General Books

Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (Signet))

Leonard Maltin

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Still the quintessential reference book after all these years 5 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Leonard Maltin has been issuing this yearly movie reference guide for many years. A while back (not sure when exactly), Maltin decided to split up the movies in pre-and after 1960 movies. The pre-1960 movies now have their own book ("Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide").

"Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide" (a whopping 1,644 pages, this book should be sold "by the pound") brings the alphabetical listing of more than 17,000 movies and captures their essence in a single paragraph. The editions change little from year to year, bringing a batch of new movies. It's not exactly clear where the chronological cut-off point is: "Iron Man" is in here, but not "The Dark Knight". But it matters not.

The beauty of this book is that it remains the essential "hard copy" reference tool for us movie lovers. Yes, the minute this book is issued it becomes out-dated (see the "Dark Knight" reference), and I'm sure there are on-line reference sites that are more up to date, but if you, like me, like to have an actual book, this reference guide is for you. At that level, this book remains the best and essential.

Editorial Review:

The most authoritative book in the field, now with more entries than ever before, updated and revised for 2009.

"Have You Seen . . . ?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films

David Thomson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

For ALL lovers of film 5 out of 5 stars.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.

I just received this book and so have only spent a couple of hours with it. The book is very engaging, and stirs interest in seeing films that you might have never ever watched, much less heard of. He is good about telling why he likes or dislikes the films, and in some cases suggests that you don't even watch the whole film, but certain scenes, or portions that are not to be missed.
Overall a great reference.
He has most of the reviews from films from the 30's to the 50's. This is intentional on his part, but does a very nice job of covering many decades of movies and he even has a couple of films from 2008.
There is a chronological index in the back of the book, but strangely enough, the book has no Table of Contents, or alphabetical listing of the reviews. I think that the inclusion of an alphabetical listing, and maybe an additional listing by director would have made things more interesting, and the book easier to use as a reference.

Editorial Review:

Amazon Best of the Month, October 2008: Having already written (and twice revised) the greatest bathroom book of all time, The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, David Thomson has refreshed his encyclopedic and idiosyncratic understanding of movie history to confect another giant slab of candy for anyone who loves movies or just likes to watch a great mind at work. "Have You Seen...?": A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films is no cobbled collection of old reviews: written fresh from start to finish, Thomson's page-long profiles often ignore plot to focus instead on the people behind the film or the slippery, personal question of what the movie is actually like to watch. And writing about a thousand films pushes him beyond his favorites into more interesting territory: flaws and failures are often his best subjects. You'll want to discover movies you've never heard of before, and rediscover others you thought you knew well. --Tom Nissley

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: 5th Anniversary Edition

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This special Fifth Anniversary Edition of the acclaimed film reference guide is packed with virtually everything movie lovers need to know about the films they simply must see. Stephen Jay Schneider and his team of writers have brought the book up to date by including the most memorable movies released during the past five years. Among their new additions are The Queen, The Lives of Others, Brokeback Mountain, and several more recent movies that have attracted worldwide attention. Covering more than a century of filmmaking and dating back to silent-era sensations such as Edwin S. Porter’s The Great Train Robbery and Chaplin’s The Gold Rush, this book describes musicals, dramas, screwball comedies, experimental “New Wave” films from 1950s and ’60s Italy and France, major films noir, classic westerns, action and adventure films, and even memorable documentaries. It lists each film’s director and cast, presents a plot summary and production notes, and cites interesting, often little-known facts relating to the film’s cast, storyline, and production. For students of cinema, discerning film buffs, DVD collectors, and readers who enjoy thumbing through and reminiscing over cherished screen moments, 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die is the place to start reading. Filled with 800 movie still shots and actors’ photos.

