A Pound of Flesh: Perilous Tales of How to Produce Movies in Hollywood

One of Hollywood's more idiosyncratic producers discusses the ins and outs of the movie business in this entertaining primer. While first-time author Linson ostensibly aims to instruct would-be industry players, announcing at the outset that ``this is a how-to book'' and organizing his text into sections dealing with preproduction, production and release, a profusion of delightful anecdotes soon overwhelms his scheme. Linson counts hits from Car Wash to The Untouchables among his credits, and spins tales of these productions as well as of disastrous ventures. Sections on dealing with writers and with studio executives are enlivened by accounts of working with David Mamet and Jeffrey Katzenberg; Linson also offers behind-the-scenes looks at performers, including Sean Penn, Robert De Niro and an uncooperative killer whale. Movie fans will find much of interest here. (Oct.)