It used to be that every few weeks I would check out the future book releases on Amazon to see if any cool film books were due to be released soon. I fell out of that habit a while ago and so the following books have only just come to my attention. They look pretty cool, right?
If you follow me on Pinterest, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of infographics. They give you the opportunity to convey a lot of information in a quick and fun way. Plus the more creative the better. And now there’s an awesome Infographic Guide to the Movies available. It’s the perfect gift for the film geek in your life and a bargain at £7.96. According to the Amazon description, it’s “more than just a book of words, with graphs, Venn diagrams and charts, this book provides a unique overview of the movie world, boasting over 100 original artworks and illustrations and at-a-glance facts to amaze and astound readers-such as whether movies with a naked Helen Mirren or a naked Zach Galifiankis are likely to be more successful in Albania.”
Something else that appeals to the film buff in me is this hardcover copy of The Art of Movie Storyboards: Visualising the Action of the World’s Greatest Films: The Illustrations Behind Iconic Cinema Moments. Helluva title, right? But it looks like a helluva book, featuring original storyboard artwork from the likes of The Birds, Star Wars and Gone With the Wind. If you ask me, any hardcore film fan should have anything Hitchcock related, and I for one love behind-the-scenes info like this. Colour me interested.
And lastly, I offer you Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities: My Notebooks, Collections and Other Obsessions. I have to admit, I’m not a huge lover of his films. The only one I’ve seen all the way through is Pan’s Labyrinth, which is friggin’ awesome, plus bits of Hellboy 1 and 2. But still, he’s a pretty fascinating filmmaker. This book features personal artwork, including sketches and storyboards, plus full scans from his own journal and pages authored by top Hollywood talent who have had the pleasure of working with him (Alfonso Cuaron, Tom Cruise). You’ll be hard pressed to find anything more personal from such a creative filmmaker. It’s £29.82 from Amazon.
If you’ve got any other film book recommendations, drop a link in the comments below.