Looking for Harvey Weinstein
Shirley Yanez | 22.03.2005 23:24 | Culture | London | Sheffield
What happens when Hollywood kills you, a movie giant gets you black listed and life changes in a split second? You write a book but in this case the book published is not the book that was written, that book was stolen. Confused? Don't be, read the article and be shocked.
The true story of Modern day Michelangelo.
Evangelists For Genius: A revolutionary new business model in Hollywood, the conduit between the street and a green light; a free alternative to an ineffective melee of agents, managers and publicists.
This true story has all the elements of a great Hollywood movie; human interest, scandal, hope, celebrity, voyeurism, rejection and most importantly, the unexpected but will that be enough?
This is a story of four pair. The first pair, us, the Girls, Shirley and Holly Yanez, the authors. A right pair of idiots at times but Evangelists for Genius none the less, British through and through with a deep seated moral code of conduct, known to lose their temper in moments of indecision or crisis. The English, lifelong best friends, marry and subsequently divorce, The Jailers, pair number two, American brothers with movie star good looks but little else. Oh well, we all make mistakes in love.
The third pair, Ilia Anossov, a Russian immigrant living in poverty in Inglewood, California with his wife, child and his alter ego Michelangelo. One of the few remaining fresco masters on the planet and the leading international resource on the ancient and dying technique.
Mr. Harvey Weinstein, man or myth and there’s your fourth pair right there. The independent movie mogul and philanthropic benefactor to the arts, a marketing and branding genius was the perfect person for The Girls to build an alliance with. Getting to Harvey would be impossible apparently but Socrates had found Plato.
The endeavour to convince Mr. Weinstein into the metaphorical shoes of the Medici and patronize their modern day Michelangelo proved no easy task. It took four years and what evolved was the book, Looking For Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood’s first brutally truthful self help book. The tale takes you on a journey filled with the raw guts of Hollywood told in a way only the Brits know how. Imagine being let down by Tommy Lee, hired by Ridley Scott. Gene Simmons flirted while Jay Z frustrated. Inglewood Council conned while E! Television courted. Being rejected by every agent, publicist and manager in Hollywood is a pill we all have to swallow but then to be sacked by William Morris after you’d just been signed? Ouch.
Acknowledged by Robert Downey Junior, dismissed by Sylvestor Stallone, confused by Tom Cruise and annihilated by Jack Nicholson. Supported by H.R.H. Prince of Wales and green lighted by Sir Michael Caine. One can always rely on the Brits. Oh to be educated by Hugh Hefner, impressed by Larry King and blown away by Richie Sambora and the very lovely, Heather Locklear. Being chased by American Express was not so bad after being humiliated by Jason Alexander then shafted by Harvey Weinstein. Four years hard work provided a face to face with the man himself in Cannes, 2004. He clearly wasn’t expecting to see the Girls by the lift in The Majestic Hotel where he keeps an office during the film festival. Well I guess you would fall over too if you’d stolen somebody’s work and they were standing right in front of you expecting some kind of explanation. The irony of that tale, The Girls being stalked by the paparazzi, well everyone was Looking For Harvey Weinstein that day, he had just won the coveted Palm D’Or for Christsake.
And if that doesn’t prickle yer pecker the moral of this True Hollywood Story is an oldie but a goodie. God helps those who help themselves and if you are relying on finding a knight in shining armour in this town, take it from us, you’re barking up the wrong tree, luv.
Evangelists For Genius: A revolutionary new business model in Hollywood, the conduit between the street and a green light; a free alternative to an ineffective melee of agents, managers and publicists.
This true story has all the elements of a great Hollywood movie; human interest, scandal, hope, celebrity, voyeurism, rejection and most importantly, the unexpected but will that be enough?
This is a story of four pair. The first pair, us, the Girls, Shirley and Holly Yanez, the authors. A right pair of idiots at times but Evangelists for Genius none the less, British through and through with a deep seated moral code of conduct, known to lose their temper in moments of indecision or crisis. The English, lifelong best friends, marry and subsequently divorce, The Jailers, pair number two, American brothers with movie star good looks but little else. Oh well, we all make mistakes in love.
The third pair, Ilia Anossov, a Russian immigrant living in poverty in Inglewood, California with his wife, child and his alter ego Michelangelo. One of the few remaining fresco masters on the planet and the leading international resource on the ancient and dying technique.
Mr. Harvey Weinstein, man or myth and there’s your fourth pair right there. The independent movie mogul and philanthropic benefactor to the arts, a marketing and branding genius was the perfect person for The Girls to build an alliance with. Getting to Harvey would be impossible apparently but Socrates had found Plato.
The endeavour to convince Mr. Weinstein into the metaphorical shoes of the Medici and patronize their modern day Michelangelo proved no easy task. It took four years and what evolved was the book, Looking For Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood’s first brutally truthful self help book. The tale takes you on a journey filled with the raw guts of Hollywood told in a way only the Brits know how. Imagine being let down by Tommy Lee, hired by Ridley Scott. Gene Simmons flirted while Jay Z frustrated. Inglewood Council conned while E! Television courted. Being rejected by every agent, publicist and manager in Hollywood is a pill we all have to swallow but then to be sacked by William Morris after you’d just been signed? Ouch.
Acknowledged by Robert Downey Junior, dismissed by Sylvestor Stallone, confused by Tom Cruise and annihilated by Jack Nicholson. Supported by H.R.H. Prince of Wales and green lighted by Sir Michael Caine. One can always rely on the Brits. Oh to be educated by Hugh Hefner, impressed by Larry King and blown away by Richie Sambora and the very lovely, Heather Locklear. Being chased by American Express was not so bad after being humiliated by Jason Alexander then shafted by Harvey Weinstein. Four years hard work provided a face to face with the man himself in Cannes, 2004. He clearly wasn’t expecting to see the Girls by the lift in The Majestic Hotel where he keeps an office during the film festival. Well I guess you would fall over too if you’d stolen somebody’s work and they were standing right in front of you expecting some kind of explanation. The irony of that tale, The Girls being stalked by the paparazzi, well everyone was Looking For Harvey Weinstein that day, he had just won the coveted Palm D’Or for Christsake.
And if that doesn’t prickle yer pecker the moral of this True Hollywood Story is an oldie but a goodie. God helps those who help themselves and if you are relying on finding a knight in shining armour in this town, take it from us, you’re barking up the wrong tree, luv.
Shirley Yanez
e-mail:
yanez@adelphia.net
Homepage:
http://www.lookingforharveyweinstein.com