Peter Jackson
From Prince of Splatter to Lord of the Rings
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3.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
This fascinating look at the now-celebrated director tells of the inspiration that led to the making of the three world-famous Lord of the Rings films - and the six other films that preceded them. This unauthorized biography, Peter Jackson: From Prince of Splatter to Lord of the Rings, traces the journey of a young movie fanatic, from Sunday afternoons spent fooling around with a camera, through low-budget cult movies, to control of the most ambitious film project ever, on what is probably the best-loved fantasy novel ever written.
This in-depth biography explores the many talents of the young Peter Jackson: the making of Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles, Braindead, Heavenly Creatures, Forgotten Silver, The Frighteners, and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The story behind the Rings - which tells how Jackson got the rights to make the film and the permission and funding to make three films rather than collapsing the story into just one or two films, interviews, and other behind-the-scenes material from the making of the landmark films. Past and future - in which author Ian Pryor considers Jackson's achievements and possible future - including his remake of King Kong.
From casts of zombies, traumatized puppets and murderous teenagers, to deal-making in Hollywood, this book is about following one's visions wherever they might lead.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With a fan's obsessive detailing and a New Zealander's pride in his homegrown subject matter, Pryor paints a straightforward portrait of Lord of the Rings director Jackson, from his beginnings as an 8 mm toting eight-year-old through his hit-and-miss efforts at quirky and comedic gore, to his years directing the beloved fantasy trilogy. On the heels of the final movie's record-tying 11-award win at the Academy Awards, this biography benefits both from its timing and the obvious enthusiasm Pryor brings to the topic. While at times veering into the hyperbolic, it does a fine job of explaining just what sort of character it takes for an unproven, hobbit-like director who rarely left New Zealand to persuade Hollywood to invest an estimated $320 million on a three-film package. The book suffers, however, from the author's obvious lack of access, which contributes to a secondhand characterization of Jackson, whose personality is revealed mostly through scraps from friends and family. In one particularly absurd chapter, Pryor is forced to sneak around the Rings set, Gollum-like, in order to get interesting enough (and barely that) descriptions of the production. Combined with a somewhat provincial New Zealander's perspective, that lack of proximity weakly explained on the jacket as "unauthorized" maims what could otherwise have been a fuller portrait.
