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The Devil's Guide To Hollywood
Joe Eszterhas has written some of Hollywood’s biggest hits – Basic Instinct; Flashdance – and walked away with some of the largest writing cheques in the industry’s history. In The Devil’s Guide to Hollywood he reveals everything he knows about the movies – the players, the personalities, the legends – and screenwriting itself, revealing all that has inspired, amused and enraged him in Hollywood since his career began. Hilarious, colourful but also practical, this is required reading for anyone who’s ever thought of writing for the screen, and for anyone who wants the inside story on the organised insanity of the movie business.
Joe Eszterhas redefined the role of Hollywood screenwriter, becoming a major Hollywood power broker and receiving the kind of treatment and press coverage given to stars. His bestselling books include American Rhapsody (0786229950) and Hollywood Animal (0099472546).
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 22, 2006
28 people are currently reading
306 people want to read
About the author
Joe Eszterhas
21 books25 followersJoe Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American screenwriter, known for films such as Jagged Edge, Music Box, Basic Instinct and Showgirls. Before becoming a screenwriter he was a journalist and has also written non-fiction books and memoirs.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
October 28, 2007
I see the average review for this book is not even at a three. I loved reading this book. I liked Joe Eszterhas's voice. He seems like a really cool guy. Love's his wife. Love's his 4 boys. I love the way the book was formatted. Simple quotes, short lead in questions or statements. Name dropping. Gotta love the name dropping. Good advice. Uplifting. He's a champion for the screenwriter. I got this book at the library. I was looking for a book about screenplay writing. Specifically one I had skimmed before that had a page saying that there are only 3?5?7? types of scripts. One of them being the ticking clock time's is gonna run out type. You'll be surprised at how many movies use this. American Beauty is one. If anyone knows this book hit me with a message. Anyway, I decided not to get any of the screenplay writing books because I read some when I was younger and I didn't understand them and you know the most important thing, they're by people who don't write scripts. It's ridiculous. The people writing scripts aren't writing books about how to write scripts, they are writing scripts.
Well anyway, if you want a good entertaining read and are interested at all about the ins and outs of Hollywood, give this book a go.
One of my favorite questions in the book: How do you define success? Director Robert Quine (Sex and the Single Girl) "The definition of success is to be doing better than your best friend."
I thought that one was funny. Just me? That's okay.
Well anyway, if you want a good entertaining read and are interested at all about the ins and outs of Hollywood, give this book a go.
One of my favorite questions in the book: How do you define success? Director Robert Quine (Sex and the Single Girl) "The definition of success is to be doing better than your best friend."
I thought that one was funny. Just me? That's okay.
September 14, 2017
Did you know Basic Instinct made a lot of money? You'll read several declarative sentences telling you that. Did you know the author had sex with Sharon Stone? Did you want to know? Did you know the ten bad rumors about Michael Ovitz? Do you want several quotes from Zsa Zsa Gabor loosely connected to the subjects at hand? Did you know to write a screenplay you've got to sit down and write it?
Garbage. Repetitive garbage. But I couldn't put it down. It's like a particularly well-made Big Mac.
Excuse me, I have to shower.
Garbage. Repetitive garbage. But I couldn't put it down. It's like a particularly well-made Big Mac.
Excuse me, I have to shower.
December 30, 2009
This is the most entertaining book I've read in quite some time. I can't believe so many people gave it low reviews. I guess with Joe Eszterhas, you either love him or hate him.
I love him. I almost never literally laugh out loud while reading, but I couldn't stop with this book. (Admittedly, I don't have the most highbrow sense of humor.) Along with the fun anecdotes and hilarious slams on almost everyone of interest working in Hollywood comes a LOT of really excellent screenwriting advice. There are many tips in here I've never seen elsewhere, and most of them make a lot more sense than stuff you'll read elsewhere from stodgier types. I think this may be my second favorite book on contemporary writing, after Stephen King's On Writing.
