The A list : the National Society of Film Critics' 100 essential films / edited by Jay Carr.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Carr, Jay, 1936-

Gotham Book Mart Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

National Society of Film Critics.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Motion pictures--Reviews.

Motion pictures.

Genre:

Reviews.

Penn Provenance:

Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)

Physical Description:

xvi, 351 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

First Da Capo Press edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, MA : Da Capo Press, 2002.

Summary:

While there are many encyclopedic lists of films, this compuslively readable book of 100 essays -- most written expressly for this volume -- flags the best of the best as chosen by a consensus of the National Society of Film Critics. The Society is a world-renowned organization embracing some of America's most distinguished critics. But this isn't a collection of esoteric "critic's choice" movies. The Society has made its selections based on a film's intrinsic merits, its role in the development of the motion picture art, and its impact on culture and society. Some of the choices are controversial. So are some of the omissions. And since the volume spans all films internationally from the very beginning, it acts as a balance to recent guides dominated by films of the last two decades -- hardly film's golden age. Here is a book that is definitely ready for its close-up.

Contents:

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) / James Verniere 1

42ND Street (1933) / Emanuel Levy 4

The 400 Blows (1959) / Peter Brunette 8

All About Eve (1950) / Peter Travers 11

Annie Hall (1977) / Jay Carr 14

Ashes and Diamonds (1958) / Peter Keough 17

L'Atalante (1934) / Terrence Rafferty 20

The Bank Dick (1940) / Henry Sheehan 24

The Battleship Potemkin (1925) / Roger Ebert 27

The Birth of A Nation (1915) / Dave Kehr 30

Blow-Up (1966) / Andrew Sarris 34

Bonnie and Clyde (1967) / Richard Schickel 38

Breathless (1960) / David Sterritt 43

Bringing Up Baby (1938) / Morris Dickstein 48

Casablanca (1942) / Jay Carr 51

The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) / Joe Morgenstern 55

Children of Paradise (1945) / Jay Carr 58

Chinatown (1974) / James Verniere 61

Citizen Kane (1941) / Godfrey Cheshire 65

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) / Matthew Seitz 69

Closely Watched Trains (1967) / Richard Schickel 72

Close-Up (1990) / Jonathan Rosenbaum 76

Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) / Carrie Rickey 79

The Decalogue (1988) / Michael Wilmington 81

Diary of A Country Priest (1951) / Henry Sheehan 84

Diner (1982) / Peter Rainer 88

Do the Right Thing (1989) / David Sterritt 91

La Dolce Vita (1959) / Roger Ebert 94

Double Indemnity (1944) / Matthew Seitz 97

Duck Soup (1933) / William Wolf 100

Easy Rider (1969) / William Wolf 104

Enter the Dragon (1973) / Michael Sragow 107

The Entertainer (1960) / Charles Taylor 110

The Exorcist (1973) / Terrence Rafferty 113

Faces (1968) / Andrew Sarris 116

Fargo (1996) / Peter Travers 118

Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein (1931, 1935) / Richard T. Jameson 121

The General (1927) / Roger Ebert 125

The Godfather and the Godfather Part II (1972, 1974) / Michael Sragow 128

Gone With the Wind (1939) / Eleanor Ringel 132

The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) / Rob Nelson 136

The Graduate (1967) / Jami Bernard 138

Greed (1924) / Todd McCarthy 141

Happy Together (1997) / Armond White 144

High Noon (1952) / Emanuel Levy 147

Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) / Robert Sklar 151

Jailhouse Rock (1957) / Carrie Rickey 153

Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum (1990, 1991, 1987) / Andy Klein 156

Killer of Sheep (1977) / Armond White 159

L.A. Confidential (1997) / Peter Rainer 163

Landscape in the Mist (1988) / Michael Wilmington 167

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) / Michael Wilmington 170

M (1931) / Morris Dickstein 173

The Maltese Falcon (1941) / Richard T. Jameson 176

The Man With A Movie Camera (1929) / J. Hoberman 179

The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978) / Kevin Thomas 181

Metropolis (1927) / Armond White 182

Modern Times (1936) / David Denby 185

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) / Robert Sklar 188

Nashville (1975) / David Sterritt 191

The Night of the Hunter (1955) / Peter Rainer 194

Night of the Living Dead (1968) / Kevin Thomas 198

Nosferatu (1922) / Andy Klein 200

Los Olvidados (1950) / Rob Nelson 203

On the Waterfront (1954) / Robert Sklar 206

Open City (1945) / Peter Brunette 208

The Palm Beach Story (1942) / David Ansen 212

Pandora's Box (1928) / Charles Taylor 215

The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) / Roger Ebert 219

Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of APU (1956, 1958, 1960) / Gary Arnold 222

The Piano (1993) / Judy Gerstel 226

Psycho (1960) / Charles Taylor 229

The Public Enemy (1931) / John Anderson 232

Pulp Fiction (1994) / Jami Bernard 236

Raging Bull (1980) / Jami Bernard 238

Rashomon (1950) / Andy Klein 241

Rebel Without A Cause (1955) / Jay Carr 245

The Rules of the Game (1939) / Jay Carr 248

Schindler's List (1993) / Jay Carr 253

The Searchers (1956) / Peter Travers 256

The Seven Samurai (1954) / John Anderson 258

The Seventh Seal (1957) / Peter Keough 261

Singin' in the Rain (1952) / Judy Gerstel 264

Star Wars (1977) / Matthew Seitz 267

La Strada and Nights of Cabiria (1955, 1957) / Gary Arnold 270

Sunrise (1927) / Jonathan Rosenbaum 275

Sunset Boulevard (1950) / Morris Dickstein 279

The Thief of Bagdad (1924) / Joe Morgenstern 284

Tokyo Story (1953) / Kevin Thomas 286

Top Hat (1935) / Carrie Rickey 288

Touch of Evil (1958) / Michael Sragow 290

Trouble in Paradise (1935) / Richard Schickel 293

Ugetsu Monogatari (1953) / Gerald Peary 298

Unforgiven (1992) / Kenneth Turan 304

Les Vampires (1915) / Jonathan Rosenbaum 307

Vertigo (1958) / Kenneth Turan 310

The Wild Bunch (1969) / Michael Wilmington 315

Winchester '73 (1953) / Gerald Peary 318

The Wizard of oz (1939) / Peter Keough 322

Written on the Wind (1956) / J. Hoberman 325.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0306810964 :

OCLC:

48804602