Fiction that's stranger than truth. Obviously influenced by Flicker, Night Film is none-the-less an immensely readable story, which creates a fascinating mythology of its own. Column by Joshua Chaplinsky February 23, 2017. Buy the movie at Amazon. I want stories about films I've never seen, and probably never will. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if examples exist that date back to the birth of cinema itself. Two: this is more of a traditional ghost story, and I could easily see it being turned into a movie of its very own. This book includes important information on vendors, permits, film financiers, production companies and more. The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company [Iger Robert] on Amazon.com. We’re proud that, thanks to its longevity and critical reach, this poll has come to be regarded as the most trusted guide there is to the canon of cinema greats, not to mention a barometer of changing critical tastes. My introduction to this so-called genre, although certainly not the first of its kind. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. And sure, stories that take place within the timeline of existing cinematic history are great, but they only allow for so much narrative wiggle room. The resulting interview is one of the few documents of the lost reels, and functions as a treatise on the intersection of life and art. Kazan on Directing by Elia Kazan. One: it is distinctly Canadian. Directors on Directing book. I love books. Follow him on Twitter at @jaceycockrobin. Film/Filmmaker in question: Little-known silent film star Hector man (there's that trope), who goes missing at the height of his fame in the 1920s. The filmmaker - who was at the helm of the 1978 DC Comics blockbuster - has hit out at the trend of darker superhero movies, and called for "the opposite" as a true escape from real life issues. Like many of the books on this list, Illusions is inherently a mystery, albeit a more literary one. Yeah, someone else mentioned that to me. Yes, an investigation by a down-on-his-luck/disgraced writer type ensues. More info at joshuachaplinsky.com. Ingmar Bergman, translated by Joan Tate, Hamish Hamilton, 1987. I have to be honest, I didn't make it far into this one. It eventually landed in the able hands of director … Most of the book is a long rambling interview with him. A copy of this valuable book is destined to find its way into the home of every true movie fan, cinema scholar, and film critic. The behind-the-scenes anecdotes, minutiae about production—I find it all fascinating. In: David Thomson. What I Learned From Writing "A Return to Spring", LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2020 - Part III, Now Accepting Submissions - "The Mercy Seat: Stories From Death Row", 27 Indie Bookstores to Support Online in 2021, LitReactor Staff Picks: The Best Books of 2020 - Part I, Manuel Marerro On Expat Press and Pushing the Indie Envelope, Mckenzie Cassidy on Fact vs. Fiction and the Book You End Up With. Here's the 10 best coffee-table books for movie fans. World film directors User Review - Not Available - Book Verdict. The Ride of a Lifetime: I love film. When several reels of the film are unearthed, an investigation into what happened to the rest, as well as the disappearance of its lead actress, Grace Baron, ensues. A harrowingly sexy investigation. But enough names I respect have praised its intricacies, and I hope to revisit it one day soon. House of Leaves is about so much more than The Navidson Record, but the film is a great hook that supports the weight of the hefty narrative that follows. The only book on this list I haven't read, even though it is by a horror Grand Master, and therefore comes with a certain amount of pedigree. (Sound familiar?). Sarris outlined his radical approach to film criticism in the essay “Notes on the Auteur Theory” (1962). In the Blink of … It takes the form of a collection of short biographies on such characters as Jake Gittes, Rick Blaine, and Harry Lime, written as if they were real people, and weaves a convoluted shared history of murder and intrigue. Yes, a type of investigation ensues. Film School on a Bookshelf: 15 Recommended Books for Aspiring (and Expert) Filmmakers On Directing Film by David Mamet. Film. In this case the cinematic trappings act as a sort of Macguffin for a more introspective exploration of character. Black Bear: Aubrey Plaza, One-Piece Bathing Suits and Acts of Creation. Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter, best known for action and science fiction films. The reader is able to utilize an app called the "Night Film Decoder" to unlock additional content via their smartphone. Okay, technically this one isn't about fictional films or filmmakers. Film/Filmmaker in question: The Navidson Record, a documentary (that may or may not exist) about a family (that may or may not exist) living in a house (that may or may not—you get the idea) that is larger on the inside than it is on the outside. Few jobs in Hollywood are as shrouded in mystery as the role of the … Film/Filmmaker in question: Blacklisted silent era comedian (trope) Tubby Thackeray, whose films/performances purportedly cause riots and/or madness (trope), disappears under mysterious circumstances. Years later, an investigation by a disgraced film journalist (trope) ensues. Tales of tyrannical directors, difficult starlets, and reclusive actors unheard of. Well, I recently discovered this seemingly tailor-written subgenre already exists. © 2016 LitReactor, LLC | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service, Joshua Chaplinsky Any I've encouraged you to pick up? Books See all Books . Stories about films that could never exist in the real world. Was Stanislas involved in some sort of cult? Film/Filmmaker in question: A cache of rare films, burned by a respected University librarian with a long name, who subsequently disappears. Definitely some Flicker influence here, but also a healthy dose of David Cronenberg. Director: Robert … Years later he is tracked down by an intrepid journalist (trope-a-dope), and only agrees to speak on record via the lens of the cinema he destroyed. In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch. To leave