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 730-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. Editor Ross Adams writes in the February 2010 issue of Dress Circle, the Film Enthusiasts' Magazine: Just a fraction larger than Leonard Maltin's "Film Guide" and a massive 1.3 inches thick, this book is a real pot-pourri of essential information: players, technicians, music, release dates and more. During the year, I purchased a number of classic movies on DVD, but the jackets contained only bare details. I was able to retrieve information by looking up the index of over 730 films in this book and then turning to the descriptions Reid provides. Some of the 222 movies extensively reviewed in the main section include Gilda, Laura, Father Brown Detective, Lady Vanishes, Maltese Falcon, Man Who Knew Too Much, Naked City, City Streets, Night Has a Thousand Eyes, Mandalay, Odd Man Out, The Paradine Case, Phantom of the Opera, Rebecca, Vertigo, Leave Her to Heaven, Lady from Shanghai, The Kennel Murder Case, Spellbound and Run for the Sun. Briefer summaries and reviews are then provided for a further 500 or so films in a supplementary section. Full DVD details are given in each instance, and the quality of the DVD itself is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. There are also some interesting supplementary chapters on Sherlock Holmes, the Thin Man series, and Humphrey Bogart versus Alan Ladd. The author also lists details of "Recommended DVD Suppliers" and even provides his choice of the "36 Top Noir Movies on DVD." And finally, there is a comprehensive index of all 730 titles covered in this book. In all, Reid examined over 1,200 DVDs (including many duplicate titles). I most highly recommend "Mystery, Suspense, Film Noir and Detective Movies on DVD" by John Howard Reid.
