On the Art of Cinema

Rating:
Summary: Pauline Kael - eat your heart out!
Review: A man of many talents, the Dear Leader ', Comrade Kim Jong Il, can be found most nights crunching popcorn down at his local cinema and turning in a neat film review for the 'Democratic People's Advertiser', where he is star critic. He finds it a great way to relax after a hard day at the office - ensuring the ideological purity of Marxist-Juche Thought and pursuing a long-term strategy of nuclear brinkmanship can be a drag sometimes, as he candidly admits in the preface to this, his first collection of reviews. There's nothing like a good flick to ease the pressure of life as a Great Helmsman. In fact, Kim is such an ardent movie buff that he even had himself cloned, enabling him to review two films at once at his local Lenin Multiplex (which explains the seemingly odd situation above where two Kims are listed as the authors of this book). Trivia fans might like to note that Kim is also president of the Pyongyang Ava Gardner Fan Club. His favourite movies include 'It Happened One Night', 'Rocky III' and 'Blade Runner' (but definitely the director's cut as he finds the Harrison Ford voiceover on the original 'lame' and the happy ending 'cynically contrived'). He is also a massive Star Wars fan ' his Yoda impression was the toast of the 30th Communist International. Sadly he had to confess that he found 'The Phantom Menace' 'disappointing'. Never mind, I wonder what Kim Jong Il (and Kim Jong Il!) will make of 'Attack of the Clones' (!). I can't wait for the next volume '

Rating:
Summary: Pauline Kael - eat your heart out!
Review: A man of many talents, the Dear Leader �, Comrade Kim Jong Il, can be found most nights crunching popcorn down at his local cinema and turning in a neat film review for the �Democratic People�s Advertiser�, where he is star critic. He finds it a great way to relax after a hard day at the office - ensuring the ideological purity of Marxist-Juche Thought and pursuing a long-term strategy of nuclear brinkmanship can be a drag sometimes, as he candidly admits in the preface to this, his first collection of reviews. There�s nothing like a good flick to ease the pressure of life as a Great Helmsman. In fact, Kim is such an ardent movie buff that he even had himself cloned, enabling him to review two films at once at his local Lenin Multiplex (which explains the seemingly odd situation above where two Kims are listed as the authors of this book). Trivia fans might like to note that Kim is also president of the Pyongyang Ava Gardner Fan Club. His favourite movies include �It Happened One Night�, �Rocky III� and �Blade Runner� (but definitely the director�s cut as he finds the Harrison Ford voiceover on the original �lame� and the happy ending �cynically contrived�). He is also a massive Star Wars fan � his Yoda impression was the toast of the 30th Communist International. Sadly he had to confess that he found �The Phantom Menace� �disappointing�. Never mind, I wonder what Kim Jong Il (and Kim Jong Il!) will make of �Attack of the Clones� (!). I can�t wait for the next volume �

Rating:
Summary: Oh, dear leader! We exist only for your service!
Review: Oh leader! Dear leader! Your light shines upon us!
Kim Jong-Il is a Stalinist boob, and short. But, as Nixon said of PJ O'Rourke, whatever you think of his politics, he writes a hell of a piece. NYU film school uses this book as the core of its curriculum. The Dear Leader blesses us with his lean prose, so joyous after decades of Western decadence. If the price of his criticism is to be counted in the millions of Korean dead, then so be it.