Memoir

Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood

Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood

  • Downloads：3163
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2024-02-18 14:21:53
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Ed Zwick
  • ISBN：B0C7RLVFRM
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Kayla DeToma ，

my love for movies will never go away and this book just made me realize why

AnnieM ，

I loved this book！ It is both an inside look at the trials and tribulations of television and film production as well as personal and career memoir。 Ed Zwick has been the creative force （with his co-collaborator， Marshall Herskowitz） on shows such as Family， Thirtysomething， My So=Called Life， etc。 Interesting to note that before they joined the creative team for the show Family， the pilot was produced by Mike Nichols。 Zwick also directed some of my favorite films such as Glory， Shakespeare in L I loved this book！ It is both an inside look at the trials and tribulations of television and film production as well as personal and career memoir。 Ed Zwick has been the creative force （with his co-collaborator， Marshall Herskowitz） on shows such as Family， Thirtysomething， My So=Called Life， etc。 Interesting to note that before they joined the creative team for the show Family， the pilot was produced by Mike Nichols。 Zwick also directed some of my favorite films such as Glory， Shakespeare in Love， Defiance。 He was inspired by other directors' biographies and kept many notebooks he filled with lessons， tips and ideas from reading these and the classic book Goldman's "Adventures in the Screen Trade。" He attended the AFI Conservatory and is self-effacing and humble as he describes his time there and continues with this tone throughout the book。 At the end of each chapter is a list of specific lessons and tips he gained throughout this career。 He is not afraid to tell tales about actors being demanding and difficult。 I won't tell the juicy stories here -- you should just read the book！ Highly recommended！Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review。 。。。more

Sarah Buron ，

4。5 stars！ Google Ed Zwick and you'll quickly discover how many great TV shows and movies he's directed。 My So-Called Life was one of my favorite shows back in the day and I couldn't believe it when I read that they only made 19 episodes！ Ed has a lot of stories to tell and he does an excellent job sharing his 'behind the scenes' of filmmaking。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - it's out today！ 4。5 stars！ Google Ed Zwick and you'll quickly discover how many great TV shows and movies he's directed。 My So-Called Life was one of my favorite shows back in the day and I couldn't believe it when I read that they only made 19 episodes！ Ed has a lot of stories to tell and he does an excellent job sharing his 'behind the scenes' of filmmaking。 Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review - it's out today！ 。。。more

Tara Whitehead ，

I really enjoyed the structure of the book and the way each chapter is followed up by a bullet point list of craft afterthoughts。 As an industry professional and film professor， I could see using the book to teach directing in a palatable， contextualized way。

H Paige ，

The juiciness of this book…。

Devon ，

This book dishes！ We've got dirt on Leonardo DiCaprio， gossip about Brad Pitt， and stories about how Julia Roberts almost sunk a movie。 Is it classless？ Yeah， a bit。 Is it a bid for attention？ Certainly。 Will Edward Zwick be cast out for this tell-all？ Remains to be seen， though as the Washington Post put it， there's likely going to be some withdrawn party invites for him after spilling all this tea。 Lines from Zwick like "Should Tom happen to call about making a third movie together， I’ll defin This book dishes！ We've got dirt on Leonardo DiCaprio， gossip about Brad Pitt， and stories about how Julia Roberts almost sunk a movie。 Is it classless？ Yeah， a bit。 Is it a bid for attention？ Certainly。 Will Edward Zwick be cast out for this tell-all？ Remains to be seen， though as the Washington Post put it， there's likely going to be some withdrawn party invites for him after spilling all this tea。 Lines from Zwick like "Should Tom happen to call about making a third movie together， I’ll definitely pick up" sound deranged （my dude， you've just DRAGGED Hollywood's greats， what business do you have implying something like this？） I mean， Zwick could beg for Cruises' attention and he's not going to be calling。 But I digress。。。 I for one wouldn't want to land myself on the bad side of some of the most powerful people in the industry， but I'm truly happy to sit back and read the results！！！ I'm seeing some industry pros in new light after this and also seeing the machinery of Hollywood anew。 Thanks to NetGalley for this fun romp through Hollywood's inner world。 。。。more

Kayla is trying to finish her backlog of books ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC copy of Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions by Ed Zwick。 What a wonderfully well written memoir of 40 years in the industry。 Ed Zwick is casual in a way that it made the book easy and enjoyable to read。 I really have to be in the mood for a memoir or autobiography， but this one just hit right in all the best ways。 The insights into film making are welcoming， especially to those who have a dream of getting into the industry。 Sure， there is gossip Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for an eARC copy of Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions by Ed Zwick。 What a wonderfully well written memoir of 40 years in the industry。 Ed Zwick is casual in a way that it made the book easy and enjoyable to read。 I really have to be in the mood for a memoir or autobiography， but this one just hit right in all the best ways。 The insights into film making are welcoming， especially to those who have a dream of getting into the industry。 Sure， there is gossip here or there， but it is in pretty good taste。 I'd recommend it for sure。 。。。more

