Customer Reviews

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Movies, Flicks, and Films

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A great introduction to the entire world of film -- not just Hollywood, but a host of world cinemas from European to Latin American to African and Near Eastern. The examples used are well explained and are always pertinent to the points at hand. My favorite chapters were one on film theory (which made obscure concepts accessible to the beginner) and one that used all the concepts introduced in the book to explain the German silent film "Nosferatu." I had just seen the new movie "Shadow of the Vampire," which is based on the making of "Nosferatu"; this book made me understand for the first time what a complex piece of art that early movie is. I highly recommend this book as an affordable intro to film criticism that, while accessible and fun to read, does not talk down to its audience.

I love this book . . . I've been teaching film for 21 years and this book has been a great introduction to those that have never thought about films critically before. If you have had a film appreciation class or are fond of reading about film this book may be of limited use, but it may be entertaining and useful. I wish this book were still in print. This book introduces the basic concepts of film criticism and theory and history in a non-threatening way. If you read this book, pay attention, and watch the films that are recommended you would be well on your way to being film literate.

Are you kidding me one star guy?!? I used this book in my American Lit. term paper, and I thought it was fantastic! And I'm a heavy reader! It gave me everything I needed for an easy A, and I enjoyed reading it too.

The majority of the discussion in this book revolves around the history of Hollywood. It repeats itself often discussing the McCarthy Era and how it affected Hollywood. It also provides useless lists of big names in Hollywood. If you are any kind of movie lover you already know the works of Spielberg and Lucas and how the McCarthy Era affected cinema.

The book also promised to provide an in-depth look at the process of making films. The concepts were provided however, they were not given in-depth. Lists of movies were provided to illustrate the concepts in the book. However, if I had wanted a list of movies to watch, I would have found one on the net.

Basically this book is a waste of money to anyone that has a basic understanding of Hollywood and show business.