Library Journal called the earlier version of this work, then titled
The Movie List Book , ‘the most valuable film reference in several years’. Now, ten years later, it has been completely revamped to include over 670 entries on a variety of film themes, settings and series. Each entry contains a mini-essay that defines the topic, followed by a chronological list of representative films. The entries range from themes (reincarnation, viral epidemics, and twins) to settings (lighthouses, asylums, and sewers), occupations (librarians, lumberjacks, and veterinarians), supernatural and mythological creatures (vampires, mermaids, and gorgons), sports (golf, football, and pool), animals (alligators, dogs, and whales) - and of course hundreds more. The book also contains an extensive list of film characters and series, including: B-movie detectives (Mr. Moto and Philo Vance); Western heroes (The Durango Kid and Red Ryder); made-for-television film series ( Moment of Truth
and
In the Line of Duty ); and, foreign film good guys (El Santo) and bad guys (Fantomas). Many entries are cross-referenced to direct readers to related topics. From the Abominable Snowman to Zorro, this encyclopedia provides film scholars and fans with an easy-to-use reference volume for researching film themes or tracking down obscure movies on subjects such as suspended animation, robots, submarines, ventriloquists, and the Olympics.