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

I've read many of Stephen Hunter's novels, and have some more yet to read. This book, Violent Screen, intrigued me by its title because I have long noted that Hollywood, populated as it is with a preponderance of liberal, anti-gun, anti-violence sob sisters, cannot seem to make a movie without featuring gun violence, homicidal car chases, and other socially unacceptable action on a grand scale. The average citizen of the United States has never, WILL never, in a normal lifetime, be witness, even once, to most of the violent acts that, if you judge our society by what Hollywood portrays, is a normal daily occurrence on our streets. The so-called "Wild West," for example, depicted by Hollywood, with its stand-up quick-draw shoot-outs, is the product of the fevered imaginations of screenwriters and Eastern pulp fiction purveyors. If the truth were known, Eastern cities were far more violent than the Western villages of the nineteenth century. But, Stephen Hunter is not judgmental about such things. His appreciation for their product goes beyond such judgments. His criticism is of their craft, not their agenda. Perhaps that is as it should be. Despite the fact that his novels show evidence of a writer with encyclopedic knowledge of firearms, and it is evident that he is a shooter, which he himself confesses, his movie reviews show a different man: one who is sensitive to the feminist cause, and a sensitive portrayal of the "alternate life-style." While his novels, particularly the Bob Lee Swagger series, are filled with violence, crude language, torture, and denigrating racial depictions, in Violent Screen another writer emerges: a thoughtful, careful thinker whose sensitivities are subtle and nuanced. There is no doubt that Stephen Hunter is a skilled writer, with an extraordinary vocabulary, and a wonderful ability to tell a story that holds you entranced. What this book shows me is that he is also a man I'd like to know. He is a critical thinker of the first rank, whose opinions I can respect. Joseph (Joe) Pierre, USN (Ret) author of Handguns and Freedom...their care and maintenance and other books

America is often seen by the world as a society that glorifies violence, as demonstrated by our movies. This book takes on that topic head on. The reviews themselves are very helpful. Some movies receive praise, others the opposite. Violent movies expose our flaws and show our conscience. Read this book if you are interested in good movies.By the way, it takes about a minute to read each vignette. This makes for good bedtime reading or for the subway--anywhere that you have only a short amount of time to read.

.... each 3 - 4 page review is informative and entertaining (not that you'll agree with all his reviews).Perfect book to leave in the bathroom for those visiting guets that will only have a couple of minutes work time in there.

Stephen Hunter is a talented prolific novelist, who also writes insightful movie reviews. It's always interesting to see if you agree with the opinion of a writer you enjoy. But here Hunter has given us himself. There is an epilogue that appears out of place, until you understand just how willing Hunter is to invest himself in his writing. Excellent and unforgetable.

A wonderful and gritty collection of Stephen Hunter's work as a film critic is captured in this amazing book. Hunter has a keen eye for detail and he fill each review with wit and realism. Hunter also includes film essays and suggests movies that are similar to or better than the one he is reviewing. I have never been fan of Hunter's fiction (gun stories get boring) but "Violent Screen" was a pure joy to read again and again.