Listen free for 30 days
-
Wild and Crazy Guys
- How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever
- Narrated by: Curtis Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $39.48
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Buy it with
-
Churchill
- Written by: Roy Jenkins
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 38 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this magisterial book, Roy Jenkins' unparalleled command of the political history of Britain and his own high-level government experience combine in a narrative account of Churchill's astounding career that is unmatched in its shrewd insights, its unforgettable anecdotes, the clarity of its overarching themes, and the author's nuanced appreciation of his extraordinary subject.
Written by: Roy Jenkins
-
Oscar Wars
- A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears
- Written by: Michael Schulman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas—some iconic, others never-before-revealed—that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes.
Written by: Michael Schulman
-
Jim Henson
- The Biography
- Written by: Brian Jay Jones
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 21 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
-
-
Wonderful walk through Hanson’s life
- By Daniel on 2021-04-05
Written by: Brian Jay Jones
-
Mike Nichols
- A Life
- Written by: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 20 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the acclaimed author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back comes a magnificent biography of one of the most protean creative forces in American entertainment history, a life of dazzling highs and vertiginous plunges - some of the worst largely unknown until now. Mark Harris explores, with brilliantly vivid detail and insight, the life, work, struggle, and passion of an artist and man in constant motion.
-
-
Overall a good audiobook
- By Liona Boyd on 2022-06-04
Written by: Mark Harris
-
All Marketers Are Liars
- The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
- Written by: Seth Godin
- Narrated by: Seth Godin
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every marketer tells a story. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, which is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better, and look cooler, than $20 no-names... and believing it makes it true.
-
-
Powerful book about why you must tell a good story
- By Anonymous User on 2018-04-11
Written by: Seth Godin
-
Music Is History
- Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Questlove
- Narrated by: Questlove
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past 50 years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song’s significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
-
-
Music and history
- By snickels on 2023-11-16
Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, and others
-
Churchill
- Written by: Roy Jenkins
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 38 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this magisterial book, Roy Jenkins' unparalleled command of the political history of Britain and his own high-level government experience combine in a narrative account of Churchill's astounding career that is unmatched in its shrewd insights, its unforgettable anecdotes, the clarity of its overarching themes, and the author's nuanced appreciation of his extraordinary subject.
Written by: Roy Jenkins
-
Oscar Wars
- A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears
- Written by: Michael Schulman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Oscar Wars, Michael Schulman chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas—some iconic, others never-before-revealed—that have played out on the stage and off camera. Unlike other books on the subject, each chapter takes a deep dive into a particular year, conflict, or even category that tells a larger story of cultural change, from Louis B. Mayer to Moonlight. Schulman examines how the red carpet runs through contested turf, and the victors aren't always as clear as the names drawn from envelopes.
Written by: Michael Schulman
-
Jim Henson
- The Biography
- Written by: Brian Jay Jones
- Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
- Length: 21 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was a gentle dreamer whose genial bearded visage was recognized around the world, but most people got to know him only through the iconic characters born of his fertile imagination: Kermit the Frog, Bert and Ernie, Miss Piggy, Big Bird. The Muppets made Jim Henson a household name, but they were just part of his remarkable story.
-
-
Wonderful walk through Hanson’s life
- By Daniel on 2021-04-05
Written by: Brian Jay Jones
-
Mike Nichols
- A Life
- Written by: Mark Harris
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 20 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
By the acclaimed author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back comes a magnificent biography of one of the most protean creative forces in American entertainment history, a life of dazzling highs and vertiginous plunges - some of the worst largely unknown until now. Mark Harris explores, with brilliantly vivid detail and insight, the life, work, struggle, and passion of an artist and man in constant motion.
-
-
Overall a good audiobook
- By Liona Boyd on 2022-06-04
Written by: Mark Harris
-
All Marketers Are Liars
- The Power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World
- Written by: Seth Godin
- Narrated by: Seth Godin
- Length: 4 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Every marketer tells a story. And if they do it right, we believe them. We believe that wine tastes better in a $20 glass than a $1 glass. We believe that an $80,000 Porsche Cayenne is vastly superior to a $36,000 VW Touareg, which is virtually the same car. We believe that $225 Pumas will make our feet feel better, and look cooler, than $20 no-names... and believing it makes it true.
