kind of thought I should just start this now cuz well...Sorcerer has gotten me interested in finding out more about it. And a couple of books were brought up as well.
Ash had also given me a good list of books in the past but...what are your must have books on anything film related?
Just start naming them out. I'd like to get what could be, at least to myself, classified as definitive material to have in a film literature category. I just...really like learning.
William Goldman's 2 books about writing
Akira Kurosawa's "Something Like an Autobiography"
A subscription to American Cinematographer
There are a ton of others I have but I haven't read through them in detail...those above are pretty important to me personally though. Additionally from American Cinetographer, I go to the sites of all the advertisers, and from there get the manuals for the cameras, equipment all that. Good resources.
JumpCutz
06-25-12, 02:59 PM
A subscription to American Cinematographer
:thumbsup: Absolutely.
Solid Snake PAC
06-25-12, 03:24 PM
William Goldman's 2 books about writing
Akira Kurosawa's "Something Like an Autobiography"
A subscription to American Cinematographer
There are a ton of others I have but I haven't read through them in detail...those above are pretty important to me personally though. Additionally from American Cinetographer, I go to the sites of all the advertisers, and from there get the manuals for the cameras, equipment all that. Good resources.
wait...are those free? Or do I pay for those?
Mabuse
06-25-12, 03:28 PM
The Hitchcock/Truffaut book is essential.
Walter Murch's book about editing is brilliant.
bluetoast
06-25-12, 03:29 PM
The manuals are all free. Right now I think I only have the Red One manual, but they have them for a lot, I'll try to get some links later. Also Kodak has a lot of good stuff, like articles on color theory, filming techniques, and articles on the science of it all.
Here's another cool thing (requires a quick registration), I skimmed through this (there are two parts):
I also like http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518rj0P%2BNoL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Raging-Bulls-Sex-Drugs---Rock/dp/0684857081/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-1)
and
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GyndxJ55L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
(http://www.amazon.com/Down-Dirty-Pictures-Sundance-Independent/dp/0684862581/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-2)
And being a huge Warren Beatty fan, I found Star (http://www.amazon.com/Star-Warren-Beatty-Seduced-America/dp/B005FOIK5S/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-3) fascinating, though it's pretty detailed and a little dry for the casual reader who isn't such a big Beatty fan. All three of those are done by the same author, Peter Biskind
Jules Winfield
06-25-12, 04:52 PM
I've always like Sidney Lumet's Making Movies. He goes through his filmography and shares some of the things he's learned throughout his career.
zekeburger1979
06-26-12, 12:20 AM
Pictures at a Revolution (http://www.amazon.com/Pictures-Revolution-Movies-Birth-Hollywood/dp/B002WTC8X4/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340687727&sr=1-3&keywords=mark+harris)
The Devil's Candy: The Making of The Bonfire of Vanities (http://www.amazon.com/The-Devils-Candy-Anatomy-Hollywood/dp/0306811235/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340687789&sr=1-1&keywords=devil%27s+candy)
Why So Blu?
06-26-12, 01:22 AM
Stanley Kubrick's Napoleon: Greatest Film Never Made book.
Great Martial Arts Movies: From Bruce Lee to Jackie Chan and More By Ric Meyers
If your a martial arts movie enthusiast, it's a good read. However, it's currently out of print.
chris_santucci
06-26-12, 08:31 AM
I second Hitchcock/Truffaut
I also like http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518rj0P%2BNoL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg (http://www.amazon.com/Riders-Raging-Bulls-Sex-Drugs---Rock/dp/0684857081/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-1)
and
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GyndxJ55L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
(http://www.amazon.com/Down-Dirty-Pictures-Sundance-Independent/dp/0684862581/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-2)
And being a huge Warren Beatty fan, I found Star (http://www.amazon.com/Star-Warren-Beatty-Seduced-America/dp/B005FOIK5S/ref=la_B000APL55E_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340659954&sr=1-3) fascinating, though it's pretty detailed and a little dry for the casual reader who isn't such a big Beatty fan. All three of those are done by the same author, Peter Biskind
Ditto on both!
