Books and the Big Screen Book Club

For the book clubs that have a bit of cinematic flair and like to pair their reading with their viewing, our Books & the Big Screen titles are great choices for when your club wants to talk about what's behind the camera, and then sit and watch the magic happen.

Whether it's reading about how a famous director created one of his cult classics or learning about the movies that have changed the lives of the movie makers we love, these books not only offer great reading but also great movie recommendations for a multimedia book group experience.

Books and the Big Screen

The Best Film You've Never Seen
The Best Film You've Never Seen ›
By Robert K. Elder
Price 16.95

Published Jun 2013

Revealing a festival of guilty pleasures, almost-masterpieces, and undeniable classics in need of revival, 35 directors champion their favorite overlooked or critically savaged gems in this guide. The list includes unsung noir films The Chase and Murder by Contract, famous flops Can’t Stop the Music and Joe Versus the Volcano, art films L’ange and WR: Mysteries of the Organism, theatrical adaptations The Iceman Cometh and The Homecoming, B-movies Killer Klowns from Outer Space and The Honeymoon Killers, and even Oscar-winners Breaking Away and Some Came Running. The filmmakers, including Guillermo del Toro, John Waters, John Woo, Edgar Wright, and Danny Boyle, defend their choices, wanting these films to be loved, admired, and swooned over, arguing the films deserve a larger audience and their place in movie history be reconsidered. Some were well-loved but are now faded or forgotten, others ran afoul of critics or were just buried after a dismal opening run, and still others never even got proper distribution. A few of these titles qualify as bona fide obscurata, but now most can be found on DVD or streaming from Netflix or Amazon. The filmmakers are the perfect hosts, setting the tone, managing expectations, and often being brutally honest about a film’s shortcomings or the reasons why it was lost in the first place.

The Film That Changed My Life
The Film That Changed My Life ›
By Robert K. Elder

Published Jan 2011

Spanning several generations—from newcomers to Oscar Award-winning veterans—this volume features a discussion of the movies that shaped the careers of these filmmakers and, in turn, cinema history. Here directors, including Peter Bogdanovich, Kimberly Peirce, Arthur Hiller, and John Waters, explore the film they saw at an especially formative moment, how it influenced their own work—or, in some cases, led them to tell stories through movies themselves—and the effects it had on their thoughts about cinema. Revealing stories include how after watching Rebel Without a Cause, John Woo started combing his hair like James Dean and even began talking like him; Apocalypse Now inspired Danny Boyle to take risks and make larger-than-life films; and a line in The Wizard of Oz—"Who could ever have thought a good little girl like you could destroy all my beautiful wickedness?"—has become almost a personal mantra or prayer for John Waters.

Zombie Movies
Zombie Movies ›
By Glenn Kay, Foreword by Alejandro Brugués
Price 24.95

Published Oct 2012

Featuring chronological reviews of more than 300 zombie films—from 1932's White Zombie to the AMC series The Walking Deadthis thorough, uproarious guide traces the evolution of one of horror cinema’s most popular and terrifying creations. Fans will learn exactly what makes a zombie a zombie, go behind the scenes with a chilling production diary from Land of the Dead, peruse a bizarre list of the oddest things ever seen in undead cinema, and immerse themselves in a detailed rundown of the 25 greatest zombie films ever made. Containing an illustrated zombie rating system, ranging from "Highly Recommended" to "Avoid at All Costs" and "So Bad It’s Good," the book also features lengthy interviews with numerous talents from in front of and behind the camera. This updated and expanded second edition contains more than 100 new and rediscovered films, providing plenty of informative and entertaining brain food for movie fans.

Every Night the Trees Disappear
Every Night the Trees Disappear ›
By Alan Greenberg, Foreword by Werner Herzog
Price 24.95

Published May 2012

This intimate chronicle about the visionary filmmaker Werner Herzog explores his unorthodox methods in directing the film Heart of Glass. Twenty-four-year-old Alan Greenberg showed up unannounced at Herzog’s Munich home; by the end of their first evening together Herzog urged him to collaborate on his current project—and everything thereafter. Sharing how unusual Herzog’s renegade filmmaking methods could be, Greenberg explains how Herzog hypnotized the actors prior to shooting their scenes, creating a profoundly haunting cinematic experience. More than a conventional journalistic account, this book interweaves the original screenplay with Greenberg’s observations from his work on the film, allowing the married texts to play off each other hypnotically and create a unique vision with the feel of a novel—intimate, penetrating, and filled with mystery.
Phallic Frenzy
Phallic Frenzy ›
By Joseph Lanza

Published Aug 2007

A biography of director Ken Russell that details the wild ideas, surreal moments, personal faith, and cavalcade of colorful personalities surrounding this eccentric filmmaker—on and off the set. Best known for the acclaimed movies Altered States, The Devils, Gothic, The Music Lovers, Tommy, and Women in Love, Russell redefined cinema in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, working with magnetic actors like Jack Nicholson, Michael Caine, Ann-Margret, William Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, and Vanessa Redgrave. Moments of Russell’s career are highlighted in this intimate biography, including how creative differences between Russell and producer Robert Stigwood stopped production of a movie version of Evita, how he creatively staged the love duet between Faust and Helen over a bowl of pasta in the opera Mephistopheles, and how Alan Bates and Oliver Reed compared their penis size for the nude wrestling scene in Women in Love.
The Man Who Seduced Hollywood
The Man Who Seduced Hollywood ›
By B. James Gladstone, Foreword by Robert Wagner

Published May 2013

In Hollywood history, no other lawyer has achieved the movie star–like fame and glamour that Greg Bautzer enjoyed. This revealing biography tells, for the first time, the amazing story of a self-made man who for 50 years used his irresistible charm and prodigious legal talent to dominate the courtrooms, boardrooms, and bedrooms of Hollywood. Columnists of the 1930s through 1950s dubbed him “Hollywood Bachelor Number One,” and for good reason. His long-term relationships and momentary conquests were a who’s who of leading ladies. Through exclusive interviews with those who knew him best, the book uncovers the inner workings of not only Bautzer the high-powered Hollywood lawyer—whose clients included billionaire Howard Hughes—but Bautzer the man.

