Orson Welles' Last Movie

[Kane76]

I just got this book yesterday and am enjoying it immensely. Great stories, with terrific characters, all led by Orson on a whirlwind of a project. It's terrific.

[Le Chiffre]

I'm enjoying it a lot too, even though it certainly doesn't let Welles himself off the hook for what happened to the film. Here's a mixed review by Janet Maslin in the New York Times that calls the book "lively but hyperbolic", though she doesn't bother to define what's hyperbolic about it. She also says McBride's "Whatever Happened To Orson Welles" from 2006 is much more insightful about Welles, but she doesn't explain how:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/23/books ... opics&_r=1

[jbrooks]

My copy arrived yesterday from Amazon. I read the first chapter and skimmed some of the rest. I look forward to digging into it more. My preliminary and premature observations so far -- 1) it's well written; 2) notwithstanding point one, Karp misuses the word "infer" when he means "imply" (I think this is on page 9 but don't have the book in front of me.) How could an editor fail to catch that? Somewhat worrisome. 3) the paper quality of the physical book seems very poor -- as though it will be yellow and brittle before the year is out (not Karp's fault, obviously); 4) much of this is stuff you've heard or read before if you've read the main Welles biographies, Joseph McBride's last book on Welles, Gary Graver's book, etc. 5) there are some new facts and insights (maybe a lot of them -- as I said, I haven't read all of it yet); and 6) It's great to have all the Wind info and stories in one place.

I'm excited to read the whole thing. I don't mean to "imply" that you shouldn't get it. Please don't "infer" that from my post.

[tonyw]

Editors are not as good as they used to be but that depends who the publisher is. Columbia University Press is really good. I've ordered this book for our library.

[Wellesnet]

WSJ:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-genius-wi ... 1430512500

Entertainment Weekly:

Filmmaker Orson Welles blustered about a great many things—artistic control, casting, hell, even frozen peas. But in Josh Karp’s excellent new book, you get a sensitively rendered and panoramic depiction of that famous megalomania. Orson Welles’s Last Movie chronicles the disastrous making-of drama behind Welles’ Iranian-funded, still-unseen final film, The Other Side of the Wind, a deeply strange, supermeta project about a legendary closeted moviemaker’s 70th birthday party, which happens on the final day of his life. (Spooky: Welles himself, who many assumed was the basis for the lead character, also died at 70.) Welles is as ripe a subject as any to depict Hollywood hubris, but Karp’s lively tone keeps him on a balanced, human level. More than anything, Movie paints the Citizen Kane vanguard as something of a Gatsby desperately seeking his own Nick Carraway to understand his overactive mind. There’s no shortage of hilarious anecdotes here: Welles berating a PA for not getting sandwiches for the crew members so they could then work with one free hand; the actors questioning a note to dejectedly look down at their feet so Welles could add “midgets” to their scene later. But the most delicious irony of all might be that this tale of the ultimate movie gone wrong could make for a pretty wonderful movie. A–

MEMORABLE LINES
“There’s only one other thing I hate as much as [an actor praying on film] and that’s sex,” Welles said. “You just can’t get in bed or pray to God and convince me on the screen.”

[tonyw]

I managed to get the library to acquire Josh's book (along with other recent Welles ones) before their year's budget ran out. But when I read comments concerning megalomania I hope that the book (which I have to begin reading soon) will not contribute to the "crazy Welles" legend rather than examining TOSOTW as an independent film mixing generic elements together as was common in the later work.

[Wellesnet]

Visit the Facebook page for "Orson Welles's Last Movie", filled with good links to reviews of the book:
https://www.facebook.com/OrsonsLastMovie?fref=ts

[davidjohnson789]

I also enjoy the film alot. The film is available on amason. The story is intersting one.Orson said that the film "(was) not autobiographical" and revised the script daily on set. It was shot on a mix of 35mm, 16mm, and 8mm formats in both color and black & white.

[Wellesnet]

I also enjoy the film alot. The film is available on amason.

Film?