Lost Decade, The: Altman, Coppola, Friedkin and the Hollywood Renaissance Auteur in the 1980s

Provides an analysis of Hollywood from a fresh viewpoint that shows the careers of Robert Altman, Francis Coppola, William Friedkin, and others in the 1980s as far from conforming to a monolithic pattern of decline, but rather as diverse and complex responses to political and industrial changes. The 1980s are routinely seen as the era of the blockbuster and of ‘Reaganite entertainment,' whereas the dominant view of late 1960s and early 1970s American film history is that of a ‘Hollywood Renaissance’, a relatively brief window of artistry based around a select group of directors. Yet key directors associated with the Renaissance period remained active throughout the 1980s and their work has been obscured or dismissed by a narrow, singular model of American film history. This book deals with industrial contexts that conditioned these directors’ ability to work creatively, but it is also very much about the analysis of individual films, bringing to light a range of unheralded work, from the visual experimentation of One from the Heart (Coppola, 1981) to the experimental production contexts of Secret Honor (Altman, 1984) and the stylistic élan of To Live and Die in L.A. (Friedkin, 1985). Behind the homogenous picture of the decline of the auteur in 1980s American cinema are films and careers that merit greater attention, and this book offers a new way to perceive individual films, American film history, and the viability of sustained authorial creativity within post-studio era Hollywood. Cover Contents List of figures Acknowledgements Introduction Defining the Hollywood Renaissance and the blockbuster era 1980s Hollywood: Ideology, industry and society The 1980s and the difficulties of periodization Defining the Hollywood Renaissance auteur Film history, auteurs and authorship 1 Hollywood in the 1980s: Industrial change and the marginalization of auteurist filmmaking Locating finance and distribution The studio system Independent cinema 2 Hollywood Renaissance auteurs in the 1980s Enhanced reputations: Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma Hits and misses: Peter Bogdanovich and John Milius Down and out: Arthur Penn and Hal Ashby Hardly working: Bob Rafelson and Dennis Hopper 3 Robert Altman: Escape from LA Filming theatre 1980–1982 1983–1984 Streamers Secret Honor 1985–1986 Fool for Love 1987–1989 4 Francis Coppola: Post-apocalyptic adventures 1980–1981 One from the Heart 1982–1983 The Outsiders 1984–1986 1987–1989 Tucker: The Man and His Dream 5 William Friedkin: Ambiguity and anti-heroes 1980–1982 Cruising 1983–1985 To Live and Die in L.A. 1986–1989 Rampage Conclusion Appendices Appendix 1: Directors and their 1980s feature films: Production and distribution by industry sector Appendix 2: Top grossing 1980s films directed by Hollywood Renaissance auteurs Notes Bibliography Filmography Index