All this time in quarantine got me thinking… About ways to be creative, and a nagging idea for a short film. Yes, by now you all know I went to film school so it’s about time I made something that wasn’t a silent, black and white, 16 mm actual celluloid film.
I’ve been watching some really inspiring films like Before We Go and Prisoners (very different but also very on brand for me). And then I remembered my film books. I have a stack of nonfiction books that I realized could inspire me and could maybe get you thinking about film as well.
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If You Love Film, You Need These 5 Film Books
1. Down and Dirty: Miramax, Sundance, And the Rise of Independent Film by Peter Biskind
Calling Miramax controversial (especially in 2021) is an obvious track but what the studio did in the 1990s was astounding. They were cranking out Oscar-winning films faster than people could watch them. This was also when Sundance exploded in Utah. And we got directors like Quentin Tarantino and Steven Soderbergh.
Yes, this is pretty niche. But remember, I started film school in 1999 so Sundance and Miramax were the Hail Mary goals for a lot of us back then. It’s a juicy story that you can leave on your nightstand, scouring a few pages every night. It’s the best kind of fodder for filmmaker dreamland.
2. The Sundance Kids: How the Mavericks Took Back Hollywood by James Mottram
Sundance will always be THE place for independent films. It gave us an entire generation of filmmakers. The Sundance Kids starts and finishes with Soderbergh. Included are both P.T and Wes Anderson, as well as Spike Jonze and Sofia Coppola. In other words, it covers literally everyone I wanted to be while studying film.
Legendary filmmakers took artistic films and moved them into mainstream Hollywood. Such a feat isn’t something we will see again. If you’ve ever wanted to go to Park City and live your indie dreams, this book is a good place to start.
3. Obscene, Indecent, Immoral, and Offensive: 100+ Years of Censored, Banned, and Controversial films by Stephen Tropiano
If you’ve taken even one film course, you’ve probably heard about Birth of a Nation, widely considered the most racist film ever made. Maybe you learned about Rosemary’s Baby, which is now thought of as a classic. Film has always been known for controversy and this film book talks about it all.
Chapters include religion, sex, bad language, and more. How the world has changed since the invention of film and how people’s perception or acceptance of certain ideas have changed are to me. I think about the last 20 years and wonder what could be added to the updated version of this book.
Requiem for a Dream is not an easy film to watch but it’s my answer when someone asks me what my favourite movie is. There are others, of course: Fahrenheit 9/11, Brokeback Mountain, 12 Years a Slave… Hollywood’s attempt at censorship has changed in the past century, and it’ll be something I continue to follow as it evolves in our current century.
4. Bullets Over Hollywood: The American Gangster Picture From the Silents to “The Sopranos” by John McCarty
You can’t beat a good gangster film. It’s a genre that continues to expand and will always be popular, as are its films: The Godfather, The Usual Suspects. The idea of being a gangster, the glamour, the violence – we all know it and have had moments imagining ourselves living it. McCarty’s book walks you through it all, comparing real life stories to their film counterparts. This is a must read for anyone who knows to leave the gun and take the cannoli.
5. Best. Movie. Year. Ever.: How 1999 Blew Up the Big Screen by Brian Raftery
1999 was the year I started film school so I’m confident in saying I’ve seen every movie this book discusses. These were the movies my whole world revolved around. Essays were written. Late nights were spent watching and rewatching scenes. Among the most memorable were Fight Club, Election, The Blair Witch Project, Three Kings, and The Virgin Suicides. We’ve done an entire podcast episode on The Virgin Suicides because I love the book and the film so much.
I still have my essay that I wrote on Coppola’s debut. And really, there were so many other amazing films! I could go on and on! Technology was changing. Old limits were being surpassed. The year 1999 really did change cinema in ways I’m still noticing today. I picked this film book up recently and absolutely cannot wait to dive in.
Bonus CanCon – The Artist as Monster: The Cinema of David Cronenberg by William Beard
Like all Canadian media, we do our best to hit 55% Canadian content. I’m joking, but we do love working with Canadian publishers and reading Canadian authors. Which is why, when talking about film books, I had to include this selection.
Cronenberg is a fascinating filmmaker who has had major exhibits at art galleries and cinematheques worldwide. He is always making you think about disease, sexuailty, and metamorphosis, whether that be of the soul or the physical being like in The Fly. Canadian filmmakers have an incredibly unique view on art and I can never get enough. Can someone write a book like this about Denis Villeneuve? Wait… Should I?
Film Books to Get the Creative Juices Flowing
Yes, these may be a little nerdy, a little heavy, but they get me thinking and that is what a good book should do. Anything that breeds creativity is my jam. Thinking back to film school and the amazing films that came out during those four years reminds me of the essay collections I always wanted to write.
My stack of nonfiction film books is a shelf on my bookcase I will never purge. Film will always hold a special place in my heart and my mind. And when two of my creative loves come together (film and books), it’s bound to be a fire-starter of ideas and passions.
What books inspire you to work on your creative passions? Let us know!
