Josh Hartnett Definitely Wants To Do This

Whats it like to be an Oscar-winning director up against the machinations of modern-day Hollywood with its stars who want to write their own roles, producers who dont read scripts, highly dubious money men who promise unlimited funds: the mad, the bad and the downright notorious? In this no-holds-barred account Bruce Beresford takes us through the highs and lows of the screen trade from deals at dinner tables to dressing downs in backlots, from far-flung locations, to the centres of power, with a cast of characters that includes Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Jodie Foster, Jeffrey Archer, Morgan Freeman and many others. Delightfully literate and sharply observed, this is a candid look at the world of film-making from one of its most accomplished practitioners.

A wickedly funny account of celebrity, Hollywood and everything in between ... now in paperback. What's it like to be a veteran director up against the machinations of modern-day Hollywood, with its self-absorbed stars, studio executives who think 'Singapore' is a made-up country, destitute producers posing as lords of finance - the mad, the bad and the downright notorious? Award-winning film-maker Bruce Beresford takes us through the highs and lows of the screen trade - from high-powered dinner tables to obscure backlots, from the centres of power to far-flung locations - with a cast of characters that includes Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Jeffrey Archer, Steven Seagal, and many others. Delightfully literate and sharply observed, this is a highly entertaining insider's account of a rarely glimpsed world.

This entertaining collection of pieces from the acclaimed director of Breaker Morant, Driving Miss Daisy and Mao’s Last Dancer features memoirs, brief lives and revealing accounts of the film world. Alongside unsung heroes from behind the camera and producers of dubious repute are Madeleine St John and Clive James, Margaret Olley and Jeffrey Smart, as well as a particularly seductive 1963 EH Holden—and Bruce Beresford’s father, whose strange and startling decline in old age is charted in a brilliant, poignant essay. Opinionated, wry and engaging, The Best Film I Never Made will provoke and delight in equal measure. It is the ideal gift not only for cinema buffs but for anyone interested in music, art or literature. Bruce Beresford has directed more than two dozen films, including Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy, Black Robe, Double Jeopardy and Mao’s Last Dancer. He has directed Rigoletto for the Los Angeles Opera and A Streetcar Named Desire for Opera Australia, and is the author of Josh Hartnett Definitely Wants to Do This. He lives in Sydney. ‘Beresford’s style resembles the action of a veteran wrist-spinner. His technique looks loose, even effortless. His sentences drift along genially for a while, then suddenly bite the pitch and turn...He isn’t merely smart by Hollywood standards. He is smart by any standard...In a world rife with philistines, he demonstrates that the best revenge is laughter, and living and working well.’ Australian ‘Beresford writes with skill and insight, humour.’ Otago Daily Times ‘This quirky collection of occasional writings from 2007 to 2017 paints a picture of a modest man with a curious mind...Beresford retains a wry sense of humour and an enjoyable willingness to share candid and unflattering details.’ Big Issue ‘A collection of warm, droll and often frank personal essays...An honest and reflective book.’ AU Review