Hollywood on Lake Michigan
Hollywood on Lake Michigan ›
By Michael Corcoran, By Arnie Bernstein
Price 18.95

Published Jun 2013

This revamped second edition is the premier guide to the Windy City’s history in the film industry. Ranging from the dawn of the silent era, when one out of every five films in the world was made in Chicago, to today’s blockbusters and independent films, it chronicles the significant contributions of Chicago and Chicagoans to more than a century of American filmmaking. Among Chicago’s unique honors in this history are the development of early film technology; the first African American-owned and operated film studios; the birthplace of gore flicks; the origination and growth of movie palaces; and the importance of the Second City, Goodman, and Steppenwolf theaters as training grounds for comedic and dramatic talent. It provides readers with behind-the-scenes stories of studio films, independent work, and cult classics and includes exclusive interviews detailing all aspects of the movie-making process. Fully revised and updated, this new edition of a hometown classic features new film locations, more photographs, and new interviews, making it the perfect guide for film lovers and Chicago history buffs.

Movie Wars
Movie Wars ›
By Jonathan Rosenbaum

Published Jul 2002

Is the cinema, as writers from David Denby to Susan Sontag have claimed, really dead? Contrary to what we have been led to believe, films are better than ever—we just can’t see the good ones. Movie Wars cogently explains how movies are packaged, distributed, and promoted, and how, at every stage of the process, the potential moviegoer is treated with contempt. Using examples ranging from the New York Times’s coverage of the Cannes film festival to the anticommercial practices of Orson Welles, Movie Wars details the workings of the powerful forces that are in the process of ruining our precious cinematic culture and heritage, and the counterforces that have begun to fight back.
The Animated Movie Guide
The Animated Movie Guide ›
By Jerry Beck
Price 9.99

Published Oct 2005

Going beyond the box-office hits of Disney and Dreamworks, this guide to every animated movie ever released in the United States covers more than 300 films over the course of nearly 80 years of film history. Well-known films such as Finding Nemo and Shrek are profiled and hundreds of other films, many of them rarely discussed, are analyzed, compared, and catalogued. The origin of the genre and what it takes to make a great animated feature are discussed, and the influence of Japanese animation, computer graphics, and stop-motion puppet techniques are brought into perspective. Every film analysis includes reviews, four-star ratings, background information, plot synopses, accurate running times, consumer tips, and MPAA ratings. Brief guides to made-for-TV movies, direct-to-video releases, foreign films that were never theatrically released in the U.S., and live-action films with significant animation round out the volume.
Another Fine Mess
Another Fine Mess ›
By Saul Austerlitz
Price 24.95

Published Sep 2010

From City Lights to Knocked Up, this history examines American film from the perspective of its unwanted stepbrother, the comedy, and puts the comic titans of the present in the context of their predecessors. The 30 chapters and 100 essays follow the connections that link Mae West to Marilyn Monroe and W. C. Fields to Will Ferrell. Offering unvarnished insight into comedians and directors such as Buster Keaton, Christopher Guest, Eddie Murphy, and Ben Stiller, this eye-opening, entertaining, and enlightening tour encompasses the masterpieces, the box-office smashes, and all the little-known gems in between. Laurel and Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, Peter Sellers, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, and the Coen Brothers are among others profiled, while a list of the top-100 American film comedies is also included.

The Three Stooges Scrapbook
The Three Stooges Scrapbook ›
By Jeff Lenburg, By Joan Howard Maurer, By Greg Lenburg
Price 26.99

Published Apr 2012

For more than 50 years the Three Stooges performed their classic comedy mayhem to audiences of all ages in 200 comedy shorts, 25 feature films, and thousands of television and stage appearances. In a tribute to the trio’s enduring popularity and lasting legacy, the meticulously written and researched Three Stooges Scrapbook has been a bestselling work about the lives and careers of these cinematic clowns since its first publication in 1982. Utilizing research culled from personal archives and other sources, this authorized and official history lists every Stooge short and feature, complete with cast list, director, and trivia, as well as artist sketches and family photos of them as kids. In addition, it features exclusive, classic interviews with Moe Howard, Larry Fine, Joe Besser, Joe DeRita, and their family members and friends. This revised edition contains new findings, revelations, historical facts, corrections, and a wealth of previously unseen photos.
The Making of The Wizard of Oz
The Making of The Wizard of Oz ›
By Aljean Harmetz, Foreword by Margaret Hamilton
Price 24.99

Published Oct 2013

Released in conjunction with the 75th-anniversary DVD release of The Wizard of Oz, this book is the definitive story of how one of America’s most beloved movies was made and a marvelous, unprecedented examination of how Hollywood used to make movies. This updated edition includes numerous photos and shares hundreds of interviews with cameramen, screenwriters, costume designers, directors, producers, light technicians, actors, and more to reveal how the factory-like Hollywood system of moviemaking miraculously produced one of the most enduring films ever made. From the scandalous headlines of Munchkin orgies at the Culver City Hotel and the Witch’s (accidental) burning to the building of the Emerald City and the sewing of nearly 1,000 costumes, The Making of The Wizard of Oz provides a richly detailed re-creation of MGM’s production No. 1060 and a detail-by-detail, department-by-department look at the most powerful and flamboyant studio Hollywood has ever known.