The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
The biggest surprise in the Sight & Sound poll for me was that The Parade's Gone By was not the top choice and that it wasn't even in the Top 5.
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Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
- Ann Harding
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Well, that doesn't surprise me that much actually. Most modern film critics are pretty ignorant regarding silents. I don't know about the US, but over here, the big and famous film writers/historians are not knowledgeable for films made before 1930 whether French or American.ChiO wrote:The biggest surprise in the Sight & Sound poll for me was that The Parade's Gone By was not the top choice and that it wasn't even in the Top 5.
Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
I concur Christine, a great book indeed!Romantic Comedy in Hollywood by James Harvey. The best study of comedies I have ever read, beautifully written.
Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
My sense is that that is true for the US as well, which is one reason I thought it would make the list. As the best-known book about the silent era, I assumed that it would be the reference book most critics have and rely upon to fill in that gap.Christine wrote:
I don't know about the US, but over here, the big and famous film writers/historians are not knowledgeable for films made before 1930 whether French or American.
Everyday people...that's what's wrong with the world. -- Morgan Morgan
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
I love movies. But don't get me wrong. I hate Hollywood. -- Orson Welles
Movies can only go forward in spite of the motion picture industry. -- Orson Welles
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Dear kingrat , I am so glad you enjoyed the Lee Server book, Ava Gardner, Love is Nothing, after my recommendation at the TCM festival. It is a great summer read, and hard to put down once you've read a couple of paragraphs.
The Mick LaSalle book about women and the precode era is also engrossing, and I enjoyed the documentary related
to its release hosted by Jane Fonda. Torch Singer is one of my favorite precodes, along with The Smiling Lieutenant,
Design For Living, and Baby Face.
I am currently hunting up copies of those Jeanine Basinger tomes you just mentioned.
Chio, feaito, Ann Harding--I hope to read the James Harvey book, too.
Thanks for the info!
The Mick LaSalle book about women and the precode era is also engrossing, and I enjoyed the documentary related
to its release hosted by Jane Fonda. Torch Singer is one of my favorite precodes, along with The Smiling Lieutenant,
Design For Living, and Baby Face.
I am currently hunting up copies of those Jeanine Basinger tomes you just mentioned.
Chio, feaito, Ann Harding--I hope to read the James Harvey book, too.
Thanks for the info!
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- MissGoddess
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
For what it may be worth, I've read the James Harvey book (it was several years ago but I learned A LOT from it), as well as Truffaut's book on Hitch, and Sin in Soft Focus. I don't have the Who The Devil Made It books, though I've read many of the interviews seperately. I want to get that one for my collection one day. I can't say I found any of these "inspirational"....I'm still thinking about that one. I probably shouldn't mention Marilyn Monroe's My Story in such august company...
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Why not mention Marilyn's My Story if it's a book you've enjoyed. i just like to talk about books.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Thanks, ccfan. I admit my tastes aren't necessarily intellectual and such books can often make my brain hurt.
Marilyn's little book was a nice antidote (even though it's mostly ghost written by Ben Hecht, a mucho intellectual...have
you ever read HIS doorstop...I mean biography, Child of the Century? I think I could have used a bottle of bicarb
after I finished it! I was only about 20 at the time. I think I had more patience for big reading then.)
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
Marilyn's little book was a nice antidote (even though it's mostly ghost written by Ben Hecht, a mucho intellectual...have
you ever read HIS doorstop...I mean biography, Child of the Century? I think I could have used a bottle of bicarb
after I finished it! I was only about 20 at the time. I think I had more patience for big reading then.)
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
-- Will Rogers
- charliechaplinfan
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Re: The Five Most Inspirational Books About Film
Oh me too. I could devour great tomes but now it's different. I love Kevin Brownlow's books, I recognise that they are the very best written about film but they're the kind of books I have to take on holiday with me and get my brain in gear before tackling them.
In some ways I think the best books are the ones that stay with you after you've read them.
In some ways I think the best books are the ones that stay with you after you've read them.
Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself - Charlie Chaplin