For all those who grew up believing that Planet of the Apes explains all there is 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 realized 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 humor, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely "inspired by real events."

It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive

Biographies & Memoirs

Kermode, Mark

Arts & Literature

Arrow

A renowned film critic offers a no-holds-barred account of all that is great and all that is terrible about cinema Outspoken, opinionated, and hilariously funny, the critic who carved out a career in print, radio, and television based entirely on the belief that The Exorcist is the greatest movie ever made and that the Pirates of the Caribbean films should be buried in a very deep hole where they can never bother anyone ever again tackles the real questions that serious filmgoers need answered: What's wrong with the modern movie business? How can we make it right? If blockbusters make money no matter how bad they are, then why not make a good one for a change? How can 3-D be the future of cinema when it's been giving audiences a headache for more than 100 years? Why pay to watch films in theaters which don't have a projectionist but do have a fast-food stand? And, in a world in which Sex and the City 2 was a hit, what the hell are film critics for? This hilariously forthright, enthusiastic look at the state of film today will delight all film obsessives.

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex: What s Wrong with Modern Movies?

Humor & Entertainment

Humor

RANDOM HOUSE UK

The film THE EXORCIST presents a harrowing account of the modern urban world ripped apart by an obscene, ancient evil. Film critic Mark Kermode here traces the film back to the alleged "real life" case and provides new insights into scenes cut from the released version as well as the film's special effects. Includes interviews with book author William Peter Blatty, director William Friedkin, and star Linda Blair. Color illustrations.

The Exorcist (BFI modern classics)

British Film Inst

The Exorcist retains an extraordinary power to shock and unsettle audiences, which led to it being banned on video in the UK. Released in 1973, it presents a credible and harrowing account of the modern urban world ripped apart by an obscene, ancient evil. Produced by a major studio, adapted from a best-selling novel, and directed by an Oscar-winning filmmaker, The Exorcist put into question everything that was considered most wholesome and good about the fading American dream--the home, the family, the church and (most shockingly) the child.  Mark Kermode's book traces the history of The Exorcist back to the alleged "real life" case that inspired William Peter Blatty's novel. In a definitive study of the film, Kermode provides new insights into: scenes cut from the released version; the truth about "subliminal images;" filming of the shocking special effects sequences; and details of the disagreements between Blatty and director William Friedkin over the final cut. This revised and expanded edition includes an exclusive new interview with Blatty and Friedkin, as well as previously unseen stills from the legendary missing scenes, providing an in-depth, behind-the-scenes account of one of the most disturbing horror films ever made.

The Exorcist (BFI Modern Classics)

Movies

British Film Institute

Inspired by an alleged real case of demonic possession in 1949, The Exorcist became an international phenomenon. A blockbusting adaptation of a best-selling novel, it was praised as 'deeply spiritual' by some sections of the Catholic Church while being picketed by the Festival of Light and branded 'Satanic' by the evangelist Billy Graham. Banned on video in the UK for nearly fifteen years, the film still retains and extraordinary power to shock and startle. 
The second edition of Mark Kermode's Exorcist volume has now been updated and expanded; its publication completes a journey of discovery begun by the author in 1997. The new edition documents the deletion and recovery of key scenes that have now been re-integrated into the film to create The Exorcist: the Version You've Never Seen. Candid interviews with director William Friedkin and writer/producer William Peter Blatty reveal the behind-the-scenes battles which took place during the production. In addition, exclusive stills reveal the truth about the legendary 'subliminal images' allegedly lurking withim the celluloid.

How did a low-key prison movie which was considered a box-office flop on its original release become one of the most popular movies of all time? Mark Kermode traces the history of this unexpected audience favourite from the pages of Stephen King's novella 'Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption', through the icy corridors of Ohio's Mansfield Reformatory (whose imposing gothic architecture dominates the film), to the television and video screens on which 'The Shawshank Redemption' became a phenomenon. This study traces the history of 'The Shawshank Redemption' and draws on interviews with writer/director Frank Darabont and leading players Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The book also explores the near-religious fervour that the film inspires in a huge number of devoted fans.

