Death by Hollywood

Rating:
Summary: A Good Read But Watch the Language
Review: Death by Hollywood is probably as enlightening as it is shocking. Ok, I am not the type of person that normally is found hanging out with the moral majority; however, I was a little taken back by the crudeness and blatant sexuality of this book. With that in mind, I did not return the book or quit reading it; rather I just thought it was shocking.

As you probably already know, the story is told to us by Eddie Jelko, a former Hollywood agent that used to represent the stars and now represents writers and directors. The story revolves around the murder, sort of like the old 1980's move Body Double of a minor Hispanic actor, his lover, a Hollywood detective, a down on his luck drunk screen writer, and his soon to be ex-wife.

These characters all intersect in each other's lives and the fun is seeing them figure out what the other knows. The story is laced with Hollywood inside jokes and the names have been changed to protect the innocent type of dirt on some of so-called big stars in Hollywood. This causes the story to sometimes get off track, but it is interesting so I doubt many people will care.

Although I found the ending entertaining, I did feel somewhat cheated by the book, in my opinion, of not having a great ending. Stil it is not a bad end, just not great. As I said in the opening, I found the language shocking and not really needed. It is an interesting read and I would not have a problem recommending it to someone. I would just say be prepared for some graphic language.

Rating:
Summary: a quick review
Review: Just a small criticism: You'd think that after all those years of working with Jimmy Smits (on "NYPD Blue") he would have picked up some authentic Spanish! On p. 80 Ramon's maid finds his body and says "Es muerte." ("Is death.")- She probably should have said "Esta muerto." (accent on the "a.")

Rating:
Summary: Dum de Dum Dum
Review: You know going back to when Hill Street Blues began most of us saw the salvation of the TV serial. It was powerful, sad, made you think, made you cry, moving, provocative. Excellent stuff. It was only to be surpassed by . . .

NYPD Blue. Just fantastic TV. That show would finish and you would let out a big sigh, unaware that you had been holding your breath. Pushing the limits. And of course, the key was Steven Bochco. He was the genius behind those TV serials that rocked us and socked us and won Emmys galore. That's what he did and does. And what this book shows is that what he's NOT is an author. There's a gushy "I love you man" comment by Steven Cannell. Well I hope so. Cannell's probably thinking, "I'm still the only guy in Hollywood writing books that people read!"

This book is a real letdown. The plot is a takeoff from Jimmy Stewart with a broken leg caused by photographing the end of the Indianaplois 500, recuperating, sitting by his . . . "Rear Window," watching the lives of other people. Kind of voyeuristic, but heck it was 1954. Besides Jimmy was always well shaven and presentable. And he had a Brooks Brothers bathrobe on over his cast.

Enter Bobby Newman, who is by the very best accounts a self absorbed, drunk, self centered, nasty voyeur, playing with his telescope one night as he says 'just to see naked women' when, instead after a long and virtually pornographic sex act between two people, he sees a murder. And the plot goes on from there.

Did I say plot? OK. A series of barely connected vingettes. Tiny scenes from who knows where.

Every character is a comic book example of a promiscuous, foul mouthed, lying, trash talking, addicted to self abuse individual. There are no redeeming virtues in any of these characters. Each one, men and women alike, are emotional junkies. Even the cops whom you would think would have something of merit to offer since Bochco's heroes are detectives, are a huge letdown.

The dialogue, what little there is of it, is stilted, one dimensional, and meaningless. The only character worthy of note is Jelko, Bobby's agent, and he comes across as an unbelievable good guy, father of the year and faithful husband. I guess he's Mr. Bochco.

A big disappointment. Not worth the effort. Larry Scantlebury