In absorbing essays on books about film, the distinguished critic Richard Schickel offers more insights into moviemaking on every page than a reader will find in an entire shelf of film encyclopedias. His trenchant observations about films, actors, directors, producers, and the machinations of an always fascinating industry are consistently authoritative and entertaining. Here are charming but clear-eyed appraisals of Hollywood's major players, its low comedy and high self-regard, its bedrock of bourgeois values, its strange and convoluted affair with sex, and its relentless drive to give the customers what they want, regardless of critical failings. Film on Paper promises to be one of the most enjoyable movie books of the year.

"User-friendly collection....Schickel sets a high bar for film books." - Publishers Weekly

"An enjoyable bedside companion for cinephiles of a classic bent, as well as amateurs who want to learn a bit more about the history of film without lugging home a library." - Kirkus

"Schickel is a superb writer who has earned his stripes as a critic of culture and its artifacts." - Foreword Reviews

"College-level libraries…will find moving this collection of short essays on books about film, coming from a critic who not only reviews these books but uses them to discuss movie content, actor approaches, director and producer influences, and how the film industry operates as a whole." - Midwest Book Review

"Schickel is an endlessly entertaining writer. Film on Paper is an outstanding read and well worth the time for anyone who enjoys film, good writing, or both." - Simply Chaplin