I recently read Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West — and it was just what I’d been looking for! Hilarious relook at old blockbuster movies, with tons of punchlines thrown in. Nobody is spared (not even the movie , which as per West is ““, haha) and every single movie trope and trick is held to the microscope for a close and hysterically funny analysis.
Trust me, this book makes you laugh like crazy. Pick it up on one of those downer days, and watch your gloom evaporate.
Most of the hilarity comes from the fact that Lindy West actually has some really practical comments on where the movie messed up – in terms of logic, factual accuracy, timeline errors, cultural insensitivity, and “dumbing it down” for the audience. It’s strange how we tend to overlook these things in movies because we get mesmerized by the “feel” of the good guys winning, the dashing OTPs, and the special effects. This is what West brings back to light. In that sense, her commentary makes for very realistic critique.
But what makes this book so delightful and so effective is the high humor quotient – the adorable-snarky writing style, the funny comparisons she makes to real world workings, and the witty examples she gives. When was the last time you came across a book of essays and laughed the roof down?
It helps if you’ve seen those particular movies before – but don’t worry, you’ll laugh out loud even if you haven’t. I think there are about 23 movies discussed, each target of a separate essay in the book. My favorites are the ones on , , , , and .
Book Quotes:
Context is everything, but here are a few choice gems from this book:
“The T. rex gets out. The lawyer tries to hide in a toilet house, but T. rex finds him immediately because this is the ’90s, so T. rexes hate lawyers.”
This one from Jurassic Park, in “The Real Monster Is Inspections”
From Bad Boys II, in “… Miami?”
Sometimes I write fake dialogue and pretend that it’s real dialogue, as a joke. The above is not one of those times.”
“A creepy voice tells Quirrell to make Harry get the stone. Who is that creepy voice? Oh, it’s only VOLDEMORT HIDING UNDER QUIRRELL’S HAT! Quirrell’s got male pattern VOLDNESS.”
From Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, in “Harry Plot Hole”
9 replies on “Shit, Actually by Lindy West: ROFL Funny Book”
This sounds fun. And I bet the Jurassic PArk stuff would be hilarious. 🙂 I love the humor in that one anyway. !!
You know, I never remembered the Jurassic Park humor till West raised it again in this book. I definitely needed this book, haha
Well, you can’t fault a book that gives you such a good time. I would say normally that this wouldn’t probably be one for me but I do like a laugh and I also like movies so this could very well work out.
Lynn 😀
I thought it wouldn’t be for me either (I typically don’t read non-fiction)… but the first essay about Fugitive just sucked me in and then I couldn’t stop reading
Oh I loved The Fugitive and Titanic! This seems like a really fun book.
It is! West has great comic timing. She just knows when to raise a comment, and how to make it funnier by adding an example / capslock etc. RIGHT THERE. It’s unbelievable how this one keeps going
Hi Lex! Okay, this one can only be fun and we can all do with that. Going on the TBR!
Hope you had a good weekend and have fun in the new week!
Elza Reads
Awesome, I really hope you give this one a try!
This sounds like a great read for a blah day! I’ll see if my library has it. Thanks for the recommendation!