Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

People love movies. People love lists. So The A-List is a natural. While there are plenty of encyclopedic lists of films, this compulsively readable book of 100 essays -- most written expressly for this volume-flags the best of the best as chosen by a consensus of the National Society of Film Critics. The Society is a world-renowned, marquee -- name organization embracing some of America's most distinguished critics: more than forty writers who have national followings as well as devoted local constituencies in such major cities as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Minneapolis. But make no mistake about it: This isn't a collection of esoteric "critic's choice" movies. The Society has made its selections based on a film's intrinsic merits, its role in the development of the motion-picture art, and its impact on culture and society. Some of the choices are controversial. So are some of the omissions. It will be a jumping-off point for discussions for years to come. And since the volume spans all international films from the very beginning, it will act as a balance to recent guides dominated by films of the last two decades (hardly film's golden age). Here is a book that is definitely ready for its close-up.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• Introduction (p. xv)
• 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) (p. 1)
• 42ND Street (1933) (p. 4)
• The 400 Blows (1959) (p. 8)
• All About Eve (1950) (p. 11)
• Annie Hall (1977) (p. 14)
• Ashes and Diamonds (1958) (p. 17)
• L'Atalante (1934) (p. 20)
• The Bank Dick (1940) (p. 24)
• The Battleship Potemkin (1925) (p. 27)
• The Birth of A Nation (1915) (p. 30)
• Blow-Up (1966) (p. 34)
• Bonnie and Clyde (1967) (p. 38)
• Breathless (1960) (p. 43)
• Bringing Up Baby (1938) (p. 48)
• Casablanca (1942) (p. 51)
• The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978) (p. 55)
• Children of Paradise (1945) (p. 58)
• Chinatown (1974) (p. 61)
• Citizen Kane (1941) (p. 65)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) (p. 69)
• Closely Watched Trains (1967) (p. 72)
• Close-Up (1990) (p. 76)
• Dance, Girl, Dance (1940) (p. 79)
• The Decalogue (1988) (p. 81)
• Diary of A Country Priest (1951) (p. 84)
• Diner (1982) (p. 88)
• Do the Right Thing (1989) (p. 91)
• La Dolce Vita (1959) (p. 94)
• Double Indemnity (1944) (p. 97)
• Duck Soup (1933) (p. 100)
• Easy Rider (1969) (p. 104)
• Enter the Dragon (1973) (p. 107)
• The Entertainer (1960) (p. 110)
• The Exorcist (1973) (p. 113)
• Faces (1968) (p. 116)
• Fargo (1996) (p. 118)
• Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein (1931, 1935) (p. 121)
• The General (1927) (p. 125)
• The Godfather and the Godfather Part II (1972, 1974) (p. 128)
• Gone With the Wind (1939) (p. 132)
• The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964) (p. 136)
• The Graduate (1967) (p. 138)
• Greed (1924) (p. 141)
• Happy Together (1997) (p. 144)
• High Noon (1952) (p. 147)
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956) (p. 151)
• Jailhouse Rock (1957) (p. 153)
• Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, Red Sorghum (1990, 1991, 1987) (p. 156)
• Killer of Sheep (1977) (p. 159)
• L.A. Confidential (1997) (p. 163)
• Landscape in the Mist (1988) (p. 167)
• Lawrence of Arabia (1962) (p. 170)
• M (1931) (p. 173)
• The Maltese Falcon (1941) (p. 176)
• The Man With A Movie Camera (1929) (p. 179)
• The Marriage of Maria Braun (1978) (p. 181)
• Metropolis (1927) (p. 182)
• Modern Times (1936) (p. 185)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) (p. 188)
• Nashville (1975) (p. 191)
• The Night of the Hunter (1955) (p. 194)
• Night of the Living Dead (1968) (p. 198)
• Nosferatu (1922) (p. 200)
• Los Olvidados (1950) (p. 203)
• On the Waterfront (1954) (p. 206)
• Open City (1945) (p. 208)
• The Palm Beach Story (1942) (p. 212)
• Pandora's Box (1928) (p. 215)
• The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) (p. 219)
• Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of APU (1956, 1958, 1960) (p. 222)
• The Piano (1993) (p. 226)
• Psycho (1960) (p. 229)
• The Public Enemy (1931) (p. 232)
• Pulp Fiction (1994) (p. 236)
• Raging Bull (1980) (p. 238)
• Rashomon (1950) (p. 241)
• Rebel Without A Cause (1955) (p. 245)
• The Rules of the Game (1939) (p. 248)
• Schindler's List (1993) (p. 253)
• The Searchers (1956) (p. 256)
• The Seven Samurai (1954) (p. 258)
• The Seventh Seal (1957) (p. 261)
• Singin' in the Rain (1952) (p. 264)
• Star Wars (1977) (p. 267)
• La Strada and Nights of Cabiria (1955, 1957) (p. 270)
• Sunrise (1927) (p. 275)
• Sunset Boulevard (1950) (p. 279)
• The Thief of Bagdad (1924) (p. 284)
• Tokyo Story (1953) (p. 286)
• Top Hat (1935) (p. 288)
• Touch of Evil (1958) (p. 290)
• Trouble in Paradise (1935) (p. 293)
• Ugetsu Monogatari (1953) (p. 298)
• Unforgiven (1992) (p. 304)
• Les Vampires (1915) (p. 307)
• Vertigo (1958) (p. 310)
• The Wild Bunch (1969) (p. 315)
• Winchester '73 (1953) (p. 318)
• The Wizard of oz (1939) (p. 322)
• Written on the Wind (1956) (p. 325)
• Contributors (p. 329)
• Index (p. 333)
• Permissions (p. 347)