chris_santucci
06-26-12, 08:40 AM
Final Cut http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=active&sa=X&biw=792&bih=403&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=pgio361IgVMjzM:&imgrefurl=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/542635.Final_Cut&docid=B3SZikeQxM8coM&imgurl=http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328756283l/542635.jpg&w=317&h=475&ei=77rpT8SEJoaK8QTT0Z3lDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=174&vpy=-7&dur=47&hovh=275&hovw=183&tx=99&ty=247&sig=109837851943539819393&page=1&tbnh=98&tbnw=65&start=0&ndsp=11&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0,i:78
The Men Who Would Be King http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&safe=active&biw=792&bih=403&tbm=isch&tbnid=CyME7dKs4oU-5M:&imgrefurl=http://jimhillmedia.com/editor_in_chief1/b/jim_hill/archive/2010/05/12/the-men-who-would-be-king-recalls-the-bad-old-days-when-disney-dreamworks-pixar-used-to-battle.aspx&docid=jJZGvAnfhnVEgM&imgurl=http://www.jimhillmedia.com/mb/images/upload/mww-1-web.jpg&w=294&h=440&ei=nrvpT6DyL4uW8gSEt7n3DQ&zoom=1
Two interesting tales about the unraveling of United Artists and Dreamworks studios.
www.film-matters.net
Jaymole
06-26-12, 09:16 AM
One of my favorite writers is Danny Peary...he always finds something new and interesting to say about films. There are 4 books he has written that i constantly re-read over the years...
Quite possibly the best film autobiography ever, by one of the toughest men ever to stand behind a camera. Barely a word of truth in it but so entertaining that it doesn't matter. A genuine life-changer for me.
A lot of film biographies are hagiography but this one tore Capra's reputation apart in immense detail. Perhaps a little unfair towards its subject but a great piece of sustained writing with a deep understanding of film.
One of the first autobiographies by a film director and also truly illuminating. Early directors were essentially inventing the medium as well as the language of film and this book is a good illustration of how directors knew nothing but taught themselves everything. No film schools in those days.
Like Raoul Walsh's book this is an exercise in mythmaking and as equally beyond criticism. Andre De Toth was a fascinating man who made gritty and interesting films.
Suffers a little by being translated into english from the original German. A worthy book though about an interesting figure in film history.
Chadm
06-27-12, 02:03 AM
I've noticed a lot of filmmakers from the 40's and 50's had eye patches. It was a harder time I guess.
Jaymole
06-27-12, 07:11 AM
I've noticed a lot of filmmakers from the 40's and 50's had eye patches. It was a harder time I guess.
I know the ones in the 50's did it as a protest against 3-D.
Decker
06-27-12, 10:08 AM
Of course that was back in the days when they used to make clapboards out of nitroglycerine, so that explains a lot.
chris_santucci
06-27-12, 10:13 AM
Oh, I forgot to include a personal favorite (and one for the MST3K fans--you know who you are) "A Year at the Movies" http://www.amazon.com/Year-Movies-Mans-Filmgoing-Odyssey/dp/B0006ZRMFA/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1340809890&sr=1-1&keywords=kevin+murphy+movies Quite a funny read as Kevin Murphy watches at least one film a day for an entire year and travels to Sundance, Cannes, an igloo theater and smuggles an entire Thanksgiving feast for a screening of "Monster's Inc".
www.film-matters.net
Solid Snake PAC
06-27-12, 11:29 AM
Of course that was back in the days when they used to make clapboards out of nitroglycerine, so that explains a lot.
i'd like to see a movie based around that...kind of like this one:
I've noticed a lot of filmmakers from the 40's and 50's had eye patches. It was a harder time I guess.
I've read the theory that the type of lights that were used in the silent era led them to lose their sight. Ray and Walsh and Fritz Lang all started in the silent era and ended up with eye patches. I think John Ford did too. But truthfully I think it's just a coincidence.
Mabuse
06-27-12, 11:34 AM
I know the ones in the 50's did it as a protest against 3-D.
It's funny but Andre de Toth directed House of Wax in 3D and he was another "eye patcher".
