RFI: Writings on film

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I'm looking for some recommendations of writing on film that i can get from amazon or places like it. Big lists of favourite film critics works too if i can get their works in a book type format. I've read very little, Hitchcock by Truffaut which i thought was great, i'm working on cinema 1/2 by Deleuze and finding it wonderful and infuriating. I've read quite a few film theory textbooks of the variety that i'm sure go to undergraduates, James Monaco, but they didn't do very much for me.

I did try the search etc. but my p.c is being awful with the searches and when i have managed to find something it's mostly critics i can't find books by, managed to get a whole two books by Pauline Kael. If there's threads on this i couldn't find please link and then kill thread and/or me, either way.

― Dxy (Danny), Monday, 11 September 2006 18:36 (nineteen years ago)

My advice would be go to your library's Film history section (PN 1998 ish) if your library uses Library of Congress, not Dewey) and peruse the stacks. I've always found that to be the most helpful.

Also, try subject searching in your library's catalog, such as:

Film -- [insert a country here if you like] -- History
or
Film -- Social aspects

Here's a film pathfinder (which should clue you into key texts) from the University of Milwaukee:

http://www.uwm.edu/Libraries/media/FILM_STUDIES_PATHFINDER.html

Here's another:

http://www.lib.colum.edu/research/subjects/filmcriticism.htm

This is also pretty helpful, and you can see if a book you want is at a library near you:

http://worldcat.org/

Good luck!

― molly d (mollyd), Monday, 11 September 2006 22:17 (nineteen years ago)

Anyone will tell you that Manny Farber is an essential read. At first he'll infuriate you, then you'll feel alienated by him, gradually you'll respect the strength of his writing, eventually he'll own you.

― Eric H. (Eric H.), Monday, 11 September 2006 23:10 (nineteen years ago)

Eric H. is a little too OTM there.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 00:11 (nineteen years ago)

some obvious favorites to start with:

for keeps - kael
negative space - farber
biographical dictionary of film - thomson
james agee on film
this is orson welles - welles & bogdanovich
all of dave kehr's short film capsules at the chicago reader (not a book, but easy to look up and save)

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 12 September 2006 01:18 (nineteen years ago)

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