1: Don’t see too many new movies. Most movies in theaters today are awful.
2: Don’t mince words. If the idea a studio executive gives you is a shitty one, don’t say “Well, that’s interesting, but…” Say “That’s a really shitty idea.”
3: Don’t let ’em convince you to change what you’ve written. A director isn’t a writer.
4: Don’t pitch stories, write spec scripts. Why try to convince a roomful of unread egomaniacs that you can write a good script about something.
5: Write it from your heart. Life is short; shorter than you think.
6: Always lie about your first draft. I told people I’d been working on the script of Basic Instinct for years when I sold it for a record price.
7: Remember family secrets. If you’re stuck for something to write about, think of all those things your family just doesn’t talk about.
8: In the company of the director, don’t bend over. No matter how charming he is, the director is not your friend and collaborator.
9: Blacken your heart a little bit. My old and beloved agent, Guy McElwaine, told me “There is no heart as black as the black heart of an agent.”
10: Don’t let the bastards get you down. If you can’t sell your script… or if you sell the script and they bring in another writer to butcher it…
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I bought Joe's book, "The Devil's Guide to Hollywood: The Screenwriter as God." (or something like that) Just to get a feel for one of the premire writers of the 80s/90s. Joe Eszteras is a little TO CRASS for my taste, but he's an interesting dude.
The mental imagage of a hard drinker sluggin' down shots of liquor then raving at near madmen level's comes to mind when thinking about Joe. Don't know how valid that mental image is, but it's there.
In her book "Hello, He Lied." Lynda Obst bashed Joe Eszterhas. I think she said he was the most over-rated screenwriter of all time.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
Perhaps Obst was responding to the fact that many of Eszterhas' original scripts — Jagged Edge, Betrayed, Music Box, Basic Instinct, Sliver, Jade — had the same narrative element at their core: The Protagonist is involved with a character who may or may not be guilty of criminal activity. In most of these movies, it's a romantic involvement; in Music Box, it's the Protagonist and her father.
Whatever the critique, it's been estimated that the total sales of Eszterhas spec scripts and treatments is between $20-30 million. For a period of time post-Basic Instinct, Eszterhas was the face most associated with screenwriting and big selling spec scripts.
No doubting Joe's influence. Lynda was reffering to Joe Eszterhas's ablity to add "sleeze" to stories.
You really should read, "Hello, He Lied." VERY interesting read.
- E.C. Henry from Bonney Lake, WA
Jeez, no wonder Joe nearly drank himself to death. Except for his paychecks, what on Earth did he like about screenwriting??
Personally, I loved THE DEVILS GUIDE TO HOLLYWOOD. Certainly, Joe E. is one tough S.O.B, but that's what gives him his unique charm. Rough and rugged in the Hemingway sense of it all. I loved the book, full of wit and snark, and at the same time, pearls of wisdom. This guy doesn't pull punches. He writes, therefore he is… it's a hoot.
Great book — if you like your writers tough and gnarly, and absolutely unafraid to tell the truth. It would be foolish to think just because this guy writes/acts like an unruly biker he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Certainly not everyone's cup of tea… but as for me, I'll raise my pint in that guy's direction.
Here's to ya, Joe. Cheers!
I'm thinking I need to get my hands on a copy of The Devil's Guide To Hollywood.
Devil's Guide to Hollywood was absolutely relevatory for me… taught me how to have FUN with scriptwriting again and not sweat all the other stuff because Joe convinced me all the other stuff…
…was bullshit.
Scott posed the question 100 posts or so ago who we thought was our most influential guru? Joe, for me, was the right guy at the right time…
And people can deride his work all they want but his "Telling Lies in America" screenplay is a tiny little masterpiece.
Screenwriting is not my genre but I've always been fascinated with it.I am a graduate school admission essay writer and I'm more into school and anything academic. But screenwriting is different – it involves a lot of factors that I really want to know. I'll grab a copy of this, for sure!