Review by Booklist Review
Fifteen years after the first, the eighth edition of Schneider's colorful and pleasingly dense reference is its first major update, the particulars of which are detailed in editor Haydn Smith's preface. Some entries did not stand the test of time, and some older films were discovered or restored; plus, 10 2018 films are included. The films represented truly run the gamut from generally accepted canon (like Citizen Kane) to popular-but-critically panned (like 2017's The Greatest Showman), from the high-brow (10 films by Ingmar Bergman) to the lower-brow (the Cheech and Chong stoner classic, Up in Smoke). Though the entries cover the six continents where movies are produced, the overall list has a Western tilt to it. All entries feature a short essay (half- or full-page) explaining the film's significance and acknowledging problematic elements and a list of essential credits and award information. The longest entries include an image of the poster and a still from the film. Director and thorough genre indexes are included. Libraries should add or replace previous editions and should probably prepare DVD budgets accordingly.--Susan Maguire Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This title was originally published in 2003 and has been regularly updated since. Thorough essays for each movie combine important plot points, vital statistics, commentary, context, and informative trivia for films spanning 1902-2014. The movies are listed by decade and include a color-coded system for quickly locating titles. Schneider researched many top film lists to assist in his effort to include entries that exemplify a well-rounded collection deemed significant for various reasons. He states that the result is not intended to be a "best of" list but rather a "provocation" providing fodder for stimulating discussion and debate. Fans of previous editions of this volume will notice new additions and some deletions of works. This was to reflect changing trends and tastes, making room for another title in the same era or by the same director. VERDICT Schneider provides a comprehensive tool that should be used to decide the essential films movie buffs should strive to see in their lifetime.-Gary Medina, Marymount California Univ. Lib. © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