The revealing and candid memoir of Australia's legendary playwright and screenwriter The definitive memoir of David Williamson, author of iconic dramas such as The Removalists, The Club, Don's Party, Emerald City and Travelling North, as well as more than fifty other plays, explores the life of the writer and the true stories and real lives that inspired his works. A powerful force in theatre since the 1970s, Williamson's plays have uniquely explored the pulse of our Australianness. After five decades of chronicling the blunders, mishaps and messes that he and his fellow Australians got themselves into, Williamson has penned his long-awaited memoir, Home Truths. It reveals the story of the man behind the work: how a childhood defined by marital discord sparked a lifelong fascination with the power of drama to explore emotional conflict; how a mechanical engineering student became our most successful playwright; the anxiety that plagued him as he crafted his plays; the joy of connecting with an audience and the enduring sting of the critics; and the great love story that defined his personal life. Fearless, candid and witty, Williamson also writes about the plethora of odd, interesting, caustic and brilliant people – actors, directors, writers, theatre critics, politicians – who have intersected with his life and work: from a young Jacki Weaver and Chris Haywood in the first Sydney production of The Removalists in 1971 to Nicole Kidman on the brink of stardom in the 1988 feature film of Emerald City and lively dinners with political powerhouse Paul Keating; and from Graham Kennedy in the 1976 film version of Don's Party through eventful overseas travels with Gareth Evans, Peter Carey and Tim Winton to a West End production of Up for Grabs starring Madonna, and the satisfaction of seeing his sons Felix and Rory tread the boards in several of his own plays. Praise for David Williamson: 'Australia's most enduringly popular social comedy writer … keenly observant and satirical.' The Sydney Morning Herald 'Williamson always keeps us engaged … his words weave a spellbinding course … testament to the power of [his] language.' The Daily Telegraph 'Our greatest dramatic entertainer.' Chris Boyd, Financial Review 'His genius has been to define for us, in advance of our own recognition, the qualities which make up the Australian character.' Katharine Brisbane, The Australian 'It would be impossible to fault Williamson for not being brutally honest.' Jasper Lindell, Canberra Times 'Known for his sharp wit, brutal dialogue and fierce politics, Williamson's book is savage, funny and tender in equal parts. It's also first-class eyewitness cultural history.' Filmink 'Home Truths unfurls a sweeping and surprising life. It is a potpourri of Australian middle-class mores, exiting cultural schisms in the nation's theatre fuelled by young men and women who would go on to change the face of stage and screen, the politics of the day, love trysts and betrayal, backstage drama, fame and financial success, family, enemies made and friends lost, marriage and divorce, all backdropped by Williamson's remarkable work.' Matthew Condon, The Australian '... the overall momentum is powerfully sustained. Home Truths is as much a collective portrait as a self-portrait, and anyone who picks it up is likely to be carried on by the surge and the propulsion.' Peter Craven, Sydney Morning Herald 'Like so many of his plays, it is name-dropping, gossipy and wonderfully entertaining.' Susan Lever, Inside Story 'The book is packed with detail, personal and professional, as he covers his life step by step, highs and lows, plenty of each.' NZ Listener

"Cinematic Independence traces the emergence, demise, and rebirth of big-screen film exhibition in Nigeria. Film companies flocked to Nigeria in the years following independence, beginning a long history of interventions by Hollywood and corporate America. The 1980s and 90s saw a shuttering of cinemas, which were almost entirely replaced by television and direct-to-video movies. After 1999, the exhibition sector was again revitalized with the construction of multiplexes. Cinematic Independence is about the periods that straddle this disappearing act: the decades bracketing independence in 1960, and the years after 1999. At stake in both instances is the postcolony's role in global debates about the future of the movie theater. That it was eventually resurrected in the flashy form of the multiplex is not simply an achievement of commercial real estate but also a testament to cinema's persistence--its capacity to stave off annihilation or, in this case, come back from the dead"--

A comprehensive compendium of cult website Den of Geek's most popular articles combined with new material to create the ultimate alternative encyclopedia of film.

In this fascinating account, leading Australian military historians tackle 10 of the most enduring historical zombies, or national myths, that have staggered their way through the halls of military history for more than 200 years. From Aboriginal resistance and invasion to Australia’s recent involvement in East Timor, this record disproves the incorrectly memorialized and so-called gallant deeds of past Australian servicemen. Provocative and opinionated, this record attempts to correct the historical record.

Reading like a survival manual for aspiring filmmakers, this book offers a fascinating insight into film-making in the 1990s from two of Australias most successful film practitioners. Between 1989 and 1997, Bruce Beresford and Sue Milliken made nine films between them, two of which they made together. And when they werent on set, they used the fax machine to stay in touch. As well as taking care of business, the faxes were a commentary -- sometimes droll and often wry -- on life around them, written to amuse and liberally laced with industry gossip. Sent from Broome and South Africa and beyond, they make a fun, fascinating, informative and ultimately charming read.

Fans of this rising star of several recent major motion pictures ("Pearl Harbor, Blackhawk Down, 40 Days and 40 Nights")--who has been compared to Gary Cooper and Leonardo DiCaprio--can get the inside scoop on Hartnett's life story and his insights on his meteoric rise as an actor. Packed with full-color photos.