Not to pat myself (or you) on the back too hard, but if you clicked on this article, then you are a true cinephile. And, do you know how I know that? Because not only do you love watching films, you also enjoy reading about them, and not just about everything heading to theaters in 2025.
Because honestly, do you have any idea how hard it is to get people to read anything these days? Even when it’s a movie based on a book, a lot of people are like, “Nah, I’m good,” when you ask them if they’ve read the source material.
So, the books I’m about to discuss are from a wide range of topics. Because filmmaking is not just directing. It's also a number of other elements as well. So, without further ado, here are 7 great books about the craft of filmmaking.
Room To Dream-David Lynch and Kristine McKenna
We lost David Lynch not too long ago, and it was a pretty big blow. I’ve already written about how there will never be another director like him, but that was concerning his films. However, if you read Room to Dream, which is part memoir, part biography, you’ll also learn that there will never be another human being like David Lynch, either.
Co-written by Kristine McKenna, who handles the biography side, Lynch handles the memoir side, where he comments on things McKenna wrote, and even describes how the things she details about his films aren’t exactly how he remembers them.
Cerebral? Yes. Cheeky? Also yes. It’s also really insightful since he goes into aspects about his films that were left ambiguous.
And, while I’ve always been a fan of his movies, I never really knew much about him outside of his films, so this book reveals that Lynch was more than just his work. He had a personal life, too!
In short, if you love (and miss) David Lynch, then there’s no better book than Room to Dream.
Pick up Room to Dream on Amazon
Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews
From high art to lowbrow. Troma Entertainment co-founder, Lloyd Kaufman, is probably most known for his gross out films like Terror Firmer. However, you might change your feelings about the man once you read Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews, which features op-eds, commentaries, and yes, interviews with the man who brought us The Toxic Avenger (who I’m a huge fan of).
What’s great about this book is that it shows that even schlock is hard work, as Kaufman has made a whole career of shocking and entertaining viewers.
The book goes over Kaufman’s savvy business practices, at points acknowledging that some of Troma’s most shocking films wouldn’t make much money at the box office, but would find their audience on home video.
I also love learning about the importance of branding, as Kaufman goes over how the Troma brand sells itself (Which, I can attest to since I’ll watch anything from Troma–Like Surf Nazis Must Die).
Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews is an excellent book (with a great intro by Mathew Klickstein!) that gets into the business of filmmaking. Plus, Kaufman reveals his 5 favorite Troma movies, so that’s fun!
Pick up Lloyd Kaufman: Interviews on Amazon
All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business-Mel Brooks
Speaking of business, there’s no business like show business, right? And, who better to give you a discussion of the matter than Mel Brooks?
In this lengthy (and fun!) book, Brooks talks about his humble beginnings in Brooklyn, to his time in the Army, to the real meat and potatoes, his time making films.
What’s great is that after talking about meeting his future wife, Anne Bancroft, we get whole chapters on some of his best known movies, such as The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein.
However, I mostly appreciate the chapters on the later Mel Brooks movies, like Life Stinks, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and Dracula: Dead and Loving It, as Brooks gets into how the entertainment industry changed throughout the years.
So, if you want to read a book about the process of becoming a success in Hollywood, then you can find worse guides than Mel Brooks.
Pick up Mel Brooks: All About Me! On Amazon
Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography-Andrew Laszlo
I’ve talked a lot about directors, but no movie would be worth watching without cinematography, and Andrew Laszlo’s book, Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography is one of the finest on the craft.
Going through the five films that he shot, this book goes over a number of things that I never even thought about when it comes to moviemaking, including the perfect lighting.
I also learned that cinematography is not just photography (Color me dim, but I honestly had no idea what cinematography actually was until I read this book).
What I dig most about it though is that it deals with movies that I actually love, with three of them being the Walter Hill movies, The Warriors, Southern Comfort, and Streets of Fire.
There’s also some Q+A sections that leave a little to be desired, but overall, if you want to learn about the craft of cinematography, then you’ve found your book!
Pick up Every Frame a Rembrandt: Art and Practice of Cinematography on Amazon
Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors-Rob Ryder
Speaking of Walter Hill movies, I'd be remiss if I didn't bring up my favorite film of his, The Warriors, which is the quintessential ‘70s movie.
Well, in Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors, we get an in-depth look at the film, but it's not from the director, leading actors, or even the screenwriter. Instead, it's from one of the extras!
The only book I've ever read of this nature, Purple Fury is the true story of a production assistant who became a location scout, and then, by happenstance, found himself actually in the movie as one of the Baseball Furies.
The book goes into the stressful nature of filmmaking, and how everybody plays a part, from the lowliest crew member, all the way up to the director.
It's a wild story, and one you will enjoy if you like hearing what it's like being on the ground floor.
Pick up Purple Fury: Rumbling With the Warriors on Amazon
Stuntman! My Car-Crashing, Plane Jumping, Bone-Breaking, Death-Defying Hollywood Life-Hal Needham
From a man on the ground floor, to a man falling off a building, this next book is one of the most harrowing and exciting ones you will ever read.
Written by quite possibly the greatest stuntman of all time, Hal Needham tells his story of starting off small and making it big in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
I’d seen movies like Smokey and the Bandit, and The Cannonball Run, but I had no idea that the guy who directed those movies also acted as a stunt double for Richard Boone earlier in his career.
Stuntman! Goes in depth when it comes to setting up dangerous scenes, and then pulling them off. It breaks down stunts in meticulous details, and it’s all as thrilling reading it as it must have been performing it.
It’s a book that really makes you feel like the Academy needs to make a category that recognizes stunt people immediately. So, for a thrilling read, check out this book.
Acting In Film: An Actor's Take On Movie Making-Michael Caine
Lastly, I thought I'd close with acting (rather than start with it) and who better to give you tips on the craft than Michael Caine, who always has something interesting to say.
In his book, Acting in Film: An Actors Take On Movie Making, he goes over everything from preparing for a role, what it's like to be in front of the camera, and even what it’s like being a movie star.
What makes this book wonderful though is that you can literally hear Michael Caine's voice while you read it, which is what I'm sure all of his books, both old and new, must be like.
My favorite part of the book is when Caine separates the differences from being a stage actor, to being a film actor, as he gives several instances on how they are such different undertakings.
Honestly, if you have any desire to be an actor (or just love hearing about the craft itself), then I can't recommend this book enough.
Pick up Acting in Film: An Actor's Take on Movie Making on Amazon
So, those are seven excellent books about the craft of filmmaking that I highly recommend you check out. Which one are you picking up first, Ms./Mr./They Cinephile?
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