Overview

Milligan, perhaps the most compelling lone wolf in cinema history, gets his due in this definitive work. A dressmaker, actor and puppeteer, Milligan cranked out titles like Bloodthirsty Butchers, The Body Beneath, and The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! on threadbare budgets. Due to their many limitations, his movies made Milligan the laughing-stock of the film industry. McDonough changed all that by providing the necessary context and pathos, allowing these chaotic yet highly personal movies (and their creator) to be seen in a new and sympathetic light. This book also serves as a history of the shadowy New York City sexploitation business, 1950s/60s cafe culture and Off-Off Broadway theatre. Starring a cast of unforgettable and elusive characters, the gripping narrative turns grimly personal. It's told with unflinching honesty by biographer and journalist Jimmy McDonough. McDonough's magnum opus is packed full of rare images. Dubbed best show business biography of the year by TIME magazine, The Ghastly One finally gets the wide exposure it deserves in this accessible and affordable paperback edition. Hilarious at times, deeply unsettling, and ultimately heartbreaking, The Ghastly One will haunt its readers long after the last page is turned.

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9781913051150

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Reviews

"An appalling pocket of cinematic history, delightfully explored and obsessively researched. Andy Milligan is one scary man... this feel-bad book makes me feel good by asking the all-important question, ""Can a genius be untalented, too?"" -- John Waters Brilliantly researched, powerfully written, and suffused with a deep humanity, this is exploitation as art and art as exploitation. Magnificent and strangely moving. -- Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements You can't put it down! The question now is... what will the nice people be doing while you're reading The Ghastly One? -- Lux Interior, The Cramps A showbiz bio as cantankerous, big-hearted, and unstuck in time as its subject. The Ghastly One celebrates the transcendence and grace that's sometimes hidden in the most disposable grade-Z cultural schlock. I read it in one sitting and so will you. -- Patton Oswalt"

An appalling pocket of cinematic history, delightfully explored and obsessively researched. Andy Milligan is one scary man... this feel-bad book makes me feel good by asking the all-important question, ""Can a genius be untalented, too?"" -- John Waters Brilliantly researched, powerfully written, and suffused with a deep humanity, this is exploitation as art and art as exploitation. Magnificent and strangely moving. -- Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements You can't put it down! The question now is... what will the nice people be doing while you're reading The Ghastly One? -- Lux Interior, The Cramps A showbiz bio as cantankerous, big-hearted, and unstuck in time as its subject. The Ghastly One celebrates the transcendence and grace that's sometimes hidden in the most disposable grade-Z cultural schlock. I read it in one sitting and so will you. -- Patton Oswalt

An appalling pocket of cinematic history, delightfully explored and obsessively researched. Andy Milligan is one scary man... this feel-bad book makes me feel good by asking the all-important question, Can a genius be untalented, too? -- John Waters Brilliantly researched, powerfully written, and suffused with a deep humanity, this is exploitation as art and art as exploitation. Magnificent and strangely moving. -- Bob Mehr, author of Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements You can't put it down! The question now is... what will the nice people be doing while you're reading The Ghastly One? -- Lux Interior, The Cramps A showbiz bio as cantankerous, big-hearted, and unstuck in time as its subject. The Ghastly One celebrates the transcendence and grace that's sometimes hidden in the most disposable grade-Z cultural schlock. I read it in one sitting and so will you. -- Patton Oswalt

Author Information

Jimmy McDonough is a biographer and journalist. He has also written biographies of Neil Young, Tammy Wynette and Russ Meyer. Time magazine declared his Milligan biography The Ghastly One ""a masterpiece"" and John Waters repeatedly names it one of his all-time favorites. McDonough has also authored profiles on Jimmy Scott, Gary Stewart, Hubert Selby, Jr. and Link Wray. Jimmy's recent books include Soul Survivor: A Biography of Al Green. Jimmy is Editor-In-Chief of Nicolas Winding Refn's acclaimed website byNWR.com.

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