
The Future Was Now
Madmen, Mavericks, and the Epic Sci-Fi Summer of 1982
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Narrated by:
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Jonathan Todd Ross
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By:
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Chris Nashawaty
About this listen
“Hollywood boldly went where it hadn’t gone before and Nashawaty chronicles the journeys.” —Los Angeles Times ("Books You Need To Read This Summer")
“Written with a fan’s enthusiasm . . . An important inflection point in Hollywood filmmaking.” —New York Times ("Nonfiction Books to Read This Summer")
In the summer of 1982, eight science fiction films were released within six weeks of one another. E.T., Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior changed the careers of some of Hollywood's now biggest names―altering the art of movie-making to this day.
In The Future Was Now, Chris Nashawaty recounts the riotous genesis of these films, featuring an all-star cast of Hollywood luminaries and gadflies alike: Steven Spielberg, at the height of his powers, conceives E.T. as an unlikely family tale, and quietly takes over the troubled production of Poltergeist, a horror film he had been nurturing for years. Ridley Scott, fresh off the success of Alien, tries his hand at an odd Philip K. Dick story that becomes Blade Runner―a box office failure turned cult classic. Similar stories arise for films like Tron, Conan the Barbarian, and The Thing. Taken as a whole, these films show a precarious turning-point in Hollywood history, when baffled film executives finally began to understand the potential of high-concept films with a rabid fanbase, merchandising potential, and endless possible sequels.
Expertly researched, energetically told, and written with an unabashed love for the cinema, The Future Was Now is a chronicle of how the revolution sparked in a galaxy far, far away finally took root and changed Hollywood forever.
©2024 Chris Nashawaty (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“An absolute must read.”—Booklist (starred review)
“An exemplary film history.”—Kirkus (starred review)
“Entertaining. . . . The behind the scenes stories will make readers feel like they’ve stepped on a set.”—Publishers Weekly
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Story
Francis Ford Coppola is one of the great American dreamers, and his most magnificent dream is American Zoetrope, the production company he founded in San Francisco years before his gargantuan success, when he was only thirty. Through Zoetrope’s experimental, communal utopia, Coppola attempted to reimagine the entire pursuit of moviemaking. Now, more than fifty years later, despite myriad setbacks, the visionary filmmaker’s dream persists, most notably in the production of his decades-in-the-making film and the culmination of his utopian ideals, Megalopolis.
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Narrator was awful
- By Cyrus Nowrasteh on 12-17-23
By: Sam Wasson
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Kubrick
- An Odyssey
- By: Robert P. Kolker, Nathan Abrams
- Narrated by: Perry Daniels
- Length: 24 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The enigmatic and elusive filmmaker Stanley Kubrick has not been treated to a full-length biography in over twenty years. Stanley Kubrick: An Odyssey fills that gap. This definitive book is based on access to the latest research, especially Kubrick's archive at the University of the Arts, London, as well as other private papers plus new interviews with family members and those who worked with him. It offers comprehensive and in-depth coverage of Kubrick's personal, private, public, and working life.
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A stellar biography for Kubrick lovers
- By Daniel on 09-10-24
By: Robert P. Kolker, and others
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The Last Action Heroes
- The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage
- By: Nick de Semlyen
- Narrated by: Bronson Pinchot
- Length: 9 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Fantastic!
- By Alan on 07-17-23
By: Nick de Semlyen
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The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Sixteen Candles, Revenge of the Nerds, The Karate Kid, The Breakfast Club, Dead Poets Society, and Everything in Between
- By: James King
- Narrated by: Mike Cooper
- Length: 15 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie goes behind the scenes of a genre where cult hits mingled with studio blockbusters, where giants like Spielberg and Coppola rubbed shoulders with baby-faced first-timers, and where future superstars Sean, Demi, and Tom all got their big break. Music, comedy, and politics all play a part in the surprisingly complex history of the '80s teen movie. And while the films might have been aimed primarily at adolescents, the best tackle universal issues and remain relevant to all ages.
