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A review by mac_ashton
Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan
4.0
Titles with double colons that take up half a page aside, this book serves as an incredibly detailed look back at a beautiful film with a tortured production. The author’s voice is rarely heard throughout the book as he instead steps aside to let the cast and crew of Fury Road tell their stories about what went into making the film. This is a double-edged sword as some voices are given more time than others, and it can lend the book a sycophantic quality. Problems of sexism and poor working conditions on set are eschewed in favor of godlike reverence for director George Miller and his vision. In a way, this is the book’s point, but I still felt there were issues that deserved a bigger voice.
I have loved Fury Road from the moment I laid eyes on its opening shot. That means this book is squarely written for me. For those who don’t have the same affection for the movie or the Mad Max franchise, there’s not going to be a lot to hook you here. The glory is in the tiny details about filmmaking and behind-the-scenes drama. Yes, there is an epic story to be told about a grueling movie shoot, but there isn’t enough narrative cohesion to it to relay the story in a way that is compelling to the average reader.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to the audio production of this book, but I’m only going to recommend it to diehard fans of Fury Road. Even with my love for the film, I was still starting to feel bored by the end. There’s plenty of interesting bits that caught my attention and imagination, but like the film’s production, it took far too long.
3.5/5 rounded up to 4 for Goodreads
I have loved Fury Road from the moment I laid eyes on its opening shot. That means this book is squarely written for me. For those who don’t have the same affection for the movie or the Mad Max franchise, there’s not going to be a lot to hook you here. The glory is in the tiny details about filmmaking and behind-the-scenes drama. Yes, there is an epic story to be told about a grueling movie shoot, but there isn’t enough narrative cohesion to it to relay the story in a way that is compelling to the average reader.
Overall, I enjoyed listening to the audio production of this book, but I’m only going to recommend it to diehard fans of Fury Road. Even with my love for the film, I was still starting to feel bored by the end. There’s plenty of interesting bits that caught my attention and imagination, but like the film’s production, it took far too long.
3.5/5 rounded up to 4 for Goodreads