The X List (National Society of Film Critics)

I picked up this book over the weekend at a Half Price bookstore near me and have not been able to put it down, except to watch some of the films of course ;)

Like Comedy, Eros can be pretty personal, and some of the entries make no sense till you read the article about it. Bye Bye Birdie? The Mummy? (yes, the one with Karloff) Butch Cassidy? Well, the critics sometimes come up with some compelling explanations, usually having to do with crucial moments in their adolescence… But not always: Ayn Rand? My God, what was Jonathan Rosenbaum thinking? er rather, feeling?

I think there are what I consider a few glaring omissions: The Blue Angel, The Graduate, The Last Picture Show, Emmanuelle, Caligula, or even Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Sex*...

Anyway, that’s their list. Enjoy.