I Lost It at the Movies: Film Writings 1954-1965

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Summary: Pauline Kael as a prophet of our multi-media age
Review: Pauline Kael was a prophet of the times: she knew that people would eventually be addicted to the movies. But she was perceptive enough to realize from the onset that this addiction went beyond the inescapable, because grippingly overwhelming, magic of storytelling. She understood that movies were addictive because not only do they take on a life of their own, they also created a world of their own --- cult worship, technology wizardry, critical discourse, the vagaries of box-office results, and all that jazz. These Ms. Kael grasped, and armed with her stylish wit and whip, she rallied on to the cultural battlefronts of what would turn out to be our multi-media age. This book is therefore a must-read, because beyond the disparate individual movie reviews, Ms. Kael allows us to appreciate the intellectual and moral landscape of our times. She shows us that behind things are the more important scheme of things. For her, the reel is for real. And these days, who can say it isn't so