In this first collected volume, Jones (editor-at-large of Film Comment
) displays not only vast knowledge of film, but also an undeniable love for the medium. From his review of Samuel Fuller's director's cut of the war classic The Big Red One
to ruminations on such recent releases as David Cronenberg's A History of Violence
, Jones expertly walks the line between academia and pop culture without sacrificing insight into either approach. In one of his most incisive pieces in the collection, Jones posits a narrative progression beginning with the works of film pioneers King Vidor and F.W. Murnau, through Robert Bresson and Nicholas Roeg, and ending with Terrence Malick's latest, The New World
. Tackling every aspect of the filmmaking process—from the rise of digital effects to the influence of earlier critics such as Andrew Sarris and Manny Farber—Jones presents an engagingly personal journey through the medium that will attract novices and cinephiles alike. (Sept.)
