The Great Unwashed

How six misfit directors made it in Hollywood

February 1, 2005: Ever wonder how Paul Thomas Anderson, left, found his inspiration for Boogie Nights? According to Rebels on the Backlot, by New York Times reporter Sharon Waxman, the director first developed his porn obsession at the tender age of 9. (Call his work masturbatory, but don't say P.T.A. doesn't have a grip on the material.) Living up to its breathless subtitle (Six Maverick Directors and How They Conquered the Hollywood Studio System), Rebels is fascinated by the young talents who manage to survive inside the belly of the moviemaking beast despite their quirks. Quentin Tarantino wins an Oscar but retains his abhorrent hygiene habits. Rascally David O. Russell comes to blows with George Clooney on the set of Three Kings. ("You've created the most havoc ridden, anxiety ridden, angry set that I have ever witnessed," the star writes in an angry missive, presaging later exchanges with Bill O'Reilly.) Also profiled: Steven Soderbergh, Spike Jonze, and David Fincher. As their careers take off and overlap, the book hums along on detail and gossip, adding up to a template for making it in contemporary Hollywood. If the Anderson method isn't for you, try the Tarantino way: stop bathing.
Out today from HarperEntertainment, $25.95.