Videohound's Epics: Giants of the Big Screen - Softcover

VideoHound's highly subjective but always entertaining film series continues with two volumes that demonstrate how exciting this series continues to be. Wilhelm, curator of film at the Detroit Institute of Arts, presents short critiques (100-200 words) of hundreds of non-U.S. movies from all times and countries. Interspersed are short biographies of major directors and performers, and the book concludes with excellent indexes (alone worth its price). Happily, Wilhelm examines obscure films alongside the classics, and his selections are up-to-date, making this is a strong addition to any film library. Hopp's collection is less successful. By broadening the definition of "epic," Hopp (English, Howard Payne Univ.) forces 200 films as diverse as Ran, Pinocchio, Babe, and Long Day's Journey into Night under his umbrella. As with Wilhelm's volume, the writing is lively and informative, and illustrations abound, but few patrons are likely to think of many of these films as "epic," which diminishes the primacy of this otherwise useful book. However, as Hopp includes recent releases, Epics is also worth purchasing for most film libraries. Both volumes serve as excellent companions to Magill's various film reference sources (e.g., Film Annual; Survey of Cinema).AAnthony J. Adam, Prairie View A&M Univ., TX
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