Moguls, Monsters, and Madmen: An Uncensored Life in Show Business

by Barry Avrich

Overview

A sharp and witty exposé of show business and notorious characters

Barry Avrich is a Montreal-born, self-made film producer/director, flamboyant advertising executive, and legendary biographer and connector of moguls and stars. For over three decades he has relentlessly produced films on some of the most notorious show-business titans and also found the time to market and promote feature films, concerts, and the biggest shows on Broadway.

In his memoir, Moguls, Monsters and Madmen, Barry takes readers from his early days, shaping his brand as a creative adman with the infamous Garth Drabinsky and witnessing the genius of legendary Rolling Stones promoter Michael Cohl, to his acclaimed documentaries on Harvey Weinstein, Lew Wasserman, Bob Guccione, and many others. Go behind the scenes on his most provocative films — like The Last Mogul, Unauthorized, and Filthy Gorgeous — and follow Barry as he moves from the power rooms of Hollywood to the launches of incredible brands while hanging around with royalty, rogues, clients, and confidants.

An extraordinary raconteur, Barry spares no one, least of all himself, as he details his extraordinary relationships and encounters with everyone from Frank Sinatra, Quincy Jones, and Vanity Fair columnist Dominick Dunne to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781770908529
Publisher:	ECW Press
Publication date:	05/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Barry Avrich is a veteran marketing executive and acclaimed film and television director/producer. As a marketing professional, Barry has led thousands of cultural marketing campaigns for high-profile clients and films. He is also the author of three marketing books and winner of the 2007 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 2008, Barry built the Daniels Hollywood Theatre, the world’s first movie theatre in a hospital, at Sick Kids. Barry is also a director of Hot Docs and the Prince’s Charities Trust and has previously served as a director for TIFF and the Canadian Opera Company. He lives in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

“Moguls, Monsters, and Madmen is a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at what makes show business tick. Barry Avrich is the consummate insider and isn't afraid to name names. From the highest of highs to the lowest moments in his career, his stories brim with humour, insight, and the kind of info only someone who has been there, done that would know.” — Richard Crouse, movie critic and author

“Barry has carved out a fascinating career walking a tightrope while simultaneously chronicling moguls and working for them. Like pulling a thorn out of a lion’s paw, this book will be dangerously fascinating for those that love the machinations of Hollywood.” — James Earl Jones

“Nobody understands the brilliant, twisted, dark mind of an entertainment mogul better than Barry Avrich. He’s worked for them, he’s suffered under them, and he’s dissected their personalities. If you want to know what it takes to claw your way to the top of entertainment industry, read this book. It’s thrilling — and terrifying.” — Michael Riedel, New York Post

“An extraordinary look at a few influential power players that redefined Hollywood and the entertainment industry. Barry goes inside and gives you a front row seat.” — Ron Meyer, Vice Chairman at NBC Universal

From the Publisher

2016-03-02
Montreal-bred impresario Avrich (Selling the Sizzle, 2, 2005, etc.) recounts the deals that shaped his career in North America's often volatile and always high-stakes entertainment industry. As a child, the author knew he wanted to entertain, and his father's advice for his young son was, "don't blend in." That suggestion sat particularly well with Avrich, who determined not to let his lack of a singing voice keep him off the stage, even if that meant dedicating himself to operating behind the scenes. The author writes affectionately about the warm Jewish upbringing that put him on the right path, first in advertising, then Broadway and, ultimately, Hollywood. "I promised myself that I would take my father's passion for life and run with it," Avrich writes, before launching into the story of an exciting career trajectory that soon had him intimately involved in the production of blockbuster plays like Phantom of the Opera and Kiss of the Spiderwoman. That same path, however, also landed him inside the shaky orbits of some of the most powerful players in show business. Legally challenged producer Garth Drabinsky ("a seductive and relentless psychopath") looms especially large in the mix. However, Drabinsky is by no means the only outsized ego that Avrich analyzes. The author also scrutinizes Hollywood powerbrokers Lew Wasserman and Harvey Weinstein, screen legend Lauren Bacall, sensationalist scribe Dominick Dunne, and comedian David Steinberg. The author ticks off each minivignette without dishing too much dirt, but he still manages to be surprisingly compelling. Avrich laments that after completing his contentious Weinstein documentary, "asshole" critics were left wondering, "Where's the sleaze?" This time around, the author isn't slinging a whole lot of mud, either, but that doesn't prevent his intimate takes on subjects as diverse as Winston Churchill and Guccione from delighting with a special insider's authenticity. An entertaining look at some giant-sized celebrity personalities.

Kirkus Reviews