Week Twelve - Prompt Response

Reader's Advisory Matrix 

Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild and True Story of Mad Max Fury Road by Kyle Buchanan

1. Where is the book on the narrative continuum? The book is a mix - some narrative, some fact-based explanation. 
2. What is the subject of the book? The book is about the filming of the movie "Mad Max Fury Road" - the movie was directed by George Miller and released in 2015. 
3. What type of book is it? This is primarily an oral history, and a behind-the-scenes documentary-style look at film production. 
4. Articulate Appeal
• What is the pacing? The pacing is very fast - the interview snippets are short, and it keeps everything moving rapidly. 
• Describe the characters of the book: Over 130 cast and crew were interviewed, including the leads (Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy) and the featured director (George Miller). There are also reactions/interviews of other directors and actors who were not involved in production. 
• How does the story feel? The story does a good job of reflecting the atmosphere of the creation of the film - namely, chaotic, daring, and sort of awe-struck. 
• What is the intent of the author? The intent of the author is to detail the movie-making experience and draw attention to the fact that the filming was so long, so dangerous, and so unconventional. "Fury Road" took twenty years to create, and Buchanan wants readers to experience how massive of an undertaking that was. 
• What is the focus of the story? The story is broken into three parts, the first part focusing on the conception of the movie (and on Miller as a visionary), the second on the shooting of the movie, and the third on getting the film released. 
• Does the language matter? The book is primarily made up of transcripts of interviews, so language matters in that it characterizes the people speaking. 
• Is the setting important and well described? The film was shot in the Namib Desert, and that setting takes on almost a mythic quality in how big of an obstacle it was to shooting - it becomes an antagonist as much as it is a setting, and it is well-described in the interviews and in Buchanan's writing. 
• Are there details, and if so, of what? There are so many details - details about certain stunts and why they were so ambitious and dangerous, details about the conflicts between members of the cast and crew or between the studio and director, details about the budget or the scope of certain aspects of filmmaking. It's a book full of details. 
• Are there sufficient charts and other graphic materials? Are they useful and clear? None. 
• Does the book stress moments of learning, understanding, or experience? Yes, the book provides all three. For those interested in the the art of filmmaking, or about the practicalities of the sorts of relationships and negotiations it takes to create a blockbuster movie - there are plenty of moments to learn from. For those seeking to understand what made this film shoot so wild, considered one of the most dangerous and difficult - there is a lot of testimony to create that understanding. And for those wanting to feel like they were there, to experience the insanity - the tone and pacing of the book seek to replicate some of the madness. 
5. Why would a reader enjoy this book? 1.) They are interested in filmmaking, or the history of it. 2.) They are fans of the movie. 3.) They enjoy behind-the-scenes documentaries.