For movie lovers From Abbott and Costello to Close Encounters cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond, The Movie Book covers a century of cinema in alphabetical order in the latest edition of Phaidon Press’s handsome A-to-Z gift books. As a reference tool, the book is limited by its format, which restricts biographical information to terse (yet informative and judicious) blurbs. The main attractions, though, are the book’s 500 stunningly presented photographs and stills, which will leave movie lovers salivating. For them, the book’s worth having just for the shot of an exultant John Cassavetes recording the soundtrack for his landmark Shadows. And kudos to Phaidon for celebrating giants of world cinema such as Wong Kar-Wai and Abbas Kiarostami not to mention cult heroes like special-effects genius Ray Harryhausen and nudie auteur Russ Meyer along with the expected Tinseltown faves. Five hundred more, please.
Valiant Women is a vital and engrossing attempt to correct the record and rightfully celebrate the achievements of female veterans of World War II.
