Movie Guides 

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• Blockbuster Guide to Movies 2nd Edition - CD-ROM

• The Blockbuster Guide to Movies and Videos, 1999 - Book

Other Movie Guide Books

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Film Editor's Recommended Book
VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1998 is the most comprehensive single-volume film guide you can buy. It contains capsule reviews of more than 22,000 movies, written with wit and good humor; the films are rated in a range from "four bones" to "WOOF!" Each entry notes the year the film was released; its running time; its availability on videocassette, laserdisc, and DVD; its chief credits; and whether the film was made in black and white or color. Unlike many rival guides, the Retriever includes made-for-television movies, straight-to-video releases, miniseries, and television shows that are currently available on video. But that's not all: the second half of the volume is an enormous book of lists, making it a valuable film encyclopedia as well. The award index covers not only the Oscars, the BAFTA Awards, and the Cannes Film Festival winners, but also the Golden Globe, the Canadian Genie, the Independent Spirit, and the MTV Movie Awards. VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1998 categorizes films by their country of origin and by director, star, writer, cinematographer, and composer. If you want to find information on the World Wide Web, check out the directory of the best film Web sites. Best of all is the category index, which catalogues movies according to conventional genres ("Comedy," "Film Noir," "Romance") and also under topics as wild and diverse as "Murderous Children," "Flatulence," "Satire and Parody," "Cyberpunk," "Marriage," "L.A." and "Nuns with Guns." VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever 1998is a lively and entertaining guide that will point you toward new experiences in film and strengthen your cinematic expertise.

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Amazon.com
When I reviewed the second, 1994 edition of The Film Encyclopedia, I called it the basic reference guide to international cinema. Most film encyclopedias are hybrid works, compromised by an editorial staff that must make compromises to satisfy competing sensibilities. The Film Encyclopedia was written by a single individual, editor Ephraim Katz, and his personality and charm, his vast knowledge and love of cinema shone through every entry. Alas, Katz died in the early nineties, but this third edition, which retains most of his original prose, remains true to his vision. It thus holds on to its exalted place in the vast universe of movie reference guides, even as its new editors have updated the relevant entries through the end of 1997.

Well-written, user-friendly, and bursting with essential data, famous stories, and terrific trivia, this book is the most intelligent and accessible film companion available, a must for every movie lover. Its chief assets are its in-depth entries on actors, directors, writers, cinematographers, composers, and editors, which come complete with date and place of birth as well as an extensive filmography. You can also read the cinematic history of every major film-producing country; look up technical terms like "boom," "dolly," and "Steadicam"; and find the meaning of those illusive phrases that appear so often in movie credits, assignations like "gaffer," "key grip," and "best boy." Whatever the extent of your movie knowledge, whether you're a burgeoning cineaste or a long-time expert, you'll find yourself turning to this superb volume again and again. --Raphael Shargel

Film Editor's Recommended Book
This is the basic reference guide to the international cinema. Put it next to your TV and VCR and you'll be able to answer the questions that inevitably arise when you watch a movie: "What other films has she been in?"; "Haven't I heard that director's name before?"; and "What in tarnation is a gaffer?" The Film Encyclopedia contains biographies and filmographies of actors, directors, producers, and cinematographers, as well as screenwriters, editors, musical directors, production designers, and critics. You can look up films by nationality and find a history of a given country's contribution to the art. Technical data is also indexed, so you can read not only about film stock and the apparatus of the camera, but also about the duties of the gaffer, the key grip, and the best boy. The book's introduction states that Ephraim Katz, who died in 1992, set out to write "the most comprehensive one-volume encyclopedia of world cinema ever published in the English language." The Film Encyclopedia contains more information than any other single-volume film reference and is also the best written movie guide of its kind. Because most of the entries were written by Katz himself, reading this book is like talking to a witty and learned film historian who has devoted his life to understanding--and loving--the cinema. --This text refers to the paperback edition of this title

