Joe Eszterhas
Encyclopedia
József A. "Joe" Eszterhas (born November 23, 1944) is a Hungarian
-American
writer, best known for his work on the pulp
erotic
films Basic Instinct
and Showgirls
. He has also written several non-fiction books, including an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.
, the son of Mária (née Bíró) and István Eszterhas. He was raised as a young child in a refugee camp in Austria. Eventually his parents moved to New York City
, and then to poor immigrant neighborhoods in Cleveland, where he spent most of his childhood. His mother had a mental illness which estranged her from the family while he was entering adolescence. His father was a Roman Catholic newspaper editor and author.
Eszterhas attended Ohio University
, but did not graduate.
's My Lai Massacre
, which depicted American soldiers murdering Vietnamese civilians. Although he was annoyed at his newspaper’s apparent lack of belief in the authenticity of the photos, the paper permitted Eszterhas to try and sell them for $125,000. Some media outlets, however, used the photos without permission, causing the photos to decline in value. He ended up receiving only $20,000 from Life magazine.
Another touch of notoriety concerned a Plain Dealer editor who singlehandedly sailed a small sail boat from the United States to England. The Plain Dealer would not sponsor the editor's trip. However, as the gentleman neared the culmination of his trip, the Plain Dealer chartered an airplane to fly low and drop "Cleveland Plain Dealer" sweat shirts to the editor. According to the account Eszterhas wrote, the editor retrieved the sweat shirts and when he saw what they were, tossed them overboard. Eszterhas was subsequently relieved of his duties at the newspaper.
Eszterhas was a senior editor from 1971 to 1975 for Rolling Stone
. He became a National Book Award
nominee for his nonfiction work Charlie Simpson's Apocalypse in 1974.
Cantrell v. Forest City Publishing (1974) is one of only two false light
cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and involved Eszterhas. As a reporter for The Plain Dealer, he covered the aftermath of the collapse of a bridge across the Ohio River, including interviewing a widow of one of the men killed in the collapse. Months after the accident, he and a photographer visited the home of Margaret Cantrell. She was not home, but he talked to the children and the photographer took photos. His Sunday magazine feature focused on the family's poverty and contained several inaccuracies. Eszterhas made it sound as though he spoke to her, describing her mood and attitude in the story. Cantrell filed suit for invasion of privacy, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a $60,000 judgment in her favor.
to be produced was F.I.S.T.
, directed by Norman Jewison
, and although it was stated by star Sylvester Stallone
that he himself rewrote the majority of the film, Eszterhas denies this assertion. He then contributed to the script of 1983's highly successful Flashdance
. Other films he wrote include Jagged Edge
, Jade
, Betrayed
, and Sliver
.
Eszterhas re-entered the limelight in 1992, writing the screenplay for the major hit Basic Instinct
.
In 1995, he wrote Showgirls
. His screenplay won that year's Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay. Eszterhas' own explanation of the failure of that film, according to his recent book, was that it was ruined by the sexual affair between its director and its female star. The film enjoyed success on the home video
market, generating more than $100 million from video rentals and became one of MGM's top 20 all-time bestsellers.
He turned his eye to producing following Basic Instinct, making two films in 1997, both of which he wrote. The first one, Telling Lies in America, was generally well regarded by critics and audiences, but was not a great box office
success. The second was the flop An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn, which won several Golden Raspberry awards, of which Eszterhas won two: another Worst Screenplay and one for Worst Supporting Actor (a cameo in which a caption described him as a "penile implant").
None of Eszterhas' screenplays were produced from 1997 to 2006. However, Children of Glory
, a Hungarian language
film based upon his screenplay, was released in 2006. The films focuses upon both the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
and the Blood in the Water match
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Children of Glory was entered by invitation in the official section of 2007 Berlin Film Festival.
In 2011, it was announced that actor-director Mel Gibson
had commissioned a screenplay from Eszterhas about the Maccabees
. The film is to be distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures. The announcement generated significant controversy.
refugee in America on his life as a powerful Hollywood player. A third book, The Devil's Guide to Hollywood, was published in September 2006.
