Rating: 
Summary: Where Did I Go Right? : A Great Read by Bernie Brillstein
Review: "Here's the truth about the art of the deal: it all comes down to who's your client and how desperately the other guy wants him. It's about a moment in time, and nothing more." In this telling and moving biography, Bernie Brillstein takes the reader inside some of the most interesting moments in show business. And from his background and experience, at William Morris, as a Manager, at Lorimar, and at Brillstein-Grey, Bernie really lets the reader in on the art of the deal. And this book is a great deal! In reviewing this book I refer to Bernie by his first name, since he writes like he's writing to a friend, and by the end of the book I felt like that friend. Bernie writes in an honest and sincere manner, which is unusual for books written by and about show biz. Bernie's client list included many of my favorites, including Lorne Michaels, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd, Jim Henson, Gilda Radner, Norm Crosby, Richard Dryfuss, and Chris Farley. Bernie writes with insight about Saturday Night Live, Hee-Haw, NewsRadio, the Muppets, and ALF, amoung others. And through it all, Bernie shows a level of ethics and character to which we should all aspire in our work lives. This is a book that I could not put down, and my only disappointment was that it is only 373 pages. This is a great read, and its value greatly exceeds the price of admission. I would read anything else Bernie Brillstein writes, even if written on the back of cereal box. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about how show business really works. Although Five Stars is the highest rating Amazon gives, this book really desearves Ten Stars!
Rating:
Summary: Another guy who doesn't mike Mike Ovitz!
Review: After reading The Operator, this story was much more positive. Mr. Brillstein has obviously had an exciting career in the entertainment business and apparently didn't need to crushing and destroy all his contemporaries along the way. Great perspectives on Saturday Night Live, John Belushi, Jim Henson and other legends. Bernie sounds like an great guy who has looked out for his clients and prospered and enjoyed his roll in the entertainment business. A neat story!
Rating: 
Summary: REALLY JUST A SALESMAN, AFTER ALL THE FUSS!!
Review: Because we're so star-struck in America, we tend to be overly impressed with ShowBiz and the people who inhabit that world. But as charming, determined and persistent a personality Mr. Brillstein may be, he's essentially just a salesman - NOT the creator, but a "dealmaker" of the ShowBiz Old School - and after almost 400 pages, I found he'd worn thin his welcome! However dramatic it may have been FOR HIM to accompany John Belushi's body back East, or "duke it out" with the Big Boys in corporate takeovers while at Lorimar, the emotions are thinly drawn and shallow in this book. Brillstein made me less than intrigued with his machinations, unimpressed by his self-aggrandizing spin on events and ultimately unsympathetic to his life challenges. (His obvious misogyny doesn't help, either - he has no use for women outside of the sack, it appears.) Here's another absurdly fortunate, rich powerful older man feeling sorry for himself because time changes everything? I'd have hoped he'd have learned to adjust better to the slings and arrows of life by the time he got to his 60s and 70s!This book was distressing to me because I REALLY WANTED to LIKE the guy - but I found I couldn't. He's kinda ordinary, and once you remove the "famous" names and large amounts of money, his anecdotes are kinda ordinary! He's not terribly brilliant, sage or extraordinary in any other way than being sublimely LUCKY! I gave the book 3 stars, because it's certainly not dreck, but for inspiration or insight, I'd advise looking elsewhere!
Rating:
Summary: REALLY JUST A SALESMAN, AFTER ALL THE FUSS!!
Review: Because we're so star-struck in America, we tend to be overly impressed with ShowBiz and the people who inhabit that world. But as charming, determined and persistent a personality Mr. Brillstein may be, he's essentially just a salesman - NOT the creator, but a "dealmaker" of the ShowBiz Old School - and after almost 400 pages, I found he'd worn thin his welcome! However dramatic it may have been FOR HIM to accompany John Belushi's body back East, or "duke it out" with the Big Boys in corporate takeovers while at Lorimar, the emotions are thinly drawn and shallow in this book. Brillstein made me less than intrigued with his machinations, unimpressed by his self-aggrandizing spin on events and ultimately unsympathetic to his life challenges. (His obvious misogyny doesn't help, either - he has no use for women outside of the sack, it appears.) Here's another absurdly fortunate, rich powerful older man feeling sorry for himself because time changes everything? I'd have hoped he'd have learned to adjust better to the slings and arrows of life by the time he got to his 60s and 70s! This book was distressing to me because I REALLY WANTED to LIKE the guy - but I found I couldn't. He's kinda ordinary, and once you remove the "famous" names and large amounts of money, his anecdotes are kinda ordinary! He's not terribly brilliant, sage or extraordinary in any other way than being sublimely LUCKY! I gave the book 3 stars, because it's certainly not dreck, but for inspiration or insight, I'd advise looking elsewhere!
Rating: 
Summary: Best Hollywood read since "The Kid Stays In The Picture"
Review: For those of us hooked on "The E True Hollywood Story," "VH1's Behind The Music" and other outlets for real life Hollywood dish, Bernie Brillstein's book is a wonderful treat. This is a candid, honest look at a half-century long career in the trenches. Bernie Brillstein nurtured the careers of Lorne Michaels,Jim Henson, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, and many more icons. Besides the wonderful stories (ok, dish) about his clients, Brillstein shares behind the scenes anecdotes from the deal making trenches. Great insights for any future Hollywood agents/managers. But even if you don't work in this town, you will love Bernie's story and possibly pick up some useful life lessons. An appealing, infinitely readable Hollywood read, and if you like this, check out books by Bob Evans and Ken Kragen!
