Thomson asks many important questions about American social mores and tastes as he explains how, over time, we've become inured to violence in media, especially film. Of course, he covers the GREAT ones: Hitchcock's Psycho, Lang;s "M", etc. But he goes beyond the steady change from murder is evil to mentally ill, psychologically damaged excuses for murder. And women get their own chapter. Theron's portrayal of Warnous, for example. Blessedly short, 219 pages, this creative non-fiction read includes Thompson's biographical information, which he admits contains many of the attributes of a murderer.
It's a good read.
