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Evil Spirits
Evil Spirits
Oct 9, 2024 6:20 PM

Author:Cliff Goodwin

Evil Spirits

In May 1999, after a 40-year career including 100 films, Oliver Reed died, as he had invariably lived, drinking with friends while making a film - his well-reviewed performance in the blockbuster Gladiator. Having risen through Hammer Horror films to international stardom as Bill Sykes in Oliver!, Reed became, in his own works, 'the biggest star this country has got'. With his legendary off-screen exploits and blunt opinions - especially of his co-stars - he was also one of the most infamous.

Bestselling author Cliff Goodwin uses material from first-hand interviews with Reed's family, friends and colleagues and never before seen photographs to explore Reed's eventful career. But he also reveals another side to this unique and complex man.

Reviews

A top-drawer. thorough account of the Great British hellraiser's finest moments.

—— Loaded

Cliff Goodwin's book delivers the goods on all counts ... hugely enjoyable.

—— Hotdog

Many intriguing tales of dark and outrageous dysfunction

—— ShortList

Entertaining insight and audacity - Dessau has been reviewing comedy for more than 30 years, and knows his stuff ... A fascinating look at the dark side of stand-up

—— Time Out, 4 stars

Its sporadic vulgarity leavened by wit and insight, the book mirrors the mood of a late-night gig.

—— Independent

Catching Mark Kermode in full rant is like witnessing an irate bloke slagging off an unfaithful mistress. Only funnier ... Disagreeing with Kermode is just as much fun as agreeing with him

—— Daily Telegraph

A spectacularly well-researched and vehement argument

—— Sunday Times

Combines historical context with hilariously barbed anecdotes

—— Total Film

The angrier Mark Kermode gets, the funnier he is; good news then that this book is FURIOUS

—— Empire

[A] laugh-out-loud account that will tickle the funny bone of any film fanatic

—— Star

Witty and incisive

—— Choice

Cutting and witty

—— Loaded

[Kermode] clearly has a profound love of film and the depth of knowledge to go with it

—— Jeff Dawson , Sunday Times

An angry blast about the state of cinema-going

—— Christopher Fowler, Books of the Year: Cinema , Independent

Kermode sits in the stalls peeking through his fingers at what we’re served up on the silver screen and motormouthing about bad cinema in a frank and funny counterblast to all the Hollywood hype

—— Saga

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex is the film critic’s anguished cri de coeur against overpriced 3D film tickets and soulless cinemas ... often very funny and enlivened with wonderful digressions borne out of a lifetime’s movie-going

—— Books of the Year , Metro

Difficult to ignore

—— Good Book Guide

a spritely, spirited tome ... with welcome doses of spicy self-deprecation and fascinating cultural history.

—— The Big Issue in the North
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