The late Ephraim Katz, as one can discern in the preface to the original edition ( 1979 ) of this monumental encyclopedia, was a man who possessed both erudition and a stoic level of discipline in bringing this colossal work to completion. Arranged alphabetically, 'The Film Encyclopedia' contains as complete a level of descriptive knowledge ( technical, artistic, historical ) as one could *reasonably* expect to find in a single volume. Note that the one area this book does not cover is, as Mr. Katz wrote in his preface: "the factual and critical survey of specific motion pictures" , which he specifically requested the publishers drop ( it would have added many hundreds of pages to a work that, in its print form, contains over 1600 pages ). Nevertheless, in the entries for directors and actors, one will often find brief summaries ( and opinions ) of particular films, agree or disagree as one may.
If the prospective buyer of this volume is concerned about the form in which he should purchase this work, I would simply point out that the last hardbound edition was printed with cheap paper, and that its long-term value is somewhat diminished on that score. As to the Kindle version being reviewed, the issue seems to be one of accessibility; personally, I would say it is not that much harder to "swipe through" the Kindle version in looking for particular entries than it is to "page through" the print format. It's about 50/50 split in terms of relative convenience in either medium; perhaps readers will take the path I chose, and have copies in both formats. It should be noted that the Kindle edition contains the most recent update ( such as it is, dating to 2012 ).
Writing as a common viewer, I would venture to say that 'The Film Encyclopedia' ( coupled with Leonard Maltin's equally gigantic movie guide ) would probably meet the essential reference needs of the majority of movie buffs. I can't in good conscience give it less than five stars.
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This is for someone who wants more that a basic review.
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Great info but in need of an update
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2016