Rating: 
Summary: This is the one to buy!!!
Review: As a person who looks for hidden treasures away from the "new release" section, this book is a treasure in itself. We only got it a couple of weeks ago, and we've already seen several films from it- Let it Ride with Richard Dreyfuss and The Tall Guy with Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson. Both were worth the price of the book.If you want to try going off the well-beaten path for a movie once in a while, this is the book for you. Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: This is the one to buy!!!
Review: As a person who looks for hidden treasures away from the "new release" section, this book is a treasure in itself. We only got it a couple of weeks ago, and we've already seen several films from it- Let it Ride with Richard Dreyfuss and The Tall Guy with Jeff Goldblum and Emma Thompson. Both were worth the price of the book. If you want to try going off the well-beaten path for a movie once in a while, this is the book for you. Enjoy!!
Rating:
Summary: The perfect "What should I rent?" rainy day video store book
Review: David Meyer manages to say just enough about each of these 100 films to whet your appetite without sounding pedantic or critical. He provides categorizations of the films (so that you don't accidentally rent a Screwball Comedy when you're in the mood for a Psychological Thriller), and he points out interesting things to watch for in each film without ruining any of the fun of discovering a film for yourself (i.e. he never reveals the ending for you). Films (as he says) you've "never heard of", and even some you may have but have never gotten around to renting, are made to sound inviting, and I can vouch for all five of the suggestions I have taken so far: these _are_ great films, and a great book. BTW, those of you worried that this book only contains "art" films or boring dramas, take note that TWO John Woo films and a selection of comedies are among the wide range of genre and category covered in this book. Meyer even includes other selections indexed by director, so that the book really contains far more than 100 suggestions. If you've ever wandered the halls of your local Video Monster or Tape Barn, thinking "What the heck am I going to rent THIS time?", this book can surely point you in the right direction. Indispensible for anyone with a VCR
Rating:
Summary: Great guide for journey into world of movies
Review: David Meyer, in his book, accomplishes what other movie critics fail to even remotely understand. In his own unpretentious way, he lifts the craft of film criticism to the same lofty heights as literary criticism. And if he continues to produce works of the same quality, he may reflect the soul of cinema as well as Northrope Frye revealed the soul of Shakespeare. In other words, David Meyer as a critic has become an artist himself. Taken collectively, Mr. Meyer's essays in this book act as a thread which, when followed, will take you into the heart of cinema. The journey best begins with Black Narcissus - a film about which Mr. Meyer writes, "rent me first." Black Narcissus is the dream we have all experienced. It sits on the edge of our consciousness like a beautiful stained glass window, allowing the light of the soul to shine through in its many colors. And after you've watched the movie several times, you may find that Black Narcissus has the symmetry of a diamond - each time you look at it, a particular facet of the story will reflect light in a slightly different, yet beautiful, way. From there, I would use your own intuition to decide the next film listed in his book. Perhaps, your intuition will lead you, as it did me, to the film noir classic, In a Lonely Place and then to the creative genius of The Thief of Baghdad. Or it will take you somewhere else. It's your voyage - I'd just use Mr. Meyer has your navigator. This last point illuminates what lies behind all of Mr. Meyer's reviews - trust. In my opinion, he'll guide you in such a way that you won't end up crashing against the rocks, caught up watching movies that are of no value or, worse yet, ones that unconsciously pull you down into the dark waters. You can rely on his judgment to avoid the bad trip and fully experience the brilliant world of movies.
