Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film

Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent FilmIn this "dishy superbly reported" (Entertainment Weekly) New York Times bestseller, Peter Biskind chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers who reinvented Hollywood most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax Films an indie powerhouse. As he did in his acclaimed Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Peter Biskind "takes on the movie industry of the 1990s and again gets the story" (The New York

In this "dishy...superbly reported" (Entertainment Weekly) New York Times bestseller, Peter Biskind chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers who reinvented Hollywood--most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax Films an indie powerhouse.

As he did in his acclaimed Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, Peter Biskind "takes on the movie industry of the 1990s and again gets the story" (The New York Times). Biskind charts in fascinating detail the meteoric rise of the controversial Harvey Weinstein, often described as the last mogul, who created an Oscar factory that became the envy of the studios, while leaving a trail of carnage in his wake. He follows Sundance as it grew from a regional film festival to the premier showcase of independent film, succeeding almost despite the mercurial Redford, whose visionary plans were nearly thwarted by his own quixotic personality.

Likewise, the directors who emerged from the independent movement, such as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, and David O. Russell, are now among the best-known directors in Hollywood. Not to mention the actors who emerged with them, like Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Ethan Hawke, and Uma Thurman.

Candid, controversial, and "sensationally entertaining" (Los Angeles Times) Down and Dirty Pictures is a must-read for anyone interested in the film world.

Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 01/03/2005
ISBN: 9780684862583
Pages: 560
Weight: 1.34lbs
Size: 9.14h x 6.16w x 1.38d

Review Citations: Ingram Advance 01/01/2005 pg. 96
New York Times 02/27/2005 pg. 24