-
-
Powerful book about why you must tell a good story
- By Anonymous User on 2018-04-11
Written by: Seth Godin
-
Music Is History
- Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, Questlove
- Narrated by: Questlove
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling author and Sundance award-winning director Questlove harnesses his encyclopedic knowledge of popular music and his deep curiosity about history to examine America over the past 50 years. Choosing one essential track from each year, Questlove unpacks each song’s significance, revealing the pivotal role that American music plays around issues of race, gender, politics, and identity.
-
-
Music and history
- By snickels on 2023-11-16
Written by: Ahmir Khalib Thompson, and others
-
Secondhand
- Travels in the New Global Garage Sale
- Written by: Adam Minter
- Narrated by: Daniel Henning
- Length: 10 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Secondhand, Adam Minter delves into the vast, multibillion-dollar industry that resells used stuff around the world. He follows the trail of unwanted objects from the closets, garages, and storage units of Middle America to epic used-goods markets in Canada, Mexico, Japan, Ghana, India, Malaysia, and beyond. Secondhand takes us through the often painful and heartbreaking process of cleaning out a lifetime’s worth of possessions and shows that used stuff still has a place in a world that values the new and shiny.
-
-
Read by robot Will Shatner
- By GiantSquid! on 2021-11-29
Written by: Adam Minter
-
Tough Sh-t
- Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good
- Written by: Kevin Smith
- Narrated by: Kevin Smith
- Length: 5 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Take one look at Kevin Smith: He's a balding fatty who wears a size XXL hockey jersey, shorts, and slippers year-round. Not a likely source for life advice. But take a second look at Kevin Smith: He changed filmmaking forever when he was twenty-four with the release of Clerks, and since then has gone on to make nine more profitable movies, runs his own production company, wrote a best-selling graphic novel, and has a beautiful wife and kids. So he must be doing something right.
-
-
Wonderfully inspiring.
- By Brandon Bartholomew on 2023-03-30
Written by: Kevin Smith
-
Attempting Normal
- Written by: Marc Maron
- Narrated by: Marc Maron
- Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Marc Maron was a parent-scarred, angst-filled, drug-dabbling, love-starved comedian who dreamed of a simple life: a wife, a home, a sitcom to call his own. But instead he woke up one day to find himself fired from his radio job, surrounded by feral cats, and emotionally and financially annihilated by a divorce from a woman he thought he loved.
-
-
Resonated well for a gentile with jew envy. Jenvy.
- By Johanna on 2021-01-14
Written by: Marc Maron
-
Springfield Confidential
- Jokes, Secrets, and Outright Lies from a Lifetime Writing for The Simpsons
- Written by: Mike Reiss, Mathew Klickstein
- Narrated by: Mike Reiss
- Length: 7 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Four-time Emmy winner Mike Reiss - who has worked on The Simpsons continuously since episode one in 1989 - shares stories, scandals, and gossip about working with America’s most iconic cartoon family ever. Reiss explains how the episodes are created and provides an inside look at the show’s writers, animators, actors, and celebrity guests. He answers a range of questions from Simpsons fans and die-hards and reminisces about the making of perennially favorite episodes.
-
-
8 Simple Reissons For Rating Mike's Audio book
- By Niko on 2018-06-27
Written by: Mike Reiss, and others
-
The Last Action Heroes
- The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage
- Written by: Nick de Semlyen
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Last Action Heroes opens in May 1990 in Cannes, with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone waltzing together, cheered on by a crowd of famous faces. After years of bitter combat, the world’s biggest action stars have at last made peace. In this wildly entertaining account of the golden age of the action movie, Nick de Semlyen charts Stallone and Schwarzenegger’s carnage-packed journey from enmity to friendship against the backdrop of Reagan’s America and the Cold War.
-
-
for fans of action films
- By advancedrebel on 2023-07-12
Written by: Nick de Semlyen
-
You Are Awesome
- How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life
- Written by: Neil Pasricha
- Narrated by: Neil Pasricha
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Written in Pasricha’s trademark high-energy, takeaway-laden awesome style, this book is for everyone - including fresh grads walking into their first jobs, anyone processing a breakup, people whose industries or careers are quickly getting disrupted, parents wanting to help children be mentally tougher, children wanting to help parents be mentally tougher, and millennials looking for a flashlight to help illuminate the dark path of adulthood.
