The New Biographical Dictionary of Film : Sixth Edition

With more than 100 new entries, from Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cary Joji Fukunaga to Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, and Robin Wright, and completely updated, here from David Thomson—“The greatest living writer on the movies” (John Banville, __New Statesman__);“Our most argumentative and trustworthy historian of the screen” (Michael Ondaatje)—is the latest edition of __The New Biographical Dictionary of____Film__, which topped __Sight & Sound__’s poll of international critics and writers as THE BEST FILM BOOK EVER WRITTEN.3/7 For almost thirty years, David Thomson’s Biographical Dictionary of Film has been not merely “the finest reference book ever written about movies” (Graham Fuller, Interview ), not merely the “desert island book” of art critic David Sylvester, not merely “a great, crazy masterpiece” (Geoff Dyer, The Guardian ), but also “fiendishly seductive” (Greil Marcus, Rolling Stone ). This new edition updates the older entries and adds 30 new ones: Darren Aronofsky, Emmanuelle Beart, Jerry Bruckheimer, Larry Clark, Jennifer Connelly, Chris Cooper, Sofia Coppola, Alfonso Cuaron, Richard Curtis, Sir Richard Eyre, Sir Michael Gambon, Christopher Guest, Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Spike Jonze, Wong Kar-Wai, Laura Linney, Tobey Maguire, Michael Moore, Samantha Morton, Mike Myers, Christopher Nolan, Dennis Price, Adam Sandler, Kevin Smith, Kiefer Sutherland, Charlize Theron, Larry Wachowski and Andy Wachowski, Lew Wasserman, Naomi Watts, and Ray Winstone. In all, the book includes more than 1300 entries, some of them just a pungent paragraph, some of them several thousand words long. In addition to the new “musts,” Thomson has added key figures from film history–lively anatomies of Graham Greene, Eddie Cantor, Pauline Kael, Abbott and Costello, Noël Coward, Hoagy Carmichael, Dorothy Gish, Rin Tin Tin, and more. Here is a great, rare book, one that encompasses the chaos of art, entertainment, money, vulgarity, and nonsense that we call the movies. Personal, opinionated, funny, daring, provocative, and passionate, it is the one book that every filmmaker and film buff must own. Time Out named it one of the ten best books of the 1990s. Gavin Lambert recognized it as “a work of imagination in its own right.” Now better than ever–a masterwork by the man playwright David Hare called “the most stimulating and thoughtful film critic now writing.” With More Than 100 New Entries, From Amy Atlas, Benedict Cumberbatch, And Cary Joki Fukunaga To Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, And Robin Wright, And Completely Updated, Here From David Thomson ... Is The Latest Editon Of The New Biographical Dictionary Of Film, Which Topped Sight & Sound's Poll Of International Critics And Writers As The Best Film Book Ever Written. -- Back Cover. David Thomson. First And Second Editions Of This Work Published In The United States By William Morrow And Company, Inc., New York, In 1976 And 1981. All Subsequent Editions Published In The United States By Alfred A. Knopf, A Division Of Random House Llc, New York, In 1994, 2002, 2004, And 2010--title Page Verso. A Borzoi Book. With more than 100 new entries, from Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cary Joji Fukunaga to Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, and Robin Wright, and completely updated, here from David Thomson—“The greatest living writer on the movies” (John Banville, New Statesman ); “Our most argumentative and trustworthy historian of the screen” (Michael Ondaatje)—is the latest edition of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film , which topped Sight & Sound ’s poll of international critics and writers as THE BEST FILM BOOK EVER WRITTEN. 3/7 "With more than 100 new entries, from Amy Adams, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cary Joki Fukunaga to Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, and Robin Wright, and completely updated, here from David Thomson ... is the latest edition of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, which topped Sight & Sound's poll of international critics and writers as the best film book ever written."--Back cover "With more than 100 new entries, from Amy Atlas, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Cary Joji Fukunaga to Joaquin Phoenix, Mia Wasikowska, and Robin Wright, and completely updated, here from David Thomson ... is the latest editon of The New Biographical Dictionary of Film, which topped Sight & Sound's poll of international critics and writers as the best film book ever written."--Back cover