Solid Snake PAC
06-27-12, 11:53 AM
I've read the theory that the type of lights that were used in the silent era led them to loose their sight. Ray and Walsh and Fritz Lang all started in the silent era and ended up with eye patches. I think John Ford did too. But truthfully I think it's just a coincidence.
he did. THOUGH I think he only wore it sometimes. i could never tell what year certain interviews were cuz he did at times have the eye patch on him.
Awseome trailer.... someone's on a Sorcerer bender. Hell yes!! :banana:
Solid Snake PAC
06-27-12, 12:27 PM
Yes. Yes, I am. I want Universal and Paramount to stop dicking around. Get the rights figured out. Get Criterion on this film. And release it in it's OAR and in 1080p w/ some great features...and none of this bullshit w/ changing the color, Friedkin. Don't give me that shit, motherfucker.
I'd also like a detailed book on the making of this film..cuz it has a very interesting production where a lot of stuff happened.
JumpCutz
06-27-12, 12:33 PM
Could not agree more. It's at the top of my wish list for the CC special treatment. They need to step up and get this done. It's just begging for it.
Jaymole
06-27-12, 12:38 PM
Could not agree more. It's at the top of my wish list for the CC special treatment. They need to step up and get this done. It's just begging for it.
Yes, and keep Friedkin as far away as possible when doing the transfer
Solid Snake PAC
06-27-12, 12:45 PM
This would be one of those films where I can survive not having the director involved w/ the transfer.
Yep. Along those lines...CC needs to get Mann's debut feature film, Thief, out. Dunno if that was just a heavy rumor or a real thing.
Solid Snake PAC
06-27-12, 03:36 PM
The manuals are all free. Right now I think I only have the Red One manual, but they have them for a lot, I'll try to get some links later. Also Kodak has a lot of good stuff, like articles on color theory, filming techniques, and articles on the science of it all.
Here's another cool thing (requires a quick registration), I skimmed through this (there are two parts):
you ever get those links btw? Cuz i'd love to some free manuals to study.
kefrank
06-27-12, 05:07 PM
The Art of Film and the History of Film by David Bordwell and Kristen Thompson are amazing and thorough.
I think you mean Film Art: An Introduction (http://www.amazon.com/Film-Art-Introduction-David-Bordwell/dp/0073386162/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340834556&sr=8-1&keywords=film+art) and Film History: An Introduction (http://www.amazon.com/Film-History-Introduction-Kristin-Thompson/dp/0073386138/ref=pd_sim_b_1). And yes, those are essentials.
The next edition of Film Art features online examples from films in the Criterion Collection (http://www.criterion.com/current/posts/2201-criterion-goes-to-film-school-finally).
JumpCutz
06-27-12, 05:14 PM
Yes, and keep Friedkin as far away as possible when doing the transfer
:lol:
I can't say I disagree with that sentiment.
bluetoast
06-27-12, 06:04 PM
you ever get those links btw? Cuz i'd love to some free manuals to study.
Yeah I'll put together a post here tomorrow with the links, as well as the Kodak stuff.
Cardiac161
06-27-12, 07:13 PM
I particularly loved these:
The Emperor and the Wolf (The Lives & Films of Akira Kurosawa & Toshiro Mifune) by Stuart Galbraith IV
The Godfather Family Album by Steve Shapiro (from Taschen)
Akira Kurosawa - Master of Cinema by Peter Cowie (from Rizzoli)
dhmac
06-27-12, 07:48 PM
Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo33/dhmacg/DVDTalk/Futurenoir.jpg
Yeah, that one is great! My only wish about it is for the author to put out a new edition to also cover the "The Final Cut" version.
http://lowel.com/instructions.html
Manuals for lighting systems:
http://kinoflo.com/
And if you're interested in very bright lights:
http://nila.com/
Interesting Stuff:
Technical documents related to the DI process (the rest of the site has some interesting things as well):
http://efilm.com/techdocs/
This lighting business has a section for students. (I'll highlight the ones that I like in a minute):
http://barger-lite.com/students.htm
This site is cool to just look at all the products for various professionals:
http://www.filmtools.com/
Resources section has a ton of info:
http://www.abelcine.com/store/home.php
A buch of stuff in Spanish:
http://www.congofilms.tv/alquiler/epic.html
Other assorted brochures:
Operations guides for editing systems (converters, etc):
http://www.aja.com/en/support/downloads/
Glidecam manuals (camera stabilizing equipment):
http://glidecam.com/support.php
This stuff down here is pretty awesome:
This is from the "Students" section from the link above. Pretty much every single link in this one is useful (also take a look at the publications tab):
And finally, if you want a free Blu-ray demonstrating the Tessive Time Filter, it is below. It's this device that aims to correct the weird backwards spinning motion that you see in 24 FPS, for like a car wheel or other similar things. I sent away for it and looked at the demos, but honestly I can't see the difference.