From Booklist , October 15, 1994
For the last 15 years, the first edition of this title has served as a dependable source of brief film biographies, definitions of terms, explanations of technical film processes, and more. This second edition continues to provide the same comprehensive coverage, now increased by about 18 percent. Its claim to being an encyclopedia of world cinema is well founded, as there are entries for Zakes Mokae (South Africa), Pedro Almod{˘}ovar (Spain), Hector Babenco (Brazil), Zhang Yimou (China), Daniel Auteuil (France), and Juzo Itami (Japan), along with Ed Harris and Julia Roberts. As in the first edition, there are no entries for individual film titles. Filmographies are included for major actors and directors, and the biographical sketches include not only those two job titles but also composers, producers, screenwriters, art directors, cinematographers, etc. Of particular interest are the overviews of the film industry in individual countries, which provide the names of notable actors and directors and the titles of their films. Coverage of the U.S. film scene is up-to-date, biographical entries are provided for the likes of Linda Hamilton, Kirstie Alley, Sean Young, Tim Robbins, Debbie Allen, and Kyle MacLachlan. Indeed, the biographical entries are the mainstay of this work, which notes even 1993 and 1994 deaths of film notables.

Katz, author of the first edition, lived only long enough to complete about three-fourths of this new one. Those who followed him have fulfilled his original aim to produce "the most comprehensive one-volume encyclopedia of world cinema ever published in the English language." This is one instance where the content is accurately depicted by the cover blurb. Recommended for any reference collection in need of a world view of film.
Copyright© 1994, American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the paperback edition of this title

--Film Library Quarterly
"There is no question that Katz's Film Encyclopedia is number one."

-- Katharine Hepburn
"Wow! What a book!"

--Jeffrey Lyons
"The most comprehensive, thoroughly researched and indispensable book on movies ever!"

--Gordon Hitchens,Variety
"Lively and readable...can become the house reference-source for film organizations, production companies, schools, libraries, and the like."

Book Description
Ever since its first publication in 1979, The Film Encyclopedia has been considered the most comprehensive one-volume encyclopedia on film in English. Now in its completely revised and updated 3rd edition, this invaluable A-to-Z guide contains more than 7,000 entries on:

Directors, producers, stars, screenwriters and cinematographersStyles, genres and schools of filmmakingFilm-related organizations and eventsIndustry jargon and technical termsInventions, inventors and equipmentAnd more!

Long used by Hollywood insiders as the bible of the film industry, The Film Encyclopedia is the indispensable film book for moviegoers, students, critics and everyone associated with the art and craft of motion pictures.

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Synopsis
Now in its 12th edition, Roger Ebert's Video Companion sports a new cover but contains the same literature, witty, and trusted reviews that movie lovers depend on. In addition to 1,500 full-length movie reviews, the book also contains interviews with Madonna, Kenneth Branagh, Billy Bob Thornton, Kim Novak, and others. More than 1 million Video Companions have been sold.

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Film Editor's Recommended Book
A standard directory of actors, directors, and film technicians, this book has since been superseded by more detailed one-volume guides such as Ephraim Katz's The Film Encyclopedia. Still, Halliwell's Filmgoer's Companion--now in its 12th edition--continues to be updated and contains a number of special features the competition doesn't have. Most notable are its citations of quips by famous actors and directors (Errol Flynn: "My difficulty is trying to reconcile my gross habits with my net income"; Alfred Hitchcock: "The cinema is not a slice of life, it's a piece of cake"); its discussion of characters, events, and motifs as they play out in film history (e.g. Tarzan, The Gunfight at the OK Corral, "custard pies"); and its bestowing of special awards to the men and women who have produced significant work in the movies. The volume's appendices, which include guides to further reading, a brief history of the cinema, critical "best films" lists, complete notations of film festival prizes, and every Academy Award given through 1995 make it a terrific source of information.

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Film Editor's Recommended Book
A film reference book with a distinctly British flavor, the Time Out Film Guide is a collection of capsule reviews written originally for the London magazine Time Out. Its commentary is more lengthy and detailed than that of most other guides, and while some of its critics summarize too much of their movies' plots, their critical remarks are engaging and provocative. The Time Out Film Guide features contributions from scores of movie critics who sometimes spar with one another: compare the book's two assessments of Blade Runner. The reviewers cover many European and Asian movies you won't find in other movie guides. This is the only film book where you can find remarks on Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, and Forrest Gump alongside reviews of major films not widely released in America, such as Samuel Beckett and Buster Keaton's Film, Akira Kurosawa's Madadayo, and Michelangelo Antonioni's Identification of a Woman. The Time Out Film Guide also contains a great number of terrific appendices and indices. In fact, it is this book's lists of films by genre, by major film-producing country, by actor, director, and general subject that make it a necessary reference tool for movie lovers.

