Mystery, Suspense, Film Noir and Detective Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Cinema Thrills

John Howard Reid
Lulu Books (2009)
ISBN 9780557122233
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (12/09)


Calling all old movie buffs!  This is a great guide for anyone who loves watching old movies.  The author does an excellent job capturing not only the great classics, but also some of the more obscure films that should not be missed. 

The first part of the book is organized alphabetically by movies. Each movie description is broken down by cast, synopsis, DVD guide and comments.  The author is very effective in his movie choices and I was glad to see some of my old favorites like “Rebecca,” “Vertigo” and “Spellbound.”  He also was not afraid to discuss the movies that leave a lot to be desired, like “The Woman in Green” where he described the plot as “so full of gaping holes, it makes no sense at all.”

The second part of the book is all about Noir, Crime and Mystery.  Reid does an excellent job describing what Noir is and then matches movies to the description.  He has many of the old favorites like the “Thin Man” series (which I still watch the entire series on New Year’s Day), “Casablanca” and the “Sherlock Holmes” movies. 

I know what I will be doing a lot of in 2010, as I came away with a long list of movies that I absolutely need to rent, like the “Canary Murders” with William Powell and “Gilda” with Rita Hayworth.  “Mystery, Suspense, Film Noir and Detective Movies on DVD: A Guide to the Best in Cinema Thrills” byJohn Howard Reid would make and excellent gift for someone who enjoys classic movies, especially those who are new to the mystery, suspense and film noir genre.   Unlike his review of the “Women in Green,” this guide book is not full of gaping holes and makes complete sense.

Make comment on weblog

FTC Disclosure