-
-
Consistency is what you expect
- By Rob Mensinger on 2019-11-12
Written by: Neil Pasricha
-
Getting to Neutral
- How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World
- Written by: Trevor Moawad, Andy Staples
- Narrated by: Russell Wilson, Ciara
- Length: 6 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It’s easy to be positive when everything is coming up roses. But what happens when life goes sideways? Many of us lapse into a self-defeating negative spiral that makes it hard to accomplish anything. Getting to Neutral is a step-by-step guide that shows listeners how to use mental conditioning coach Trevor Moawad’s innovative motivational system to defeat negativity and thrive.
-
-
incredible book
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-07-13
Written by: Trevor Moawad, and others
-
The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
- A New History, from the Shadow of the Dinosaurs to Us
- Written by: Steve Brusatte
- Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
- Length: 13 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Rise and Fall of the Mammals has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.
-
-
Excellent Follow Up That Stands On It’s Own
- By Sebastian on 2022-07-12
Written by: Steve Brusatte
-
Salt
- A World History
- Written by: Mark Kurlansky
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 13 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
So much of our human body is made up of salt that we'd be dead without it. The fine balance of nature, the trade of salt as a currency of many nations and empires, the theme of a popular Shakespearean play... Salt is best selling author Mark Kurlansky's story of the only rock we eat.
-
-
A very salty history
- By Ron Smallwood on 2021-02-11
Written by: Mark Kurlansky
-
Don't Panic
- Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- Written by: Neil Gaiman
- Narrated by: Simon Jones, Neil Gaiman
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in 1986 and updated several times since, Don’t Panic is in an in-depth exploration of Douglas Adams’s cultural phenomenon The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - from its beginnings as a UK radio series, to its expansion into a wildly popular book trilogy, and onto incarnations in various media including stage, records, film, computer games, and even, um, tea towels.
-
-
Fascinating
- By Ronstersaurus_Rex on 2023-10-18
Written by: Neil Gaiman
-
The Toxin Solution
- How Hidden Poisons in the Air, Water, Food, and Products We Use Are Destroying Our Health - and What We Can Do to Fix It
- Written by: Joseph Pizzorno ND
- Narrated by: Robertson Dean
- Length: 6 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Dr. Joe Pizzorno is convinced that lifelong good health rests on two key determinants: your exposure to toxins and your ability to process them in your body. While lifestyle, diet, and genetics all play major roles in well-being, many symptoms of declining health and chronic disease are rooted in toxic overload - our exposure to a barrage of chemicals, heavy metals, radiation, electromagnetic frequencies, and pollution that are the byproducts of modern life.
Written by: Joseph Pizzorno ND
-
Plays Well with Others
- The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Relationships Is (Mostly) Wrong
- Written by: Eric Barker
- Narrated by: Roger Wayne
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Plays Well With Others, Eric Barker dives into these questions, drawing on science to reveal the truth beyond the conventional wisdom about human relationships. Combining his compelling storytelling and humor, Barker explains what hostage negotiation techniques and marital arguments have in common, how an expert con-man lied his way into a twenty-year professional soccer career, and why those holding views diametrically opposed to our own actually have the potential to become our closest, most trusted friends.
-
-
Very relatable and relevant
- By Sally Arsenault on 2023-10-09
Written by: Eric Barker
Publisher's Summary
The behind-the-scenes story of the iconic funnymen who ruled '80s Hollywood - Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Eddie Murphy - and the beloved films that made them stars, including Animal House, Caddyshack, and Ghostbusters
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK
“An enjoyable romp that vividly captures the manic ups and downs of the remarkable group of funny folk who gave us a golden age of small and big screen comedy, from SNL to Groundhog Day.” (Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls)
Wild and Crazy Guys opens in 1978 with Chevy Chase and Bill Murray taking bad-tempered swings at each other backstage at Saturday Night Live, and closes 21 years later with the two doing a skit in the same venue, poking fun at each other, their illustrious careers, triumphs and prat falls. In between, Nick de Semlyen takes us on a trip through the tumultuous '80s, delving behind the scenes of movies such as National Lampoon's Vacation, Beverly Hills Cop, The Blues Brothers, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and dozens more. Chronicling the off-screen, larger-than-life antics of Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, Dan Aykroyd, Eddie Murphy, John Belushi, John Candy, and Rick Moranis, it's got drugs, sex, punch-ups, webbed toes, and Bill Murray being pushed into a swimming pool by Hunter S. Thompson while tied to a lawn chair. What's not to like?
