Film critic Thomson (The New Biographical Dictionary of Film
) gives cinephiles and film novices alike a comprehensive yet personal list of 1,000 must-see films. Arranged alphabetically—a chronological index is included—Thomson's tome opens with a slapstick American comedy (1948's Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
) and closes with a social critique from talented Italian director, Antonioni (Zabriskie Point
from 1970). For Thomson, films are products of both their time and our own, and the act of watching (and re-watching) reminds us that film is a medium where the past perpetually enhances the present. It can't be a coincidence that the oldest entry (1895's L'Arrosseur Arrossé
) and the newest (2007's No Country for Old Men
) are both twists on the revenge epic helmed by innovative brothers (the Lumières and the Coens, respectively). As Thomson points out, “Story is as long and twisty as a hose. It goes on forever.” (Oct. 15)