http://www.tessive.com/home/demo-footage
Okay, that should do it. Go nuts!
Solid Snake PAC
06-28-12, 11:16 AM
Jesus H. Fuck...this will take a bit of time to grasp.
golden_rod
06-28-12, 12:52 PM
Cinematic Storytelling by Jennifer Van Sijll
Nicole Kidman by David Thomson (there are no words to describe how truly bizarre and addictive it is)
Somewhere in the Night by Nicholas Christopher (great book on noir)
Anything by Pauline Kael (also the new-ish biography on her by Brian Kellow)
alright. Over time SINCE I made this thread I've gotten some of those books mentioned and some suggested by Ash Ketchum (via pm).
These are ones I've gotten, some are out of print so I was lucky to find some at the recycled book store here in town. How I fucking love living in this mini Austin that Denton is.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41603YM0FBL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/513zXoiv5zL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518rj0P%2BNoL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T0ppOueYL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Ash Ketchum:
"The Phantom Empire: Movies in the Mind of the 20th Century," by Geoffrey O'Brien, is a great journey through the history of moviegoing, especially from the perspective of genres and local theaters.
http://images.bookbyte.com/isbn.aspx?isbn=9780306807688&width=260
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BUUJumGTL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51htiMl7cWL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GbKEcq3DL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
There are some that have been mentioned that I've already had before this thread as well:
Rebel Without a Crew (pretty much got this one after I saw Sin City and RR stamped himself as a filmmaker that I wanted to learn more about his methodology)
Making Movies by Sidney Lumet
On Directing Film by David Mamet
Something Like an Autobiography by Akira Kurosawa, which is really interesting and great while teasing as well. It ends where you don't want it to end but at the same time it doesn't hurt the book. The man was the master for sure.
Easy Riders, Raging Bulls
Hitchcock/Truffaut by Truffaut, HOLY FUCK. This book is almost too much. It's a masterpiece of information on the man. It's DEFINITIVE as fuck when it comes to Hitch. You'll find NOTHING as informative on the man as this. This is THE book for Hitch fans.
Cahiers du Cinema: The 1950s-Neo-Realism, Hollywood, New Wave is a collection of reviews/criticism from the people at CdC during that film journal's era. Great stuff.
Crime Movies: An Illustrated History by Carlos Clarens, rather detailed look at crime films and it's standing as a genre from the start up to 1979. Good book.
http://i359.photobucket.com/albums/oo33/dhmacg/DVDTalk/Futurenoir.jpg
Yeah, that one is great! My only wish about it is for the author to put out a new edition to also cover the "The Final Cut" version.
From what I've read on some reviews on Amazon...seems like The Final Cut was added onto this. I REALLY want to get this but also some reviews suggest that it's kind of a mess as well. Could some of you guys get further into the nitty gritty of the book itself for me? Is it sloppily written or what? Too fanboyish on the author's part possibly? etc. etc.
RagingBull80
02-16-13, 12:13 PM
From what I've read on some reviews on Amazon...seems like The Final Cut was added onto this. I REALLY want to get this but also some reviews suggest that it's kind of a mess as well. Could some of you guys get further into the nitty gritty of the book itself for me? Is it sloppily written or what? Too fanboyish on the author's part possibly? etc. etc.
Go ahead and grab it Snake. I just finished reading it and it's pretty great. Some of it is a little sloppy but it's not as bad as the Amazon reviews suggest.
It's pretty exhaustive and covers every aspect of making the flick. It goes into a ton of detail about the various versions and how they originated. This guy definitely knows his shit when it comes to Blade Runner.
