Rating: 
Summary: Great history of the movies from the 70s till now
Review: If you like movies over the past 30 years, you'll love this book. It's well written by an intelligent man who saw the industry from a perspective few do, as studio head. The man that writes the checks. Medavoy is pretty blunt about how movies get made and how he managed to make bad movies as well as good. The highlight of the book comes early as he is in charge of production at UA and produces Best Oscar movies repeatedly in his first few years starting with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Rocky. UA specialized in making artist's driven movies which shaped Medavoy's footprint to stay away from youthful, tentpole event movies throughout his career. From Rocky to The Terminator to Silence of the Lambs you will be amazed at the stars and movies that Medavoy worked with. To further this study of movie history, after UA Medavoy worked at Tri-star pictures shortly after it was purchased by Sony working with Peter Guber and Jon Peters. This first-hand account of the Japanese invasion in Hollywood is interesting in and of itself. Medavoy does a great job of focusing this book on the movies, the personalities involved, and the business side of the industry. He does not burden the reader with unwanted history of his childhood. But he does give great insight into the cultural influences of his job, the intellectual environment he functioned in, and his political involvement with Gary Hart and Bill Clinton. I strongly recommend this book if you like movies, stories of the business side of making movies, or American cultural influences of the last 30 years. While on vacation a year ago, I played tennis for a couple of days with Medavoy and his business associate Arnie Weems. In my brief encounter with him, it's obvious he is an extremely intelligent man. A somewhat reserved man, who showed no real interest in intellectual discussion but only in relaxing and enjoying his tennis. His associate who was mentioned in the book was much more outgoing and friendly. I believe Medavoy's reserved nature is due to the many people who want to know him to somehow break into the movie business so his reserved nature is understandable.
Rating: 
Summary: A solid memoir...that lacks something...
Review: Medavoy is a character I've read about before, most notably in Hit and Run, one of the most fascinating Hollywood books ever written. He has been behind many fantastic movies and worked with some terrific characters. However, this book misses it's mark--it is really worth 3.5 stars but I rounded down. There are interesting stories--particularly about building a movie company, but the stories are without that depth that the best Hollywood books provide. There are almost no personal details about Medavoy's life--which while he probably wants to maintain his privacy, leave the story lacking. His political adventures are interesting, but more interesting that his personal life? He is critical of people, but in a way that leaves you wanting more. Perhaps I love dirt, and Medavoy is too classy for that. Perhaps he wants to maintain his working relationships. Nevertheless, he plays humble, and probably is. Autobiographies in Hollywood are a tricky genre, but Robert Evans provided a terrific read with the Kid Stays in the Picture. This books has a good stories and interesting moments, but was at times slow and often told the same story over and over. We got the point the first time Mike. I'm not upset I read it, but expected so much more. He has must have some great stories in there somewhere...
Rating: 
Summary: the insider
Review: My friend gave me a copy of this and I couldn't put it down. Medavoy gives a killer insider's view of what it is really like to run a film studio. If you want to know what really went on behind great films like Silence of the Lambs and Rocky, Medavoy tells you. There are great stories about Robert Redford and Kevin Costner, but the funniest is about Madonna trying to get her first movie. Recommended for people who want to know more about the behind the scenes of movies in the 70's, 80's and 90's.
Rating:
Summary: Good inspite of itself
Review: Neither Medavoy, his cowriter nor his editors seem to be on friendly terms with the English language. This ungrammatical, repetitive, ego-driven, cliche-ridden front-office memoir nonetheless makes an important contribution to American cinema history. Medavoy was, after all, involved in some of the most distinguished films of the last 30 years. The author's personality dominates, revealing more about him than perhaps he intended. On the plus side, he has a sense of humor and provides ample behind-the-scenes detail.
Rating: 
Summary: Poorly Written
Review: Sounds like a man who desperately needs to be accepted by those around him, who have far surpassed him in every way. This is a man who with all his things, his parties, his screenings, his speeches, has created very little. A sad character. The book is self-serving for his own library. It's something to show friends. Just another piece in the plastic armor. A man who if credit must be given probably is an overachiever. But has he personally ever put himself on the line for a film like Wendy Finerman did for Forrest Gump? From this book this guy sounds like he truly cares about himself. Throwing fundraisers so people say what a great guy he is. Nobody will think that after reading this book. Not worth the time. Read "You'll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again" instead.
