Read this after reading My Indecision is Final. Some observations:
* It's got read "hot off the press feel" like a super indepth newspaper article. Not a criticism, that's praise. Yule gets so many people to go on the record - Hugh Hudson, Puttnam, Alan Parker. Plus a bunch go off the record. It feels very current and immediate.
* Half the book is a biography of Puttnam.
* So many big names in Hollywood are sooks and Puttnam was a godsend in terms of allocating blame. Warren Beatty - "oh I would've won the Best Picture Oscar for Reds if it hadn't been for Puttnam. Ishtar would've been a hit if not for Puttnam." Bill Cosby - "Puttnam wrecked Leonard Part 6."
*Plenty of British filmmakers are sooks too who like to blame Puttnam. Notably Hugh Hudson "The producer's first job is to protect the director." (no it's not)
*In fairness a lot of people are very put out that Puttnam is their BFF when he wants something but then cuts ties when that's past.
* Puttnam was a terrible studio chief. Bad. He made a big noise how he only wanted three years in the job and wanted to do it away from LA. He arrived and lectured Hollywood how to work. (How would he feel if an American did that?) He suggested the directors on The Big Town and Leonard Part 6. His choice of films was bodgy - Stars and Bars, Little Nikita. He also had Roxanne and La Bamba but they were given to him and Hope and Glory was a pick up. His definition of commercial was Vibes and Someone to Watch Over Me. He turned down Moonstruck. He had a knack of annoying powerful people like Ray Stark when there was no need to.
Something not discussed in the book: his failed stint seemed to curse him as a producer. From being a golden boy for the previous decade and a half no one seems to remember anything about his 90s films. Then he eventually gave it up.
Still a worthwhile slice of history. Yule was very thorough.
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