Average customer rating:
- Text is good. The publisher is sloppy!
- From a film professor
- I DO recommend this book
- I do not recommend this book
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Film Art: An Introduction and Film Viewers Guide
David Bordwell , and
Kristin Thompson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Langua
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Customer Reviews:
Text is good. The publisher is sloppy!.......2004-12-13
I used this text for my Introduction to Film and Film Studies course. It was usually an easy to read and understand text. The main problem that I have with the text itself is the examples used. I highly doubt that introductory students have seen a lot of the films used such as Ozu's "Tokyo Story" and Resnais's "Last Year at Marienbad". The authors might want to consider using examples from films that are a little more widely viewed than Eisenstein's films.
If you're a prof and considering this book, please make sure that what you call a tracking shot actually matches what the textbook says. If you don't, it can create endless confusion.
Also, the publisher of this book really need to go into the text and fix some problems. More than once I was told that an example was on page 000 and there's a section in the mise-en-scene chapter that says that information has been removed and should be put back in. This can be confusing and also makes the book look sloppy.
From a film professor.......2004-08-24
Since an earlier review was from a film professor who trashed this book, I thought it would be a good idea if another film professor stepped forward to defend it. The complaints from the aforementioned film professor are vague -- Film Art is apparently "pretentious" and "full of itself." If my college professors advanced criticisms that were as vague as that, and provided absolutely NO evidence or further explanations of their opinions, I wouldn't have continued my studies. It's pretty sad when a beginning undergraduate film student offers a much more articulate and thorough review of a text than a professor.
In any case, Film Art is an excellent introduction to the study of film, largley because it is NOT pretentious or full of itself. Unlike many theoretical accounts of film, Film Art is set forth in extremely clear language, is painstakingly organized for maximum clarity, is filled with visual examples and evidence from a staggeringly wide variety of films (Hollywood, foreign, documentary, avant-garde, old, new, etc.), and is thoroughly informed by both a mastery of film aesthetics and history, but also a practical knowledge of film production. Though it is not about film production and was not written by fillmmakers, its authors are totally familiar with the practices of film production and, unlike so many film scholars who leave production details to the techies, employ this body of practical knowledge to clarify how films work.
An excellent resource for teachers and students alike!
I DO recommend this book.......2004-08-15
The previous review of this book was by a film professor. This one is by a film STUDENT. This book was required reading for my first film class which was an introduction to film class called: the Language of Film. This book is definitely a great introduction to the art of film. It is not a book about filmmaking. It is a book that introduces with each chapter a new angle from which film can be studied. Everything about film is covered: Film history; genre films; narrative form; the stages of film production, distribution, and exhibition; mise-en-scene; editing and sound in cinema; film criticism; and the future of film. Each section is accompanied by examples and screen captures from popular classic and modern films, and scattered quotations from popular and obscure filmmakers.
The title of this book is a perfect description of what the book is. If you are a beginner, it is perfect for an overview or outline of what film is. If you are an advanced film student, it is great for sharpening your knowledge of film.
With regard to the previous review by the film professor who was afraid that this book would put off his/her students, it would be better for students to know early on what they are getting themselves into. If you are actually turned off after reading this book, you shouldn't go any further with your film studies.
In conclusion, this is a great book that introduces the purely cinematic aspects of film that distinguishes it from every other art form. I highly recommend it.
I do not recommend this book.......2004-07-20
Run, do not walk, away from this book unless you are an advanced film student. If you simply want to learn about film, this book is way too full of itself, in the terms and the verbiage it uses. It's fine for people who know they are going to "study film" for a career, but many students (*most* of *my* students) take a basic film appreciation class as a general education, one time, film class to simply learn "how to talk to other people about film," and to meet their graduation requirements. For that purpose, this book comes off as pretentious, and not at all geared toward a world *outside of* serious film study.
I sometimes think there are professors who choose books like this because they get so involved in being *scholarly* that they've forgotten what it's like to be a student. Or, they can't put themselves in the place of any student other than those whose *life goal* it is to "study" film.
