Down and Dirty Pictures

Miramax, Sundance and the Rise of Independent Film

By: Peter Biskind

Narrated by: Phil Gigante

Down and Dirty Pictures chronicles the rise of independent filmmakers and of the twin engines - the Sundance Film Festival and Miramax Films - that have powered them. Peter Biskind profiles the people who took the independent movement from obscurity to the Oscars, most notably Sundance founder Robert Redford and Harvey Weinstein, who with his brother, Bob, made Miramax an indie powerhouse.

Candid, penetrating and controversial, Down and Dirty Pictures is a must-read for anyone interested in the film world.

©2004 Peter Biskind (P)2008 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"In Down and Dirty Pictures, Biskind takes on the movie industry of the 1990s and again gets the story....Peter Biskind captures his era as John Dunne did that of the Zanucks." ( The New York Times)
"Dishy, teeming, superbly reported...packed with lively inside anecdotes...[a] juicy and fascinating expose." ( Entertainment Weekly)

Nothing but Weinstein...

...not really about indie cinema, just Harvey and Redford, but still really good. Thankfully writter before Me Too.

Sloppy book seems sleazier than its subjects

Peter Biskind delivers another juicy read, and that goes a long way, even if the book seems relentlessly one-track-minded about painting Harvey Weinstein and Robert Redford in the most unflattering possible light. Biskind must have decided what he wanted to hear before going into any interview, so his extensive reporting merely corroborates his opening thesis -- that Harvey's a boor and Redford's a control freak.

Still, it's fun to hear all that dirt, even if (in Harvey's case) it amounts to little more than chain smoking, binge eating and verbal abuse, invariably followed up with some form of apology a day later. There's none of the "Easy Riders, Raging Bulls" sleaze here, even though Harvey's reputation is surrounded by revolting abuse-of-power anecdotes in real life (guess the lawyers couldn't clear that stuff).

Phil Gigante gives a lively performance to the material, taking greater care to capture the voices of his characters (back-woods Billy Bob Thornton, the Redford drawl, the belligerent Harvey, etc.) than the pronunciation of their names (David Linde, for instance, features prominently and is always called "Lind" rather than "Lind-ee"). He botches many of the names, but then, Biskind's loose with his facts, and that's a far graver transgression.

The Rise and Fall of Indie Film

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

This book is a must read for any fan of Miramax and/or Sundance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Down and Dirty Pictures?

The Weinstein stories are incredible.

What does Phil Gigante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Phil Gigante's range as a storyteller is perfect and his representations of the parties involved in the narrative are spot on!

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Miramax Sucks, Sundance Blows

Any additional comments?

This is a revelation.

If you liked independent movies from the nineties, Check this out.

There’s a little too much detail, but lots of insight to the independent movie business and what jerks/assholes the Weinstein’s were before any sex assaults.

Enthralling history of 90s cinemas

Would you consider the audio edition of Down and Dirty Pictures to be better than the print version?

Yes, I love the narrator and he does great accents

Who was your favorite character and why?

Billy Bob Thornton and Harvey Weinstein threatening to stab each other forks

What does Phil Gigante bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Voices,

Any additional comments?

Please more Peter Biskind books especially Gods and Monsters or My lunches with Orson Welles