And what kind of films would we have if we listened to what the audience thinks it wants? Starting with the celebrated TV fight between film-maker Ken Russell and critic Alexander Walker the former hit the latter with a rolled-up copy of his Evening Standard review on live television 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. Like its predecessor, The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex, Hatchet Job blends historical analysis with trenchant opinion, bitter personal prejudices, autobiographical diversions and anecdotes, and laugh-out-loud acerbic humour.
Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics
It's the perfect book for anyone who's ever expressed an opinion about a movie. Hardcover , pages. Published October 10th by Picador first published October 1st To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Hatchet Job , please sign up. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Dec 05, Paul Bryant rated it liked it Shelves: In a continually annoying, longwinded, blokey-jokey, sickeningly ingratiating manner Mark Kermode makes a few interesting observations.
These have to be quarried out of the endless self-congratulatory froth that is your standard Kermode paragraph. I was interested in the following. MK kno In a continually annoying, longwinded, blokey-jokey, sickeningly ingratiating manner Mark Kermode makes a few interesting observations. So critics are honest.
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Well, yes, but does that make them useful? Note the festoons of quotes from apparently intelligent people persuading you to see this load of old codswallop. Well, did critics ever have a future? Did fans consult Roger Ebert or Philip French before heading for the cinema? Perhaps you can find either a critic or blogger or even Goodreader whose taste is somewhere near your own and stick with that voice. MK discusses the dark filthy secret of preview audiences in the movie business.
They are then asked what they thought. In the famous example of Fatal Attraction , the original version has Alex Forrest the Glen Close character committing suicide. And the problem is — they were right. Their crass knee-jerk lust for revenge made Adrian Lyne the director reshoot the entire end and come up with the fantastic blood-bath we get in the movie we know and love or hate. That said, I think all movies which have had reshoots done after previews should be flagged as such, like you have to identify artificial flavourings and colours in food products.
Let me state first off that I am a big fan of Mark Kermode, and that this two-star rating might be a little mean. But as The Good Doctor himself taught me, diminished expectations count for a lot, and when you know that something has the potential to be so much better I devoured "The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex" with glee , the disappointment is that much greater. Kermode talks about his life as a critic, making the most of free sandwiches, the arrival of the fax machine, then the internet, and a bit about his dog in fact, too much about his dog.
By far the thing which he does most, however, is go off on pages-long mildly amusing asides about particular films or various anecdotes from his time in the business.
Hatchet Job by Mark Kermode – review
The book is by no means a disaster. It provides enough entertainment to keep you going to the end pretty painlessly. It's just that the urgency of the central argument is somewhat watery, and after pages or so, I couldn't help feeling that the topic of film criticism was just a loose vehicle for writing a book about 'funny film stuff' and a chance to throw about as much Kermodian wit as possible.
Dec 21, Holly Cruise rated it liked it Shelves: I've already read both of Mark Kermode's previous books on cinema and the contents thereof, so I am definitely the target audience for this book. Sure enough, I enjoyed it, although I suspect it was more of an appendix to the previous books rather than a great standalone in itself.
There are also some interesting insights into the, admittedly somewhat nich I've already read both of Mark Kermode's previous books on cinema and the contents thereof, so I am definitely the target audience for this book. There are also some interesting insights into the, admittedly somewhat niche, world of the film critic. It doesn't have the firm narrative structure or thesis of his previous books, but there are entertaining anecdotes to be found and it never lost my interest.
Kermode is back again, and this time he's defending his profession and job. Hatchet Job is Mark Kermode writing about film criticism in an age when everyone can create a blog and express their opinions to the world on the internet. Also exploring the questions of why people should even bother listening to critics, and why movie studios pulling tweets for movie posters is less reliable than someone who has been paid for their review and had their work run past an editor.
Often citing Roger Ebert Kermode is back again, and this time he's defending his profession and job. Often citing Roger Ebert as the benchmark for criticism, he goes into past instances when critics have got it very wrong about movies and very right, only for the film to tank at the box office. But rather than be against the rise of online reviews and blogging, he actually defends and says when it's done well they're as valued to the world of critiquing and cinema as some who's a 'professional'.
He's trying to embrace the future rather than fight it. It's very well written and, in some points, even funny. As someone who listens to him weekly on his film review podcast, I notice that sometimes his books can often be made up of stuff he's just repeating that he read on the radio, but there wasn't much of that hear the only example I can think of his the A. I Artificial Intelligence anecdote. He may come across as an old grumply man ranting about how 3D is ruining cinema and that Michael Bay is the devil, but for the time being, at least, he's still worth listening too.
