Bronsonýs Loose!: The Making of the Death Wish Films

by Paul Talbot

In the summer of 1974 the movie Death Wish stunned audiences with its powerful story of an enraged businessman who hits the streets with a handgun to avenge the brutal violation of his wife and daughter. The film packed theaters with cheering moviegoers, became one of the highest-grossing and most controversial movies of the year, and turned star Charles Bronson into the hottest screen icon in the world. Over the next twenty years, four increasingly-violent sequels delivered thrills to a growing legion of fans and solidified the legend of Charles Bronson. Now, for the first time, Death Wish fanatics, Bronson cultists, and action movie lovers will discover fascinating information about the series. In exclusive comments, director Michael Winner, actor Kevyn Major Howard, novelist Brian Garfield, and many others reveal what it was like to work on the Death Wish movies with one of the most charismatic and elusive stars of all time. Covering every aspect of all five movies (including unused casting suggestions, deleted scenes and alternate cuts) and loaded with rare advertising artwork, Bronson's Loose!: The Making of the "Death Wish" Films tells the compelling, untold story behind the most explosive action series in film history.

Genres: Film

176 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2006

Reviews

[Lee Goldberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

You don't have to be a DEATH WISH fan -- and I'm not -- to enjoy this highly entertaining and informative book about the making of the cult classic Charles Bronson vigilante film and its lesser (and inevitable) sequels. Author Paul Talbot has done a remarkable job, interviewing all the major players behind the development and production of the DEATH WISH movies (including Brian Garfield, the author of the original novel), and delivering a tight little book that is packed solid with fascinating details and wonderful anecdotes. I strongly recommend it to anyone interested in screenwriting and movie-making. It's a lot of fun to read.

(As an aside, it's surprising to me that this book was self-published by Talbot -- through iUniverse -- rather than coming from an established NY publisher. The book deserves a wide release in brick-and-mortar stores and but it's unlikely to happen with an iUniverse title, and that's a shame).

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

The original Death Wish is a good, serious film about law and order. Death Wish II is an inept sleaze fest. Death Wish 3 is a hoot. Death Wish 4 is a competent action film. Death Wish 5 is rubbish. And yet these films and their star, Charles Bronson, became action movie archetypes. This well researched, well written book explains why. It's an affectionate look at a film series which might have oscillated wildly in quality but was always entertaining. An excellent read.

[Van Roberts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paul Talbot's book about Charles Bronson and the "Death Wish" franchise is a must-read volume for anybody who saw all those Bronson burners where they ignited screen back in the day. If you are a film fanatic like me who loves to learn more about movies, this book is simply indispensable. I gained new insights about the films and discovered all kinds of interesting trivia. Talbot was able to interview director Michael Winner, who helmed the first three "Death Wish" epics, as well as members of the cast and crew. Whetting my imagination the way that Talbot did, I found myself going back and watching those movies. Talbot has done a great service for film scholars, and this often ridiculed and skewered films take on a new flavor not only on their own, but also the reactions of film insiders who initially believed that nobody in his right mind would make a movie out of Brian Garfield's novels.

[Andy Rausch · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this book for years but just never seemed to get around to it. Finally, one day I remembered it, had some money to spare, and ordered it. My TBR stacks are many, and yet this book pulled me in immediately. Bravo, Paul Talbot! This book made me remember everything I love about indie film books. I only recently had a literary agent bemoan indie books to me, telling me how they were trash and not worth anyone's time. I didn't agree with him (although the types of books he describes do exist), and books like this are absolutely the reason why.

There are a lot of niche books that don't interest thousands or millions of readers. But they do have fans and people who are dying to read them. This book is a fine example of that. Talbot's writing and research are extraordinary. I absolutely love this book and cannot wait to read its sequel. If you have any interest in the Death Wish films, Charles Bronson, Canon films, 70s and 80s action thrillers, or just filmmaking in general, this book is not to be missed.

I wholeheartedly recommend this. I absolutely loved this book. If you ever see this review, Paul Talbot, thank you so much for writing and sharing this book with us!

