This is the film history chronicle devoted to the most iconic moments ever committed to celluloid. Written by film historian David Thomson in an effusive, casual style, this book explores 72 films from a 100-year span on the search for signature moments that define the medium. The author analyzes the significance of the noir tone set by the opening swimming pool scene in Sunset Boulevard, and the simple dignity of John Wayne outside the cabin at the end of The Searchers. For Hitchcock’s Psycho, Thomson includes not the infamous shower scene, but the moment of conversation immediately prior between Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins to demonstrate Hitchcock’s use of emotional opposites to heighten tension. For Cinephiles, this book is an essential film studies class wrapped in 304 pages of friendly banter. 10" H x 9" W x 1½" D. (3 lbs.)