Dizionario snob del cinema

by David Kamp, Lawrence Levi, Alfonso Geraci (Editor)

«Questo Dizionario Snob del Cinema si propone di colmare in parte il gap culturale tra gli Snob e i nonSnob - scrivono nell'Introduzione David Kamp e Lawrence Levi, critici cinematografici e giornalisti newyorkesi entrambi, il primo per «Vanity Fair» e per il «New York Times» il secondo -, così che le persone normali e non sociopatiche che amano il cinema possano A) assaggiare il Formaggio con le Pere della cui bontà il Cinefilo Snob vorrebbe non sospettassero nemmeno; e B) evitare del tutto o comunque cibarsi con cautela della considerevole quantità di cose discutibili e di porcherie vere e proprie di fronte alle quali gli Snob si genuflettono in nome dello Snobismo. Quest'ultima ci sembra una funzione particolarmente utile, dal momento che il gusto del Cinefilo Snob è volutamente perverso. Gli autori di questo libro si sono sforzati di trovare un equilibrio tra curiosità intellettuale e follia Snob, perché il lettore intimidito dalle parole "Espressionismo Tedesco" possa finalmente decidersi a noleggiare il godibilissimo M di Fritz Lang, ma allo stesso tempo liberarsi dal senso di colpa per non aver mai visto un film di Peter Greenaway».

Genres: Film, Nonfiction, Humor, Reference, Pop Culture, Media Tie In, Dictionaries

188 pages, Paperback

First published February 21, 2006

About the author

David Kamp is an author, journalist, lyricist, and humorist. Among his books are the national bestseller The United States of Arugula (Broadway Books, 2006), a chronicle of America’s foodways; the critically lauded Sunny Days (Simon & Schuster, May 2020), a history of the Sesame Street-Mister Rogers era of enlightened children’s television; and, as collaborator, Martin Short’s bestselling memoir, I Must Say (HarperCollins, 2014), Ron Howard and Clint Howard’s joint memoir, The Boys (William Morrow, 2021), and A Fine Line Between Stupid and Clever: The Story of Spinal Tap (Gallery Books, 2025), with Rob Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer.

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a film buff I wondered if maybe I was a film snob. After reading this book I find that I am not (thank heavens). The author states that the film snob "knows more about film than you do and zealously guards this knowledge from the masses who have no right whatsoever to be fluent in the works of Samuel Fuller or Andrei Tarkvovsy"

The film snob seem to embrace very iffy or downright crappy films just for the sake of snobbery. Although I have heard of many of the terms/people/films listed in this reference work, I also see that many of them are basically questionable, vague junk (in my opinion). A film of a man sleeping for 3 hours doesn't seem to make it iconic and directors like Fellini and Bergman are omitted since the film snob thinks they are just names dropped by the losers wishing to seem cultured. Instead the snob drops names like Guy Maddin, Chloë Sevigny, and Seijan Suzuki and then smirk as you ask "Who?".

This is a fun book, only 144 pages long, which informs me that I don't know squat about film.....and I intend to remain that way, happy to be called a film buff.

[Ritinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nos tempos em que trabalhava, estudava, e ainda cumpria diversas obrigações familiares que me deixavam pouco mais de cinco horas de descanso diário, a minha sobrevivência cultural era o cinema.
Vi centenas de péssimos filmes e ganhei com isso a capacidade de reconhecer o bom cinema a parsercs de distância. Mas guardei também muito guilty pleasure. Daí que albergue snobeira e ignorância q.b. para este título me haja deliciado. Só peca por ser tão pequeno.

[K.A. Erickson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written enough to be mildly amusing even to a total novice (like me). I read it cover to cover. With that in mind, ending a book by two dudes with an entry that seems to pardon a man for murdering his wife leaves a bad taste in the mouth, lol.

[Jerry Dean Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This came about while I was waiting for "The Comedians" to come in the mail from Thriftbooks (honestly, they were jerking me around on the actually arrival date). But, to be honest, I have nothing really to say about this one. It's a clever (though dated) book of terms, people and technical elements that movie snobs love and hate. It was fun. That's about it.

[jedioffsidetrap · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun & amusing and highly idiosyncratic trip thru movies/films. Pokes fun at the film snob and spotlights odd corners of the business...

