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Christian Dittus
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English

DIRECTOR'S CUT

Josh Young Ted Kotcheff

My Life in Film

With six decades in show business, legendary director Ted Kotcheff looks back on his life.

Ted Kotcheff's career spans six decades of live television, theater, and film. He began as a CBC stagehand and was eventually given one shot by Sydney Newman to prove he could direct. Born to immigrant parents and raised in the slums of Toronto during the Depression, Ted Kotcheff learned storytelling on the streets before taking a stagehand job at CBC Television. Discovering his skills with actors and production, Kotcheff went on to direct some of the greatest films of the freewheeling 1970s, including The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Wake in Fright, and North Dallas Forty. After directing the 1980s blockbusters First Blood and Weekend at Bernie's, Kotcheff helped produce the groundbreaking TV show Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. During his career, he was declared a Communist by the U.S. government, banned from the Royal Albert Hall in London, and coped with assassination threats on one of his lead actors.

With his seminal films enjoying a critical renaissance, including praise from Martin Scorsese and Nick Cave, Kotcheff now turns the lens on himself. Witty and fearless, DIRECTOR'S CUT is not just a memoir, but also a close-up on life and craft, with stories of his long friendship with Mordecai Richler and working with stars like Sylvester Stallone, James Mason, Gregory Peck, Ingmar Bergman, Gene Hackman, and Jane Fonda.

Ted Kotcheff resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Laifun, and their two children, Alexandra and Thomas. Josh Young is the co-author of five New York Times bestsellers, including books by Howie Mandel, Bob Newhart, and Jim Belushi. Mariska Hargitay is an Emmy- and Golden Globe–winning actor, producer, and director.
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Published 2017-03-01 by ECW Press

Comments

It's fascinating to go behind the scenes of the movies Kotcheff has directed, such as the gory First Blood and the hilarious Weekend at Bernie's, and the story of his life proves to be equally interesting. (starred review) Read more...