Hollywood Cinemas in Los Angeles, California, 1951. Photo: Kurt Hutton/Picture Post/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
> The Listicles
Hollywood Moment: 12 Books To Read Before the Oscars
Go behind the scenes with these new and notable titles about Tinseltown's brightest stars and most iconic movies / BY Nathalie Atkinson / March 11th, 2022
As the Oscars prepare for their close-up on March 27, a dozen new and notable titles take readers behind the scenes of Tinseltown past, present and future. Whether you’re a classic Hollywood fan whose default channel is Turner Classic Movies (TCM), an indie-movie champion or a pop-culture vulture who never misses the latest blockbuster, these books will take you inside the Hollywood dream machine.
Obsessive Book Buyers: Zoomer editors have carefully curated our book coverage to ensure you find the perfect read. We may earn a commission on books you buy by clicking on the cover image.
1Blood, Sweat & ChromeThe Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times gets the inside scoop (and then some!) on how George Miller’s unlikely 2015 hit, Mad Max: Fury Road, got made. The comprehensive oral history is crafted from 130 candid (and sometimes contradictory) interviews with those involved, including leads Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy – who discuss their on-set feud.
The Hollywood correspondent for The New York Times gets the inside scoop (and then some!) on how George Miller’s unlikely 2015 hit, Mad Max: Fury Road, got made. The comprehensive oral history is crafted from 130 candid (and sometimes contradictory) interviews with those involved, including leads Charlize Theron and Tom Hardy – who discuss their on-set feud.
2Camera ManIn this multi-faceted biography, Slate’s chief film critic puts the comedy genius into the context of his time, skillfully threading details of Buster Keaton’s life into cultural history, situating and illuminating him at the intersection of changes in the political and social status of women, developments in journalism and entertainment, and other disciplines.
In this multi-faceted biography, Slate’s chief film critic puts the comedy genius into the context of his time, skillfully threading details of Buster Keaton’s life into cultural history, situating and illuminating him at the intersection of changes in the political and social status of women, developments in journalism and entertainment, and other disciplines.
3Cimino: The Deer Hunter, Heaven’s Gate, and The Price of a VisionMichael Cimino, a former advertising creative, was “both reviled and praised” for his controversial behaviour, the author explains in this re-appraisal of the divisive filmmaker, who died in 2016. New research and interviews by Elton, the executive director of ITV in London, unpack the myths behind Cimino’s brilliant Oscar-winning Vietnam movie, The Deer Hunter, and over-budget flop, Heaven’s Gate (now considered a masterpiece), to shed light on the enigmatic director. (March 29)
Michael Cimino, a former advertising creative, was “both reviled and praised” for his controversial behaviour, the author explains in this re-appraisal of the divisive filmmaker, who died in 2016. New research and interviews by Elton, the executive director of ITV in London, unpack the myths behind Cimino’s brilliant Oscar-winning Vietnam movie, The Deer Hunter, and over-budget flop, Heaven’s Gate (now considered a masterpiece), to shed light on the enigmatic director. (March 29)
4Cinematic StyleThis book, by a historian of fashion, design and culture, is for anyone who is interested in the deeper meaning of screen trappings, such as James Bond’s slim-fit suits, or romps through memorable bedrooms and boudoirs that helped market newly liberated women (e.g. Doris Day’s Pillow Talk apartment), and who considers the use of Modernist architecture for evil lairs, like the Vandamm House in North by Northwest, as a metaphor for the dangerous future. (March 22)
This book, by a historian of fashion, design and culture, is for anyone who is interested in the deeper meaning of screen trappings, such as James Bond’s slim-fit suits, or romps through memorable bedrooms and boudoirs that helped market newly liberated women (e.g. Doris Day’s Pillow Talk apartment), and who considers the use of Modernist architecture for evil lairs, like the Vandamm House in North by Northwest, as a metaphor for the dangerous future. (March 22)
5Hollywood VictoryThe newest addition to TCM’s publishing imprint tells the story of the film industry’s involvement in the Second World War – how Hollywood talent made valuable contributions to Allied war efforts on the front lines and the home front. War bonds, recruitment films, troop morale – Christian Blauvelt, managing editor of the online industry publication, IndieWire – knows his subject inside and out. The history comes alive in this lavishly photographed book, which features a who’s who of Hollywood, from Clark Gable and Carole Lombard to Bob Hope and Orson Welles.
