Reviews
""Mention Hal Ashby's name these days and eyes usually glaze with nonrecognition. Start listing the late filmmaker's movies and they glimmer with admiration.... Author Nick Dawson, who wasn't born when Ashby thrived, aims to end that anonymity."" -- tampabay.com, ""The legendary director... has finally become the subject of a long-overdue biography." --Splice Today" --, "[Hal's] bad luck, bad decisions, self-destruction due to excess, and stubborn refusal to get his deteriorating health checked out... [are] excellently recounted [this] book."-- indieWIRE, ""Dawson, an editor at FilmsInFocus, has written a superb biography of this troubled, talented man." --Tucson Citizen" --, "Dawson [excels] when reporting on film, and both Beatty and Ashby remain object lessons of filmmakers taking chances at the top, not simply as first-timers with nothing to lose." -- Book forum, ""Finally somebody has put down in print -- and in fascinating, intricate detail -- what so many have known for so long, and in doing so has deepened our knowledge of Ashby's contributions to American cinema. Hal Ashby and his films are deserving of great attention; Nick Dawson's book is the first important step towards making this so." --Aaron Hunter, Department of Film Studies, Queen's University Belfast" --, "Dawson's superlative biography is sure to renew interest in the director of Harold and Maude, The Last Detail and Being There. He has written a comprehensive and sympathetic book, generously quoting from interviews from family and collaborators from every period of Ashby's life, as well as from personal letters.... Being Hal Ashby joins Patrick McGilligan's Robert Altman: Jumping off the liff as one of the definitive books on Seventies cinema." -- Film Comment, "In this groundbreaking and exhaustively researched biography, Nick Dawson draws on firsthand interviews and personal papers from the Ashby's estate to offer an intimate look at the tumultuous life of an artist unwilling to conform or compromise." --Turner Classic Movies, ""Dawson's superlative biography is sure to renew interest in the director of Harold and Maude, The Last Detail and Being There. He has written a comprehensive and sympathetic book, generously quoting from interviews from family and collaborators from every period of Ashby's life, as well as from personal letters.... Being Hal Ashby joins Patrick McGilligan's Robert Altman: Jumping off the liff as one of the definitive books on Seventies cinema." --Film Comment" --, ""Given that Ashby made several important films that continue to have substantial impact on filmmaking and as cultural references, and given the fact that Dawson tells the Ashby story in a fascinating and involving way, this work will represent an important addition to the study of film." --Timothy Meyer, coauthor of Mediated Communication: A Social Action Perspective" --, ""Penetrating, insightful, with keen and precise discussions of each of the director's films, this book is a celebration of Ashby's work and his rebellious spirit." --John Foote,Incontention.com" --, Finally somebody has put down in print--and in fascinating, intricate detail--what so many have known for so long, and in doing so has deepened our knowledge of Ashby's contributions to American cinema. Hal Ashby and his films are deserving of great attention; Nick Dawson's book is the first important step towards making this so., ""Penetrating, insightful, with keen and precise discussions of each of the director's films, this book is a celebration of Ashby's work and his rebellious spirit."" -- John Foote, incontention.com, ""Dawson [excels] when reporting on film, and both Beatty and Ashby remain object lessons of filmmakers taking chances at the top, not simply as first-timers with nothing to lose." --Bookforum" --, "It's obvious that Nick Dawson has a deep appreciation of the director's work and his enthusiasm is contagious.... When a book inspires me to reevaluate my own opinions about a filmmaker's career, it's well worth recommending." --Cinebeats, ""Film scholars have frequently lamented the lack of a Hal Ashby biography. Now, there is one and it will long remain the definitive study. In addition to making a close analysis of Ashby's work, Nick Dawson has also sought out the people best qualified to provide the most informed and incisive insights into his personal life and professional achievement. There should be no excuse to deny Ashby his place among the most important American directors of the post-studio era." --David Parkinson, author of History of Film" --, ""[Hal's] bad luck, bad decisions, self-destruction due to excess, and stubborn refusal to get his deteriorating health checked out... [are] excellently recounted [this] book."