From classicism to comedy, Kubrick to the Coen Brothers, this practical and instructive guide offers a straightforward approach to film in an accessible format: a perfect read for novices and experts alike. A fresh, engaging, and beautifully illustrated volume, Talk About Cinema is the ideal companion for those looking to gain a deeper understanding of cinema today. The main genres of contemporary cinema are clearly defined and exemplified, and chapters on major dates, turning points, and "firsts" since the turn of the twentieth century allow the reader to contextualize different cinematic movements. From Postmodernism and Expressionism to Teen Movies, Westerns, and Science Fiction, all the major trends and styles of recent times are explored and provide a detailed picture of the contemporary cinematic landscape. The portraits of thirty eminent contemporary filmmakers offer valuable insight into the creative and stylistic processes of some of the greatest names in world cinema, while a chapter on twenty seminal works from the last century details those films that have proved inspirational in shaping cinema as we know it today, such as The Twilight Zone, Scarface, and Night of the Living Dead. Hundreds of screenshots and original photographs of legendary actors and directors on set and on screen provide snapshots of their glamorous world, and an easy-to-use glossary ensures that the reader is never overwhelmed by jargon. If you want to understand and discuss film-related topics, Talk About Cinema effortlessly synthesizes a wealth of pertinent facts and ideas into a fun, didactic, and readable volume.

Andrey Tarkovsky was the most important Russian filmmaker of the post-war era, and one of the world’s most renowned cinematic geniuses.

Tarkovsky’s films are characterized by metaphysical themes, extended takes, an absence of conventional dramatic structure and plot, and a dream-like, visionary style of cinematography. They achieve a spiritual intensity and transcendent beauty that many consider being without parallel.

He directed the first five of his seven films – Ivan’s Childhood, Andrei Rublev, Solaris, Mirror and Stalker – in the Soviet Union, but in 1982 defected to Italy, where he made Nostalgia. His final film, The Sacrifice, was produced in Sweden in 1985.

This book presents extended sequences of stills from each of the films alongside synopses and cast and crew listings. It includes reflections on Tarkovsky’s work from fellow artists and writers including Jean-Paul Sartre and Ingmar Bergman, for whom Tarkovsky was ‘the greatest, the one who invented a new language.’

Extracts from Tarkovsky’s own writings and diaries offer a wealth of insights into his poetic and philosophical views on cinematography, which he described as ‘sculpting in time'. The book also reproduces many personal Polaroid photographs that confirm the extraordinarily poetic vision of a great artist who died aged only 54, but who remains a potent influence on artists and filmmakers today.

Contents List:

Essay by Andrej Tarkovsky Jr: The Closed Time • A Tarkovsky Biography • An Introduction to the Films by H. J. Schlegel • Essays on Tarkovsky • Private Photos and Polaroids: Russia

About the Author:

Andrey A. Tarkovsky is the son of filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky.
Hans-Joachim Schlegel is a film historian and the editor and translator of the writings of Sergei Eisenstein and Andrei Tarkovsky.

List of Contributors:

Lothar Schirmer, Hans-Joachim Schlegel, Jean-Paul Sartre, Sven Nykvist, Erland Josephson, Ingmar Bergman, Chingiz Aitmatov, Aleksandr Sokurov

Your daily dose of cinema

A movie a day keeps the doctor away

Make every day a showpiece, with TASCHEN’s 365 Day-by-Day Movie Icons, the reusable calendar featuring a seminal movie image and related quote for each new date. Rediscover tantalizing scenes and terrific starlets; perfect villains and stunning sets; as well as that reassuring feeling of turning a page to mark the new day. You’ll also learn the birthdays of cinema’s greatest stars, so you can celebrate the dates on which the silver screen got that much brighter.