His latest book, Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith, was published in 2008. It tells the story of his return to the Roman Catholic Church
and his newfound devotion to God and family after surviving a throat cancer diagnosed in 2001.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer, best known for his work on the pulp
Pulp magazine
Pulp magazines , also collectively known as pulp fiction, refers to inexpensive fiction magazines published from 1896 through the 1950s. The typical pulp magazine was seven inches wide by ten inches high, half an inch thick, and 128 pages long...
erotic
Erotica
Erotica are works of art, including literature, photography, film, sculpture and painting, that deal substantively with erotically stimulating or sexually arousing descriptions...
films Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
and Showgirls
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
. He has also written several non-fiction books, including an autobiography entitled Hollywood Animal.
Early life
Eszterhas was born in Csákánydoroszló, HungaryHungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, the son of Mária (née Bíró) and István Eszterhas. He was raised as a young child in a refugee camp in Austria. Eventually his parents moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and then to poor immigrant neighborhoods in Cleveland, where he spent most of his childhood. His mother had a mental illness which estranged her from the family while he was entering adolescence. His father was a Roman Catholic newspaper editor and author.
Eszterhas attended Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, but did not graduate.
Journalist
He was a reporter with Cleveland's The Plain Dealer, where he gained his first touch of notoriety due to his handling of color photos of VietnamVietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
's My Lai Massacre
My Lai Massacre
The My Lai Massacre was the Vietnam War mass murder of 347–504 unarmed civilians in South Vietnam on March 16, 1968, by United States Army soldiers of "Charlie" Company of 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry Regiment, 11th Brigade of the Americal Division. Most of the victims were women, children , and...
, which depicted American soldiers murdering Vietnamese civilians. Although he was annoyed at his newspaper’s apparent lack of belief in the authenticity of the photos, the paper permitted Eszterhas to try and sell them for $125,000. Some media outlets, however, used the photos without permission, causing the photos to decline in value. He ended up receiving only $20,000 from Life magazine.
Another touch of notoriety concerned a Plain Dealer editor who singlehandedly sailed a small sail boat from the United States to England. The Plain Dealer would not sponsor the editor's trip. However, as the gentleman neared the culmination of his trip, the Plain Dealer chartered an airplane to fly low and drop "Cleveland Plain Dealer" sweat shirts to the editor. According to the account Eszterhas wrote, the editor retrieved the sweat shirts and when he saw what they were, tossed them overboard. Eszterhas was subsequently relieved of his duties at the newspaper.
Eszterhas was a senior editor from 1971 to 1975 for Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
. He became a National Book Award
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
nominee for his nonfiction work Charlie Simpson's Apocalypse in 1974.
Cantrell v. Forest City Publishing (1974) is one of only two false light
False light
False light is a legal term that refers to a tort concerning privacy that is similar to the tort of defamation. The privacy laws in the United States include a non-public person's right to privacy from publicity which puts them in a false light to the public; which is balanced against the First...
cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court and involved Eszterhas. As a reporter for The Plain Dealer, he covered the aftermath of the collapse of a bridge across the Ohio River, including interviewing a widow of one of the men killed in the collapse. Months after the accident, he and a photographer visited the home of Margaret Cantrell. She was not home, but he talked to the children and the photographer took photos. His Sunday magazine feature focused on the family's poverty and contained several inaccuracies. Eszterhas made it sound as though he spoke to her, describing her mood and attitude in the story. Cantrell filed suit for invasion of privacy, and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a $60,000 judgment in her favor.
Screenwriting and fame
Eszterhas' first screenplayScreenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
to be produced was F.I.S.T.
F.I.S.T.
F.I.S.T. is a 1978 movie directed by Norman Jewison and starring Sylvester Stallone. In this film, Stallone plays a Cleveland warehouse worker named Johnny Kovak who becomes involved in the labor union leadership of the fictional "Federation of Inter State Truckers", and finds that he must...
