WORLD'S BEST FILM MAGAZINES? (1 Viewer)

[cinerama10]

Since the 1920s-1950s is my era, CLASSIC IMAGES and its sister publication, FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE are the two magazines that I subscribe to and wouldn't do without.

I also never miss an issue of these great magazines.Pity that their website is not suitable for international subscribers.I always have so much trouble when renewing.After two years they still have the same problems.

 

[cinerama10]

E-Bay is usually a good source to purchase older film magazines as long as you avoid those with un-realistic prices.
I've bought dozens of old copies of "Films in Review" there in the past.

Leonard Maltin's "Film Fan Monthly" is another highly enjoyable magazine that is full of golden age information.

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As a teenager growing up in the fifties I couldn't exist without my regular supply of the British Magazines "Picture Show" and "Picturegoer"

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Every Friday night in the foyer of the local Cinema I would purchase the local 20th Century Fox dominated magazine "Screen News"

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I couldn't resist adding the back page, just to make several HTF members (including myself) cry over the word "Anamorphic"

Doug.

I remember Picturegoer and Picture Show. tThey were much but there was little around in those days.

 

[cinerama10]

Empire.

EMPIRE is the worst of them all. The U.K. issue has almost double the content of their Australian issue. They promise you a free dvd if you have a letter to the editor published but rarely do you receive one. On their web site you can list your 10 all time favourite movies but you have to pick them from THEIR list. ,not any film that you want to list. I only was able to find 3 of my top 10 films amongst their dismal list. I complained and was then able to list another 2 films but they never fixed the problem. I told them that whoever made their list up has no idea what makes a classic film. Very few international films are listed. There is only one English speaking film in my top 10 films of all time..Recently they published a magazine of the 500 greatest films of all time. At least 300 of them were barely worth seeing let alone being the 500 best films ever made. Would you believe that they never even had THE AFRICAN QUEEN amongst the top 500. That was only one omission from their very pathetic list. EMPIRE is run by people who have no idea what makes a classic film.

 

[ahollis]

EMPIRE is the worst of them all. The U.K. issue has almost double the content of their Australian issue. They promise you a free dvd if you have a letter to the editor published but rarely do you receive one. On their web site you can list your 10 all time favourite movies but you have to pick them from THEIR list. ,not any film that you want to list. I only was able to find 3 of my top 10 films amongst their dismal list. I complained and was then able to list another 2 films but they never fixed the problem. I told them that whoever made their list up has no idea what makes a classic film. Very few international films are listed. There is only one English speaking film in my top 10 films of all time..Recently they published a magazine of the 500 greatest films of all time. At least 300 of them were barely worth seeing let alone being the 500 best films ever made. Would you believe that they never even had THE AFRICAN QUEEN amongst the top 500. That was only one omission from their very pathetic list. EMPIRE is run by people who have no idea what makes a classic film.

Interesting that you started the tread and asked people their opinions of what they thought was the best film magazine published. Then you state your displeasure with their thoughts. A person's favorite Film magazine is going to more or less go with the era or genre they like. I personally think Sight & Sound is a little pretentious and most articles do not interest me.

 

[phillyrobt]

I would like to mention Shock Cinema...which is horror but also all types of underground, Tv movies and foreign films as well.
Also, it's not a print item, but random roles on the AV club website is interesting (they ask various actors about different roles they've played with unprompted on the spot replies).

 

[cwilli]

Since the 1920s-1950s is my era, CLASSIC IMAGES and its sister publication, FILMS OF THE GOLDEN AGE are the two magazines that I subscribe to and wouldn't do without.

Thanks for the info about "Films of the Golden Age". I applied for a complimentary issue and will take it from there.

 

[titch]

Some great titles have been suggested. I go for the ones that have been around a while but they are struggling, like every other magazine around. Have subscribed to EMPIRE since 1988 - it has always leaned towards the commercial Hollywood blockbusters (hey, you gotta sell magazines to the kids to survive!) but has room for Arthouse and non-English productions. It has some terrific reviewers, such as Kim Newman (he has been writing for EMPIRE since it was founded). What he doesn't know about horror isn't worth reading. They don't report on the quality of the home video titles - that's where one has to rely on the net-based sites. Sight & Sound is more highbrow (they eschew star ratings) but they have a synopsis of every film they review. Helpful if you want to know what the latest Transformers plot is, without having to suffer through it. Beautiful layout too. They also have a fantastic digital archive. Time Out London used to have to tremendously knowledgeable film reviewers but it became a free listings magazine a year ago and their film section is a shadow of its former self. Their digital archive has short reviews that are generally good. Although it's not a film magazine, I subscribe to The New Yorker for the film reviews of Anthony Lane. Their digital website is a treasure trove - ever wonder what Pauline Kael wrote about Heaven's Gate? I stopped subscribing to Variety, after they downsized in 2010 and fired their best critic, Todd McCarthy. The US Premiere edition under Glenn Kenny was also brilliant until that went bust. For really good essays on film on the net, check out Timothy Brayton on his blog Antagony & Ecstasy. Roger Ebert was also one critic I always read - he didn't publish in magazines, but I bought his books. Just to round off: I still subscribe every month to Doug Pratt's DVD-LaserDisc Newsletter! I've supported him since the early days of laserdiscs and I'm very impressed that he has somehow managed to keep going!

 

[johnmcmasters]

"Video Watchdog" is the best IMHO. Tim and Donna Lucas never cease to amaze me with insightful articles, wonderful graphic design, and the magazine is always bringing films to my attention that I might have overlooked. The new digital version is realy terrific -- although I'll always prefer to thumb through the print edition. VW is also largely responsible for my enthuastic interest in Asian cinema, especially Hong Kong films (the reviews by John Charles in VW are always superb). Mr. Lucas is in class of his own as a critic and essayist.

As a high school kid when I discovered "Films in Review" I thought it was the best thing since ice cream. I was also a fan of "Movie" magazine -- a British publication. I never warmed to "Sight and Sound" though.

 

[Keith Cobby]

Scarlet Street

 

[cinerama10]

"Video Watchdog" is the best IMHO. Tim and Donna Lucas never cease to amaze me with insightful articles, wonderful graphic design, and the magazine is always bringing films to my attention that I might have overlooked. The new digital version is realy terrific -- although I'll always prefer to thumb through the print edition. VW is also largely responsible for my enthuastic interest in Asian cinema, especially Hong Kong films (the reviews by John Charles in VW are always superb). Mr. Lucas is in class of his own as a critic and essayist.

As a high school kid when I discovered "Films in Review" I thought it was the best thing since ice cream. I was also a fan of "Movie" magazine -- a British publication. I never warmed to "Sight and Sound" though.

There is an English edition about Asian Cinema.produced monthly in Hong Kong and sold world wide. I have not seen it lately in my local shops nor can I remember the name..If you.like myself love Asian cinema, then try films from South Korea. They make some of the best films in the world. I buy lots of them.S.K. are recognised by many film critics as being up there with the best of the best. We (in Australia) have both a Japanese and a Korean film festival every year. Both are sell-outs.

 

[johnmcmasters]

I forgot to second the motion for Cinefantastique -- at one time I had every issue of the magazine which was superb. I'm old enough so that I can remember the huge impact made by Famous Monsters of Filmland, too. Cinerama10: Yes, South Korean films are wonderful. Thailand also is producing many great films. I'm (guilty pleasure confession) addicted to watching South Korean soaps that pop up on Netflix and Amazon -- and also air on specialized cable TV channels.I've been discovering Indian films recently -- but there are SO many that it seems like it would take a lifetime to even break the surface.

 

[cineMANIAC]

I just ordered a back copy of Widescreen Review's Laser Magic issue from 1998, the one where they discuss the origins of optical media, one of the most interesting articles I've ever read. It's also the issue with the awesome gallery of special edition laserdiscs. This issue was released a year after DVD was introduced so I wasn't obsessed with the format (yet) but I found those photos of fancy LDs, great artwork and extensive lists of extras quite fascinating. Many of those titles have since been reissued on DVD and Blu-ray but some haven't - and not all of the material has ported over. It's going to be great revisiting this magazine. Used to be my favorite but after I discovered the internet around 2001 they sort of became irrelevant. My favorite column was the Upcoming DVDs section. In those days DVD announcements were like winning the lottery.

Can't say I have any favorite magazines these days. There was a short-lived US mag around 2004 called Total Movie that I grew fond of but it disappeared without a trace after about 6 months. It was especially cool because every issue included a DVD of upcoming trailers. After Premiere folded there really weren't any good movie mags in the US.

 

[Vic Pardo]

The only film magazine I subscribe to is Video Watchdog. The only film magazines I buy regularly at Barnes & Noble (the only place I can find magazine stands anymore) are Shock Cinema (for the great interviews) and Filmfax. When Cineaste has an interesting interview or roundtable, I'll buy that also, but if the issue is devoted to all political or indie films, I'll skip it.