The 2023 /Film Holiday Gift Guide: Hollywood Books: Movie & TV History, Behind The Scenes, Memoirs & More

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Everyone here at /Film loves watching movies and TV shows. But every now and then, you need a break from the screens. However, that doesn't mean you can't still bask in the glory of moving pictures. There's an endless array of books out there about your favorite movies and TV shows. Whether it's the story of the two most famous film critics ever, Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, a chronicle of the making of movies like Christopher Nolan's "Oppenheimer" or the screwball comedy spoof "Airplane!," memoirs from your favorite stars like Patrick Stewart and Barbra Streisand, an exhausting timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, or a cookbook with recipes straight from the "Star Wars" universe, we've got a huge collection of books for the film and TV lover in your life.

So let's dig into Part 2 of the 2023 /Film Holiday Gift Guide now!

Want to know everything about the massive success of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone? How about the rise of Jackie Chan and Jean-Claude Van Damme? Maybe you'd like to know about the history of famed film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, from their adversarial friendship to the pop culture staple that became their "two thumbs up." Or perhaps you want to know anything and everything about the sketch comedy of the '90s, from "Saturday Night Live" to "Mr. Show with Bob & David." We've got three amazing books for you, and each one of them is packed with incredible anecdotes and well-researched history. (Ethan Anderton)

• The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage
• Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever
• We're Not Worthy: From In Living Color to Mr. Show, How '90s Sketch TV Changed the Face of Comedy

SlashFilm

Every year, Hollywood gets drunk and congratulates themselves with the Oscars. Despite being a glad-handing party thrown just for celebrities to praise each other, audiences love watching their favorite stars get together. If you want to dig into what it's like to win one of those golden guys known as Oscars, a new book (that sadly won't arrive until January) takes a look back at 50 different Oscar nights with a variety of actors and filmmakers looking back at their big nights. For those who want to dig a bit deeper, Michael Schulman's book "Oscar Wars" gets a little saltier, as it "chronicles the remarkable, sprawling history of the Academy Awards and the personal dramas — some iconic, others never-before-revealed — that have played out on the stage and off camera. (Ethan Anderton)

• 50 Oscar Nights: Iconic Stars & Filmmakers on Their Career-Defining Wins (January 23, 2024)
• Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears

SlashFilm

For those who are more interested in the studio politics of Hollywood's golden age — and who isn't? — a pair of new overarching history books might have the subject well-covered. Mark A. Vieira's "Warner Bros.: 100 Years of Storytelling" appears to be a beatific and celebratory tome devoted to a studio that, thanks to David Zaslav, is currently being stripped for parts. In 2023, a book of WB's century-long history has to be wistful. More direct is Foster Hirsch's "Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties: The Collapse of the Studio System, the Thrill of Cinerama, and the Invasion of the Ultimate Body Snatcher — Television." After the Paramount Accords were put into place, Hollywood underwent a grand mutation and the film landscape changed from a studio-dictated game into a struggling-but-even playing field. Hirsch seems to cover that era of mutation.  (Witney Seibold)

• Warner Bros.: 100 Years of Storytelling
• Hollywood and the Movies of the Fifties: The Collapse of the Studio System, the Thrill of Cinerama, and the Invasion of the Ultimate Body Snatcher — Television

SlashFilm

And, of course, what film library would be complete without a few biographies? As is well known, Alfred Hitchcock had a "type" when it came to women, and Laurence Leamer's new book "Hitchcock's Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession" examines the filmmaker's fetishes and the actresses he cast to embody them. Scott Eyman's "Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided" examines the years after Chaplin's heyday, detailing his political shifts — and dark sexual proclivities — that led to the filmmaker's eventual fall out of the public eye. Meanwhile, Sam Wasson's "The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story" retells the well-known story of Coppola's ambitions to rewrite Hollywood's rules via a more creator-driven model. Coppola's story needs an update every few years to catch up with where he is right now, and Wasson's book fits the bill. (Witney Seibold)