Rating:
Summary: AN INSIDE LOOK AT HOLLYWOOD'S BUSINESS AS USUAL
Review: There is nothing simple about being a success in making movies. It is a time consuming endeavor and one that requires truckloads of money at (great) risk. Mike Medavoy & Josh Young make their story interesting from beginning to end and talk more of the business end of films as that is Mike's expertise. There are a few stories about stars, but primarily it is the problems encountered in making and financing a movie. I learned a lot about the film industry which is now approaching an entirely new way of doing things as regards the technical composition (digital and computer enhanced)as touched on at the end of this book. This is an intelligent and interesting book about filmmaking.
Rating:
Summary: Did not like this book
Review: This book was not compelling and the story of Mike Medavoy simply not interesting. It seems like his life has always been about himself. After all, he's married a half a dozen times, continues to cheat, has kids who are a mess and he is grotesque. So if you are going to learn form somebody read about Ted Turner, Jack Warner...Medavoy shouldn't have a book deal in the first place. This was a total waste of my time.
Rating:
Summary: Lacking
Review: This most interesting memoir of the prominent producer and studio executivewas co-written by Josh Young, a free lance writer. I own the hardback of this volume and enjoyed the photo section which shows the author with various celebrities such as Bill Cinton who allowed him to sit in his desk chair when President of the USA. Mike and his wife, Irena, were guests of the Clintons to spend the night in the White House. Wonder if they got the Lincoln Room -- did he see the ghost or feel Lincoln's spirit? In another was Robin Williams prior to winning an award for FISHER KING, one of his better films, more than ten years before his eerie role in ONE HOUR PHOTO (see my earlier review of this). A third was of the creative team behind MISSISSIPPI BURNING, which he considered the best film released by a studio in 1989. I agree. Mike Medavoy put his distinctive mark on more than three hundred films including eight Best Picture Oscar winners. He says that putting together the elements of a film is a succession of best guesses. Four film companies in which he was a mainstay were explained
in detail as: United Artists' Transamerica;
Sony's Tri Star, later changed to DreamWorks;
Orion, named after the 5-star constellaion in the winter skies.
These three consumed thirty years of his prolific career.
Phoenix: (his Independent company) the image was made out of the match strike from LAWRENCE OF ARABIA combined with the gong of the old J. Arthur Rank logo -- very impressive, similar to the bronze statuary of a phoenix at Belmont College in Nashville, TN He chose that name not because it was rising from the ashes but simply because he liked the symbol, he says. Coming late in his career of working for others, it would seem that he and his career were indeed on the rise again. One of his favorite sayings is "a sign of desperation is the desire to huddle in groups, escape thought, and talk about others." So, what else is new?
Rating:
Summary: A Man of Substance and Stature
Review: This most interesting memoir of the prominent producer and studio executivewas co-written by Josh Young, a free lance writer. I own the hardback of this volume and enjoyed the photo section which shows the author with various celebrities such as Bill Cinton who allowed him to sit in his desk chair when President of the USA. Mike and his wife, Irena, were guests of the Clintons to spend the night in the White House. Wonder if they got the Lincoln Room -- did he see the ghost or feel Lincoln's spirit? In another was Robin Williams prior to winning an award for FISHER KING, one of his better films, more than ten years before his eerie role in ONE HOUR PHOTO (see my earlier review of this). A third was of the creative team behind MISSISSIPPI BURNING, which he considered the best film released by a studio in 1989. I agree. Mike Medavoy put his distinctive mark on more than three hundred films including eight Best Picture Oscar winners. He says that putting together the elements of a film is a succession of best guesses. Four film companies in which he was a mainstay were explained
in detail as: United Artists' Transamerica;
Sony's Tri Star, later changed to DreamWorks;
Orion, named after the 5-star constellaion in the winter skies.
These three consumed thirty years of his prolific career.
Phoenix: (his Independent company) the image was made out of the match strike from LAWRENCE OF ARABIA combined with the gong of the old J. Arthur Rank logo -- very impressive, similar to the bronze statuary of a phoenix at Belmont College in Nashville, TN He chose that name not because it was rising from the ashes but simply because he liked the symbol, he says. Coming late in his career of working for others, it would seem that he and his career were indeed on the rise again. One of his favorite sayings is "a sign of desperation is the desire to huddle in groups, escape thought, and talk about others." So, what else is new?
Rating:
Summary: The business of show business
Review: While not quite as free of gossip and innuendo as he hopes, this book stays pretty much on the subject, making movies and running the companies that make movies. It could have been longer. He could have discussed more movies and particularly more of the hundred he should be shot for and how and why they got made. But given that he has rarely been the line producer (the person in day to day charge) it provided a valuable look at the business side of The Business.
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