Classic Movies The Best And The Worst Pictures To See Films To Avoid

Gathered in this large volume paperback are some of Hollywood's best loved and most famous movies. In addition to the many film classics, however, the author has included a number of equally entertaining films that deserve to be better known. Many of these movies are now available on DVD. Full credits and detailed reviews are provided for over a hundred of these classic films. Over two hundred more movies are represented by short reviews. Many of the reviews contain DVD details. Of course, not all classic movies have surfaced on DVD to date, but they are being issued at the rate of around forty a month! If you love classic movies, this book will provide an invaluable guide to some of the enjoyable films that are now available (and also, of course, some of the disappointing films that you might wisely avoid).

The story of Eastmancolor's arrival on the British filmmaking scene is one of intermittent trial and error, intense debate and speculation before gradual acceptance. This book traces the journey of its adoption in British Film and considers its lasting significance as one of the most important technical innovations in film history. Through original archival research and interviews with key figures within the industry, the authors examine the role of Eastmancolor in relation to key areas of British cinema since the 1950s; including its economic and structural histories, different studio and industrial strategies, and the wider aesthetic changes that took place with the mass adoption of colour. Their analysis of British cinema through the lens of colour produces new interpretations of key British film genres including social realism, historical and costume drama, science fiction, horror, crime, documentary and even sex films. They explore how colour communicated meaning in films ranging from the Carry On series to Monty Python's Life of Brian (1979), from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to A Passage to India (1984), and from Goldfinger (1964) to 1984 (1984), and in the work of key directors and cinematographers of both popular and art cinema including Nicolas Roeg, Ken Russell, Ridley Scott, Peter Greenaway and Chris Menges.

In 1962, Samuel K. Rubin founded 8mm Collector, the predecessor to Classic Images, a widely respected publication in the vintage film hobby that celebrates the golden age of Hollywood. He was instrumental in beginning the "vintage film fan movement," founding The Society for Cinephiles, as well as organizing the Cinecon vintage film conventions. This is simultaneously a history of the vintage film hobby, a history of Classic Images, and a memoir of Rubin's forty years in the center of the hobby's world. Rubin has drawn from his personal experiences with industry professionals from the silent and early sound era, and from his service during the more than 320 issues of Classic Images published since that magazine's inception. The book covers the birth of 8mm Collector and includes reviews of the classic films, reviews of books and videos of the early screen and profiles of classic film industry personalities. Classic Images still provides a medium for film enthusiasts to share their experiences with different vendors, buy and sell movie memorabilia, and generally covers the entire movie industry from the viewpoint of the collector.

Sit back, grab some popcorn, and let the credits roll. The Complete Idiot’s Guide® to Classic Movies provides comprehensive information on the best classic films from the silent era up through 1969, cross-referenced several different ways for easy access. Also contains fun, “insider” trivia and facts about the movies, the stars, and factors that influenced the movie or the audience at the time of the movie’s release. • Written by a recognized name in the industry who has written books on movies and film for decades • Features only the best movies (3 and 4 stars) from the silent era up through 1969 • Offers several indexes, which are cross-referenced alphabetically by actor and director, in addition to the main text being indexed by film name and genre • Includes appendices that provide information on the top 100 films of all time, the greatest movie quotes, Academy Award winners, and Internet references for locating hard-to-find films

In the first book of its kind in the English language historian Dr. John Dunbar provides an overview of attempts throughout film history to put historical topics on screen in the United States and Great Britain. The earliest attempts were biographic films about famous people and some great epic films such as Gone With the Wind that were not claimed to be accurate histories of a period. World War Two paved the way for post war developments through the evolution of the documentary film that were often accurate portrayals of events in the war. After WW 2 a number of social, political, technical and economic developments opened the way for the making of historically accurate films. The dissolution of the Studio System in Hollywood, the disappearance of film censor boards, the arrival of television and later the internet, the appearance of greater market segments than those traditionally served by motion picture all opened up market opportunities for films of greater historical accuracy than had traditionally been available. The emergence of film makers and production companies dedicated to the accurate telling of history now engages the resources of professional historians in the making of films of unequalled accuracy. As items in the modern world of media literacy and political discourse, these films play an important role in the sustenance of the open society in which the ideals of the European Enlightenment can be continually realized.

Bill Warren’s Keep Watching the Skies! was originally published in two volumes, in 1982 and 1986. It was then greatly expanded in what we called the 21st Century Edition, with new entries on several films and revisions and expansions of the commentary on every film. In addition to a detailed plot synopsis, full cast and credit listings, and an overview of the critical reception of each film, Warren delivers richly informative assessments of the films and a wealth of insights and anecdotes about their making. The book contains 273 photographs (many rare, 35 in color), has seven useful appendices, and concludes with an enormous index. This book is also available in hardcover format (ISBN 978-0-7864-4230-0).