Performing Arts, Reference 

Joseph McBride is mostly known for cooking up feasts for the mind--learned books on great directors (Steven Spielberg, Orson Welles, Hawks on Hawks). This book of addictive tidbits is more like a jumbo box of Jujubes. Though it boasts some privileged Hollywood insider gossip (4 Actors Whose Bodies Were Stolen; the untold story of Rock 'n' Roll High School, which McBride cowrote), it's mostly a superb tool for video shopping by someone with diverse tastes, bottomless knowledge, and a yen for fun. Check out these lists: The 10 Unlikeliest Movie Couples; The 10 Sexiest Movie Nuns; 17 Great Close-Ups; 17 Great Female-Female Buddy Movies; The 17 Most Memorable Movie Kisses; The 30 Greatest Overlooked Performances; 23 Credit-Card Movies and What They Cost; The 25 Best Unexpected Musical Numbers in Movies; John Ford's Favorite Movies; Truffaut's Favorite Movies About Kids; Steven Spielberg's Gradeschool Teacher's Favorite Teacher Movies; Movies That Most Embarrass Their Stars and Directors; The 32 Best Screenwriters and Their Three Best Films; 35 Brilliant and 10 Most Ridiculous Literary Adaptations; 48 Movies About Happy Marriages; Best and Worst Performances by Film Directors; Best and Worst Mental-Hospital Movies.

All this, plus short essays about the hidden forces controlling the Oscars, unsung collaborators of famous directors, the best story pitch and the worst director in Hollywood history, and very personal lists by the likes of Leonard Maltin and Jonathan Rosenbaum. This book will put the pizzazz back in your love of film.