Rating: 
Summary: Fast Life to Flyover in 700 pages
Review: When writing reviews I try to focus on two criteria: "Did I learn something or did it entertain me." Too many reviewers seem to relay their moral or political views over the subject. Joe Eszterhas is an easy target to dislike for writing controversial movies like Basic Instinct and Showgirls. I'm doing him a favor by leaving out flops like Jade and Sliver.But this book accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. It is an autobiography that highlights the three most compelling stories of his life, "his rise from Hungarian immigrant and the bizarre past of his father, his life in the fast lane of Hollywood, and his family life with two different wives. I was absolutely entertained by the Hollywood section and learned quite a bit in the other two. This book will appeal to lovers of the Hollywood lifestyle or business environment. It's all here. A novelist gets a call from an agent who believes he could write screenplays and a new career is born. In the next 15 years he has written a box office smash and arguably the most controversial movie of the 90s. But along the way he must learn the Hollywood dance of fighting for your life when many times it's predetermined that you will fail. For example, when Sly Stallone steals his screen credit on his first made movie. But more importantly, the controversial altercation with the then King of Hollywood, Mike Ovitz. This section is fascinating reading if you have interest in how the business side of Hollywood works! The Ovitz feud could be considered one of the top Hollywood stories of the last fifteen years as it started Ovitz's downfall. Of course, there is plenty of name-dropping and stories told of life in Hollywood. Particularly, Sharon Stone and her romance that breaks up a marriage. And Joe Eszterhas does get in the act of constant cheating, drinking and drugging while maintaining the facade of a happy home life in Northern California. Fascinating stuff! But for all the glamour of Hollywood, this is still an autobiography of a poor immigrant family that comes to America after World War II and lives in poverty in New York and later Cleveland. As Joe struggles to fit in the groundwork is laid for the heart wrenching family secret that is exposed when Joe is caring for his father. It is emotionally wrenching for Eszterhas and could easily have been left out of the book, as it doesn't enhance sales. But an autobiography correctly done is soul-cleansing so Eszterhas doesn't pull any punches and brings this compelling story to the book just as he had brought it to some of his lesser-known screenplays. Blessed to have had two good marriages, this book tells the emotionally draining tale of how one ended and another began and the effect on wives, husband and kids. It's always sad to see this as someone always ends up hurt. But as much as Eszterhas wants to disavow Hollywood, his break-up is done in typical "screenplay" fashion and is very intriguing to the reader. I typically like to read books that are 200 to 300 pages. This is a real commitment at over 700 pages. But it's worth the time commitment to get involved in the story. One of the best books I have read from a man that will always be vilified by a large percent of the population based upon the morals of his life. But as he now sits in suburban Cleveland, a survivor of cancer with a new young family, he is as much an American as a member of the Moral Majority. I applaud Eszterhas on this fascinating book and sharing both the good and bad parts with the readers.
Rating:
Summary: As Entertaining as Fiction
Review: Hollywood Animal tells one man's version of events in Hollywood. Is it impartial? Heck no. That's what makes it entertaining. The nastiness and venom with which Joe Eszterhas doesn't make you forgive "Showgirls" but it does make for an entertaining read. Sometimes his unique version of events was so entertaining it rivaled the best Hollywood fiction I've read (ie Carrie Fisher's The Best Awful or Rikki Lee Travolta's My Fractured Life) and is head an shoulders above anything Jackie Collins has put the word "Hollywood" in the title of.
Rating:
Summary: Life is Strange and Amazing!
Review: If you're interested in reading this book for its caustic, hilarious Hollywood dirt, then go ahead and crack it because it's filled with funny, revealing scenes of major Hollywood actors and players. But it's also a very searing and personal story about a Hungarian kid who grows up in Cleveland, Ohio and then storms the beach at Malibu to find out that Life can be even more bizarre and fascinating than the Movies (especially the part about his father). Be sure to persevere through the Hollywood cesspool to the "happy ending" the author finds far away from the sunshine and mansions of the west coast.
"Good job, Joee!"
Rating:
Summary: Awesome
Review: frank, brutal, touching, funny. outstanding autobio that would stand alone even without the all the Hollywood stuff. No plot spoilers, but suffice to say, the whole mystery of his father is pretty damn heavy. buy it read it--a must for anyone who wants to be a screenwriter! Plus, it was the catalyst for me to finally give up smoking!
Rating: 
Summary: The Most Difficult Story
Review: The most difficult story is the own you tell about yourself. Although Joe is a craftsman of the English language--despite the overuse of profanity--in telling his own story, the linguistic charm cannot overcome what in large measure is an overwrought, get-even, "them against me" tale. The interactions and dialogue seemed contrived always to serve Joe and his (holly)worldview as he meets only those who are out to take full advantage of him. As a result, he sacrifices crediblity and the story dissolves. His father, his mother, his teachers, his agent(s), even his first wife get full measure of blame for Joe's self-destructive behaviour. It apparently does not occur to him to try to understand how he is responsible. Personally I thought the last chapter (after 700 pages) was written with much more candor and objectivity than what went before. Also, stylistically, the journal entries from Naomi seemed out of sync and, worse, to bear Joe's editing: has anyone ever seen a diary entry written the way these supposedly were? I was attracted to this book because of an article Joe wrote in 1971-72 about Evil Knevil that appeared in Rolling Stone magazine. It was the best piece of writing that I had confronted to that point in my life--and I never forgot it. I wish Joe's own story bore more of the objectivity and self/character examination that he is capable of delivering.