This book is fine for students who have their eye on a career in film, but it's not a good book for beginning students who just want to learn a bit about film to better themselves, and to make themselves more well-rounded. There are other books that cover all the same topics, but do it in a much more straight-forward, real-world manner. "The Art of Watching Films" by Boggs, and "Understanding Movies" by Giannetti come to mind. (I favor Boggs.)
Book Description
Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all its own. Since 1979, David Bordwell's and Kristin Thompson's Film Art has been the most respected introduction to the analysis of cinema. While continuing to provide the best introduction to the fundamentals of serious film study, the seventh edition has been extensively re-designed in full color greatly enhancing the text's visual appeal and overall accessibility to today's students. Throughout the text, all images presented are frame enlargements as opposed to production stills or advertising photos. Supported by a text-specific CD-ROM with video clips, an Instructor's Manual, and text-specific website, Film Art can also be packaged with the award-winning Film, Form, and Culture CD-ROM.
Customer Reviews:
Why it is good?.......2007-03-09
I was taking a intro to audio class and my teacher who worked in the sound industry has recommended this book for all kinds of reasons. Starting from story boarding to angle shots and sounds, and all kinds of very interesting information that just cannot be covered by me talking.
Very awesome book and whoever is in the industry should try using it.
Good background info ... could use some improvements ..........2006-02-21
We used this as our textbook for a course on "The Art of Film" at my university. It's packed with a lot of great detail, obviously written by someone who knows and loves the subject. The problem is that it's not as well organized as it could be. For example, the authors will make a comment along the lines of "there are three important reasons why X works the way it does." Then you spend the next 28 pages trying to find the three reasons (since you KNOW you're going to be tested on this), which are usually buried among a lot of very interesting details. A few well-placed paragraph and sub-paragraph headings would help alleviate the need to play "where's Waldo" with important concepts.
My other beef isn't so much with the content of the book but with McGraw-Hill's penchant for printing paperback textbooks like this one on the **heaviest** paper they can find. Not that the paper is thicker or more durable or anything, it just weighs a TON. Add a couple of these tomes to your backpack, and it's off to the chiropractor. The paper also has a kind of "sheen" to it that makes it very difficult to read under library lights (most lights, for that matter) due to the glare that appears on the pages. I usually end up holding the book at some odd angle just to be able to see through the bright spots. Obviously, this is not something the authors necessarily have any control over, but I believe it deserves mention.
I would have given this book a rating of 4.5 had that been an option, as the content IS quite good. Over the course of my class, I've been making a list of "movies I must see before I die" based on some of the comments and examples used in this book. As I mentioned above, the biggest problem is organization, and unless you're a student with limited time, this probably wouldn't be an issue.
Will change how you watch movies!.......2005-12-22
This is one of the best introductions to film studies. The bulk of the book is about the formal analysis of film, from genre, to editing, staging, sound, and mise-en-scene. Although this is an introductory book, it goes very in-depth into all the formal elements of film-making. All terms are carefully defined with many examples. Film has its own "language," and this book helps readers to understand that language. After reading this book, you will never watch a film in the same way again. It will vastly increase your understanding. The writing is clear, accessible, well-organized, and straightforward. There are also chapters on film production and distribution, and a helpful chapter on film history. Reading a film textbook tends to be an exercise in frustration, since there is so much technical analysis of films that either you haven't seen, or haven't seen recently. The many pictures help with that problem to some extent. The physical size of the book is rather awkward for reading, unless you're sitting at a large desk with the book laid out in front of you. The accompanying CD includes a few very short film clips and some quizzes on the chapter materials.
excellent book for introductory level film students.......2005-09-30
This book is excellent for the fundemental understanding of film and its various stages. It allows readers to look at films through the eyes of filmmakers and critics alike. It simply allows you to understand how films work, as well as provide a summerized yet thorough hisotry of early film all over the world. The book provides readers with movie titles that are important in the developement and influence for movies today. Overall, the book is worth every penny for those who are looking for a detailed understanding of film and film history.