Rating:
Summary: Must Read
Review: Fortunately or unfortunately I found this book at the local library and thought I was saving myself a few bucks by not having to buy it. This book is a "must have" to read over and over again. Brillstein hits the heart and soul of the movie business - his love, loyalty and trust of talent and his "best friends" are truly genuine and in the cut throat business of the biz, is heartwarming although at the same time he exposes his survival instincts at their best. Wonderful to read a book about the biz written by someone, of Brillstein's status, who has a true love for the business and can candidly talk about what it feels like to turn over the show to the new kids in town. Yes, Amazon.com, I'm buying the book for myself and for my grandkids.
Rating:
Summary: Unexpectedly Touching
Review: I found myself unexpectedly touched by this autobiography. Having read it, I consider Bernie Brillstein a friend. With no self-praise, Brillstein shows himself to be a man of decency, of compassion, of empathy. He began in his profession as an agent at William Morris, dreaming of representing mid-Century comics such as Jackie Gleason and Jackie Gale. When he left William Morris, he became a personal manager, starting the careers of dozens of entertainers who have become household names. The stories Bernie has to tell! He survived--there's no other word--until the end of the century, representing Jim Henson, Lorne Michaels, Gilda Radner, John Belushi, Dan Ackroyd and, as the saying goes, a cast of thousands along the way. He created HEE HAW and greenlighted THE SOPRANOS, headed a movie studio for a short time, got fired, picked himself up and started again. His very life has been the personification of the entertainment business; there are few who exceeded his success. And he is the one having the last laugh: He's still here! But along with the chronological report of his professional experience, what he was thinking, how he pulled it off, there is this man, this basically sweet and decent man, and that's what shines through his book. I enjoyed reading about Bernie's fascinating life.
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Summary: Brillstein is as a big a star as those he represents
Review: I'm not sure what drove me to buy the Brillstein book. I had heard of him of years, but wasn't sure that a managers tale was all that interesting. Oh, but is! This book is filled with humor, honesty, and and ego. Bernie seems like a terrific guy and he tells fantastic stories. Some are filled with love: Belushi, Radner, etc. Others venom (and these are the most fun, he pulls no punches): Ovitz, Shandling (more would have better on this), etc. You learn about the inside story of Hee Haw, The Muppets, SNL, and Lorimar. My favorite stuff was about Jim Henson, rarely have I seen so much great stuff written about one of my heroes. While this may not be a roast, I raise my glass to Big Bernie and the wonderful life he has led. Thanks for sharing.
Rating: 
Summary: Passably interesting but...
Review: It is nice to see that some people do survive in Hollywood without back-stabbing everyone they don't like or walking over them to get ahead. Bernie Brillstein truly cares about his clients and works to do what is best for them. I was drawn to this book because I had heard about Bernie Brillstein for many years, but knew very little about him. He was always mentioned as the manager of big name stars and how he negotiated deals for them, but little was known of him. His book offers a brief look at how he started in the business and follows his career path to his current "retirement." There are many anecdotes about his days in show business and he is not afraid to name names. Mike Ovitz and Garry Shandling are two people he mentions quite frequently and not in the nicest terms. Most people he disliked or did not agree with, he still had respect for them and their choices. Ovitz and Shandling are the only two people in the book he openly vented his frustrations and disrespect. My main drawback to the book is the haphazard way it seems to be put together. It does not follow a chronological order from his early days until retirement. It jumps back and forth from the 1970, 1980's and 1990's. I could understand this if he was referring to one client and their career. He will talk about one client and then jump back in time and refer to another client and focus on them before going back to the original person he was talking about. He seems to lose his train of thought and go off in another direction before coming back to the original subject. It would be okay if he did this only once or twice, but he does this several times. Overall, the book is an insightful, humorous, and many times scathing look at Hollywood that is fun, if not sometimes difficult, to read. If you don't know who Bernie Brillstein is before reading this book, skip it. If you know of him and want to know more about his life and the other side of Hollywood, I would recommend this book.
Rating: 
Summary: The Boring Side of Hollywood Uncovered.
Review: Let me start by admitting that I am a product of the NOW generation. That means that I need everything from food to entertainment within thirty seconds of request otherwise forget it. I have little patience when it comes to information that doesn`t make me money, entertain me by dishing the dirt, or flat out shocking me. Although Mr. Brillsteins intentions here are not to make me money, he still manages to get all three of the above wrong and in the process write a snore of a book. Don`t get me wrong if you are related to Mr. Brillstein or in his will, then I`m sure this is a masterpiece to you. However, for the rest of society this book will be an ideal replacemant for counting sheep. Who wants to read about an old man wrestling with retirement ? Who wants to read about an old manager who makes himself out to be far more succesful and important than he ever really was ? I don`t. It`s too late for me but it`s not too late for you. Do not let the title fool you. Just because it contains the phrase "someone wants you dead" in it, doesn`t mean that Mr. Brillstein ever made that much of a ripple in the water. I`m sure that if Ned Flanders from the Simpsons kept a daily diary that it would be far more exciting and cutting edge. In closing, if you are not a family member or former client of Mr. Brillsteins who thinks that their name might be mentioned in this book, then you don`t want it.
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