The Shawshank Redemption (BFI Film Classics)

Mark Kermode admits to having changed his mind about some movies and possibly about his approach to reviewing altogether. In this musing on the history of film criticism he tells the stories of famous hatchet jobs and director-journalist spats, wonders whether the democratization of reviewing through the internet will result in better films and asks if the days of the professional critics slating are over.

Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics

Picador

Once upon a time there were professional film makers and professional critics. They didn't always agree, but there was a mutual respect. It is very different now. Starting with the celebrated TV fight between Ken Russell and Alexander Walker (the former hit the latter with a rolled up copy of his Evening Standard review!) and ending with his own admission to Steven Spielberg of a major error of judgement, Mark Kermode takes us on a journey across the modern cinematic landscape. We are all critics now and, as the professional role diminishes, the democratic opportunities of the internet have created a new monster. Relying on speed of response, rather than considered reaction, these new critics have stolen the thunder of their paid up counterparts. But there is a dark side, the shocking deceptions hidden behind the facade of our digital world's new and supposedly democratic alternative, "the honest, unmediated audience response". Mark questions the future of any and all genuinely impartial criticism when reviews are systemically corrupted by bribery, vote-rigging, cyber-stalking, and sock-puppetry. And he asks that crucial question, what kind of films would we have if we listened to what the audience thinks it wants?

'A rattling tornado of a tale' DANNY BAKER 'Wonderful and wry . . . it will increase your zest for life' RICHARD AYOADE
Following a formative encounter with the British pop movie Slade in Flame in 1975, Mark Kermode decided that musical superstardom was totally attainable. And so, armed with a homemade electric guitar and very little talent, he embarked on an alternative career - a chaotic journey which would take him from the halls and youth clubs of North London to the stages of Glastonbury, the London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall.
HOW DOES IT FEEL? follows a lifetime of musical misadventures which have seen Mark striking rockstar poses in the Sixth Form Common Room, striding around a string of TV shows dressed from head to foot in black leather, getting heckled off stage by a bunch of angry septuagenarians on a boat on the Mersey, showing Timmy Mallet how to build a tea-chest bass - and winning the International Street Entertainers of the Year award as part of a new wave of skiffle. Really. 
Hilarious, self-deprecating and blissfully nostalgic, this is a riotous account of a bedroom dreamer's attempts to conquer the world armed with nothing more than a chancer's enthusiasm and a simple philosophy: how hard can it be?

How Does It Feel?: A Life of Musical Misadventures

Weidenfeld&Nicolson

Following a formative encounter with the British pop movie Slade in Flame in 1975, Mark Kermode decided that musical superstardom was totally attainable. And so, armed with a homemade electric guitar and very little talent, he embarked on an alternative career - a chaotic journey which would take him from the halls and youth clubs of North London to the stages of Glastonbury, the London Palladium and The Royal Albert Hall.HOW DOES IT FEEL? follows a lifetime of musical misadventures which have seen Mark striking rockstar poses in the Sixth Form Common Room, striding around a string of TV shows dressed from head to foot in black leather, getting heckled off stage by a bunch of angry septuagenarians on a boat on the Mersey, showing Timmy Mallet how to build a tea-chest bass - and winning the International Street Entertainers of the Year award as part of a new wave of skiffle. Really. Hilarious, self-deprecating and blissfully nostalgic, this is a riotous account of a bedroom dreamer's attempts to conquer the world armed with nothing more than a chancer's enthusiasm and a simple philosophy: how hard can it be?

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kermode, Mark. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Kermode, Mark

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Kermode, Mark. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive

The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex: What s Wrong with Modern Movies?

The Exorcist (BFI modern classics)

The Exorcist (BFI Modern Classics)

The Exorcist (BFI Modern Classics)

The Shawshank Redemption (BFI Film Classics)

Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics

Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics

How Does It Feel?: A Life of Musical Misadventures

How Does It Feel?: A Life of Musical Misadventures