CaptNemo’s initial review captured a lot about this film, but there are other aspects worth discussing. I think it stands out as possibly the finest example of a “meta” film—a movie centered on the process of filmmaking—that you’re likely to encounter. I stumbled upon it while watching cable television and was instantly captivated. Not long after that, I found the Brodeur novel at a used bookstore and purchased it right away. The book is pretty bleak and has some problems with its plot. In several respects, the film proves more enjoyable and superior to the written story, although they are considerably different. I have to take issue with CaptNemo’s assertion that all the answers are revealed at the movie's conclusion. I wouldn't characterize the ending as entirely clarifying; certain elements become apparent, but a great deal remains open for individual understanding—and that’s part of what makes it so enjoyable to revisit. For quite some time, my only copy was on laser disc. It wasn’t until recently that I got the DVD version, simply to have a more contemporary format to share with others. That's how I discovered the commentary track, which in turn led me to learn about the documentary film concerning the movie’s production, "The Sinister Saga of Making The Stunt Man." If you like this film, that documentary is essential viewing! As for the movie-within-a-movie, it’s hard to judge whether it would have been any good. Is Eli Cross a skilled director? It's not really clear. We only get brief looks at his work. It would have been great if the DVD included the screenplay for that film, or perhaps even assembled some of those scenes together, similar to what was done with the movie-within-a-movie on Joe Dante’s "Matinee" DVD.

Source on TMDB