Check out these titles that we've collected that would make good reading and/or would provide useful reference to your favorite movies and movie stars. Click on the book title to find out more information and to buy from our featured merchants.
The Best Old Movies for Families: A Guide to Watching Together by Ty Burr
Boston Globe movie critic and former Entertainment Weekly columnist Ty Burr runs through his suggestions for old movies that will appeal to kids of various ages. His approach is that classic movies can be just as enjoyable for kids and families as the more mainstream, no-brainer kids movies that are high on energy but perhaps not so high on quality.
He breaks his recommendations down by age groups:
FOR THE LITTLE ONES (Ages 3—6): Fast-paced movies that are simple without being unsophisticated, plainspoken without being dumbed down. Singin’ in the Rain and Bringing Up Baby are perfect.
FOR THE ONES IN BETWEEN (Ages 7—12): “Killer stories,” placing easily grasped characters in situations that start simply and then throw curveballs. The African Queen and Some Like It Hot do the job well.
FOR THE OLDER ONES (Ages 13+): Burr recommends relating old movies to teens’ contemporary favorites: without Hitchcock, there could be no The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, without Brando, no Johnny Depp.
80 Years of the Oscar: The Official History of the Academy Awards by Robert Osborne
Newly updated, revised, and expanded, this book is the official history of the Academy Awards written by film critic Robert Osborne (who hosts the Turner Classic Movies television network) in association with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It begins with a general history of the Academy followed by the author's lively, decade-by-decade overviews of the accomplishments, trends, and events that occurred during each ten-year period within the Academy and the film industry.
Organized by year, 80 Years of the Oscar chronicles the ceremonies themselves, as well as the accomplishments, trends, developments, and events that occurred, both within the Academy and for the film industry as a whole. Osborne comments on each year's most important films and shares the stories behind them. He also transports readers into the awards show, quoting from notable acceptance speeches and celebrity reactions, as well as regaling readers with anecdotes from each year. All award nominees and winners are included, with a special listing of Oscar record-holders. An indispensable and encyclopedic reference for the amateur and expert alike, from the struggling actor to the film critic, this book has been a popular favorite since its first edition was published twenty years ago, just after the sixtieth awards ceremony. The authoritative 80 Years of the Oscar provides a depth of coverage found nowhere else, and it is sure to please movie-goers around the world.
Leonard Maltin's 2011 Movie Guide by Leonard Maltin
The new revised edition includes: capsule DVD/movie reviews, an up-to-date list of sources for buying and renting DVDs, updated index of leading performers and directors, Leonard's ten new must-see movie lists, and more of the great content that has made it a bestseller for more than thirty-five years.
More than 17,000 entries, including 300+ new entries
Cinema Year By Year 1894-2006
Tracing the development of cinema from the first experiments of Edison to the global film industry of the 21st century, this bestselling annual is the definitive chronology of the movies. Packed with key events and facts from the history of film, Cinema Year by Year is an informative and fascinating reference for movie lovers. It's great for film lovers or anyone interested in movies, includes stills, portraits and posters, and covers winners from the 2006 Academy Awards. Even though it only covers movies through 2006, it's still a great coffee-table book to have around if you love movies!
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: 5th Anniversary Edition by Stephen Jay Schneider
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. 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. This is another book that hasn't been updated in a while (2008), but it's still worthwhile in its coverage of movies up to that point.
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