Jan 24, Patrick rated it liked it. I can't quite put my finger on exactly why I didn't enjoy this book as much as Kermode's previous books about movies. Maybe it is simply that he has already used so many of his best anecdotes in his previous books. Or maybe it's just that I'm not as interested in what he, a film critic, has to say about film criticism as I am in what he has to say about films.
And it probably doesn't help that I've heard many of the best lines in the book before. The one-sentence hatchet-job review of The Straigh I can't quite put my finger on exactly why I didn't enjoy this book as much as Kermode's previous books about movies. And I'm already well aware of his probably perfectly reasonable opinion of the works of Michael Bay I've only ever seen one Michael Bay film, Bad Boys and if it is typical of his output, then I've no desire to watch anything else he's done. No, actually, that's not quite true. I've seen the first Transformers film in Dutch.
The fact I didn't understand a word of what any of the characters were saying might not have made a great deal of difference. All that said, it's reasonably diverting — I quite enjoyed his explanation, using the example of Casablanca, of why audience-testing films can ruin them, and for all that Kermode has the same slightly distracting habit of disappearing off on tangents that last for several pages before returning to his original point that I'm guilty of myself, it didn't take me long to read.
Nov 02, Tomrhys rated it liked it. Just by typing this sentence I have already placed myself in the category of the apocalyptic anonymous blogger. I am immediately turned into someone who seem to think that, just because that a vast majority of the western world has access to the internet, they all must surely be interested in my inane opinion about everything under the sun.
One of those individuals that Dr Kermode points at as an issue in the current world of criticism. And the interesting thing is I agree with him, I am an i Just by typing this sentence I have already placed myself in the category of the apocalyptic anonymous blogger.
- Spirits of the Rock (The Dreaming Series Book 3).
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- Books like Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics.
I agree with him, I am an incredibly dangerous thing. First off, I need to declare a vested interest. I am a huge fan of Mark Kermode's work, and even though I don't always agree with his views, I respect his dignity as a critic, and will always place stock in his views and will often pass off his analysis as my own, when my intelligence fails me. And to an extent, with this book he is already preaching to the converted, as I do believe that the presence of professional, identifiable critics are vitally important in the analysis of human culture.
However, with all this being true, I can't help being disappointed with his latest book. Kermode sets out to examine the death knell of the professional critic. The internet has well and truly pulled the rug from beneath the feet of printed media, and the role of the traditional critic is uncertain. When anyone with an internet connection can opine about a certain film, or spew their bile, or make money from false opinions, it begins to cheapen the value of The Honest Critic.
However, Kermode has a handy tool against this potential problem. Strip anonymity from the critic. This way there is jeopardy to the review.
Anthony’s review of Hatchet Job: Love Movies, Hate Critics
Why would this person say this if he had something to lose in saying it? Or conversely, it is easy to track down an affiliation between the critic and the film.
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I think there is great value in this, and will always prioritise the views of those identifiable critics and those often silly anonymous critics. Kermode himself has himself reaped the rewards for being a 'brand' although I am sure he would hate that word to attach a review to. And even if I disagree with him on a certain review, I always appreciate his honesty and passion about films. In the end spoiler alert Kermode sees the value of the internet, and attempts to reconcile old printed media and digital media.
In effect, printed media needs to stop being so fusty and 'Move with the times granddad' and digital media needs to grow up from it teenage stroppiess and not assume that freedom is the be all and end all of cultural development well done you, you have the right to your opinion but that does not automatically give it weight or validity.
When done right i. I have only focussed on one aspect of Kermode's thesis in this review, as I feel it is the most topical aspect, but there are other very interesting arguments. The idea that getting the first review is not necessarily guaranteeing a correct review, and also having to be dignified enough to admit your wrong, and the idea of being snippy read: So all very interesting and well argued. So why was I disappointed?
To be honest, I felt that there were to may digressions in the arguments. All these digressions were interesting, but only succeeded to muddy and dilute the strength of the argument. There were many asides that I felt were unnecessary, and would only lead me to lose track of Kermode's point, and had to flick back a few pages to reacclimatise myself. And with one of the Good Doctor's main strengths as a critic being that he pinpoints exactly the areas of a film that work and those that don't again, although I don't always agree with him, I always understand WHY he feels a certain way towards a film , it only serves to frustrate me when he takes so long getting to his main argument.
