Leonard Maltin's 2008 Movie Guide (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide (Signet)) (Paperback)

by Leonard Maltin (Author) "D: Gordon Parks, Jr. Kevin Hooks, Irene Cara, Moses Gunn, Robert Hooks, Ernestine Jackson, José Feliciano..." (more)
Key Phrases: best foreign film, film editing, supporting actor, Christopher Lee, John Wayne, Keenan Wynn (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Leonard Maltin's comprehensive film guide remains the biggest, best, and most authoritative in the field. The 2008 edition will feature more than 18,000 entries, and updated indexes of leading performers.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1648 pages
• Publisher: Signet (August 7, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451221869
• ISBN-13: 978-0451221865
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 2.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,798 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 69 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Make sure you buy the right version, August 21, 2007

By	Julie Neal "The Complete Walt Disney World" (Sanibel Island, Fla.) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Have you noticed? There are two versions of this book (the other is Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2008 (Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide)) and they seem identical except for the price. But there IS another difference: the size! This one is cheaper, but also smaller -- 7 inches tall instead of 8. That may not sound like much, but it really makes a difference. The two books have exactly the same pages, just at different sizes, and this one's reduced type is, to me at least, much harder to read. Unless you have perfect vision, I think you'll be happier with the other version.

Size aside, this is an exhaustive reference work. It lists every movie made from 1960 through early 2007, as well as most major films before then. Each listing has a star rating and short summary of its film as well as key specs (director, major cast, running time and year released) and icons identify whether each film has been released on DVD, videocassette or laserdisc.

There's also a list of mail order and online sources for obscure titles, and, on the last 57 pages, an index of actors. Want a quick list of every movie ever made by Humphrey Bogart? Reese Witherspoon? Jim Carrey? Here's where to find them.

Overall, this is a great book for any movie fan. The back cover features a recommendation by Roger Ebert.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing this year, January 5, 2008

By	AH-1Z "AH-1Z" (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

As a faithful buyer of Mr. Maltin's guide for many years, I am disappointed in this year's offering. For one thing, possibly they "closed" their list earlier this year. In the past, when this book came out, it would have reviews of more movies that were released since the previous issue, closer to the publication date. In fact, they'd occasionally have a review included of a movie that was just ending its theater run at the time of publication of the book! This year, it seems they "locked" early. Among the movies not reviewed were: "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", "Knocked Up", "Live Free or Die Hard", "Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer", etc. Maybe because Mick Martin's excellent book wasn't published this year, the pressure of competition was off.

Having the various lists in the back is helpful, but explain to me why it is so important to have all eight of John Belushi's films listed, while not having any of, say, Helena Bonham-Carter's?

This is still a valuable publication, but this edition is not up to snuff. My recommendation: If you bought the 2007 edition, skip this one and wait for next year's release.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flawed but indispensable, November 17, 2007

By	polumetis (Indianola, WA) - See all my reviews

The good news:
--Comprehensive, though by no means exhaustive (includes many films that have never appeared on tape or disc)
--Rational alphabetic listing system
--Reviews less quirky than other guides'
--Up-to-date

The bad news:
--Weak coverage before 1930 or so
--Spotty coverage of many foreign film traditions
--No coverage of miniseries such as those found on BBC or PBS
--Very little coverage of documentaries
--Judgments sometimes verge on the pedestrian, and are occasionally slanted against dark, edgy, or violent films

So why is this such a valuable tool?

It has this singular virtue: Almost no matter what the rating given, a typical Maltin staff review will likely end up giving you an accurate idea of whether or not YOU will enjoy the film. Since film is long but life is short, this is a useful achievement. In other words, it functions as a sort of super-preview, but without the bias and selectivity of the marketers yearning for your dollar, who show you the best bits and leave out the tedium.

Not the only guide to have, but the one to have if you have only one.