Cinecast Mailbag - 9/7/05
Hey guys, I love the show. I've listened since Itunes 4.9. I've got a question for you. Are there any books you recommend reading to learn more about what makes good movies good? I took classes on film in college but I must not have learned the right stuff cuz I'm sometimes clueless as why "the great movies" are so great. Thanks guys. --Zach Swee, Orlando, FL
Zach, I hope you don't mind that I used your email for this Mailbag -- not that you have anything to be ashamed of. Just because everyone else seems to think a movie is "great" doesn't necessarily make it so. Just ask Sam about his top 5 overrated list. On second thought... don't.
I'm not sure my suggestions will help solve your "problem" -- since none of them are specifically about film criticism -- but these are some of the books that have had a significant influence on the way I watch movies. And I'm highlighting these because they aren't really academic -- not necessarily a bad thing, of course -- but these are all entertaining reads that don't require a film degree to enjoy.
Rebel Without a Crew: Or How a 23-Year-Old Filmmaker With $7,000 Became a Hollywood Player by Robery Rodriguez -- The Sin City director's tale of how he made his first movie, "El Mariachi." Inspiring for anybody who wants to make movies; illuminating for anybody who doesn't know that good movies can be made for less than $100 million if the filmmaker has a clear vision and plan to execute it. For what it's worth, Rodriguez considers film school a waste of time and money. And he might be right. But that's a discussion for another time...
On Directing Film by David Mamet -- Mamet isn't the greatest director, and certainly not the most subtle, but he's got fascinating ideas about making movies and how to lift something off a page and enact it on screen in a very precise way.
In the Blink of an Eye by Walter Murch -- Among many others, Murch edited Apocalypse Now and did the sound design for both Apocalypse and The Godfather Part II. In other words, he knows what he's talking about. It's billed mainly as a book for editors, and it does address many practical editing issues, but Murch takes a really insightful approach that extends beyond editing to philosophical questions about how/why to make and watch movies.
Adventures in the Screen Trade by William Goldman -- From the screenwriter of The Princess Bride, Butch Cassidy and All The President's Men... Goldman's got an acerbic wit and has some great "inside" stories from the various sets and projects he's worked on. Best lesson here is that a good screenplay isn't about dialogue; it's about structure.
Hope that helps a little.
Adam
**I'd have to add Lumet's Making Movies in there as well.