101 Movies to Watch Before You Die

by Ricardo Cavolo

Taking the form of a diary, this vibrant graphic novel takes the reader from Goodfellas to The Goonies, Harry Potter to Apocalypse Now in a zany and hilarious exploration of the movies that have shaped Cavolo's life and the lives of his generation.

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Art, Comics, Spain

232 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2017

About the author

Ricardo Cavolo is fast becoming recognized as one of the most exciting illustrators to come out of Spain, and his book 101 Artists to Listen to Before You Die is a pure and fun amalgam of sound and color. He was previously art director at several advertising agencies before he realized his colorful tattooed beings and iconography should be shown to the world. He has done commercial illustrations for Y&R, Leo Burnett, Urban Outfitters, Converse, and Nike.

Reviews

[Shai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ricardo Cavolo may not be consider a movie critic, but he is indeed a movie enthusiast as the movies in his lists are remarkably brilliant. I'm happy that I had finally watched the 25 from the 101 movies he listed; and 13 are in my to-be-watched such as Casablanca, Pulp Fiction, and Se7en.

If you love movies, as much as I do, then you must not miss the chance to check out this graphic novel of the list of some influential movies compiled by Cavolo.

[Chad · Rating 1 out of 5]

The hand lettering in this book was so bad, it was almost impossible to read. The author couldn't even be bothered to use a ruler. The lines of text run into each other and get smaller as he tries to get it to fit in the space allotted. The art is also weird. As you can see on the cover, everyone in the book is drawn with a red fake nose and red face paint on the cheeks with eyes painted on them. It was off putting and stupid.

Received an advance copy from Nobrow and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro me ha gustado un montón.
No conocía a Ricardo Cavolo, pero su forma de ilustrar me ha conquistado. Puede que no sea para todo el mundo, pero a mí me ha parecido increíble.
Otra cosa que me ha encantado es coincidir con él en muchas de las películas y cómo me ha dado a conocer muchas que no sabía de su existencia. Os digo que podéis leerlo con tranquilidad porque no hace spoilers y que espero que si lo leéis, os fascine tanto como a mí. He echado de menos alguna que otra película, pero no deja de ser una lista muy personal.
Si le tengo que poner una pega es que, como está escrito con letra real (como si hubiera escrito en rotulador) y tiene tachones, eso a veces me sacaba de la lectura y no me acababa de convencer por mucho que esté hecho a propósito.

[nisan · Rating 4 out of 5]

okurken & çizimleri incelerken oldukça keyif aldım “SİNEMAAA!!!!” diye bağırasım geldi…..

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This duplicates the format of Cavolo's book on music, only this time he tells us his favourite movies. Like the previous book, it is not meant to be a list of "all-time", "best ever", or "most popular" movies instead it is a listing of the movies, in chronological order, which had the most influence, meaning or pure enjoyment to the author himself which he, personally, recommends to others. He journals each movie (one per two page spread) telling all sorts of different information on why he likes the movie. I found it very interesting as the author and I shared a lot of similar taste in films! The movies from the silents through the 80's I had mostly seen, with only a couple I hadn't excepting the foreign language movies. Cavolo has an interesting background (Italian, born in Spain, living his youth with the Romani and having an obsession with American culture) which leads to an eclectic mix of movies. The more modern movies, I found I hadn't seen or even heard of most of them, making me want to see quite a few. The art is ... well, it is fantastic. I love Ricardo Cavolo's bright, surrealistic style and spent more time observing the illustration than reading the text. Recommended!

[Jennifer Bacall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not for everyone, but was the perfect book for me. Some have complained of the hand lettering, that it is curved and blacked out in places but I found the realness of that as well as the natural speaking quality of the text refreshing. Of course it doesn't hurt that the author and I have similar taste in films.

The art too is not for everyone. The double sets of eyes and bold colors leave some feeling overwhelmed. I loved visually digging through each image and seeing which components the author choose to feature from each film.

[Elia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a pretty solid list, though it does omit all things Disney (it does include a couple of Pixar offerings) and I don't fully agree that some of this stuff should be on here.
It has given me a new list of things to stream this weekend though.

[Rania T · Rating 5 out of 5]

This surely was a trip down memory lane. Ricardo Cavolo has provided a great selection here and wonderful insight into the films he is passionate about. He adds to this with quirky illustrations which give a new perspective to protagonists past and present. Would have loved a copy of this as a uni student back in the day, when a lot of my study centred on analysing a lot of these works of cinematic art.