If you love Blade Runner this book is a must-have.
Solid Snake PAC
02-16-13, 12:27 PM
Alright. I'll get it.
RagingBull80
02-16-13, 12:36 PM
:thumbsup:
You won't regret it.
bluetoast
02-16-13, 04:41 PM
Thanks for the update. Will have to look at some (or all) of these books.
Giles
02-16-13, 04:57 PM
well the subject is so vast, here's some that are in my collection:
While it's nice having the covers pictured, it may be a nice courtesy to also type out the titles and even a little bit about why they're recommended for both informational purposes and in case the image links don't work eventually.
Solid Snake PAC
02-17-13, 03:35 PM
I do kind of agree w/ you on this one. I do want to know WHY this or that is recommended. Some of them are very obvious while others we might need more info on to decide on it.
For example, I've looked at that John Landis book before on Amazon but why is important? How detailed is it? Can it give me something I can't find somewhere else etc etc.
Giles
02-17-13, 11:02 PM
yeah, sorry I'm the culprit ... I'll reedit my post and give some explanations ... later ... :)
hanshotfirst113
02-18-13, 09:44 PM
If you're into kaiju eiga, I'd recommend Steve Ryfle's Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G" and DVD Talk's own Stuart Galbriath IV's Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo: The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films. Unfortunately, they're both out of print now and as obscenely expensive as Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman and Godzilla and The Outer Limits Companion. Seriously, it's ridiculous how much they cost.
Norm de Plume
02-19-13, 01:07 PM
I am a sucker for review guides and own about 150 of them, but a couple of film-theory books I like are "Planks of Reason", a fascinating collection of essays about the Horror genre, and "Hollywood from Vietnam to Reagan" by Robin Wood, a superb writer. Deceased now, he was a local professor, and he was retired when he gave a lecture in a film class I took over a decade ago. Interesting guy, but somewhat strange.
My favourite review guides, in no particular order (spoilerized so they don't take up too much space):
Time Out Film Guide (annual). I don't know why this year's edition hasn't appeared:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q67XKCAGL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
The Critics' Film Guide by Christopher Tookey. This book is just immensely enjoyable, probably more so than any other review book. The author took the unique approach of compiling ratings for hundreds of films from as many different review sources as he could find. For each film he averaged the score and converted it into a 1-10 scale. Next to that he put his own rating. He reviewed each film included, and below his review are review quotes from multiple sources, some "pro", some "mixed', some "anti".
http://images.awesomebooks.com/images/books/medium/97818/9781852834159.jpg
Bloomsbury Foreign Film Guide by Ronald Bergen and Robyn Karney. An indispensible guide to foreign films. I wish it would be updated:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510VG7PgmSL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
A Century of Canadian Cinema by Gerald Pratley. Effectively the only review guide for Canadian cinema that is worth a damn, this covers over 2000 films. The reviews aren't outstanding, but the book's expansiveness hasn't and won't come close to being matched:
http://imageshack.us/a/img542/8/dsc00576resized.jpg
Guide for the Film Fanatic by Danny Peary. Compulsively readable and re-readable:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51A7WyX4z1L._SL500_SS500_.jpg
The Aurum/Overlook Horror Encyclopedia by Phil Hardy. Probably the best review guide for Horror films.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/314xH4l9CxL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Terror on Tape by James O'Neill. Not as erudite as Aurum's book, but a fun, informative read.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51V75KK08ML._SL500_SS500_.jpg
Creature Features Movie Guide Strikes Again by John Stanley. A cheaply designed book, but it covers almost every Horror film ever made, with a few notable exceptions. More than 5,500 entries.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y3Q4DASSL._SL500_SS500_.jpg
Cinebooks's The Horror Film. No cover available. Culled from the massive Cinebooks volumes.
