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The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex

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The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex

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

In It's Only a Movie, the incomparable Mark Kermode showed us the weird world of a film critic's life lived in widescreen. Now, in The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex, he takes us into the belly of the beast to ask: 'What's wrong with modern movies?'

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 over a hundred years? Why pay to watch films in cinemas that 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?

Outspoken, opinionated and hilariously funny, The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex is a must for anyone who has ever sat in an undermanned, overpriced cinema and asked themselves: 'How the hell did things get to be this terrible?'

©2011 Mark Kermode (P)2011 Random House Audiobooks Art Entertainment & Performing Arts Film & TV History & Criticism Entertainment Comedy

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Critic reviews

"The Good, the Bad and the Multiplex by the reviewer, Mark Kermode is an angry blast about the state of cinema-going, from the cost if shepherding sweet-toothed children past overpriced confectionary to suffering through unfocused prints in unchecked auditoria. The scruffy cattle-pen experience will be familiar to anyone who has visited a mall cinema lately." (Christopher Fowler Books of the Year – Independent on Sunday)
"Kermode sits in the stalls peeking through his fingers at what we’re served up on the silver screen and motormouthing about bad cinema in a frank and funny counterblast to all the Hollywood hype" (Iain Finlayson and Kate Saunders Saga Magazine)
"As listeners of his radio show know, the angrier Mark Kermode gets, the funnier he is. Good news then: his latest book is a collection of FURIOUS rants against the sins of modern cinema…. Elegantly lacerating wit." ( Empire, Nov)
“a spritely, spirited tome… with welcome doses of spicy self-deprecation and fascinating cultural history.”( The Big Issue in the North)
"a joyously angry and very funny sustained rant" ( Christopher Brookmyre, The Scotsman)
All stars
Most relevant

Where does The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

I'm never sure how to rank things against other things but once I started listening to it I finished in less than two days.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex?

There's a bit about celluloid early on that's pretty grim. Stuck in my memory, and made me very thankful of emergency exits.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes. That is all.

Any additional comments?

I should say I've been listening to the Kermode/Mayo Film Review podcast for a very long time now so I don't know what non-fans/regular listeners would make of him. I understand he can be divisive but I've never know why.

I'm possibly biased

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I enjoyed the book, largely as I am a fan of Kermodes review style. It is an interesting account which frames the current movie industry in its historic and economic context in an informative and interesting way. At times this verged on rant however (which is I suppose part of his presentation style), which is slightly jarring when interspersed with thoughtful, balanced ananlysis. Overall I enjoyed the audiobook and would recommend this to anyone interested in the modern cinema industry.

A classic for fans of Kermodes review style

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My brother leant me his copy of this when it was released and I enjoyed it immensely. Listening to it is every bit as enjoyable- you can truly hear the feeling behind Mark Kermode’s words.

As good a listen as it was a read

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Enjoyed the detail in this odyssey into the nature of modern cinema, but found some of the anecdotes dragged on for far too long with little reward (the nightmarish cinema visit in particular).
What I liked most was the trivia and mark’s deep dive into the purpose of film critics.

Very interesting and still relevant

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I was a fan of the previous book/audiobook ('It's only a movie') but this is definitely a step-up from that already enjoyable listen. Rather than the autobiographical format this is more a collection of thoughts and rants - some of which will be familiar to fans of the previous book, the 5 Live show or Mr Kermode's entertaining video blog. All delivered with passion by the man himself, this is an engaging listen and whilst fan's of the good Doctor will be unsuprised at some of the thoughts on offer, he delivers them in a passionate manner and proves as forthwright, erudite and witty as ever. A really enjoyable listen with a poignant end and a great sense of a considered narrative argument compared to its predecessor. A must for anyone interested in the state of modern cinema.

Most definitely 'The Good'

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