Shit, Actually, Lindy West
Shit, Actually, Lindy West
4 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Shit, Actually
The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Author: Lindy West

Narrator: Lindy West

Unabridged: 7 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/20/2020


Synopsis

**Your Favorite Movies, Re-Watched**
New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author Lindy West was once the in-house movie critic for Seattle's alternative newsweekly The Stranger, where she covered film with brutal honesty and giddy irreverence. In Shit, Actually, Lindy returns to those roots, re-examining beloved and iconic movies from the past 40 years with an eye toward the big questions of our time: Is Twilight the horniest movie in history? Why do the zebras in The Lion King trust Mufasa-WHO IS A LION-to look out for their best interests? Why did anyone bother making any more movies after The Fugitive achieved perfection? And, my god, why don't any of the women in Love, Actually ever fucking talk?!?!

From Forrest Gump, Honey I Shrunk the Kids, and Bad Boys II, to Face/Off, Top Gun, and The Notebook, Lindy combines her razor-sharp wit and trademark humor with a genuine adoration for nostalgic trash to shed new critical light on some of our defining cultural touchstones-the stories we've long been telling ourselves about who we are. At once outrageously funny and piercingly incisive, Shit, Actually reminds us to pause and ask, "How does this movie hold up?", all while teaching us how to laugh at the things we love without ever letting them or ourselves off the hook.

Shit, Actually is a love letter and a break-up note all in one: to the films that shaped us and the ones that ruined us. More often than not, Lindy finds, they're one and the same.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Krista on August 20, 2020

Crashing a pharmaceutical gala when you are a fugitive literally drenched in blood? This movie is from 1993, but that’s a 2020 mood. The Fugitive Is The Only Good Movie Rating: 13/10 DVDs of The Fugitive Once upon a time, Lindy West was the movie critic for Seattle's alternative newsweekly The Strange......more

Goodreads review by Jessica on September 12, 2020

If you are looking for a gift-y book for a smarmy pop culture lover, this is not a bad choice. For lovers of smart-ass recaps, there is much here to enjoy and it's a good one to keep on a coffee table. I would have liked more from it, but I have to acknowledge that if you look at it just as a gifty......more

Goodreads review by Ellis on December 12, 2020

Picture me cackling out loud, alone in the stillness of my empty house. The cats raise their heads in annoyance and try to go back to sleep; eventually I'm laughing so hard they both get up off the couch and leave the room in a huff. Read in one fell swoop, this book had me wheezing and wiping away......more

Goodreads review by Regina on November 10, 2020

"It made me laugh so hard I cried." Is that REALLY a thing? People say it all the time about books, but I don't think it's ever happened to me... until now. Acknowledging that humor is subjective, Lindy West's $hit, Actually felt like it was written for the exact DNA of my personal funny bone. That......more

Goodreads review by Gerhard on January 11, 2021

Does anyone else feel like everything was 1970 until 2008 and then it abruptly switched to 2015 until 2017 when it became 2020 and has been ever since? This is a collection of 20-odd essays focusing on a wide range of popular movies that seemed to have defined the cultural zeitgeist upon their first......more


Quotes

BookRiot, "Book Recommendations for October 2020"
Fortune, "Five New Books to Read in October"
SeattleMet, "11 Localish Books to Read This Autumn"
Up News Info, "5 new books to read in October"

"TWO THUMBS UP."—SAMANTHAIRBY

"Oh God, I hope something I make is skewered by Lindy West--what an honor!"—ELIZABETHBANKS

"It's annoying how many good, funny, and laser-precise books Lindy has written. Here's another damn great book! It's the opposite of shit, actually."—AIDYBRYANT

"[A] laugh out loud romp... [these essays are] warmhearted, acutely self-aware, and surprisingly timely, providing insight into modern society through movies first sold on VHS... Like catching up with a dear and funny friend, this insightful and irreverent book is a soothing balm for turbulent times."—Kirkus Reviews

"Queen of keenly observed, hilariously rendered cultural criticism, West offers this delicious distraction from reality....a cathartic, joyful exploration of entertainment....in true West form she reads like your smartest, funniest, and warmest friend. A perfect blend of substance, escapism, and laughter - a gift from West to the rest of us."Booklist Review (starred)

"It's a no-holds-barred romp through modern movie-making."—LitHub

"[A] hilarious, sharp collection..."—BookRiot

"In our opinion, Lindy West is the ultimate authority, and we agree with her on all matters--including her assessments of beloved iconic movies... Shit, Actually is the ultimate read for the pop culture-obsessed."—Hello Giggles