It's Only a Movie: Reel Life Adventures of a Film Obsessive

'You sub?' said Geoff, his interest marginally piqued.
'Oh yes, I do everything. Subbing. Listings, driving the van. Or crashing the van ha ha ha - only joking. But what I really want to do is write and —— '
It was Geoff's turn to cut in.
'You've done listings?'
'Oh yes. But I really want to write . . .'
'But you can do listings. You have experience?'
'Yes I have experience in listings. And Writing.'
'But listings?'
'Yes, listings. And writing'
'But listings?'
With my highly trained super-perception journalist skills I had started to detect a subtle undercurrent in our conversation which may not have been obvious to the untrained ear. Through some uncanny sixth sense I began to divine that Geoff may have an interest in someone with skills in show more the area of listings'. Without realising it, he had unwittingly allowed me an entry into the otherwise impenetrable fortress of the Time Out Film Section which I would now subtly exploit to my own advantage.

Mark Kermode begins by saying that this book should be read as if it is a movie 'inspired by real events', since some of the other people involved remember events quite differently. Oh, and to get into the spirit of things, you should imagine that Jason Isaacs is playing Mark. It is the story of his life with films, from childhood trips to the cinema, through his time at university in Manchester where he writes his first published reviews for a local magazine, and on to London as an adult where he somehow manages to blag a paying job at at Time Out.

Some of the stories in this book that had me laughing out loud, such as the 'job interview' quoted above and Mark's first disastrous attempt at reviewing films on radio. I am a long time listener to the Kermode and Mayo film podcast and Mark's voice comes across loud and clear in this very enjoyable book. show less

I'm not unfond of running. A few times a week I slip on my running shoes, then get up and vow to be more careful next time, then I go for a run. I'm not sure anyone really likes running while they're doing it, it's all pounding and sweaty and leg achey, and every single time I'm convinced I won't make it back home. At the end I collapse in a gasping, sobbing mess on the floor, swearing on my mother's socks to never run again. And then – clichéd but true – endorphin starts oozing everywhere and within a couple of minutes I want to go running all over again. Except by this stage my legs have shut down for the day so I have to wait till next time.

Like I said, I'm not unfond of running. And this is the only real prerequisite for show more enjoying Haruki Murakami's [b:What I Talk About When I Talk About Running|4352812|What I Talk About When I Talk About Running|Haruki Murakami|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jRd8LRR6L._SL75_.jpg|2475030]. That book is essentially about Murakami's writing career but from the point of view of his running (that makes sense if you've read the book, honest). If you don't like running I suspect you'd hate the book, but if you're at least not unfond of it then Murakami's wonderful style makes the book a delight to read.

I may be not unfond of running, but I love films. Especially horror films, and especially especially the kind of bad horror that some people disdain without even seeing it. Mark Kermode is of a similar bent, and It's Only a Movie is essentially What I Talk About When I Talk About Running except it's about Kermode's life as a film critic from the point of view of films. And Kermode's literary prowess doesn't quite rival Murakami. Of course that doesn't matter here, his thoroughly over the top enthusiasm for films pervades every page. The book is essentially a series of semi-fictional anecdotes about his career, with most of them punctuated by "just like that bit in [insert film here]."

The anecdotes aren't semi-fictional on purpose per se, but Kermode admits his memory is wildly influenced by what he thinks should have happened, or what he wishes he had done in a given situation. We've all come up with a punchy and witty riposte the day after someone says something to us, Kermode clearly does this too but, five years later, can no longer distinguish between whether he actually said the thing or not. This makes the book thoroughly entertaining once you get over the fact that many events in the book didn't happen the way they're told. Certainly the book had me snorting inappropriately on several occasions, Kermode's description of Mamma Mia! provoking actual tears of mirth.

If you like films, especially cheap, nasty horror films, then read the book. If not, well, then don't. show less

I'm not unfond of running. A few times a week I slip on my running shoes, then get up and vow to be more careful next time, then I go for a run. I'm not sure anyone really likes running while they're doing it, it's all pounding and sweaty and leg achey, and every single time I'm convinced I won't make it back home. At the end I collapse in a gasping, sobbing mess on the floor, swearing on my mother's socks to never run again. And then – clichéd but true – endorphin starts oozing everywhere and within a couple of minutes I want to go running all over again. Except by this stage my legs have shut down for the day so I have to wait till next time.

Like I said, I'm not unfond of running. And this is the only real prerequisite for show more enjoying Haruki Murakami's [b:What I Talk About When I Talk About Running|4352812|What I Talk About When I Talk About Running|Haruki Murakami|http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51jRd8LRR6L._SL75_.jpg|2475030]. That book is essentially about Murakami's writing career but from the point of view of his running (that makes sense if you've read the book, honest). If you don't like running I suspect you'd hate the book, but if you're at least not unfond of it then Murakami's wonderful style makes the book a delight to read.

