It's Only a Movie cover art

It's Only a Movie

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It's Only a Movie

By: Mark Kermode
Narrated by: Mark Kermode
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About this listen

To avoid fainting, keep repeating it's only a move ..only a movie ..only a movie ..only a movie

If you grew up believing that Planet of the Apes told you all you needed 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 would have realised 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 humour, this compelling cinematic memoir is genuinely ‘inspired by real events’.

©2010 Mark Kermode (P)2010 Random House Audio
Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Entertainment Witty Funny Thought-Provoking

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Critic reviews

‘Film criticism is rarely as much fun as Kermode, whether on the radio or in this hugely entertaining book.’ ( Empire.)
‘Kermode is interesting on the topic of how we remember (and misremember) key cinematic scenes, and how the grammar of cinema reflects the way our thoughts flow…Fans of Kermode’s television and radio work will love all of his complaining about Pirates of the Caribbean, and his repeated references to the magazine Fangoria and celluloid curious such as Slade in Flame’ ( Telegraph)
'His boundless affection for everything that cinema has to offer, from the people behind the scenes to everything from the good, the bad and the ugly that he has had to sit through over the decades is voiced brilliantly in his new autobiography, It’s Only A Movie’ Full page interview in the Leeds Guide.
All stars
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A lot of the books on Audible are read by session readers who sound like they're just trying to get to the end and collect their cheque but Mark Kermode really does his literature justice, and it does feel like he is speaking to you personally. Stephen Fry is the only person I've heard who pulls this off as well. Highly recommended.

Not just a great book, but a worthy audiobook

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A must for Wittertainees. Quite interesting for everyone else. Oh, this needs to be at least twenty words. There.

Hello to Jason Isaacs

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The good Doctor Kermode gives his memoires in a style which is engaging and interesting. His story of falling into various roles through, sheer chutzpah and his development as a writer and broadcaster is delivered through bouts of self deprecation and disbelief. Always an entertaining listen, it contains the usual memoire fillings of characters both positive and negative he has encountered en route. Altogether a great listen. But then I am a happy member of the church of wittertainment

Energentic, Self Deprecating , Insightful

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As a keen fan of Mr Kermode's radio show, I was excited to get the insight to all the inside jokes and to learn more about the great man. Almost feels like a forest gump tale through his career

The Man, The Myth, The Legend

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Most of the time, Kermode writes as he broadcasts, which will amuse or infuriate you depending on your preferences. Read by anybody but the author this would be a waste of money and almost eight hours of your life. Read by the author it will make you laugh more than six times and understand why Google says "hello to Jason Isaacs" when you type his name in. Kermode is probably currently one of the top ten of Britain's ex marxist, vegetarian, former feminist, Christian film critics, and this book amply explains how he achieved this, unless you are Ukranian, when it will offend you.

A Critique of Pure Unreasonableness

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