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Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions

My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood

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Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions

By: Ed Zwick
Narrated by: Ed Zwick
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About this listen

 A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER * USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“This funny, insightful, and deliciously dishy memoir” (Town & Country) from the director of Blood Diamond, The Last Samurai, Legends of the Fall, and Glory, creator of thirtysomething, and executive producer of My So-Called Life, “takes its place alongside Adventures in the Screen Trade and Easy Riders, Raging Bulls as one of the indispensable behind-the-scenes books for fans of movies and television” (Aaron Sorkin).

“I’ll be dropping a few names,” Ed Zwick confesses in the introduction to his book. “Over the years I have worked with self-proclaimed masters-of-the-universe, unheralded geniuses, hacks, sociopaths, savants, and saints.”

He has encountered these Hollywood types during four decades of directing, producing, and writing projects that have collectively received eighteen Academy Award nominations (seven wins) and sixty-seven Emmy nominations (twenty-two wins). Though there are many factors behind such success, including luck and the contributions of his creative partner Marshall Herskovitz, he’s known to have a special talent for bringing out the best in the people he’s worked with, notably the actors. In those intense collaborations, he seeks to discover the small pieces of connective tissue, vulnerability, and fellowship that can help an actor realize their character in full.

Talents whom he spotted early include Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Denzel Washington, Claire Danes, and Jared Leto. Established stars he worked closely with include Leonardo DiCaprio, Anthony Hopkins, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Daniel Craig, Jake Gyllenhaal, Bruce Willis, Demi Moore, and Jennifer Connelly. He also sued Harvey Weinstein over the production of Shakespeare in Love—and won. He shares personal stories about all these people, and more.

Written mostly with love, sometimes with rue, this memoir “is not just a wonderfully intimate memoir. It's also an indispensable guide to the shark-infested waters of artistic integrity” (Cameron Crowe). Destined to become a new Hollywood classic, Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions is “a must-read for any film fan, and a sacred text for any aspiring filmmakers out there” (Forbes). Direction & Production Entertainment & Celebrities Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV Celebrity Entertainment Heartfelt Memoir
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Ed Zwick has a wonderful voice. Listening to him read his own words is a complete pleasure. Also great to hear a book properly read through by the author and not a synthetic or computer-generated rendition based on sampling. Thanks, Ed!

Enjoyable book, great performance

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I really wasn't sure what expect from this, other than hoping that it was even half as good as the reviews and comments I've noted over the last few months.
I needn't have had any reservations. Ed Zwick had a wonderful, easy going prose and his self-effacing journey is a joy!
I would heartily recommended this book to any one with even a passing interest in the making of movies. Superb *****

No Illusions here!

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Ed Zwick should be a household name. His esteemed body of work has awed audiences around the world for decades. His films span the epic and the intimate. In this entertaining and earnest memoir, Ed divulges unheard truths behind the making of his many projects. It's an honest but respectful account of a life well lived, read by the author with an impeccable skill for storytelling. This was like listening to an old friend recount tales of their interesting life.

For fans of cinema, this is a must read (or listen).

An Earnest & entertaining memoir of a Hollywood legend.

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Humble insightful and funny a lot of the time. He could have went into more details in some of his films.

Good narration from the author

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Like the movies of Ed Zwick his autobiography is clear, compelling and emotional. He has a way with words and the voice to speak them. For someone whose career seemed to just flow across the decades its interesting to hear about the up and downs with an honesty and insight that isn't always present in these kinds of memoirs.

Elegenat and erudite

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