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inaccurate as all get out
- By Richard E. Meier on 05-22-22
By: James King
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MCU
- The Reign of Marvel Studios
- By: Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, Gavin Edwards
- Narrated by: Andrew Kishino, Joanna Robinson
- Length: 16 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Marvel Entertainment was a moribund toymaker not even twenty years ago. Today, Marvel Studios is the dominant player both in Hollywood and in global pop culture. How did an upstart studio conquer the world? In MCU, beloved culture writers Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales, and Gavin Edwards draw on more than a hundred interviews with actors, producers, directors, and writers to present the definitive chronicle of Marvel Studios and its sole ongoing production, the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Puff piece.
- By Habu1271 on 10-26-23
By: Joanna Robinson, and others
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Wild and Crazy Guys
- How the Comedy Mavericks of the '80s Changed Hollywood Forever
- By: Nick de Semlyen
- Narrated by: Curtis Armstrong
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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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.
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Side-Alley Stroll Down Memory Lane of SNL/SCTV Comedians
- By Eirekitten on 02-23-21
By: Nick de Semlyen
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The Friedkin Connection
- A Memoir
- By: William Friedkin
- Narrated by: William Friedkin
- Length: 19 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Friedkin Connection takes listeners from the streets of Chicago to the suites of Hollywood and from the sixties to today. William Friedkin offers a candid look at a thrilling era of Hollywood cinema, when traditional storytelling gave way to the rebellious and alternative; when filmmakers like him captured the paranoia and fear of a nation undergoing a cultural nervous breakdown.
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Thank you, William Friedkin
- By L. Robertson on 04-30-25
By: William Friedkin
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Making Movies
- By: Sidney Lumet
- Narrated by: Richard M. Davidson
- Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the greatest directors of all time, Sidney Lumet has made movies that have been nominated for more than 50 Academy Awards. Making Movies is an honest and unflinching look at the business and craft of movie making. Lumet's book reveals the ingredients for the potion that brings movie magic to life and assures one thing: you will never look at movies the same way again.
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Clearly a genius but material dates
- By M. Rogers on 08-31-19
By: Sidney Lumet
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Oscar Wars
- A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears
- By: Michael Schulman
- Narrated by: Charlie Thurston
- Length: 21 hrs
- Unabridged
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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.
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Fascinating and FUN
- By Peter Riley on 06-11-23
By: Michael Schulman
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Opening Weekend
- An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops
- By: Jim Fredrick
- Narrated by: Jim Fredrick
- Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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In a world where movie marketers are the stars of the story, Opening Weekend: An Insider's Look at Marketing Hollywood's Hits and Flops recounts Jim Fredrick's journey through the realm of movie marketing. Fredrick offers readers exclusive access to behind-the-scenes anecdotes and firsthand accounts of working with studio executives and navigating relationships with famous movie stars and directors.
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Excellent, detailed and SO engaging.
- By J Bomb on 12-01-24
By: Jim Fredrick
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The Blues Brothers
- An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
- By: Daniel De Visé
- Narrated by: Johnny Heller
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard’s Lampoon and Chicago’s Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene.
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In my opinion, the best single book on Belushi.
- By Ron Phenicie on 04-19-24
By: Daniel De Visé
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A Long Time Ago, in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away
- My Fifty Years Editing Hollywood Hits - Star Wars, Carrie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Mission: Impossible, and More
- By: Paul Hirsch
- Narrated by: Richard Ferrone
- Length: 15 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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A Long Time Ago in a Cutting Room Far, Far Away is a behind-the-scenes look at some of the most influential films of the last 50 years by Paul Hirsch, a film editor who worked on more than 40 features. Starting with his work on Carrie, Hirsch gives insight into the production process, touching upon casting, directing, cutting, and scoring. It’s a riveting look at the decisions that went into creating memorable and iconic scenes and offers fascinating portraits of filmmakers, stars, and composers.