Rating: 
Summary: lays on the self-absorbed sentimentality thick
Review: got through about 400 pages (halfway point) and, *sigh*, I just can't force myself to read anymore. when i saw the book's description, i was drawn to the promise of raw insight into superficial hollywood. I suppose 'Hollywood Animal' comes through a little on that promise, but, this thing is FULL of self-absorbed sentimentality... and dumb self-aggrandizing... ugh. i'm serious. if i had to read, one more time, how much this guy loves his wife(s) and kids and what a great writer, lover, family man, and 'real' person he... i would retch. one of the book's laugh out loud, blatantly self-serving points: eszterhas establishing himself as the greatest screenwriter, and claiming his company is Salinger, Hemingway, and Faulkner (this is no joke, he is dead serious). it's beyond stupidity. (sidenote: faulkner is over-rated, but eszterhas still isn't fit to clip his toenails). I live in L.A. and writers like eszterhas are a dime a dozen, they claim to be the 'honest' and 'genuine' voices in pretentious and stormy hollywood, but it's a self-serving lie. where is the eszterhas body of work to back up the claims of greatness? easy... it doesn't exist. a lot of mediocre work, and one decent piece (Basic Instinct), which he milked for much more than its worth. exzterhas waffles between judging his own work on artistic merit or how much a studio paid for it (usually using the latter as his measuring stick). i'm wary of eszterhas's constantly broadcasting love for the wife and kids. it reeks of PR purposes... self-promotion. the book is chock full of hypocritical anecdotes -- eszterhas the great family man who loves and sacrifices for everyone but they don't appreciate him. the great chick magnet who slept with young girls that fell in 'love' with him - - but he didn't have the heart to lead them on (give me a break twit - the girls were sleeping with you because you were the hollywood flavor of the month). the one redeeming factor here -- the book gives detailed notes on some dirt. in it's best moments it provides a kinda funny exposé of the dysfunctional inbred studios and people warped from their environment. i find that stuff fascinating, but, like i said - the really dumb sentimental self-promotion that eszterhas engages in wears you out and kills credibility. so be it.
Rating: 
Summary: Not the best book, but worth the read
Review: I have mixed emotions about this book. The man has an ego....no doubt about it. But, he also talks smack about himself and everyone in the industry. He is brutally honest toward his family and his Hungarian roots -- it is heartbreaking. I didn't like his "high holy and better than thou" attitude. --This is the man who wrote Showgirls and cheated on his wife in the next room for God's sake! He has no right to think he is better than his father, other Hungarians or anyone in the industry. ---But, his brutal honesty is what sells the book. He is still a semi-Hollywood Animal of "Sell your soul to make a buck, but have a cause (political or social). " Interestingly, he does manipulate the reader that he is an underdog -- and we should root for him. I am one of those suckers that got zapped in hoping that he does make a difference in letting people know the dangers of smoking. If you like seeing your blood pressure go up and down, read the book.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have used an editor . . .
Review: If you can survive the first 30 pages or so, you may come to enjoy this somewhat overstuffed look back by Eszterhas. His warts-and-all honesty grows on the reader, and as the book picks up steam his puffed-chest braggadocio gives way to rueful reminiscences of his coming of age as a child of immigrants.
The bulk of the book is war stories about wacky stars, backstabbing executives, greedy studios, wild parties, cocaine, etc.
Still, against my better judgement, I came to like Eszterhas and to admire his raw ambition. What surprised me was that he's not really much of a writer. He likens himself to Faulkner and Fitzgerald, but writes like someone who dreams up concepts for blockbusters. I guess that's what screenwriters do. Still, it's hard to read about his difficult life without empathy, and there are stories, like the story of the first time his father tasted pizza, that are beautiful and moving.
Rating:
Summary: Judge the book, not the man
Review: It seems some people are giving this book a low rating based on the movies this guy released...which, let's face it, aren't exactly the pillars of morality. However, Joe writes about his life and holds no punches. He reveals some good dirt on some Hollywood folks, including Sly Stallone, Sharon Stone, and more. The Hollywood stories account for a little more than half of the novel...there's a lot of interesting stories about Joe growing up. This memoir is written really well and gives a good, insider's look at the weird world that is Hollywood. If you can look past Showgirls and Basic Instinct, this is a must read.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!!!
Review: I could not put this book down. Extremely well written and very interesting. I can't imagine anyone not liking this book - oh wait -- let's see, anyone who is a friend or relative of anyone Joe speaks badly of lol. You're an outstanding writer Joe and this is a GREAT BOOK!! I'm afraid to start another book -- I know it will be a let down compared to this!!
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