“Smartest Guy In Hollywood” Peter M. Hoffman Reflects On ‘Karmic Winds’ Memoir And Making “Something Beautiful’

Yale-trained lawyer Peter M. Hoffman employed his analytical and legal skills to craft a successful career in Hollywood as president of Carolco Pictures. That era was just one chapter in his life, as he paints a full picture in his candid memoir Karmic Winds. Hoffman, who claimed he was wrongly convicted of fraud, wrote his memoir while in Terminal Island prison. “I wanted to make something beautiful out of this process,” said Hoffman. “And writing it and the connection wi th the people there and my family deepened (and) I came out of it a better person.” Check out our full interview with Peter M. Hoffman below!

‘Karmic Winds’ Writing Origins

“I think it would be fair to say that I had to give up a lot of resentments for things that I thought were wrong,” said Peter M. Hoffman, who details the legal process of his seeking state tax credits for a New Orleans film project. “And like a lot of people, something bad happens and it isn’t your fault and you’re suffering the consequences of it. You can get aggravated and feel self-justified. The thing that was important to me was to give that up. It happened. It’s a fact. What do I make of it?”

Films Covered In ‘Karmic Winds’

Part of that healing and self-discovery process was Hoffman’s writing of Karmic Winds. Along with detailing his personal journey, the book is also an engaging read for cinephiles. Projects such as Basic Instinct, Stander, Mountains of the Moon, and Jacob’s Ladder are covered in his memoir.

“(Jacob’s Ladder) is a remarkable film that over time has found an audience,” said Hoffman. “We did no business with that picture when it started, but over time, there’s how many people come up to me and say ‘Oh, Jacob’s Ladder is one of my favorite movies.’ (Writer) Bruce Joel Rubin was really trying to suggest in that unique case where a person dies before their time, and they have to imagine forward all the events, and to make the decision about whether they want to go back or they can go into the light.”

Peter M. Hoffman On Appreciating ‘Amor Fati’

When asked about the key to all of his successes, Hoffman added that a lot of it was beyond his control, citing the Latin phraise “amor fati.” “I love the fat that was given to me,” added Hoffman. “I love the things that I really put my heart and soul into like Stander and The Believer. (And) I love the pictures that I was involved in where I was more or less just a financier (like) Jacob’s Ladder (and) Mountains of the Moon. I just have to embrace it and say it’s great and show it to my daughters and grandsons and say, ‘This is it – this is what happened.'”

Karmic Winds: Reflections from the “Smartest Guy In Hollywood” is now available through various retailers (including Amazon).

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