Hal Ashby

Covering his entire career, these interviews offer an unrivalled insight into the mind and works of Hal Ashby, one of Hollywood's greatest lost talents. Hal Ashby (1929-1988) is considered by many to he lost genius of the New Hollywood generation. While his name does not bear the familiarity of Robert Altman or Martin Scorsese, his diverse films are among the best known and most beloved of the era. From the cult classic "Harold and Maude" (1971) to the iconic political satire "Being There" (1979), from the subversive sex comedy "Shampoo" (1975) to the anti-Vietnam romance "Coming Home" (1979), Ashby rejected mainstream conventions while his films attracted both popular and critical acclaim. A true actor's director, Ashby was able to power performances from a number of A-list stars, such as Jack Nicholson in "The Last Detail" (1973), Warren Beatty and Julie Christie in "Shampoo", and Peter Sellers in "Being There". "Hal Ashby: Interviews" brings together the most informative interviews conducted throughout Ashby's career in which he discusses his filmmaking philosophy, working his way up the Hollywood ladder, and his troubled productions in the 1980s.