With all that being said, why listen to me? Who am I anyway? His first book was about all the mad stories he experienced in his life as a movie reviewer, his second one was about the sorry state that mainstream cinema more or less is in these days But here it is anyway, and its topic is about What it used to be like, how it's happening today and what it might evolve into. Or someth His first book was about all the mad stories he experienced in his life as a movie reviewer, his second one was about the sorry state that mainstream cinema more or less is in these days Of course, there are some very interesting bits and chapters about Roger Ebert, Amazon-reviews, test screenings and bloggers.
But Mark Kermode is Mark Kermode, so very soon he will go off into tangents so far off the original topic that you wonder how the hell he even got there. He can't even tell the story about his encounter with a furious director straight without interrupting it with a very lengthy detour about his love for "Shock Treatment" That sequel to "Rocky Horror" that almost no one on earth has ever seen.
Not that I mind or anything. Because, really, if you pick up a book by Mark Kermode this is exactly what you want. And aside from his movie reviews this is exactly what you're listening to his radio show on BBC 5 for. Here's no Simon Mayo who impatiently demands "So on with the actual story! This is raw and mostly unedited Kermode stuff from beginning to end.
And it's entertaining, incoherent, funny, irritating, insightful and sometimes infurating. Certainly, it won't win over anyone who isn't a fan already but for everyone who already is is in for a treat. And you would want the audiobook version, of course.
Because what's the point of a Kermode text if the words aren't spoken by the man himself? The chapters proceed in a rambling form, structured through lengthy and artfully articulated anecdotes. At the outset, Kermode comments that his best-known and most popular reviews are deeply negative ones. This accords with my tendency to seek out his views on anything made by Michael Bay. Moreover, my favourite review of his has to be the magnificent rant about Sex and the City 2, in which he sings the Internationale.
What's Wrong with Modern Movies? This one is very similar in tone and structure, although perhaps not quite so entertaining. Probably because I have stronger mostly negative feelings about 3D than I do about film reviewing in the 21st century.
Overall, this book was entertaining and fun. Feb 11, Michelle rated it really liked it. Probably the best Kermode I've read so far - maybe because he spends less time talking about himself in this book than he does in the others I've read. In this book he tells about the value of film critics i. He mentions us Goodreaders, and also talks about h Probably the best Kermode I've read so far - maybe because he spends less time talking about himself in this book than he does in the others I've read. He mentions us Goodreaders, and also talks about how to 'vote wash' on Amazon, something I didn't know was possible.
Anyone interested in How Amazon Works would do well to read that chapter. What stayed with me most of all though was his discussion on audience testing and how movies are often changed to give the audience the ending they want. Kermode argues that the best movies end with the audience getting what they need, rather than what they want. One of my favourite movies, 'Last Night', ends in a very ambiguous way, which leaves me screaming in frustration at my beloved TV, no matter how many times I watch it.
But maybe I should stop screaming - maybe it's the ending I need. But I need to know, dammit! View all 4 comments. Having listened to Mark Kermode's other, in my view more rounded and engaging books, I think this could be a book too far.
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There were some interesting topics covered i. Sometimes I feel Kermode gets a little too passionate about his subject, which can well it did for me be to the detriment of the the overall enjoyability of the read. Nov 19, Tom Bensley rated it liked it Shelves: Resident film critic over at BBC Radio 5 Live with Simon Mayo, droll counterpart to his unfettered enthusiasm, Mark Kermode is well-known for his encyclopaedic knowledge of movies, big flappy hands and cringeworthy impersonations of movie stars.
In the pre-internet days, newspapers bestowed the news and opinions from on high—film critics had desk jobs, they were paid to watch movies and their opinions mattered to the public; they were the men and women who talked about movies. Nowadays, absolutely everybody throws around their opinions and hardly anyone is getting paid. Kermode makes the point that, with the advent of user reviews and blogs, film criticism is becoming more of a hobby than a profession. To answer this question, Kermode talks at length about a lot of different things.
He begins with a few choice selections from hatchet job reviews i. But rather than be against the rise of online reviews and blogging, he actually defends and says when it's done well they're as valued to the world of critiquing and cinema as some who's a 'professional'. He's trying to embrace the future rather than fight it. It's very well written and, in some points, even funny. As someone who listens to him weekly on his film review podcast, I notice that sometimes his books can often be made up of stuff he's just repeating that he read on the radio, but there wasn't much of that hear the only example I can think of his the A.
I Artificial Intelligence anecdote. He may come across as an old grumply man ranting about how 3D is ruining cinema and that Michael Bay is the devil, but for the time being, at least, he's still worth listening too. Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read Hatchet Job. March 22, — Shelved as: April 5, —. April 22, —. Search for a book to add a reference. We take abuse seriously in our discussion boards. Only flag comments that clearly need our attention.