This isn't Proust, but it's entertaining as hell and Eszterhas is a much better writer than most people give him credit for. (Just ask him, he'll tell you.) I liked this book so much, I only wish I could read it again for the first time.
I love him. I almost never literally laugh out loud while reading, but I couldn't stop with this book. (Admittedly, I don't have the most highbrow sense of humor.) Along with the fun anecdotes and hilarious slams on almost everyone of interest working in Hollywood comes a LOT of really excellent screenwriting advice. There are many tips in here I've never seen elsewhere, and most of them make a lot more sense than stuff you'll read elsewhere from stodgier types. I think this may be my second favorite book on contemporary writing, after Stephen King's On Writing.
This isn't Proust, but it's entertaining as hell and Eszterhas is a much better writer than most people give him credit for. (Just ask him, he'll tell you.) I liked this book so much, I only wish I could read it again for the first time.
September 2, 2025
Telling Lies in America by Joe Eszterhas
8.5 out of 10
Telling Lies in America is the kind of motion picture that does not have the acclaim, popularity and the large audience it deserves.
It is not Some Like It Hot, but it is a very good, thought provoking film...to some extent anyway.
Just as the film deserved more attention and praise, Brad Renfro, the splendid actor that plays the part of Karchy "Chucky" Jonas, should have been included in the gallery of actors with important roles.
Karchy is the hero of the feature, who has arrived in America as a refugee, together with his father, Doctor Istvan Jonas, portrayed by the iconic Maximilian Schell.
The mother has died in a refugee camp and father and son hope that they will get the American citizenship, once they pass - Insha'Allah - the test.
The hero seems to have developed a defense mechanism that involves making up stories, lying, forging some cards, although not for material gain.
In fact, he would be repelled and infuriated when he will see that his friend is trying to take advantage of people.
Billy Magic is the other main character of the motion picture, played by the wondrous Kevin Bacon, also famous for the Kevin Bacon networking quotient.
He is a disc jockey who organizes a contest to hire an assistant and the winner will be the one that gets most authentic postcards with votes.
And this allegedly well liked individual is Karchy, albeit Billy would tease him a few times and say that the cards were false, the signatures all similar and anticipating, we would learn that this was the reason why he selected the hero, for his willingness to cheat.
Chucky is in love with Diney Majeski aka Calista Flockhart and he takes her out one evening and foolishly puts the Spanish fly - whatever that is - in her drink.
A colleague has provided this, assuring him that the effect will be to make her horny, only the woman is very sick.
They have an argument when she finds the truth, but the loyal, somewhat honest boy waits all night on her porch to see that she is feeling fine in the morning.
Henry aka Luke Wilson interferes in this romance and he may have bigger chances, offering a stability that perhaps Diney would rather have.
The hero is involved in some scandals and pranks, including one in which he seeks payback for the ruined, expensive coat on which Kebin Boyle aka Jonathan Rhys Meyers has poured food.
Kevin is waiting to confess and the imaginative, naughty Karchy sneaks in the place of the priest who is not there at the moment and lights the bulb to invite the next schoolboy to talk about his sins.
The hero is amused, almost laughs when he hears his enemy talk about the fact that he cannot restrain himself, "abusing" as Catholics would put it, masturbating in a frenzy, many times per night.
This becomes sad though, precipitating the truth about his father beating and abusing his mother, while their son cannot take it anymore.
The priest arrives and finds the problem pupil - he has been in trouble before - involved in a very serious offense.
In fact, he is suspended, forbidden to attend graduation, although he would be given his papers to attest that he has finished school.
On the other front, he learns about life, some of the exciting parts and the unsavory side of making money from Billy Magic.
The man who is perhaps nearing thirty teaches the teenager some valuable lessons, while at the same time providing the antihero model on the moral side of the plot.
Billy invites the boy to drive his resplendent, red, convertible Cadillac.
Have you driven in such a car?
Lots of times.
