Books about Film and Video
Michael Atkinson & Laurel Shifrin
Offers recommendations for movies in 104 different categories, including holidays, events, and seasons.
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Tony Bill
A fascinating look inside the world of filmmaking reveals the offbeat, complex language of the movies as it shares the etymology and history of hundreds of film terms and includes a host of insider anecdotes and essays on the digital revolution, how to get a script to a producer, film etiquette, and more.
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Wheeler W. Dixon
Looks at the history of motion pictures, covering such topics as the invention of the kinetoscope, the introduction of sound, the Hollywood studio system, and the computer-generated images of the present day.
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Ephraim Katz
Features more than 7,500 alphabetically organized entries on the artistic, technical, and commercial aspects of movies, including style, genres, actors and actresses, directors, producers, and motion picture studios.
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Leonard Maltin
A popular film critic unearths 151 movies that he thinks have been unfairly assessed and explains why, in a book for anyone who has been baffled at all the choices when trying to pick a movie to watch.
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The New York Times
Compiling a collection of original reviews by the critics of The New York Times, a collection of what they consider the finest films ever made encompasses movies of every conceivable genre, including musicals, dramas, comedies, foreign films, and animated features, as well as a “10 Best” list for every year from 1931 to the present.
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Chris Patmore
Written to provide readers with the knowledge necessary to make movies with little or no money, teaches basic filmmaking skills targeted to producing a short film for competitions, Web broadcasts, private screenings, and festivals.
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Skip Press
An updated resource provides advice for aspiring screenwriters on how to write scripts for television and motion pictures, including updated information on what topics are popular, how to rework scenes, and how to sell screenplays in Hollywood, accompanied by a CD-ROM containing sample screenplays, contact information, software demos, and more.
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Steven Jay Schneider, general editor
Complemented by more than eight hundred movie stills and actor photographs, an updated film reference lists 1,001 “must-see” movies in a chronological arrangement, providing information on director, producer, screenplay writer, music, cast members, and awards, along with a detailed review of each.
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David Thomson
Offers a sweeping overview of the history of film that critically assesses one thousand movies, including old favorites, forgotten gems, and modern classics, with little-known facts, trivia, and ideas about what to see.
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Time Out
A full-color, eclectic celebration of top-recommended films includes profiles of key actors, directors, writers, and other contributors while offering insight into how films can alter the course of a life, in a reference complemented by trivia, top-ten lists, and reproductions of movie posters.
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Jonathan Vankin & John Whalen
Reveals how Hollywood alters history for movies, examines the facts behind some well-known films, and shows alterations to the “true story” such as concocted love affairs, character motivations, and trumped-up movie endings.
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