I remember first purchasing 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die back before IMDB was such a robust bank of information. I studied every single page in Steven Jay Schneider’s massive tome that chronologically listed legendary films, and movies of import starting back in the late 1800s, using paper clips to mark the pages of films that I wanted to eventually see (I had yet to discover the magic of sticky tabs). Then, I would take the hefty book with me to my local video store — showing my age here — and I’d start at page one, rifling through each selection until I found the first film that was available for my viewing.
The book, now in its fifth edition, is still a must-have for cinephiles — even in this day and age of digital information — as not only does it contain all the pertinent details about each film on the list (production notes, cast & crew, awards, etc.), it also contains a well-executed and well-written essay on each film.
If you don’t have the time to read the massive anthology of films, then don’t worry. Film buff, Jonathan Keogh, put together a video that chronicles every film in the latest edition and then some — over 200 extra films were added. So, sit back, grab some popcorn — not too much, it’s only less than 11 minutes long — and watch a short history of cinema. And, do yourself a favor and put the book on your Christmas wish list — you won’t regret it.