Story: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting

Robert McKee

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 175 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Writing for the screen is quirky business. A writer must labor meticulously over his or her prose, yet very little of that prose is ever heard by filmgoers. The few words that do reach the audience, in the form of the characters' dialogue, are, according to Robert McKee, best left to last in the writing process. ("As Alfred Hitchcock once remarked, 'When the screenplay has been written and the dialogue has been added, we're ready to shoot.' ") In Story, McKee puts into book form what he has been teaching screenwriters for years in his seminar on story structure, which is considered by many to be a prerequisite to the film biz. (The long list of film and television projects that McKee's students have written, directed, or produced includes Air Force One, The Deer Hunter, E.R., A Fish Called Wanda, Forrest Gump, NYPD Blue, and Sleepless in Seattle.) Legions of writers flock to Hollywood in search of easy money, calculating the best way to get rich quick. This book is not for them. McKee is passionate about the art of screenwriting. "No one needs yet another recipe book on how to reheat Hollywood leftovers," he writes. "We need a rediscovery of the underlying tenets of our art, the guiding principles that liberate talent." Story is a true path to just such a rediscovery. In it, McKee offers so much sound advice, drawing from sources as wide ranging as Aristotle and Casablanca, Stanislavski and Chinatown, that it is impossible not to come away feeling immeasurably better equipped to write a screenplay and infinitely more inspired to write a brilliant one.--Jane Steinberg

Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever 2009 (Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever)

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Video Hound's Golden Movie Retriever 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Video Hound is the best way yet to evaluate a movie before buying or renting it. I am impressed by the multiple ways to search - actors, material content, category, rating, etc. No negative aspects except that many good foreign movies are excluded, and you need a new version every couple of years to keep up with newer films.

This Book Rocks-Settles any argument instantly! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is the 4th Videohound book that I have purchased over the past 10 years. The information is presented in short, sweet, concise paragraphs that cut straight to the point. The greatest feature of the Videohound books is the cross-reference ability. This book has settled many an argument in my house about the year of a film or who was in it. A must have if you live with a trivia buff. Excellent for finding obscure films that you didn't know were hiding out there somewhere. Well worth the money, an excellent gift for that hard to buy for person.

This was a Christmas gift for my neighbor. 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought it for HER, but I couldn't put it down! She loves it. This book left out Jan Clayton who starred in a six movies which are in my library. THIS MAN'S NAVY, for instance. And the LASSIE DVD's and VHS's [of course].

Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need

Blake Snyder

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 207 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great way of looking at movies 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

While this may not actually be the last book on screenwriting you'll ever need (partly because you'll find yourself also wanting Blake Snyder's next book "Save the Cat Goes to the Movies), it is an excellent guide for screenwriters because it gives a different slant on understanding genres and screenplay composition. After you've read Syd Field, William Goldman, Russin & Robbins, etc., Blake comes at the topic from a different angle that, at least for me, brought about an Aha! moment.

If you're interested in ever selling a screenplay, you'll want to read other books as well, but I highly recommend Snyder's work as not-to-be-missed on your list.

Save The Cat, should be called Save my A$$.... 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

As a screenwriter, as a skeptic, and a person who rarely takes anyone's advice, when I picked up this book I was like "Yeah right, another book to tell me how to write.." That's just what I need. But on the insistent advice of my co-writer, I said okay I'll read it.

So I read the book and let's just call it the single most influential 15 hours of the development of my writing career. It taught me how to think about story development in simple ways that can truly set you free as a writer. It taught me ways to represent how a story should look in a visual medium with the big-board. And overall it let the development process be as productive as possible.

In the end, it gives you the tools to help think most efficiently while developing the story. And the thing I like best, it never mentions one word about dialogue and "how to" write. Blake understands where the true creativity of the writer comes from, the words, and he leaves that up to you. So in my advice, buy this book, learn the techniques, and use them. And let your art of writing the language be the true skill instead of muddling with the development process..

And that's why I call it Save My A$$...

Editorial Review:

This ultimate insider's guide reveals the secrets that none dare admit, told by a show biz Veteran who's proven that you can sell your script if you can save the cat!

The Complete X-Files: Behind the Series, the Myths, and the Movies

Matt Hurwitz

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The Complete X-Files is a declassified look at all nine seasons of the American Peabody and Emmy Award-winning science fiction television series created by Chris Carter. Delve into the mystery and myth of X-Files with in-depth looks at its entire television run, the first X-Files film, and the upcoming cinematic sequel. X-Files creator and producer Chris Carter takes us into the never-before-seen archives with explanations of unsolved plots, discussions of the FBI's paranormal investigations, scene by scene breakdowns of popular episodes, and insider information on both the previous and upcoming X-Files films. Discover the mystery behind Mulder's alien abduction, Scully's secret objectives, the designs of the shadowy "Cancer Man," and the full truth about the Mytharc episodes. Includes many bells and whistles, such as gatefolds, alien and monster charts, alien and monster cards, movie posters, a secret dossier, Mulder and Scully booklets , and more! The Complete X-Files will captivate fans and sciencefiction audiences, proving that nothing is what it seems and that "the truth is out there."

