The
A List: The National Society of Film Critics' 100 Essential Films by Jay Carr, National Society of Film Critics
The ritual of list making in our entertainment media has yielded few
definitive surveys, but The A List is the genuine article. Written with
conviction, authority, and a refreshing diversity of styles by 41 members
of the esteemed National Society of Film Critics, this compilation of 100
mini-essays endeavors to explain why these 107 films (accounting for a
few appropriate couplings and trilogies) are required viewing for anyone
to be "film literate." Debate is inevitable (Enter the Dragon and Jailhouse
Rock created Bruce Lee and Elvis as icons--does that make them "essential"
films?), but the inclusions are eloquently justified through personal anecdote,
engaging analysis, and astute reassessment. International scope (the rise
of Iranian cinema) and historical breadth (from Birth of a Nation to L.A.
Confidential) prevent esoteric favoritism, but this enlightening collection
remains idiosyncratic and, yes, essential. Reading these essays before
and after seeing each film is encouraged; having them around for future
reference is nothing less than a privilege. --Jeff Shannon - Amazon.com Paperback from DaCapo Press
Book Published: 08 January, 2002
The
Film Encyclopedia: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of World Cinema
in a Single Volume (Film Encyclopedia, 4th Ed) by Ephraim Katz, et al
This is the basic reference guide to the international cinema.
Put it next to your TV and VCR and you'll be able to answer the questions
that inevitably arise when you watch a movie: "What other films has she
been in?"; "Haven't I heard that director's name before?"; and "What in
tarnation is a gaffer?" The Film Encyclopedia contains biographies
and filmographies of actors, directors, producers, and cinematographers,
as well as screenwriters, editors, musical directors, production designers,
and critics. You can look up films by nationality and find a history of
a given country's contribution to the art. Technical data is also indexed,
so you can read not only about film stock and the apparatus of the camera,
but also about the duties of the gaffer, the key grip, and the best boy.
The book's introduction states that Ephraim Katz, who died in 1992, set
out to write "the most comprehensive one-volume encyclopedia of world cinema
ever published in the English language." The Film Encyclopedia contains
more information than any other single-volume film reference and is also
the best written movie guide of its kind. Because most of the entries were
written by Katz himself, reading this book is like talking to a witty and
learned film historian who has devoted his life to understanding--and loving--the
cinema. Amazon.com (Paperback -- March 20, 2001)
The
Great Movies by Roger Ebert
Paperback from Broadway
Book Published: 11 November, 2003
Halliwell's
Film Guide 2004 by Leslie Halliwell
Paperback from HarperResource
Book Published: 01 December, 2003
Film
Noir: An Encyclopedia Reference to the American Style by Alain Silver (Editor), Elizabeth Ward (Editor)
Paperback: 479 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 1.50 x
11.00 x 8.25
Publisher: Overlook Press; 3rd edition (March 1993)
ISBN: 0879514795
The Encyclopedia of Stanley Kubrick (Library of Great Filmmakers) by Rodney Hill, Gene D. Phillips
Listed under Stanley Kubrick
1001
Movies You Must See Before You Die by Steven Jay Schneider
Book Description: "You played it for her, Sam. Now, play it
for me." Everybody loves a good movie, and Casablanca is just one of the
classics described in this, the ultimate book about movies! This volume's
expert team of authors spans a full century of production, concisely describing
1001 of the best films from around the world. The listings are dramatically
augmented with memorable photos, both in color and black and white. The
book is a chrono-logical survey covering the best cinematic dramas, comedies,
westerns, musicals, suspense and horror films, gangster classics, films
noir, sci-fi epics, documentaries, and adaptations of novels and stage
plays. Starting in 1902 with the French production, Le voyage dans la lune
(A Trip to the Moon) and the famous 1903 American short, The Great Train
Robbery, this immensely enjoyable read moves forward chronologically. Film
fans review the 1920s silent classics of D. W. Griffith and the comedies
of Chaplin and Keaton, then go on to the era of sound films, beginning
in 1927 with Al Jolson in The Jazz Singer. Soon to follow were von Sternberg's
1931 classic with Marlene Dietrich, Der Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel), the
Bela Lugosi portrayal of Dracula, and the inimitable King Kong. Other highlights
from the 1930s include screwball comedies like It Happened One Night and
Bringing Up Baby, the elegant song-and-dance fests that paired Astaire
and Rogers, the crazy antics of the Marx Brothers, and the classic Warner
Brothers gangster films where James Cagney, George Raft, and Edward G.
Robinson were brought to justice in the final reel. In the 1940s, The Maltese
Falconand Casablanca made Humphrey Bogart a household name--and spanning
nearly a half-century, from the 1930s to the '80s, Alfred Hitchcock's suspense
classics thrilled millions. Also well represented are the post-World War
II European New Wave directors, including Pasolini, Fellini, and Antonioni
from Italy, Resnais and Truffaut from France, and many others. Here too
in words and photos are the classic westerns, from epics starring John
Wayne and Gary Cooper to those in which Clint Eastwood shot it out with
the bad and the ugly. --And certainly not to be overlooked are the great
musicals, from Singin' in the Rain to Chicago.Readers who open this book
to any page will find a major film described with a complete list of credits,
an essay summarizing its story line and screen-history, and still shots
of some of the film's memorable scenes. At the back of the book, both an
alpha-betical index and a genre index will help readers find any film they're
looking for in a hurry. Collectors of DVDs and video tapes will find this
volume a must for their bookshelf, but even casual moviegoers will enjoy
browsing through this big, entertaining reference book. For students of
cinema, for discerning film buffs, for general moviegoers, and for readers
who enjoy reminiscing over unforgettable lines of dialogue, here's the
best place to start.
Hardcover from Barrons Educational Series
Book Published: February, 2004
