1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die
| Company type | Book series |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Steven Jay Schneider (editor) |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
| Products | Film guide books |
1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die is a comprehensive film guide edited by Steven Jay Schneider, featuring original critiques contributed by more than 70 film experts. Published by London-based Quintessence Editions, the book is available in English through Cassell Illustrated in the UK, ABC Books in Australia, and Barron's in the United States. The inaugural edition was released in 2003, with the most recent version published on 14 December 2021. Esteemed contributors include Adrian Martin, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Richard Peña, David Stratton, and Margaret Pomeranz.
Each movie entry provides a brief summary alongside critical analysis, occasionally supplemented with images. Arranged in chronological order, the 14th edition covers films from Georges Méliès' A Trip to the Moon (1902) through to Chloé Zhao's Nomadland (2020).
The publication achieved notable popularity in Australia, reaching seventh place among best-selling books during a particular week in April 2004, and was promoted in conjunction with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's special program My Favourite Film.
Additionally, this work has been translated into several languages such as German, French, Swedish, Hungarian, Danish, Turkish, Spanish, and Portuguese.
Contributors
The foreword was penned by Jason Solomons, a film journalist writing for The Observer and The Mail on Sunday. By the time of the 5th anniversary edition, over 70 critics had authored essays of up to 500 words each. Noteworthy contributors include Geoff Andrew, Linda Badley, Kathryn Bergeron, Garrett Chaffin-Quiway, Roumiana Deltcheva, Nezih Erdogan, Jean-Michel Frodon, Chris Fujiwara, Tom Gunning, Ernest Hardy, Aniko Imre, Kyung Hyun Kim, Frank Lafond, Adrian Martin, Kim Newman, Devin Orgeron, Marsha Orgeron, Richard Peña, Margaret Pomeranz, Jonathan Rosenbaum, David Stratton, Adisakdi Tantimedh, Michael Tapper, Sam Umland, Matt Venne, Ginette Vincendeau, Andy Willis, and Josephine Woll.
Editions
- 2021, 15th edition – Sourcebooks (cover image: Ma Rainey's Black Bottom)
- 2020, 14th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Joker)
- 2019, 13th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: A Star Is Born)
- 2018, 12th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Blade Runner 2049)
- 2017, 11th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Arrival US / Moonlight UK)
- 2016, 10th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: The Revenant)
- 2015, 9th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover images: paperback – Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), hardcover – poster montage)
- 2014, 7th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Gravity)
- 2013, 6th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Life of Pi)
- 2012, 5th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
- 2011, 4th edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover images: US – Black Swan, UK – Inception)
- 2010, Updated 3rd edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Avatar)
- 2009, Updated 3rd edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: The Dark Knight)
- 2008, 5th Anniversary/3rd edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)
- 2007, Updated 2nd edition – Barron's Educational Series (cover image: Return of the Jedi)
- 2005, 2nd edition – Barron's Educational Series/Cassell Illustrated/Quintet Books London (cover image: The Shining)
- 2003 initial editions:
- Cassell Illustrated London (cover image: Get Carter)
- Barron's Educational Series Hauppauge NY (cover images: Psycho / Pulp Fiction)
- ABC Books for Australian Broadcasting Corporation Sydney (cover image: Psycho)
- Source: WorldCat
See also
- List of films considered the best
- 1001 Albums You Should Hear Before You Die
- 1001 Books You Should Read Before You Die
- 1001 Children's Books to Read Before Growing Up
- 1001 Video Games to Play Before You Die
- 1,000 Recordings to Listen to Before You Die
Further reading
- Bernard Trink, "As Good as They Get," Bangkok Post, 20 April 2007, p. R11
- Ron Rollins, "Read the Book Before Watching the Movies," Dayton Daily News, 30 January 2005, p. F1
- Abl Wild, "1001 Ways to Expand Cinema's Horizons," The Herald, 12 November 2003, p. 13
- Peter Haran, "Essential Films to Watch," Sunday Mail, 23 May 2004, p. 84