MCDONOUGH, Jimmy
The Ghastly One. The 42nd Street Netherworld of Director Andy Milligan

Milligan, perhaps the most compelling lone wolf in cinema history, gets his due in this definitive work— backed by film director Nicolas Winding Refn. 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.

The 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. [publisher's note]

Published by Fab Press, 2020
Biographies / Film & Video / Counterculture / Scenes