Classic Movie History

America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents two hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made in this two-book collection containing THE GREAT MOVIES and THE GREAT MOVIES II. Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, wrote biweekly essays for a...

For fifty years, the big screen has mirrored the world — reflecting our dreams, fears, heroes, and obsessions. Top 10 1975 to 2025: Revisiting the Hits That Defined Every Year takes you on a year-by-year journey through five decades of cinematic history, celebrating the stories that shaped pop culture and connected generations. From Jaws and Star Wars to Titanic, The Dark Knight, and Barbie, this is a vibrant look at the blockbusters, breakthroughs, and cultural moments that made audiences cheer, cry, and come back for more. Each chapter highlights the top ten defining hits of its year ...

This revised and expanded edition of Eddie Muller's Dark City is a film noir lover's bible, taking readers on a tour of the urban landscape of the grim and gritty genre in a definitive, highly illustrated volume. Dark City expands with new chapters and a fresh collection of restored photos that...

Step into the shadowy corridors of Gothic castles, moonlit graveyards, and fog-shrouded streets with Hammer Horror: The Complete History of Britain’s Legendary House of Horror Films. This definitive guide explores the rise, glory, decline, and remarkable rebirth of Hammer Film Productions — the iconic British studio that redefined horror cinema from the 1950s through the 1970s and continues to influence the genre today. From the blood-soaked brilliance of Dracula and The Curse of Frankenstein to the atmospheric ghost story The Woman in Black, this book takes you behind the scenes to ...

The History of Slasher Films: From Cult Classics to Modern Horror Icons is your ultimate guide to one of cinema’s most enduring—and thrilling—genres. Whether you're a longtime horror fan or just discovering the thrill of the Final Girl, this engaging and in-depth book traces the evolution of the slasher film from its early roots in the 1930s to its 21st-century reinvention. Packed with fascinating film history, cultural analysis, iconic characters, and must-watch movie recommendations, this book explores how slasher movies reflect our fears, challenge social norms, and continue to ...

From one of America’s most beloved authors, a posthumous collection of newly discovered short stories and previously published essays and magazine pieces, offering a fresh perspective on the remarkable literary mind of Harper Lee. Harper Lee remains a landmark figure in the American canon –...

Now a major Netflix film co-written by and starring Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Game of Thrones) The harrowing, amazing, and often amusing personal account of two mismatched Arctic explorers who banded together to keep themselves sane on an historic expedition gone horribly wrong Ejnar Mikkelsen was...

Essential 1970s Horror Movies: A Complete Guide to the Decade’s Scariest and Most Influential Films is your ultimate journey into the golden age of horror cinema. From groundbreaking psychological thrillers to terrifying tales of possession, monstrous mutations, and the bloody birth of the modern slasher film, this comprehensive guide explores the films that redefined the genre and left a permanent scar on pop culture. With in-depth chapters on iconic trends such as Italian Giallo, body horror, cult classics, and the rise of feminist themes in horror, this book highlights how the 1970s ...

For generations, members of the LGBTQ+ community in Hollywood needed to be discreet about their lives but—make no mistake—they were everywhere, both in front of and behind the camera. On the eve of the twentieth century, in Thomas Edison’s laboratory, one of the earliest attempts at a...

In A History of Cinema, Bob Kowalski offers us an in-depth and detailed analysis of the evolution of cinema, highlighting the cultural, social and technological impact of cinema over time. The work does not limit itself to tracing a timeline of technical innovations, but explores how cinema, in its various phases, has been a reflection of social and political transformations, as well as a means of artistic expression. Kowalski begins by addressing the origins of cinema, from the first experiments in moving images to the crucial developments that allowed its consolidation as an art form. He ...

50 Greatest Science Fiction Movies takes you on a journey through the most groundbreaking, thrilling, and imaginative films ever made. From silent-era visions like Metropolis to modern masterpieces like Arrival and Everything Everywhere All at Once, this book explores how filmmakers have shaped our dreams of the future and our fears of the unknown. Each entry dives into the movie’s story, its cultural impact, and why it stands as a milestone in science fiction. Packed with trivia, iconic moments, and insights into the artistry behind the spectacle, this is a celebration of the films that ...

THE MAN WHO MADE THE WORLD AFRAID TO LOOK AWAY Behind every masterpiece of suspense lies a secret… and behind Alfred Hitchcock lay a shadow that refused to die. For over half a century, Alfred Hitchcock ruled Hollywood with his camera, his silence, and his genius. But behind the calm, droll smile and polished English wit was a man haunted by fear, driven by obsession, and consumed by the need to control everything—and everyone—around him. The Shadow Behind the Camera: The Untold Story of Alfred Hitchcock pulls back the curtain on the most shocking, little-known truths of cinema’s ...

America’s most trusted and best-known film critic Roger Ebert presents one hundred brilliant essays on some of the best movies ever made. Roger Ebert, the famed film writer and critic, wrote biweekly essays for a feature called "The Great Movies," in which he offered a fresh and fervent...

Take a trip back to your favorite video store with this in-depth journey through the highs and lows of 80s cinema—with profiles of hundreds of films—and how Hollywood studios around the globe reflected a period of cultural change. The movies were flying blind in 1980. “New Hollywood” was...

The History of Body Horror Films: From Grotesque Origins to Modern Mutation is the ultimate guide for horror lovers, film students, and pop culture enthusiasts who want to dive deep into one of cinema’s most disturbing and thought-provoking subgenres. This comprehensive, 6000-word book explores the evolution of body horror movies from their eerie beginnings in early cinema to their grotesque peaks during the golden age of gore, all the way to their reemergence in today’s era of prestige horror. Discover how visionary directors like David Cronenberg, Shinya Tsukamoto, and Julia Ducournau...

50 Cult Movies You Should Know: Your Crash Course in Cult Cinema Step into the wild, weird, and wonderful world of cult cinema. From midnight movies and underground oddities to box office flops that became fan obsessions, cult films have carved out a unique space in movie history — strange, subversive, and unforgettable. 50 Cult Movies You Should Know is your crash course through the must-see classics of the cult canon. Inside, you’ll discover: The outrageous stories behind films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Room, and Showgirls. How visionary directors like David Lynch, ...

This program is read by the authors (David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker), Laura Orrico and Joe Praino, with special appearances by an all-star cast of comedy giants, including the film's stars, Julie Hagerty and Robert Hays, as well as Beau Bridges, Barry Diller, Michael Eisner, Peter...

In this revised and expanded edition of his essential volume Dark City Dames, Eddie Muller—Turner Classic Movies host and author of Dark Cityand Noir Bar—offers a uniquely intimate look at the women who defined film noir, now featuring updated text and 10 new star profiles. Film noir was the...

Step into the strange, fascinating, and unforgettable world of cult movies — films that defy convention, inspire obsession, and live forever in the hearts of their fans. Cult Screens and Midnight Dreams: The Strange History and Lasting Legacy of Cult Movies takes readers on a deep exploration of the weird, the wonderful, and the revolutionary in cinema. From midnight screenings and underground VHS trades to global streaming fandoms, this book reveals how movies once dismissed as failures or oddities became cultural landmarks that shaped generations of viewers. Blending theory, history, ...

Irresistible and authoritative, The Movie Musical! is an in-depth look at the singing, dancing, happy-making world of Hollywood musicals--an essential audiobook for anyone who's ever laughed, cried, or sung along at the movies. Leading film historian Jeanine Basinger reveals, with her...