Listomania #1

5 Recommended Books on Film

1. The New Biographical Dictionary of Film by David Thomson
I would hesitate to call this a reference book as such, but it can certainly be read like one. Thomson is somebody you might not always agree with but you have to respect his reasoning. He can be gloriously bitchy, fascinatingly wayward and always immensely readable. This book topped a Sight & Sound poll to find the best book on film and a recent new edition means I need to buy the damn thing again.

2. How To Read A Film by James Monaco
This is the one essential book for anybody that wants to start developing a critical insight into film. A film course in book form.

3. Spike Mike Slackers and Dykes by John Pierson
After I left school, I received a fair few book tokens for some reason (surely I could have done with them while at school?) and I used them to buy a selection of film books that I had my eye on for some time. I still had some money left over and I bought this book partly because I liked the title and also because I had recently seen Clerks and it included contributions from Kevin Smith. A study of the American independent film movement from the early-eighties to the mid-nineties, the book covers the films that John Pierson was involved with such as She's Gotta Have It, Roger and Me and Clerks, while providing a fascinating insight into the realities of low budget film-making and the business of independent film during a very interesting time in its history.

4. Herzog on Herzog edited by Paul Cronin
The Faber 'on' series were just brilliant books and I lament the fact that they seemed to have stopped producing them. Limiting myself to choose just one of them I would have to go for the Werner Herzog book, largely because his career is, shall we say, more unconventional than the other directors and his stories are so entertaining and....fuck it - ITS WERNER HERZOG! In conversation. You can read the book and hear his voice in your head! Awesome.

Sidebar: If Faber were continuing to produce this series, and apart from a second edition of Herzog on Herzog obviously, which directors should be included?

5. Nightmare Movies by Kim Newman
This was re-released last year in an all new expanded edition and what I loved about this book is that I would stop reading every few minutes to check the availability of a film I hadn't heard of but had to see as soon as possible. Kim Newman is a legend and Nightmare Movies is an essential book for every horror fan.