[Joe Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge fan of Charles Bronson, particularly his work in the infamous "Death Wish" film series. I've seen all five of these movies multiple times, and I even hosted a marathon of them back during high school. Unfortunately, information about these films is sparse as they have mostly fallen out of the public conscious and 'Charlie B' was not particularly fond of interviews.

Thankfully, author Paul Talbot self-published a book called "Bronson's Loose: The Making of the Death Wish Films" in 2006. This book is fantastic look back at all five of the "Death Wish" movies, including in-depth interviews with other cast members, the author of the book the first film is based on, and also the director of the first three: Michael Winner.

What makes this book so readable in the eccentric "cast" of characters that surrounds this franchise. Original "Death Wish" novel author Brian Garfield disliked the film series his writing inspired and openly resented how Hollywood adapted his work. Director Michael Winner was a loud-mouthed sleazebag who made sure his entries in the series broke the boundaries of good taste at every opportunity. Producer Menahem Golan was the infamous "schlok-meister" from Cannon Films who saw these films as his ticket to the Hollywood A-list.

And then there was Charlie Bronson. Although soft-spoken & polite in public, he was often ornery, anti-social, and miserable on-set. He didn't approve of Winner's tacky exploitation antics in Death Wish 2 & 3, and vowed never to work with him again after shooting wrapped on 3. And he resented being typecasted as Cannon's 'go-to-guy' for late-'80s rental store action flicks.

That said, he also knew the action film audiences of the 1980's loved him, so he he gave it his all each time out, even performing his own stunts (!) in the later entries. If you're a fan of Charles Bronson, Death Wish, Cannon Films, b-list action movies (or all of the above), then Paul Talbot's "Bronson's Loose: The Making of the Death Wish Films" is highly recommended! And once you finish that, check out Talbot's follow up, Bronson's Loose Again and also the documentary, Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films.

[Mariah Startzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you haven’t seen any of the Death Wish movies (I through V ranging in dates from 1974-1994), they can be summed up in one word: violence. Each movie is filled with violent action, but Charles Bronson, the lead actor, adds a bit of class to the whole series. The main reason I watched the Death Wish movies was the promise of Charles Bronson’s wonderful acting. And while I do not believe the Death Wish movies are even close to being Charles Bronson’s best films, they were the most popular in the United States. This book was brought to my attention after watching the films and I was curious what it had to say. Again, I was mostly interested in any stories about Bronson, but I was pleasantly surprised with the information included on each movie. “Bronson’s Loose!” goes over all the aspects of the filmmaking, such as the writing, producing, directing, and acting. It also touches on the hits and misses with critics and at the box office. Some movies in the series just seem like senseless violence (and there definitely is), but it’s really interesting to see the stories behind how they came to be, because they didn’t all start that way. It was also fascinating to read about how Bronson acted behind the scenes. He was a very private and mainly reserved individual and it affected his interactions with co-stars and the crew, for better or for worse. This book also has a sequel called “Bronson’s Loose Again!” that deals with Charles Bronson’s films in general and after enjoying this book, I look forward to reading that as well. My only criticism is that I wish the book was longer, but I understand you can only write so much about the information you can find. But I do believe “Bronson’s Loose!” is absolutely jam packed as it is, I just wish there was more.

[Adrian Reigne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Big Charlie Bronson fan over here. At least once a year, usually around the holidays, I have to watch "The Mechanic" and all the Death Wish movies. But what was Bronson like behind the scenes? This book gives you a tiny glimpse and you'll be shocked to find out--he was a far cry from the hardened tough guy he played in those Golan/Globus shoot-em-ups. Pretty interesting read for fans of the man and his iconic 'stache. You can't see me right now, but I'm making gun fingers and giving you a wink. Enjoy.😉👉🏽

[Sipovic · Rating 3 out of 5]

