effect. He specialized in outspoken or wisecracking characters. During the 1950s, he became a television actor, appearing regularly in the Spike Jones ensemble. In the early 1970s, he appeared often in a variety of roles in children's TV programs produced by Sid and Marty Krofft. As an activist for people with dwarfism, he founded the Little People of America organization in 1957.
Richard Caruthers Little is a Canadian-American comedian, impressionist and voice actor. Sometimes known as the "Man of a Thousand Voices", Little has recorded nine comedy albums and made numerous television appearances, including three HBO specials.
Celebrity is a 1998 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, and features an ensemble cast. The screenplay describes the divergent paths taken by a couple following their divorce.
Rex Elvie Allen Sr., known as "the Arizona Cowboy", was an American film and television actor, singer and songwriter; he was also the narrator of many Disney nature and Western productions. For his contributions to the film industry, Allen received a motion pictures star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975, located at 6821 Hollywood Boulevard.
Foster Brooks was an American actor and comedian best known for his portrayal of a lovable drunk in nightclub performances and television programs.
Frederick Leonard Clark was an American film and television character actor, often cast in authoritative roles.
Elvis Presley has inspired artistic and cultural works since he entered the national consciousness. From that point, interest in his personal and public life has never stopped. Some scholars have studied many aspects of his profound cultural influence. Billboard historian Joel Whitburn declared Presley the "#1 act of the Rock era".
Jack Henderson Clement was an American musician, songwriter, record producer, film producer and music executive.
Joe Franklin, born Joseph Fortgang, was an American radio and television host personality, author and actor from New York City. Franklin is noted for having the first talk show and inventing the format. His television series debuted in January 1951 on WJZ-TV, moving to WOR-TV in 1962, remaining there until 1993, one of the longest running uninterrupted careers in broadcasting history.
Spring Dell Byington was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of December Bride. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared in films from the 1930s to the 1960s. Byington received a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Penelope Sycamore in You Can't Take It with You (1938).
Johnny Grant was an American radio personality and television producer who also served as the honorary mayor of Hollywood, in which capacity he was often present at Hollywood community functions, including the unveiling of new stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. An intersection just north of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Avenue is designated "Johnny Grant Way".
David Wayne Spade is an American stand-up comedian, actor and podcaster. His comedic style, in both his stand-up material and acting roles, relies heavily on sarcasm and self-deprecation.
Delirious is a 2006 comedy-drama film directed by Tom DiCillo. It stars Steve Buscemi, Michael Pitt and Alison Lohman.
Michael A. Hoey was a British author and film and television writer, director, and producer. He was the son of Dennis Hoey, who portrayed Inspector Lestrade in Universal's Sherlock Holmes series.
Maps of celebrity homes, also known as maps to the stars or star maps, the most famous of these being Hollywood star maps, are maps produced and sold by various companies that purport to identify the home addresses at which various celebrities reside, most commonly Hollywood movie stars.