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Film Viewers Guide
David Bordwell , and
Kristin Thompson
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Film Art: An Introduction
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ASIN: 0072484578 |
Book Description
Packaged free with each copy of
Film Art, this new guide by David Bordwell explains how to analyze and write about films.
Amazon.com
History, as Henry Ford said, may be bunk, but as author Joseph Roquemore's book about 350 historical movies reveals, it's good box office. An independent scholar from Chicago, Roquemore measures his chosen fictions against the facts of 150 episodes in world history. Beginning with movie subjects drawn from the past 3,000 years, he spins sprightly, dense, witty essays on, for example, Jesus' life (Jesus of Nazareth), Spartacus's revolt (Spartacus), the Salem witch trials (The Crucible), JFK (JFK), and, well, Kevin Costner (Dances with Wolves). The essays are at their best when he pauses to consider the flotsam: a piece on King David estimates Goliath's height (an inch or two taller than Michael Jordan); one on Jesus slows enough to reflect that his "public career was eerie, strange, dreamlike." And he lists the sights Wyatt Earp would have first seen coming into Tombstone--25 saloons, 14 casinos, and "a restless sprawl of tents and cabins."
He grades historical feel as high as historical facticity. So Pat O'Connor's grim Irish gestalt movie, Cal, is called "one of the best period films ever made"; other kudos go to Steven Soderbergh's King of the Hill, the Sally Field tear-jerker Places in the Heart, and Das Boot, for its "stinking look." Still, where there's history there's subjectivity; Roquemore browbeats the philosophically disquieting The Thin Red Line for being "pretentious," and dresses down Oliver Stone for littering JFK with so much error that it "makes Cinderella look like a BBC documentary." Exceptions aside, anyone interested in the historical or the hysterical will get a kick out of this fascinating book. --Lyall Bush
Book Description
From
Birth of a Nation to
Braveheart and
Saving Private Ryan, here is a compulsively readable and endlessly browsable book that brings to life for film buffs, history lovers, students, and teachers the real stories behind the stirring events on screen.
No medium is more effective than film in bringing to vivid life the epochal events of our past; yet none is as prone to sometimes dangerous distortions of fact and emphasis.
History Goes to the Movies separates fact from fiction for more than three hundred important historical films, in the process enhancing both viewing pleasure and historical understanding.
Organized into twelve categories such as "Biography," "The American West," "World War Two," and "Ancient, Classical, and Medieval History," the book includes chronologies for each historical period covered. For every film, a detailed essay is provided describing the historical context and events portrayed, a brief plot summary, and an assessment of the movie's accuracy and entertainment value, concluding with suggestions for further reading and viewing.
Comprehensive, entertaining, scrupulously researched, and often bracingly opinionated,
History Goes to the Movies will turn your VCR into a clear (and accurate) window on all human history. For every moviegoer who has wondered, "Did that really happen?"--here at last is the answer.
Customer Reviews:
Inconsistent and Inaccurate.......2006-07-05
History Goes to the Movies : A Viewer's Guide to the Best (and Some of the Worst) Historical Films Ever Made, by Joseph H. Roquemore.
I recently finished reading this and can't recommend it. My attitude can be summed up by saying that I don't trust the author's qualifications either as a reviewer of cinema or as an historian. Glaring mistakes abound in his recitation of historical "facts". Worse, the author frequently allows his political views to dictate his cinematic opinions, i.e., a film that promotes left-wing values or ideas cannot be any good, regardless of any other considerations. The biggest crime is inconsistency: many films (that he doesn't like) are slammed for the most minor of historical inaccuracies, while films that he *does* like get passes on even the most absurd of historical gaffes. Finally, the choices and classification of films into different historical periods is somewhat eclectic; some very obvious films are completely omitted, and many of the films reviewed were never intended as "history" of any sort!
