DVD Corner

TCM Imports Book Review

“TCM Imports” is another rewarding Turner Classic Movies book.

Written by Australian author/film critic/TCM host Alicia Malone, “TCM Imports” (AKA “TCM Imports: Timeless Favorites And Hidden Gems Of World Cinema”) explores the world of international cinema from France, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Sweden, Canada, Germany, etc. The book kicks off with an introduction by Malone that details her background and upbringing and her approach to this book which focuses on 52 films. The films are divided into seasons- winter (early year), spring, summer, fall and winter (year end). The idea is that there’s 1 film for each week of the year to give it a more thematic feel. 

Nearly all of the renowned filmmakers are covered here such as Truffaut, Rohmer, Kurosawa, Bong Joon Ho, Fellini, Bergman, Godard, Tati, Renoir, Wong Kar-Wai, Guillermo del Toro, Melville, Antonioni, Ray, Wim Wenders, Ozu, Kieslowski, Fassbinder, Akerman, De Sica, Almodovar, Dreyer, Demy, Varda, Weir, Lang, and Powell. Each film entry contains credits, photos, quotes, and a written piece that tackles the film’s history, legacy, plot, themes, appeal, filmmaker and stars, or simply whatever is appropriate to the film. For example, with Chantal Akerman’s “Jeannie Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels,” the film’s #1 position on the Sight And Sound Poll is touched upon. Of course, there’s a wealth of information to be found within these pieces that further dive into the world of international cinema including details about Italian Neorealism, the J-Horror movement, pioneering women filmmakers, the Japanese New Wave, and so forth. 

There are more than just 52 films getting the spotlight. Each entry also contains a top 5 list which is either in a similar vein from the listed film or perhaps revolves around a specific filmmaker. For example, the “All About My Mother” entry contains a list featuring 5 more must-sees by Pedro Almodovar that include “Women On The Verge Of A Nervous Breakdown,” “Talk to Her,” “Volver,” “Pain And Glory,” and “Parallel Mothers.” The book closes out with acknowledgments, a bibliography and an index. 

Making a book about the entirety of international cinema is a daunting task but Alicia Malone does a commendable job in not only giving people a starting point for what to see, but providing more in-depth information for the film buffs out there. On top of that, Malone tends to go for less obvious choices here. For Akira Kurosawa, she opts to focus on “Ikiru” instead of “Seven Samurai,” but still includes the classic film in the top 5 list. Sure, there are a few obvious ones here like “Bicycle Thieves,” “The Rules Of The Game” and “Cinema Paradiso,” but she also includes plenty of obscure titles “(Went The Day Well?” and “Paris Pick-Up”) and underrated gems (“The Ascent” and “Elevator To The Gallows”). Furthermore, Malone also includes films from a wide variety of genres from comedy and samurai films to war and horror. 

If there were any quibbles to be had it’s that there are a few notable omissions here. Yes, many of these filmmakers are either referenced or have their work included in the 5 additional film lists, but Haneke, Tarkovsky, Miike, Miyazaki, Bunuel, Herzog, Murnau, Melville, Roeg and Verhoeven all deserve recognition to be sure. 

April 26, 2025 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Book review | Akira Kurosawa, Alicia Malone, Bergman, Bong Joon Ho, Chantal Akerman, Fellini, Guillermo del Toro, International Cinema, TCM Imports Book, TCM Imports Book Review, Truffaut, Turner Classic Movies