PDF Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood

1
Hits,
Flops, and
Other
Illusions My Fortysomething Hollywood
Years
in
Description
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER LOS ANGELES
TIMES BESTSELLER USA TODAY BESTSELLER 8220Ths
funny, insightful, and deliciously dishy
memoir8221(Town ampCountry) from the director
of Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of
2
the Fall, and Glory, creator of thirtysomething,
and executive producer of My So-Called Life,
8220taes its place alongside Adventures in the
Screen Trade and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls as one
of the indispensable behind-the-scenes books for
fans of movies and television8221(Aaron
Sorkin).8220I8217ll be dropping a few
names,8221Ed Zwick confesses in the
introduction to his book. 8220Ovr the years I
have worked with self-proclaimed
masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses,
hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints.8221He
has encountered these Hollywood types during four
decades of directing, producing, and writing
projects that have collectively received eighteen
Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and
sixty-seven Emmy nominations (twenty-two wins).
Though there are many factors behind such
success, including luck and the contributions of
his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz,
he8217sknown to have a special talent for
bringing out the best in the people
he8217sworked with, notably the actors. In
those intense collaborations, he seeks to
discover the small pieces of connective tissue,
vulnerability, and fellowship that can help an
actor realize their character in full. Talents
whom he spotted early include Brad Pitt, Matt
Damon, Denzel Washington, Claire Danes, and Jared
Leto. Established stars he worked closely with
include Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins, Tom
Cruise, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Daniel
Craig, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore,
and Jennifer Connelly. He also sued Harvey
Weinstein over the production of Shakespeare in
Love8212an won. He shares personal stories
about all these people, and more. Written mostly
with love, sometimes with rue, this memoir
8220isnot just a wonderfully intimate memoir.
It's also an indispensable guide to the
shark-infested waters of artistic
integrity8221(Cameron Crowe). Destined to
become a new Hollywood classic, Hits, Flops, and
Other Illusions is 8220amust-read for any film
fan, and a sacred text for any aspiring
filmmakers out there8221(Forbes).