Product Description

"1001 Movies" is now well-established as the definitive guide to everything you need to know about must-see movies, from the films you shouldn't have missed the first time around, to the films you can see again and again. Expert critics in each genre of film, from romance to horror and sci-fi, have painstakingly included, revised, cut and added films to bring the must-watch list bang up-to-date for 2007. They will tell you exactly why these films deserve inclusion in this definitive illustrated list, about their conception and development, and even about the most famous pieces of memorabilia associated with them. Packed with vital statistics, and a few facts that may surprise you, this is a collector's must for the bookshelf as well as an entertaining read for all those who love the wonderful world of film.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #146813 in Books
• Published on: 2008-09-15
• Format: Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 960 pages

About the Author
Steven Jay Schneider lectures in Cinema Studies at New York University, and has taught in various institutions including Harvard and Birkbeck College, London. He is a regular contributor to cinematic journals and an authority on horror films, as well as directors like Kathryn Bigelow and David Lynch

Customer Reviews

A thousand and one magic film moments....
These books are great, no matter how diverse your tastes, and no matter how many films you've seen - you'll always find something new to watch.

This is the newest version of the book (well, at the time of typing this is it anyway) and as with any list of films it is subject to personal opinion.

The introduction explains how the book attempts to not discriminate on basis of film nationality or language, or whether it's an animated or live feature film, and it includes short film as well. I think there is a slight lean towards the Hollywood glory years, but it doesn't threaten the sheer massive variety presented in this book.

The introduction is followed by an A-Z checklist of films where you can tick off the ones you've seen - this also acts as an index so you can easily locate the films in the book.

As with previous incarnations you get lots of additional information about the films included as well as the critique - and some excellent photography too. The reviews are well written, they are authored by people with a good knowledge of cinema and this gives the book an authoritative feel

This is a hefty book and not one you'll manage to simply flick through in an afternoon - but it's one of those books which is great to pick up when you've only got a few minutes. If you've got the last edition then there's probably not much need to `upgrade' to this latest one, but I think the "1001 movies..." books are perfect gifts for film lovers everywhere - no matter what their tastes might be.

A good introduction to cinema
First of all let me begin by stating that I've put off reviewing this canon for some time. I see no justification to review a book like this until one has consumed most of it. At present I have seen 841 of these films and feel now that a review is justified.

I believe that of all the books in this series this is the strongest entry although not gospel. This canon or list of films is an excellent introduction to cinema, it gives you the basics to develop a well rounded appreciation of all cinema beginning in 1902 with George Melies' "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" right up to the present day. As would be expected in concentrates a lot on American cinema when it was a force to reckoned with. It does not overlook all the important movements like German expressionism(1920s), Socialist realism (1920s), French poetic realism(1930s), Italian neo-realism(late40s-early50s), Film Noir and all the New Wave movements in the 1960s from Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Eastern Europe. It continues in the 1970s where there is a lot of attention to New Hollywood directors as well as New German cinema which were making a massive impact at the time. After that it moves into blockbuster territory in the 1980s which is to be expected. It was a period which is not held in much regard by cineastes but is a part of cinema's development. From the 1990s onward one begins to notice how important films seem to come from all over the world and not concentrated in one area. As would be expected the last few years are open to debate, evidence of which can be seen in the fact that every time the book is revised it's those last few years that are shuffled around.

So what you got is a skeletal view of cinema which allows you to flesh it out. This book is the introduction to cinema, the yellow brick road to the Emerald city if you will, to becoming a film buff. Once you've seen 50% of these you'll already be an above average film fan. After you've completed this list it's time to move onto the Jonathan Rosenbaum 1000 which I believe will take you way way beyond.

There is however one serious flaw with the book in that it is jam packed with spoilers. So proceed with caution.

Another word of caution is that this book is highly addictive and one may need purchase a multi-region dvd player in order to satisfy your desire to complete this canon. I doubt you'll be disappointed however.

The Latest Edition Is an Improvement
I reviewed the original edition of this book in my introductory volume to the "Hollywood Classics" series, Hollywood Classic Movies 1: New Light on Movie Bests. Although a number of minor issues have been rectified, my main complaint that the book is overbalanced in favor of the 1960s and onwards is still justified. Admittedly, many readers like my daughter (who will not watch anything in black-and-white), will regard this as a virtue rather than a demerit. But there's no denying that this bias has led to the exclusion not only of many of the cinema's greatest masters, but even to some of the most popular and critically acclaimed vintage movies that are still currently being aired on television and issued on DVD. While this book replaces many of these classics by concentrating on present-day successes, one wonders whether their current popularity will stand up in 10 years' time, let alone 50 or 60!