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antonio507's review against another edition
4.0
While it doesn't exactly build into the great and final critical study of Fassbinder that I wanted it to be, that might be the point. A shotgun blast blending biography, criticism, and memoir. The amazing thing about Fassbinder's films is how singular and precise they are despite the insanely quick production timeline behind them. This book is explicitly written by mimicking that process, but in my opinion fails to capture that magic. It very much feels like it was produced in a couple of months, whereas Fassbinder's films do not. But I suppose matching Fassbinder's magic is a tall order.
More importantly, the book filled me with excitement on Fassbinder and his films while contextualizing them. And I guess that's all we really want at the end of the day!
More importantly, the book filled me with excitement on Fassbinder and his films while contextualizing them. And I guess that's all we really want at the end of the day!
jimmydean's review
Loved the approach, a wandering, soulful, fittingly chaotic approach to getting inside the head of Fassbinder.
quinton17's review against another edition
2.0
Author is annoying. Tries too hard to convince you he is cool because he took drugs in the 70’s and 80’s and apparently would’ve been a good painter if his life had gone differently. Bad way to write a “biography”. He didn’t finish it, just wrote 450 ideas, many of which have nothing to do with the subject, in an almost-random order. Only saving grace is scattered interesting tidbits. The book constantly references the better, more comprehensive RWF book that I’m kicking myself for not reading instead.
On an unrelated note, it kills me that we’ll never see the Jane Fonda-Fassbinder movie that was in the works when he died.
On an unrelated note, it kills me that we’ll never see the Jane Fonda-Fassbinder movie that was in the works when he died.
schellenbergk's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
informative
fast-paced
4.25
The approach seems scattershot… 450 short paragraphs related (sometimes tenuously) to the German filmmaker Fassbinder. But this turns out to be an excellent way to approach that prolific, sometimes maddening, artist. An excellent read - will send you rushing to see this films again.