High noon: The Hollywood blacklist and the making of an American classic - Glenn Frankel

How to watch a movie - David Thomson

Summary: "With customary candor and wit, Thomson delivers keen analyses of a range of films from classics such as Psycho and Citizen Kane to contemporary fare such as 12 Years a Slave and All Is Lost, revealing how to more deeply appreciate both the artistry and (yes) manipulation of film, and how watching movies approaches something like watching life itself."--Amazon.com.

Booklist Reviews

Per film-critic and author extraordinaire Thomson (Why Acting Matters, 2015), although movies may have simply been entertainment for the first 60 years, their intent and purpose have steadily grown, along with their technical capability, ensuring we leave many movies not just smiling but also thinking. Thomson backs his suppositions here with discussions of movies from such great filmmakers as Hitchcock, Sturges, Welles, and more; the advent of sound; the promises—broken or kept—of storytelling; and the true person behind a movie's success. All components are thoughtfully pondered and poetically covered. Filled with analysis and musings, the book's coverage is fascinating, wide ranging (from art to critics), and immensely knowledgeable, with no aspect of filmmaking, or contributors to same, slighted in analysis. Readers ranging from filmmakers to movie buffs will learn much here. As Thomson notes, "The movies did one potent thing: they broadcast the sight and sound of beautiful people in situations of exceptional and unsettling intimacy." No wonder we like to watch. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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Silver screen fiend - Patton Oswalt

Silver screen fiend: Learning about life from an addiction to film - Oswalt, Patton

Summary: "Between 1995 and 1999, Patton Oswalt lived with an unshakable addiction. It wasn't drugs, alcohol or sex: it was film. After moving to L.A., Oswalt became a huge film buff (or as he calls it, a sprocket fiend), absorbing classics, cult hits, and new releases at the New Beverly Cinema. Silver screen celluloid became Patton's life schoolbook, informing his notion of acting, writing, comedy, and relationships. Set in the nascent days of L.A.'s alternative comedy scene, Oswalt's memoir chronicles his journey from fledgling stand-up comedian to self-assured sitcom actor, with the colorful New Beverly collective and a cast of now-notable young comedians supporting him all along the way"-- Provided by publisher.

Booklist Reviews
Readers who know Oswalt only for his supporting role on the television sitcom The King of Queens might be surprised to learn that he was one of the early proponents of alternative comedy, a style of stand-up comedy that rejects the traditional setup-and-punch-line structure in favor of a more free-form, unpredictable approach. Some readers might also be surprised at how accomplished a writer he is; this fine book, set during his early years in Los Angeles (the mid- to late-1990s), is downright impossible to put down. When the author, then a young stand-up comedian, first moved to L.A., his goal was to become a film director; the best way to accomplish that, he thought, was to immerse himself in movies, old and new, classic and unknown. At the same time, needing to pay his bills, he developed his "performance comedy" and—even as he still dreamed of making his own movies—found himself building a career on the big and small screens. Fans of Oswalt's earlier memoir, Zombie Spaceship Wasteland (2011), are pretty much guaranteed to enjoy this one; but, because it's set at a different stage in the author's life, and because it deals with the L.A. comedy scene, it could find itself a whole new set of readers. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The greatest movie you'll never see - Simon Braund

The greatest movie you'll never see: unseen masterpieces by the world's greatest directors- Braund, Simon

Summary: Goes behind the scenes of more than fifty unmade films to explain why they never made it to the final cut.

Library Journal Reviews
The Greatest Movies You'll Never See is exactly that: a book filled with movie gems that have never come to fruition, because of lack of funds, troubled stars, or demon-haunted directors. What makes this book so interesting is that it lets the reader know exactly what film history is missing, but it also offers a handy guide to the who, what, where, and why of the forgotten creations. The book contains bits and pieces of discarded scripts, movie posters that were already drawn up to sell the film, and a brief background of what may have caused the films' early demise. While continuous reading of this can be monotonous—the "Will It Ever Happen?" scale seems a bit redundant as most of the films will obviously never be made—this is an excellent quick reference for film lovers who want to lament what could have been. VERDICT A succinct and readable book that is sure to pique the curiosity of any film lover and those interested in the film industry's dark side.—Jennifer Thompson, Richland Lib., Columbia, SC

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Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. - Sam Wasson

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the dawn of the modern woman - Wasson, Sam

Summary: Depicts the making of the iconic film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" in the late 1950s, drawing on interviews with those involved in the film's production, including the actors, producer Richard Shepherd, and Truman Capote's biographer. Sam Wasson takes the reader from pre-production to on-set feuds and conflicts, while also noting Hepburn's impact on fashion (Givenchy's little black dress), Hollywood glamour, sexual politics, and the new morality.

