Blogcritics: Comments on Eszterhas's Change of Life

Comment by HW Saxton Jr.

Sun, 22 Feb 2004 15:19:09 EST

I've got to give the guy a two thumbs up for "Showgirls".It's the unintentionally funniest movie I've ever seen.It's been developing quite a cult following as of late,actually being shown at Midnight Movies alongside classics such as "Rock N Roll High School,Mommie Dearest,Rocky Horror,Plan 9 From Outer Space"& others.

Comment by Rodney Welch

Sun, 22 Feb 2004 13:33:28 EST

Basic Instinct is hardly an immortal work of art, but it's an immortal work of something, and that's all due to Stone. She was so perfectly cast, and carries herself with such confidence, that she would be the only thing anyone remembered about that picture even if she had worn slacks all the way through it. Stone's performance was clearly fashioned on the kind of button-pushing bad-girl charisma of Madonna, and when the Material Girl's own sexy thriller came out later -- the quite forgettable Body of Evidence -- Stone's achievement was even more notable: she had out-Madonna'd Madonna, who was reduced to playing a mere parody of herself. I remember when I first saw Stone, in Total Recall, and I knew immediately she'd be a star. She has such basic movie-star good looks; she has "the look,' I guess you'd say, that indefinable "it" quality that lifts her from the realm of mere mortals, not unlike Julia Roberts or Cameron Diaz. She's the kind of actress that makes you yearn for the days of the studio system, when some hopefully benevolent corporate hand could have guided her from one great part to the next -- which is not, of course, what has happened, although she was very good in Casino.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:52:31 EST

Fix-ed

Comment by Chris Kent

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:49:50 EST

Damn italics - I'll get this thing eventually....

Comment by Chris Kent

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 14:46:16 EST

Well, the entire film Basic Instinct was figuratively focused on Sharon Stone's pussy, so I see no reason why the critics should not have honed in on the scene when it is most emphasized..... The Music Box had a great performance by Jessica Lange, but it is just a thinly-veiled rehash of Eszterhas's earlier film The Jagged Edge, complete with shocking ending exposing one of the main protagonists as the initially suspected villain..... I'm not sure there's a single film in all of Eszterhas's repertoire that could even remotely be termed classic.

Comment by Rodney Welch

Thu, 19 Feb 2004 10:46:56 EST

I guess it depends on the make-up of this "screenwriter community." The ones who think purely in terms of money will surely value Eszterhas; the ones who hope to make a film that will be seen and studied for generations to come will prefer Robert Towne. Having said that, give credit where it's due: Music Box, scripted by Eszterhas, is a first-class drama, and Basic Instinct at least had a career-making performance by Sharon Stone, who should have been nominated for an Oscar, and maybe would have been had not the popular and critical attention been so exclusively focused on her pussy.

Comment by Shark

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 16:57:31 EST

Joe Eszterhas is a hero in the screenwriter's community. I almost spewed coffee all over my IMAC on that one. No offense, but somebody HAS to be joking. This guy has churned out more hi-octane shit than an elephant on X-Lax. If he is a hero, it's because for a few years there, he could hire a roomful of monkeys to type out a script and the studios would dump a few million on another TURKEY no one bothered to read 'cause it had Joe's name on it. Gee, it only took 'em, what, half a dozen tries to realize the bird-bath had run dry? After Showgirls, I'm surprised God didn't say, "Screw cancer, he's takin' a lightning-bolt on his typing fingers!" He should consider himself lucky. PS: Jennifer Beals!? You mean they have blind construction workers? Cool.

Comment by Chris Kent

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 16:04:38 EST

Well, Don Simpson made his share of crappy movies. So it only follows that his lifestyle was as hedonistic as Eszterhas's.

Comment by Eric Olsen

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 16:00:36 EST

Please let us know what you think of it after you check it out, Ricky, thanks!

Comment by Ricky Vandal

Wed, 18 Feb 2004 15:56:13 EST

Joe Eszterhas is a hero in the screenwriter's community. I want to read his book. I hope it's just as revealing as the book about Don Simpson, the now dead coke snorting, hooker renting mega producer and erstwhile Jerry Bruckheimer partner. For some reason I get the idea this book will be better than any movie out there at the moment.