Customer Reviews
Good Guide - By: Demo, 10 Feb 2008 
I don't think this book is intended to givein depth biographies so much as some useful information when you need it. For me that is usually after watching a film & wondering where I've seen that actor before. If you wantin depth Truffaut biogs then buy a book about Truffaut, I would rather be able to find the actor I wantin a book with 12000 brief biogs than not find the actor I wantin a book with 7000 fuller ones. This is a good guide for off the cuff info about the actor who you can't quite remember. Buy this if you want to know where you saw someone last, or what else they have directed.
A Disappointment - By: M. D Shuster, 10 Dec 2003 
I wish I could be kinder to this book, because I am so impressed with the excellent yearly "Halliwell's Film & Video Guide," but I find "Halliwell's Who's Whoin the Movies" to be a serious disappointment. True, there are more than 12,000 bios, but practically all of the biographical entries are taken up by a list of films with little other information.
For a director as important as François Truffaut the entire article consists solely of (1) the dates of birth & death; (2) the statement: "French 'new wave' director, former critic. Died of a brain tumour."; (3) the titles of his supposed autobiography & his book on Hitchcock; (4) the film list (UK titles only); & (5) two short quotes by Truffaut. I write "supposed autobiography" because the cited work is,in fact, not an autobiography at all but a collection of Truffaut's early film criticism.
For some film makers the biography (apart from the film list)in "Halliwell's" may be limited to two words, such as "American director." Eric Rohmer's bio is limited to a single dismissive & mildly insulting remark: "French director of rarefied conversation pieces." Robert Bresson fares little better. At the same time, UK directors like Ken Loach or Lindsay Anderson, worthy men indeed but whose importance is certainly far less than Truffaut's, receive generous bios & a great many quotes.
This inaccurate & stingy bio of Truffautin "Halliwell's Who's Who" should be compared with the detailed bioin Ephraim Katz' "The Film Encyclopedia," where approximately 1000 words are devoted to his biography, not counting the complete film list with both the French & US titles. Katz' enclyclopaedia contains only about 7000 bios compared to 12,000in Halliwell, but I think he is correctin trading off the number of biosin favor of more useful bios.
There are about 120 pages of appendicesin Halliwell, many of which are both useful & unique to "Halliwell's Who's Who." If you already own Ephraim Katz' "The Encyclopedia of Film" there is little reason to purchase "Halliwell's Who's Whoin Film," except for some of the appendices, an expensive purchase. On the other hand, if you already own "Halliwell's Who's Whoin the Movies," there is every reason to purchase Katz' encyclopaedia.
A Disappointment - By: M. D Shuster, 02 Dec 2003 I wish I could be kinder to this book, because I am so impressed with the excellent yearly "Halliwell's Film & Video Guide," but I find "Halliwell's Who's Whoin the Movies" to be a serious disappointment. True, there are more than 12,000 bios, but practically all of the biographical entries are taken up by a list of films with little other information.
For a director as important as François Truffaut the entire article consists solely of (1) the dates of birth & death; (2) the statement: "French 'new wave' director, former critic. Died of a brain tumour."; (3) the titles of his supposed autobiography & his book on Hitchcock; (4) the film list (UK titles only); & (5) two short quotes by Truffaut. I write "supposed autobiography” because the cited work is,in fact, not an autobiography at all but a collection of Truffaut's early film criticism.
For some film makers the biographyin "Halliwell's" may be limited to two words, such as "American director." Eric Rohmer's bio is limited to a single dismissive & mildly insulting remark: "French director of rarefied conversation pieces." Robert Bresson fares little better. At the same time, UK directors like Ken Loach or Lindsay Anderson, worthy men indeed but whose importance is certainly far less than Truffaut's, receive generous bios & a great many quotes.
This inaccurate & stingy bio of Truffautin "Halliwell's Who's Who" should be compared with the detailed bioin Ephraim Katz' "The Film Encyclopedia," where approximately 1000 words are devoted to his biography, not counting the complete film list with both the French & US titles. Katz' enclyclopaedia contains only about 7000 bios compared to 12,000in Halliwell, but I think he is correctin trading off the number of biosin favor of more useful bios.
There are about 120 pages of appendicesin Halliwell, many of which are both useful & unique to “Halliwell’s Who’s Who.” If you already own Ephraim Katz' "The Encyclopedia of Film" there is little reason to purchase "Halliwell's Who's Whoin Film," except for some of the appendices, an expensive purchase. On the other hand, if you already own "Halliwell's Who's Whoin the Movies," there is every reason to purchase Katz' encyclopaedia.
A must for all film fans! - By: , 08 Jul 2001 The is a vital referance book for all film buffs. Wether you are an actor looking for a break or you wish to become the next Steven Spielberg this book is a must. And if like myself your just a keen movie fan this book is a facinating look at the business. Lots of detail, this book is a gem.
