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cheraford's review
4.0
Great read. Douglas is a natural storyteller and I loved his reflections back on his younger self.
jhouses's review
3.0
Kirk Douglas nos cuenta como el solito acabó con la caza de brujas y realizó Espartaco, a pesar de McCarthy, Nixon, Kubrick, Ustinov, Olivier y, curiosamente, Carmen Polo de Franco. No dejan de ser las historias del agüelo Cebolleta y no termina de coordinar con la versión de Ustinov que había leído previamente pero entretiene.
andrewgraphics's review
5.0
As a Kubrick fan I've seen this film several times, and tho I knew it was controversial because Dalton Trumbo (famously black-listed writer) had his name in the credits, I've never known how much Douglas fought to bring this to the screen.
Told from Douglas' perspective (some 40 years later), this is not only a film star and producer struggling to put a great story on the screen, but someone fighting to break a wrong-headed system from the inside.
Great anecdotes, full of personality, never shying away from incidents that don't necessarily show him in the best light.
I also love non-fiction audio-books read by the author, and tho Kirk does not read this, his son Michael Douglas sounds enough like him that if you're not aware of it it's as if Kirk is telling it himself.
Highly recommended on many fronts: film buffs, Douglas and/or Kubrick fans, and people who love activists fighting to change society for the better.
Told from Douglas' perspective (some 40 years later), this is not only a film star and producer struggling to put a great story on the screen, but someone fighting to break a wrong-headed system from the inside.
Great anecdotes, full of personality, never shying away from incidents that don't necessarily show him in the best light.
I also love non-fiction audio-books read by the author, and tho Kirk does not read this, his son Michael Douglas sounds enough like him that if you're not aware of it it's as if Kirk is telling it himself.
Highly recommended on many fronts: film buffs, Douglas and/or Kubrick fans, and people who love activists fighting to change society for the better.
mike_baker's review
5.0
Listened to the audiobook, as read by Michael Douglas. It's a wonderful book, written by one of my favourite Golden Age actors and a man with a conscience. The subtext of SPARTACUS was the harsh treatment of Americans by HUAC and Douglas talks about that, principally his decision to get the script written by Dalton Trumbo and the ensuing fallout. Stanley Kubrick comes across as a bit of a jerk. Douglas interrupts his account of the making of this excellent movie by discussing his regrets, those built over a lifetime, and it's very poignant. All in all a superb and short piece of work. I'm off to watch the film (again) now.
sammystarbuck's review against another edition
3.0
An interesting look behind the scenes of one of the greatest epics of the 20th century. Although it is worth noting that there is actually surprisingly little about the actual making of the movie, instead it focuses on the effects of the blacklist (suspected communist sympathisers were banned from working in Hollywood. Some were even incarcerated.) and the politics and squabbles that had to be overcome in order to get the movie made.
Surprisingly, I didn't think much to the audio narration by Michael Douglas. While it's perfectly fitting he read the book for his father, I suspect he's not done much in the way of narration before, as he comes across as quite stilted, and puts stresses in strange places, usually indicative of trying to read faster than your brain can process the sentence structure.
Definitely an interesting book, but the performance was mediocre.
Surprisingly, I didn't think much to the audio narration by Michael Douglas. While it's perfectly fitting he read the book for his father, I suspect he's not done much in the way of narration before, as he comes across as quite stilted, and puts stresses in strange places, usually indicative of trying to read faster than your brain can process the sentence structure.
Definitely an interesting book, but the performance was mediocre.
nocturnalhorrors's review
5.0
Spartacus is good...but the making of it is better.
From Dalton Trumbo's brilliance, to Douglas demanding Kubrick change his clothes every once in a while, to Peter Ustinov's hilarious, Oscar performance to Olivier and Laughton's disdain for each other, to the most incredible scene in the entire film that was cut between Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier in the bath together, discussing the enjoyment of both "oysters verse snails" only to be reduced by Anthony Hopkins decades later, this book had so much to offer.
Sure, Kirk Douglas, 50 years later is probably remembering some of these moments to make himself look absolutely wonderful and perfect, but at the same time, what autobiography/memoir doesn't do that?
Perhaps I'm rating this too high, but if you're a fan of Trumbo, Douglas, Kubrick, Spartacus, film history, then this is a quick, must read.
PS...Vivien Leigh yelling at Olivier, "Why won't you f*ck me anymore?" in front of everyone at their party. Yikes!
From Dalton Trumbo's brilliance, to Douglas demanding Kubrick change his clothes every once in a while, to Peter Ustinov's hilarious, Oscar performance to Olivier and Laughton's disdain for each other, to the most incredible scene in the entire film that was cut between Tony Curtis and Laurence Olivier in the bath together, discussing the enjoyment of both "oysters verse snails" only to be reduced by Anthony Hopkins decades later, this book had so much to offer.
Sure, Kirk Douglas, 50 years later is probably remembering some of these moments to make himself look absolutely wonderful and perfect, but at the same time, what autobiography/memoir doesn't do that?
Perhaps I'm rating this too high, but if you're a fan of Trumbo, Douglas, Kubrick, Spartacus, film history, then this is a quick, must read.
PS...Vivien Leigh yelling at Olivier, "Why won't you f*ck me anymore?" in front of everyone at their party. Yikes!
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