This title covers your favorite flicks. This is our choice of must-see masterpieces. They say that in life, there are winners and there are losers. Though the movies we selected for this two-volume collection are winners indeed, those that didn't make the cut aren't losers. We just didn't like them quite as much. It was a tough, soul-searching process, but after much debate and deliberation Taschen settled on what we believe to be the 100 finest examples of 20th century filmmaking. From horror to romance, noir to slapstick, adventure to tragedy, epic to musical, western to new wave, all genres are represented in this wide-ranging and devilishly fun compendium. "Metropolis"? Check. "Modern Times"? Yep. "Citizen Kane", "The Seven Samurai"? Of course. "La dolce vita", "Psycho", "A Clockwork Orange"? You bet. Plus "The Godfather", "Annie Hall", "Blue Velvet", "Pulp Fiction"...and so many more cinematic gems including lesser-known masterpieces like Bunuel's "The Young and the Damned". Think of this collection as a celebration of contrasts, an homage to the seventh art, a gathering of greats, and a nostalgic romp through celluloid history. Chronological entries each include a synopsis, cast/crew listings, technical information, actor/director bios, trivia, and lists of awards, as well as film stills, production photos, and the original poster for each film. The chapter for each decade begins with an introduction exploring the historical and social context of films made in that era.

Триллер и мелодрама, фильм нуар и водевиль, приключения и трагедия, эпопея и мюзикл, вестерн и ультрасовременное кино — в этой замечательной книге вы найдете фильмы любого жанра и на любой вкус. Великолепная коллекция кино, являющая собой настоящий памятник этому виду искусства, предлагает совершить ностальгическое путешествие по истории кинематографа. Расположенные в хронологическом порядке, все описания фильмов включают в себя подробную техническую информацию, биографии режиссеров и актеров, интересные факты и списки наград и призов, а также кадры из фильмов, фотографии, документирующие работу съемочной группы, и оригинальные постеры. Книга разбита на главы, посвященные одному десятилетию, и каждая глава начинается со вступительной статьи, раскрывающей исторический и социальный контекст появления того или иного фильма

Compulsive viewing. How the TV series became a 21st-century addiction

From Twin Peaks to True Detective, this anthology of the most important and successful recent TV celebrates one of the greatest cultural movements of our time: the small screen revolution. Featuring abundant stills, series fact files and fascinating insights into the making of television art: Who were the trendsetters? What inspired the creators? Learn something new about your favourite shows, and about those you're still to discover.

Their names are Walter White, Birgitte Nyborg and Don Draper and they are the stars of a cultural revolution. In the last decade, shows like Breaking Bad, Borgen and Mad Men have toppled cinema from its leading position in the popular culture universe and ushered in a whole new level of small screen excellence and appreciation.

With ambition to tear down the barriers around commercial television, networks such as HBO, AMC, and ABC have launched a new era of cinematic narrative, while cable TV networks, DVDs, and the Internet have brought about new, flexible ways of watching and engaging. Global fan communities devour episode after episode, season after season, independently of programs and broadcasting schedules, and probe the multiple levels of meaning in their favourite series in blogs, fan groups and online forums.

Alongside a wealth of stills, this overview of the TV revolution presents the most important and successful series of recent years, from David Lynch’s groundbreaking masterpiece Twin Peaks to current highlights like Game of Thrones, Girls and House of Cards. Who were the trendsetters? What inspired the creators? Find all of the facts about authors and actors, influences and backgrounds, sequels and spin-offs. Learn something new about your favourite shows, and about those you're still to discover.

The author:

Jürgen Müller holds the chair of Early Modern and Modern Art History at the Technical University of Dresden. He studied art history at the universities of Bochum, Münster, Pisa, Paris and Amsterdam, and has worked as an art critic and curated numerous exhibitions. He is also the editor of TASCHEN’s movies by decade series.

Academy Award-winning writer/director James Cameron, the maker of Titanic and the creator of the Terminator series, has been crafting Avatar for over four years.

The film follows the story of an ex-marine who finds himself thrust into hostilities on a distant planet filled with exotic life forms. As an avatar, a human consciousness in an alien body, he finds himself torn between two worlds, in a desperate fight for his own survival and that of the indigenous people. The Art of Avatar, the companion book to this epic 3-D action-adventure, explores the developmental and conceptual art used by the creative team to create the original world of Avatar.

