1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die [Hardcover]

Steven Jay Schneider (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0764159070 | ISBN-13: 978-0764159077 | Edition: 2

Updated with brand-new entries to describe the most recent major motion pictures, this critically-acclaimed volume spans more than a century of moviemaking, concisely describing 1001 of the best films from around the world. New in this edition are entries to describe such film hits as Lord of the Rings, Mystic River, Farenheit 9/11, and Million Dollar Baby. But in fact, this volume's team of critics goes back to 1902, describing such films as The Great Train Robbery, and progressing chronologically across the decades to cover 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 made by filmmakers around the world. Each entry includes a full list of cast and credits, awards won by the film, an essay summarizing the story line and screen-history, and still shots of the film's memorable scenes. At the back of the book, both an alphabetical index and a genre index will help readers find any film they're looking for. Movie fans will find descriptions of great musicals like Singing in the Rain, westerns like High Noon, science-fiction classics like Star Wars, dramas like Chinatown and Schindler's List, and international classics from master directors who include Fellini, Antonioni, Resnais, Truffaut, Eisenstein, Kurosawa, and many others. Here is a volume that belongs in the personal library of film buffs, movie reviewers, collectors of DVDs-and every reader who enjoys reminiscing over great movies of the past and present. Hundreds of movie still shots in color and black and white. "... a great motivating guide to cinema. After reading one of its engaging, often profound entries on a missed film, you want to ... rent it. Best of all, it includes international, silent, animated, and recent films."
--Dallas Morning News

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Film lovers seeking critical guidance more discerning than daily newspaper reviews but less daunting than scholarly journal articles depend on a handful of critics who write about rarefied films for a general audience. 1001 Movies You Must See before You Die puts a user-friendly mask on the serious thought animating its effort to create a roster of indispensable films and rather belies the erudition of its well-qualified contributors. The chosen 1,001 are chronologically listed, from the surreal sf short A Trip to the Moon (1902) to Russian Ark and chicago (both 2002). This list has been compiled with an eye to historical importance and popular acclaim, which explains the presence of such critically suspect crowd-pleasers as Saturday Night Fever, Top Gun, and E.T. Since Chantal Akerman's nearly four-hour Jeanne Dielman and the Czech psychedelic farce Sedmikrasky (Daisies) also appear, it can't, however, be accused of pandering to popular taste. Attractive design, incorporating stills from most chosen titles, makes the volume a browser's delight as well as a useful guide for casual viewers and film buffs alike. Gordon Flagg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"We at Gotham love, love, love our movies. So when we received 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die…we started taking notes for our next Netflix order. 1001 Movies is a cinephile's dream: From the silents (The Birth of a Nation) to 1940s film noir (The Maltese Falcon) to the first of the independents (Cassavetes' Shadows) to 2004's Oscar-winning Million Dollar Baby, the book gives an extensive history of each film, with most entries accompanied by stills. We found plenty of little-seen gems, too, like Japanese director Kon Ichikawa's The Burmese Harp from 1956."


—Gotham





"This gargantuan volume is the perfect tip sheet for cinephiles, and includes everything from 1920's A Trip to the Moon to last year's Million Dollar Baby. Its balanced diet of indisputable classics (The Godfather), cult flicks (Eraserhead), and obscurities (The Ear) oughta keep you and your DVD player busy for many, many years…or until Ben Affleck makes a movie worthy of inclusion."


—Scene



"…terrifically useful. You can reacquaint yourself with old favorites you haven't seen for years and remind yourself of what to pick up for home viewing. Editor Steven Jay Schneider and his team deliver succinct plot summaries and smart comment."


—Houston Chronicle

“1001 MOVIES You Must See Before You Die ... a great motivating guide to cinema. After reading one of its engaging, often profound entries on a missed film, you want to run out and rent it.” —Dallas Morning News

“If you’re constantly wondering what to pop into the VCR or DVD player, get this book!” —The Star

“An excellent new film anthology...1001 Movies will serve as one of your ultimate movie guides. It presents everything you need to know about the must-see films...” —The Wave Channel Guide

“Instead of simply summarizing the plot, Schneider and his team of experts briefly explain why each film is a must see.... Schneider’s choices are irrefutable. Highly recommended...” —Library Journal

“... a browser’s delight as well as a useful guide for casual viewers and film buffs alike” —Booklist

“...Schneider’s sources are solid...” —Buffalo News

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 960 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series; 2 edition (October 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764159070
• ISBN-13: 978-0764159077
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 6.6 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #777,430 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Steven Jay Schneider is a film critic, scholar, and producer with M.A. degrees in Philosophy from Harvard University and in Cinema Studies from New York University. He is the author and editor of numerous books on world cinema, most notably in the horror genre. They include Eurohorror, The Cinema of Wes Craven: An Auteur on Elm Street, Designing Fear: An Aesthetics of Cinematic Horror, Killing in Style: Artistic Murder in the Movies, Understanding Film Genres, and Traditions in World Cinema. He is also a consultant for film, television, and home video/DVD production companies, a curator for world horror film programs, and a staff member in development for Paramount Pictures. Among his recent titles are 501 Movie Stars and 501 Movie Directors, both available in North America from Barron's. Two additional titles from Barron's are scheduled for publication in Spring 09. They are 101 Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die and 101 Sci-Fi Movies You Must See Before You Die.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

130 of 133 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Caution February 22, 2005

By Jarvis Marley

Format:Hardcover

Although this book provided an acceptably organized compilation of movie classics, I was bugged by the fact that reviews/thoughts included spoilers, or revelations of the movies' endings.

I purchased this book in order to discover movies I knew not of previously or had heard of and was interested in seeing. The occasional spoilers are given without warning and made me read with caution to those movies that I did not yet know the outcome of, which was quite tedious.

Overall, the reviews were convincing and thoughtful when not completely blatant, but do proceed with caution.

82 of 86 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great source but a few errors.... January 12, 2005

By M. DALTON

Format:Hardcover

As soon as I saw this book on the shelf I knew it was for my ever-expanding collection of cinema sources & the selection contained herein did not disappoint. Except maybe for the alarming number of errors I found. ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN did not win best picture in 1976; as the next page testifies, ROCKY did. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW was not narrated by Dr. Everett Scott; it was narrated by The Narrator(Charles Gray). DANGEROUS LIAISONS did not win Best Picture in 1988; a few pages later it states,correctly,that RAINMAN did. In the piece on Charles Chaplin's brilliant MONSIEUR VERDOUX, the end result of his work & the sentiments expressed in his film made him the target of the political right which led to his permanent departure from the United States in 1952. He returned in 1971 & was presented with a lifetime achievement award at The Academy Awards.

154 of 169 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Beware the spoilers! March 22, 2006

By Blindfish

Format:Hardcover

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die could be a great film guide. It is loaded with both well-known and obscure films, many of which I have sought out and enjoyed after reading about them in the book. I've really started to enjoy noir films because of this book's recommendations.

The fatal flaw in 1001 Movies is that they frequently give away the endings! For example, they often tell you when an important character dies at the end of the movie -- what is the point of that? Look for a different guide that doesn't spoil the endings.