История франчизы "Death Wish", попавшей из-за высокого уровня насилия на улицах середине семидесятых , не в бровь, а в глаз.
Парадоксально, но совсем не Бронсон, а режиссёр первых трех Майкл Виннер выходит самым ярким персонажем книги с его садизмом и кровожадностью в кадре, крайне странным взглядом на то, что приносит успех( он не ждал многого от оригинала, потому что на снегу не видно крови) съемками в два дубля, ну и общим беспредельным отношение м к жизни
Ничего особенного, но этот яркий персонаж, запредельный уровень цинизма и идиотизма, окружающий эту серию не дают скучать

[Mikołaj Florczak · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nie jest to nic wybitnego. Czuć, że to raczej fanowskie wydawnictwo, gdzie znaczną część wypełniają cytaty z prasy lub innych książek. Pozycja raczej dla osób, które lubią wszelkie "making of" i ciekawi je pokrętna historia wytwórni Cannon. Momentami język angielski jest przekombinowany, więc nieco trudniej o złapanie kontekstu.

[Jonathon Dabell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bronson's Loose: The Making Of The Death Wish Films is a very informative and interesting movie trivia book. What really impressed me about it is that you don't have to like the Death Wish movies to enjoy this book about their making. If you are a series fan, you'll definitely love this book. But if you're not, there's still much to admire. The book is written in a very balanced and reasoned way - it's a warts-and-all account, in which some of the people that have been interviewed and quoted rather dislike the movies. The author skillfully avoids excessive bias. His book is packed with fascinating anecdotes, casting rumours, cast interviews, script rewrite information, and much more. The only part of the book that I found rather blandly written was the plot synopses of the five Death Wish movies at the very end. These synopses seemed rather clumsily done, certainly in comparison to the rest of the book. However, this is a really good little film book on the whole and it gets two thumbs up from me!

[Neil Sarver · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has been on my "to-read" shelf for so long that it's almost an anticlimax that I sat down and read in one sitting. It's a testament to just how well-written it is that I did, though. It's so fun and filled with amusing and charming details, piecing together the details of the making of this rather disjointed series of movies, the sequels all seeming to have unique fanbases, which is captured in the background details of the interviews here.

Now, I need to not take so long to read Bronson's Loose Again! On the Set with Charles Bronson.

[Jose · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little book about the Great Death Wish series of movies with The Great Bronson in it. My only gripe is there is no color photos or color artwork just the cover and some black and white photos as well as pictures of the posters/artwork in black and white.It is a movie by movie synopsis and some interviews with people behind the movies themselves.Not exhaustive but pretty close.the Second book Bronson's Loose Again is the rest Of Bronson's Post-Deathwish career and for me not as good as this.I recommend both however for all Bronson fans! Just wish there was Color artwork inside the book and more color photos.

[I.D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delivers exactly what was promised, a look at the making of the Death Wish movies AND ONLY the Death Wish movies. There’s some cool anecdotes and lots of interviews and quotes from press but don’t expect much biographical detail on anyone. What you get is just lots of info on 5 movies which in this case is a fun, if brief read
Just about the only person (besides Bronson) who needed to be interviewed was Golan, but unfortunately that didn’t happen. Of particular note are the quotes from Michael Winner which are almost worth the price of admission on their own.

**accidentally read it twice and it didn’t even bother me!

[Michael Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite book of 2023 a real great read goes into great detail regarding all five Death Wish movies with production information how the movies where casted how much each cost to make and how well they performed and some very interesting behind the scenes stories, but most interestingly how Bronson felt regarding each movie and stories from cast members and directors about Bronson on each film too. Definitely my easiest read of the year as I kept wanting to get back to it and read more an easy 5 stars ⭐️

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read! Enjoyable information about the Death Wish series, Charles Bronson and movie making. A behind the scenes look with many quotes by those involved in making the DW series - actors, directors, producers, etc. Particularly interesting is the testament of some actors describing how they created their characters - the nuances and quirks. Would have loved to see more stories about Mr. Bronson but those included are a nice read to a Charles Bronson fan.

[Rob · Rating 3 out of 5]

An informative look at the making of the Death Wish series of films.