Customer Reviews:
 The perfect 'dip in-dip out' kind of reference book June 3, 2008
This book is a must for the bookshelves not only of the avid film enthusiast but also for everyone who has even a passing interest in the medium. The book is a genuinely intelligent guide to movies which are heralded as a cut above the average, intelligent that is in that it refrains from being "arty for the sake of it" and includes films from a wide range of genres aimed at a wide range of audiences. You don't feel therefore that you are being lectured at, instead, the book confirms that some of the films you always thought were good are in fact good and opens you up to some other films you may never thought of watching or may never have even heard of.
The guide also stands as an excellent general reader. With a few minutes to spare, it is great to just pick it up and dive in and get yourself lost in the story of one of the films included in its pages.
 The breadth of Cinema March 16, 2008
I've just received this as a Birthday present and like the other two reviewers concur that this is an excellent book. To read it from cover to cover will take quite a while as its 948 pages. OK there are a lot of pictures but there is still a lot of text.
The reviews of each film are quite substantial and informative. You are also given basic information like Director, main Cast and any awards won, as well as Oscar nominations. The range of films is extraordinary and as an avid film watcher I was genuinely surprised at how many of the films I hadn't seen. Unlike the previous reviewer my total watched was only just over 300, so you might say I'm not qualified to review the book. But there again if you've seen all the films what is the point in having the book?
Certainly this is a great volume to own if you want to try and expand your horizons in terms of which films you watch, whether it is older films (over a 1/3 of films in this book are pre 1960) or non-Hollywood films. There are quite a few foreign language films, maybe not enough for a specialist in that area but enough to keep most people happy.
The films are listed in chronological order starting in 1902 and finishing in 2007. Additionally they are indexed separately by genre at the front of the book. So you get 105 years of cinema in a book, start reading and watching now!
A hefty tome of film cinematic gold. December 10, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I always thought I'd seen a fair few films - but this book is a great way to open up new avenues.
The book is crammed with cinema greats from the beginning of the 20th century to present day. The book takes you by the hand and leads you on a journey to show how cinema has developed from silent film, to the CGI laden eyegasmic features we see today. Synopses are given for each film - many of which give away the twists waiting to be enjoyed - so if you don't want spoilers then this maybe isn't for you.
There is a definite bias toward Hollywood film, and as a viewer of mainly European film I found that a little disconcerting - however I accept the validity of the bias given that Hollywood films are the ones which have the biggest mainstream cultural impact here in the UK. Also, for someone who mainly watches Hollywood big budget movies, this book will introduce them to films they may not normally try.
One of the main spectacles of this book is the photography. Stills from film are given full pages, and all of which are iconic in themselves, the images alone practically justify buying the book.
Sometimes it may seem a bit pretentious, but Steven Jay Schneider has managed to collate a fine collection of reviews, each of which demonstrates a genuine passion for the subject matter.
I've not yet gone through ticking which films I have seen, but I challenge anyone to pick this book up and not identify at least 50 films they haven't seen. Another reviewer has said he has seen 841 of the films - and for that I salute you sir! I am probably trailing you by quite a margin, but I intend to work my way through.
I would give this 4.5 stars if I could, but on balance I'll give 4, acquiring the latest edition of this book should be a yearly purchasing ritual!
A good introduction to cinema December 5, 2007
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
First of all let me begin by stating that I've put off reviewing this canon for some time. I see no justification to review a book like this until one has consumed most of it. At present I have seen 841 of these films and feel now that a review is justified.
I believe that of all the books in this series this is the strongest entry although not gospel. This canon or list of films is an excellent introduction to cinema, it gives you the basics to develop a well rounded appreciation of all cinema beginning in 1902 with George Melies' "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" right up to the present day. As would be expected in concentrates a lot on American cinema when it was a force to reckoned with. It does not overlook all the important movements like German expressionism(1920s), Socialist realism (1920s), French poetic realism(1930s), Italian neo-realism(late40s-early50s), Film Noir and all the New Wave movements in the 1960s from Britain, France, Italy, Japan and Eastern Europe. It continues in the 1970s where there is a lot of attention to New Hollywood directors as well as New German cinema which were making a massive impact at the time. After that it moves into blockbuster territory in the 1980s which is to be expected. It was a period which is not held in much regard by cineastes but is a part of cinema's development. From the 1990s onward one begins to notice how important films seem to come from all over the world and not concentrated in one area. As would be expected the last few years are open to debate, evidence of which can be seen in the fact that every time the book is revised it's those last few years that are shuffled around.
So what you got is a skeletal view of cinema which allows you to flesh it out. This book is the introduction to cinema, the yellow brick road to the Emerald city if you will, to becoming a film buff. Once you've seen 50% of these you'll already be an above average film fan. After you've completed this list it's time to move onto the Jonathan Rosenbaum 1000 which I believe will take you way way beyond.
There is however one serious flaw with the book in that it is jam packed with spoilers. So proceed with caution.
Another word of caution is that this book is highly addictive and one may need purchase a multi-region dvd player in order to satisfy your desire to complete this canon. I doubt you'll be disappointed however.
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