[Nadia · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first, the authors' tone seemed too caustic for my taste, but I powered through and I definitely learned a lot. An enjoyable, light read.

[Pietro Torrisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book but for some reason it gave me less than i thought it would - I must be less of a cinefilo than in my teens and twenties. Cheers!

[rita rodrigues ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

amei o formato dicionário e o estilo cómico em que estava escrito (não sou snob)

[Mikey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Film Snob's Dictionary is a funny and informed collection of takes on films, styles, filmmakers, and trends that are beloved by those guys behind the counter at Hollywood Express. Kamp and Levi are not themselves film snobs, but are clearly knowledgeable about film and have a wide breadth of knowledge about the art form, which leads to straightforward, honest, and humorous insights about Pauline Kael ("nonsensical"), German Expressionism ("despite their cherished place among snobs, actually entertaining" - I feel validated!), and Ai no corrida ("passe borderline porn"). The authors' stated goal - to help bridge the gap between film snobs and mere movie lovers - is a noble one, and is achieved here. This is really fun read.

[Landon · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a true film snob, I can attest to the relevance of many of the entries in this book. But there were many that I was unfamiliar with and look forward to following up. No laugh out loud moments, but I was smiling all the way through. Great for a lazy afternoon...followed by an all-nighter of movie watching. The "used in a sentence" examples are occasionally brilliant, and I can't help but share an exceptionally sly one, found in the entry for Tamiroff, Akim: Orson always said to Cybill and me, "There's no one I liked working with better than Akim Tamiroff." The Tarkovsky entry is wonderful, too.

[Bryce Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perenial bathroom reading. Good quick bite sized chunks of reading, filled to the brim with interesting facts, useful trivia, and truly funny writing.

Strikes a nice balance, it's funny, but genuinely knowledgeable, it respects its subjects but its not afraid to take the piss out of a sacred cow or two, and it's not afraid to call out the reader for being the type of person to own The Film Snob's Dictionary.

[Marina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un simpatico dizionarietto utile a capire gli snob cinefili. Un po' difficile per chi, come me, non è un grande appassionato di cinema e perciò non sa cogliere tanti riferimenti, ma divertente comunque. Uno su tutti: «Andrei Tarkovsky: Acuto e visionario ma con un senso del ritmo da era della glaciazione: vedere i suoi film è più che altro una scelta di vita.» Peccato mortale Peter Greenaway inserito fra le 10 causes célèbres snob fraudolente. Si vede che un pelino snob lo sono anch'io.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slight, but entertaining. Like its companion volume The Rock Snob's Dictionary, which I also read and enjoyed, this has the double-value of being a delicious parody of a subculture, even as it functions as a really useful reference for discovering fun aspects of that subculture. Imagine The Preppy Handbook with an emphasis on Tarkovsky and Walter Murch, instead of Lacoste and Topsiders.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very funny book that is as much a satire of the movie intelligentsia as it is a guidebook for somebody who wants to become one. Although too short to be a major resource, it still includes plenty of interesting and obscure information. And when your reading the most militant passages, remember: it's tongue-in-cheek.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny only to snobs. he contrasts a film snob as opposed to a film buff. A film buff loves good movies. A film snob loves knowing about movies far more than he loves the movie watching experience. So true it hurts. ditto the rock snob

[Maile · Rating 3 out of 5]

My boss gave me this book, and I read a few entries from time to time. It's pretty funny and lends better summaries to terms like "cinematic apparatus" than I am able to come up with, even after graduate work in film theory. It's worth having if you are a true movie nerd.

[Niklas Pivic · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clearly a great book for the snob, and even though I'm not one - though I tend to do my best by purchasing stuff from the Criterion collection - this is a great laugh and funny to see. It provides a birds-eye perspective on the fat world of the film snobs, their likes and dislikes included.

[Spence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was incredibly depressing to me. After reading it, I realized I already knew what all those words were.

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is made of awesome, and is so funny because it's so damn true. As a movie critic I read some of it with shame, resolving not to repeat the clichés it goofs on.

[Mazzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny little book to read. Some of the facts are amazing.

[Quinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I quickly bought this as I was exiting Universal Studios Florida in 2008, and it was the final nudge I needed to fall into the deep well of cinephilia. Literally life-changing!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little book... would love to see an update!