A deepâand darkly comicâdive into the nature of disasters, and the ways they shape how we think about ourselves in the world
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âIn this brilliant book, David Thomson tells the story of how we came to make disaster and catastrophe our best friendsâhow we let terror cocoon and take over our imaginations to avoid seeing the things that really frighten us. Riveting and totally original.ââAdam Curtis, BBC filmmaker and political journalist
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âErudite. . . . Engaging. . . . A cri de coeur about artâs struggle to keep up with reality.ââKirkus Reviews
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Audiences swell with the scale of disaster; humans have always been drawn to the rumors of our own demise. In this searching treatment, noted film historian David Thomson examines iconic disasters, both real and fictional, exposing the slippage between what occurs and what we observe. With reportage, film commentary, speculation, and a liberating sense of humor, Thomson shows how digital culture commodifies disaster and sates our desire to witness chaos while suffering none of its aftereffects.
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Ranging from Laurel and Hardy and Battleship Potemkin to Cormac McCarthyâs The Road, and from the epic San Andreas to the intimate Donât Look Now, Thomson pulls back the curtain to reveal why we love watching disaster unfoldâbut only if it happens to others.
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