Shit, actually : the definitive, 100% objective guide to modern cinema

Format:

Book

Title:

Shit, actually : the definitive, 100% objective guide to modern cinema

Author:

West, Lindy author

ISBN:

9780316449823

Edition:

First edition.

Publication:

New York : Hachette Books, [2020]

Physical Description:

xxiii, 243 pages ; 22 cm

Contents:

Introduction -- The Fugitive is the only good movie (The Fugitive) -- Shit, actually (Love Actually) -- On marriage (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) -- Dude, you gotta stop listening to your mom (Forrest Gump) -- Literally a bird's diary (The Notebook) -- Harry plot hole (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone) -- Big boy freaky Friday (Face/Off) -- Time travel doesn't make sense and I think we should make it illegal (Back to the Future Part II) -- I'd prefer a highway away from the danger zone, but okay (Top Gun) -- Fabrizio's last meatball (Titanic) -- Dead man's pants (The Santa Clause) -- Men yelling men yelling men yelling (The Rock) -- ... Miami? (Bad Boys II) -- The real monster is inspections (Jurassic Park) -- No toucan will ever make ME have sex (The Lion King) -- Look at your little punk British ass (Rush Hour) -- All the kissing in the world could not save it (Garden State) -- Auf Wiedersehen, Kinderbjorn! (Terminator 2: Judgment Day) -- Manual for shitheads (Reality Bites) -- Never boring, always horny (Twilight) -- Speed 2 is not canon (Speed) -- The shawnsnake redumptruck (The Shawshank Redemption) -- Know your enemy (American Pie) -- Acknowledgments.

Summary:

"New York Times opinion writer and best-selling author Lindy West was once the in-house movie critic for Seattle's alternative newsweekly The Stranger, where she covered film with brutal honesty and giddy irreverence. In Shit, Actually, Lindy returns to those roots, reexamining beloved and iconic movies from the past 40 years with an eye toward the big questions of our time: Is Twilight the horniest movie in history? Why do the zebras in The Lion King trust Mufasa - who is a lion - to look out for their best interests? Why did anyone bother making any more movies after The Fugitive achieved perfection? And, my god, why don't any of the women in Love, Actually ever fucking talk? From Forrest Gump, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Bad Boys II, to Face/Off, Top Gun, and The Notebook, Lindy combines her razor-sharp wit and trademark humor with a genuine adoration for nostalgic trash to shed new critical light on some of our defining cultural touchstones - the stories we've long been telling ourselves about who we are. At once outrageously funny and piercingly incisive, Shit, Actually reminds us to pause and ask, "How does this movie hold up?", all while teaching us how to laugh at the things we love without ever letting them or ourselves off the hook."--Back cover

Reexamines iconic movies from the past forty years to identify laugh-worthy plot holes and fictional misrepresentations in such esteemed blockbusters as "Forrest Gump," "The Lion King," and "Top Gun."

Subject(s):

Motion pictures -- Criticism and interpretation.

Motion pictures -- Humor.

Motion pictures -- History.

Genre:

Motion picture reviews.

humor.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

History

Humor

Motion picture reviews

Holds:

Available:*

Library	Call Number	Status
Searching... McMinnville Public Library	791.4375 West	Searching... Unknown
Searching... Salem Main Library	791.4375 West 2020	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

One of the "Best Books of 2020" by NPR's Book Concierge

**Your Favorite Movies, Re-Watched** New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author Lindy West was once the in-house movie critic for Seattle's alternative newsweekly The Stranger , where she covered film with brutal honesty and giddy irreverence. In Shit, Actually, Lindy returns to those roots, re-examining beloved and iconic movies from the past 40 years with an eye toward the big questions of our time: Is Twilight the horniest movie in history? Why do the zebras in The Lion King trust Mufasa-WHO IS A LION-to look out for their best interests? Why did anyone bother making any more movies after The Fugitive achieved perfection? And, my god, why don't any of the women in Love, Actually ever fucking talk?!?!

From Forrest Gump, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Bad Boys II, to Face/Off, Top Gun, and The Notebook, Lindy combines her razor-sharp wit and trademark humor with a genuine adoration for nostalgic trash to shed new critical light on some of our defining cultural touchstones-the stories we've long been telling ourselves about who we are. At once outrageously funny and piercingly incisive, Shit, Actually reminds us to pause and ask, "How does this movie hold up?", all while teaching us how to laugh at the things we love without ever letting them or ourselves off the hook.