The Stanley Kubrick Archives

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Total reviews: 40 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The first book to explore Stanley Kubrick's archives and the most comprehensive study of the filmmaker to date, divided into 2 parts.

Part 1: The films
In 1968, when Stanley Kubrick was asked to comment on the metaphysical significance of 2001: A Space Odyssey, he replied: It s not a message I ever intended to convey in words. 2001 is a nonverbal experience.... I tried to create a visual experience, one that bypasses verbalized pigeonholing and directly penetrates the subconscious with an emotional and philosophic content. The philosophy behind Part 1 borrows from this line of thinking: from the opening sequence of Killer s Kiss to the final frames of Eyes Wide Shut, Kubrick s complete films will be presented chronologically and wordlessly via frame enlargements. A completely nonverbal experience.

Part 2: The Creative Process
Divided into chapters chronologically by film, Part 2 brings to life the creative process of Kubrick s filmmaking by presenting a remarkable collection of material from his archives, including photographs, props, posters, artwork, set designs, sketches, correspondence, documents, screenplays, drafts, notes, and shooting schedules. Accompanying the visual material are essays by noted Kubrick scholars, articles written by and about Kubrick, and a selection of Kubrick s best interviews.

Special features

Part 1 features 800 film stills scanned directly from the original prints and interpositives
Part 2 presents about 800 items from the archives, most of which have never been published before
essays by Kubrick scholars Gene D. Phillips, Michel Ciment, and Rodney Hill
selected articles and essays, including interviews with and essays by Stanley Kubrick
illustrated Kubrick chronology

The Ultimate Visual Guide to Star Wars

Ryder Windham

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Star Wars Ultimate Visula Guide 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The book has everything that i required. I belong to the 501st Legion I Australia and need reference images etc is rather important to me. Big clear images and easy to follow while reading. Very good product and i recommend one for all Star Wars fans.

TK-2264

Perfect Book of Star Wars 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

I bought it last month, but the book was published one year ago. This book is the special edition of Star Wars: The Ultimate Visual Guide. I bought the original edition of this book in 2005. This book can be saw as a simple timeline with picture stories of star wars, including movies, book, music, games, comics and so on.I very like this book.

written 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

i bought this book for my granson a 7 year old for is birthday he love star wars and the book was the best present for him.

excellent SW book 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Covers everything related to Star Wars. Very interesting with great pictures. My husband was intriqued by this book.

Editorial Review:

Providing fans and newcomers everything they need to know about the highest-grossing movie saga ever, this is the first-ever visual guide to the entire Star Wars franchise

Hollywood Pinups

Timothy White

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

Regretting this Purchase 1 out of 5 stars.
15 of 24 people found this review helpful.

I bought this book specifically because I had read in numerous publications that the proceeds were going to support Oxfam. The book itself features very pedestrian portraits of scantily-clad and extensively-airbrushed celebrities. This sort of thing might have been arousing when I was twelve, but no more so than an issue of Cosmo. This book seems to be relying on the shock value of nearly-naked celebrities to mask an otherwise second-rate and unimaginative collection of photographs.

After reading Oxfam's statement about the jeweler who contributed his wares to the book (Leviev), I did some more reading about the guy. Turns out, not only is the guy a major builder of settlements in the occupied West Bank (the ones that the U.S. government has called "obstacles to peace"), but he's also been accused of kidnapping, torturing, and assassinating diamond miners in Angola, fired hundreds of striking workers in Namibia, is constructing the first privatized prison in Israel, and is deeply involved in the gradual expulsion of poor people of color from areas of New York that he is helping to gentrify. This is one seriously sketchy character.

He'd apparently claimed (falsely) to be an Oxfam donor in the past, no doubt in an effort to repair his tarnished image. And when Oxfam called him out on it, he apparently decided to resort to even more deceptive tactics to exploit their name to build up his own. Seriously unethical.

This book is little more than a glorified advertisement for Leviev jewelry (kind of like all those bad 1980s cartoons that were mostly designed to advertise action figures). Don't take the bait.

Editorial Review:

Be Seduced . . .

An exclusive collection of never-published color photographs of today's most beautiful stars captured in pinup style, including Gina Gershon, Kate Hudson, Susan Sarandon, Molly Sims, Vanessa Williams, and many more . . .