This is the leitmotif, the answer that becomes a joke, for he has not driven in this car, has not had any sexual encounter with a woman, but he keeps pretending he did...
Lots of times...
One night, Billy takes the kid home, with two women, one of whom is telling him to unzip her, plays with the boy and tells him he is very gentle.
Alas, th next morning, the pride of becoming a man is diminished, if not extinguished, when Magic asks about the experience and tells his friend that it had better been good, for he paid good money for it...
The same scene we see in The Cable Guy, after the Jim Carrey character informs the Matthew Broderick personage about the identical transaction .
It is illegal for a disc jockey to get money to promote songs that would get more sales if aired on the radio.
This is nonetheless what Billy does, using Karchy as intermediary.
The authorities are on the trail and this could be very serious.
More damaging to the boy and his father, than for the man who knows all the ropes and has been in this situation before.
The agents threaten the boy and his father with the loss of their citizenship exam.
If he does not testify against Magic, the judge will be told that he is not American citizen material.
To make things worse, Billy Magic has listened to the band of some friends of Karchy, liked their performance which would bring them in the Top Twenty charts.
Hence, he will help with the contract for an album with a record company.
That stipulates that he gets 70% of the money!
An irate Karchy confronts the one he mistook for a friend and tells him he must destroy that deal and take 0%.
For all his faults, Billy Magic would be an infinitely better president than the crook and scoundrel that the MAGA fanatics and deplorables- Hillary was right - have sent to the White House.
At least Magic had charm, appeals and a positive attitude, making amends for some of his sins.
8.5 out of 10
Telling Lies in America is the kind of motion picture that does not have the acclaim, popularity and the large audience it deserves.
It is not Some Like It Hot, but it is a very good, thought provoking film...to some extent anyway.
Just as the film deserved more attention and praise, Brad Renfro, the splendid actor that plays the part of Karchy "Chucky" Jonas, should have been included in the gallery of actors with important roles.
Karchy is the hero of the feature, who has arrived in America as a refugee, together with his father, Doctor Istvan Jonas, portrayed by the iconic Maximilian Schell.
The mother has died in a refugee camp and father and son hope that they will get the American citizenship, once they pass - Insha'Allah - the test.
The hero seems to have developed a defense mechanism that involves making up stories, lying, forging some cards, although not for material gain.
In fact, he would be repelled and infuriated when he will see that his friend is trying to take advantage of people.
Billy Magic is the other main character of the motion picture, played by the wondrous Kevin Bacon, also famous for the Kevin Bacon networking quotient.
He is a disc jockey who organizes a contest to hire an assistant and the winner will be the one that gets most authentic postcards with votes.
And this allegedly well liked individual is Karchy, albeit Billy would tease him a few times and say that the cards were false, the signatures all similar and anticipating, we would learn that this was the reason why he selected the hero, for his willingness to cheat.
Chucky is in love with Diney Majeski aka Calista Flockhart and he takes her out one evening and foolishly puts the Spanish fly - whatever that is - in her drink.
A colleague has provided this, assuring him that the effect will be to make her horny, only the woman is very sick.
They have an argument when she finds the truth, but the loyal, somewhat honest boy waits all night on her porch to see that she is feeling fine in the morning.
Henry aka Luke Wilson interferes in this romance and he may have bigger chances, offering a stability that perhaps Diney would rather have.
The hero is involved in some scandals and pranks, including one in which he seeks payback for the ruined, expensive coat on which Kebin Boyle aka Jonathan Rhys Meyers has poured food.
Kevin is waiting to confess and the imaginative, naughty Karchy sneaks in the place of the priest who is not there at the moment and lights the bulb to invite the next schoolboy to talk about his sins.
The hero is amused, almost laughs when he hears his enemy talk about the fact that he cannot restrain himself, "abusing" as Catholics would put it, masturbating in a frenzy, many times per night.
This becomes sad though, precipitating the truth about his father beating and abusing his mother, while their son cannot take it anymore.
