Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Epstein [is] a bulldog researcher, he's brought a great deal of interesting material together and he has interesting things to say about it. His account of the grueling, amazingly expensive and time-consuming process by which movies are now made is an eye-opener..." Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
Review
"A solid analysis....A compelling take that depressingly suggests movies fit more and more into a bigger picture: the age of unreality." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"Epstein presents a fascinating look at the unbelievable efforts that must be coordinated to produce a film..." Booklist
Review
"It is hardly news that...these days are often more about branding and marketing than telling compelling human stories. What Epstein does is to put a face on those corporations and offer a detailed primer on how the movie business works today and how that in turn affects the movies we see." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Review
"Some of The Big Picture is eye-glazing stuff. But readers who want to know why movies are often mindless, derivative and unimaginative and why moviegoing has lost much of its pleasure will find the answers in it." San Jose Mercury News
Review
"[M]ost insightful, readable....[T]akes a scathing look at what the American film industry has become largely a play-it-safe, profit-driven business that increasingly panders to ever more jaded audiences. Recommended." Library Journal
Review
"A rich adventure that will change the way you look at the movies." BusinessWeek
Review
"One of the virtues of The Big Picture is Mr. Epstein's astonishing access to numbers that the movie studios go to great lengths to keep secret....A groundbreaking work that explains the inner workings of the game." The Wall Street Journal
Review
"Much of the book is a step-by-step look at the process of how movies are made....These painstakingly-reported sections are occasionally tedious but essential for the reader to get the 'the big picture.'" Baltimore Sun
Review
"Entertaining and enlightening." The New York Sun
About the Author
Edward Jay Epstein is author of a number of books, including Inquest: The Warren Commission, News from Nowhere: Television and the News, Establishment of Truth, Legend: Lee Harvey Oswald, and Dossier: The Secret History of Armand Hammer. He lives in New York City.