That being said, there are some good points. There are a lot of films covered here, a number of which I had never heard of or knew very little about, and I wouldn't mind checking some of them out. Roquefort's grasp of history seems better in some eras than in others (as is true of most of us, I guess) and when he's accurate he makes some good points. Overall, however, I cannot recommend this book to anyone with a serious interest in either history or cinema.
Must-have for history & movie buffs.......2005-01-20
Review by Ben M. Wolk www.bzponline.com
Before proceeding with this review, I'm going to register a personal complaint: Joseph Roquemore stole my idea. Long before coming upon his History Goes to the Movies in a catalog, it had been my ambition to write precisely this book. By what form of osmosis Rocquemore picked my brains, I can't imagine.
I am, however, glad he did, because his work is far better than mine promised to be -- better, too, than other similar books on the market, such as the pretentiously academic Past Imperfect. It is, in fact, a monumentally ambitious work that is as informative as it is entertaining, and as well-written as it informative.
Roquemore recognizes that historical films, far from being mere entertainment, are a potent force in molding public perception of past events and, by extension, contemporary society. "...they're not just movies," he states in his preface, and throughout his book he endeavors to counter the "blatant disdain...for solid, reliable history."
Roquemore's approach is simple. He presents a brief essay -- the longest run about two pages; some are half-a-page -- to serve as a tapestry against which the movies can be discussed. Thus, his piece on the Roman Empire acts as background for six different films. (In some instances, it's one essay/one movie.) He follows this with the movie reviews: 314 total, ranging from pre-history (Quest for Fire, which conjectures on the daily lives of our animal-skin-wearing ancestors) to the first Gulf War. His canvass is broad, ranging from sword-and-sandal war epics to period romances. He even includes one documentary: Woodstock.
The essays are uniformly excellent; I hesitate even to call them "essays," denoting as that does something far duller than Roquemore offers. They are, in fact, micro-histories: concise, informative, vigorous, and witty; peppered with revealing anecdotes and surprising bits of trivia. (My favorite line: "JFK makes Cinderella look like a BBC documentary.") Roquemore's prose is not only entertaining but sure-footed and professional, as one should expect from a speechwriter and communications director with a doctorate in English literature -- according to the book's back cover.
Another of Roquemore's refreshing traits is a refusal to be "objective." I mean by this, not a disregard for facts, but a disregard for the academic notion that the historian/critic should pass no moral judgment on the subject he presents. This of course is nonsense: there has never been an objective critic, and those who claim to be so (or think themselves so) are indulging in self-delusion.
Roquemore, as the publisher aptly puts it, is "bracingly opinionated." More simply, he calls 'em like he sees 'em. Oliver Stone's Nixon is "historical biography at its very worst." The 1993 remake of Shadowlands he calls "a gloomy dirge," while The Ten Commandments is "Entertaining -- but slim pickings for history buffs," and Steven Spielberg's Empire of the Sun ranks as "a potboiler all the way." There are no sacred cows here; Rocquemore never fears to take on even the most respected and "untouchable" films: Schindler's List, Mississippi Burning, Citizen Kane, Michael Collins, Titanic, and even Gandhi ("a propaganda debacle of the first rank") all endure heavy criticism. I should add that his critiques are more substantive and better-documented than my out-of-context quoting indicates.
Conversely, Roquemore doesn't stint on praise where he thinks it's due, and a number of movies -- well-known and obscure -- win his applause. Braveheart is "a sweeping biography" and "a terrific film;" Conagher "matches -- or tops -- Hollywood's best westerns;" and Tora! Tora! Tora! is "dynamite...guaranteed to knock your socks off."
Roquemore also deserves praise for not playing favorites: he judges on merit rather than personal likes or dislikes, and it's not rare to find him praising the factual fidelity of an actor's performance in one film and excoriating the same person a few pages later. One never gets the sense that he criticizes a movie or director or actor simply because he doesn't care for them or their previous work.