Based on candid interviews from many of the stars themselves, as well as those in their immediate orbit, including directors John Landis, Carl Reiner, and Amy Heckerling, Wild and Crazy Guys is a fantastic insider account of the friendships, feuds, triumphs, and disasters experienced by these beloved comedians. Hilarious and revealing, it is both a hidden history of the most fertile period ever for screen comedy and a celebration of some of the most popular films of all time.
Praise for Wild and Crazy Guys
“Eminently readable . . . Children of the 1980s, take note: this is a fond, engrossing look back at the making of movies that became cultural touchstones.” (Booklist, starred review)
“Nick de Semlyen smartly charts the pinballing career paths of the stars of this new comic wave. . . . His punchy, nonstop narrative . . . tells a [story] where art and commerce smash hard against each other, sometimes causing destruction, but sometimes making sparks fly.” (The Sunday Times (UK))
What the critics say
“An enjoyable romp that vividly captures the manic ups and downs of the remarkable group of funny folk who gave us a golden age of small and big screen comedy, from SNL to Groundhog Day.” (Peter Biskind, author of Easy Riders, Raging Bulls)
“Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy - they’re all here like you’ve never seen them before (with no shortage of drugs, competitiveness, and egos). Fast-paced and addictive, Wild and Crazy Guys is the Easy Riders, Raging Bulls of the wild and crazy ‘80s Hollywood comedy scene.” (Chris Nashawaty, author of Caddyshack: The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story)
“It's amazing that anybody survived making comedies in the impulsive, excessive, drug-fueled, rage-filled period in the decade following the explosive arrival of Saturday Night Live. And some didn't. But, aided by the sharp recollections of those who did, Nick de Semlyen gives that more-is-more period of comedy what it desperately needs: Clarity and perspective. Wild and Crazy Guys maps the era and its swaggering players beautifully.” (Mark Harris, author of Pictures at a Revolution and Five Came Back)
"Offering colorful film backstories and insightful portraits...de Semlyen’s enjoyable [and] welcome flashback reminds us why [these comedians’] very names still bring a smile to our faces.” (Associated Press)
More from the same
Author:
Narrator:
What listeners say about Wild and Crazy Guys
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-05-15
A great listen about a great time in comedy
This book is fantastic and anyone who grew up with the comedies of the late 70s/early 80s would probably agree. The author fills in each comedian’s story and gives enough detail but doesn’t weigh you down with too many.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- advancedrebel
- 2022-09-26
fantastic journey
extremely entertaining. this book takes you on a journey of epic proportion. Having Curtis Armstrong as a narrator is a struck of genius.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- M. M.
- 2019-12-08
Wild and Crazy Listen!
Really enjoyed Curtis Armstrong as the narrator and the behind the scenes insight of some of the best movies I have seen! A great listen!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Eirekitten
- 2021-02-23
Side-Alley Stroll Down Memory Lane of SNL/SCTV Comedians
I saw this book listed as a recommendation on a website. It had me at “dives into 70s/80s comedy movies”. This is a book version of the shows that take a look at “the toys/commercials/movies that made us.” I grew up in the 70s and 80s so the subject matter is truly a stroll down memory lane...more like forays into the little side-alleys spoking off the lane. I love it. This really is about the major male comedians from SNL and SCTV. The book even mentions women on those shows didn’t get the big movie vehicles like their male counterparts did. You won’t hear much if anything about Gilda Radner, Jane Curtain, or Catherine O’Hara. Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis,John Belushi, Steve Martin, John Candy and Eddie Murphy are woven throughout as the book walks somewhat chronologically through their blockbusters and flops. Curtis Armstrong is a FANTASTIC narrator who reads naturally and delivers the funnier lines subtly and perfectly...Having him narrate was a master move. There is something surreal about hearing Booger Dawson talk about the movies of that era, with his signature sharply enunciated t’s.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Kevin Hansen
- 2019-10-27
Delivers what you’d expect
It’s exactly what you’d hope for - a behind-the-scenes look at the best comedians of the 70s and 80s👍
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- GLM
- 2019-07-14
Good, overall
Like the content, but, unlike everyone else, I found the narrator a little grating at times. He over-enunciates to an extreme. It makes it understandable, which is good, but it calls too much attention to the narrator at the expense of living in the story. Every time he says “Steve Mar-tin”, I want to shake him and say, “no one pronounces the T so demonstrably... just say ‘Mart’n”.
