The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)An excellent book revealing a small portion of the creative financing, empty promises to investors and talent, and complex tax structures that go into the entertainment machine. A very good work on the subject.
But sadly, it missed a chance to explain why unsound financial decisions are made on some projects: Sexual favors. It is well documented that many of those with gatekeeper access to the business demand sex for career advancement. The casting couch is sadly not a myth. Epstein's book would have been enhanced by at least mentioning this detestable subject.
This book contains significantly more information that the newer work (2010), and I would suggest not buying the later book as it is more of an addendum and adds no new significant insights.

Click Here to see more reviews about: The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood

In this unprecedented, all-encompassing, and thoroughly entertaining account of the movie business, acclaimed writer Edward Jay Epstein reveals the real magic behind moviemaking: how the studios make their money.Epstein shows that in Hollywood, the only art that matters is the art of the deal: Major films turn huge profits not from the movies themselves but through myriad other enterprises, from video-game spin-offs and soundtracks to fast-food tie-ins, and even theme-park rides. The studios may compete for stars and Oscars, but their corporate parents view wth one another in less glamorous markets such as cable, home video, and pay-TV. Money, though, is only a small part of the Hollywood story; the social and political milieus–power, prestige, and status–tell the rest. Alongside its remarkable financial revelations and incisive profiles of the pioneers who helped build Hollywood, The Big Picture is filled with eye-opening insider stories. If you are interested in Hollywood today and the complex and fascinating way it has evolved in order to survive, you haven' t seen the big picture until you've read The Big Picture.

Click here for more information about The Big Picture: Money and Power in Hollywood