Books For Film Buffs

By Laurie Allee

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Cinephile Reading...

I had such a lovely response from readers who enjoyed The Movies Books Make in Your Head.  I appreciate the enthusiastic welcome!  I love getting email from fellow bookworms (and film lovers) so please continue to reach out with your thoughts and recommendations.  (And make sure to let me know if you want to be included in my upcoming Book Club!)  

Since several of you mentioned loving books about films, I thought I'd put together a list of a few of my favorites you might not have read.  (My film bookshelf has a lot more, so be sure to check it out.)

Bookworms and film buffs tend to get along really well.  (Except for the fact that those pesky filmmakers often ruin a great book ... but that's the subject of another essay.)  Below, you'll find my picks for those who love to read about movies almost as much as they like to watch them:

The Movies Books Make in Your Head...

by Laurie Allee

If you're reading this post via email, click here to see my original accompanying video!
Read my Books With Laurie introductory post here.
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My fellow bookworms can back me up on this: the best movies are books.  

I don't mean that the best movies are those made from books, because that is decidedly untrue. In fact, there are some awful films that are fantastic books. (I'm looking at you, Hotel New Hampshire, and to some extent you, French Lieutenant's Woman.  Actually, I have a feeling the reason James Franco took so long to release his film adaptation of Zeroville is because it just couldn't compare to the absurdly spectacular weirdness of the actual book.) Yes, there are bad films made from good books. I suppose the reverse is also true, but I've already listened to enough arguments about Ready Player One and Twilight.

What I mean is this:  the scenes that play out in your head when you read a great book are better than any film.  

I don't say this lightly!  I say this as a cinephile, photographer and avowed film nerd.  I studied film.  I make my own little films.  I watch films with a passion rivaled only by my love of books. 

But... I've yet to see a film (even Bergman, even Spielberg, even Welles, even Tarkovsky or Goddard or Kubrick) who could best the cinema that plays in my mind when I read.

When I was in the fourth grade, I would have told you my favorite book was Harriet the Spy.  A book about a young girl who crawled around her neighbors' houses peeking through cracks and writing down what they said in her notebook was just about the coolest thing I could imagine.  This was no polite Nancy Drew story.  Harriet was tough.  While the vintage Nancy fussed over her hair and worried about offending boys, Harriet wore jeans and cared more about her writing than whether or not she was pretty or popular. And did I mention she snuck into houses?