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andyy_scott's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
mtmarriott's review against another edition
funny
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
Kermode is an insanely good storyteller and writer/speaker (listened to the audiobook). Pretty much agree with all his points on film criticism. If you’re a fan there’s a lot of repeating of stories and opinions you’ll have heard before a million times but it’s still very easy listening.
ria_mhrj's review against another edition
3.0
It's Only A Movie and The Good, The Bad and the Multiplex both got 5 stars from me. I am a Mark Kermode fan and I will continue to read his books in the future. Unfortunately, Hatchet Job was just OK... ordinarily I enjoy a Kermode rant, but this book was full of rants that rambled without making a definitive point. There was still lots to like in this book but I wonder if the subject matter is just so personal to Kermode and so specific to the film criticism industry that a mere mortal such as me cannot get fully sucked in. I really enjoyed the ruminations on the impact of the Internet (something pertinent to my industry!) and I felt he very fairly weighed up arguments for the old and new guards, but I have to disagree on one minor point - The Shawshank Redemption is quite possibly my favourite ending ever, so sometimes giving people what they want leads to good things.
fantasticmrethan's review against another edition
3.0
Insightful and amusing yet oddly aimless ramblings that often seem self indulgent and at times entirely repetitive, by no means Kermodes best but what do I know.
andrew61's review against another edition
3.0
As a fan of The Kermode and Mayo film programme this was an interesting tour of the writers reflections on film criticism. There were scenes that had me laughing out loud such as the description of Ken Russell hitting Alexander walker over the head during a debate on The Devils, and also interesting meditations on the relevance of critics in a modern digital world. It is very much written in the voice of Kermode and consequently is an easy read for those who enjoy cinema although I dis feel at points that the premise perhaps didn't deserve a whole book to itself. Notwithstanding I am a fan and will continue to enjoy his views.
hskey's review against another edition
4.0
I usually enjoy Mark Kermode on his Youtube channel and find him entertaining, and effortless to listen to. I found his book equally entertaining, and finished it only a few days. It's a fantastic mix of philosophy and debate about what a movie critic is, along with entertaining stories of his own experiences and history about film. Great stuff!
gardensong's review against another edition
4.0
seems silly to review this but just very well structured and informative rants on cinema and criticism!
trevormay's review
2.0
Took a break of about four years half way through this book, the content was noticeably dated by the time I got around to finishing it. Kermode is more entertaining as a film critic than he is writing a commentary on film criticism.