-- indieWIRE " --, "In the first real biography of Ashby, FilmInFocus editor Dawson delivers a book that is simultaneously informative, insightful, and genuinely fun to read." --Library Journal, Finally, a book--and a very good one indeed--on Hal Ashby, the neglected, least appreciated director of the 1970s. Hopefully, Dawson's excellent volume will revive his reputation and get him the attention he deserves., "Scrupulously researched and sensitively rendered, Being Hal Ashby is the definitive biography of a protean, gone-too-soon talent." -- David Stenn, author of Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow, "Glides through Ashby's wrecked personal relationships, wisely choosing to dwell instead on the work of a man whose career consumed his life. A worthwhile portrait by a capable biographer." -- Kirkus Reviews, ""Dawson depicts Ashby's professional and personal relationships in a way that is fittingly yet painfully human." --Anniston Star" --, ""Dawson, an editor at FilmsInFocus, has written a superb biography of this troubled, talented man."" -- Tucson Citizen, "Dawson [excels] when reporting on film, and both Beatty and Ashby remain object lessons of filmmakers taking chances at the top, not simply as first-timers with nothing to lose." --Bookforum, Glides through Ashby's wrecked personal relationships, wisely choosing to dwell instead on the work of a man whose career consumed his life. A worthwhile portrait by a capable biographer., "Mention Hal Ashby's name these days and eyes usually glaze with nonrecognition. Start listing the late filmmaker's movies and they glimmer with admiration.... Author Nick Dawson, who wasn't born when Ashby thrived, aims to end that anonymity." --tampabay.com, ""Ashby's quiet genius brought us the some of the best American films of the 70s -- Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There -- movies which have not lost their compassion, relevance or unforced artfulness with the passage of time. Dawson's biography provides a thorough and insightful overview of why Ashby was so highly regarded by friends and colleagues, not just as a filmmaker, but as a remarkable human being."" -- Lee Hill, author of A Grand Guy: The Art and Life of Terry Southern, ""In the first real biography of Ashby, FilmInFocus editor Dawson delivers a book that is simultaneously informative, insightful, and genuinely fun to read."" -- Library Journal, "Dawson's brilliantly-written biography will long remain the definitive literary exploration of Ashby's work." -- Hugh Lilly, Insequential, "Depicts the Director Refusing to Capitulate to an Increasingly Corporate Industry."-- Village Voice, ""Nick Dawson should be teaching a course in how to write a Hollywood biography. Being Hal Ashby is note perfect, with the appropriate attention paid to the art and to the artist's messy life." --Creative Loafing" --, "[Ashby's] speedy rise and spectacular swan dive from Tinseltown's high board is an old story, but a fascinating read as relayed by Nick Dawson in his scrupulously researched "Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel."" -- Sunday Star Ledger, "Films and books strive toward a common goal: telling a story. And very few modern filmmakers are as good at spinning a yard as the late Ashby was, the subject of a penetrating and applause-worthy biography written by film journalist Nick Dawson." --Pop Matters, ""Finally, a book -- and a very good one indeed -- on Hal Ashby, the neglected, least appreciated director of the 1970s. Hopefully, Dawson's excellent volume will revive his reputation and get him the attention he deserves." --Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood" --, ""In the first real biography of Ashby, FilmInFocus editor Dawson delivers a book that is simultaneously informative, insightful, and genuinely fun to read." --Library Journal" --, ""In this groundbreaking and exhaustively researched biography, Nick Dawson draws on firsthand interviews and personal papers from the Ashby's estate to offer an intimate look at the tumultuous life of an artist unwilling to conform or compromise." --Turner Classic Movies" --, "[Ashby's] speedy rise and spectacular swan dive from Tinseltown's high board is an old story, but a fascinating read as relayed by Nick Dawson in his scrupulously researched Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel." --Sunday Star Ledger, ""Dawson's brilliantly-written biography will long remain the definitive literary exploration of Ashby's work." --Hugh Lilly, Insequential" --, "Nick Dawson has written the first biography of Ashby, a work that examines the director's tormented personal life and childhood, and traces the troubled personal skein into an exemplary body of work in motion pictures." --Editors Guild Magazine, "Dawson depicts Ashby's professional and personal relationships in a way that is fittingly yet painfully human." --Anniston Star, "In this groundbreaking and exhaustively researched biography, Nick Dawson draws on firsthand interviews and personal papers from the Ashby's estate to offer an intimate look at the tumultuous life of an artist unwilling to conform or compromise." -- Turner Classic Movies, "Dawson's brilliantly-written biography will long remain the definitive