Rating:
Summary: Great guide for journey into world of movies
Review: David Meyer, in his book, accomplishes what other movie critics fail to even remotely understand. In his own unpretentious way, he lifts the craft of film criticism to the same lofty heights as literary criticism. And if he continues to produce works of the same quality, he may reflect the soul of cinema as well as Northrope Frye revealed the soul of Shakespeare. In other words, David Meyer as a critic has become an artist himself. Taken collectively, Mr. Meyer's essays in this book act as a thread which, when followed, will take you into the heart of cinema. The journey best begins with Black Narcissus - a film about which Mr. Meyer writes, "rent me first." Black Narcissus is the dream we have all experienced. It sits on the edge of our consciousness like a beautiful stained glass window, allowing the light of the soul to shine through in its many colors. And after you've watched the movie several times, you may find that Black Narcissus has the symmetry of a diamond - each time you look at it, a particular facet of the story will reflect light in a slightly different, yet beautiful, way. From there, I would use your own intuition to decide the next film listed in his book. Perhaps, your intuition will lead you, as it did me, to the film noir classic, In a Lonely Place and then to the creative genius of The Thief of Baghdad. Or it will take you somewhere else. It's your voyage - I'd just use Mr. Meyer has your navigator. This last point illuminates what lies behind all of Mr. Meyer's reviews - trust. In my opinion, he'll guide you in such a way that you won't end up crashing against the rocks, caught up watching movies that are of no value or, worse yet, ones that unconsciously pull you down into the dark waters. You can rely on his judgment to avoid the bad trip and fully experience the brilliant world of movies.
Rating:
Summary: YES!
Review: I haven't even read the book but I know that it is great. The title caught my eye as I was flipping through the Sunday paper and I was intrigued and even more so still after finding that it was written by my old friend and international sparring partner David Meyer. He once gave me his top ten films that I probably would not have seen and it was exciting to see each and every one of them. I ordered my copy immediately from Amazon and could not wait to write my review. I look forward to its arrival! Go David!
Rating:
Summary: YES!
Review: I haven't even read the book but I know that it is great. The title caught my eye as I was flipping through the Sunday paper and I was intrigued and even more so still after finding that it was written by my old friend and international sparring partner David Meyer. He once gave me his top ten films that I probably would not have seen and it was exciting to see each and every one of them. I ordered my copy immediately from Amazon and could not wait to write my review. I look forward to its arrival! Go David!
Rating: 
Summary: Author's Synopsis of 100 Best Films To Rent
Review: This book sprang from a simple and familiar problem: you walk into a video store and your mind goes blank. That horrible shelf of new releases looms over you, blotting out your cinematic consciousness. Or, worse, the clerk makes some preposterous recommendation and you're stuck with it.
For years, I was the guy whom friends called for recommendations for rental movies. I taught film, programmed film festivals and wrote about movies. This book is the concrete expression of my lifelong passion for movies. I think the reviews are funny, insighful and enthusiastic.
They're written so that someone who has never seen the film can learn enough about it to make an informed rental choice -- though I never reveal key plot points. And it's written so those who know the films well might gain some new insight. All sorts of films are featured along with my one and only Mood Guide. Using the Mood Guide you can rent exactly the sort of film you feel like watching, whether it's a Sweet Silly Love Story, an Existential Western, A No-Nonsense Manly Thriller or a French Sci-Fi Epic. Also included are suggestions for other films by the same director that might be of interest. I hope you like the book -- hey, I hope you BUY the book! Please email your comments and suggestions to the address below. Please also note that AOL won't let me use numbers in an address, so the address below is capital I and two capital o's.
Thanks,
David Meyer
Rating:
Summary: Does just what it promises -- 100 films, each worth renting.
Review: Top notch writing, excellent film selection (though, weirdly, no Costa Gavras or Kurasowa). Still, this book deserves a prominent place next to your Zagat's and on every video store's check-out counter. How come it's not there already?
Rating: 
Summary: Don't judge a book by its titel
Review: What a titel! I expected information about film I haven't heard about, but all I found was a book about underrated, but noneless well-known pictures. Or do you know a person who don't know "The Adventures of Robin Hood" or "Out of the Past" or "My Darling Clemtine"? These are classics, man! Everyone interested in movies had heard about it. So where is the book that keeps the promise this titel implies?
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