• Charlie Chaplin vs. America: When Art, Sex, and Politics Collided
• Hitchcock's Blondes: The Unforgettable Women Behind the Legendary Director's Dark Obsession
• The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story (November 28, 2023)

SlashFilm

Full of phony people just trying to get their next gig and take credit for everything good about movies and television, Hollywood can be quite an exhausting and toxic place to work. That's why Vanity Fair reporter Maureen Ryan put together the book "Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood." As the synopsis explains, "Abuse and exploitation of workers is baked into the very foundations of the entertainment industry. To break the cycle and make change that sticks, it's important to stop looking at headline-making stories as individual events. Instead, one must look closely at the bigger picture, to see how abusers are created, fed, rewarded, allowed to persist, and, with the right tools, how they can be excised." And that's exactly what this book does, taking a closer look at stories involving Evan Rachel Wood, Harold Perrineau, Damon Lindelof, Orlando Jones, and many more. (Ethan Anderton)

The holiday season can only mean one thing: it's truly Muad'Dib time. "Dune: Part Two" might've been delayed until 2024 to many fans' chagrin, but that only gives us even more of an opportunity to prepare accordingly. So what better excuse is there to either give yourself the gift of a little spice-related cheer or surprise the sci-fi obsessive in your life with a bevy of books to help make the wait for our return trip to Arrakis somewhat more palatable? From behind-the-scenes insights into Denis Villeneuve's productions to a celebration of David Lynch's adaptation to a deep-dive into author Frank Herbert's original saga, there's enough here to keep fans busy until March 2024 rolls around. (Jeremy Mathai)

• Dune Part One: The Photography
• The Art and Soul of Dune: Part Two (March 15, 2024)

1984 Publishing

• A Masterpiece in Disarray: David Lynch's Dune – An Oral History
• The Spice Must Flow: The Story of Dune, from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies

Abrams Books

Both "DUNE: The Graphic Novel, Book 2: Muad'Dib: Deluxe Collector's Edition" and "DUNE: The Graphic Novel, Book 1: Dune: Deluxe Collector's Edition" are also available to purchase now.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the stop-motion animated classic "The Nightmare Before Christmas," produced by Tim Burton and directed by Henry Selick ("Coraline"). As the first feature-length stop-motion animated movie, the making of this holiday classic (popular at both Halloween and Christmas) is truly fascinating. Featuring interviews with Burton and Selick, as well as composer, songwriter and Jack Skellington's singing voice Danny Elfman, the "Visual Companion" book covers the development and making of the movie, with plenty of additional insight from animators, artists, and other key crew members. For those who want even more from "Nightmare Before Christmas," there's another book that goes "Beyond Halloween Town," exploring the legacy of the movie, including all of the fandom, merchandise, events, and more that has emerged over the past 30 years. (Ethan Anderton)

• Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: Beyond Halloween Town: The Story, the Characters, and the Legacy
• Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Visual Companion

A quality pop culture resource book is one that puts as much care, investigation, and personality as the scripts of the films and television shows they're examining, and we've wrangled up a list of some absolutely stellar reads. Entertainment journalist Kristen Lopez published "But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films" this year, an essential guide to some of the most memorable book-to-film adaptations ever made. Bethonie Butler's "Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond" is required reading for any TV fan, the first book to ever provide a deep-dive on the rich, over 50-year history of Black stories on the small screen. For the person in your life who just can't help from inserting a movie quote into every conversation (It's me, I'm the person), "'You Talkin' to Me?': The Definitive Guide to Iconic Movie Quotes" makes the perfect stocking stuffer. (BJ Colangelo)

• Behind the Screens: Illustrated Floor Plans and Scenes from the Best TV Shows of All Time
• Black TV: Five Decades of Groundbreaking Television from Soul Train to Black-ish and Beyond (December 5, 2023)
• But Have You Read the Book?: 52 Literary Gems That Inspired Our Favorite Films
• Christmas in the Movies (Revised & Expanded Edition): 35 Classics to Celebrate the Season
• Counterfeit Worlds: The Cinematic Universes of Philip K. Dick
• The Golden Screen: The Movies That Made Asian America
• Horror: Unmasked: A History of Terror from Nosferatu to Nope
• "You Talkin' to Me?": The Definitive Guide to Iconic Movie Quotes

