A faded silent film director, struggling to adapt to the rise of talkies, retreats to his Hollywood home, where he creates low-budget, silent pornography, haunted by his sexual dysfunction. As he faces the impending demolition of his home to make way for a highway, a producer and his girlfriend visit, bringing heroin as payment for the actress. The girlfriend stays behind, mesmerized by the director's methods, and when the actress dies from an overdose in the bathroom, she takes her place in the film. The producer's return adds to the chaos.
Inserts
In the early 1930s, a faded Hollywood director becomes reclusive, stubbornly clinging to his past glory as the film industry evolves. He retreats to his crumbling mansion, where he secretly produces risqué silent films.