With over 100 exclusive full-colour images including sketches, matte paintings, drawings, and film stills, The Art of Avatar reveals the process behind the creation of set designs for the imaginative vistas, unique landscapes, aerial battle scenes, bioluminescent nights, and fantastical creatures. Interviews with art directors, visual effects designers, animators, costume designers, and creature makers bring insight into this creative process. The Art of Avatar brings readers behind the scenes of this unprecedented moviegoing experience.

Founded in 1994 by Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen, DreamWorks Animation instantly became a world-renowned animation studio with blockbuster franchises including Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda. Though its earliest films, such as The Prince of Egypt, feature traditional hand-drawn cel animation, DreamWorks soon forayed into claymation with Chicken Run and Wallace & Gromit, and pioneered advanced computer animation with films such as Antz, Shark Tale, and How to Train Your Dragon.

Brimming with concept art, preproduction designs, and char­acter sketches, DreamWorks Animation marks the studio’s 20th anniversary and offers unprecedented behind-the-scenes access into its archives. An introduction by DreamWorks cofounder Katzenberg provides insider perspective on the studio’s most popular films, as does running commentary from artists and direc­tors on all of DreamWorks’ 30 films to date.

This book is a visual chronicle of the Lucasfilm art department’s creation of new worlds, unforgettable characters and newly imagined droids, vehicles and weapons for the first movie in the Star Wars Anthology series — Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. In the same format and style as Abrams’ The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the book gives readers unprecedented access to hundreds of concept paintings, sketches, storyboards, matte paintings, blueprints and character, costume, and vehicle designs. The Art of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story will stand as the definitive guide to the artwork and imagination behind the newest chapter in the Star Wars franchise and will delight Star Wars fans and cineastes for decades to come.

Directed by Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters), with production design by Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont, Rogue One chronicles the adventures of a Rebel cell tasked with a desperate mission: to steal the plans for the Death Star before it can be used to enforce the Emperor’s rule. The all-star cast includes Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Forest Whitaker, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Riz Ahmen, Ben Mendelsohn, and Donnie Yen.

About the Authors

Josh Kushins has worked steadily for various Hollywood studios most recently on the Publicity teams for Lucasfilm Ltd. and DC Comics, and is the Director of Special Projects at the American Film Institute. He is the author of The Art of John Carter: A Visual Journey (Disney, 2012).

Doug Chiang and Neil Lamont served as co-production designers for Rogue One.

BAFTA–nominated Gareth Edwards (Monsters, Godzilla [2014]) served as director.

his official behind-the-scenes companion to the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian features exclusive concept art, character and costume sketches, and vehicle and creature designs.

The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian takes fans behind the scenes of the first-ever live-action Star Wars television series. Filled with concept art, sketches, and interviews with key cast, crew, and creatives, including executive producer/showrunner/writer Jon Favreau and executive producer/director Dave Filoni, The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian will provide readers with an exclusive look at a whole new universe of Star Wars characters, locations, and vehicles.

Premiering in November 2019 as a key launch title for Disney+, The Mandalorian follows the adventures of galactic gunslinger Din Djarin and the Child as they traverse the outer systems of the galaxy and evade remnants of the Empire. Readers will encounter early visual and conceptual ideas for these new characters and unexplored frontiers, filled with crime syndicates, bounty hunters, and smugglers. The gritty, lived-in cantinas and spaceports are populated by a talented cast that includes Pedro Pascal (Game of Thrones), Werner Herzog (Fitzcarraldo, Grizzly Man), Nick Nolte (48 Hours), Gina Carano (Haywire, Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), and Carl Weathers (Rocky).

About the Authors:

Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak has worked in conjunction with Star Wars art departments since 2008. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Szostak ran the JAK Films Art Department at Skywalker Ranch for more than three years before joining the narrative design team on LucasArts’ Star Wars: 1313. He is also the author of The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Abrams, 2015), The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Abrams, 2017), The Art of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (Abrams, 2020), and The Art of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, Season Two (Abrams, 2022). He lives in San Francisco. 

