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9781789148626

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Reviews

""Stanfield's takes are entertaining, erudite without being abstruse, and often amusingly contrarian. They have the feel of an academic version of Quentin Tarantino riffing on the hidden themes of his favorite obscure movies, pausing from time to time to sample from critical opinion and toss in some behind-the-scenes gossip. . . . Stanfield is splendid in his exegeses.""--Kyle Smith ""Wall Street Journal"" ""In a challenging cultural rhapsody about the gritty authenticity characterizing films following the hippie era of the 1960s, Stanfield posits that the 1970s presented problem-based rather than escapist entertainment vehicles.""-- ""Library Journal"" ""Stanfield is a perceptive and graceful writer; he imparts knowledge to the reader while never sounding like he is lecturing. . . . Stanfield's expertise and depth of knowledge make it feel like this is something we're seeing for the first time.""-- ""Booklist"" ""So full of information, so culturally astute, and so beautifully written.""--Mike Scott, The Waterboys ""Stanfield . . . delivers a discerning deep dive into counterculture films of the late 1960s and early '70s. According to Stanfield, such actors as Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson played down the glamour that had previously characterized Hollywood stars in favor of grittier personas that reflected an emerging understanding that movies were no longer 'means of escape but a means of approaching a problem.' Astute analysis of key films of the era reveal how they tackled topical issues. . . . It's a sharp study of the contradictions of post-flower power cinema.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"" ""A few years ago, Stanfield slayed me with his book A Band with Built-In Hate: The Who from Pop Art to Punk--now he's switched over to early '70s American cinema: Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda, Monte Hellman, Jack Nicholson, Kris Kristofferson, Sam Peckinpah + Five Easy Pieces, Two-Lane Blacktop, Last Picture Show, Pat Garrett, The Last Movie. The author seems a bit more cynical than me on these actors/movies but he admires and KNOWS the topic and I learned a lot. If you loved books like Easy Riders, Raging Bulls, and the book about Midnight Cowboy, you'll love this too!""--Pat Thomas, author of ""Listen, Whitey! The Sights and Sounds of Black Power 1965-1975"" ""A terrific new film book on a niche subject: Dirty Real, Stanfield's account of how a bunch of mostly middle-class (or rich) guys embraced hippie cowboy 'authenticity' and reinvented American cinema. . . . Stanfield works his way through the 60s and 70s concentrating on key works, such as Easy Rider, Dirty Little Billy, Cisco Pike, and films somewhat in opposition (like The Last Picture Show). Purely at a prose level it's a groove and a gas to read.""--Matt Zoller Seitz ""@mattzollerseitz""

"""Stanfield . . . delivers a discerning deep dive into counterculture films of the late 1960s and early '70s. According to Stanfield, such actors as Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson played down the glamour that had previously characterized Hollywood stars in favor of grittier personas that reflected an emerging understanding that movies were no longer 'means of escape but a means of approaching a problem.' Astute analysis of key films of the era reveal how they tackled topical issues. . . . It's a sharp study of the contradictions of post-flower power cinema.""-- ""Publishers Weekly"""

Author Information

Peter Stanfield is Emeritus Professor of Film at the University of Kent. His publications include A Band with Built-In Hate: The Who from Pop Art to Punk and Pin-Ups 1972: Third Generation Rock 'n' Roll, both published by Reaktion.

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