Product Description

Hollywood, Interrupted is a sometimes frightening, occasionally sad, and frequently hysterical odyssey into the darkest realms of showbiz pathology, the endless stream of meltdowns and flameouts, and the inexplicable behavior on the part of show business personalities.

Charting celebrities from rehab to retox, to jails, cults, institutions, near–death experiences and the Democratic Party, Hollywood, Interrupted takes readers on a surreal field trip into the amoral belly of the entertainment industry. Each chapter — covering topics including warped Hollywood child–rearing, bad medicine, hypocritical political maneuvering and the complicit media — delivers a meticulously researched, interview–infused, attitude heavy dispatch which analyzes and deconstructs the myths created by the celebrities themselves.

Celebrities somehow believe that it′s their god–given right to inflict their pathology on the rest of us. Hollywood, Interrupted illustrates how these dysfunctional dilettantes are mad as hell... And we′re not going to take it any more.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #137867 in Books
• Published on: 2004-03-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 416 pages

Review
“Literary assassinations don’t come any more vitriolic than Hollywood Interrupted…fascinating stories and explosive revelations…” (Daily Record, 24 April 2004)

“… capitalises on our base interest in the more scandalous antics of the showbusiness elite…” (Birmingham Post, 17 April 2004)

“…makes for a riveting read.” (Hotdog, May 2004)

"...a wildly... entertaining jeremiad against the entertainment industry...against the perverts, flakes, egomaniacs, junkies, bullies and criminals..." (Rick McGinnis/Metro Toronto)

“…lifts the lid on some of Tinseltown’s weirdest and most notorious celebrities…” (Western Daily Press, 3 April 2004)

"...the industry has never been without a scandal, as this jaw–dropping book reveals..." (Hot Stars, 3 April 2004)

ANY ENTERTAINMENT hack worth his saltpeter understands that he is compromised – effectively neutered from word one . . . in toto, entertainment journalists are disgruntled; they are professionally castrated. And to top it off, these masochists are in turn, castigated and hated by the stars they′ve just fluffed up."
So write Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner in "Hollywood Interrupted." Hmmm . . . interesting point. As a lowly gossip columnist myself, I′d say the authors hit the nail on the head.
This book, which will land on the best–seller list next week, is an unabashedly right–wing, conservative one–note samba on celebrity culture. Is it the truth? Sure – from the authors′ point of view, but with no balance. All stars are the devil here. I can′t say I enjoyed this one; it′s tone is often nasty and even petty – "the aging actress" . . . "the portly actor . . . " But as an antidote to much of what passes for entertainment coverage – or even this column – "Hollywood Interrupted" has appeal and certainly it has shock value. After a while, however, shocks lose impact. Chapter after chapter on those bad people in show biz! And it′s not as if anybody′s going to stop attending the movies, buying records or being fascinated with celebrity just because these writers are able to reveal clay feet under every heavenly Hollywood body. (The New York Post, Liz Smith, March 15^th)

Not since Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons have two journalists (Breitbart feeds stories to Internet scandalmonger Matt Drudge and Ebner wrote for Spy) gathered more mean–spirited gossip about celebrities they condemn as sick and depraved. (Publishers Weekly, February 2, 2004)

CELEBRITIES are skewered like shish kabobs in Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner′s upcoming book, Hollywood Interrupted (Wiley). The veteran journalists air embarrassing anecdotes about everyone from egomaniacal producer Robert Evans to Tinseltown train wreck Courtney Love to fallen power agent Michael Ovitz. The authors disclose a previously unheard 1993 wiretap of Evans chatting with Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss in which Evans seems to be ordering up a 17–year–old girl he calls "the little one." A chapter titled "Heroine: Love Means Never to Have to Say You′re Courtney" was so damning in its details of Love′s many meltdowns that her agents at Vigliano & Associates demanded that it be cut from the book (it wasn′t). The tome also recounts how, after being terrorized by Ovitz′s spoiled b rat childre n, the power agent′s nanny quit and was subsequently blacklisted from working in Hollywood households. (The New York Post, Page Six, February 5, 2004)

Celebrity excess is being skewered in a pointed new book about the alleged bad behavior of some of Tinseltown′s bigger names.
Hollywood Interrupted is the work of writers ∗Mark Ebner∗ and ∗Andrew Breitbart.∗ While writing the book, the authors parted ways with their literary agent, ∗David Vigliano,∗ over a less–than–glowing chapter they penned on another of his clients, ∗Courtney Love.∗
Some examples: ∗Barbra Streisand∗′s ex, ∗Elliott Gould,∗ is criticized as an absent parent.
∗Cher∗ gets praised as "a wonderful mother."
∗Suzanne Hansen,∗ a nanny who worked for power agent ∗Michael Ovitz,∗ claims Ovitz and his wife, ∗Judy,∗ spent so little time together that they communicated via notes sent through the office mail of Ovitz′s Creative Artists Agency, where Judy also worked.
The authors recommend mandatory sterilizations for aspiring celebrities. (Daily News, Rush & Molloy, February 5, 2004)

