Violent Screen : A Critic's 13 Years on the Front Lines of Movie Mayhem (Expedition Series)

Rating:
Summary: the thinking person's action-movie guide
Review: Hunter's capsule reviews of several dozen violent movies of various genres is a great read for the film fanatic. Like Roger Ebert, you often find yourself recognizing the truth of what he is saying even as he is bashing some of your favorite films. Hunter is a perceptive critic who can provide great insight into specific films, yet somehow the scope of the book seems too narrow, despite several broader articles about films interspersed between the reviews; THE DEER HUNTER, for instance, is dismissed as a minor and flawed piece of film-making in just a few lines without going in-depth into why he feels this way. It is frustrating little things like this which prevent me from giving it five stars. Still, this book provides much food for thought for the film buff.

Rating:
Summary: Insightful? I think not
Review: Stephen Hunter's book first attracted me because of the blunt manner in which he confronts America's obsession with violence, as characterized by the movies we love. This initial fondness for his boldness soon drifts away, as I read his various selections on individual movies.
I think Hunter misses the point; he does not understand the contradictions he forms in his numerous, faulty reviews. He criticizes such films that deal with cruel portayals of violence, yet he seems utterly captivated with documentaries of real-life American crime.
His harsh undermining of "Unforgiven" leaves me with several questions. How can someone so opionated with violence on-screen by so opposed to a movie that is so blatantly a cry against violence? Did Hunter miss the point? Does he think Eastwood's character is supposed to be likeable?
Hunter nearly ruins his book in one line: "it wasn't even a good picture" (referring to "The Deer Hunter"). He claims that it was a horrible portrayal of racism and an ultimate "technical blunder." Yet, Hunter deals with this movie in a mere four lines, while giving the gun selection of the cast in "The Wild Bunch" several pages.
The one highlight of the book is the epilogue, a haunting look at Hunter's father. This portrayal of a "Father of Darkness" is where Hunter's talent as a writer truly shows through. It is a shame, then, to remember the precedeing 380 pages after reading this troubling portrait.

Rating:
Summary: Sleaze and evil on screen
Review: This book gives a a short look at some of the most controversial movies Hollywood has made. It separates movies into different categories like action-adventure, film noir, horr, war, etc., so you can expect what you are about to read. Finally, it asks a question: If our nation is against violence so much, why are we supporting movies that contain so much of it?
I enjoyed reading Violent Screen somewhat. It showcased a few of my favorite movies such as Pulp Fiction, Reservoir Dongs, and my all-time favorite, True Romance, all directed by Quentin Tarintono. But I got bored by reading about movies I can't stand like Born on the Fourth of July and Scarface. Author Steven Hunter also included reviews of movies like Thelma and Louise; that confused me. I didn't feel that it was violent or controversial enough to be featured in this book. Atfer reading other reviews, such as that of Romeo Is Bleeding, I wanted to see the movie as soon as possible.
Overall, I found Violent Screen a mediocre book. I enjoyed reading about some of my favorite movies, but flipped the pages of the ones that bored me. There were a few movies that made me wonder why they were even in the book. I enjoyed reading Hunter's opinions. Part of the "fun" of this book was seeing what he thought about my favorite movies. I agreed with the author about half of the time, but you are not always supposed to agree with a movie review. Also, I found the book to be a bit too long. If I were to recommend this book to someone, it would be to a person who likes violent movies. Anyone else should stay as far away as possible.