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Rating: 
Summary: Upgrade Your Knowledge of Good Films
Review: Extremely enjoyable reading for cinephiles, especially new or young ones. Generally centers on films of the 70's and 80's.Title implies that the films critiqued in the book are rare or little known, but actually I would say it is possible that half are available at any large video rental place, nearly all available through mail order. What this book does is introduce reader to about 100 films that are worth watching for various reasons, according to an interestingly varied assortment of film critics. This is actually a product of the National Society of Film Critics. Contributors include Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, Terence Rafferty and Judith Crist... Not shabby at all! Plus almost everything is written with more a sense of appreciation and enthusiasm than overwrought intellectual analysis. Editor Sragow was definitely among the top two or three critics ever staffed by the San Francisco Chronicle. His contributions to the book are reviews of All Night Long, Southern Comfort, and the generally underrated Blow Out, the latter being a rare glimpse of Brian DePalma as a director concerned with issues of ethics and integrity, with an excellent performance by John Travolta. So that's the sort of thing the book offers, namely praise for unusual treatments and underappreciated performances. Only shaky part is that the average reader may not already be familiar with the tastes of any of the critics, and may find an unexpected disagreement with one of the critics over a film or two. I can't say that this book has managed to isolate a hundred films that are absolutely incredible, and the whole world will agree. But there are way more gems than slag in this collection, and the writing is generally very good. For the average DVD or video renter, this book could be the perfect consciousness-raiser. After reading a few of the reviews (which each average only 2 or 3 pages), the reader will probably find a title he or she MUST now view. Helps reader on the adventurous quest of expanding his or her viewing experience. It's a fine book in that sense!
Rating:
Summary: Upgrade Your Knowledge of Good Films
Review: Extremely enjoyable reading for cinephiles, especially new or young ones. Generally centers on films of the 70's and 80's. Title implies that the films critiqued in the book are rare or little known, but actually I would say it is possible that half are available at any large video rental place, nearly all available through mail order. What this book does is introduce reader to about 100 films that are worth watching for various reasons, according to an interestingly varied assortment of film critics. This is actually a product of the National Society of Film Critics. Contributors include Pauline Kael and Roger Ebert, Terence Rafferty and Judith Crist... Not shabby at all! Plus almost everything is written with more a sense of appreciation and enthusiasm than overwrought intellectual analysis. Editor Sragow was definitely among the top two or three critics ever staffed by the San Francisco Chronicle. His contributions to the book are reviews of All Night Long, Southern Comfort, and the generally underrated Blow Out, the latter being a rare glimpse of Brian DePalma as a director concerned with issues of ethics and integrity, with an excellent performance by John Travolta. So that's the sort of thing the book offers, namely praise for unusual treatments and underappreciated performances. Only shaky part is that the average reader may not already be familiar with the tastes of any of the critics, and may find an unexpected disagreement with one of the critics over a film or two. I can't say that this book has managed to isolate a hundred films that are absolutely incredible, and the whole world will agree. But there are way more gems than slag in this collection, and the writing is generally very good. For the average DVD or video renter, this book could be the perfect consciousness-raiser. After reading a few of the reviews (which each average only 2 or 3 pages), the reader will probably find a title he or she MUST now view. Helps reader on the adventurous quest of expanding his or her viewing experience. It's a fine book in that sense!
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