The X List: The National Society of Film Critics' Guide to the Movies That Turn Us On
New York Daily Newscritic Bernard has selected arousing movies varying wildly in quality, from the classic romantic noirLaurato the grotesqueBeyond the Valley of the Dolls. What makes the book stimulating is the uniform cleverness of the writing. Jay Carr brings the soft, sensual vividness ofThe Fabulous Baker Boysto life, noting, "It's an after-hours nocturne of dead-solid serendipity"; Bernard characterizesGildaas a "coyly sadistic exercise where sex is a weapon that's constantly being unsheathed." There's loose, tongue-in-cheek humor from Rob Nelson in his review ofEyes Wide Shut(he describes Stanley Kubrick as "one seriously perverse dude"). J. Hoberman's witty pan ofBasic Instinctis delightful, and Liza Schwarzbaum's enthusiasm forButch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidwill create new excitement for the DVD. Best Picture Oscar winners (Rebecca), European classics (Belle du Jour), lightweight musicals (Bye Bye Birdie), thrillers (Klute) and love stories (The Long Hot Summer) are spotlighted, and fine film writers—Joe Morgenstern, Richard Schickel, Peter Travers, Michael Wilmington, Kevin Thomas and David Edelson—tackle them with aplomb. Aspiring critics and cinema fans should savor these essays.(Nov. 1)Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.