Rhonda Lomazow ，

Fascinating look into Ed Zwicks life in Hollywood from behind the scenes moments and。eye opening looks at his creative process I enjoyed the juicy gossip and the real guide to succeeding in Hollywood。#netgalley #gallery

Jackie ，

Had the chance to read an early copy。 Tone is a bit full of self-importance to my liking， and at times the book seems to dish dirt on celebrities for no real reason other than attention/clout/name dropping （I guess Ed Zwick can afford to burn some bridges， because I sure wouldn’t work with someone who seems to delight in that kind of gossipy fare）。 It was particularly disheartening to find a misogynistic， boy’s club kind of portrayal of women actresses as over-emotional and unstable （excerpts of Had the chance to read an early copy。 Tone is a bit full of self-importance to my liking， and at times the book seems to dish dirt on celebrities for no real reason other than attention/clout/name dropping （I guess Ed Zwick can afford to burn some bridges， because I sure wouldn’t work with someone who seems to delight in that kind of gossipy fare）。 It was particularly disheartening to find a misogynistic， boy’s club kind of portrayal of women actresses as over-emotional and unstable （excerpts of which were widely published to clearly drum up interest in this book， which honestly feels pretty tone deaf）。 The year is 2024 and we can do better。 But I did learn some things。 。。。more

Mike Thomas ，

Rock solid Hollywood memoir。

Mary Ellen Coogan ，

Ed Zwick is a fascinating narrator who fearlessly reports various shenanigans experienced over his many years in the entertainment industry。 His writing talents created many popular TV shows and movies - Check out his IMDB page！ He offers an insider point of view while avoiding the pitfalls of a hagiography。 It was eye-popping to read backstories about unexpected celebrities doing self-centered things to “improve art”， sometimes at the author’s expense。 Although unwelcomed critiques come with th Ed Zwick is a fascinating narrator who fearlessly reports various shenanigans experienced over his many years in the entertainment industry。 His writing talents created many popular TV shows and movies - Check out his IMDB page！ He offers an insider point of view while avoiding the pitfalls of a hagiography。 It was eye-popping to read backstories about unexpected celebrities doing self-centered things to “improve art”， sometimes at the author’s expense。 Although unwelcomed critiques come with this ego-driven territory， the author is consistently kind， his wise adult self recognizing the pitfalls of youth and an understanding of what early success does to those who become superstars in their 20s。 He highlights gracious celebrities as well。 。He credits his wife for being a great stabilizer in his life and his own family for being his center， ultimately meaning more to him the fictional Family （and other hits） he created。 I enjoyed being in his world。。 His candor makes for great reading。 。。。more

Dan ，

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Galley Books for an advanced copy of this memoir of a Hollywood creative who has beaten the odds by being both successful and happy with his work and life， longer than most careers in entertainment seem to last。 Hollywood is a town that burns through people， careers， genres， metrics basically everything like a wildfire out of control。 This months Vanity Fair cover could be on a where are they now special 6 months later。 People are praised to heaven， My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Galley Books for an advanced copy of this memoir of a Hollywood creative who has beaten the odds by being both successful and happy with his work and life， longer than most careers in entertainment seem to last。 Hollywood is a town that burns through people， careers， genres， metrics basically everything like a wildfire out of control。 This months Vanity Fair cover could be on a where are they now special 6 months later。 People are praised to heaven， even as their agents are changing their number， and moving on to the next thing。 A few make it， of course。 Most thought burn out quick， or become cranky or social media oddballs。 Very few have a career that stretches over forty years。 With success in both television， and film。 And now in books。 Ed Zwick started as a reader for film studios， worked in television， and won an Oscar， and has the stories to prove it。 Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood is a memoir， a history， a how-to， and a why not book about creating， living and finding success on one's own terms。 Edward Zwick grew up wanting to be a writer， but really wasn't sure how to go about it。 Zwick was good at falling in love， but a bad relationship helped him focus on film school， and becoming a reader for the studios， looking for projects to invest in for films。 A chance to work o the show Family， my Mom's favorite show got his foot in the door， and introduced him to his friend， and future collaborator Marshall Herskovitz。 Together they began to work together and soon classic shows like Thritysomething， and My So-Called life were winning awards， on the covers of magazines， and making his name。 Glory brought him to the big screen， with other movies to follow， either as director， writer， or producer; Legends of the Fall， Traffic， Shakespeare in Love。 Zwick has crossed paths or helped nurture careers， Denzel Washington， Clare Danes， Brad Pitt and more。 Best of all he has a lot of stories， and is very good at sharing them， from behind the scenes， to ugly spats， to successful premieres。 Ed Zwick really has an amazing career。 The shows alone would make him， both popular with a certain segment of society， yuppies and the MTV generation， but the films。 Intimate family， big sprawling historical films， and classics like Glory。 Zwick is good writer， and while he might sound a little old Hollywood in the beginning what comes clear is that he is a person that loves to create， loves his friends and family， and is happy with his career。 Zwick has a lot of great stories， and not a lot of settling of grievances which many Hollywood books would have。 There are a lot of stories of actors before they were stars， battles with studios， and the Weinsteins。 And a story about an actor I wouldn't have thought， but makes sense watching their career go by。 Zwick also offers advice that is both valuable for an entertainment career and for life， ending each chapter with lessons he learned during certain projects or how things came together。 A really positive book about creating art， and working in an industry that doesn't have the best of intentions for artists。 。。。more

