Hollywood

Hollywood (1989) by Charles Bukowski is a satirical novel loosely based around the real life experiences that occurred during the making of the movie Barfly, a film on centered on Bukowski’s real life experiences growing up in Los Angeles hanging out in bars. Bukowski’s literary alter ego, Henry Chinaski, writes a screenplay for producer Jon Pinchot (Barbet Schroeder) about his life. Pinchot sets about getting the screenplay turned into an actual film through various schemes and Hollywood dealings.
The Dance of Jim Beam (Barfly) starred Francine Bowers (Faye Dunnaway) and Jack Bledsoe (Mickey Rourke). However, Bukowski really wanted Sean Penn (Tom Pell) to play the lead role, believing Penn could add more authenticity to the role. The book is deeply veined in Bukowski’s signature style of dark humor and wit, although not as biting or self-deprecating as some of his poetry or other works of fiction it's still an enjoyable page turner and a humorous take on the movie making business.
Rating 4 out of 5.