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  • Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

  • How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood
  • By: Peter Biskind
  • Narrated by: Dick Hill
  • Length: 23 hrs and 41 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (180 ratings)
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Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

By: Peter Biskind
Narrated by: Dick Hill
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Summary

When the low-budget biker movie Easy Rider shocked Hollywood with its success in 1969, a new Hollywood era was born. This was an age when talented filmmakers such as Scorcese, Coppola, and Spielberg, along with a new breed of actors, including DeNiro, Pacino, and Nicholson, became the powerful figures who would make such modern classics as The Godfather, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, and Jaws.

Easy Rider, Raging Bulls follows the wild ride that was Hollywood in the 70s - an unabashed celebration of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll (both on screen and off) and a climate where innovation and experimentation reigned supreme.

©1999 Peter Biskind (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Peter Biskind's great, scathing, news-packed history...is one hell of an elixir - salty with flavorsome gossip, sour with the aftertaste of misspent careers, intoxicating with one revelation after another...an 'A.'" ( Entertainment Weekly)

What listeners say about Easy Riders, Raging Bulls

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hard Hitting and often Difficult...

This is a fascinating book, documenting the period from the early 70s when a new, young crowd of film-makers descended on Hollywood determined to break the established system where the studio was king, and everyone else did as they were told. But be warned, this is hard-edged and often difficult reading, as the young crowd tasted initial success, only to create an environment worse than the system they sought to overthrow. Much, much worse…

In telling the tale, the writer looks closely at a number of seminal films from the 70s, including Bonnie & Clyde, Easy Rider, French Connection, Jaws, Apocalypse Now and, of course, The Godfather. In every case, these were films made by directors looking to make their mark in the world, whilst at the same time refusing to give way to the studios when they questioned the director’s approach. The ‘inner circle’ of this group of mavericks include Scorsese, Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Bogdanovich and Freidkin, and the book looks at their careers during the 70s, from early struggles and failures, through to the breakthrough films that made them famous, and then to the long, painful fall from grace, as all but Spielberg struggle to recreate their early successes.

Nobody comes out of this book with any integrity. I suppose it’s a fact of life that reasonable people don’t become movie directors, but this bunch are nothing more than petulant, indulged children, who see no problem with throwing tantrums (and often other things) on the set or even in public.

Without doubt, the worst of the bunch is Scorsese, who’s temper tantrums are legendary. On one occasion, whilst staying at a plush Hollywood hotel, Scorsese’s wife is on the ‘phone with a business partner, and she is getting angry at him. Marty Scorsese snatches the ‘phone from her, screams abuse at the caller, and then rips the ‘phone out of the wall. Then, still vibrating with anger, he goes downstairs to the lobby to call the guy on a payphone, so he can continue to scream at him.

Lucas, frets over whether his idea for ‘Star Wars’ is actually any good. This mood is not helped by De Palma, Scorsese and Coppola telling him it’s a rubbish idea and he should make ‘Art Films’. Only Spielberg is supportive. When the original Star Wars becomes the biggest grossing film ever, Lucas becomes an overnight megalomaniac, and refuses to help, or even talk to, his former confederates.

And if you think they treated each other poorly, wait until you read how they treated those on the periphery of their universes. Writers, Editors, Backers, Actors and, especially, would-be actress/models are simply used and thrown away like Kleenex.

And one by one, they all follow the same path, as success instils in each an arrogance and ego of unbelievable proportions. Coppola sets the bar here; following the outstanding success of his Godfather films, he sets off to Manilla to shoot Apocalypse Now. He is told by locals that monsoon season is coming, and typhoons are a regular event where he aims to shoot. Does he listen? He does not, and instead builds enormous million-dollar sets in the middle of nowhere, and then throws a tantrum and starts firing people when, as predicted, the whole thing is destroyed by a typhoon.

This book leaves you with the impression that the film-makers of the 70s were simply making it up as they went. Most times they got it wrong, but every so often things fell into place, and a classic was born.

Narration by Dick Hill is excellent, and keeps you engaged throughout.

Recommended

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Bitchy and Sensationalist intrigue from Hollywood

This is great value for money, its a long and interesting listen.



A friend recommended this book years ago and I couldn't get into it. But it really works as an audio book.

No one really comes out of this book well apart from perhaps Jack Nicholson. These great women and men are reduced to ego-maniac, childish bullies and nerds. Biskind's style is very sensationalist,scurrilous and yet compelling.



The narrator is superb and his delivery is measured, waspish and hilarious.



A great listen.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Incredible, an education

Strongly recommend to any lover of film, brilliantly told, a completely immersive experience, the story of these films and directors would make compelling cinema

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

interesting for lovers of classic cinema

love all the classic old 70's movies. really great to hear how some of the firm's you know and love got made.

it jumps around in time and you get lost in the bobs and Roberts as names and nicknames and events blur into each other. if I didn't love movies so much I'm not sure I'd of got to the end.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great film history of the era...

If you love cinema and want to know more about the evolution of film and the people behind it in the 60’s and 70’s then this is a great read.

They seized the power from the studios then blew it all in a blaze of ego, Cocaine and overspending....

Great read if you love film!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful

Beautiful book beautifully written beautifully read beautiful memories beautiful times beautiful people beautiful schemes beautiful places beautiful hopes beautiful dreams.
Love always.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Hollywood discovered

I have read the book which I loved but this was so much better. Well read and really interesting stories from this great era of Hollywood.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Really Hard Work

This was a grind, it would of been better had there been more use of surnames ie instead of "Bob" they would of said DeNiro and instead of Marty ... Scorsese etc etc.
I found the use of really offensive bad language not really needed. the amount of times you hear the C word is over done in my opinion.
yes, was hard work to get to the end

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A good collection of anecdotes.

I read the book many years ago, and found the reading of it very entertaining. It helps if you have seen most of the films in the book, but if you have not one can use it as a tick box of films to watch.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great listen

Tremendous account of Hollywood and amazing filmmakers like Scorsese and Coppola and how they challenged the studio system

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