Last Night at the Viper Room by Gavin Edwards

Last Night at the Viper Room

River Phoenix and the Hollywood He Left Behind

Gavin Edwards

HarperCollins · Print & ebook · October 21, 2014

In Last Night at the Viper Room, acclaimed author and journalist Gavin Edwards vividly recounts the life and tragic death of acclaimed actor River Phoenix—a teen idol on the fast track to Hollywood royalty who died of a drug overdose in front of West Hollywood’s storied club, the Viper Room, at the age of 23.

Buy on Amazon

We earn from qualifying purchases.

Who it’s for
A vivid account of River Phoenix’s life, set against Hollywood’s changing early-1990s landscape.
Genres
Lives in Entertainment, Lives of the Rich & Famous, Film & Cinema
Published
HarperCollins, October 21, 2014

Nearest books

Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Lives in Entertainment.

  1. Bowie's BookshelfJohn O'Connell41% match
  2. The Road to JonestownJeff Guinn41% match
  3. TrejoDanny Trejo, Donal Logue50% match
  4. PettyWarren Zanes42% match
  5. BrothersAlex van Halen45% match
  6. RobinDave Itzkoff43% matchAlso shares Lives of the Rich & Famous
  7. Just KidsPatti Smith46% match

For younger readers: Go Ask Alice, Road Home, When You Come Back to Me

Start with three books, and this one can be the first.

Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.

Start with this book

About this book

In Last Night at the Viper Room, acclaimed author and journalist Gavin Edwards vividly recounts the life and tragic death of acclaimed actor River Phoenix—a teen idol on the fast track to Hollywood royalty who died of a drug overdose in front of West Hollywood’s storied club, the Viper Room, at the age of 23. Last Night at the Viper Room explores the young star’s life, including his childhood in Venezuela growing up under the aegis of the cultish Children of God.

Continue reading

Putting him at the center of a new generation of leading men emerging in the early 1990s— including Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, Brad Pitt, Nicolas Cage, and Leonardo DiCaprio—Gavin Edwards traces the Academy Award nominee’s meteoric rise, couches him in an examination of the 1990s, and illuminates his lasting legacy on Hollywood and popular culture itself.

Fame and Aftermath

A vivid account of River Phoenix’s life, set against Hollywood’s changing early-1990s landscape.

Come here for

  • A young star’s rise and lasting place in Hollywood
  • River Phoenix’s story in the context of 1990s film

Expect

  • A life story that traces his meteoric rise and tragic death
  • An examination of his legacy in Hollywood and popular culture

Where it sits

Lives in Entertainment95%
Film & Cinema35%
Lives of the Rich & Famous31%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Musicians' Lives
  • Lives in Entertainment
  • Lives of the Rich & Famous
  • Women's Lives
Show all 8 publisher categories
  • Personal Memoirs
  • Women's History
  • Film & Cinema
  • Theater
Authors
Gavin Edwards
Publisher
HarperCollins
Published
October 21, 2014
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Musicians' Lives