What do you think?
Rate this book
CoronaCinema: A Diary of the Pandemic Year in Movie Reviews
In his first book, Tom Samp revisits and analyzes a group of 50 diverse films, spanning decades and genres, with titles such as The Deer Hunter, Mrs. Miniver, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Exorcist, Chicago, and Longtime Companion. Some are still widely seen; others have been almost forgotten.
What unites them is their renewed relevance due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Each film is pertinent to a different aspect of the pandemic of 2020, which changed the world socially, economically, and politically.
CoronaCinema is also an entertaining, thoughtful diary of the author’s experiences during that unusual year. The film reviews, prefaced by personal recollections and concerns, help make sense of one of the most difficult periods in modern history.
The book will tantalize you to watch some great movies for the first time, or to experience them again in a fresh context.
What unites them is their renewed relevance due to the COVID-19 health crisis. Each film is pertinent to a different aspect of the pandemic of 2020, which changed the world socially, economically, and politically.
CoronaCinema is also an entertaining, thoughtful diary of the author’s experiences during that unusual year. The film reviews, prefaced by personal recollections and concerns, help make sense of one of the most difficult periods in modern history.
The book will tantalize you to watch some great movies for the first time, or to experience them again in a fresh context.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 5, 2021
2 people are currently reading
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
July 25, 2021
The author paints a vivid and compelling picture of life in 2020 through his reviews of fifty significant, wide-ranging films (everything from The Birds ... to The Odd Couple ... to The Best Years of Our Lives ... to The Deer Hunter) and one humorous TV episode (Leave It to Beaver).
Tom Samp adeptly pairs his deep thematic and artistic understanding of classic and contemporary films (across genres) with the desperation and complexity of living through the trauma and ambiguity of a pandemic. I highly recommend this insightful and personal book, especially if you love movies.
Tom Samp adeptly pairs his deep thematic and artistic understanding of classic and contemporary films (across genres) with the desperation and complexity of living through the trauma and ambiguity of a pandemic. I highly recommend this insightful and personal book, especially if you love movies.
Displaying 1 of 1 review