Levinson on Levinson

by David Thompson

Besides being involved with big-budget Hollywood films, directing "RAIN MAN," "GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM," "THE NATURAL," directing/producing "WAG THE DOG" and "BUGSY," and writing/directing/producing "TOYS", Barry Levinson has created more personal films, specifically the Baltimore trilogy of DINER", "TIN MEN" and "AVALON." This book covers the beginning of his career up through "TOYS" [1992] with edits by David Thompson from interviews in Los Angeles during one week in September 1991. With over 70 b&w photos, the six chapters take you Baltimore to Los Angeles; Mel Brooks to "DINER;" "DINER" to "YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES;" "TIN MEN" to "RAIN MAN;" with a stop in "AVALON" before wrapping up with From "BUGSY" to "TOYS." The book includes a list of illustrations/photos, acknowledgements, an intro by editor David Thompson, a filmography 1969-1992, A Note on the Editor, and an index.

Genres: Film, Biography

170 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 1992

About the author

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Reviews

[Mark]

Originally published in 1992 (I didn’t know it existed until last week), this is part of the same Faber series as the Cronenberg and Scorsese books I’ve read and loved in the past. The format is simple, a director is interviewed about his life and films and his answers then form the text of the piece. Edited by David Thompson, this gives us a quick run-down of his early life then his move into comedy (who knew he was in a comedy partnership with Craig T Nelson?), writing and directing. The format dictates that a lot of things seem to happen easily (though Levinson stresses things took years to come together) but it’s great to hear of a creative’s intents and ideas within a project and how he went about the work. Well worth a read, for his insights about the creative process as much as his memories of working on some memorable films, this is a cracking book I’d highly recommend.