"The perfect Oscar–Night side dish...Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner′s Hollywood, Interrupted is a terrific book, both snappy and snappish.... The next best thing to a Los Angeles friend with a nose for juicy gossip. (The Wall Street Journal

"A Hollywood horror–fest. Celebrities are skewered like shish kabobs in Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner′s... Hollywood, Interrupted." (Page Six, New York Post)

"Entertainment journalism has become a stampede of a–list a∗∗–kissing. The authors of this bracingly impudent expose, however, have declined to pucker up." (Penthouse, February 2004)

"In this juicy Hollywood exposé, a pair of investigative journalists talks to the hired help, including former butlers and nannies, to peer inside the bad behavior of stars like John Travolta, Liz Hurley and Winona Ryder. Shockingly delicious!" (Star magazine, March 1, 2004)

The entertainment industry ...takes a beating in [this] scathing collection of revelations about ... scores of luminous entertainment media personalities. (Fort Worth Star–Telegram)

"This is a fun book!" (Jon Stewart, The Daily Show)

Review
“Literary assassinations don’t come any more vitriolic than Hollywood Interrupted…fascinating stories and explosive revelations…” (Daily Record, 24 April 2004)

“… capitalises on our base interest in the more scandalous antics of the showbusiness elite…” (Birmingham Post, 17 April 2004)

“…makes for a riveting read.” (Hotdog, May 2004)

“…lifts the lid on some of Tinseltown’s weirdest and most notorious celebrities…” (Western Daily Press, 3 April 2004)

"...the industry has never been without a scandal, as this jaw–dropping book reveals..." (Hot Stars, 3 April 2004)

"has appeal and certainly it has shock value" (The New York Post, Liz Smith, March 15th, 2004)

"terrific book, both snappy and snappish...."  (The Wall Street Journal)

"The next best thing to a Los Angeles friend with a nose for juicy gossip." (The Wall Street Journal)

"A Hollywood horror–fest. Celebrities are skewered like shish kabobs in Andrew Breitbart and Mark Ebner′s.... Hollywood, Interrupted "Entertainment journalism...[is] a stampede of A–list a∗∗–kissing...this bracingly impudent expose...declined to pucker up."(Penthouse, February 2004)

"Shockingly delicious!" (Star magazine)

The entertainment industry ...takes a beating in [this] scathing collection of revelations about ... scores of luminous entertainment med ia personalities. (Fort Worth Star–Telegram)

"This is a fun book!" (Jon Stewart, The Daily Show)

"...a wildly... entertaining jeremiad against the entertainment industry...against the perverts, flakes, egomaniacs, junkies, bullies and criminals..." (Rick McGinnis/Metro Toronto)

The New York Post, Liz Smith, March 15th, 2004
"has appeal and certainly it has shock value"

Customer Reviews

Bizarre account of the rich and famous
Los Angeles based reporters Mark Ebner and Andrew Breitbart have come together to produce "Hollywood, Interrupted: Insanity Chic in Babylon - The Case Against Celebrity". The book was written in response to celebrity bias in the media, and the corrosive effect this has on mass culture.

The book sets up celebrities as anti-role models, demonstrating how their success and luxury renders them great self-publicists, but utterly useless human beings, inable to properly look after themselves or their offspring. It is these same celebrities who take stands against the system that encourages their fame, and preach honest family values far removed from their own.

The book features in-depth investigations into Hollywood's sex and porn industry, Scientology, online Hollywood and how political correctness has destroyed comedy. The pair also expose a hideous Los Angeles sub-culture where out-of-work actors who meet at AA meetings are forced into selling non-stick frying pans under false pretenses to earn money.

There are a couple of missteps (including an unfunny running gag about 'the heterosexual Tom Cruise') and I thought the book could have explored the movie-making process a little more in the research (how do these films and songs get released with so many out-of-control celebrities?).

Nevertheless, "Hollywood, Interrupted" is vital reading. Although fundamentally a US-based tome, the proliferation of soaps and reality shows plus a tabloid fixation with celebrity, indicates a similar malaise may be developing over here.

An interesting look into the underbelly of Hollywood
A good read for anyone interested in Hollywood, it's rare to find a book that actually dares to talk about living actors and actresses and see them in a critical light. The chapters on Scientology and the way nanny's are used and treated in Hollywood are particularly interesting. It falls over a little for me when looking at political correctness, I agreed with many of the authors points but I found them to be very preachy and heavy handed in places and just as bad as the "lefty" Hollywood people they were criticising. Not one for anyone looking for scandalous gossip, but a very interesting read and a refreshing change to our celebrity loving culture.