A massive book of 468 pages, this guide to the Best in Cinema Thrills that are now available on DVD, contains over 700 film reviews. No less than 1,200 DVDs were examined in the preparation of this volume.

So what do you get for your $24.50? Now if I was a keen mystery, suspense, film noir fan who purchased only two or three DVDs a month, I'd be glad spend my $24.50 just to get the information on ONE page of this 468-page book. That page contains a list of ten absolutely trustworthy DVD suppliers who sell public domain titles direct to consumers or make a considerable effort to stock an enormous range of titles that are not normally available from even the largest of the well-known stores. Firms like Vintage Film Buff, for instance.

But that, as I say, is just ONE page of invaluable information. As a keen fan, I'm naturally aware that classic movies are often available on two or more DVD labels. Which is the best? This book will tell you. And surprise, surprise! The best is often the least expensive version. Why pay $29.95 when you can buy a superior DVD of exactly the same movie for $2?

This book names names and steers you in the right direction every time.

But as a real keen fan, I'm also anxious to discover titles that I've never seen and would enjoy watching. This cleverly designed book enables me to gratify this desire in a number of interesting ways. I can glance through the 700-film Index and pick a title that strikes my fancy. Or I can flip through the book's 311 alphabetical pages (many with accompanying photos), Or I can read some of the articles like "The Best Sherlock Holmes" or "The Thin Man Series" or "Raymond Chandler on DVD". Or I can check out the "Top Noir on DVD" listing.

And all this for only $24.50. I can save more than the price of this book with just ONE purchase of a $2 DVD instead of its more expensive (and inferior) $29.95 version.

every movie fan, young or old -- but especially old!

buy many of the recommended DVDs -- or at least watch out for them at TCM!

really knows his movies. Leonard Maltin has a competitor here!

This FIVE STAR review by Michael Woodhead was published in TCM Reviews on 12/19/09:

They don't make them like they used to do. And reading through this compendium of some of the best `mystery, suspense, film noir and detective movies on DVD' reminded me of that.

In many cases, these films were made under the studio system, whereby the scripts were tailored to the actors' strengths and personalities. This is one reason why many of the old films were so good.

The author has brought together outlines of hundreds of them, each complete with a cast list, the major production staff, copyright and release notices, story synopsis, and his own personal comment about the film.

Also embellishing some of the outlines are dozens of black-and-white photos, as well as a lengthy but well-written article on `noir, crime and mystery'. Several other shorter articles are included, aimed at those interested in the genres--the best Sherlock Holmes, and Raymond Chandler as adapted for the movies, for example.

Reid has done a marvelous job putting these all together, thus taking a lot of the legwork out of trying to locate these movies for our viewing pleasure--he includes a small list of DVD suppliers where many of these films can be purchased at very reasonable prices.

Many titles will be familiar; for example, The Maltese Falcon. However, those same people who recognize it might not realize that there were at least four adaptations of Dashiell Hammett's 1929 five-part serial; two of the movies are included in the book, one starring Ricardo Cortez, the other with Humphrey Bogart.

Other titles, of course, won't be so familiar. There are some fascinating anecdotes, too. For example, for the movie Odd Man Out, "director Carol Reed asked the composer to write the score from the shooting script and record it, so that [James] Mason could walk in time to the beat". Such tidbits encourage readers to find copies of the films in order to see for themselves how it was accomplished.

So, for the lover of vintage thriller movies, this book would make an ideal and extremely informative purchase.

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Created Nov 22, 2009 at 1:16am • Submit your own review...