For a book of criticism, [The Extraordinary Image] is wonderfully accessible, less like a lecture and closer to a conversation. [Kolker's] observations reflect both the consensus of critical thought on these films, and his personal connections to the images ... this collective study adds a distinctive tone that will make this of interest to fans of any of these filmmakers. ... Read more -Library Journal [The Extraordinary Image] is littered with keen observations readily savored. - Boston Review Kolker ingeniously brings together three dissimilar filmmakers - Hitchcock, Welles, Kubrick - and deftly manages to make them convincing subjects of a comparative study... [He] writes with such fluency and grace about these filmmakers that he makes the feat of discussing their quite distinct and challenging respective oeuvres seem easy... Kolker's study makes one hungry to experience its subjects' creativity anew, inspiring one to revisit the oeuvres of three great, distinctive, and distinct filmmakers whose bodies of work, as Kolker persuasively argues, converge in the creation of lasting and, indeed, extraordinary images. - Cineaste The most refreshing quality of The Extraordinary Image is its respect for the humanist tradition. Kolker's bottom-line insistence on the deeply rooted humanity of the greatest cinema is invigorating, especially when he connects his emotions about movies with his longtime effort to share his insights and enthusiasms with students and readers. -Alfred Hitchcock Annual Show Less