Author(s): Peter Biskind

Film & TV

In the late 1980s a generation of filmmakers began to flower outside the Hollywood studio system and in the following decade, the independent film movement bloomed. Dozens of lesser-known filmmakers such as Steven Soderbergh and Quentin Tarantino began walking away with coveted prizes at Cannes and eventually the Academy Awards. Many of these directors were discovered at Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival and then scooped up by Harvey and Bob Weinstein, whose company Miramax laid waste to the competition. In Down and Dirty Pictures, Peter Biskind tells the incredible story of these filmmakers, the growth of Sundance into the premier showcase of independent film, and the meteoric rise of the controversial Weinstein brothers who left a trail of carnage in their wake yet created an Oscar factory that is the envy of the studios. Review: 'Your book was so goddam well written, I was like, I don't want to read any more about [my heroes], but then I made the mistake of leaving it by my bedside table, and it was like a bag of pot, and I'm saying, "I'm not gonna smoke." I was insatiable' Quentin Tarantino 'Thoughtful, gossipy, and altogether mesmerizing A shamelessly good read' New York Times 'A total page-turner. The anecdotes, the characters, the fights, the stress of independent film-making are here in all their full-bloodedness' Independent 'As gripping and compelling as the fastest-paced thriller An unmissable sequel to Easy Riders Raging Bulls, as much a blockbuster as anything by the people it features. *****' Hotdog Author Biography: Peter Biskind is the author of three previous books. Currently a contributor to Vanity Fair, he was formerly the executive editor of Premiere and has written for numerous publications. He lives in Columbia County, New York. First published 2004.