Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera [Paperback]

Clive Young (Author), Chris Gore (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 2008

Fan Films: Fun, free and totally illegal!

Who would swing off a six-story building for a homemade Spider-Man movie? Why would newlyweds spend $20,000 on a Star Wars film from which they can never profit? How did three nobodies blow Steven Spielberg's mind with an Indiana Jones flick they made as teens in the Eighties?

They're all part of the Fan Film revolution—an underground movement where backyard filmmakers are breaking the law to create unauthorized movies starring Batman, James Bond, Captain Kirk, Harry Potter and other classic characters. Regular people are making movies that the fans want to see—and which copyrights and common sense would never allow.

Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind The Camera traces the fan film movement from the 1920s, when con men made fake Little Rascals movies, to the internet video sensations of today. Crossing the divides from a pop culture history of truly outlaw cinema, to an exploration of Hollywood's changing attitude towards its audience, Homemade Hollywood uncovers the innovations and controversies surrounding these secret films and reveals how they're changing today's media.

Get insights from the fan filmmakers themselves as well as Hugo Award-winning author Timothy Zahn, director Eli Roth (Hostel, Cabin Fever), punk rock icon Tommy Ramone, authors Henry Jenkins (Convergence Culture), Don Glut (The Empire Strikes Back), Andrea Richards (Girl Director) and others. A foreword from Chris Gore, founder of Film Threat and movie expert on G4TV's Attack of the Show, sets the tone.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Terrific.... The cool, revealing tales...make Clive Young's book, Homemade Hollywood, an absolute pleasure to read. If you're interested in fan movies, or the subterranean world of Hollywood, it's a must-read." --Annalee Newitz, io9.Com

"He knocked this book out of the park...I had a hard time putting Homemade Hollywood down." --ComicBookBin.com

Review

"He knocked this book out of the park...I had a hard time putting Homemade Hollywood down."

"He knocked this book out of the park...I had a hard time putting Homemade Hollywood down." --ComicBookBin.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 297 pages
• Publisher: Continuum (September 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826429238
• ISBN-13: 978-0826429230
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,387,472 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars passion of the, December 16, 2008

By 

Christian Macht "theforceamongus.com" (chicago) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera (Paperback)

This book is as passionate as the subject that its about - "fan films" and the people who make them. Clive knows his topic and has a love for it...and it shows! This book is rich with history, interviews, the past -present - and future of film making. A lot of film makers have went through a lot to make these fan films and its about time someone has told that story! Clive does just that - and the best thing you can do is support the community and buy a book of you own - its an entertaining and interesting read and it would also make a great gift!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating Tales!, December 15, 2008

By 

Michael L. White "impossiblefunky" (Westland, MI United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera (Paperback)

Former Mos Eisley Multiplex maven Clive Young has taken his love of fan films to a whole new level with his book Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera. This diligently researched tome goes far beyond a fish in a barrel essay about the latest handful of dull fan films at [...] and dives deep into the history of independent productions based on established works from an unsanctioned Little Rascals/Our Gang shorts (which may have been part of a grift, and perfect fodder for a heartwarming film) to Ernie Fosselius's Hardware Wars to Kevin Rubio's Troops to today's freshest crop of films which may or may not get a thumbs up from the rights holders.

The tales of these films are captivating and Young relates them via perfectly structured chapters. I thought I knew the stories behind some of the more recent films discussed in Homemade Hollywood but Young provides a wealth of new information that put everything in proper context. Great stuff.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read - Well Crafted, December 15, 2008

By 

Shane Felux "Exec. producer/ Director" (xilepictures.com) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera (Paperback)

I have to say I found this a very good read and I was amazed at the stellar research the author did on the subject. This book gives some great insight and I found myself reading page after page. No BS.

If you are into film making and the wanting to see how the "Home Hollywood" wave of artists are going out and making their films, and what they go through, this is a great book for you. Highly recommended.

I have to say the author impressed me as most book on this subject are not half as well crafted, researched and written as "Homemade Hollywood: Fans Behind the Camera". The book is worth it's affordable price!