Hollywood Animal

Last updated

Hollywood Animal is a 2004 memoir by screenwriter, author and journalist Joe Eszterhas. It focuses on his childhood in refugee camps in Europe, moving to the US, growing up in Cleveland and working as a journalist for Rolling Stone magazine. It also covers his time in Hollywood, the break up of his first marriage and his battle against throat cancer.

It includes stories of the making of many of his films such as F.I.S.T. , Flashdance , Jagged Edge and Basic Instinct . [1] [2]

Related Research Articles

Mel Gibson American actor and filmmaker

Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson is an American actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop film series Lethal Weapon. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia, when he was 12 years old. He studied acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, where he starred opposite Judy Davis in a production of Romeo and Juliet. During the 1980s, he founded Icon Entertainment, a production company, which independent film director Atom Egoyan has called "an alternative to the studio system". Director Peter Weir cast him as one of the leads in the World War I drama Gallipoli (1981), which earned Gibson a Best Actor Award from the Australian Film Institute, as well as a reputation as a serious, versatile actor.

<i>Showgirls</i> 1995 film by Paul Verhoeven

Showgirls is a 1995 erotic drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. Starring Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan and Gina Gershon, it centers on a "street-smart" drifter who ventures to Las Vegas and climbs the seedy hierarchy from stripper to showgirl.

<i>Flashdance</i> 1983 American romantic drama film by Adrian Lyne

Flashdance is a 1983 American romantic drama dance film directed by Adrian Lyne and starring Jennifer Beals as a passionate young dancer who aspires to become a professional ballerina (Alex), alongside Michael Nouri playing her boyfriend and the owner of the steel mill where she works by day in Pittsburgh. It was the first collaboration of producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, and the presentation of some sequences in the style of music videos was an influence on other 1980s films including Footloose, Purple Rain, and Top Gun, Simpson and Bruckheimer's most famous production. It was also one of Lyne's first major film releases, building on a television commercials. Alex's elaborate dance sequences were shot using body doubles.

<i>An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn</i> 1997 American mockumentary film

An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn is a 1997 American mockumentary film directed by Arthur Hiller, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Eric Idle as a director unfortunately named Alan Smithee, a traditional pseudonym used in Hollywood for directors disowning a project. The film follows Smithee as he steals the negatives to his latest film and goes on the run.

Jann Simon Wenner is an American magazine magnate who is the co-founder and publisher of the popular culture magazine Rolling Stone, and former owner of Men's Journal magazine. He participated in the Free Speech Movement while attending the University of California, Berkeley. Wenner, with his mentor Ralph J. Gleason, co-founded Rolling Stone in 1967.

<i>Basic Instinct</i> 1992 erotic thriller film by Paul Verhoeven

Basic Instinct is a 1992 neo-noir erotic thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas. The film follows San Francisco police detective Nick Curran, who is investigating the brutal murder of a wealthy rock star. During the investigation, Curran becomes involved in a torrid and intense relationship with the prime suspect, Catherine Tramell, an enigmatic writer.

Robert Evans American film producer

Robert Evans was an American film producer, studio executive, and actor, best known for his work on Rosemary's Baby, Love Story, The Godfather, and Chinatown.

Graydon Carter Canadian-born American journalist

Edward Graydon Carter, CM is a Canadian journalist who served as the editor of Vanity Fair from 1992 until 2017. He also co-founded, with Kurt Andersen and Tom Phillips, the satirical monthly magazine Spy in 1986. In 2019, it was announced he was launching a new weekly newsletter called Air Mail, which is for "worldly cosmopolitans."

József A. Eszterhás is a Hungarian-American writer. He attended Ohio University. He wrote the screenplays for the films Flashdance, Jagged Edge, Basic Instinct and Showgirls. He has also written several books, including American Rhapsody, Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith and an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.

<i>Hearts of Fire</i> 1987 film by Richard Marquand

Hearts of Fire is a 1987 American musical drama film starring Bob Dylan, Fiona Flanagan and Rupert Everett. The film was essentially a vehicle for Dylan based on his success as a rock musician. It received poor reviews, a limited theatrical release and was later written off by Dylan himself.

<i>Jagged Edge</i> (film) 1985 courtroom drama erotic thriller film by Richard Marquand

Jagged Edge is a 1985 American neo-noir legal thriller written by Joe Eszterhas and directed by Richard Marquand. The film stars Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, Peter Coyote and Robert Loggia. A lawyer reluctantly takes the case of a man accused of killing his wife, but remains uncertain if he is guilty or not.

<i>Jade</i> (film) 1995 American erotic thriller film by William Friedkin

Jade is a 1995 American erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans, directed by William Friedkin, and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna, and Michael Biehn. The original music score was composed by James Horner based on a song composed by Loreena McKennitt. The film was marketed with the tagline "Some fantasies go too far."

<i>Nowhere to Run</i> (1993 film) 1993 American film

Nowhere to Run is a 1993 American action film starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and directed by Robert Harmon. The film co-stars Rosanna Arquette, Kieran Culkin, Ted Levine and Joss Ackland. The film was released in the United States on January 15, 1993.

<i>One Night Stand</i> (1997 film) 1997 American drama film by British director Mike Figgis

One Night Stand is a 1997 American drama film by British director Mike Figgis. The film stars Wesley Snipes, Nastassja Kinski, Kyle MacLachlan, Ming-Na and Robert Downey Jr. The first draft of the screenplay was written by Joe Eszterhas, who had his name removed from the project following Figgis's rewrite.

<i>Sliver</i> (film) 1993 film by Phillip Noyce

Sliver is a 1993 American erotic thriller film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York high-rise sliver building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas. Because of a major battle with the MPAA, the filmmakers were forced to make extensive reshoots before release. These reshoots actually necessitated changing the killer's identity. The film stars Sharon Stone, William Baldwin, and Tom Berenger. When he signed on to direct the film, Noyce remarked, "I liked the script a lot. Or at least, I liked the idea of jumping on the Joe Eszterhas bandwagon."

Josh Tyrangiel is an American journalist. He was previously the deputy managing editor of TIME magazine and an editor at Bloomberg Businessweek. In June 2019, Tyrangiel left the network, following the cancellation of Vice News Tonight.

Joe Baltake American film critic

Joseph John Baltake Jr. was an American film critic, film historian, author of the film blog The Passionate Moviegoer, and a biographer of the actor Jack Lemmon. His work was syndicated by Knight-Ridder, Scripps Howard News Service, and the McClatchy wire services.

Roger Friedman is an American journalist and gossip blogger. Friedman wrote the FOX411 news column on Fox News between 1999 and 2009. He now writes Showbiz411, an entertainment news and film review blog.

<i>Nocturnal Animals</i> 2016 American drama film directed by Tom Ford

Nocturnal Animals is a 2016 American neo-noir psychological thriller written, produced and directed by Tom Ford in his second feature, based on the 1993 novel Tony and Susan by Austin Wright. The film stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough, and Michael Sheen. The plot follows an art gallery owner as she reads the new novel written by her first husband and begins to see the similarities between it and their former relationship.

Nick Weidenfeld

Nicholas Rabb Weidenfeld is an American television producer and executive who led program development for Cartoon Network's Adult Swim and Fox's Animation Domination High-Def programming blocks. He won producing Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2013 for the series Childrens Hospital. Since 2016, he has been the president of programming for television channel Viceland.

References

  1. Curtis, Bryan (February 3, 2004). "The best bits of Hollywood Animal". Slate Magazine .
  2. Peter Conrad (15 February 2004). "Observer review: Hollywood Animal by Joe Eszterhas". The Observer. The Guardian.