Peter Biskind est un critique culturel et historien du cinéma réputé pour ses analyses pointues d'Hollywood et de l'essor du cinéma indépendant. Son travail explore l'impact culturel de la création cinématographique, en examinant les forces, les personnalités et les évolutions qui ont façonné l'histoire du cinéma et la perception du public. L'écriture de Biskind se caractérise par un style vif et captivant qui donne vie au monde dynamique du cinéma et à son influence sociétale. Il offre aux lecteurs un aperçu convaincant des moments et des personnalités décisifs qui ont défini l'industrie cinématographique.
Based on hundreds of interviews with directors such as Coppola, Scorsese, Hopper and Spielberg, as well as producers, stars, studio executives, writers, spouses, ex-spouses, and girlfriends, this is the story of the crazy world that the directors ruled. Originally published in 1998.
A compilation of trivia about the "Godfather" movies presents behind-the-scenes anecdotes, quizzes, facts, quotes, and film stills from all three films
"There have long been rumors of a lost cache of tapes containing private conversations between Orson Welles and his friend the director Henry Jaglom, recorded over regular lunches in the years before Welles died. The tapes, gathering dust in a garage, did indeed exist, and this book reveals for the first time what they contain. Here is Welles as he has never been seen before: talking intimately, disclosing personal secrets, reflecting on the highs and lows of his astonishing career, the people he knew--FDR, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, Marlene Dietrich, Laurence Olivier, David Selznick, Rita Hayworth, and more--and the many disappointments of his last years"--Dust jacket flap.
Down and Dirty Pictures chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers and of the twin engines the Sundance Film Festival and Miramax Films that have powered them. Peter Biskind profiles the people who took the independent movement from obscurity to the Oscars, most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax an indie powerhouse. Candid, penetrating and controversial, Down and Dirty Pictures is a must read for anyone interested in the film world.
Are Batman and 24's Jack Bauer heroic loners defending our way of life - or right-wing vigilantes attacking it? Is Avatarjust a National Geographic version of Star Wars or a passionate assault on capitalism? And what about Game of Thrones- sword and sorcery fantasy, or lesson in mainstream politics? In The Sky is Falling!bestselling cultural critic Peter Biskind takes us on a dizzying ride across two decades of pop culture to show how the TV and movies we love have taught us to love political extremism. Welcome to a darkly pessimistic, apocalyptic world where winter has come, the dead are walking, and ultra violence, revenge and torture are all in a day's work. Welcome to the new normal.
Cultural critic Peter Biskind turns his eye toward the new golden age of television, sparked by the fall of play-it-safe network TV and the rise of boundary-busting cable, followed by streaming, which overturned bothbased on exclusive, candid, and colorful interviews with executives, writers, showrunners, directors, and actors.
The narrative explores the impact of media on societal change, highlighting how televised events shape public perception and mobilize movements. It delves into the intersection of technology and activism, examining the role of visual storytelling in revolution. Through compelling characters and their experiences, the book reflects on the power dynamics of representation and the transformative potential of media in contemporary society. Themes of resistance, identity, and the quest for justice are woven throughout, making it a poignant commentary on modern revolutions.
Peter Biskind setzt die grandiose Hollywood-Chronik fort, die er mit seinem Bestseller Easy Riders, Raging Bulls begonnen hat. Ging es dort noch um die großen Autorenfilmer der 1970er – Scorsese, Altman, Coppola –, so hat sich Biskind nun die Independent-Filme der Neunziger vorgeknöpft. Streifen, die schon heute als Kultklassiker gelten (Pulp Fiction und Sex, Lies and Videotapes, Clerks und Reservoir Dogs) und die Macher, die hinter den Kulissen gewirkt haben: Da sind die Kultregisseure Quentin Tarantino und Steven Soderbergh, da ist Robert Redford, der charismatische, aber enigmatische Altstar, der das Sundance Festival lanciert hat. Und da sind die ebenso genialischen wie skrupellosen Gebrüder Weinstein, die ambitionierte Low-Budget-Filme an ein Massenpublikum herangeführt und ihre Filmfabrik Miramax dann an Disney verkauft haben. Biskind hat besessen recherchiert: Er schildert die schwierigsten Dreharbeiten, die wildesten Parties, die größten Egos, die härtesten Auseinandersetzungen, kurz: die besten Anekdoten aus mehr als einem Jahrzehnt Hollywood – und verliert doch nie das Gesamtbild aus den Augen. Denn letztlich ist DOWN AND DIRTY PICTURES ein Lamento: die klassische Story einer Alternativkultur, die auf dem Weg in den Mainstream ihre Ideale verrät