For all their high caliber, Roquemore's essays do slip on occasion. In his piece on medieval freedom-fighter William Wallace, for instance, he states that Wallace's comrade Andrew de Moray "died in the field at Stirling." It's true that Moray vanishes from the historical record shortly after the battle of Stirling Bridge, but no reliable evidence corroborates a battlefield death. In fact, there is an extant letter that post-dates Stirling on which both Wallace and Moray appear as signers.
More significantly, Roquemore is sometimes blinded by his enthusiasm -- or his irritation. His piece on the Reformation-era theologian and politician Sir Thomas More is one long commendation: More is described as a model of conscience, good-will, forbearance, and high-minded idealism. That More possessed all these qualities is undeniable; but in his awe, Roquemore fails to mention that More was also a zealot who vigorously persecuted religious dissenters, among them the courageous Bible translator William Tyndale. (There is, incidentally, a very fine movie about Tyndale, God's Outlaw, which Roquemore does not include.)
Similarly, many people will take exception to Roquemore's favorable view of Richard Nixon. He does an admirable job of dispelling myths about Nixon (i.e. that he was a drunkard, a "trashmouth," and so on) and also of putting into perspective his foreign policy achievements. But, as with More, he glosses over or ignores Nixon's many shortcomings: his failed economic policies and his desperate, deceit-riddled grasp to stay in power.
Roquemore can be unfair, especially in his judgments of the movies themselves. He describes Anthony Hopkins's portrayal of C.S. Lewis in the 1993 Shadowlands as "dull" and "sullen." I agree that Hopkins failed to capture Lewis's personality (especially when judged against Joss Ackland in an earlier version of Shadowlands), but his performance is neither dull nor sullen; in fact, he seems rather to enjoy himself.
And sometimes Roquemore is simply irrelevant: in his review of Gettysburg -- a "made-for-TV potboiler" -- he goes so far as to criticize the "pompous" musical score. Pompous or not (personally I consider it a terrific score, and I know a number of people who agree), what does it have to do with the film's historical value? On a similar note, Roquemore mentions that Braveheart (which he likes) won four Oscars, but fails to mention that Dances With Wolves (which he doesn't like) won nine. (I also like Braveheart and dislike Dances With Wolves, but you see the point.)
All of which, I hasten to add, is trivial nitpicking in the grand scheme of Roquemore's book. No doubt, every reader will find something to disagree with in History Goes to the Movies -- I did myself -- but it is still, for all its small faults, the most exhaustive and authoritative work of its kind, educational, stimulating, and outright fun.
I'm toying with the idea of writing to Joseph Roquemore to ask him for a revised edition, or better yet, a Volume Two: History Goes Back to the Movies. Consider the slew of historical and period films that have appeared in the few years since Roquemore's book was published: Troy, Alexander, The Passion of the Christ, Gladiator, King Arthur, Luther, The Messenger, The Patriot, Master and Commander, The Alamo, Gods and Generals, Cold Mountain, Gangs of New York, The Last Samurai, The Missing, The Aviator, Pearl Harbor, Windtalkers, Band of Brothers, The Pianist, We Were Soldiers, The Manchurian Candidate remake, Black Hawk Down, Tears of the Sun...and this doesn't include upcoming features about Hannibal of Carthage, yet another Alexander the Great movie, plus Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven, about the Third Crusade. Add to this any number of relevant films that Roquemore simply had no space for -- Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, the aforementioned God's Outlaw, Chariots of Fire (an excellent period piece/biopic), and some of the half-dozen Joan of Arc films on the market -- and you have all the makings of another book.
I would write it myself, but...
Excellent reference guide for movies and history.......2003-09-28
This has become one of my bedside books. I love not only the movie reviews themselves, but also the insightful summaries of the related historical events, sometimes rather obscure and difficult to find in mainstream history books.
