Steven Jay Schneider

101 WAR MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE examines classic war movies produced from 1915 to 2007. Overseeing the efforts of 35 film critics, writers, professors, teachers and film historians, editor Steven Schneider takes the reader on a guided tour of well-known and little-known classics including ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT, THE LONGEST DAY, HILL 24 DOESN'T ANSWER, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, BALLAD OF A SOLDIER, COME AND SEE, RAN and the RED BADGE OF COURAGE.

Schneider's book, which takes a decade-by-decade look at war flicks, casts a pretty wide net. The usual suspects - PATTON, CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, DAS BOOT, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, PLATOON, GRAND ILLUSION, PATHS OF GLORY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, GLORY, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, etc. - share space with lesser-known gems like ZULU, REGENERATION, WENT THE DAY WELL, 49TH PARALLEL and IVAN'S CHILDHOOD. Each film gets a two-page summary with two b&w and/or color photographs.

One problem I had with the book is that it never defines what constitutes a "war movie." For instance, I've never considered BUCK PRIVATES, THE GREAT DICTATOR, DR. STRANGELOVE and TO BE OR NOT TO BE war movies per se but they're included. Also, paging through Schneider's book, you wonder why DAWN PATROL, A WALK IN THE SUN, TWELVE O'CLOCK HIGH, THEY WERE EXPENDABLE, THE STORY OF G.I. JOE and others didn't make the cut. What criteria did they use or was it a case of 'I like blah-blah so I'm going to write about it!?!'

To my mind, the use of so many contributors made for uneven reading. Some entries were nice, insightful summaries; others were dry and academic which made for hard slogging. And, if you're hoping to see some of these flicks, beware that the endings of at least some of them are divulged.

So, mixed feelings on 101 WAR MOVIES YOU MUST SEE BEFORE YOU DIE. Overall it's an interesting take on the subject, being wide-ranging, well-illustrated and up-to-date. Cinema buffs should enjoy it. I liked it but not as much as I hoped. Maybe 3 1/2 stars??… (mehr)

This book tells you everything you need to know about the must-see movies, from the ones you shouldn't have missed first time around, to the ones you can see again and again. Expert critics in each genre of film, from romance to horror and sci-fi, will tell you exactly why these films deserve inclusion in this definitive illustrated list, about their conception and development, and even about the most famous pleces of memorabilia associated with them. Packed with vital statistics, and a few facts that may surprise you, this is a collector's must for the bookshelf as well as being an entertaining read for all those that love the wonderful world of film.… (mehr)

As any horror fan knows, the genre isn't limited to ghouls, blood, and gore, but is as broad as cinema itself. Discover the haunting pull of "the other side" in movies like The Sixth Sense, Cat People, Poltergeist and Don't Look Now. Brave the perils of nature in Jaws, The Birds, and Alien. Learn that people aren't always as they seem, as in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Peeping Tom, Psycho, and The Shining. Confront evil in human form--The Last House on the Left, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Friday the 13th--and in its purer distillation in Rosemary's Baby, The Omen and The Exorcist.101 Horror Films You Must See Before You Die gives you a thorough appreciation of the genre, because it approaches the subject chronologically. You'll move through gothic classics like James Whale's The Old Dark House (1932) and Terence Fisher's Dracula (1958), to zombie movies like Dawn of the Dead (1978) and 28 Days Later (2002). All the sub-genres are covered too, from Eyes Without a Face (mad scientist), The Howling (werewolf), Nightmare on Elm Street (slasher), to The Silence of the Lambs (serial killer). And you'll learn that it's not just American teenagers who are horror-film fodder. There are classic horror films from Japan (Onibaba), Russia(Vij), Italy (Suspiria), France (Les Diaboliques), Belgium (Man Bites Dog), Germany (M), and the Netherlands (The Vanishing). Immerse yourself in the most compelling of movie genres. Prepare to be possessed--and whatever you do, don't answer the phone...… (mehr)

From the drug-fueled excesses to the punch-ups and knife fights, these films depict society's underbelly in action. Whether it's holding up the local liquor store or wheeling and dealing among the far-reaching tentacles of organized crime, the truth is never far from the fictional world on the big screen. The gangster genre kicked off with actors such as James Cagney and Edward G. Robinson. Their tough-guy looks set the trend to follow, and led to the devious, crazy, and charismatic crooks played by the likes of Al Pacino and Robert de Niro. But often these hard men are almost sympathetic characters: Marlon Brando's godfather turned bad to feed his family, after all - capisce? The one-line quips, the sharp suits, the sense of camaraderie, and the grisly killings have created some of the movies' most memorable moments. So get ready to take a walk on the wild side. With insight from critics, film historians, and academics, "101 Gangster Movies You Must See Before You Die" brings knowledge, insight, and passion to a wealth of dirty rats, horses' heads, colorful misters, dons, molls, triads, kingpins, hoods, yakuza, low-life scum, informers, shoot-outs, hold-ups, heists, gangs, shakedowns, drug deals, getaway cars, murders, kidnappings, and car chases. By the end, you'll be wondering just whose side you're on: the cops' or the robbers'?… (mehr)