The Official Splatter Movie Guide, Vol. 1 and 2, by John McCarty. Fun reading.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GYYCDT6QL._SL500_AA300_.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51G1SXQFX3L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Ten Years of Terror: British Horror Films of the 1970s by Harvey Fenton and David Flint. A gorgeously designed, high-quality book with a well-written collection of reviews. Narrow subject matter, though.
http://www.fabpress.com/artwork/large/FAB031.jpg
TLA Film, Video, and DVD Guide by David Bleiler.
http://jacketupload.macmillanusa.com/jackets/high_res/jpgs/9780312282097.jpg
TV Guide Film & Video Companion. Selections from the Cinebooks volumes, which TV Guide now owns.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416Y9E8J1JL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Radio Times Guide to Films. Another huge, worthwhile review volume for film lovers.
http://www.thegoodgamblingguide.co.uk/images/amazon/bookcovers/2012/radio_times_film_guide_2012.jpg
TV Times Film and Video Guide by David Quinlan.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519A58A7C9L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Elliot's Guide to Home Entertainment by John Elliot.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ZJN80GE0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
5001 Nights at the Movies by Pauline Kael.
http://www.media-party.com/storefrontdemme/5001nights.jpg
Movies on TV and Videocassette by Steven Scheuer. Very similar to Maltin's annual, but I preferred Scheuer's guide because it contained more foreign films and TV films. Too bad he stopped producing it in '94.
http://imgc.classistatic.com/cps/blnc/120616/079r1/9936dh_20.jpeg
DVD & Video Guide by Mick Martin and Marsha Porter. Another huge annual. The long-time publisher unfortunately dumped it in '07.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/519RRGWYR0L._SL500_AA300_.jpg
Blockbuster Guide to Movies and Videos. Despite the hated brand, I actually found this a good, quite exhaustive complement to the other main annuals. It has been out of circulation since '99.
http://images.betterworldbooks.com/044/The-Blockbuster-Entertainment-Guide-to-Movies-and-Videos-9780440225980.jpg
Asian Cult Cinema and Japanese Cinema: Essential Handbook by Thomas Weisser. I enjoy both of these.
http://www.hkcinemagic.com/en/images/docs/large/asiancult_c56973ebe008cb9b4790d2beaff590cf.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51DTCXY4NML._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg
The Hong Kong Filmography, 1977-1997 by John Charles.
http://images.angusrobertson.com.au/images/ar/97807864/9780786408429/0/0/plain/the-hong-kong-filmography-1977-1997-a-complete-reference-to-1-100-films-produced-by-british-hong-kong-studios.jpg
Solid Snake PAC
02-19-13, 01:59 PM
Went to the same recycled bookstore I frequent found a couple of books.
One was Spaghetti Westerns: Cowboys and Europeans from Karl May to Sergio Leone by Sir Christopher Frayling, which was suggested. This one is from 1998, there is a 2006 edition that just added an additional preface by Frayling. I LOVE Frayling. The man can talk about Leone all day and I'd still go nuts about the info he's got.
The other book was Notes by Eleanor Coppola. Essentially her notes on the whole production of Apocalypse Now. I was just browsing the same film book aisle and I saw ELEANOR Coppola instead of the usual FFC one would see. It's from 1979, got it for 5 bucks. This is probably a good companion piece to probably the greatest documentary on the production of a film, Eleanor Coppola's Hearts of Darkness. Looking at the cover I saw the palm trees that AN has in it. I knew exactly wtf the notes were on. Goddamn is that film such an interesting thing on the production alone. The production to me is more interesting than the film and I fucking LOVE the film. Great BD, you guys should pick up the one w/ the documentary. Great set.
Now if only I could get a dream book about Sorcerer or a damn fine feature length documentary on it. That film is an amazing directorial achievement and totally deserves to have it's production told w/ the finest of detail. On paper or on film.
filmerp
02-19-13, 02:18 PM
Phenomenal read on the personality and career of James Cameron. I tore through the book in one sitting.
If you're into kaiju eiga, I'd recommend Steve Ryfle's Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G" and DVD Talk's own Stuart Galbriath IV's Monsters Are Attacking Tokyo: The Incredible World of Japanese Fantasy Films. Unfortunately, they're both out of print now and as obscenely expensive as Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters: Defending the Earth with Ultraman and Godzilla and The Outer Limits Companion. Seriously, it's ridiculous how much they cost.
I have three of the four you mention (minus The Outer Limits Companion) and I'm lucky I got them before they went out of print.
Solid Snake PAC
02-19-13, 03:01 PM
Yeah...that Tsuburaya one cost $400+ from what I could find. Goddamn. How good was that book?