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Enjoyable listen for fans of film and film Editing
- By E. Terrell on 05-12-21
By: Paul Hirsch
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Caddyshack
- The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story
- By: Chris Nashawaty
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Caddyshack is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, a classic snobs vs. slobs story of working-class kids and the white-collar buffoons that make them haul their golf bags in the hot summer sun. It has sex, drugs, and one very memorable candy bar, but the movie we all know and love didn't start out that way, and everyone who made it certainly didn't have the word classic in mind as the cameras were rolling.
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Not Really About Caddyshack Until Hour 5
- By William M. on 07-01-18
By: Chris Nashawaty
What listeners say about The Future Was Now
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- Jesse Poole Van Swol
- 10-04-24
Great story about an incredible year in sci fi film making.
Worth the listen if you were an 80s or 90s kid or if you just love film
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- MN_Highlander
- 04-01-25
Love the background stories of a lot of my favorite movies growing up!
As a teen growing up in the early 1980s, it was amazing to hear the back stories and general craziness of how some of my favorite movies came about. Definitely worth the listen!
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- Kevin Walters
- 08-22-24
Living in the 80s
Terrific, fast-moving overview of a seminal year in motion-picture history. As a lifelong fan of these films, it’s great to see these classics get their due.
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- Shine
- 08-15-24
interesting, informative, nostalgia trip
It's a fun story of films I loved as a teenager. As an adult, hearing the back story of how they were created is interesting, sometimes informative, especially learning more about the personalities of the directors who made them. Sometimes it focuses too much on the business story and studio politics. It's well written, with lively prose that made me laugh outloud a few times. I do wish he'd gone further into the meaning and impacts of the films. His story concentrates on what it took to create them. But his reporting on what they created culturally and in the movie world is thin. Overall I had a fun time listening to it.
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- Andre
- 09-10-24
I Remember the Summer of ‘82
I love this book and it helped that I saw all of those films in ‘82, several of them I watched repeatedly, including E.T., Tron, and Blade Runner. This book brought back many memories and the inside scoop on how these iconic films got made. There will never be another summer like that one. That summer was one for the books and this is that book. I highly recommend it.
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- jwj
- 10-11-24
Fantastic listen
Author did a great job sharing the backstory of the sci-fi summer of 1982. He didn't belabor anything, and had good insights into everything he discussed. If you're a movie fan you'll enjoy this. Narrator was great, too.
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- Pavla Dusek
- 08-14-24
Great summer popcorn book!
I enjoyed the book, the inside Hollywood stories and the walk down memory lane. A great popcorn book!
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- P. Owens
- 10-31-24
Flew through this
Fascinating details about all the movies I love and the importance of their trendsetting beginnings.
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- Gilbert M. Stack
- 12-24-24
A Great Summer to Remember
Eight science fiction movies that are all viewed as ground breaking today (E.T., Tron, Star Trek: Wrath of Khan, Conan the Barbarian, Blade Runner, Poltergeist, The Thing, and Mad Max: The Road Warrior) all came out in the Summer of 1982. I remember that year well. It was a science fiction extravaganza—but with so much competition and so many cutting-edge films, some of these greats had to initially fail.
That’s what this book is about. How did these eight films come to be and what happened when they were released? To accomplish that the author explores the directors’ film histories, so there is a lot of discussion of other great films as well. In fact, those films and the build up is almost the entire book. When the Summer of 1982 finally arrives, it felt like we just flew through the releases without taking the time to enjoy and really analyze them. That being said, I still really enjoyed this book and its discussion of a couple of dozen amazing films that culminated in 1982.
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- Kathleen Mccord
- 08-28-24
Movie Geeks! This is for YOU!
This is a terrific book for all film aficionados, especially those who love sci-fi and horror. The backstory for all these films is fascinating. How some of them were made at all is amazing. The narrator is excellent and his enthusiasm for film bubbles over into the audible presentation. Listen and ENJOY!
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