This very dark comedy is an audacious failure. Some of its movie references are clever, Ron Perlman has a blast with his role as a mock serial killer and Joe Pantoliano is extremely well-cast as a sleazy, penniless "producer". But when all is said and done, it's hard to determine why exactly the picture was made or what it was trying to say (apart, of course, from the obvious "filmmakers are willing to sell their souls for a box-office hit", which we knew already). Still, "Tinseltown" IS recommended to fans of the offbeat; the last 10 minutes in particular come as quite a surprising change of tone. (**)