Movies (And Other Things) – Shea Serrano with Arturo Torres
Packed with laugh out loud funny observations and hypothetical questions no one thought to ask about some of cinema’s most beloved (and obscure) movies from the past 40 years, “Movies” is the perfect coffee table book for the Millennial movie lover in your life.
In each of the 30 essays, Shea Serrano asks a question (example: “Is this movie better or worse with The Rock in it?”) that he then answers through digressions, footnotes, social and pop culture commentary.
It’s not a heavy read, but it will make you think — from reassessing your taste in film to analyzing your own beliefs about how characters and situations have been portrayed.
Serrano borders on existentialist and absurdist, which I found endearing, since it often reads like he wrote unfiltered stream of consciousness ideas — not unlike how you might present a good natured (and completely inconsequential) argument to a friend.
Speaking of friends, I was gifted a copy of this book by my dear friend Gail in 2019 while I was living in my brother’s basement while waiting to move to a new state (long story). I remembered receiving this book, but I couldn’t find it for THREE YEARS. It was in a box that somehow was missed while unpacking.
Once it was discovered, I quickly devoured it, so I could talk about it with Gail even though she didn’t remember all the nuances of specific essays anymore, which basically summarizes our 20+ year friendship, because she’s always telling me to read/watch/listen to something, and I get around to it months/years later.
The above paragraphs are an example of how Serrano will get off track but still tie it all back together to the topic at hand. If you don’t mind that type of storytelling, then you’ll enjoy this.
While each chapter has its merits, I wasn’t enthralled by all the essays, because I didn’t particularly care for the genre (i.e. heist movies) or films discussed (i.e. the Fast and Furious franchise). Unless you’re a film obsessive,* you can probably peruse the table of contents and pick the sections of most interest.
My favorite essays:
Who gets it the worst in Kill Bill? Really not up for debate in my opinion.
Who’s in the Regina George circle of friends? One of the most clever chapters in the book.
Can we talk about Selena for a minute? Outlines why this was a watershed, and much-loved film, while also acknowledging some flaws.
Who wins the Brand New Academy Awards, Parts 1 – 3? This is an example of the type of debate Gail and I frequently have.
Did the Rockford Peaches make the right decision in trading Kit? It made me reassess A League of Their Own.
What happened at the Michael Myers press conference? You’ll never watch Halloween the same again.
Each chapter includes several illustrations by Arturo Torres, who mashes up Serrano’s argument into pop culture art that would rival Warhol or Hamilton. If you ever dreamed of seeing Leonardo DiCaprio holding The Rock on the Titanic or watching Jesus baptize a raptor from Jurassic Park, well, this is the book for you.
*If you are, I highly recommend Brian Raftery’s “Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen, a book Gail and I both loved, but I encouraged her to read before I found my lost copy of “Movies,” which made me seem like an ungrateful gift receiver.
Rating (story): 4/5 stars
Rating (narration): N/A
Formats: Hardcover (personal library)
Dates read: September 7 – September 17, 2022
Multi-tasking: N/A