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From Booklist , July 19, 1996
Weldon is the leading authority on films deemed to be "psychotronic," a designation he stretches to encompass horror flicks, spaghetti westerns, low-budget quickies, exploitation films of all stripes--in short, anything disdained by the critical establishment. He made his mark with The Psychotronic Encyclopedia of Film (1981), to which this is a genuine sequel rather than an update. There is surprisingly little overlap in coverage between the two books, which makes this one attractive whether or not you own the Encyclopedia. Some new entries--Saturday Night Fever, Beverly Hills Copare questionable, not being, one would think, psychotronic by any stretch. But most of these 3,000 movies are thoroughly deranged, from The Abductors, in which slavers kidnap three cheerleaders, to the Hong Kong martial arts fantasy Zu: Warriors of the Magic Mountain. An index would be nice, for although the book is enjoyable browsing, who wants to sift through hundreds of entries to locate, say, the Mamie Van Doren movies? But then, where else can you find any info on Face of the Screaming Werewolf? Gordon Flagg
Copyright© 1996, American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Film Editor's Recommended Book
Updated annually, the 1998 edition of Leonard Maltin's Movie and Video Guide contains reviews of more than 19,000 movies, from 1914's Cabiria and Tillie's Punctured Romance to 1997's Con Air and Batman and Robin. The book lists each film's director and major cast members, tells whether it is in black and white or color, and provides the movie's running time. It rates each film from **** to BOMB, notes whether or not the movie was made in wide-screen format, and records its availability on videocassette and laser disc. The brief reviews that accompany this documentation are tersely written, filled with enthusiasm and humor. Maltin's indices of famous stars and directors make the volume a mini-encyclopedia. Every movie lover should have a copy of Maltin's text.

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Synopsis
This book features information on classic films from bygone eras, underappreciated gems, critics' favorites, and cult hits--with rewarding rental suggestions for every kind of film: Western, Comedy, Romance, Horror, Sci-Fi, Drama, Classics, Noir, Art, Documentary, and Foreign Language. Inclues resource guide for hard-to-locate films & 47 photos.

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Film Editor's Recommended Book
This series of capsule movie reviews by the great Pauline Kael is actually an anthology of her writings for the "Goings on About Town" section of the New Yorker magazine. In 5001 Nights, Kael digs into the heart of each movie she considers with extraordinary penetration and exuberance. And while every movie you know may not appear here, each of Kael's reviews is detailed enough to provide tremendous insight into the movies that are covered. This book is as much fun to browse as it is to read through. Whether you've run the rounds at your local video store, Kael will lead you to treasures you may not know are out there.

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Amazon.com
Contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies. The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director, screenwriter, and so forth. There are also two full indexes that allow you to find quotations by star or topic. A highly recommended reference for film buffs, writers, and trivia lovers!

Book Description
The Dictionary of Film Quotations contains about 6,000 quotations from more than 1,000 movies, compiled through original research--viewing movies. Until now, most of these quotations have existed only on film. Published screenplays are relatively few, and they often contain discrepancies from the final cut. The Dictionary of Film Quotations prints the actual text of quotes as heard in the theater. Most appear here in print for the first time.

The movies have been selected according to popularity, critical acclaim, and the importance of directors, actors, and screenwriters. Most of the films are American, but a judicious selection of translated quotes from foreign films is included (Grand Illusion,The Seventh Seal, Babette's Feast). Most are sound films, though a sampling of titles from silent films is provided (Birth of a Nation, Metropolis, the 1926 Ben-Hur).

The quotations are arranged alphabetically by movie from Adam's Rib to Zorba the Greek. With each movie comes basic credit information: studio, year, director screenwriter, and so forth. Quotations follow chronologically as they appear in the film.

There are two indexes: "Speaker" Index and "Subject and Key Word" Index. The Speaker Index allows readers to find quotes said by their favorite stars. The Subject and Key Word Index offers two more ways to find quotes.