Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang compiles film critic Pauline Kael's reviews and essays from 1965-1968, during her early years at The New Yorker. The collection includes her takes on landmark films like Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kael writes with direct, conversational authority, often going against mainstream critical opinion of the time. Her reviews merge cultural criticism with detailed scene analysis, examining how movies reflect and shape American attitudes about violence, sex, and social change. She pays equal attention to technical craft and emotional impact, analyzing cinematography and editing while also capturing how films make audiences feel. The book showcases both Kael's deep knowledge of film history and her ability to articulate visceral responses to what happens on screen. The collection represents a pivotal moment when American movies and film criticism were transforming - becoming more sophisticated, more willing to challenge conventions, and more engaged with the complexities of contemporary life. Through these reviews, Kael helped establish a new way of writing about and understanding film as an art form.

Most readers appreciate Kael's sharp, unapologetic voice and deep knowledge of film. Reviewers highlight her wit, passionate opinions, and ability to connect movies to broader cultural themes. Readers specifically praise: - Detailed analysis of 1960s-70s films - Clear, energetic writing style - Mix of popular and arthouse film reviews Common criticisms: - Strong personal biases that can overshadow objective analysis - Dismissive tone toward films/directors she dislikes - Dense writing that can be hard to follow Ratings: Goodreads: 4.2/5 (127 ratings) Amazon: 4.5/5 (11 reviews) LibraryThing: 4.1/5 (22 ratings) Representative reader comment from Goodreads: "Her reviews read like conversations with a brilliant, opinionated friend who notices things in movies that others miss completely." Several readers note this collection works better for sampling specific reviews rather than reading cover-to-cover.

When Movies Mattered by David Denby Reviews and criticism that capture American film culture of the 1970s and 1980s through the lens of a New York critic who, like Kael, emphasized the connection between movies and their cultural moment.

The Devil's Candy by Julie Salamon This behind-the-scenes chronicle of the making of "The Bonfire of the Vanities" exposes the inner workings of Hollywood filmmaking with the same unvarnished perspective Kael brought to her reviews.

Better Living Through Criticism by A. O. Scott The New York Times film critic examines the purpose and practice of criticism in a way that builds upon Kael's legacy of treating popular art with serious intellectual consideration.

For Keeps by Pauline Kael This collection presents Kael's most significant reviews and essays spanning her career, offering readers more of her distinctive voice and penetrating analysis of cinema.

Pictures at a Revolution by Mark Harris Through an examination of the five films nominated for Best Picture in 1967, this book dissects Hollywood's transition from old to new in the same era that shaped Kael's critical perspective.

🎬 When Pauline Kael submitted "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," her publisher rejected the original title "The Citizen Kane Book," despite much of the content focusing on Orson Welles' masterpiece. 📝 The book's title comes from an Italian movie poster Kael saw - she felt "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" perfectly captured cinema's basic appeal, calling it "perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic appeal of movies." 🎯 Kael's controversial review of "West Side Story" in this collection caused her to be fired from McCall's magazine, but it also caught The New Yorker's attention, leading to her legendary tenure there. 👑 Several essays in the book helped establish Kael's signature style of mixing high and low culture references, treating B-movies with the same analytical respect as acclaimed art films. 📚 The collection features Kael's famous essay "Trash, Art, and the Movies," which argues that viewers should stop feeling guilty about enjoying commercial films and trust their honest reactions rather than pretentious critical opinions.