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thematinee's review
4.0
As I tore into Jonathan Rosenbaum’s collection of essays with a great deal of vigour. I wasn’t all that well versed with his writing, nor had I even looked all that closely at what the book was going to be about…but nonetheless it grabbed me. The essay he chose to open the collection with was poignant, sophisticated, and complexed. Likewise, the next few were pointing me in wonderful new directions – suggesting titles I’d never even heard of, and justifying them with compelling prose.
However, looking back, those first several chapters feel now like swimming straight out from shore as hard as I could in gloriously warm waters. Pretty soon though, I looked around, figured out how deep the water around me had become, and started to struggle to keep my head above water...
Full review @ http://www.thematinee.ca/thingshavechanged/
However, looking back, those first several chapters feel now like swimming straight out from shore as hard as I could in gloriously warm waters. Pretty soon though, I looked around, figured out how deep the water around me had become, and started to struggle to keep my head above water...
Full review @ http://www.thematinee.ca/thingshavechanged/
beepbeepbooks's review against another edition
5.0
a magisterial miracle. Who has more authority than Rosenbaum now, whose criticism on canon and global corporations only ring truer and truer, as Disney continues to corner every market of streaming and movie theaters seem like hollowed out vestiges of a bygone era. Rosenbaum's commitment to cinema means that it has to surpass the theatre, and partially embrace the ubiquity of distribution of films that couldn't otherwise be seen, but not to laud corporations that neglect essential films out of the profit motive, or IP grabs.
Countless essays in here are breathtaking. "In Defense of Spoilers" humorously starts off with Rosenbaum trawling Thomas Pynchon message boards online. These interesting starts are what make Rosenbaum such a compelling writer, his own incredible historic knowledge on film and film production, but his very own place in film as a writer in France and an assistant to Jacques Tati. "What Dope Does to Movies" is a persuasive and fascinating account of how marijuana may have changed both the production of films and how audiences experienced movies in the 60's and 70's, predicting the loss of a popular movie watching audience into a more individualized cloistered viewing experience. Here, marijuana is a neutral item to look at how film psychedelia was shared early on, and later turned into myopic solo trips. "Rediscovering Charlie Chaplin" should be an essential piece for any film enthusiast, and "The World as a Circus: Tati's Parade" is a heartfelt appreciation of Tati's less popular film, that Rosenbaum champions with tact and sympathy.
Need to spark one up with the dude himself, what a guy.
Countless essays in here are breathtaking. "In Defense of Spoilers" humorously starts off with Rosenbaum trawling Thomas Pynchon message boards online. These interesting starts are what make Rosenbaum such a compelling writer, his own incredible historic knowledge on film and film production, but his very own place in film as a writer in France and an assistant to Jacques Tati. "What Dope Does to Movies" is a persuasive and fascinating account of how marijuana may have changed both the production of films and how audiences experienced movies in the 60's and 70's, predicting the loss of a popular movie watching audience into a more individualized cloistered viewing experience. Here, marijuana is a neutral item to look at how film psychedelia was shared early on, and later turned into myopic solo trips. "Rediscovering Charlie Chaplin" should be an essential piece for any film enthusiast, and "The World as a Circus: Tati's Parade" is a heartfelt appreciation of Tati's less popular film, that Rosenbaum champions with tact and sympathy.
Need to spark one up with the dude himself, what a guy.
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