Picture Shows: The Life and Films of Peter Bogdanovich

by Andrew Yule

If Peter Bogdanovich did not already exist, Hollywould would perhaps have invted him. The son of struggling but cultured immigrant parents, he grew up on Manhattan's West Side and soon developed a passion for that other world of film and theatre. By his early twentites he had already acted in, directed and produced plays off-Broadway and written about film for major newspapers and magazines. Then, married, he made his way to Hollywood, gaining attention first for Targets and then three years later for the award-winning modern classic, The Last Picture Show . Suddently he was a hot director and What's Up, Doc and the enormously successful Paper Moon soon followed.

Genres: Biography, Film

Hardcover

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Pablo]

Me interesa bastante más la historia de la ternura (de los rodajes de Bogdanovich en la década de los 70, de su complicada relación con la brillante Polly Platt) que la historia, oscurisima, angelina, digna de una pesadilla ellroyana, de su romance con Dorothy Stratten que terminó con ella asesinada por su exnovio chulo y culturista, pero esto es meramente la expresión de una preferencia. Lo que viene después de ese asesinato no es necesariamente mejor (incluye una boda de Bogdanovich con la hermana de la víctima, a la que acogió siendo menor de edad), pero la crónica del rodaje de Texasville con amistades entre antiguas compañeras de Bogdanovich y una compasión infinita aligera un poco la situación.

Acudí a este libro porque hace unos años lo recomendó Tarantino (el texto está ahora en Cinema speculation) y Karina Longworth lo empleó para su temporada dedicada a Platt en You must remember this. Por cierto, Jonathan Rosenbaum notando la desaparición de Platt y sus contribuciones en el cine de Bogdanovich ¡ya en 1974! es algo extraordinario, realmente.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yule's biography/film book portrays the wunderkind director as a savvy, opportunist and very ego-bloated and controlling and arrogant. However, he did create some entertaining features in his early period and one must separate the artist from the art. BUT ... this book spends A LOT of time on the sordid details of the murder of Playboy model/actress Dorothy Stratten and her relatoinship with her sleazy husband and her affair with Bogdanovich. The whole episode and the ensuing relationship of the director and Stratten's very young sister is cringe-worthy and the book jut hits a sour note. It's all obviously true, but it reads more like a True Crime book then a look into a famed filmmaker.