Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Five top books about movies

David Thomson, one of the great living authorities on the movies, is the author of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, now in its fifth edition. His books include a biography of Nicole Kidman, a biography of Orson Welles, and The Whole Equation: A History of Hollywood. His latest works are the acclaimed Have You Seen...?: A Personal Introduction to 1,000 Films and The Big Screen: The Story of the Movies.

One of Thomson's five favorite books about film, as told to The Daily Beast:
The Deer Park
by Norman Mailer

I want books you would enjoy reading even if you knew next to nothing about the movies. In that spirit, I start with a novel—Norman Mailer’s The Deer Park (1955)—about an Air Force flier who goes to Hollywood. It’s a vivid description of the place, its talk and sex, and its compromises. Look for a director, Charles Eitel, a man of principle who will name names to keep working.
Read about the other entries on the list.

See David Thomson's five best books about making movies.

--Marshal Zeringue