literary exploration of Ashby's work." --Hugh Lilly, Insequential, Ashby's quiet genius brought us the some of the best American films of the '70s-- Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There --movies which have not lost their compassion, relevance or unforced artfulness with the passage of time. Dawson's biography provides a thorough and insightful overview of why Ashby was so highly regarded by friends and colleagues, not just as a filmmaker, but as a remarkable human being., "Given that Ashby made several important films that continue to have substantial impact on filmmaking and as cultural references, and given the fact that Dawson tells the Ashby story in a fascinating and involving way, this work will represent an important addition to the study of film." --Timothy Meyer, coauthor of Mediated Communication: A Social Action Perspective, ""Depicts the director refusing to capitulate to an increasingly corporate industry."--Village Voice" --, ""Nick Dawson has written the first biography of Ashby, a work that examines the director's tormented personal life and childhood, and traces the troubled personal skein into an exemplary body of work in motion pictures." --Editors Guild Magazine" --, Scrupulously researched and sensitively rendered, Being Hal Ashby is the definitive biography of a protean, gone-too-soon talent., ""Ashby's quiet genius brought us the some of the best American films of the '70s -- Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There -- movies which have not lost their compassion, relevance or unforced artfulness with the passage of time. Dawson's biography provides a thorough and insightful overview of why Ashby was so highly regarded by friends and colleagues, not just as a filmmaker, but as a remarkable human being." --Lee Hill, author of A Grand Guy: The Art and Life of Terry Southern" --, ""Depicts the director refusing to capitulate to an increasingly corporate industry."-- Village Voice " --, "Penetrating, insightful, with keen and precise discussions of each of the director's films, this book is a celebration of Ashby's work and his rebellious spirit." --John Foote,Incontention.com, ""Dawson's impeccably researched and admirably clear-eyed biography reclaims Ashby from the fog of myth and sets his career in perspective, reminding us again what a loss his death was." --DGA Quarterly" --, Film scholars have frequently lamented the lack of a Hal Ashby biography. Now, there is one and it will long remain the definitive study. In addition to making a close analysis of Ashby's work, Nick Dawson has also sought out the people best qualified to provide the most informed and incisive insights into his personal life and professional achievement. There should be no excuse to deny Ashby his place among the most important American directors of the post-studio era., ""Films and books strive toward a common goal: telling a story. And very few modern filmmakers are as good at spinning a yard as the late Ashby was, the subject of a penetrating and applause-worthy biography written by film journalist Nick Dawson." --Pop Matters" --, "Dawson's impeccably researched and admirably clear-eyed biography reclaims Ashby from the fog of myth and sets his career in perspective, reminding us again what a loss his death was." --DGA Quarterly, ""Mention Hal Ashby's name these days and eyes usually glaze with nonrecognition. Start listing the late filmmaker's movies and they glimmer with admiration.... Author Nick Dawson, who wasn't born when Ashby thrived, aims to end that anonymity." --tampabay.com" --, "It's obvious that Nick Dawson has a deep appreciation of the director's work and his enthusiasm is contagious....When a book inspires me to reevaluate my own opinions about a filmmaker's career, it's well worth recommending." -- Cinebeats, "Finally somebody has put down in print -- and in fascinating, intricate detail -- what so many have known for so long, and in doing so has deepened our knowledge of Ashby's contributions to American cinema. Hal Ashby and his films are deserving of great attention; Nick Dawson's book is the first important step towards making this so." -- Aaron Hunter, Department of Film Studies, Queen's University Belfast, "Finally, a book -- and a very good one indeed -- on Hal Ashby, the neglected, least appreciated director of the 1970s. Hopefully, Dawson's excellent volume will revive his reputation and get him the attention he deserves." -- Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex-Drugs-and-Rock 'N' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood, ""Glides through Ashby's wrecked personal relationships, wisely choosing to dwell instead on the work of a man whose career consumed his life. A worthwhile portrait by a capable biographer." --Kirkus Reviews" --, "A rigorously researched, page-turning biography of the iconic director that is highly recommended." --Filmmaker Magazine, ""A rigorously researched, page-turning biography of the iconic director that