[Emily W · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I loved most about this book what how much his favourite movies were chosen based on personal anecdotes. It's not about which movies are most prestigious or a book written from a sense of industry superiority - instead it is a list of movies that have shaped his life

[J Earl · Rating 5 out of 5]

While Ricardo Cavolo titled this book 101 Movies to Watch Before You Die I did not take this to be him trying to argue these are the best 101 movies in some objective way. These are the 101 most influential movies to him and he wants to share them with everyone else. With that in mind I was able to avoid the annoying mistake so often made of complaining about what was included or excluded from the list.

Because these films hold some special place in Cavolo's heart the short write-up for each one focuses on what the film did/does for him and how it might also do the same for others. This isn't about complete cast lists or detailed analysis (though I found some of the personal commentary to be quite insightful well beyond the personal level) but more like a friend telling another friend about some movies that moved him and might do the same for the friend.

He made me want to re-watch some of the films and there were 17 films I have not (yet) seen that I will likely make a point of watching. Some of my favorites are here and, as expected, some of my favorites are not. One fun aspect was the way these films reminded me of others. For instance, in his blurb about The Party (1968) he mentions Peter Sellers, which made me remember Dr Strangelove, which is not on his list. There were many such instances so even the films not mentioned were often brought to mind.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys lists of films and particularly those who like to hear about why a given film is important to someone. Maybe a new genre: graphic cinematic memoirs. Okay, maybe not, but the personal element coupled with the list of movies makes this a fun read and a great suggestion guide for what to watch next.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.

[Keen Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really took to Cavolo’s use of colour in here. He manages to create some vivid, powerful and memorable images that really strike home. It was a style that was along the lines of the Mexican Day of The Dead meets a 60s psychedelic vinyl album cover. I wasn’t so keen on the multiple eye technique though, it made looking at every face a queasy and unpleasant experience, which was a shame because faces appear on almost every second page. Also I find it strange if someone is calling themselves an artist, and you cannot even do simple hand lettering well, why not pay someone else to do it for you?...I understand English is not his first language but referring to the German speaking Rilke, as a “Russian poet” was a bit of a faux pas and should have been picked up in the editing/translation process.

There is a strong Italian representation here, which is no surprise, considering Cavolo’s background. As well as the usual films, that appear on these lists from the likes of Scorsese and Coppola to Hitchcock and Spielberg, we also get exposed to some lesser touted titles. I did learn about some new and interesting looking films, that I had never knew about before, such as “Freaks”, “Grey Gardens” and “Gummo” and many more that I will chase down in the future.

This was a fairly interesting approach to a well-worn concept, but I don’t think the four to six eye technique worked and after a while it just confused and annoyed me. Cavolo has a likeable voice that is easy to warm to, but the lettering can come across as a little lazy. If this fan film guide in graphic form appeals to you, might I recommend “Filmish” by Edward Ross, an outstanding piece of work, which shows a little more restraint, depth and maturity.

[Patrycja · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written in the form of the list (or diary) of movies important to the author. Each short explanation is accompanied by an illustration.

As an author explains in the intro of the book "this is a love story [to movies] told in an installment.(...) Each person's movie list is as personal as their genetic make up". Author shares with us movies, that he loves, that had some impact on his life. We don't have to agree with his list, but I am sure there were many movies from the list, that would end up on our own 101 movies to watch list.

Author doesn't analyse the stories, or characters, he simply gives his personal point of view on the flick.
He talks about movies going back to 1902 (Le Voyage Dans La Lune)" and finishes with "The Revenant" (2015). It is a great book for movie lovers. I am planing also to watch some titles mentioned in the book, that I haven't seen yet.

Nicely done, Mr.R. Cavolo

PS. The only element I didn't get is the double set of eyes in the illustrations. I know its a form of art, but it looks strange. Maybe author/ illustrator was going for "weird". If yes, than he succeed. ( I received this graphic novel in exchange for honest review).

[Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun comic to flip through, Spanish artist Ricardo Cavolo muses on one hundred and one films and what they mean to him, similar to his previous work 101 Artists to Listen to Before You Die. It’s easy to see when Cavolo grew up, judging by the number of ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s movies he lists, with more than 75% coming out post 1980. His list is basically personal, with little discussion of the movies themselves. The film list itself isn’t that surprising, really, with not much unfamiliar to someone who's looked at, say, the AFI list of best movies, but the real reason to check this out is Cavolo’s lovely illustrations for each of his chosen films.

