High Concept: Don Simpson and the Hollywood Culture of Indulgence

Using the life and career of producer Don Simpson as a point of departure, High Concept takes readers on a journey inside the Hollywood of the 1980s and 1990s. Throughout the period, Simpson and his partner, Jerry Bruckheimer, were the most successful independent producers in the history of moviemaking, responsible for the hit films Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Bad Boys, and The Rock. But at the same time that his vision was driving the Hollywood bottom line, Simpson's lifestyle epitomized the pervasive dark side of the industry's power base. His legendary consumption knew no bounds. And as long as he continued to crank out box-office gold, his every desire was conspicuously indulged - an unrestrained excess that killed him and sent a warning cry throughout the entire industry. An account of the life and times of the late Don Simpson, who produced films such as Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop and Flashdance and was also reputed to have a legendary appitite for sex and drugs. The author argues that the profligacy and moral emptiness of its key players, continues to drive the excesses of Hollywood. Using the life and career of Don Simpson as a point of departure, this work takes readers on a journey inside the Hollywood of the 1980s and 90s. This is a tale of the rise of the key players and how the Don Simpson way became the Hollywood way. Contents Contents-viii Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Notes Index