Ben Beard veers like a man possessed through the fever swamps of Hollywood’s obsession with the South and the result is a clever and deftly written work—equal parts broadside and paean and wholly insightful. Movie aficionados will love this book even as they argue over some of Beard’s strong opinions. Casual movie-goers might very well become film buffs after reading it. —Ken Wells, author of Meely LaBauve and The Good Pirates of the Forgotten Bayous