MovieChat Forums > Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex, Drugs and Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003) Discussion > READ the book... skip the movie !!

READ the book... skip the movie !!

posted 16 years ago by suckerdwsp316
3 replies | jump to latest

This was such a disappointing documentary. It focused so little on the essence of the book itself. If the filmmakers couldn't get interviews with the actors and directors chronicled in the book, then what was the point? No coppola, no spielberg, no lucas, no friedkin, no scorsese, no nicholson, no beatty, no altman, etc etc etc.

The book was 450 pages long, while the doc was just under 120 minutes. It covered maybe 2 or 3 chapters from the book, and thats it. It skipped so much, it was ridiculous and totally uninteresting.

Just read the book, its fantastic, and save your money and time on some other movie, because this was almost worthless.

[–] ken-miller-4 16 years ago

You're absolutely right. I read this book ages ago, and it was still fresh in my mind as I rented this. One of the best books ever written on the movie industry, and essential reading for anyone who's even remotely interested in movies.

Very disappointing, flat, empty documentary, but the only reason I think that is because I've read the book.

And I loved how they glossed over the fact that Polly Platt basically wrote the Last Picture Show (Bogdanovich probably insisted they not bring that up as part of his being in this documentary). For a bunch of directors who basically rewrote cinema history, these guys seem pretty humorless about having the record set straight on some of their achievements.

[–] funnyguyla 13 years ago

I haven't read the book but after just watching the movie, I know the book has to be better. At two hours long it wasn't nearly comprehensive enough. It should have been three or four hours at least. I can't believe how rushed the whole thing seemed.

[–] snelling 10 years ago

I came here to ask this very question exactly. I read the book years ago and did not know there was a movie version until today. I will watch "A Decade under the Influence" instead. Thanks.

"I will not go down in history as the greatest mass-murderer since Adolf Hitler!" - Merkin Muffley