Review of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls: How the Sex 'n' Drugs 'n' Rock 'n' Roll Generation Saved Hollywood (2003) by Jules Q — 01 Jan 2010

As a true film buff, I always felt I should know more about the films of the 70s, that I should be a bigger fan than I am. This documentary, based on a book by Peter Biskind, traces the history of filmmaking from the collapse of the Studio System to the rise of auteurs like Scorsese, Coppola, Bogdanovich, and Altman, followed by the young upstarts Spielberg and Lucas, who took films to a blockbuster level.

It is a fascinating history told by the directors, screenwriters, actors and producers of those very films, and yet it showed me exactly why I never really developed an interest in much of their work.

The era was defined by art that was fueled by drugs, and quite a lot of the "art" isn't my taste at all. No longer will I apologize for not being so familiar with the films of the early 70s, nor will I feel inferior because I don't care for "Easy Rider" or "Nashville" or "Midnight Cowboy" or "Raging Bull".

These are simply not of interest to me. But hearing the history-makers speak of those days and their experiences while making these films is truly fascinating, and this documentary is something every film lover should see.