I do disagree with Roquemore's judgement sometimes: for instance, he definitely did not do his homework as far as "Braveheart" is concerned, as I believe another reviewer has already noted. And I don't understand why he chose to review the 1934 "Cleopatra" rather than the far better known 1963 version - which is also better history, by the way, apart from the overly extravagant costumes and sets.
As for his supposed political biases: he obviously dislikes PC movies of the "Dances with Wolves" sort, and as far as the Spanish Civil War is concerned, he is skeptical of the Republic, which is very far from being pro-Franco. Finally, when reviewing Oliver Stone's "Nixon", he says something to the effect that, without exonerating Nixon, it is clear that everyone involved (including the press) behaved badly during the Watergate crisis - - this kind of thing.
As already mentioned, Roquemore tears to shreds Oliver Stone's movies (as far as their historical content is concerned) - rightly, in my opinion.
That is what leads some to regard his views as "right-wing". I consider this to be utter nonsense. Actually, I strongly suggest that those whose historical perception of the Kennedy - Nixon era has been formed by Stone's films would profit greatly by reading this book.
Bring it to the video store.......2002-01-07
Believe the favorable reviews here; disregard the unfavorable. Roquemore's ratings don't trumpet one or the other sort of politics. Rather, the book focuses on historical accuracy-i.e., objective truth. Movies that are true to fact receive more stars than fictionalized "based ons." Yes, this penalizes Oliver Stone, but properly so.
That being said, Roquemore knows a good yarn when he sees it. For example, his review of Billy Wyler's "The Westerner" (three stars out of five) begins: "One of the finest westerns ever-and a hatful of hokum as historical biography." So Roquemore does acknowledge cases where history properly is sacrificed to drama.
One more point: Roquemore includes enough (lucid) historical background with each movie that the book is a great and informative read on its own.
My trips to the video store begin with a list from "History Goes to the Movies."
A must-have for history and film buffs........2001-12-31
I LOVE this book. When I stumbled upon it two years ago, it became a Christmas present to every member of my family and my best friend (all history buffs). My friend recently told me it was the best present I'd ever given him, and on the top five of all presents he's ever received.
I particularly enjoy military history and war flicks, and this book is very strong in that category. While I disagree with Mr. Roquemore as to a few movies, I found, over and over, that he had picked up on fine points that I thought no one -- except me -- would ever care about.
I was totally unconscious of any political slant to the book. The political issues raised by the reviewers here came as a complete surprise -- from out of left field, one is tempted to say. But it is fair to say that if Oliver Stone is your idea of the Good Housekeeping Historical Seal of Approval, you probably won't like the book. Or history. The rest of us should look forward to the read.
I very much want to see the book updated and expanded. Please, Mr. Rouquemore, . . . More. Doug Jordan
Average customer rating:
- It was'nt in stock
- Indispensable book from a film genius!
- GIVE THE BOOK A BREAK!
- Horrible, horrible
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Film Art with free Film Viewer's Guide
David Bordwell , and
Kristin Thompson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Book Description
Film is an art form with a language and an aesthetic all it's own, and since 1979 David Bordwell and Kristin Thompson's
Film Art has been the most repected introduction to the art and analysis of cinema.
In the new sixth edition,
Film Art continues it's commitment to providing the best introduction to the fundamentals of serious film study - images throughout the book are collected from actual film frames, not from production stills or advertising photos - but the book has been extensively re-designed to improve readability and teachability. Additionally, the text can be packaged with the award-winning
Film, Form, and Culture CD-ROM, and is supported by an extensive Instructor's Manual and text-specific website.
Customer Reviews:
It was'nt in stock.......2007-01-09
I never bought this item because you were out of it.