Andrew ，

Really enjoyed this show biz biography by the creator and director and writer of many tv shows and movie， most notably thirtysomething-which was must see tv for me and my friends in the 80”s（when we were in the thirties）。 Zwick is honest， open and not afraid to tell it like it is。 His insights into the creative process are insightful（and pithy）。 A great look by an excellent writer about he creative process in general（with some good Hollywood gossip thrown in for good measure）。 Highly recommended Really enjoyed this show biz biography by the creator and director and writer of many tv shows and movie， most notably thirtysomething-which was must see tv for me and my friends in the 80”s（when we were in the thirties）。 Zwick is honest， open and not afraid to tell it like it is。 His insights into the creative process are insightful（and pithy）。 A great look by an excellent writer about he creative process in general（with some good Hollywood gossip thrown in for good measure）。 Highly recommended。 。 。。。more

Richard Propes ，

Why do we rush to read books from our favorite celebrities？ Why do we immerse ourselves in the lives of our favorite actors， singers， writers， filmmakers， and others？ While it seems like everyone right now is reading books from Britney Spears or Jada Pinkett-Smith or others， I barely raised an eyebrow when those titles were released and instead my heart went aflutter when I caught sight of "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood" by Oscar winner Ed Zwick。 Filmmake Why do we rush to read books from our favorite celebrities？ Why do we immerse ourselves in the lives of our favorite actors， singers， writers， filmmakers， and others？ While it seems like everyone right now is reading books from Britney Spears or Jada Pinkett-Smith or others， I barely raised an eyebrow when those titles were released and instead my heart went aflutter when I caught sight of "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood" by Oscar winner Ed Zwick。 Filmmakers， it would seem， are loathe to write traditional biographies。 Instead， they take the worlds they've spent their lives creating and invite us even deeper into them。 I've read a number of memoirs authored by filmmakers over the years， I am a professional film journalist after all， and the vast majority of them have been rather light on personal revelations yet filled to the brim with cinematic nuggets of insight and wisdom。 The same is true here。 Ed Zwick is the acclaimed director of such films as Blood Diamond， The Last Samurai， Legends of the Fall， About Last Night， and Glory among others。 He created the television show Thirtysomething and executive produced My So-Called Life。 He's worked with a number of the film industry's greats， often discovering them or at least empowering them early in their careers， and over four decades in the industry his projects have claimed eighteen Academy Award nominations （seven wins） and sixty-seven Emmy Award nominations （22 wins）。 He himself claimed the Oscar for producing Shakespeare in Love， a victory made， perhaps， more sweet by his lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein， which he won， after Weinstein tried to squeeze him out。 "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions" is， quite simply， one of the best of the many books I've read written by filmmakers。 The book is less a personal memoir than a creative one。 Chapters are organized primarily by films， projects， or creative periods and while Zwick doesn't avoid personal revelation neither does he immerse us in it。 Instead， Zwick invites us into his creative process as he grows as a filmmaker and encounters the "self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe， unheralded geniuses， hacks， sociopaths， savants， and saints" he's worked with over the years。 Refreshingly， he doesn't really hold back whether heaping enormous praise or honestly sharing details regarding his most challenging relationships。 We learn about the complex and complicated relationship， for example， that he shared with a fresh off Ferris Bueller's Day Off Matthew Broderick during the subsequent shooting of Glory。 While he's quick to share that the two have since made amends， the vivid storytelling makes it clear this was among his most difficult relationships during filming。 There were others。Throughout "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions，" there are others where he shares lovingly， ruefully， or even with some degree of existing exasperation as he truly does reflect upon his hits， flops， and other experiences over the years。 I found myself loving nearly every page of "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions，" though I'll confess I found the ending rather abrupt and perhaps lacking the personality that had filled the pages before it。 Yet， this is a minor quibble for a book that informed， enlightened， entertained， and widened my view of Zwick and the cinematic worlds he's created over the years。 Each chapter also includes what could almost be called a meditation on the work itself， tidbits and insights and teachings often hard-earned and clearly never forgotten。 I'm not always sure why I choose to read a book by filmmakers， however， what I do know is that what I long for is exactly what I've gotten from Ed Zwick's "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions。" Written with tremendous heart and humor， honesty and vulnerability， "Hits， Flops， and Other Illusions" is no doubt a must-read for anyone who wants to gain greater knowledge and insight into the creative process and those who commit their lives to entertaining us all。 。。。more

Marika ，

Review to come *I read an advance copy and was not compensated。