The Rude Warrior
Until five years ago, Mel Gibson was one of the best-loved and best-paid talents in Hollywood, not to mention one of the town’s few real family men. How to explain the foulmouthed, violent bigotry that has since burst into public view, making him an industry pariah, even as his 26-year marriage imploded? With the help of Gibson’s friends—and his movies—Peter Biskind delves into the roots of a star’s divided life.
Midnight Revolution
The day an X-rated walk on the dark side called “Midnight Cowboy” won the Oscar for best picture, a new generation came to power in Hollywood. Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, and others remember how they helped director John Schlesinger rewrite the rules on a project that was every bit as risky as its subject matter.
Madness in Morocco: The Road to Ishtar
It was a high-stakes gamble, sending three of Hollywood’s biggest, most uncompromising talents—Warren Beatty, Elaine May, and Dustin Hoffman—to make a movie in the middle of the Sahara.
The Last of Heath
When Heath Ledger died, he was deep into filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus with his friend and mentor, director Terry Gilliam. How the 28-year-old star’s last movie was rescued by a trio of friends: Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell.