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 FlaggCopyright © 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
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.