Product Description

Julia Phillips became a Hollywood player in the freewheeling 70s; the first woman to win the Best Picture Oscar as a co-producer of "The Sting". She went on to work with two of the hottest young directorial talents of the era: Martin Scorsese ("Taxi Driver") and Steven Spielberg ("Close Encounters of the Third Kind"). Phillips blazed a trail as one of the very few females to break into the upper echelons of a notoriosly chauvinistic industry. But, for all her success, Phillips remained an outsider in the all-male Hollywood club. She had a talent for deal-making, hard-balling and wise-cracking, and a considerable appetite for drink, drugs and sex. But while these predilections were tolerated and even encouraged among "the boys", Phillips found herself gradually ostracized. By the late 80s, she was ready to burn bridges and name names, and the result was this coruscating memoir of her career. Julia Phillips died in Jan 2002 at the age of 57, but her book should stand as one of the classic episodes of La-La-Land in all its excesses and iniquities.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #191363 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-05
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 640 pages

Customer Reviews

For those who enjoy hollywood gossip,
I was so sad to hear that the author of this book, Julia Phillips recently died. Anyone who reads this will recognise that despite her problems she was such a genuine personality in a business not recognised for such qualities. While the book is full to the brim with gossip and info that the stars would rather you didnt know, you can't help wanting to learn about this woman. The ending genuinely leaves you wanting more. More gossip, more movies, more Julia! But yet this isnt just a dodgy version of the National Enquirer and gives real insight into the internal workings of the business of movies. Read about Spielberg, Goldie Hawn, Warren Beatty to name a few. For those who finish this and want more I suggest reading Easy Rider Raging Bulls for a more "academic" approach to the era. It is worth noting that even though many were quite upset about the content of this book, prior to her death she contacted many of those she wrote about to say no hard feelings - even though she didnt give out any apologies. She may have her faults but this woman is great!!

This book needed an editor
'You'll Never Eat Lunch in This Town Again' contains fascinating insights into Hollywood and what goes on behind the scenes of major movies. Julia Phillips is ruthlessly honest about the deals and motivations of executives and stars, and just as honest about the sex and drugs of the 70s, including her own experiences.

The book is a bit confusing, however. She will mention a name as if she expects you to know who they are - sometimes because they have been famous in the past (so possibly would have been recognisable at the time of publication), but often because they have popped up in the book 60-odd pages before. The first time I read it I didn't realise it had an index, so I just let the names wash over me, and missed some of the recurring people. This could have been helped with a brief re-cap (or just giving their position).

The book tends to flit backwards and forwards in the past, and from third person to first person, which I found stylistically annoying. She seems to give up on referring to herself-in-the-present as 'she' part way through. The more confusing aspect is when she switches from one point in the past, e.g. editing Taxi Driver, to the casting and filming of it.

There is also lots of repetition of phrases she has found important which just sound like obsessions e.g. 'your brother thinks you are the artist and he is the businessman, but we both know it's the other way round'. There are several different motifs, which don't always seem to make sense in context, and I am left with the impression that she is writing the book as therapy, not necessarily to communicate.

But with all this, I am still reading this wonderfully biased book for the second time for glimpses of the truth behind the mystique of Hollywood.

Good, but not as good as the legend (or title) suggests...
Pithily written, witty and profound at times, this is nonetheless very hard going in parts. Problem areas are mainly: 1.too many references to movie execs and other people who would be unknown today to anyone other than people trying to get movies made in the 1970s (and probably even less well known today)2.Banal chunks of self-absorbtion/details of clothing purchases etc, of little interest to anyone except the author (and maybe not her either). Even given this is a 'me decade' book doesn't really make this aspect more palatable 3.A style which, given the crystal-like like films the author got made, is pretty dense at times to get through. Quirky phrase styles etc have not worn well.

Having said that, it's well worth a look - but those seeking consistent inside-view of the movie world might want to start somewhere else - William Goldman for example. And if it's analysis of movie moments is your thing, start with David Thomsom.
There is quality (but sporadic over the 500 or so pages) insight here no doubt and maybe I'm just not allowing Phillips her free reign in what is afterall a bio/reportage/journal/dark night of the soul epic. Perhaps nothing could ever live up to such a great title. Respect due to Phillips though, who certainly walked the talk.