Hollywood Boulevard 1976

Pompous film director Eric Von Leppe, [Paul Bartel], is filming a skydiving sequence for the low-budget Miracle Pictures when tragedy strikes on set: an actress is killed. Candy Wednesday, [Candice Rialson], arrives in Los Angeles from Indiana to break into acting. She quickly lands an agent, Walter Paisley, [Dick Miller], but struggles to find work until a poor choice involving a bank robbery as a getaway driver lands her in the hands of Miracle Pictures as a stunt driver.

She meets Eric Von Leppe, [Paul Bartel], temperamental starlet Mary McQueen, [Mary Woronov], sleazy producer P.G., and the friendly scriptwriter, Patrick Hobby, [Jeffrey Kramer]. Candy and Pat fall in love and she starts to get work as an actress, becoming friends with fellow starlets Bobbi Quackenbush, [Rita George], and Jill McBain, [Tara Strohmeier].

The group travels to the Philippines to shoot Machete Maidens of Mora Tau, a violent war film starring Candy, Mary, Bobbi and Jill. Candy has to play a character who is raped, which upsets her. Later, Jill, Bobbi and P.G. have a threesome. During a battle sequence, Jill is shot dead by an unseen attacker. Von Leppe and Mary choose not to call the authorities, instead leaving Jill’s corpse behind in the rural shooting location. Candy is traumatized by the incident.

Back in the United States, Candy, Walter and Pat all go to see Machete Maidens of Mora Tau at a local drive-in. Candy is extremely self-conscious watching her performance, and gets drunk during the screening. She leaves the car and visits the projectionist’s booth, where she tries to force him to stop the film. The projectionist tries to rape Candy, but she is rescued by Walter.

Candy, Mary, and Bobbi are next cast in a 1950s-set science fiction Western film. While shooting a car chase scene in the desert, Mary, Candy and Bobbi are almost killed in an accident after the brakes in Candy’s car mysteriously malfunction. Bobbi is enraged by the incident, and tells Patrick she wants to quit working for Miracle Pictures. Late that night, Bobbi is called back to the Western town set to perform retakes. Upon arrival, she is met by an unknown individual cloaked in a black shawl. The assailant slashes Bobbi with a hunting knife before chasing her through the set and eventually stabbing her to death.

Bobbi’s murder makes front-page news, and the city goes on high alert for the unknown “slasher killer”. Fearing for her life, Candy announces she is leaving Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Von Leppe, P.G., Patrick, and Walter screen rushes of the film, during which they observe snuff footage of Bobbi’s murder that is present on the reel. Candy drives to the Hollywood Sign, where she tearfully overlooks the city. Mary arrives, revealing herself to be the killer, and attempts to murder Candy with an axe. Pat arrives to stop Mary as she and Candy tussle. Mary is killed, however, when the Hollywood Sign topples over on her, crushing her to death.

Candy goes on to become a renowned film star, and attends the premiere for a biographical film based on her experiences while working with Miracle Pictures.