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

These two volumes by Ebert, possibly America's most famous film critic, and by the American Association of Film Critics, a group that includes Ebert essentially define the canon of American film studies. Both volumes provide short essays on 100 different films. Although one list has been chosen by a group of film writers and critics after much discussion and dissent and the other is a highly personal compendium of "landmarks of the first century of cinema," the lists are stunningly similar. Together, they provide a survey of the American and foreign films that have provoked the most interest in American film critics. It would be fair to note that American films dominate, with American productions accounting for 50-60 percent of the titles in both volumes and the rest of the world being represented by an assortment of European works and a handful of Asian films. Ebert's essays are culled from his weekly feature in the Chicago Sun Times (check out the paper's web site to read the essays); The A List entries are written by a number of well-known film writers, including Carr, Andrew Sarris, Robert Sklar, and Armond White. The essays in both books are well written, accessible, and, in many cases, thought-provoking. Whether both books are necessary purchases is another matter. It is unlikely that any moderately comprehensive collection will need another couple of essays about Citizen Kane; 2001, A Space Odyssey; or Battleship Potemkin. However, the collections do discuss many lesser-known films, such as Dance, Girl Dance; Happy Together; and the British "Up" documentaries, and so could be a wonderful introduction to 20th-century cinema for the general reader. Both books are recommended for academic and public libraries, though the fact that Ebert's essays have already been published and in circulation for some years recommends The A List over The Great Movies if a choice has to be made. Andrea Slonosky, Long Island Univ., Brooklyn, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Publishers Weekly Review

Perhaps it's the relative youth of the medium, but there's something about film that inspires the endless creation of lists. In the latest attempt at canon making, the National Society of Film Critics has compiled 100 of the most essential not necessarily best films of all time. Each choice is defended in a brief essay by a prominent critic like Peter Travers, Morris Dickstein or J. Hoberman. The films range from predictable giants Metropolis, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bonnie and Clyde, Star Wars, The Godfather to more idiosyncratic selections like The Exorcist and Schindler's List. The critics convincingly argue that there is something artistically important about each of these pictures. The essays are often personal (with a refreshing absence of grandiloquent commentary), making the choices hard to dispute, even though heated debates are precisely what the book means to inspire. Dave Kehr's piece on Birth of a Nation and Eleanor Ringel's on Gone with the Wind show why these films, as racist as they are, deserve inclusion. Among the personal anecdotes is Roger Ebert's recollection of seeing The Battleship Potemkin, the classic Soviet revolutionary film, outdoors on a summer night in Michigan. While not every film lover will devour it cover to cover, these individual takes on old favorites make this good reading and a handy resource. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved