Great Movies III (The University of Chicago Press)

Roger Ebert has been writing film reviews for "The Chicago Sun-Times" for over four decades now, and his biweekly essays on great movies have been featured there since 1996. As Ebert noted in the introduction to the first collection of those pieces, "They are not the greatest films of all time, because all lists of great movies are a foolish attempt to codify works which must stand alone. But it's fair to say: if you want to take a tour of the landmarks of the first century of cinema, start here." Enter "The Great Movies III", Ebert's third collection of essays on the creme de la creme of the silver screen, each one a model of critical appreciation and a blend of love and analysis that will send readers back to the films with a fresh set of eyes and renewed enthusiasm - or maybe even lead to a first-time viewing. From "The Godfather: Part II" to "Groundhog Day", from "The Last Picture Show" to "Last Tango in Paris", the hundred pieces gathered here display a welcome balance between the familiar and the esoteric, spanning Hollywood blockbusters and hidden gems, independent works and foreign language films alike.