a comment Login with Facebook or create a free account. Sounds like a good one. Whitcomb disappears under mysterious circumstances (check), her films are of the silent variety (double check), and an investigation by a film critic/journalist ensues (check and mate). What are your favorite BAFFAFs? A bit dry for the casual film viewer, but a must read for cineastes and fans of old Hollywood. Of the hundreds of movies based on books, here are 19 ten best. He even ties in his first novel, Days Between Stations (1985), which is about a lost silent film by a mysterious director (a trope we are going to be seeing a lot of). Famously, Citizen Kane topped our poll every decade from 1962 to 2002… Some of the most famous film noir's in Hollywood history, to be precise. Joshua Chaplinsky is the Managing Editor of LitReactor.com. Definite mainstream appeal, here. So You Want to Be a Producer. Movie directors contact info (phone number, email address, mailing address). It begins with a segment of film called "The Five and a Half Minute Hallway," which documents a mysterious corridor that extends from an exterior wall of the house but is not visible from the yard. Creating a director’s look book for your film is a very important step. Green Book is a 2018 American biographical comedy-drama buddy film directed by Peter Farrelly.Set in 1962, the film is inspired by the true story of a tour of the Deep South by African American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Italian American bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga who served as Shirley's driver and bodyguard. There's a problem loading this menu right now. LitReactor's own Bart Bishop wrote about this novel here: David Thomson's 'Suspects' and the Questionable Validity of Fan Fiction. 1 Brooklyn, Thuglit, Severed Press, Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing, Clash Books, Pantheon Magazine and Broken River Books. The first volume of World Film Directors covers 202 directors with a detailed, often film-by-film biography, filmography, and bibliography. Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter, best known for action and science fiction films. It’s like a two-hour advertisement for your book.” She added, “we loved the writer, we loved the director, we loved the producer, we loved the cast. This book is a treasure trove of film trivia. Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, and Baking Biscuits My only complaint is Pessl's maddeningly arbitrary use of italics throughout. View Movie Director booking agents, managers, publicists contact info here Questions in the category: Movie Directors. A great book from the author of the seminal non-fiction work, The Making of a Counter Culture. Still, Auster builds an immersive cinematic world for his characters to inhabit, and he makes it look too damn easy. Books. Selling the film rights increases the chances of a book—that might not have been picked up otherwise—getting picked up in a foreign translation deal. Film: 1962. A tantalizing puzzlebox for even the most jaded film lover. There's also the earlier 'Ancient Images' by Ramsey Campbell  about the search for a lost British Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi film 'Tower of Fear'. When it comes to the best books about film, Hollywood Producers Directory is the go-to for producers, directors or anyone who wants to know more. Highly recommended. Minimal Film. Additionally, write a screenplay or ask a friend to write one for you, then make a short film so you can begin learning about the … Or does he? This is one of my favorite books on the list because it takes you through what a… But the shift has come from the audience, too. It will help your team be more effective and improve your storytelling. “I promise you,” exhorts legendary screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, “If something is … Did his films contain supernatural powers? Enter disgraced journalist Scott McGrath. Upon closer inspection, his films are found to utilize powerful subliminal imagery, possessing a technical proficiency that belies their categorization as trash. Whether they're film buffs that dissect every frame of a director's vision, value the writing in a particularly taut script, marvel at the depth of an actor's performance, or prefer to just get lost in the set and costumes, they recognize the value of their favorite cinematic stories. The Unfilmable: The Literary Adaptations of David Cronenberg. His short fiction has been published by Vice, Vol. shares a title and narrative framework with a 1961 British film comedy. I don't know if the entirety of the experimental film history presented here is real or created, but it is obvious Files is an expert either way. Despite the superfluous interactive element that many reviewers felt detracted from the reading experience, this New York Times Bestseller still went on to win a prestigious Shirley Jackson Award. As this is one of the earliest examples I found of this type of book, this is where we start to go down the rabbit hole of who-influenced-who? Something about it didn't quite grab me. 'Superman' director Richard Donner has become disillusioned with "cynical" comic book movies. Marisha Pessl. But after the third or fourth book I started to understand I wasn't the only one fascinated by faux film mythology and cinematic mysteries of the unsolved kind. Poetics | Aristotle. A book about the movie El Topo by Alejandro Jodorowsky. The series prioritizes inventive methods and scholarly approaches that may challenge conventional authorship. Not that I hadn't been reading these books all along, I just hadn't realized there were enough of them to deserve their own category. I love books about film. It's a fictional story about fictional characters from ACTUAL films. Film/Filmmaker in question: Ike "Vikar" Jerome, a cineautistic editor who discovers frames from an unknown film spliced into the reels of every other film ever made. It was really a charmed experience for us, it was very surreal.” The size of the movie clearly plays a big part in the pressures. Her films attempt to tell and retell the story of Lady Midday, a super-creepy character from Slavic mythology. Nick & Nora’s was a “small” movie. An