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angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
2.0
Not nearly as funny or as entertaining as I’d hoped. I did chuckle a few times. The gratuitous sex was fine because that’s essentially what the novel revolves around; however, the underlying messages were actually quite prescient in the current times. Racism, exploitation, interracial difficulties, incest, women’s rights, and power from the perspective of the adult film industry. On the whole just an average read though.
jabarkas's review against another edition
2.0
Quite frankly, I found it kinda boring, and pointlessly tasteless. I get the feeling that in its day it may have come across as shocking and somewhat raunchily humorous, but now it just seems awkward and dated.
briandice's review against another edition
5.0
I started reading Terry Southern because Vonnegut told me to read Terry Southern. Not in a personal, over lunch conversational way, but via an interview in [b:The Vonnegut Statement|478139|The Vonnegut Statement|Jerome Klinkowitz|/assets/nocover/60x80.png|2309196] where he basically stated that Southern was an iconoclast writing in a way that he (Vonnegut) aspired to.
Somewhere in my '20s I picked up a great first edition of this book and happened to read it at exactly the right time in my life. It wasn't the first thing I read by Southern, but it was the best. This is his giant middle finger, spire tall, pointed at the entire Hollywood industry written in a way that the satire sort of drools from the dust jacket. And it works, because Southern's genius is to set the hook and then pull the Reader into ever deeper waters. A large budget Hollywood film using A-list stars to make a full blown porno? Southern knows how to make this play. If you liked the best parts of Easy Rider or Dr. Strangelove then you know he can write dialogue and scene.
I have read everything (that I am aware of) that Southern penned. He is a genius, and looks to be under-read, especially amongst my well read friends. In 2014 I plan on returning to my fave Southern books for another romp through his brilliance - won't you join me?
Thanks, Kurt, for telling me to read this guy. You are a saint.
Somewhere in my '20s I picked up a great first edition of this book and happened to read it at exactly the right time in my life. It wasn't the first thing I read by Southern, but it was the best. This is his giant middle finger, spire tall, pointed at the entire Hollywood industry written in a way that the satire sort of drools from the dust jacket. And it works, because Southern's genius is to set the hook and then pull the Reader into ever deeper waters. A large budget Hollywood film using A-list stars to make a full blown porno? Southern knows how to make this play. If you liked the best parts of Easy Rider or Dr. Strangelove then you know he can write dialogue and scene.
I have read everything (that I am aware of) that Southern penned. He is a genius, and looks to be under-read, especially amongst my well read friends. In 2014 I plan on returning to my fave Southern books for another romp through his brilliance - won't you join me?
Thanks, Kurt, for telling me to read this guy. You are a saint.
zarco_j's review against another edition
1.0
Would rather poke my eyes out with a blunt teaspoon than read this again!
jayfr's review against another edition
1.0
Would rather poke my eyes out with a blunt teaspoon than read this again!
omnibozo22's review against another edition
3.0
I was searching for a different film book and came across this. Around ten years ago, Terry Southern's son, Nile, visited the high school where I was teaching. He gave a presentation in the library about his father's works. I had a class and was unable to attend... which turned out to be unfortunate, because I loved watching when the admin put their foot in their mouth while realizing they had stepped in shit. Nile talked about the screenwriting business, then read aloud excerpts from his father's book, Candy. Yeah, read aloud, excerpts from Candy. Go check the Amazon page if you are unfamiliar with that book. Nile had written a book about Candy and was proud of both.
Southern was involved in many film and tv projects, most of which were satirical. This one spoofs on the Hollywood film machine, in the process of shooting a high production value porn film. The clef a roman, pokes identifiable film people and processes.
Southern was involved in many film and tv projects, most of which were satirical. This one spoofs on the Hollywood film machine, in the process of shooting a high production value porn film. The clef a roman, pokes identifiable film people and processes.
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