The newest addition to TCM’s publishing imprint tells the story of the film industry’s involvement in the Second World War – how Hollywood talent made valuable contributions to Allied war efforts on the front lines and the home front. War bonds, recruitment films, troop morale – Christian Blauvelt, managing editor of the online industry publication, IndieWire – knows his subject inside and out. The history comes alive in this lavishly photographed book, which features a who’s who of Hollywood, from Clark Gable and Carole Lombard to Bob Hope and Orson Welles.
6In Love with MoviesUp to his death in 2017 at the age of 91, art-house empresario Daniel Talbot was an influential tastemaker who expanded the minds of generations of movie-goers, first opening the Upper West Side’s New Yorker Theater in 1960, introducing audiences to art-house, foreign and independent movies as a film distributor, and later running Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. He championed future classics like My Dinner with Andre and Shoah (he was the first to bring the French Holocaust documentary to the U.S. as a “moral undertaking”). This engaging memoir of his long, behind-the-scenes career, posthumously edited by his wife and business partner Toby Talbot, may be a niche title, but for cineastes it’s a captivating front-row seat to the inner workings of the industry.
Up to his death in 2017 at the age of 91, art-house empresario Daniel Talbot was an influential tastemaker who expanded the minds of generations of movie-goers, first opening the Upper West Side’s New Yorker Theater in 1960, introducing audiences to art-house, foreign and independent movies as a film distributor, and later running Lincoln Plaza Cinemas. He championed future classics like My Dinner with Andre and Shoah (he was the first to bring the French Holocaust documentary to the U.S. as a “moral undertaking”). This engaging memoir of his long, behind-the-scenes career, posthumously edited by his wife and business partner Toby Talbot, may be a niche title, but for cineastes it’s a captivating front-row seat to the inner workings of the industry.
7Red CarpetIn the 1990s, Hollywood wooed the juggernaut Chinese market and that gambit has come home to roost as China’s economic leverage has evolved and grown. Film buffs interested in geopolitics will want to pick up this astute exploration of ideology, content, censorship and international box office influence by The Wall Street Journal’s Hollywood reporter. There’s a close look, for example, at how the 1997 drama Red Corner put Richard Gere on the superpower’s blacklist, as did his outspoken human rights advocacy (and alignment with the Dalai Lama, one of China’s state enemies), and the resulting effect on his career.
In the 1990s, Hollywood wooed the juggernaut Chinese market and that gambit has come home to roost as China’s economic leverage has evolved and grown. Film buffs interested in geopolitics will want to pick up this astute exploration of ideology, content, censorship and international box office influence by The Wall Street Journal’s Hollywood reporter. There’s a close look, for example, at how the 1997 drama Red Corner put Richard Gere on the superpower’s blacklist, as did his outspoken human rights advocacy (and alignment with the Dalai Lama, one of China’s state enemies), and the resulting effect on his career.
8Supreme ActressesIn this must-have coffee table tome, entertainment writer Marcellas Reynolds (Supreme Models) interviews Black actresses and highlights their experiences in the craft and industry, shining a spotlight on how their determination and success flew in the face of racial prejudice to revolutionize Hollywood. The subjects range from Josephine Baker, Ruby Dee, Hattie McDaniel (the first actress of colour to win an Academy Award, in 1939) to Cicely Tyson, who paved the way for reigning queens Regina King and Viola Davis.