The priest arrives and finds the problem pupil - he has been in trouble before - involved in a very serious offense.
In fact, he is suspended, forbidden to attend graduation, although he would be given his papers to attest that he has finished school.
On the other front, he learns about life, some of the exciting parts and the unsavory side of making money from Billy Magic.
The man who is perhaps nearing thirty teaches the teenager some valuable lessons, while at the same time providing the antihero model on the moral side of the plot.
Billy invites the boy to drive his resplendent, red, convertible Cadillac.
Have you driven in such a car?
Lots of times.
This is the leitmotif, the answer that becomes a joke, for he has not driven in this car, has not had any sexual encounter with a woman, but he keeps pretending he did...
Lots of times...
One night, Billy takes the kid home, with two women, one of whom is telling him to unzip her, plays with the boy and tells him he is very gentle.
Alas, th next morning, the pride of becoming a man is diminished, if not extinguished, when Magic asks about the experience and tells his friend that it had better been good, for he paid good money for it...
The same scene we see in The Cable Guy, after the Jim Carrey character informs the Matthew Broderick personage about the identical transaction .
It is illegal for a disc jockey to get money to promote songs that would get more sales if aired on the radio.
This is nonetheless what Billy does, using Karchy as intermediary.
The authorities are on the trail and this could be very serious.
More damaging to the boy and his father, than for the man who knows all the ropes and has been in this situation before.
The agents threaten the boy and his father with the loss of their citizenship exam.
If he does not testify against Magic, the judge will be told that he is not American citizen material.
To make things worse, Billy Magic has listened to the band of some friends of Karchy, liked their performance which would bring them in the Top Twenty charts.
Hence, he will help with the contract for an album with a record company.
That stipulates that he gets 70% of the money!
An irate Karchy confronts the one he mistook for a friend and tells him he must destroy that deal and take 0%.
For all his faults, Billy Magic would be an infinitely better president than the crook and scoundrel that the MAGA fanatics and deplorables- Hillary was right - have sent to the White House.
At least Magic had charm, appeals and a positive attitude, making amends for some of his sins.
December 20, 2010
This is the book that made me a screenwriter. The others taught me the craft and the techniques, but this one... this one changes my mental perception and put me in a different place. This is one of those books I'll read over and over when I'm blocked or the doubt gremlins attack!
February 24, 2013
This book is not for everyone. If you like your Hollywood as tinseltown, soaked in glamour, talent and mystery, don't read this book. Especially if you want to be a screenwriter. Or a director, or a producer, or an actor. In fact, just don't. It's too funny, far too revealing, and well-written.
Eszterhaus is one of the most successful Hollywood screenwriters of the modern era, yet by his own admission some of the films he has written have been huge flops. This book gives some clues as to why.
Or maybe it doesn't. Some of me thinks everything in this book is true, the rest of me thinks it's half lies and the rest is made up. Probably both of those things are true - just like Hollywood.
There's also some good advice in there, on writing, how to cope with failure and disappointment, how to cope with being screwed by people you thought were your friends. You have to dig for it though, and sometimes it comes from surprising places.
'The Devil's Guide to Hollywood' is written in screenplay style - soundbites, snatches of dialogue, rumour, hearsay, and truth. It's filled with stories of self-loathing, greed and betrayal, and sharp observations on human nature where everyone wants what you've got and hates you for having it.
And it's funny as Hell. I thought it was great.
Just don't go there.
Eszterhaus is one of the most successful Hollywood screenwriters of the modern era, yet by his own admission some of the films he has written have been huge flops. This book gives some clues as to why.
Or maybe it doesn't. Some of me thinks everything in this book is true, the rest of me thinks it's half lies and the rest is made up. Probably both of those things are true - just like Hollywood.
There's also some good advice in there, on writing, how to cope with failure and disappointment, how to cope with being screwed by people you thought were your friends. You have to dig for it though, and sometimes it comes from surprising places.
