Joe Eszterhas is a Hungarian-American screenwriter whose work often delves into provocative themes and the darker aspects of human psychology. Before his career in film, he honed his writing skills as a journalist. He has also authored non-fiction works and memoirs, reflecting a continued interest in raw reality and complex relationships.
The dramatic original account of events that shook the nation. On May 4, 1970, National Guard bullets killed four students, wounded nine, and transformed Kent State University into a national nightmare. Two prize-winning reporters interviewed all the participants in the tragedy and established for the first time what actually took place that day.
Drawing from a tumultuous upbringing in refugee camps and urban America, the author channels his experiences into a successful career as a screenwriter. Known for crafting sexually explicit and violent narratives, he gained fame with films such as Basic Instinct, Jagged Edge, and Jade. His journey from journalist to Hollywood's highest-paid screenwriter reveals insights into the darker aspects of human nature and storytelling.
He came to America and grew up in Cleveland - stealing cars, rolling drinks, battling priests, nearly going to jail. The rebellion never ended, even as his films went on to gross more than a billion dollars at the box office and he became the most famous - or infamous - screenwriter in Hollywood.
If the Watergate scandal was a previous generation's National Nightmare, then maybe the Clinton scandal was our National Wet Dream, and who better to narrate it than the screenwriter Joe Eszterhas? In American Rhapsody , Eszterhas, whose credits include Basic Instinct and Showgirls, and Charlie Simpson's Apocalypse, for which he was nominated for a National Book Award, takes us through the events that threatened to topple a president and left most of the nation's citizens with, at the very least, a bad taste in their mouths. Taking full advantage of his considerable journalistic and storytelling talents, Eszterhas gives us every fact, rumor, or innuendo surrounding the president's foibles in the context of late century American politics and entertainment. Here Washington and Hollywood do more than just flirt with each other; they share the same bed. From scandalmongers Matt Drudge (who began as a Hollywood gossip) and Ken Starr, to would-be president paramours Sharon Stone and Barbra Streisand, to his final, unimpeachable witness, Willard—none other than President Clinton's talking penis—Eszterhas gives us the goods on the story that nobody could stop talking about and, thanks to American Rhapsody, will be impossible to think about the same way again.
Focusing on the gritty realities of Hollywood, Joe Eszterhas shares his insider knowledge as a renowned screenwriter. He delves into the industry's dynamics, revealing the intricacies of screenwriting, from the creative process to the nuances of credits. With a candid and provocative style, he offers a unique perspective on the players and the art of storytelling in film, making it a must-read for aspiring screenwriters and film enthusiasts alike.