Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biskind. Paperback

Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance, and the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind • Paperback • Simon & Schuster; Reprint edition (January 3, 2005) • 560 Pages Condition: Excellent ————————————- Peter Biskind chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers who reinvented Hollywood—most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Miramax Films, an indie powerhouse. As he did in his acclaimed Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, 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 independent film and Harvey Weinstein, often described as the last mogul, who created an Oscar factory 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.