Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bookguyeric 's review for:
The premise of this book is that the 70s was a golden age for movies, when directors were able to break free of studio restrictions and create idiosycratic, personal, art.
Truly, there were a lot of great movies in that era. But this book actually refutes its own argument. The directors featured were in large part decadent, drug addled megalomaniacs who were only as good as whatever material they were handed to adapt, and only if they could find a personal handle on that material. The only true auteur of the period, who conceptualized his own films and wrote his own scripts, was Woody Allen, and he is barely mentioned. Nor is Mel Brooks (maybe because he's not a "serious" filmmaker). Biskind tries to make the case that filmmaking died after the 70s, but then you start to think about all the great ones that came after, and it's hard to accept his premise.
Don't get me wrong, this is a highly readable and interesting book. I think Biskind is a devotee of the art of film, but his book focuses on the business side. I would have liked to read a book that focussed more on the creative choices of the actors and directors.
I must admit that, as a lover of that period of moviemaking, this book dampened rather than increased my enthusiasm for the subject. I guess it's true of what they say about learning how sausage is made.
Truly, there were a lot of great movies in that era. But this book actually refutes its own argument. The directors featured were in large part decadent, drug addled megalomaniacs who were only as good as whatever material they were handed to adapt, and only if they could find a personal handle on that material. The only true auteur of the period, who conceptualized his own films and wrote his own scripts, was Woody Allen, and he is barely mentioned. Nor is Mel Brooks (maybe because he's not a "serious" filmmaker). Biskind tries to make the case that filmmaking died after the 70s, but then you start to think about all the great ones that came after, and it's hard to accept his premise.
Don't get me wrong, this is a highly readable and interesting book. I think Biskind is a devotee of the art of film, but his book focuses on the business side. I would have liked to read a book that focussed more on the creative choices of the actors and directors.
I must admit that, as a lover of that period of moviemaking, this book dampened rather than increased my enthusiasm for the subject. I guess it's true of what they say about learning how sausage is made.