The Pervert's Guide to Cinema

What do you say about a man who thinks that Groucho, Chico and Harpo represent the super-ego, ego and id? (Perhaps: where does that leave Zeppo?) Well, you’ll be able to say a lot more after you’ve seen Sophie Fiennes’ ( Hoover Street Revival, AFF03) three part introduction to the work of Freudian psychoanalyst, philosopher and film theorist Slavoj Zizek, author of Enjoy Your Symptom! and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lacan (But Were Afraid to Ask Hitchcock). The compulsively talkative Zizek asserts that films embody the elements of psychical fantasy which underpin and sustain our sense of reality. He cites copious scenes from famous films by Hitchcock, Chaplin, Coppola, George Lucas, even inserting himself into the sets of some classics. He returns constantly to David Lynch's work with strikingly insightful readings. Zizek answers all the questions about movies that you never thought to ask: why are movie screens like toilet bowls, and why are flowers so disgusting?

Like a ghost, Zizek haunts the famous locations and mock-up sets of classic movies in order to harangue us, like some intellectual Ancient Mariner. He fires off fluent reveries in his mangled, dentally challenged English like a virtuoso. Tremendously exhilarating stuff.

The Guardian