I typically read and review fiction exclusively, but I saw this piece of film criticism by Jonathan Lethem, one of my fav writers, so I thought I'd give it a try. I found it extremely entertaining, well written and cleverly put together. In the book, Lethem walks the reader through the often tacky and certifiably weird B movie "They Live" directed by John Carpenter. The movie is presented not exactly frame-by-frame, but sequentially in time. The film's political subtext is explored, as the artifice of the x-ray like specs that reveal a paranoid view of social control by unnamed aliens/ghouls in a Ronald Reaganized reactionary consumer culture. Lethem's treatment of the movie is intelligent, entertaining and very readable. His witty and insightful commentary is a lively treat, even if you are not a B-movie fan.
For a review of the book by popmatters, click here: http://www.popmatters.com/review/134687-they-live-deep-focus-by-jonathan-lethem/
For a review of the book by popmatters, click here: http://www.popmatters.com/review/134687-they-live-deep-focus-by-jonathan-lethem/
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