Indispensable book from a film genius!.......2005-04-05
This is a *great* book. I am former student of David Bordwell's MA program in Film at the Univ of Wisconsin-Madison. This is a wonderful introduction to and keen analysis of the whole of cinema, not a mean feat for any book on film! A bit pricey, you might think, but it's jam-packed, ranging from the broad strokes to the minutiae of film. I can remember back to the first edition, decades ago, that I think sold for something like a then-whopping $15 in paper. Yes, it's designed mainly for textbook use for "film appreciation," but I don't think any serious student or film enthusiast can speak inteligently about film without this book. David Bordwell is one of the most respected voices in film studies today -- who would have thought he used to be a door-to-door vacuum salesman back in Iowa in the early early 1970's! Devoid of the jargony style [read: post-structuralist, semiotic, etc] analyses of so many other film books. [And, this from a guy who can sling the jargon with the best of them! Just read some of his scholarly essays in the film studies journals.] Seriously, though -- what a expansive writing career -- from general film studies textbook to scholarly works on Asian cinema, individual film artists like Eisenstein and Dreyer, to more recent works on Hong Kong action films. What a treat to see a great mind at work. Highly recommended for all! Studying at UW-Madison with people like Bordwell was one of several factors in my going into film preservation archive work.
GIVE THE BOOK A BREAK!.......2004-06-26
this is a wonderful textbook! it was completely revised and actually redesigned for the 6th edition. it includes an online learning center available to all owners of the book, and includes a "how to watch films and write an effective essay" guide. this is not to mention the hundreds of b+w and full color photos, and the clear easy to understand text. film art is fully indexed with a bibliography and glossary. it even features an internet resources section with selected reference sites from the web. i suggest the other reviewer get a cinemagraphic education, and review this again. their ignorance shows!
Horrible, horrible.......2004-05-31
This is perhaps THE WORST TEXTBOOK I have EVER had to use. If you eliminate Bordwell and Thompson's constant derivations discussing the most tedious unrelated, obscure film references; then there would be about FIVE pages of text. In those five pages, you would see several paragraphs of horribly akward phrasing and lack of definitions for their 'coined terms.' Do youself a favour and petition your Film Department to get a text that is actually readable and not this horrible.
Customer Reviews:
Comprehensive, Insightful, and Essential.......2007-04-13
A must have for every filmmaker, motion picture historian, movie reviewer, and film fan. Absolutely everything you wanted to know about what goes into making movies work the way they do.
-- Reni Bor-Nevets
Excellent intro to study of film.......2000-04-26
I've used this book in teaching film courses (I'm a former student of Professor Gollin myself) and find this a very readable introduction to the study of film. Prof. Gollin takes the reader through the production process as well as explaining various academic and critical approaches to film studies. I would recommend this to any serious film viewer who is looking for a place to begin a deeper understanding of this popular art form.
To long in Pionts.......1999-01-19
Your book is to long per thought. Hard to read, and some of the words you used are not even in the dictionary.
Average customer rating:
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Award Winning Films: A Viewer's Reference to 2700 Acclaimed Motion Pictures
Peter C. Mowrey
Manufacturer: McFarland & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0899507832 |
Book Description
The guide to the nearly 2,700 movies that have received at least one major award or festival prize, from the silent era through 1990. Each entry provides country of origin, year of release, length, format, production credits, cast, subject matter, sequels and remakes, alternate titles, awards won, and when appropriate, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rating. Memorable or award-winning features are discussed and a sampling of the contemporary criticism is given.
Customer Reviews:
Oh Oh OH.......2004-02-02
Everyone should own a copy of this amazing, fun filled book!!! My professor wrote this book and I would read it if I had the time, but he assigns too much homework. And yet, I find that this book is a staple of popular American culture and movies. Who wouldn't want to read this?!
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Halliwell's Filmgoer's and Video Viewer's Companion
Leslie Halliwell
Manufacturer: HarperReference
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0062715704 |
Customer Reviews:
Essential for film buffs.......1997-05-03
Halliwell's Companion makes all other film encyclopedias look superficial in comparison. It is essential for all film buffs who like to cross-reference info. The only minor quibble I have is that, as the BBC's film expert for decades, Halliwell naturally places a lot of emphasis on the British film industry -- at times to the point of making it seem as if it were as significant as Hollywood's contribution
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