Sadly, we lost "Friends" star Matthew Perry at the end of October. It was a loss that sent a shockwave of sadness through Hollywood and audiences alike. Thankfully, there are decades of films and TV shows for us to remember Perry, and last year, the actor also wrote a memoir called "Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing." The book chronicles his time on the hit sitcom "Friends," memorable moments from his personal life, and intimate recollections about his struggles with substance abuse. Perhaps the best way to remember Matthew Perry is through his own words and thoughts. (Ethan Anderton)

Stars of the Big and Small Screen

SlashFilm

Forget social media: if you really want to know the ins and outs of a celebrity's life and what it's like working in the film and TV industry, you should check out some of the memoirs in this year's gift guide. You could take a deep dive into "Star Trek" history with Patrick Stewart's "Making It So," or learn all about the ups and downs of Barbra Streisand's legendary career (as well as her personal life, which might be even more fascinating) with "My Name Is Barbra." Or perhaps you would like to learn more about Hollywood from the perspective of trail-blazing queer actors like the late Anne Heche and Elliot Page, or maybe read about the ways Jada Pinkett-Smith and Kerry Washington broke new ground for Black women in showbusiness. And then there are memoirs by lovable old-timers like Sam Neill, Richard E. Grant, and "The Fonz" himself, Henry Winkler, who've got plenty of entertaining stories to share about their many, many years of acting for a living. Whatever curtain you choose to take a peek behind, you're bound to find something pretty fascinating. (Sandy Schaefer)

• Anne Heche: Call Me Anne
• Barbra Streisand: My Name Is Barbra
• Ed Begley Jr.: To the Temple of Tranquility...And Step On It!
• Elliot Page: Pageboy
• Henry Winkler: Being Henry: The Fonz . . . and Beyond
• Jada Pinkett-Smith: Worthy
• John Stamos: If You Would Have Told Me
• Kerry Washington: Thicker than Water
• Minka Kelly: Tell Me Everything
• Pamela Anderson: Love, Pamela: A Memoir of Prose, Poetry, and Truth
• Patrick Stewart: Making It So
• Richard E. Grant: A Pocketful of Happiness
• Sam Neill: Did I Ever Tell You This?

SlashFilm

This year, a handful of comedians brought new memoirs to shelves, each with their own unique perspectives and experiences, as well as a variety of different senses of humor. Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Leslie Jones digs into her life and career with her expletive-filled, self-titled memoir. Maria Bamford provides a memoir about show business, mental health, and the comfort of rigid belief systems. Reggie Watts writes a love letter to the town he grew up in after moving from Europe to the United States as a kid. And Aparna Nancharla gives us "insightful meditations on body image, productivity culture, the ultra-meme-ability of mental health language, and who, exactly, gets to make art "about nothing.'" You can't go wrong with any of these. (Ethan Anderton)

• Aparna Nancharla: Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself, and Impostor Syndrome
• Leslie F*cking Jones
• Maria Bamford: Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and the Quest to Belong Anywhere
• Reggie Watts: Great Falls, MT: Fast Times, Post-Punk Weirdos, and a Tale of Coming Home Again

"I'm the last one who would do self-analysis"

SlashFilm

Werner Herzog is one of the most fascinating filmmakers out there, so you can only imagine how great a memoir from the "Grizzly Man" and "Cave of Forgotten Dreams" director will be. As the synopsis explains, "'Every Man for Himself and God Against All' is at once a personal record of one of the great self-invented lives of our time, and a singular literary masterpiece that will enthrall fans old and new alike. In a hypnotic swirl of memory, Herzog untangles and relives his most important experiences and inspirations, telling his story for the first and only time." Sounds like exactly what we'd want from a Werner Herzog memoir. (Ethan Anderton)

Does anyone have any orange slices?

