Syndetics cover image
Image from Syndetics

The last action heroes : the triumphs, flops, and feuds of Hollywood's kings of carnage / Nick de Semlyen.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: New York : Crown, [2023]Copyright date: ©2023Edition: First editionDescription: xiii, 334 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780593238806
  • 059323880X
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
Prologue -- The Stallion -- The Tank -- Tooling up -- The cowboy and the cannonball -- Maximalism -- Knock knock -- The Alien -- Foreign policies -- The Great One -- Welcome to the party, pal -- Supercops -- Funny or die -- Double impact -- Planet Arnold -- Old habits -- Born again -- Oil and water -- The ice age -- Epilogue.
Summary: "The behind-the-scenes story of the larger-than-life action stars who ruled '80s and '90s Hollywood--Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, and Jean-Claude Van Damme--and the beloved films that made them stars, including Die Hard, Rambo, and The Terminator. The Last Action Heroes opens in 1990, at the Cannes film festival, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone finally forged a truce. After years of bitter behind-the scenes combat--Stallone once threw a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger's head; the body count in Schwarzenegger's Commando was increased to "have a bigger d*** than Rambo"--the world's biggest action stars had at last formed a friendship. In The Last Action Heroes, film journalist Nick de Semlyen charts their wild, carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship. He also reveals the personal stories of the colorful characters who ascended in their wake, from Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, to Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan. But as the '80s rolled on, the era of the invincible action hero who used muscle, martial arts, or the perfect weapon to save the day started to fade. When Jurassic Park trounced Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero in 1993, everyone knew that the glory days of these macho men--and the vision of masculinity they celebrated--were officially over. Drawing on candid interviews with the action stars themselves, plus their collaborators, friends, and foes, The Last Action Heroes is a no-holds-barred account of a period in Hollywood history when there were no limits to the heights of fame these men achieved, or to the mayhem they wrought, onscreen and off"-- Provided by publisher.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 791.4302 D451 Available 33111011296635
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The behind-the-scenes story of the action heroes who ruled 1980s and '90s Hollywood and the beloved films that made them stars, including Die Hard, First Blood, The Terminator , and more.

"Entertaining . . . This is a book that makes you ache for the days when the movie screen belonged not to men who dress in superhero capes but to those who lift weights."-- Washington Examiner

A NEWSWEEK BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

The Last Action Heroes opens in May 1990 in Cannes, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone waltzing together, cheered on by a crowd of famous faces. After years of bitter combat--Stallone once threw a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger's head, and the body count in Schwarzenegger's Commando was increased so the film would "have a bigger dick than Rambo "--the world's biggest action stars have at last made peace.

In this wildly entertaining account of the golden age of the action movie, Nick de Semlyen charts Stallone and Schwarzenegger's carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship against the backdrop of Reagan's America and the Cold War. He also reveals fascinating untold stories of the colorful characters who ascended in their wake: high-kickers Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan, glowering tough guys Dolph Lundgren and Steven Seagal, and quipping troublemakers Jean-Claude Van Damme and Bruce Willis. But as time rolled on, the era of the invincible action hero who used muscle, martial arts, or the perfect weapon to save the day began to fade. When Jurassic Park trounced Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero in 1993, the glory days of these macho men--and the vision of masculinity they celebrated--were officially over.

Drawing on candid interviews with the action stars themselves, plus their collaborators, friends, and foes, The Last Action Heroes is a no-holds-barred account of a period in Hollywood history when there were no limits to the heights of fame these men achieved, or to the mayhem they wrought, on-screen and off.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-318) and index.

"The behind-the-scenes story of the larger-than-life action stars who ruled '80s and '90s Hollywood--Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, and Jean-Claude Van Damme--and the beloved films that made them stars, including Die Hard, Rambo, and The Terminator. The Last Action Heroes opens in 1990, at the Cannes film festival, where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone finally forged a truce. After years of bitter behind-the scenes combat--Stallone once threw a bowl of flowers at Schwarzenegger's head; the body count in Schwarzenegger's Commando was increased to "have a bigger d*** than Rambo"--the world's biggest action stars had at last formed a friendship. In The Last Action Heroes, film journalist Nick de Semlyen charts their wild, carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship. He also reveals the personal stories of the colorful characters who ascended in their wake, from Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal, to Chuck Norris and Jackie Chan. But as the '80s rolled on, the era of the invincible action hero who used muscle, martial arts, or the perfect weapon to save the day started to fade. When Jurassic Park trounced Schwarzenegger's Last Action Hero in 1993, everyone knew that the glory days of these macho men--and the vision of masculinity they celebrated--were officially over. Drawing on candid interviews with the action stars themselves, plus their collaborators, friends, and foes, The Last Action Heroes is a no-holds-barred account of a period in Hollywood history when there were no limits to the heights of fame these men achieved, or to the mayhem they wrought, onscreen and off"-- Provided by publisher.

Prologue -- The Stallion -- The Tank -- Tooling up -- The cowboy and the cannonball -- Maximalism -- Knock knock -- The Alien -- Foreign policies -- The Great One -- Welcome to the party, pal -- Supercops -- Funny or die -- Double impact -- Planet Arnold -- Old habits -- Born again -- Oil and water -- The ice age -- Epilogue.

Powered by Koha