In this must-have coffee table tome, entertainment writer Marcellas Reynolds (Supreme Models) interviews Black actresses and highlights their experiences in the craft and industry, shining a spotlight on how their determination and success flew in the face of racial prejudice to revolutionize Hollywood. The subjects range from Josephine Baker, Ruby Dee, Hattie McDaniel (the first actress of colour to win an Academy Award, in 1939) to Cicely Tyson, who paved the way for reigning queens Regina King and Viola Davis.
9Sofia Coppola: Forever YoungThis appreciation takes a thematic approach to Coppola’s work, grouping movies into sections such as Innocence, Celebrity & Excess (Marie Antoinette, naturally) or the relationship between Fathers & Daughters (Somewhere, On the Rocks). It also looks at her commercial work and music videos, featuring Q&As with collaborators such as cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, longtime editor Sarah Flack and muse Kirsten Dunst.
This appreciation takes a thematic approach to Coppola’s work, grouping movies into sections such as Innocence, Celebrity & Excess (Marie Antoinette, naturally) or the relationship between Fathers & Daughters (Somewhere, On the Rocks). It also looks at her commercial work and music videos, featuring Q&As with collaborators such as cinematographer Philippe Le Sourd, longtime editor Sarah Flack and muse Kirsten Dunst.
10The Feminist Film GuideThis compendium, charmingly illustrated by Bea Crespo, will enlighten and enliven your movie nights. The Canadian film critic, a former editor of the Cléo feminist film journal, recommends 100 movies that also pass the Bechdel Test (the pop-culture litmus wherein two female characters interact with one another – and it’s not about a man!). It’s a guide that sidesteps the usual suspects (and male gatekeepers) of the so-called canon, across genres and eras (from Stage Door and Alien to Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), to broaden perspectives. (March 22)
This compendium, charmingly illustrated by Bea Crespo, will enlighten and enliven your movie nights. The Canadian film critic, a former editor of the Cléo feminist film journal, recommends 100 movies that also pass the Bechdel Test (the pop-culture litmus wherein two female characters interact with one another – and it’s not about a man!). It’s a guide that sidesteps the usual suspects (and male gatekeepers) of the so-called canon, across genres and eras (from Stage Door and Alien to Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar), to broaden perspectives. (March 22)
11The First True HitchcockThe British film critic and professor goes deep to make the compelling case – as Hitchcock did – that the master of suspense’s 1927 silent film The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog is his foundational film, one that anticipated all the others (as well as the current rash of psychological thrillers). Placing the work in the context of film culture, between silent and sound pictures, is crucial, as is the look at Hitchcock’s interest in criminal intrigue and the way he created an unreliable narrator by concealing key information until the very end. Consider this a very plausible origin story.
The British film critic and professor goes deep to make the compelling case – as Hitchcock did – that the master of suspense’s 1927 silent film The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog is his foundational film, one that anticipated all the others (as well as the current rash of psychological thrillers). Placing the work in the context of film culture, between silent and sound pictures, is crucial, as is the look at Hitchcock’s interest in criminal intrigue and the way he created an unreliable narrator by concealing key information until the very end. Consider this a very plausible origin story.
12The MethodLady Gaga has said the Method approach helped her play the intense Patrizia in House of Gucci “on a cellular level.” This essential read by a U.S. critic and theatre director on the complex history of the influential, Russian-born, modern-acting system looks at its teachers and technique, how it altered Hollywood, where it’s been used, and why it’s often been misunderstood. It’s also a comprehensive primer that offers a better appreciation of the craft, with commentary on the performance of practitioners like James Dean and Meryl Streep.
Lady Gaga has said the Method approach helped her play the intense Patrizia in House of Gucci “on a cellular level.” This essential read by a U.S. critic and theatre director on the complex history of the influential, Russian-born, modern-acting system looks at its teachers and technique, how it altered Hollywood, where it’s been used, and why it’s often been misunderstood. It’s also a comprehensive primer that offers a better appreciation of the craft, with commentary on the performance of practitioners like James Dean and Meryl Streep.