tech
March 3, 2026
The Last Kings of Hollywood by Paul Fischer review
An epic account of how three demigod directors, in pursuit of indie freedom, redefined American film-making
TL;DR
- The New Hollywood era, influenced by the French New Wave and American counterculture, saw directors like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and Francis Ford Coppola rise to prominence.
- These directors achieved significant global acclaim by their early thirties, being honored at the White House by President Jimmy Carter.
- George Lucas exhibited early concerns about technological changes impacting the film industry, predicting the rise of short-form content.
- Lucas focused on technological innovation and franchise building with Lucasfilm, while Coppola pursued independent filmmaking and diverse projects.
- Spielberg also founded his own studio, DreamWorks, and achieved mainstream success with a variety of films.
- The era was marked by sexism, with female filmmakers like Stephanie Rothman and Nancy Dowd facing significant barriers to success.
- Coppola's Zoetrope Studios represented an anarchic pursuit of independent filmmaking, contrasting with Lucasfilm's focus on technology and profit.
- Fischer's book provides a detailed account but is noted for its lack of analysis of broader historical and economic factors, and for omitting key events like the failure of 'Heaven's Gate'.
- The article mentions Peter Biskind's 'Easy Riders, Raging Bulls' and Mark Harris's 'Scenes from a Revolution' as other works examining this period.
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