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It's Only a Movie

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It's Only a Movie

By: Mark Kermode
Narrated by: Mark Kermode
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About this listen

To avoid fainting, keep repeating it's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie

If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed to know about politics, that Slade in Flame was a savage exposé of the pop world, and that The Exorcist revealed the meaning of life, then you probably spent far too many of your formative years at the cinema. Just as likely, you soon would have realised that there was only one career open to you - you'd have to become a film critic.

In It’s only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode takes us into the weird world of a life lived in widescreen. Join him as he embarks on a gut-wrenching journey through the former Soviet Union on the trail of the low budget horror flick Dark Waters, cringe as he's handbagged by Helen Mirren at the Bafta awards ceremony, cheer as he gets thrown out of the Cannes film festival for heckling in very bad French, and don't forget to gasp as he's shot at while interviewing Werner Herzog in the Hollywood hills.

Written with sardonic wit and wry good humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely ‘inspired by real events’.

©2010 Mark Kermode (P)2010 Random House Audio Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism United States Witty Funny Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

‘Film criticism is rarely as much fun as Kermode, whether on the radio or in this hugely entertaining book.’ ( Empire.)
‘Kermode is interesting on the topic of how we remember (and misremember) key cinematic scenes, and how the grammar of cinema reflects the way our thoughts flow…Fans of Kermode’s television and radio work will love all of his complaining about Pirates of the Caribbean, and his repeated references to the magazine Fangoria and celluloid curious such as Slade in Flame’ ( Telegraph)
'His boundless affection for everything that cinema has to offer, from the people behind the scenes to everything from the good, the bad and the ugly that he has had to sit through over the decades is voiced brilliantly in his new autobiography, It’s Only A Movie’ Full page interview in the Leeds Guide.
All stars
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This is a pretty strange book, being neither an in depth study of film or a detailed autobiography of Kermode's life. Instead it flits about through Kermode's experiences with various film makers and minor celebrities. Some of the stories are interesting (such as Kermode's terrifying trip through Russia during the soviet years), while others are pretty pointless.

Kermode himself reads the book as you would expect, and sounds fine, just as he does on Radio 5.

Mildly entertaining then, but you'd probably do just as well downloading the Kermode/Mayo podcast from the BBC.

Some amusing stories, but not much else

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Mark Kermode's knowledge of movies is outstanding, he has an excellent radio voice so is perfect to narrate his own work. Becuase he has lived it he brings his stories to life. I would suggest there is one chapter where he labours a journey to Russia, but one can overlook that given the rest of the book. If you are a fan of his BBC Radio 2 show this is a 'must listen'.

Perfect listen - great production

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Most of the time, Kermode writes as he broadcasts, which will amuse or infuriate you depending on your preferences. Read by anybody but the author this would be a waste of money and almost eight hours of your life. Read by the author it will make you laugh more than six times and understand why Google says "hello to Jason Isaacs" when you type his name in. Kermode is probably currently one of the top ten of Britain's ex marxist, vegetarian, former feminist, Christian film critics, and this book amply explains how he achieved this, unless you are Ukranian, when it will offend you.

A Critique of Pure Unreasonableness

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As an avid listener to Wittertainment I am fully aware of the 'Kermodian rant' which, while very entertaining on a Friday afternoon, I did have concerns over his suitability in narrating his own story. Totally unfounded and with second thoughts who else could tell his story. I do agree with other reviewers that if you download the podcast and follow the Uncut blog then you probably know most of it. Definitely left wanting more.

Uncut Wittertainment - Not much more

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Sorry for the cheesy title. I couldn't resist. This is just delightful, I adore Mark Kermode's writing style. Both his books are sort of autobiographical, in a charming way. It's really a series of stories about his life as a movie journalist. Some of the anecdotes are very funny, and it's never dull.



If you are a fan of his radio 5 show, I think you need to read his books as there are references that will enrich your listening experience!

It's wittertaining.

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If you could sum up It's Only a Movie in three words, what would they be?

Smug, Blagging, Chancer

What other book might you compare It's Only a Movie to, and why?

I don't read/listen to a lot of autobiographies, but I found this tale of bravado, chutzpah and sheer luck to be enjoyably fluffy, in comparison to Stephen Fry's more angsty and ernest (but brilliant) Moab is My Washpot.

Have you listened to any of Mark Kermode’s other performances? How does this one compare?

Well I regularly hear him on Radio 5. The key difference here is the absence of Simon Mayo, which genuinely made me think twice about whether I could cope with 7 hours of just Mark. Obviously the vibe is different, but actually Mark is a very entertaining presence, even on his own.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Laugh, several times.

Any additional comments?

A fascinating chronicle of how one of the UK's leading film critics got to the top, mostly through blagging and chancing it!

Brilliant, even without the Mayo

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Really enjoyed this - as others have reported its a strange mix of autobiography and general thoughts/anecdotes but all entertainly narrated by the man himself. He does it with a real sense of passion and enthusiasm that for me made this a far more engaging experience than I suspect the book counterpart would be. If you're a fan of the good Dr. then this is a really entertaining listen with some fascinating insights into the life and thoughts of the country's best film critic.

It's only a review but...

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This was really funny, very quirky and brilliantly read by Kermode himself. It didn't feel so much like a book being read as a 7 hour stand up routine.
My son listened to the Werner Herzog section in the car along with me and his jaw just kept dropping lower with each new crazy moment.

well recommended

Don't listen to this while drinking milk

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I've often watched Kermode review a movie and thought: "Why should I care what you think?" As, indeed, he would probably think if he ever read this review.
I'm none-the-wiser really, having listened to this book from start to finish. There's nothing wrong with it, maybe it's a wee bit irritating at times, but essentially it's a biopic of Kermode's life with particular attention to his relationship with films filled with personal anecdotes and revealing stories about films and the people who make them, but I just didn't really connect with it.
What's missing is drama (apart from the bit where Werner Herzog's pants explode), it's lacking in comedy as well, or horror or romance. It's not a movie, it's not quirky enough, or racy enough or exciting enough. It's just a story about a guy who likes watching movies but don't be fooled into buying it simply because you like watching movies too, because it's not that kind of movie.

He does have great hair though

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Leaves you wanting to hear more.

Some really funny moments, and the odd, sad one too.

Ever interesting and well read by Mark.

It's Only an Audiobook. (But it's very good).

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