Doug Chiang is an Academy Award®–winning artist, author, and production designer. As creative director for Industrial Light & Magic, he served as visual effects art director of films such as Terminator 2: Judgment Day, The Mask, and Forrest Gump. In 1995, George Lucas personally selected Chiang to serve as head of the Lucasfilm art department for seven years on Star Wars: Episodes I and II. He left Lucasfilm in 2002 to form his own design studio, IceBlink Studios. Chiang returned to Lucasfilm in 2013 to work on Star Wars: The Force Awakens and currently serves as Lucasfilm VP and executive creative director. He served as production designer and design supervisor on The Mandalorian seasons one and two.

The official behind-the-scenes concept, production, and post-production art for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Go inside the creative process behind the most anticipated film of the century. The latest trilogy in the Star Wars film series brings the Skywalker Saga to a close and The Art of The Rise of Skywalker will take readers into the creative process behind visualizing the epic worlds, creatures, characters, costumes, weapons and vehicles of the landmark conclusion more than 40 years in the making.

About the Author

Lucasfilm creative art manager Phil Szostak has worked in conjunction with Star Wars art departments since 2008. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York, Szostak ran the JAK Films Art Department on Skywalker Ranch for more than three years before joining the narrative design team on LucasArts’s Star Wars: 1313. He is also the author of The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Abrams, 2015); The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Abrams, 2017) and The Art of Solo: A Star Wars Story (Abrams, 2018)

First published in 1973, The Art of Walt Disney is one of the most successful and influential illustrated art books on American popular culture ever published. This book was the first to reveal the wealth of concept art, animation drawings, and archival material created in the course of animating films. In this newly revised edition, author Christopher Finch has thoroughly reworked every chapter to incorporate the vast achievements of The Walt Disney Company in filmmaking, theater, and theme parks, from Walt’s day to the present, including all-new exciting chapters on Pixar Animation Studio and Walt Disney Animation along with extensive interviews with their chief creative officer, John Lasseter, and president, Ed Catmull. Offering hundreds of new images and unparalleled access to leading filmmakers and artists at The Walt Disney Company, The Art of Walt Disney will once again capture the imaginations of animation fans young and old.

Brilliance in a bowler hat. Delving into the archives of slapstick genius

Three years in the making, and leaving no document unturned in the vast Chaplin archives, this XL tome follows the making of every one of Chaplin’s films. Featuring personal letters and memos, sketches, storyboards, posters, on-set photos, and oral history from Chaplin and some of his closest collaborators, it reveals the impromptu invention as well as the meticulous planning that together made Chaplin the first international film star. A precious 12 frame strip from City Lights (1931), cut from a 35 mm print in Chaplin’s archives, is included in the first print run.

Within a year of arriving in Hollywood in 1914, British-born Charlie Chaplin had become the slapstick king of America. By the end of his second year on the silver screen, Chaplin’s fame had spread worldwide. He was the first international film star and rapidly one of the richest men in the world, with a million-dollar contract, his own studio and his stock company of close collaborators. From Alaska to Zimbabwe, the bowler hat, cane, baggy trousers and outsized shoes of the Tramp became, and remains an instantly recognizable silhouette.

With unrestricted access to the Chaplin archives, TASCHEN presents the ultimate book on the making of every one of his films. With 900 images, including stills, memos, storyboards and on-set photos, as well as interviews with Chaplin and his closest collaborators, it reveals the process behind the Chaplin genius, from the impromptu invention of early shots to the meticulous retakes and reworking of scenes and gags in his classic movies: The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and the provocative Hitler parody The Great Dictator (1940).

The book includes:

- The Chaplin life history in words and pictures
- 900 images including many previously unseen stills, on-set photos, memos, documents, storyboards, posters, and designs, plus scripts and images for unmade films
- An oral history, told from the point of view of Chaplin himself, drawing upon his extensive writings, many of which have never been reprinted before.
- Supplementary interviews with some of his closest collaborators.
- Material from over 150 books of press clippings in Chaplin’s archives, which range from his early days in music halls to his death
- Chaplin’s short films, from Making a Living (1914) to The Pilgrim (1923), as well as all of his feature-length movies, from The Kid (1921) to A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)
- The first print run of 10,000 copies includes a precious 12 frame strip from City Lights (1931), cut from a 35 mm print in Chaplin’s archives.

