A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards (Wesleyan Film) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sam Wasson has undertaken nothing less than the critical resurrection of Blake Edwards, whose 40-film career, by turns good, great, bad, but never indifferent, has been ridiculously underrated by the critical establishment. One hopes this impressive work will inspire a splurge of revivals and retrospectives of this more than intermittently hilarious filmmaker." ANDREW SARRIS, film critic, The New York Observer"

Review

"Sam Wasson has undertaken nothing less than the critical resurrection of Blake Edwards, whose 40-film career, by turns good, great, bad, but never indifferent, has been ridiculously underrated by the critical establishment. Wasson very readably displays the scholarly background, writing skills, historical sophistication and balanced judgment to succeed in his objective. One hopes this impressive work will inspire a splurge of revivals and retrospectives of this more than intermittently hilarious filmmaker." (Andrew Sarris, film critic, The New York Observer )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 370 pages
• Publisher: Wesleyan (October 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0819569151
• ISBN-13: 978-0819569158
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.8 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #347,958 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More than just The Pink Panther! A Major Study of a Comedy Legend, October 1, 2009

By	Penny Baxter (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

Of all the filmmaker studies I've read (and I've read my fair share) very few come close to A Splurch in the Kisser's complete understanding of its subject. Wasson is a great critic. He takes a hard look at Blake Edwards from all sides - technical, personal, cultural, historical, and even metaphysical - and in so doing sheds new light on a filmmaker that Wasson argues (and I agree) hasn't gotten his due.

Wasson's emphasis is at times more analytical than I would have liked (his descriptions of shots and scenes can go on a little too long), but his prose is never dull, nor is it impersonal or jargony - sometimes it's even funny, which is rare for a book of this kind.

Overall this is a smart, surprisingly fun look at an astoundingly long and dynamic Hollywood career. Splurch is as charming as it is insightful.

5.0 out of 5 stars FANTASTIC, November 7, 2009

By	Holland Sutton "lola granola" (Occidental, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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This book is so well written and entertaining. Anyone who loves movies will love this book. Blake Edwards is such an interesting character and had such an interesting career. I highly recommend this engaging book.