'The Devil's Guide to Hollywood' is written in screenplay style - soundbites, snatches of dialogue, rumour, hearsay, and truth. It's filled with stories of self-loathing, greed and betrayal, and sharp observations on human nature where everyone wants what you've got and hates you for having it.
And it's funny as Hell. I thought it was great.
Just don't go there.
September 23, 2021
Filthy, funny, occasionally quite helpful.
August 15, 2011
Outspoken, belligerent, insightful, indiscreet and undeniably talented, screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is the man behind some of Hollywood's most expensive scripts and highest-grossing movies--such as Flashdance, Jagged Edge and Basic Instinct. He is also a man with a quick temper and a low threshold for idiots; making him a poor fit with the FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) vacuities of the people involved with Hollywood's movie machine. Eszterhas is almost too eager to speak his mind, no matter the cost. For the famed screenwriter, retaining ownership of your dignity in a town where weak character is king and integrity is an affect available for sale by-the-hour, is essential to not blowing out your brains at the end of the day. The Devil's Guide To Hollywood is a tell-all tome that is as much about keeping the faith as it is as about the art of scriptwriting (i.e. don't let the bastards see you blink). It is wickedly humorous, painfully revealing, scathingly vituperative, and honest (despite the author's bruised ego perpetually colouring his comments). You don't have to be interested in the art of screenwriting to fall in love with this book; possessing a modicum of integrity, a cynical sense of humour, and a distaste for malignant narcissism of most people is sufficient. Highly recommended.
June 6, 2011
There's some juicy Hollywood gossip sandwiched between Eszeterhas's self-love and his hatred for directors, producers, actors and nearly everyone else. It's mostly a collection of quotes from others, some blind items and lots and lots of brief tales about how wonderful Eszterhas is, and how much he deserved all the money he got (and, to show the depth of his delusion, he actually intimates that he's worthy of an Oscar, even though his (self-admitted) best received screenplays are along the lines of "Basic Instinct" and "Jagged Edge") and really he, and all other screenwriters, are the only people who should get any credit for any movie, ever. He's also a big fan of his Hungarian heritage (which may be one of the more interesting things about him) and telling readers about how he slept with Sharon Stone (which is just repetitive after the tenth time). You'll dislike Eszterhas, and, as much as he would like the reader to think he doesn't care, he comes across as nothing more than a very bitter man who left Hollywood because he was smart enough to realize that the jig was up for him, and he desperately wants a way to recapture that relevance. A little fun, a little sad, a lot annoying.
August 17, 2016
I admit, I only read this book because I liked the cover (I judge books by their covers, sue me) and even though I'm a film student, I've actually never seen any of Eszterhas' films (again, sue me). For the most part, this book felt like a compilation of Hollywood's inside jokes with Eszterhas boasting about knowing all of them while praising himself and his own work. I did genuinely love how much, right off the bat, he seems to truly hate Robert McKee and everyone else who teaches script-writing courses but even so, the book started as something only an established accomplished person currently working in the movie industry in Hollywood would understand and find useful; definitely not something an aspiring student from Iran could benefit from. However, somewhere along the way, I realized that amid all the inside jokes and self-praises, there was so much that I was actually learning, so much that I was highlighting, and so much that was genuinely inspiring me. I would definitely recommend reading this to fellow cinema enthusiasts. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna do watch every movie he's ever written.
December 2, 2017
It’s no wonder that Joe Eszterhas lives in Ohio — an ego that size would push LA right back into the Pacific Ocean just to make room for it amongst all the other egos strutting about in the city of angels. He’s funny though and he’s clearly made a living for himself.
This is proverbs for heathens (or wanna be heathens). Short, funny anecdotes loosely organized by theme. Together they purport to teach script writing. Mostly they seemed to design to discredit Robert McKee and show off Eszterhas’ success. The entire prologue is an invitation to the Scriptwriter-to-the-stars to engage in a battle for authenticity.