Library Journal Reviews
Wasson (A Splurch in the Kisser: The Movies of Blake Edwards) traces Audrey Hepburn's life and career leading up to Breakfast at Tiffany's and describes how her role inspired women as they emerged from restrictive 1950s cultural, social, and sexual stereotypes. At the same time, he weaves in the story of Truman Capote, author of the book that was the basis for the film, and examines the complex sources for his famous character Holly Golightly. By the time Wasson arrives at the shooting of the film, readers will have a solid understanding of Hepburn and Capote as well as many others in their spheres and involved with the film—from director Blake Edwards and composer Henry Mancini to costumer Edith Head and screenwriter George Axelrod. The anecdotes are numerous and deftly told, and Wasson does not shy away from relevant interpersonal challenges. VERDICT This well-researched, entertaining page-turner should appeal to a broad audience, particularly those who enjoy film history that focuses on the human factors involved in the creative process while also drawing on larger social and cultural contexts.—Carol J. Binkowski, Bloomfield, NJ

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Role models - John Waters

 Role models - Waters, John

Summary: "Here, from the incomparable John Waters, is a paean to the power of subversive inspiration that will delight, amuse, enrich--and happily horrify readers everywhere. This book is, in fact, a self-portrait told through intimate profiles of favorite personalities--some famous, some unknown, some surprisingly middle-of-the-road. From Esther Martin, the owner of the scariest bar in Baltimore, to playwright Tennessee Williams; from atheist leader Madalyn Murray O'Hair to insane martyr Saint Catherine of Siena; from English novelist Denton Welch to timeless singer Johnny Mathis, these are the figures that helped the author form his own brand of neurotic happiness."--From publisher description.   

Staff Review  
Oh John Waters.  How can someone be "The King of Puke" and be so endearing at the same time?  I don't know, I just know I love him!  Here he lovingly talks about his role models and provides an autobiography at the same time.

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Pictures at a revolution: five movies and the birth of the New Hollywood - Mark Harris

Pictures at a revolution: five movies and the birth of the New Hollywood - Harris, Mark


Summary: "[Explores] the epic human drama behind the making of the five movies nominated for Best Picture in 1967--Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Doctor Doolittle, and Bonnie and Clyde--and through them, the larger story of the cultural revolution that transformed Hollywood, and America, forever."--From publisher description.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Film critics and historians can turn out some of the deadliest prose on the planet, so when the odd Pauline Kael or David Thomson rises above the stereotype, it's always a cause for celebration. Add Mark Harris to the short short list of film writers who can tell a story. And what a story it is! Harris uses the Academy Award nominations for Best Picture of 1967 (Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, In the Heat of the Night, Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, and Doctor Doolittle) as the lens through which to view the cultural revolution of the late 1960s as it affected the movies. Moving back and forth in time in the manner of some of our best narrative nonfiction fiction writers (from John McPhee to Laura Hillenbrand), Harris tracks the genesis of each of the five movies as they came to reflect the building war between Old and New Hollywood: Doctor Doolittle, of course, represents the old way, a mediocre, big studio musical determined to milk the last possible dollar from the cash cow that was Sound of Music, while Bonnie and Clyde, the brainchild of two precocious Esquire editors, was unquestionably the avatar of the New World. The backstory on the films never fails to fascinate—a perfect blend of cultural commentary and film-business analysis—but the miniportraits of all the personalities (from dying Spencer Tracy to fish-out-of-water Dustin Hoffman to wunderkind director Mike Nichols to dozens more) are unfailingly spot-on, always delivering something about these overexposed celebrities that we didn't know or hadn't thought about in just that way. No contest, this is one of the best film histories ever written. Don't miss it. Copyright 2008 Booklist Reviews.

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