Marvel

No, this isn't a joke. Well, I guess it's kind of a joke. At the very least, it's one that Marvel Studios and Disney took seriously, because after being prominently featured in "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania," Scott Lang's memoir "Look Out for the Little Guy!" is a real book you can buy, and it's actually written as if Scott Lang wrote about his life and experiences with The Avengers. While it might feel like a gag gift, this is actually a pretty cool in-universe piece of merch that's basically your own prop replica. Maybe you can even get it signed by Paul Rudd one day. (Ethan Anderton).

Ladies and gentlemen, Tom Hanks

Knopf

Oh, and in case you didn't hear, Tom Hanks didn't write a memoir, but he wrote a novel that is right up our alley. It's called "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece," and here's the synopsis: 

Part One of this story takes place in 1947. A troubled soldier, returning from the war, meets his talented five-year-old nephew, leaves an indelible impression, and then disappears for twenty-three years.

Cut to 1970: The nephew, now drawing underground comic books in Oakland, California, reconnects with his uncle and, remembering the comic book he saw when he was five, draws a new version with his uncle as a World War II fighting hero. 

Cut to the present day: A commercially successful director discovers the 1970 comic book and decides to turn it into a contemporary superhero movie.

Cue the cast: We meet the film's extremely difficult male star, his wonderful leading lady, the eccentric writer/director, the producer, the gofer production assistant, and everyone else on both sides of the camera.

Bonus material: Interspersed throughout are three comic books that are featured in the story — all created by Tom Hanks himself — including the comic book that becomes the official tie-in to this novel's "major motion picture masterpiece."

The Multiverse

Marvel and DC are the big comic book houses, and as long as Hollywood keeps churning out superhero movies, there will always be an interest in the comics that inspire them. Here, we have a couple of guides that dig into the multiverses of both Batman and Spider-Man, exploring the various versions of characters from various worlds. On another multiverse level, there's a double collection of "Superman '78" and "Batman '89," a pair of comic books that continue the stories of their big screen counterparts played by Christopher Reeve and Michael Keaton, as if the movies kept going. (Ethan Anderton)

• Batman: The Multiverse of the Dark Knight: An Illustrated Guide
• Marvel: Illustrated Guide to the Spider-Verse
• Superman '78/Batman '89

Marvel Classics Collection

SlashFilm

Penguin Classics is helping Marvel fans get caught up on the classic comics with these collections of various superhero stories from decades ago. Presented with stunning full-color covers and panels, these are outstanding batches of vintage Marvel Comics featuring Spider-Man, Black Panther, Captain America, X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. They're available in collectible hardcover versions or regular paperback editions. (Ethan Anderton)

• The Amazing Spider-Man
• The Avengers
• Black Panther
• Captain America
• Fantastic Four
• X-Men

Marvel Prose Adaptations

SlashFilm

Marvel Comics uses beautiful artwork to bring their superhero stories to life. But Titan Books occasionally takes those comics and adapts them into novels for a more focused read. The latest prose novels adapt the comic arcs for "Secret Invasion," "Captain Marvel: Shadow Code," and "Loki: Journey into Mystery." Can these books capture the excitement of the comics they're based on? Will they appear to those who might be averse to reading comics for one reason or another? There's only one way to find out. (Ethan Anderton)

• Captain Marvel: Shadow Code
• Loki: Journey into Mystery (December 19, 2023)
• Secret Invasion

The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 2: Deadtime Stories for Boos & Ghouls

Bongo Entertainment

For fans of "The Simpsons," especially their famous Treehouse of Horror anthology episodes, Abrams Books is releasing omnibus collections of the comic books that provide many horror stories not seen in any of the actual episodes of the series, and the most recent is "The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror Ominous Omnibus Vol. 2: Deadtime Stories for Boos & Ghouls." Comics within the collection are written by Kyle Baker, Ian Boothby, Dan Brereton, Gerry Duggan, Pia Guerra, Peter Kuper, Carol Lay, Nina Matsumoto, Terry Moore, Steve Niles, Brian Posehn, James Robinson, Tone Rodriguez, Scott Shaw, and Jim Woodring. The artwork is amazing, the gags you've come to love from "The Simpsons" are intact, and this is just a superb collection of comics. (Ethan Anderton)