Phil Hall: Man on a Mission
by
Author Phil Hall is on an important mission, and he reveals all about it in his impressive new book, In Search of Lost Films. It’s no surprise that Hall would become interested in finding lost movies. He’s a distinguished film critic with impeccable research credentials that make this offering as well as his previous books -- including The Greatest Bad Movies of All Time and The History of Independent Cinema -- so enlightening and worthwhile.
Movies disappear. Why, oh why?
So many lost. We ought to try
to find as many as we can.
That’s why I am a Phil Hall fan.
His book appears the place to start
helping locate some true lost art.
Hall’s love of cinema shines through all his writings, and In Search of Lost Films is no exception. This latest book explains why so many films throughout the world have disappeared. Hall also describes a number of these films and discusses the difficulty of evaluating the work of stars like Theda Bara and Lon Chaney because so many of their films are missing. But my favorite part of the book lists the various (and sometimes strange) places where certain lost films have already been discovered.
As usual, Hall’s writing style is reader friendly and chock full of fascinating details for movie fans.
I predict that besides being a great read, In Search of Lost Films will motivate many readers to join Phil Hall’s vital mission. Personally, I’ve already started looking closer at storage areas, closets and yard sales for suspicious-looking film canisters!
Publisher: BearManor Media (http://www.bearmanormedia.com)
NOTE: On August 16, Phil Hall will be interviewed at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on Movie Addict Headquarters. Click here to listen live or to hear the archived segment after the live podcast.