Armond White Knihy

This collection features essays by three prominent long-form critics, gathered from the NYPress for the first time. Their work includes a range of criticism—polemics, reviews, interviews, festival reports, and features—distinguished from the typical "consumer report" style. Cheshire, Seitz, and White engage deeply with both contemporary film culture and its historical context, offering three unique yet complementary perspectives. Their dialogue not only showcases individual tastes but also fosters a critical conversation, with each writer often challenging the others. This interaction exemplifies the importance of dialogue in criticism. The essays assess the 1990s cinema landscape and explore New York's vibrant repertory scene, featuring analyses of iconic directors like Hitchcock, Lean, Kubrick, Welles, Fassbinder, and Bresson. Additionally, they delve into significant topics such as the legacy of Star Wars, film noir, early film projection in New York, the New York Film Critics Circle, Sundance, the impact of 9/11, and the emerging cinemas of Iran and Taiwan. This rich tapestry of voices and insights offers a compelling examination of film's legacy and its ongoing evolution.

The ever-controversial Shakur offers a great occasion for a close, passionate reading of rap and ghetto culture. White's understanding of Tupac's art will uncork the bottled up rage and confusion that attends the way hip-hop culture is produced and received. Rebel details each step in Shakur's development, from his early exposure to racism and political activism to his move from New York to the West Coast and his innovative work with early hip hop culture and music. Through connections drawn between Shakur and Public Enemy, Notorious B.I.G., Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, and Sister Souljah, White examines Shakur's life as a prism for the hip-hop world. Photographs, a useful chronology of important dates in the life of Shakur, and an updated discography and filmography of his career as a rapper and actor are included. "Talk about diversity, talk about identity, talk about icons—White's in-depth look at Tupac Shakur talks about all of 'em."—Booklist "White has written a nuanced, expansive and impassioned study of the life and art of Tupac Shakur."—Tyrone Williams, Metro Times Literary Quarterly "Rebel ... is a means of analyzing the rage, fatalism and rootlessness of the contemporary rap scene."—Select Magazine

A collection of essays on the most hotly debated films features discussions on Spike Lee, Oliver Stone, the ratings war, and the war of the sexes by such critics as Pauline Kael, Roger Ebert, and Terrence Rafferty. Original.