investigation ensues. Select the department you want to search in, The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company, Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen, Rebel without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player, Chasing the Light: Writing, Directing, and Surviving Platoon, Midnight Express, Scarface, Salvador, and the Movie Game, Quentin Tarantino: The iconic filmmaker and his work (Iconic Filmmakers Series), When I Stop Talking, You'll Know I'm Dead: Useful Stories from a Persuasive Man, Hope for Film: A Producer's Journey Across the Revolutions of Indie Film and Global Streaming, Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder, This Was Hollywood: Forgotten Stars and Stories: Turner Classic Movies, The Nolan Variations: The Movies, Mysteries, and Marvels of Christopher Nolan, I Should Be Dead: But God had a different plan, But What I Really Want to Do Is Direct: Lessons from a Life Behind the Camera, Isabelle Huppert: Stardom, Performance, Authorship, Peter Weir: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series), Kasi Lemmons: Interviews (Conversations with Filmmakers Series), All customers get FREE Shipping on orders over $25 shipped by Amazon, Top subscription boxes – right to your door, © 1996-2020, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Book Reviews ... pioneered the auteur theory — the idea that the director is the primary author of a movie. And, of course, if the project makes it to the screen, it can really positively affect book sales, which is the goal of every author and publisher. Film/Filmmaker in question: The titular Throat Spockets, an obscure quasi-porn that consumes the life of those obsessed with it. Sturges’ autobiography is as well written, droll and well observed as his best films. This is a list of notable directors in motion picture and television arts. Once a decade Sight & Sound asks critics to select the Greatest Films of All Time. from New York is reading, The 10 Best Sci-Fi Books That Should Be Box Office Blockbusters, Behold! Your favorite films deconstructed into minimal representations of their cinematic … Have I piqued your interest? He is the author of ‘Kanye West—Reanimator’ and the story collection 'Whispers in the Ear of A Dreaming Ape.' Books remain the most frequently visited well for cinematic inspiration. Erickson populates the story with real-life film icons, but forgoes providing their names, forcing the reader to connect the dots. Contemporary Film Directors presents short, theoretically and historically sophisticated commentaries on films by living directors from around the world. House Of Leaves. List. Film/Filmmaker in question: Max Castle, a little-know B movie director with ties to an obscure religious sect who disappears at sea in 1941. Be warned, you're gonna need to take notes to remember who knows who in this gymnastic bit of storytelling. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) £4.99. It is less opinionated than Richard Roud's Cinema: a ... Read full review Authors have been exploring this territory for at least the last fifty years, with output ramping up significantly since the new millennium. Gemma Files. Then allow me to present to you these literary coming attractions. Producing is an all-encompassing term. Film/Filmmaker in question: Kubrickian recluse Stanislas Cordova, whose daughter's suicide opens the novel. Creating a look book will help you with that, in addition to being a crucial reference. A naked-truth collection of interviews with today’s hottest film directors detailing how they made their first films and "broke into" the movie industry. Maybe it was yours as well? Film/Filmmaker in question: Mrs. A. Macalla Whitcomb, a 20th Century woman who stakes a posthumous claim to the distinction of being the first Canadian filmmaker. Despite the inclusion of several familiar tropes, Experimental Film stands out for a number of reasons. Read 2 reviews from the world's largest community for readers. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. It's a chronological compendium that profiles the 501 most important film directors of all time. He also applied the approach in his influential book The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968 (1968). Film/Filmmaker in question: Long lost silent film Angel of the Abyss, a risque piece of arthouse horror from the 1920s. This is a much more noir-ish tale than The Book of Illusions (and not nearly as surreal as Days Between Stations). I know everyone and their mother has read House of Leaves, but anyone read any of the other books on this list? Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges: His Life in His WordsPreston Sturges, Simon & Schuster, 1990. There are only so many hours in the day, people! List of female film and television directors; List of Spaghetti Western directors; References This page was last edited on 12 January 2021, at 14:28 (UTC). Its cinematic world is not nearly as expansive as the one in Flicker or Night Film, and doesn't expand beyond the making of the titular film, but it contains some well drawn Hollywood characters and is a fun read none-the-less. 10 Books About Fictional Films and Filmmakers. Kazan was also one of the greats, with films like East of Eden, A … Kyle Newacheck Robbie Rogers Wes "Wuz Good" Armstrong Terry Gilliam Sam Taylor-Johnson M. Night Shyamalan Paul Fei Based on a book by André Aciman, the film would go through multiple directors and writers during development. In 1960 Sarris began writing for the Village Voice. To be a film director, start by watching films and trying to pick out mistakes in the acting, editing, or storyline so you can learn about filmmaking. The Magic Lantern. So it stands to reason I would love fiction about film. What a Carve Up! In this episode of Not the Film Directing Masterclass I share six books that I think help immensely when you're starting out as a director. Part of knowing what you want is taking the time to deeply explore all facets of your film. Even if you're just a casual filmgoer, I guarantee at least one of these books will dim the lights in the theater of your mind and transport you to another world. 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