Hollywood Animal by Joe Eszterhas

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  • Hollywood Animal by Joe Eszterhas

    Has anyone read it?

    I was wondering if this should be under One on One or Scripts and Writers.

    I ran across and article on him. I have been reading up on this writer who I have slowly come to know. Are there more of these types running around in Hollywood?

    I think there should be more of these guys in the industry. He has some serious balls.

    I never knew about Willard . . . see you learn something everyday.

  • #2
    I'm not gonna lie or be frightened to say.. I read the book and I liked it.

    screenwriting.ugo.com/scr...erview.php

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    • #3
      I enjoyed it too. A bit of dick-waving but plenty of interesting stories.

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      • #4
        Has Joe Eszterhas ever penned a script about him or a character like him. a screenwriter's story.

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        • #5
          Hollywood Joe

          He did Burn Hollywood Burn, which I kinda liked too in a geeky kinda way. The Alan Smithee film?

          He also penned Telling Lies In America, which loosely brings childhood experiences into the movie.

          Is he one of our Screenwriting Greats? Define great. It's extremely debatable.

          I haven't really liked his screenplays too much and think its a shame that some of his unproduced scripts haven't seen the light of day, as they actually sound pretty good. Having read the book though, I like his character a lot.

          What he's achieved, for me at least, is admirable.

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          • #6
            Re: Hollywood Joe

            Listened to most of it via the mp3 thru Audible. Good book.

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            • #7
              Re: Hollywood Joe

              Really fun read...

              -Willie

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              • #8
                Re: Hollywood Joe

                An odd thing happened to me while reading his book. I usually just skip over the background biography of industry books. With this one, more and more, I found myself rushing through the dealmaking and creative part to get back to his youth in Ohio. He really made it a compelling narrative, and I realized just how much my comfortable, middle-class, suburban upbringin has hamstrung me in my creative life. Not to say that you have to suffer to have something to write about, but the guy had quite a chaotic upbringing, and he does write dynamic, conflict-drenched movies. I liked the book a lot, and this from someone who was predisposed to think Eszterhas an arrogant prick.

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                • #9
                  hollywood animal

                  Just finished it. He grew up in my mom's neighborhood, and my Aunt went to elementary school with him so I was particularly curious.

                  It left me feeling sad at the end. But I Liked it. Entertaining (if quite a bit self-aggrandizing). At least he calls himself on some of his own mistakes (recutting Burn Hollywood Burn, firing McElwaine, etc.) Still not sure I believe he didn't know about his dad when he wrote Music Box. And I have no idea why he pretends that Jagged Edge wasn't inspired by the Sam Shepard case? I'm assuming it's a rights issue?

                  I wish he would have given just a sliver more peak at the genesis of his scripts or writing process. It seems to come too easy. I mean, a number of the scenes it's just: I called up Guy and said I had a new spec. Or I wrote a new spec over the weekend.

                  I mean by the tally on imdb, the guy has made something like 30 million in spec sales. If nothing else, I admire him for still writing specs after he's hit it big. It seems like all the best spec writers just disappear into rewrite and adaptation development hell once they breakthrough.

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