Best of
Movies

1990

When Harry Met Sally


Nora Ephron - 1990
    The complete screenplay.

Goodfellas: Screenplay


Nicholas Pileggi - 1990
    Young Henry dreams that one day he too might be a professional 'wiseguy' - a 'goodfella'. His wishes come true with remarkable speed once he teams up with renowned hoodlum Jimmy Conway and his alarmingly psychotic pal Tommy DeVito. Henry embarks on an everyday life of crime which takes him from rags to gaudy riches, in and out of the federal penitentiary and under the unwelcome spotlight of the FBI. As the 1970s turn sour Henry finds himself at the sharp end of the cocaine trade, increasingly adrift from his extended mobster 'family' and forced to make a tough decision about his future . . .The film that re-established Martin Scorsese's eminence among American directors after years of professional difficulties, GoodFellas is a tour de force which lays bare the crude and venal motives which drive a happy band of thieves and murderers.

A Few Good Men


Aaron Sorkin - 1990
    The Navy lawyer, a callow young man more interested in softball games than the case, expects a plea bargain and a cover up of what really happened. Prodded by a female member of his defense team, the lawyer eventually makes a valiant effort to defend his clients and, in so doing, puts the military mentality and the Marine code of honor on trial.

Home Alone


Jordan Horowitz - 1990
    Illustrated with stills from the movie.

Hollywood Gothic: The Tangled Web of Dracula from Novel to Stage to Screen


David J. Skal - 1990
    It's recognition factor rivals, in its own perverse way, the familiarity of Santa Claus. Most of us can recite without prompting the salient characteristics of the vampire: sleeping by day in its coffin, rising at dusk to feed on the blood of the living; the ability to shapeshift into a bat, wolf, or mist; a mortal vulnerability to a wooden stake through the heart or a shaft of sunlight. In this critically acclaimed excursion through the life of a cultural icon, David Skal maps out the archetypal vampire's relentless trajectory from Victorian literary oddity to movie idol to cultural commidity, digging through the populist veneer to reveal what the prince of darkness says about us all.

Sunset Boulevard


Billy Wilder - 1990
    Billy Wilder collaborated on the screenplay with the very able Charles Brackett, and with D. M. Marshman Jr., who later joined the team. Together they created a film both allusive and literate, with Hollywood's worst excesses and neuroses laid out for all to see. After viewing Sunset Boulevard Louis B. Mayer exclaimed: "We should throw this Wilder out of town!" The New York Times, however, gave the movie a rave review, praising "that rare blend of pungent writing, expert acting, masterly direction, and unobtrusively artistic photography." The film was nominated for Best Picture, and Wilder won an Academy Award for Best Story and Best Screenplay.This facsimile edition of Sunset Boulevard makes it possible to get as much pleasure from reading the highly intelligent screenplay as from seeing the film. Jeffrey Meyers's introduction provides an intriguing array of background details about Wilder, the film's casting and production, and the lives of those connected to what has become a classic.

Images: My Life in Film


Ingmar Bergman - 1990
    Bergman's career spanned 40 years and produced over 50 films, many of which are considered classics. Over 200 photos.

Open Range


Lauran Paine - 1990
    Local stockmen were staking claims to grazing areas throughout the West. Spearman had no quarrel with that, but he wasn't about to let anyone intimidate him or attack his men without putting up a fight. So when Denton Baxter's threats turned to murder, Spearman knew he had to get justice—any way he could.The basis for the movie Open Range, starring Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner, and Annette Bening!

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff: The Expanded Story of a Haunting Collaboration, with a Complete Filmography of Their Films Together


Gregory William Mank - 1990
    Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff starred in dozens of black-and-white horror films, and over the years managed to collaborate on and co-star in eight movies. Through dozens of interviews and extensive archival research, this greatly expanded new edition examines the Golden Age of Hollywood, the era in which both stars worked, recreates the shooting of Lugosi and Karloff's mutual films, examines their odd and moving personal relationship and analyzes their ongoing legacies. Features include a fully detailed filmography of the eight Karloff and Lugosi films, full summaries of both men's careers and more than 250 photographs, some in color.

Behind the Mask of Innocence: Films of Social Conscience in the Silent Era


Kevin Brownlow - 1990
    This is the definitive history of silent films, documenting many that have been lost or forgotten.

Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges: His Life in His Words


Preston Sturges - 1990
    At the height of his career, Sturges had not only won an Academy Award but was also one of the most highly paid executives in the country.The only account of his life in his own words, Preston Sturges by Preston Sturges unveils the source of his extraordinary creativity: a life that was every bit as antic and unconventional as his movies.

