Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life (2011) - Plot & Excerpts
Wow, this guy had quite a life. Even though I hadn't seen any of the TV shows or movies he talked about (and I'm totally not into NASCAR), I think he still deserves a lot of respect for being so good at what he did, having integrity, and being hard-working. One thing that really surprised me near the end of the book was when he revealed that he was never late (except for when he had been drugged by a female Rolex thief). I thought that was impressive, considering by that point in the book he was important and rich enough that he could easily have gotten away with being late.I wished there was more detail about how he trained for stunts and how stuntmen do what they do. At one point he mentions that a stuntman doing a high fall uses his arms to control his fall the way a cliff-diver does. (Since I know nothing about cliff-diving, I didn't find that enlightening). He also mentions that he trained horses to fall on cue and that he and his buddies would practice doing high falls and other stunts. Then he described rushing from one set to another to cram in as many stunts in one day as he could. So when did he practice? I noticed in Needham's interview with Terry Gross on Fresh Air that Terry had a hard time getting him to talk about how stunts were actually done as well. After he described how a stuntman would be blasted into the air, she said, so how do you land? And Needham just said, well, that's the stuntman's problem. It hurt the book because when he described other stunts that he clearly thought were really hard, like jumping from the back of one horse to the next in a wagon team, I didn't understand why that was harder than any of the other "impossible" things he did on a regular basis.I would have appreciated if he had mentioned the years that things happened in the film, just to keep track of things. On the whole, the book felt like a collection of stories that Hal would tell his friends over drinks in a bar. Considering that he got married three times and at one point was "seeing anyone who would sleep with me," I found it amusing that his financial manager was a woman. Anyway, an interesting read. I should start this review by saying that I've been a huge fan of Hal Needham for years. Sure, his movies aren't masterpieces, but they are fun, they are funny, and they are endearing. His biography is exactly the same. This is a fun read. If you're a fan of film, especially the behind the scenes side of things, the how and why things came together, this is a book you will enjoy. There's a lot of information regarding Hal's life that was new to me. Hal was a trailblazer in almost every field he's entered. He created stunt practices that are still in use today, set trends in directing, NASCAR, and even in new camera equipment. He literally set the land-speed record and broke the sound barrier on land with his rocket car (now in the Smithsonian); and these are just a few of his more interesting stories, all of which he tells in a very conversational style in this book.This is a fun read, and I recommend it to everyone. If you are unsure of your chosen profession, whether it be film or something else, if you feel lost; read this book. I guarantee Hal will make you feel better about the path your on, or make you realize you need to change it.
What do You think about Stuntman!: My Car-Crashing, Plane-Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life (2011)?
Loved it!!!!!!! Easy read, gave such an "insiders" view of movies. Very good guy.
—Giomanach
I don't know how this book got on my shelves. I am not going to read this book.
—yesacleahcim
Just started reading this the other day and am very much enjoying it.
—manda
Lena gave 4 stars - Find this for Scott?
—Vicki1210
