Rather more responsible than some of his sources, Biskind always carefully notes the denials as well as the astounding stories he has compiled. He also spoke with countless spurned spouses and burned partners, alleged victims of assault by knife, pistol, and bodily fluids. Why? Because once the big names who spilled the beans to Biskind find out that other people spilled an equally piquant quantity of beans, nobody will dare speak to another writer with such candor, humor, and venom again.īiskind did hundreds of interviews with people who make the president look accessible: Scorsese, Spielberg, Lucas, Coppola, Geffen, Beatty, Kael, Towne, Altman. Not only is Peter Biskind's Easy Riders, Raging Bulls the best book in recent memory on turn-of-the-'70s film, it is beyond question the best book we'll ever get on the subject. 'synopsis' may belong to another edition of this title. Why do people go see them? Why is the public so stupid? That's not my fault.'

GEORGE LUCAS ON STAR WARS: 'Popcorn pictures have always ruled. There was no cocaine before Easy Rider on the street. MARTIN SCORSESE ON DRUGS: 'I did a lot of drugs because I wanted to do a lot, I wanted to push all the way to the very very end, and see if I could die.'ĭENNIS HOPPER ON EASY RIDER: 'The cocaine problem in the United States is really because of me. Based on hundreds of interviews with the directors themselves, producers, stars, agents, writers, studio executives, spouses, and ex-spouses, this is the full, candid story of Hollywood's last golden age. Easy Riders, Raging Bulls follows the wild ride that was Hollywood in the '70s - an unabashed celebration of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll (both onscreen and off) and a climate where innovation and experimentation reigned supreme. This was an age when talented young filmmakers such as Scorsese, Coppola, and Spielberg, along with a new breed of actors, including De Niro, Pacino, and Nicholson, became the powerful figures who would make such modern classics as The Godfather, Chinatown, Taxi Driver, and Jaws.

When the low-budget biker movie Easy Rider shocked Hollywood with its success in 1969, a new Hollywood era was born.

Easy riders raging bulls book