This book is a good introduction to movies. The book includes fifty films and why they are important. Even though I was familiar with many of the movies I still learned something new. The information is presented clearly and the author includes a guide on how to use the book. This book is perfect for anyone wanting to learn more about film. Enjoy

For those interested in film and do not know where to begin, Ian Hayden Smith's book is a great place to start. The book is one is a book for the casual film fan who wants to know more than which are the best films in a genre to watch or another top 100 list. Taking the four areas of genres, key films, movements, and techniques, The Short Stroy of Film is great to dip in and out of with enough information to want you to explore the subjects more. It is a great looking book and definitely recommended for those who want to gain further insight into the diversity of film and film studies.

Essential guide to iconic themes in the history of every genre from road movie to horror, from western to noir and everything in between. This book is a coffee table favourite, with full colour film posters from classic works of cinema and accounts of hundreds of films throughout the years. Any self-respecting film buff will appreciate this.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for letting me read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

An interesting introduction to a more in depth look at film through characters, plot, mise-en-scene and more.

A really enjoyable read for anyone who wants to get more into film and the more analytical details.

Thank you NetGalley for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a fan of Ian Haydn Smith’s concise film guide Cult Filmmakers: 50 Movie Mavericks You Need to Know. With his new book The Short Story of Film: A Pocket Guide to Key Genres, Films, Techniques and Movements Smith is similarly adept at introducing important aspects of cinema with quick brush strokes and great clarity.

The book is arranged as its subtitle reads, with sections devoted to genre, fifty key films, some of the key movements of cinema, and various filmmaking techniques. It was wise of Smith to include a visual guide to how to approach the book, because there is a lot to each page. Each entry consists of four sections, which, depending on the category, can include a list of influencers at the top of the page, a brief explanation of the subject, a sidebar which highlights important advances or moments for the subject or filmmaker, and then a list of cross-referenced subjects to be found in the book across the bottom.

While the busy feel of this kind of organization doesn’t make for a streamlined reading experience, it does enable a reader to easily select which aspects of a subject to explore. It is a lot like an app or a website with all of its menus exposed.

As with his previous book, Smith has clearly made an effort to be inclusive in his brief survey of cinema. His selections cover a diverse range of films and filmmakers which encompass gender, nationality, and race. While he acknowledges the strong influence of Hollywood cinema, his coverage captures a satisfying array of international films, filmmakers, and movements.

While the Technique section was interesting in itself, I found it to be the weak spot of the book. In itself it was a less cohesive category, with a jarring confluence of categories from costumes and special effects, to camera techniques like zoom and slow motion. It also didn’t feel smoothly integrated into the book itself, which for the most part focused on the artistry of film.

Overall this would be an extremely valuable resource for an emerging cinephile. It’s brief, but dense with information. As a lifelong movie lover, I realized how many gaps there were in my own cinematic knowledge when I explored the sections on subjects like Iranian film and the Japanese period drama genre Jidaigeki. There’s great passion and knowledge within these pages and I could see the spark of a lifelong obsession with film being born of it.

Its a good introduction to/review of film that I’d recommend mostly to those who don’t know much about technicisms and would like to dip into it, as well as serving as a good review for those more familiar with the technical side of film but would like to brush up/review some of what they know.

An interesting way to look at film, but ultimately this short summary format doesn't say very much. The book has four sections: genres, key films, movements, and techniques. Except for the key films section these one-page essays don't have much information.

This might be fine for a film student to be a summary and reference, but for they lay person, it's just frustrating.

The key films section is better with two pages devoted to each film, but even here it comes up short. The book depends far to heavily on foreign films and many advent grade movements to be of interest to any but the specialist.

Comprising of choice genres, films, movements, and techniques, it's a crash-course in film history that won't make you feel so out of the loop if you're ever in the presence of any "inside baseball" talk. If you asked 50 different people to author this, it would've come out 50 different ways, so it's always pretty neat to see what makes the list of examples and such.

The layout is explained upfront (which is really courteous), the book's colorful/eye-catching, it's a condensed read, and, if you're deficient on watching the classics, Smith has given you PLENTY to catch up on.

I don't have any official complaints--just one thing that I would've done differently: I know that many films extend into numerous genres, but, at least for the sake of extending film recommendations as far as they can go with this handy pocket guide, I would've only had a film be selected as a "must watch" example one time only. None of these genres are so tapped that you can't give more than 4 or 5 choices for each category.

Ever wondered what Mumblecore is but you're too lazy to Google it? What about a tracking shot? So much of these things are hidden in plain sight, and it's always great to read precisely what they are (and what they are not). I learned a good bit (wasn't too knowledgeable about the film movements), and I have a host of watershed films to check out now. This work provides key context without appearing to get too biased, and it's a genuine read for any seeking to enrich their film-going experience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Laurence King Publishing for the advance read.

Concise, informative, well-researched; Smith provides not only a list of genres, of major films and of key directors, but also breaks down the techniques the filmmakers use.

The Short History of Film is a brilliantly concise review of film and film theory that explains quite a lot I didn't know about this area of the arts.

Broken into four areas covering genres, key films, movements, and techniques with each section giving a bite-sized explanation of the area being covered this is another great book from Laurence King Publishing.

Each article is an easily digested read, the perfect book to dip in and out of, a great bedside book. Though I didn't do that this time as I really wanted to read through and it's also a great read as a single sitting.

Though I would have liked a bit more explanation in some areas there was enough information to explain the aspect of film theory being written about and enough direction for you to explore further if you wanted to.

Really enjoyed this clear and compact book on film theory.

I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Educational, if not at times, confusing. But I learned quite a lot nevertheless. I have wanted to read a book like this that discusses every thing about cinema (techniques, movements, genres, etc.) for a long time. Finally here it is. Recommended for people interested in films and tv.

Couldn’t download this I’m afraid, but looks like a good read. I’d still be interested in this. I love learning about film and wish I could have delved more into this subject.