Any movie geek with a film studies background will know all about the Cahiers du Cinema, the influential French film magazine of the mid 20th century that not only formed the basis of what we know today as 'film criticism', but famously was also the early home of the French New Wave visionaries (such as Rohmer, Godard, Truffaut). Last year, Phaidon Press acquired the famous title and on November 8th will relaunch the publication with an introductory 'Masters of Cinema' hardback book series 'profiling 10 of the world's greatest film directors in English, German, Spanish and Italian'. They include Alfred Hitchcock, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Pedro Almodovar, Woody Allen, David Lynch, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Tim Burton and Francis Ford Coppola. These are meaty books, not just flimsy magazines from the looks of it; Here's the info;
Hardback 9 1/2 inches x 7 2/3 inches 104 pp 100 photographs Exceptional value at £5.95, each title in the MASTERS OF CINEMA series reads as single narrative text written by a single author in a lively and accessible way. Telling the story of each director's work from early career, right up to their most recent films, the books are written by internationally respected film specialists - journalists, critics, scholars and directors. Ordered chronologically, with detailed biographies, filmographies and plot summaries, each book also includes additional texts which consist of; a seminal critique of a film or a director's work; an interview with a director or a collaborator; an analysis of a film sequence and a focus on a specific technique, theme, actor or collaborator. These additions provide the reader with useful information as well as introducing a variety of perspectives on each director's work.
Richly illustrated, the series is visually stunning and appealing. 100 images depict every aspect of the movie making process, from behind the scenes shots to film sets, stills, sequences and posters - some of which have been rarely seen before. MASTERS OF CINEMA provides indispensable introductions to the seminal films from the best directors.
A steal at £5.99, right? Isn't that around how much Empire costs these days? I'm putting my order in for the Hitchcock/Kubrick books. Cool Stuff is a new daily feature showcasing a product, film or basically something cool which we think is interesting, informative and/or fun. If you have any ideas for this feature, make sure you e-mail us!