Did I learn much? Depends. On scriptwriting? No.
On Hollywood’s massive preserve of ego and vanity? Yes. You are what you earn. The mightiest pen of all is he who endorses his royalty checks. That’s why he lives outside of Cleveland. When you conjure up illusions for a living you need something real in your life.
This is proverbs for heathens (or wanna be heathens). Short, funny anecdotes loosely organized by theme. Together they purport to teach script writing. Mostly they seemed to design to discredit Robert McKee and show off Eszterhas’ success. The entire prologue is an invitation to the Scriptwriter-to-the-stars to engage in a battle for authenticity.
Did I learn much? Depends. On scriptwriting? No.
On Hollywood’s massive preserve of ego and vanity? Yes. You are what you earn. The mightiest pen of all is he who endorses his royalty checks. That’s why he lives outside of Cleveland. When you conjure up illusions for a living you need something real in your life.
March 26, 2009
A lazy gathering of name-dropping anecdotes, badly laid out, with many repetitions - every Hungarian (Tony Curtis, Zsa Zsa Gabor) is "my fellow Hungarian".
He certainly presents himself as a bully and a blowhard.
No insights as far as I could tell.
He certainly presents himself as a bully and a blowhard.
No insights as far as I could tell.
January 19, 2020
A collection of quotes, brief stories and advice. If you've ever read any Eszterhas, you can probably imagine what this is like. Every other page is either a reminder that he once banged Sharon Stone or how much he was paid for the screenplays for movies like Basic Instinct and Showgirls.
March 22, 2017
I really enjoy schlock movies and I thought that a tell all by a schlocky screenwriter would be a fascinating view into the process of making ridiculous movies.
This book was basically a stream of consciousness from the writer of Showgirls. A lot of the writing was descriptions of other writers, producers and actors. Very little about how he came up with screenplays.
But it was entertaining enough and a quick enough read that I got through in two or three days which was a pleasant change.
2.5 stars at most - Not worth reading all the way through.
This book was basically a stream of consciousness from the writer of Showgirls. A lot of the writing was descriptions of other writers, producers and actors. Very little about how he came up with screenplays.
But it was entertaining enough and a quick enough read that I got through in two or three days which was a pleasant change.
2.5 stars at most - Not worth reading all the way through.
January 2, 2019
There is a lot he doesn't say. Music Box and Betrayed are pandering, opportunistic, propaganda trash. But hey, that's what Hollywood is about, yes?
August 8, 2023
good for filmmaking advice! but also an insane book full of pent up anger eszterhas holds for everyone who has done something against him…
November 9, 2023
The only useful thing that I learnt from this book is that I can get cocaine from almost any valet in Hollywood.
Just a mouthful of ego and self-praise.
Just a mouthful of ego and self-praise.
February 14, 2025
A surprisingly laborious read, chock-full of industry gossip.
July 30, 2023
"2 thumbs down!" Siskel and Ebert
"Way Down!"
"Way Down!"
April 17, 2018
It’s a big book of quotable notables intermixed with a guy who really wants you to know he slept with Sharon Stone. There’s some chuckles to be had, especially if you're irritated by Robert McKee, but let’s just say I’m glad I got this half-off from a used book store.
July 10, 2008
Rather than follow in the footsteps of screenwriting gurus like Syd Field and Robert McKee (whom Eszterhas loves to make fun of here) and deliver yet another book telling you the secrets of writing a successful screenplay (which is odd, considering how thin the writing resumes of Field and McKee are, which Eszterhas is also quick to point out and make fun of), Joe Eszterhas instead delivers a book that is designed to motivate you two write. He doesn't bog you down with details like formatting and story structure. If you're an aspiring screenwriting, chances are you know that stuff already, and if you don't, it's not hard to figure that stuff out. Just pick up a screenplay of a good movie and study it. Like most of Eszterhas' work, it's full of lurid anecdotes that are sleazy, humorous, and oddly insightful. He pads the book with these, which serve as industry lessons (assuming you make it that far) and gives you tips on things to do while writing to help put you in the right mindset. If you're looking for a book that holds the secret formula for a successful screenplay, look elsewhere. But if you're looking for something to help motivate you to sit down and crank something out, I couldn't recommend this more.
