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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
funny
informative
fast-paced
I love Shea Serrano and am glad I bought this to support him, but I am both not enough of a hardcore movie buff to get some of the references here and too much of one to take some of this seriously. The Rap Yearbook was exceptional, BAOT was very good, this is fine.
Also - as I age, I tire of Bill Simmons’s voice. This one had the most smug Simmonsiness of all of Shea’s work.
Also - as I age, I tire of Bill Simmons’s voice. This one had the most smug Simmonsiness of all of Shea’s work.
This book charmed the hell out of me.
I don’t like a lot of the same movies as Serrano. I’ve never seen a gangster movie that I can recall (yes, not even The Godfather). I’ve never seen any of the Fast and Furious movies all the way through. But most of reading this book felt like sitting around with a really witty, creative friend and discussing movies in ways that range from jokey (would this movie be better with the Rock?) to heartwarming (how it feels to be seen in a movie). And I love doing that. So damn much.
I will say this is not a very factual movie book. It’s more of a fun movie book. And the illustrations are great! Recommend for anyone who wants a friend to talk about movies with.
I don’t like a lot of the same movies as Serrano. I’ve never seen a gangster movie that I can recall (yes, not even The Godfather). I’ve never seen any of the Fast and Furious movies all the way through. But most of reading this book felt like sitting around with a really witty, creative friend and discussing movies in ways that range from jokey (would this movie be better with the Rock?) to heartwarming (how it feels to be seen in a movie). And I love doing that. So damn much.
I will say this is not a very factual movie book. It’s more of a fun movie book. And the illustrations are great! Recommend for anyone who wants a friend to talk about movies with.
I was originally going to award this book 3 stars simply because I didn’t really know about a third of the movies Serrano referenced. But then I realized, that’s not his fault; it’s mine. He still made me legit lol numerous times and took me on some interesting thought experiments. Plus, the art in this novel is ah-mazing, and his passion for all genres (romcom to gangster to everything in between) is palpable and really fun to share in.
Think about all those random movie conversations you’ve had at parties or bars (maybe after a few). This book is basically a compilation of them in essay format, with a few of my favorites being:
1. Were the Jurassic Park raptors just misunderstood?
2. Who’s in the Regina George circle of friends?
3. Which move has the more intense opening, Face/Off or Finding Nemo?
4. Can we talk about Selena for a minute?
5. Do you wanna read an essay about Friday?
6. When did you know Booksmart was special?
7. Who wins in the Brand New Academy Awards?
8. Did the Rockford Peaches make the right decision trading Kit?
9. Do you think this movie villain would be a good hang?
10. What happened at the Michael Myers press conference? (hands down funniest essay)
11. When was Dianne Keaton the most charming in Something’s Gotta Give?
There’s truly a lot to enjoy here
Think about all those random movie conversations you’ve had at parties or bars (maybe after a few). This book is basically a compilation of them in essay format, with a few of my favorites being:
1. Were the Jurassic Park raptors just misunderstood?
2. Who’s in the Regina George circle of friends?
3. Which move has the more intense opening, Face/Off or Finding Nemo?
4. Can we talk about Selena for a minute?
5. Do you wanna read an essay about Friday?
6. When did you know Booksmart was special?
7. Who wins in the Brand New Academy Awards?
8. Did the Rockford Peaches make the right decision trading Kit?
9. Do you think this movie villain would be a good hang?
10. What happened at the Michael Myers press conference? (hands down funniest essay)
11. When was Dianne Keaton the most charming in Something’s Gotta Give?
There’s truly a lot to enjoy here
Let me tell you: This one is truly special! Shea does what most of us have done for all of our movie-going lives: He takes random questions about movies and movie characters and answers them in the best, most hilarious ways. As a movie lover, I found myself reminiscing about all the times I’ve watched and rewatched the movies he discusses and dissects in this book. This is a book that is not only great, but transcending. I highly recommend this read. It’s truly that good.
Made me laugh laugh laugh, made me send screen shots to friends, made me happy. Good stuff.
Did not enjoy this. Frankly not a fan of critics who essentially think movies were not invented until the 1990s. Has a twee sense of humor that I did not get. This has great art but some of the pages are black type on dark colors which is hard to read, and the bulk of the content is contained in the (frankly pretentious and obnoxious) footnotes, which are also in a tiny font. Also is just full of false information and errors about the films that could have been quickly corrected with a Google search or by actually paying attention to the damn movies. Also, tons of basketball references that are unnecessary and go over your head if you aren't an NBA fan (author previously wrote a basketball book). The only parts I enjoyed were the author's personal anecdotes about high school and his Mexican-American heritage & the SELENA movie.
When I read books about movie criticism, I expect insights from someone who is smarter than me. This is not that kind of book.
A fun book on movies by a person who loves movies to all those who really do love movies. I enjoyed reading this, even if some chapters can be skipped if you havent seen the movie or get the context. Nonetheless, still enjoyable if you havent seen it. The enjoyment is more if you have :). Thought the chapter on MCU could have been more weighty
I love Shea Serrano, I love Shea Serrano’s writhing, and I love movies, so it was inevitable that I love this book.