is highly recommended." --Filmmaker Magazine" --, "Rebel is a biography that finally tells the full story of Ashby's unlikely journey from Ogden, Utah to Hollywood." --Facets Features, ""Given that Ashby made several important films that continue to have substantial impact on filmmaking and as cultural references, and given the fact that Dawson tells the Ashby story in a fascinating and involving way, this work will represent an important addition to the study of film."" -- Timothy Meyer, coauthor of Mediated Communication: A Social Action Perspective, ""Scrupulously researched and sensitively rendered, Being Hal Ashby is the definitive biography of a protean, gone-too-soon talent." --David Stenn, author of Bombshell: The Life and Death of Jean Harlow" --, "Dawson's impeccably researched and admirably clear-eyed biography reclaims Ashby from the fog of myth and sets his career in perspective, reminding us again what a loss his death was" -- dga Quarterly, ""[Hal's] bad luck, bad decisions, self-destruction due to excess, and stubborn refusal to get his deteriorating health checked out... [are] excellently recounted [this] book."--indieWIRE" --, ""Ashby's quiet genius brought us the some of the best American films of the '70s -- Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There -- movies which have not lost their compassion, relevance or unforced artfulness with the passage of time. Dawson's biography provides a thorough and insightful overview of why Ashby was so highly regarded by friends and colleagues, not just as a filmmaker, but as a remarkable human being." --Lee Hill, author of A Grand Guy: The Art and Life of Terry Southern " --, ""[Ashby's] speedy rise and spectacular swan dive from Tinseltown's high board is an old story, but a fascinating read as relayed by Nick Dawson in his scrupulously researched Being Hal Ashby: Life of a Hollywood Rebel." --Sunday Star Ledger" --, ""Rebel is a biography that finally tells the full story of Ashby's unlikely journey from Ogden, Utah to Hollywood." --Facets Features" --, "Dawson, an editor at FilmsInFocus, has written a superb biography of this troubled, talented man." -- Tucson Citizen, "Ashby's quiet genius brought us the some of the best American films of the '70s -- Harold and Maude, The Last Detail, Shampoo, Coming Home, and Being There -- movies which have not lost their compassion, relevance or unforced artfulness with the passage of time. Dawson's biography provides a thorough and insightful overview of why Ashby was so highly regarded by friends and colleagues, not just as a filmmaker, but as a remarkable human being." -- Lee Hill, author of A Grand Guy: The Art and Life of Terry Southern, "Dawson's superlative biography is sure to renew interest in the director of Harold and Maude, The Last Detail and Being There. He has written a comprehensive and sympathetic book, generously quoting from interviews from family and collaborators from every period of Ashby's life, as well as from personal letters.... Being Hal Ashby joins Patrick McGilligan's Robert Altman: Jumping off the liff as one of the definitive books on Seventies cinema." --Film Comment, ""Glides through Ashby's wrecked personal relationships, wisely choosing to dwell instead on the work of a man whose career consumed his life. A worthwhile portrait by a capable biographer."" -- Kirkus Reviews, "The legendary director... has finally become the subject of a long-overdue biography." --Splice Today, "Nick Dawson has written the first biography of Ashby, a work that examines the director's tormented personal life and childhood, and traces the troubled personal skein into an exemplary body of work in motion pictures." -- Editors Guild Magazine, ""It's obvious that Nick Dawson has a deep appreciation of the director's work and his enthusiasm is contagious.... When a book inspires me to reevaluate my own opinions about a filmmaker's career, it's well worth recommending." --Cinebeats" --, "A rigorously researched, page-turning biography of the iconic director that is highly recommended." -- Filmmaker Magazine, "Film scholars have frequently lamented the lack of a Hal Ashby biography. Now, there is one and it will long remain the definitive study. In addition to making a close analysis of Ashby's work, Nick Dawson has also sought out the people best qualified to provide the most informed and incisive insights into his personal life and professional achievement. There should be no excuse to deny Ashby his place among the most important American directors of the post-studio era." -- David Parkinson, author of History of Film, "Dawson depicts Ashby's professional and personal relationships in a way that is fittingly yet painfully human" -- Anniston Star, "Nick Dawson should be teaching a course in how to write a Hollywood biography. Being Hal Ashby is note perfect, with the appropriate attention paid to the art and to the artist's messy life." --Creative Loafing
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