Shit, Actually is a love letter and a break-up note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they're one and the same.

Author Notes

Lindy West is a contributing opinion writer for The New York Times and a contributor to This American Life. She is the bestselling author of the essay collection The Witches Are Coming as well as Shrill , a memoir, which she adapted into a comedy for Hulu starring Aidy Bryant. She lives in Seattle.

Reviews (3)

Kirkus Review

Revisiting her early career as an acid-tongued film critic, New York Times columnist West deconstructs 22 blockbusters in this nostalgic, laugh-out-loud romp. In the introduction, the author labels this collection "silly," a frivolous work initially conceived as a ray of light for a fraught America. Despite being released into an irreparably altered world--not just due to the pandemic, but also "the demoralizing grind of public life under Donald Trump"--these breezy essays fulfill that promise. They are warmhearted, acutely self-aware, and surprisingly timely, providing insight into modern society through movies first sold on VHS. West rates each film against the Harrison Ford vehicle The Fugitive ("the only good movie"), leaping across genres, from Jurassic Park to Garden State to The Shawshank Redemption. Whether she is excoriating Love, Actually ("the apex of cynically vacant cash-grab sentimentality"), describing how the "best thing" about the Harry Potter series is that she loves to hate it, or discussing whether or not The Lion King's Mufasa has any actual parenting skills beyond his deep voice, West uses hindsight to gain critical distance and set up her sidesplitting one-liners. The book's breadth of targets allows for a wide canvas. For example, an essay on Reality Bites examines West's own teenage lusts and the dearth of realistic female role models in film while a treatise on The Santa Clause looks at the 1990s humor triumvirate of "lawyer jokes, hatred for psychiatrists, and your divorced parents getting back together." A number of the pieces were previously published online, and some of the jokes may seem crude to West neophytes. But the author uses frivolity and humor as entry points to discussions about racism, sexism, and our tendency to overlook the damage a story can do if it keeps us entertained. Other targets include Rush Hour, American Pie, Titanic, and The Rock. Like catching up with a dear and funny friend, this insightful and irreverent book is a soothing balm for turbulent times. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Booklist Review

Queen of keenly observed, hilariously rendered cultural criticism, West (The Witches Are Coming, 2019) offers this delicious distraction from reality. In what she calls an "extremely stupid book," West expands upon her beloved Jezebel essays on cinema and reviews nearly two dozen cult-classic films, examining how and why they were so special to audiences, all through the lens of 2020. West starts with her favorite, The Fugitive (she tried to title this book The Fugitive is the Only Good Movie), followed by side-splitting summaries of Love Actually, The Shawshank Redemption, Titanic, Top Gun, Bad Boys II, Forrest Gump, Twilight, Garden State, The Lion King, American Pie, and more, leaving no genre out. Infused with West's commentary, which is colored by her rewatching during the COVID-19 lockdown, what emerges is a cathartic, joyful exploration of entertainment. West guides us through art and artists that have been tainted by time and progress. She calls out what is wrong, and offers insight for how these films should be seen in the present. And in true West form, she reads like your smartest, funniest, and warmest friend. A perfect blend of substance, escapism, and laughter--a gift from West to the rest of us.

Library Journal Review

Based on her series of essays for Jezebel, on rewatching successful films to see if they stand the test of time, this latest by West (Shrill; The Witches Are Coming) explores the longevity of films, especially those that later became cultural phenomena. The author admits that The Fugitive (1993), in which the hero is also the villain, is her all-time favorite, and she proceeds to judge other films by that standard. She thoughtfully considers rewatching works by beloved celebrities who have later failed us and liking imperfect movies that mean something to us. This leads to a reexamination of her fondness for classics such as Top Gun (1986), Speed (1994), and Face/Off (1997). As indicated by the title, West reserves the most dislike for Love Actually (2003) and does not shy away from profanity, saving it for movies that don't hold up, such as American Pie (1999). Some of these essays were previously published, while others are original to this work. Though the author clearly states that the book isn't meant to be comprehensive, her brief entries may leave readers wanting more. VERDICT This irreverent look at film criticism will be popular among West's many fans and may provide insight for readers grappling with liking flawed films.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal