Customer Reviews

Hollywood Classic Movies 1: NEW LIGHT ON MOVIE BESTS

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

 

 

I must confess I'm fascinated by lists. Especially movie lists. So I couldn't resist a book that promised me an essential 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die: 5th Anniversary Edition. But what a disappointment for a classic movie fan! Vintage Hollywood movies (by which I mean movies made before 1960) received rather short shrift in that book, so I created my own list of the top 400 must-see classic films. And here it is! Some of the selected films receive extended treatment in my book, but I also draw attention to a number of fine pictures that, while they could not be considered the top of the best (or anywhere near the top), are nonetheless so vastly entertaining they will delight every classic movie fan. And there are also a couple of also-rans that seemingly had all the makings for success--great cast, gifted writers, capable directors, lavish budgets--but failed.

The following review by Roy Salmons appeared in the October 2006 issue of "International Movie Making": John Howard Reid's movie books go from strength to strength. If you collect classic movies on film or DVD, or if you just enjoy reading about them, then these are the books for you. Written by a true enthusiast, these classic books include such titles as "Hollywood Movie Musicals", "Movies Magnificent: 150 Must-See Cinema Classics", "These Movies Won No Hollywood Awards: A Film-Lover's Guide to the Best of the Rest", "CinemaScope 3: Hollywood Takes the Plunge", "America's Best, Britain's Finest: A Survey of Mixed Movies", "New Light on Movie Bests", and a round-up of " 'B' Movies, Bad Movies, Good Movies". These books are crammed full of facts about each selection of films, including stars and the characters they play, synopses and critiques. There are many illustrations. All the books in this series have full color front and back covers, with black-and-white photos inside. Paper size is large format. John Howard Reid is to be congratulated!