But I recognize I am, apparently, in the minority on this.
Still, it’s a good book.
I just wish he narrated more like a human.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- jonathan paton
- 2019-06-18
More Curtis Armstrong
This is a great book. I love how it goes by film. I grew up in the 80s and this book really lifts the curtain on what happened behind the scenes to make or break these movies. But the thing I like the best is the narrator. Having heard him do this book, I would pretty much listen to any book that Curtis Armstrong reads from now on. Being funny in his own right, he brings a lot to this book, but I think he would be great in any book, especially if it had a little bit of humor. He would be great in any Carl Hiaasen novel, for example. I hope he does more books.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- VB
- 2020-09-24
sad that this book had to end
I loved listening to this, from the moment I heard Curtis' voice as narrator (apt choice) to the very end, which made me cry. I won't give it away. If you're a fan of even one of these guys, it's worth a listen. My ONLY criticism of the author is that Gilda Radner and other supreme (female) comediennes were not included. Perhaps there's a second book coming out about them.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- MLT
- 2020-06-23
Early Saturday Night Live Performers' Lives
Just as the title says, this story is about the wild and crazy guys of the early Saturday Night Live days. Each person had a different approach to his career, but several of them were leading really fast lives. Hearing about the things that almost happened was just as interesting as hearing about the things that DID happen. If you lived through the era when John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Eddie Murphy, Steve Martin, John Candy, and Rick Moranis were big, you'll likely enjoy this story. I was in high school and college during their hey days and found their humor to be hilarious... their lives were NOT so hilarious, apparently, but much of that had to do with living in the fast lane. Anyway, it's really interesting and the type of audio book I'll listen to again, for sure.
The narrator is TERRIFIC - his delivery of the material adds A LOT to it!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Siva Vaidhyanathan
- 2019-06-13
Terrible research and writing
The author gets so many basic facts wrong I wonder if he’s even done cursory research. He spoke to none of the principles. And he tries to write jokes about much funnier people. Sad. Booger does a good job reading, though.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Tatiana Schneider
- 2021-06-13
Hilariously Insightful
I’ve listened to this book 5 times now. Nick de Semlyen sheds wonderful light on the comedy giants of the 80’s and the many wonders and tragedies behind the scenes of some of their films. All in all, a highly insightful and entertaining read, especially for film buffs. I’d give 6 stars if I could.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Hebern
- 2021-05-18
A great book about some funny guys
This is a highly entertaining book about the men who made most of the best comedy movies from the late 70s through the 80s. It focuses on John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Eddie Murphy and John Candy. It traces the careers of each with some behind the scenes stuff about all of the major movies of each. For the bulk of the period covered I was going to the movies literally multiple times a week, so the book brings back a lot of memories to me. This book made several best of the year lists when it came out and it’s easy to see why. I do have two minor complaints. First, when describing Christmas Vacation the author mentioned “Uncle Eddie” twice. Everyone who has seen the movie more than once knows it’s Cousin Eddie. Not that big of a deal, but when I see such a glaring mistake it does make me question some of the rest of the content. The second issue was that the author constantly referred to box office numbers to show whether a movie was a hit or flop. Well, the numbers for hits in the late 70s are about the same as flops in the late 80s. Box office rankings mean more than raw numbers. These are very minor issues with a very good book.
The reader is Curtis Armstrong. If you are a child of the 80s you remember him as Booger from Revenge Of The Nerds. He was absolutely perfect for this book and enhanced the experience greatly.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Sabrina
- 2021-04-27
Awesome.
I am a very picky reader, so you can trust that this is an honest review. This book is so fantastic. I am in my early forties and this book tickles my funny bones with nostalgia. I found myself upset when it ended. I feel like a demanding child inside that is screaming, "more, more, more!" Just awesome.
Curtis Armstrong is one of the absolute best narrators that audible has to offer. Get this guy on more books! <sidenote: Curtis' own autobiography is excellent>
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful