Powerfully written and movingly personal, Carnal Thoughts consistently demonstrates what an embodied film criticism might actually be. Sobchack is insistent, impassioned, and persuasive in her attempt to show how cinematic spectatorship is always more than visual. The scholarship is superior, the organization is strong, and the literary style is accomplished, engaging, and polished. This is an extremely important work."—Patrice Petro, author of Aftershocks of the New"Carnal Thoughts wonderfully conveys the phenomenolgical aim of Sobchack's work. It is an important contribution to the field. It is also accessible and almost scandalously fun to read. The voice of a wise, eloquent and witty woman emerges from these pages and keeps the reader constantly engaged. "—Linda Williams, author of Playing the Race Card: Melodramas of Black and White from Uncle Tom to O.J. Simpson