Books in French are on www.livres-cinema.info
On a related topic:
TCM Imports (2025)
Timeless Favorites and Hidden Gems of World Cinema
Fright Favorites (2020)
31 Movies to Haunt Your Halloween and Beyond
The Golden Corral (1997)
A Roundup of Magnificent Western Films
A Whole Life in Twelve Movies (2024)
A Cinematic Journey to a Deeper Spirituality
by Kathleen Norris, Gareth Higgins and James SJ Martin
Subject: On Films > Film selections
Movies with Balls (2024)
The Greatest Sports Films of All Time, Analyzed and Illustrated
by Kyle Bandujo and Rick Bryson
Subject: On Films > Film selections
Popcorn with the Pope (2023)
A Guide to the Vatican Film List
by David Paul Baird, Michael Ward and Andrew Petiprin
Subject: On Films > Film selections
TCM Underground (2022)
50 Must-See Films from the World of Classic Cult and Late-Night Cinema
by Millie De Chirico and Quatoyiah Murry
Subject: On Films > Film selections
The Essentials
52 Must-See Movies and Why They Matter
(0 vote)Average rating:
| 0 | rating |  = We can do without |
| 0 | rating |  = Good book |
| 0 | rating |  = Excellent book |
| 0 | rating |  = Unique / a reference |
Your rating: -
Book Presentation:
Showcasing 52 Essential films from the silent era through the 1980s, Turner Classic Movies invites you into a world filled with stirring performances, dazzling musical numbers, and bold directorial visions that mark the greatest moments in film history.
Since its inception on Turner Classic Movies in 2001, The Essentials has become the ultimate series for movie lovers to expand their knowledge of must-see cinema and discover or revisit landmark films that have had a lasting impact on audiences everywhere.
Based on the TCM series, The Essentials book showcases fifty-two must-see movies from the silent era through the early 1980s. Readers can enjoy one film per week, for a year of stellar viewing, or indulge in their own classic movie festival. Some long-championed classics appear within these pages; other selections may surprise you. Each film is profiled with insightful notes on why it's an Essential, a guide to must-see moments, and running commentary from TCM's Robert Osborne and Essentials guest hosts past and present, including Sally Field, Drew Barrymore, Alec Baldwin, Rose McGowan, Carrie Fisher, Molly Haskell, Peter Bogdanovich, Sydney Pollack, and Rob Reiner.
Featuring full-color and black-and-white photography of the greatest stars in movie history, The Essentials is your curated guide to fifty-two films that define the meaning of the word "classic."
About the Author:
Jeremy Arnold is a film historian, commentator, and the author of the Turner Classic Movies titles The Essentials and Christmas in the Movies. He lives in Los Angeles, CA. Since its inception on Turner Classic Movies in 2001, The Essentials has become the ultimate series for movie lovers to expand their knowledge of must-see cinema and discover or revisit landmark films that have had a lasting impact on audiences everywhere.Turner Classic Movies is the definitive resource for the greatest movies of all time. We entertain and enlighten to show how the entire spectrum of classic movies, movie history, and movie-making touches us all and influences how we think and live today.
Press Reviews:
"[An] excellent book. Author Arnold distills why each movie is a must-see, and augments his knowledgeable text with sidebar quotes from various TCM hosts... Handsomely designed and packed with great photos, The Essentials would be a perfect gift for a young person who's just dipping his or her toe into these waters
but I found it equally appealing."
Leonard Maltin, leonardmaltin.com
"An entertaining read... Beautifully-designed and illustrated... Author Jeremy Arnold does a superb job presenting the reasons why a particular film matters."
Raymond Benson, Cinema Retro
See the publisher website: Running Press
> From the same author:
The Essentials Vol. 2 (2020)
52 More Must-See Movies and Why They Matter
Subject: On Films > Film selections
Back