December 23, 2014
I don't rave about too many books but this one I couldn't put down! Read it from cover to cover in between cups of coffee.
Joe is my hero because he doesn't pussyfoot around- he tells it like it is and he doesn't hide behind politeness. He tells the truth without pulling punches and it's very very insightful for writers to see behind the scenes.
In a day when everyone is so damn politically correct Joe speaks out.
I commend you!
Awesome book!
he quotes from Zsa Zsa alot ha ha. She gave me my first job interview in Hollywood to be a pet sitter- but her husband "The Prince" took one look at my east LA friend/driver and told me I didn't have an interview. I said yes I do and he said no you don't now go! That was the end of my dreams of Hollywood glory ha ha...
He was raking leaves outside her big gate and that was as far as I got. I thought he was the gardener at first...
Joe is my hero because he doesn't pussyfoot around- he tells it like it is and he doesn't hide behind politeness. He tells the truth without pulling punches and it's very very insightful for writers to see behind the scenes.
In a day when everyone is so damn politically correct Joe speaks out.
I commend you!
Awesome book!
he quotes from Zsa Zsa alot ha ha. She gave me my first job interview in Hollywood to be a pet sitter- but her husband "The Prince" took one look at my east LA friend/driver and told me I didn't have an interview. I said yes I do and he said no you don't now go! That was the end of my dreams of Hollywood glory ha ha...
He was raking leaves outside her big gate and that was as far as I got. I thought he was the gardener at first...
July 19, 2025
Wild, outrageous, and totally unforgettable. The Devil’s Guide to Hollywood is equal parts memoir, manifesto, and Hollywood fever dream. Joe Eszterhas doesn’t just pull back the curtain on screenwriting—he tears it down, sets it on fire, and dares you to look away.
This isn’t a step-by-step screenwriting manual. It’s a balls-to-the-wall ride through one of the most controversial and successful careers in the business, filled with insane anecdotes, ruthless industry truths, and more attitude than a room full of agents. And somehow, between all the chaos, there’s wisdom—about storytelling, survival, ego, and the twisted poetry of Hollywood.
If you want polish and politeness, look elsewhere. But if you want to be entertained, inspired, and occasionally scandalized by one of the most iconic screenwriters of all time—this is the book.
Essential reading for writers with fire in their gut and a middle finger in their pocket.
This isn’t a step-by-step screenwriting manual. It’s a balls-to-the-wall ride through one of the most controversial and successful careers in the business, filled with insane anecdotes, ruthless industry truths, and more attitude than a room full of agents. And somehow, between all the chaos, there’s wisdom—about storytelling, survival, ego, and the twisted poetry of Hollywood.
If you want polish and politeness, look elsewhere. But if you want to be entertained, inspired, and occasionally scandalized by one of the most iconic screenwriters of all time—this is the book.
Essential reading for writers with fire in their gut and a middle finger in their pocket.
October 17, 2015
If you want the worst possible view of Hollywood from the worst possible observer, this is the book for you. It was painful to read his endless, profanity-laced, numbing name-dropping, supposed sexual exploits, personal attacks, wretched advice, unjustified boasting, and general mindless rants. Since Eszterhaus shamelessly admits to lying whenever it suits his purposes and advises others to do the same, what reason do I have to believe anything he writes anyway? None. The last straw was when he slandered the brilliant William Goldman - a screenwriter who writes from his brain instead of his crotch. Eszterhas wouldn't understand that, though. Somehow, he does all this while professing a devout Catholic faith. I stopped reading half way through. A mind can only handle so much dung.