Cavolo’s art style is colorful and vibrant, with a mystical, outsider style, depicting all his characters with double or triple eyes, and little flames of passion sprouting from iconic film scenes. His handwritten notes can be a bit hard to read at times, with crossing outs and cramped words, but also give the work a personal feel, as though you’re really reading an acquaintance's recommendations. While I might be able to throw together a list of my favorite movies, it wouldn’t have the visual aplomb Cavolo brings to the book.

[Eli · Rating 3 out of 5]

A movie recommendation book written by someone with no professional anything to do with film? Yep. This is Ricardo Cavolo’s love letter to the movies that impacted him and bring him joy. It is an interesting read if your a movie lover. The writing is only okay but it’s basically a diary so it’s not a big deal. I personally agree that the majority of the movies herein are worth seeing and I liked that they have a wide range from silent films to modern cinema and include world cinema. The best part is the art. Each page has a sort of interpretative movie poster provided by Cavolo and every page looks terrific. I actually got the book for my 14 year old who is interested in movies. He is familiar with various “best ever” lists and I thought this book might spark some different ideas. It does.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked how Cavolo didn’t take his book to seriously. I’m sure it was challenging for him to whittle his list of favorite movies down to 101, but he included some movies even when he wasn’t sure why. I loved that because sometimes, you just love a movie. It doesn’t have to be one of the best of all time. In other words, I liked how personal his list was. I have some new movies that I’ll be watching (if I can get my hands on them) thanks to 101 Movies to Watch Before You Die. (I was not expecting the trippy artwork, I must say, but I loved the colors and interpretations of films.)

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this rating is completely based on opinion. He had some interesting movie choices, it was cool to see American Beauty and Rear Window on here, as those are some of my favourites. But the absence of movies like Sunset Boulevard and It's A Wonderful Life was an interesting choice... anyways this isn't a fair review so don't take it to account x

[Calle Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ricardo Cavolo cuenta aquí su propia experiencia con el cine, las películas que lo hicieron soñar de niño y las que siguen apasionándole de mayor. Todo esto acompañado de sus impresionantes y únicos dibujos. Una lectura que da ganas de ver todas esas películas de las que habla.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is so damn wicked - from the amazing art style to the actual feel and weight of the book, it’s just so damn cool. it’s the sort of thing that i really want to make. maybe i’ll convert my film diary into something like this

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this and the companion book, 101 artists to listen to before you die. Great art and insight into music and film. This pairing would make a great present for someone who loves illustrated books and contemporary arts...hint, hint...I am becoming a big fan of Ricardo Cavolo.

[Ystyn Francis · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I was not a great fan of the art, and the insights into the films were somewhat repetitive, it’s definitely a cool-looking book and it’s given more importance to me since it was a gift from a graduating Year 12 English student that I taught.

[Michele · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to thank Nobrow for my e-copy.

An interesting mix of movies mostly from the 90s. The author gives a short synopsis of why the movie was picked and gives the year it was produced so that there isn't any confusion if there is a remake.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

The list of movies was just okay...we obviously don't always share the same criteria for great films. Cavolo doesn't always explain why a movie is great. It's just his personal list. My biggest beef with this book was how butt-ugly it was. Ugly text, ugly art. Not my style at all.

[Brett Plaxton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good collection of moves, including a bunch I haven’t seen that I’ll be adding to my watchlist. The handwriting reminded me a lot of what happens when I wrote on blank paper, words start slanting down and smaller so they fit on the line.

[Christine · Rating 2 out of 5]

An interesting read but I really did not like the artwork

[Trevor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ricardo Cavolo's books are so much fun to read. His illustration style is nothing if not totally unique.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love lists but this was difficult to read on an ereader. I received an advanced reader copy of this title from the publisher.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Alejantrve · Rating 1 out of 5]

me alegro de que le gusten las pelis y tal, a mí también, pero esto no es mi tipo de cosa

[Kati A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the art in the book and I am looking forward to ticking off all the films in it! I did find the writing a bit hard to follow sometimes though.

[Tyler Patton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful. It felt like reading someone’s handwritten journal about movies!