Ash Ketchum
02-19-13, 03:31 PM
Yeah...that Tsuburaya one cost $400+ from what I could find. Goddamn. How good was that book?
It's great if you want lots and lots of pictures, but the text is very erratic, with detailed plot synopses of things that never got made and little useful info about things that DID get made. It needed a shrewd editor.
moviefan2k4
02-20-13, 05:05 AM
I'd recommend all of Timothy Zahn's "Star Wars" books, especially those dealing with Grand Admiral Thrawn. James Luceno's "Labyrinth of Evil" and "The Rise of Darth Vader" are good bookends for Episode III, too.
Solid Snake PAC
02-20-13, 10:33 AM
Sarcasm?
If not:
....no. I don't think you understood what this thread is about.
hanshotfirst113
02-20-13, 12:07 PM
I have Galbriath and Ryfle's books, I'm not so lucky to own the others.
Solid Snake PAC
02-20-13, 12:47 PM
Someone here mention a book about the making of King Kong, the original. All I remember is it was pretty fucking definitive w/ the material gathered for it. Anyone know which one it was? I think the book is OOP, sadly.
Solid Snake PAC
04-09-13, 07:17 AM
About a month ago I bought The African Queen on BD. And from the documentary or possibly my own personal searching of it's filmmaking, it led me to a book by Hepburn.
http://www.peterviertel.com/hep_book.jpg
It's OOP from what I can see.
JCWBobC
04-25-13, 11:21 PM
I have the hardcover book The Making of King Kong: The Story Behind a Film Classic. Their are a quite a few copies on Amazon so it isn't hard to find. I have the 3 Cult Movie Danny Peary books mentioned as well as another called Cult Movie Stars.
Some other good movie reference books in my collection are:
Filmmaking on the Fringe
Cult Flicks & Trash Pics
The Horror Encyclopedia
Nightmare Theater
Splatter Movies
The Psychotronic Film Guide
Asian Cult Cinema
Hong Kong Babylon
Sex & Zen and a Bullet in the Head
The Fabulous Fantasy Films
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Script
Rock & Roll the Movies
Making of Citizen Kane
I have more but that all I remember off the top of my head.
Solid Snake PAC
04-26-13, 04:07 AM
How many pages is it and which version do you have? I see one with an image of Kong, paperback from what i can see, and the other with an illustrated image of him fighting some kind of serpent. I'm assuming the latter is the image used for HC only?
JCWBobC
04-26-13, 07:34 AM
This is the one I have or had as I might have sold it.
Last night their were a bunch of copies so it might have more than one selling page. Amazon is bad about having multiple selling pages for the same item.
godzilla rules
04-27-13, 11:41 AM
The new William Freidkin book is amazing. So many great stories about his movies with little personal backstory. I wish more actors, directors, etc would write a book like this.
FRwL
04-27-13, 12:30 PM
Something to do with Death-
Biography of Sergio Leone
Solid Snake PAC
04-27-13, 12:54 PM
The new William Freidkin book is amazing. So many great stories about his movies with little personal backstory. I wish more actors, directors, etc would write a book like this.
For those of you interested, it is called The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir. I didn't know he released this book. I'm so game to read what he has to say.
When the hell do we get Sorcerer?! I'm still dreading to see what "recolored" meant from his tweet.
Jules Winfield
04-27-13, 01:22 PM
For those of you interested, it is called The Friedkin Connection: A Memoir. I didn't know he released this book. I'm so game to read what he has to say.
When the hell do we get Sorcerer?! I'm still dreading to see what "recolored" meant from his tweet.
Sounds fantastic. Gonna buy the shit out of that right now.
Neeb
04-27-13, 05:33 PM
One of my favorite writers is Danny Peary...he always finds something new and interesting to say about films. There are 4 books he has written that i constantly re-read over the years...
And I'd throw in ALTERNATE OSCARS. It only goes to 1991 (not a problem in 1993), but the essaies are very insightful and brief enough to enjoy in a quick sit. I wish Peary would do an updated version (and CULT MOVIES 4), but there's a lot to enjoy as is.
Buy: