Not to be Missed: Fifty-four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film - Hardcover

Kenneth Turan is the film critic for the Los Angeles Times and NPR's Morning Edition, as well as the director of the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes. He has been a staff writer for the Washington Post and TV Guide, and served as the Times' book review editor. A graduate of Swarthmore College and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism, he is the co-author of Call Me Anna: The Autobiography of Patty Duke. Turan teaches film reviewing and non-fiction writing at USC and is on the board of directors of the National Yiddish Book Center. His most recent books include Free for All: Joe Papp, The Public, and the Greatest Theater Story Ever Told and Never Coming To A Theater Near You. Turan lives in Los Angeles, CA. Follow him on Twitter @KennethTuran.

What makes this book stand out is how each film is put into context of the time period it was made and Turan's reasons why each one sticks out as memorable and deserving of watching more than once. This collection is a worthwhile companion to similar books of the best in film,” e.g., Roger Ebert's The Great Movies and Gail Kinn and Jim Piazza's The Greatest Movies Ever. Recommended for the casual movie fan as well as the serious film student.” Library Journal

A veteran critic offers a decade-by-decade list of the films that have been like friends who've enriched my life.' Film lovers will eagerly swoop in to see if their favorites are present, and there are certainly some surprises. [Not to Be Missed] will surely ignite debate, disdain and delight.” Kirkus

[Turan's] comments about the movies are always insightful his writing is fluid and accessible. Richly deserving of shelf space alongside Ebert's The Great Movies (2002), Pauline Kael's For Keeps (1994), and Turan's own Never Coming to a Theater Near You (2004).” Booklist

Turan's thoughtful list will inspire readers to rent some of his all-time favorites, and they can have the utmost confidence in Turan's wise and enthusiastic recommendations.” Shelf Awareness

We would be hard pressed to disagree with Turan's premise about what makes for a favorite movie, or to write more eloquently about the things we love. San Francisco Chronicle

Kenneth Turan presents an enticing blend of Hollywood controversies, historical context, and crisp analysis in Not to be Missed Cinephiles will find plenty to devour and to debate.” Boston Globe

[Turan] offers up tidbits of Hollywood history and behind-the-scenes drama, as well as his critical analysis of some of the world's greatest movies some familiar, some obscure.” NPR's Morning Edition

The book's real value may lie in the oddities that Turan has unearthed over a lifetime of viewing: connections between films and cultures that showcase influences and enhance reputations.” Washington Post

"A collection full of surprises and Turan's great insight, Not to Be Missed is a treasure chest essential reading for anyone who loves movies." Susan Orlean, author of Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend and The Orchid Thief