The Devil's Advocate


Andrew Neiderman - 1990
    When Kevin Taylor joins the Manhattan criminal law firm of John Milton and Associates, he's hit the big time. At last, he and his wife can enjoy the luxuries they've so desired-- a chauffeur-driven limo, a stunning home in the very building that Mr. Milton himself lives in. Little does Kevin realize that he's joinedA BROTHERHOOD OF BLOODJohn Milton assigns Kevin one of the most notorious cases of the year, along with a file that had been put together prior to the crime. Throwing himself into his work, Kevin begins to see a pattern of evil emerging from behind the plush facade of his firm. As he watches them win every courtroom battle, and sees every criminal walk free, his mounting suspicions give way to all-out terror. For Kevin has becomeTHE DEVIL'S ADVOCATEand there's no turning back from the world of the damned...

Back to the Future


Michael Klastorin - 1990
    Fox and Christopher Lloyd, director Robert Zemeckis and producer Bob Gale; the secrets behind the fantastic special effects; and over 120 colour screenshots, behind-the-scenes stills, original storyboards, set and prop design sketches, and costume drawings.

Norma Shearer


Gavin Lambert - 1990
    Illustrated.

Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy


John McCabe - 1990
    Oliver “Babe” Hardy had been destined for a legal career, but he was obsessed with the motion picture industry and eventually moved to Hollywood. By the mid-1920s, he was working as an all-purpose comic at the legendary Hal Roach studio. Laurel and Hardy’s partnership with the pioneer filmmaker and producer began in 1926. Within a year of their first appearance, they were being touted as the new comedy duo. After collaborating on a number of silent pictures, they seamlessly made the transition to talking films, building a reputation for a warm, charismatic, casual style of comedy. But Hardy’s life was not all laughter and fun. His performances were overshadowed by a depressing paradox: although he despised being overweight, his comic identity depended on it. In Babe: The Life of Oliver Hardy, John McCabe looks at the public triumphs and personal tribulations of this celebrated comic actor.

Rainbow's End: The Judy Garland Show


Coyne S. Sanders - 1990
    Reprint.

A Youth in Babylon: Confessions of a Trash-Film King


David F. Friedman - 1990
    Friedman, the emperor of exploitation films. He perfected the fine art of sleaze & delightfully admits that he has hurled more garbage at the public than anyone else before or since. This book is as much his story as it's the history of an idea that in recent times has enjoyed a remarkable rebirth. He writes with gusto of the glory days when there were taboos to be broken & untold amounts of money to be made. He fondly remembers his cinematic forebears, who sold titillation under the guise of moral instruction. He brought the genre to new highs & lows, producing such films as She Freak, Blood Feast, The Defilers, Scum of the Earth, Space Thing, Color Me Blood Red & the classic 2000 Maniacs. Whether sexy, gory or merely shocking, these films played for years to packed theatres & drive-ins. This book captures the core of basic integrity, the wicked sense of humor & the unerring sense of showmanship of this American original. A Youth in Babylon is the definitive book on the history of American exploitation films & a unique contribution to motion picture history.

How I Made A Hundred Movies In Hollywood And Never Lost A Dime


Roger Corman - 1990
    He also discusses his distribution of the Bergman, Fellini, and Truffaut movies that later won Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Film category. Corman alumni—John Sayles, Martin Scorsese, Jack Nicholson, Vincent Price, Francis Ford Coppola, Peter Bogdanovich, Peter Fonda, Joe Dante, and Jonathan Demme, among others—contribute their recollections to give added perspective to Corman's often hilarious, always informative autobiography.

Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and the Essay


Robert DiYanni - 1990
    Known for its exceptionally clear presentation of the elements of literature and for its innovative and beautifully illustrated poetry section featuring full-color art, DiYanni's LITERATURE truly inspires students to embrace the pleasures of reading and writing about literature.

Joe Bob Goes Back To The Drive-In


Joe Bob Briggs - 1990
    Used his Notoriety to become the host of "Drive-In Theatre" on The Movie Channel, one of the highest rated shows on cable TV. Been kicked out of the "Babtist" Church for the general overall condition of his soul. Preached the drive-in gospel in theaters coast-to-coast, including the Berea, Ohio, High School Auditorium. Increased the price of this book by two dollars over what he charged for the original "Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In" (four ex-wives).

James Dean: Behind the Scene


Leith Adams - 1990
    Hundreds of photographs taken on the sets of 'East of Eden', 'Rebel Without a Cause', and 'Giant', as well as frame enlargements from the films make up a collage of his screen and private personalities.

The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia


Steven Jay Rubin - 1990
    This compendium of 007 lore charts the famous faces, fascinating facts, and exotic locales that make up the timeless world of Britain's deadliest secret agent.

The Look Of Horror: Scary Moments From Scary Movies


Jonathan Sternfield - 1990
    Showcases some of the most memorable and horrifying moments in film history, featuring monsters, madmen, aliens, demons, and other-worldly creatures from favorite scary movies.

The Complete Films of Steve McQueen


Casey St. Charnez - 1990
    

The Hollywood Eye: What Makes Movies Work


Jon Boorstin - 1990
    Here he examines these elements using his own experiences as well as the experiences of legend ary filmmakers to demonstrate how the moviemaking process works. 100 black-an d-white illustrations.