, directed by Norman Jewison
Norman Jewison
Norman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
, and although it was stated by star Sylvester Stallone
Sylvester Stallone
Michael Sylvester Gardenzio Stallone , commonly known as Sylvester Stallone, and nicknamed Sly Stallone, is an American actor, filmmaker, screenwriter, film director and occasional painter. Stallone is known for his machismo and Hollywood action roles. Two of the notable characters he has portrayed...
that he himself rewrote the majority of the film, Eszterhas denies this assertion. He then contributed to the script of 1983's highly successful Flashdance
Flashdance
Another song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
. Other films he wrote include Jagged Edge
Jagged Edge (film)
Jagged Edge is a film starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, and Peter Coyote. Robert Loggia received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand...
, Jade
Jade (film)
Jade is a 1995 erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans, directed by William Friedkin and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna and Michael Biehn. The original music score was composed by James Horner...
, Betrayed
Betrayed (1988 film)
Betrayed is a 1988 motion picture drama directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger.-Plot:Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago...
, and Sliver
Sliver (film)
Sliver is a 1993 film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York highrise apartment building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas...
.
Eszterhas re-entered the limelight in 1992, writing the screenplay for the major hit Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct
Basic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
.
In 1995, he wrote Showgirls
Showgirls
Showgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
. His screenplay won that year's Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay. Eszterhas' own explanation of the failure of that film, according to his recent book, was that it was ruined by the sexual affair between its director and its female star. The film enjoyed success on the home video
Home video
Home video is a blanket term used for pre-recorded media that is either sold or rented/hired for home cinema entertainment. The term originates from the VHS/Betamax era but has carried over into current optical disc formats like DVD and Blu-ray Disc and, to a lesser extent, into methods of digital...
market, generating more than $100 million from video rentals and became one of MGM's top 20 all-time bestsellers.
He turned his eye to producing following Basic Instinct, making two films in 1997, both of which he wrote. The first one, Telling Lies in America, was generally well regarded by critics and audiences, but was not a great box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
success. The second was the flop An Alan Smithee Film Burn Hollywood Burn, which won several Golden Raspberry awards, of which Eszterhas won two: another Worst Screenplay and one for Worst Supporting Actor (a cameo in which a caption described him as a "penile implant").
None of Eszterhas' screenplays were produced from 1997 to 2006. However, Children of Glory
Children of Glory
-Synopsis:Children of Glory commemorates Hungary's Revolution of 1956 and the Blood in the Water match. Taking place in Budapest and at the Melbourne Olympic Games in October and November of that year, the film takes viewers into the passion and sadness of one of the most dramatic popular revolts...
, a Hungarian language
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
film based upon his screenplay, was released in 2006. The films focuses upon both the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
and the Blood in the Water match
Blood In The Water match
The "Blood in the Water" match was a water polo match between Hungary and the USSR at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The match, which took place on December 6, 1956, was against the background of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and saw Hungary defeat the USSR 4–0...
at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Children of Glory was entered by invitation in the official section of 2007 Berlin Film Festival.
In 2011, it was announced that actor-director Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
had commissioned a screenplay from Eszterhas about the Maccabees
Maccabees
The Maccabees were a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, which had been a client state of the Seleucid Empire. They founded the Hasmonean dynasty, which ruled from 164 BCE to 63 BCE, reasserting the Jewish religion, expanding the boundaries of the Land of Israel and reducing the influence...
. The film is to be distributed by Warner Brothers Pictures. The announcement generated significant controversy.
Other works
He has written several best-selling books, including Hollywood Animal, an autobiography about politics in Hollywood which superimposes his life as a young World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
refugee in America on his life as a powerful Hollywood player. A third book, The Devil's Guide to Hollywood, was published in September 2006.
His latest book, Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith, was published in 2008. It tells the story of his return to the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and his newfound devotion to God and family after surviving a throat cancer diagnosed in 2001.
Filmography
- F.I.S.T.F.I.S.T.F.I.S.T. is a 1978 movie directed by Norman Jewison and starring Sylvester Stallone. In this film, Stallone plays a Cleveland warehouse worker named Johnny Kovak who becomes involved in the labor union leadership of the fictional "Federation of Inter State Truckers", and finds that he must...
(1978) - FlashdanceFlashdanceAnother song used in the film, "Maniac", was also nominated for an Academy Award. It was written by Michael Sembello and Dennis Matkosky, and was inspired by the 1980 horror film Maniac. The lyrics about a killer on the loose were rewritten so that it could be used in Flashdance...
