As the temperatures plummet outside, now begins the season of indoor activities such as curling up with a good book or watching a movie while enjoying a bowl of popcorn. Why not consider connecting these two activities by reading a selection from the Libraries’ diverse collection of books about movies. Profiled below are three recent additions to this collection.
If you found culinary inspiration in “Babette’s Feast” or “Julie & Julia,” then you will want to check out Food in the Movies. In this revised edition, Steve Zimmerman examines the depiction of food in films beginning with the silent era, through the evolution of the food film genre in the 1980’s, and into the 21st century. Over 500 domestic and international films were reviewed for this work. The filmography at the end is briefly annotated with descriptions of significant food scenes or details in each movie. (Richardson Library, 791.436559 Z729F)
Many of us have laughed wholeheartedly at a good comedy and been grateful for the brief respite it provided. But the comedy genre is often not taken seriously in the film world. Saul Austerlitz researched and wrote Another Fine Mess: A History of American Film Comedy in an effort to address this disparity. He accomplishes this by presenting 30 biographical essays of the most influential personalities in the genre, and over 100 shorter profiles of celebrities who have made important contributions to comedy. (Loop Library, 791.4361709 A934A)
Have you overindulged while watching a food movie or laughed just a bit too hard at the antics in a comedy? Then perhaps a house call from a doctor on the big screen will be therapeutic. Reach for Brian Glasser’s Medicinema: Doctors in Films for an interesting list of movies that feature doctors. In this work, Glasser explores the role of physicians in films since the late 1800’s by analyzing a selection of movies ranging from horror to Japanese cinema. The goal of his analysis was to understand “what films have to say about doctors and doctoring–in how medicine looks through the lens” (p. 3). (Loop Library, 791.4365261 G5495M)