The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, by David Thomson
Review by Jeffrey M. Anderson
Buy The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, by David Thomson
The most comprehensive collection of film writing available. Thomson
discusses in critical depth every major film artist from Georges Melies
to John Travolta. He focuses mostly on directors and actors, but he finds
space to discuss certain screenwriters (Ben Hecht), composers (Bernard Herrmann),
cinematographers (John Alton and Gregg Toland), producers (David O. Selznick),
and other occupations. His writing is always well thought out and clear.
He can be aggravating, as he will no doubt dis on someone you love, but
when you stumble upon something he loves, it's infectious. A brilliant and
invaluable book.
Note: In 2014, Mr. Thomson published a revised edition with several new
entries, many controversial, all insightful.
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