Wijdicks E. Neurocinema: When Film Meets Neurology. CRC Press; 2014; 313 pp; $39.95
After my first look at this book, I had to marvel at the tenacity of the author, Dr. Wijdicks, Professor of Neurology at the Mayo Clinic, to have actually watched over 100 movies in which neurology disorders were main components of the movies or played a significant part in the film. Actually, this book is not only interesting but it is a valuable source to have at home when trying to decide what movie to order online or via a service like Netflix.
This 313-page book is divided into 7 Chapters, each dealing with the following: medicine in films with portrayals of hospital/physicians/disease; neurologists in films; neurologic disorders in film (pick your favorite disease); neuroethics; documentaries of neurologic diseases; neurofollies (nonsense); and the neurology of cinema.
In the beginning of the book you see a listing of movies, subdivided by disease category so you can decide if you want to entertain yourself by watching episodes on, for example, meningitis or motor neuron disease or physician assisted suicide. Sort of a gruesome way of selecting a movie, but hey, there it is for the macabre amongst our readers. The author has rated all these films with (instead of a 5-star rating), a reflex hammer rating of 1 through 4, with 4 being the top. The hammers are given according to the incorrectness of the disease all the way up to mandatory viewings.
This is a very clever book, approaching movies (film) from all different angles, giving the reader insights into not only the production and background of these multiple movies but information on their development and influence. Some of the movies, I am sure you will recognize, like Rain Man, Awakenings, and Lorenzo’s Oil, but most you will probably never have heard of. Interestingly, the popular ones generally rated lower than the more obscure ones—but that is how it is with many movies. The movies of least notoriety are often the most intriguing; that is what makes this book interesting. I am going to begin to search out the 4 reflex hammer movies and watch them.
So, as a diversion, this book is recommended, and the contents in it will bring you more joy than a book on, for example, advanced techniques in MR imaging.
