Violent Screen: A Critic's 13 Years on the Front Lines of Movie Mayhem

by Stephen Hunter

Baltimore Sun (and later Washington Post) movie critic (and novelist) Stephen Hunter takes aim at 13 years (1981-94) of popular movies, from film noir to teenage slashers, gangster flicks to sci-fi pics, and examines the current, and often violent, culture of modern cinema. Organized by topic, this book is a fascinating chronicle of today's increasingly violent and alienating culture.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Essays, Criticism

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Stephen Hunter is the author of fourteen novels, and a chief film critic at The Washington Post, where he won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

Reviews

[Bob Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a fan of Hunter's fiction. I've been reading them for 15 years, from the sniper in Vietnam to the sheriff in Arkansas. I've enjoyed them all. I knew Hunter wrote movie reviews for the Baltimore Sun but not being a subscriber, never seen one. I was surprised and pleased to run into this book of over 90 reviews plus a dozen articles on movie violence. Hunter understands violence in his fiction and on screen, he understands when it should be used and when its overused.
This book covers movie reviews written from the late 1980's to the mid 1990's. Its divided into sections by the type of movie, i.e., war, domestic violence, science fiction, etc. At the end of each section there's an article summarizing the genre, the reviews included and it's place in American culture.
Most men of a certain age have seen the majority of these movies. There were only a handful I didn't recognize. If you haven't seen a particular movie I doubt that its useful to read the review, but Hunter's reviews are entertaining nonetheless. He injects humor and cultural references in the reviews. The summary articles are insightful. Hunter suggests the first anti Vietnam was movie was The Magnificent Seven, starring Yul Brenner, released in 1960.
If you believe movies are reflective of society, this is a book for you. Or can use it to fill out your movie que on Netflix

[Mike Glaser · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a tough one because I kept going back between 3 or 4 stars but since my solid 3.5’s are always rounded down, that accounts for the three stars. The author of this book did movie reviews for a Baltimore paper for close to thirty years in addition to writing books, most notably the Bob Lee Swagger series. I enjoyed the reviews and insights he provided even I did not always agree with his review. I would be curious if his attitude toward any of the movies that he had reviews for from when the movies were released have changed in the interceding years. In any case, a recommended read especially if you enjoy movies.

[Bill Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stephen Hunter is a welcome departure from the drivel if Roger Ebert. This survey of violent cinema shows both an appreciation for and apprehension toward the subgenre. It's conversational and never too stuffy. A good read.