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Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

by Lindy West

Grand Central Publishing ·2020 ·243 pages
Bottom of the Pile
Bottom of the Pile
I Index
22/99
Bottom of the Pile

19/99

Critics' Rating Index

Maybe Someday

25/99

Readers' Rating Index

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Scholars' Citation Index

51/99

Volume of Reviews

78/99

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About This Book

**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.


Reviews

"It's what feminist film critics have been fighting since the 1970s."

Caetlin Benson-Allott· The Washington Post Read review ↗ Bottom of the Pile

"In Lindy West's new book, S—, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema, many important cinematic questions are asked ..."

Moira Macdonald· Chicago Tribune Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"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 ..."

Courtney Eathorne· Booklist Read review ↗ Top of the Pile

"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 Read review ↗ Near the Top

"Like catching up with a dear and funny friend, this insightful and irreverent book is a soothing balm for turbulent times."

Kirkus Read review ↗ Near the Top

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