Documents from the Chaplin Archives Property and Copyright of Roy Export Company Establishment, scanned by Cineteca di Bologna

The editor:

Paul Duncan is a film historian whose TASCHEN books include The James Bond Archives, The Charlie Chaplin Archives, The Godfather Family Album, Taxi Driver, Film Noir, and Horror Cinema, as well as publications on film directors, film genres, movie stars, and film posters.

Brilliance in a Bowler Hat. Delving into the archives of slapstick genius

Within a year of arriving in Hollywood in 1914, British-born Charlie Chaplin had become the slapstick king of America. By the end of his second year on the silver screen, Chaplin’s fame had spread worldwide. He was the first international film star and rapidly one of the richest men in the world, with a million-dollar contract, his own studio and his stock company of close collaborators. From Alaska to Zimbabwe, the bowler hat, cane, baggy trousers and outsized shoes of the Tramp became, and remains, an instantly recognizable silhouette.

With unrestricted access to the Chaplin archives, TASCHEN presents the ultimate book on the making of every one of his films. With 900 images, including stills, memos, storyboards and on-set photos, as well as interviews with Chaplin and his closest collaborators, it reveals the process behind the Chaplin genius, from the impromptu invention of early shots to the meticulous retakes and reworking of scenes and gags in his classic movies: The Kid (1921), The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), City Lights (1931), Modern Times (1936), and the provocative Hitler parody The Great Dictator (1940).

The book includes:

- The Chaplin life history in words and pictures
- 900 images including many previously unseen stills, on-set photos, memos, documents, storyboards, posters, and designs, plus scripts and images for unmade films
- An oral history, told from the point of view of Chaplin himself, drawing upon his extensive writings, many of which have never been reprinted before.
- Supplementary interviews with some of his closest collaborators.
- Material from over 150 books of press clippings in Chaplin’s archives, which range from his early days in music halls to his death
- Chaplin’s short films, from Making a Living (1914) to The Pilgrim (1923), as well as all of his feature-length movies, from The Kid (1921) to A Countess from Hong Kong (1967)

The editor:

Paul Duncan is a film historian whose TASCHEN books include The Star Wars Archives, The James Bond Archives, The Charlie Chaplin Archives, The Godfather Family Album, Taxi Driver, Film Noir, and Horror Cinema, as well as publications on film directors, film genres, and movie stars.

Images and documents from the Chaplin Archives, © and/or Property of The Roy Export Company Ltd., scanned by Cineteca di Bologna

Selections from Steve Schapiro's photographs provide an insider's view of the making of the legendary trilogy.This edition is limited to 1,000 copies, each numbered and signed by Steve Schapiro.

Imagine the experience of witnessing renowned actors as they made their most memorable performances. Steve Schapiro has had such a privilege as special photographer on some of American cinema's most beloved movies. For Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather trilogy, Schapiro immortalized actors such as Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Robert Duvall, and Diane Keaton. His photographs of the Godfather holding the cat and the whisper in the Godfather's ear have become iconic images known throughout the world. Brought together in a book for the first time is a vast selection of images from all three Godfather films, reproduced from Schapiro's original negatives.

This lavish, limited edition book, which also includes background articles and interviews about the films, contains over 400 color and black & white images, most of which have never been published before. It allows fans a privileged peek behind the scenes at the making of film history and it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime offer you can't refuse.

As special photographer on the sets and locations of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather trilogy, Steve Schapiro had the remarkable experience of witnessing legendary actors giving some of their most memorable performances.

Schapiro immortalized Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton in photos that have since become iconic images, instantly recognisable and endlessly imitated. Gathered together for the first time in this book are Schapiro's finest photographs from all three Godfather films, lovingly reproduced from the original negatives. With contextual essays and interviews covering the trilogy in its entirety, this book contains over 400 color and black & white images.

Schapiro's images take us behind the scenes of this epic and inimitable cinematic saga, revealing the director's working process, capturing the moods and personalities involved, and providing insight into the making of movie history.