I may be not unfond of running, but I love films. Especially horror films, and especially especially the kind of bad horror that some people disdain without even seeing it. Mark Kermode is of a similar bent, and It's Only a Movie is essentially What I Talk About When I Talk About Running except it's about Kermode's life as a film critic from the point of view of films. And Kermode's literary prowess doesn't quite rival Murakami. Of course that doesn't matter here, his thoroughly over the top enthusiasm for films pervades every page. The book is essentially a series of semi-fictional anecdotes about his career, with most of them punctuated by "just like that bit in [insert film here]."

The anecdotes aren't semi-fictional on purpose per se, but Kermode admits his memory is wildly influenced by what he thinks should have happened, or what he wishes he had done in a given situation. We've all come up with a punchy and witty riposte the day after someone says something to us, Kermode clearly does this too but, five years later, can no longer distinguish between whether he actually said the thing or not. This makes the book thoroughly entertaining once you get over the fact that many events in the book didn't happen the way they're told. Certainly the book had me snorting inappropriately on several occasions, Kermode's description of Mamma Mia! provoking actual tears of mirth.

If you like films, especially cheap, nasty horror films, then read the book. If not, well, then don't. show less

After reading ‘Hatchet Job’ by Mark Kermode last year and thoroughly enjoying it, I was really looking forward to reading his other books, starting with ‘It’s Only a Movie’ which is his sort-of biography (in reality more of a collection of stories from his career; Kermode describes the book as “inspired by real events” and tells the stories as though they are part of a movie of his life – with Jason Isaacs playing the man himself).

For anyone who doesn’t know who Mark Kermode is, he is a well known and popular British film critic, and half of Kermode and (Simon) Mayo’s Film Review programme on BBC Radio 5 Live, and this book relates the story of how he got there, starting off as an enthusiastic journalist for various show more regional magazines – amongst other things, he describes being humiliated by Helen Mirren, a wholly unenjoyable and ultimate fruitless journey to Russia to do an on-set report about the film Dark Waters, and how celebrated director Werner Herzog was shot at mid-interview!

If anything I enjoyed this book even more than I enjoyed Hatchet Job. Kermode is a self-deprecating and often very funny narrator, with a tendency to veer off at tangents halfway through any given story, but he always comes back to the point he is making, and always in a very entertaining fashion. His passion for films – in particular splattery gory horror movies – is clear to see, and even if I didn’t always agree with his opinions on certain films, I certainly enjoyed reading them.

It’s an entertaining and easy read, and I would definitely recommend it, particularly to film fans. show less

i agree with most other reviewers have said it is written in the style of his ramblings on the Radio show. however that is no bad thing when his ramblings are as laugh out loud funny as this.Oh why oh why is he not the BBCs regular film critic on television he is so much better that the current double act of Winkleman and (that guy who no one can remember).
I found it a fun and quick read written by someone whose obvious love of films shines through and the anecdotes of various incidents with movie stars and directors are often laugh out loud funny.
I recommend this book to any film lover (to whom I also recomend the Radio Five podcasts.)

I'm a big Mark Kermode fan, couldn't wait to read this one when I heard about it. The book was alternatively thoughtful and witty about the in's and out's of being a film critic and the industry itself. The author himself describes it as "the reading equivalent of a TV Movie of the Week," even sets it up as one, with actor Jason Isaacs in the role of Mark Kermode. I have to say I'm probably biased about this book since I am a fan of the author already and am therefore predisposed to like it, but other readers or film enthusiasts who enjoy alternating self-deprecating and self-aggrandizing humor amidst a background of cinema classics will find something to like in this one.

This is an autobiography of sorts from the BBC film critic. I say 'of sorts' because it isn't a thorough account of his life, but just the parts relating to his obsession with film and his career as a film critic, rather than his personal life. In the Prologue, he sets out how the story will be told as if he was making tv movie of his life, perparing the reader for the likelihood that there may be some artistic license with the narrative. Chapters cover his childhood and early obsessions with film, his days in Manchester writing for the student press and City Life magazine, his early film critic career at Time Out, time spent in LA, a disastrous trip to Russia, his radio career and a series of amusing ancedotes from his career.

It is show more written in a style similar to his broadcasting which I think polarises opinion - I love his film reviews (I don't see the point in being a critic if you aren't going to be passionately opinionated) but I know some people don't like him, so this book would not be for them.

On the whole it is a light read, full of self-deprecating humour, but also with some interesting thoughts on films and the film industry, particularly censorship. show less