(1983) - Jagged EdgeJagged Edge (film)Jagged Edge is a film starring Glenn Close, Jeff Bridges, and Peter Coyote. Robert Loggia received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in this film. It is a courtroom thriller, written by Joe Eszterhas, and directed by Richard Marquand...
(1985) - Big ShotsBig Shots (film)Big Shots is a 1987 American comedy adventure film directed by Robert Mandel and starring Ricky Busker and Darius McCrary.-Plot:An 11 year old boy from Hinsdale, Illinois named Obie Dawkins is out fishing with his father, who tells him about the birds and the bees. All the while Obie shows...
(1987) - Hearts of FireHearts of FireHearts of Fire is a 1987 American musical drama film starring Bob Dylan, Fiona Flanagan and Rupert Everett. The film was essentially a vehicle for Dylan based on his success as a rock musician...
(1987) - BetrayedBetrayed (1988 film)Betrayed is a 1988 motion picture drama directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger.-Plot:Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago...
(1988) - Checking OutChecking Out (1989 film)Checking Out is an American comedy film, made in 1989, directed by David Leland and starring Jeff Daniels.-Plot summary:Ray Macklin is obsessed with his own mortality. When a close friend suddenly dies of a heart attack at a barbecue, Ray becomes convinced that every ache, pain and twinge he...
(1989) - Music BoxMusic Box (film)Music Box is a 1989 film that tells the story of a Hungarian-American immigrant who is accused of having been a war criminal. The plot revolves around his daughter, an attorney, who defends him, and her struggle to uncover the truth....
(1989) - Basic InstinctBasic InstinctBasic Instinct is a 1992 erotic thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven and written by Joe Eszterhas, and starring Michael Douglas and Sharon Stone....
(1992) - Nowhere to Run (1993)
- SliverSliver (film)Sliver is a 1993 film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York highrise apartment building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas...
(1993) - ShowgirlsShowgirlsShowgirls is a 1995 American drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring former teen actress Elizabeth Berkley, Kyle MacLachlan, and Gina Gershon...
(1995) - JadeJade (film)Jade is a 1995 erotic thriller film written by Joe Eszterhas, produced by Robert Evans, directed by William Friedkin and starring David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna and Michael Biehn. The original music score was composed by James Horner...
(1995) - Telling Lies in America (1997)
- An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood BurnAn Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood BurnAn Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn was made in 1997 and released in 1998. It was regarded as one of the worst films of all time, and scooped five awards at the 1998 Golden Raspberry Awards. The film had an estimated budget of $10,000,000 and grossed at least $52,850...
(1997) - Children of GloryChildren of Glory-Synopsis:Children of Glory commemorates Hungary's Revolution of 1956 and the Blood in the Water match. Taking place in Budapest and at the Melbourne Olympic Games in October and November of that year, the film takes viewers into the passion and sadness of one of the most dramatic popular revolts...
(2006)
Books
- Charlie Simpson's Apocalypse, New York: Random House, 1973, ISBN 0-394-48424-X, .
- American Rhapsody, Vintage, 2001, ISBN 978-0-375411441,
- Hollywood Animal, Alfred A. Knopf, 2004, ISBN 0-375-41355-3, .
- The Devil's Guide to Hollywood, 2006, ISBN 978-0-312359874, .
- Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith, St. Martin's Press, 2008, ISBN 978-0-312385965, .
Personal Life
In 1974, Eszterhas married Gerry Javor and they had two children together. In 1994 he married Naomi Bakar. They have four children.External links
- Article in SlateSlate (magazine)Slate is a US-based English language online current affairs and culture magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael Kinsley, initially under the ownership of Microsoft as part of MSN. On 21 December 2004 it was purchased by the Washington Post Company...
- Article in The Plain Dealer
- Article in The Christian PostThe Christian PostThe Christian Post is a pan-denominational, Evangelical Christian newspaper based in Washington, D.C..Launched initially as an online publication, the newspaper was founded in 2000 to deliver news, information, and commentaries relevant to Christians across denominational lines and to bring greater...
- Joe Eszterhas on Screenwriting