December 21, 2015
Joe Eszterhas wrote such films as Flashdance, Basic Instinct and the infamous Showgirls. I bought this book hoping to get an insight into his writing process, but that's not what this book is at all.
Instead we have a book filled with anecdotes and quotes from himself and others on the crazy Hollywood merry-go-round. He tells us about falling out with executives, getting paid lots of money for films that never happened and bedding the likes of Sharon Stone. It's all very entertaining and it's a book that's easy to leave on your coffee table and pick up when you have a spare ten minutes and read a few more pages on Hollywood craziness, but if you're wanting a nuts and bolts dissection on writing a screenplay, you'd be better off reading Save The Cat by Blake Snyder.
Instead we have a book filled with anecdotes and quotes from himself and others on the crazy Hollywood merry-go-round. He tells us about falling out with executives, getting paid lots of money for films that never happened and bedding the likes of Sharon Stone. It's all very entertaining and it's a book that's easy to leave on your coffee table and pick up when you have a spare ten minutes and read a few more pages on Hollywood craziness, but if you're wanting a nuts and bolts dissection on writing a screenplay, you'd be better off reading Save The Cat by Blake Snyder.
May 26, 2008
While this book is essentially a collection of somewhat amusing anecdotes by the writer of Showgirls it's value to aspiring writers is minimal at best. Unless "be bitter, hold grudges and sleep with people's wives" can be construed as career advice there's no practical info here. I was particularly amused by Eszterhas's taking the maxim "write what you know" one step further. He states that almost everything he's written comes directly from his real life experiences and he abhors how today's screenwriters make things up without having lived them. Essentially he's saying that imagination has no place in screenwriting. Jeez, that'll make science fiction difficult.
April 16, 2013
Joe Eszterhas's The Devil's Guide to Hollywood: The Screenwriter as God! is too long. That's pretty much my only criticism. Perhaps he felt the need to share all of the tidbits of information... Anyways, his biggest helpful tidbit is to become a screenwriter: STOP WASTING TIME AND START WRITING. That being said, why waste time reading approximately 400 pages of his advice when you could be writing? On the plus side, once again, Eszterhas has an interesting voice, personality and point of view on life and screenwriting.
April 21, 2013
This guy has been made millions off his writing.
And through his great tips and the HILARIOUS true stories,
he shows you how you could do it, too.
If you ever wanted to know what showbiz is really like,
this book gives you the EXACT taste of Hollywood.
There is a warning I must include:
this book may be, um, what's the word: offense to some.
What do I mean?
Come on, this is the guy who wrote Showgirls and Basic Instinct,
need I explain more???
(Imdb.com the above movie titles if you are not familiar with them.)
Thank you, Mr. Eszterhas for this book.
And through his great tips and the HILARIOUS true stories,
he shows you how you could do it, too.
If you ever wanted to know what showbiz is really like,
this book gives you the EXACT taste of Hollywood.
There is a warning I must include:
this book may be, um, what's the word: offense to some.
What do I mean?
Come on, this is the guy who wrote Showgirls and Basic Instinct,
need I explain more???
(Imdb.com the above movie titles if you are not familiar with them.)
Thank you, Mr. Eszterhas for this book.
November 29, 2015
I had fun reading Joe Eszterhas's book (a son of Barberton, OH). Example: Quoting famous screen writer Paddy Chayefsky to a European producer... "You American-haters bore me to tears. Europe was a brothel long before we came to town." The way this book reads, if directors are saints, producers are devils. Hollywood movies are spawned from incredible hard work, lazy CEO's who stopped reading after graduation, devious marketing people, and crazy, crazy directors. What a fun book. Joe's book gives a normal person perspective on the wacky movie industry.
March 16, 2009
Joe Eszterhas is not the pretentious blowhard I thought he was and even when he's being a blowhard it's really entertaining. The book was interesting because Joe is old enough to have been a part of 'the old hollywood studio system' but young enough to be a part of the current system as well so there's lots of great stories past and current.
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