Most Popular Books by Matt Zoller Seitz

Is The Wire better than Breaking Bad? Is Cheers better than Seinfeld? What''s the best high school show ever made? Why did Moonlighting really fall apart? Was the Arrested Development Netflix season brilliant or terrible? For twenty years-since they shared a TV column at Tony Soprano''s hometown newspaper-critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz have been debating these questions and many more, but it all ultimately boils down to this: What''s the greatest TV show ever? That debate reaches an epic conclusion in TV (THE BOOK). Sepinwall and Seitz have identified and ranked the 100 greatest scripted shows in American TV history. Using a complex, obsessively all-encompassing scoring system, they''ve created a Pantheon of top TV shows, each accompanied by essays delving into what made these shows great. From vintage classics like The Twilight Zone and I Love Lucy to modern masterpieces like Mad Men and Friday Night Lights, from huge hits like All in the Family and ER to short-lived favorites like Firefly and Freaks and Geeks, TV (THE BOOK) will bring the triumphs of the small screen together in one amazing compendium. Sepinwall and Seitz''s argument has ended. Now it''s time for yours to begin!

Mad Men Carousel is an episode-by-episode guide to all seven seasons of AMC''s Mad Men. This book collects TV and movie critic Matt Zoller Seitz’s celebrated Mad Men recaps—as featured on New York magazine''s Vulture blog—for the first time, including never-before-published essays on the show’s first three seasons. Seitz’s writing digs deep into the show’s themes, performances, and filmmaking, examining complex and sometimes confounding aspects of the series. The complete series—all seven seasons and ninety-two episodes—is covered. Each episode review also includes brief explanations of locations, events, consumer products, and scientific advancements that are important to the characters, such as P.J. Clarke’s restaurant and the old Penn Station; the inventions of the birth control pill, the Xerox machine, and the Apollo Lunar Module; the release of the Beatles’ Revolver and the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds; and all the wars, protests, assassinations, and murders that cast a bloody pall over a chaotic decade. Mad Men Carousel is named after an iconic moment from the show’s first-season finale, “The Wheel,â€? wherein Don delivers an unforgettable pitch for a new slide projector that’s centered on the idea of nostalgia: “the pain from an old wound.â€? This book will soothe the most ardent Mad Men fan’s nostalgia for the show. New viewers, who will want to binge-watch their way through one of the most popular TV shows in recent memory, will discover a spoiler-friendly companion to one of the most multilayered and mercurial TV shows of all time. It''s the perfect gift for Mad Men fans and obsessives. Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: The Oliver Stone Experience, The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads, The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Wes Anderson Collection.

Stone himself serves as guide to this no-holds-barred retrospective—an extremely candid and comprehensive monograph of the renowned and controversial writer, director, and cinematic historian in interview form. Over the course of five years, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone (Midnight Express, Scarface, Platoon, JFK, Natural Born Killers, Snowden) and New York Times bestselling author Matt Zoller Seitz (The Wes Anderson Collection) discussed, debated, and deconstructed the arc of Stone''s outspoken, controversial life and career with extraordinary candor. This book collects those conversations for the first time, including anecdotes about Stone''s childhood, Vietnam, his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, and his continual struggle to reinvent himself as an artist. Their dialogue is illustrated by hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and documents from Stone''s personal archive, dating back to Stone''s birth: personal snapshots, private correspondence, annotated script pages and storyboards, behind-the-scenes photography, and production files from all of his films to date—through 2016''s Snowden, and including Stone''s epic Showtime mini-series Untold HIstory of the United States. Critical commentary from Seitz on each of Stone''s films is joined by original essays from filmmaker Ramin Bahrani; writer, editor, and educator Kiese Laymon; writer and actor Jim Beaver; and film critics Walter Chaw, Michael Guarnieri, Kim Morgan, and Alissa Wilkinson. At once a complex analysis of a master director’s vision and a painfully honest critical biography in widescreen technicolor, The Oliver Stone Experience is as daring, intense, and provocative as Stone’s films—it''s an Oliver Stone movie about Oliver Stone, in the form of a book. Both this book and Stone’s highly anticipated film, Snowden, will be released in September 2016 to coincide with Stone’s seventieth birthday (September 15, 1946). Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: Mad Men Carousel, The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads, The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Wes Anderson Collection.

On January 10, 1999, a mobster walked into a psychiatrist’s office and changed TV history. Celebrating one of the greatest television series of all time, the New York Times bestseller The Sopranos Sessions is a must-have for any fan of the groundbreaking show. Renowned television critics Matt Zoller Seitz and Alan Sepinwall, who were among the first to write about The Sopranos for New Jersey’s Star-Ledger, reunite to produce this comprehensive collection. The book features detailed recaps, insightful conversations, and critical essays covering every episode of the series. Dive deep into the artistry, themes, and legacy of The Sopranos with long-form interviews with series creator David Chase and highlights from the authors’ writings. Explore the show’s portrayal of Italian Americans, its graphic depictions of violence, and its deep connections to other cinematic and television classics. Whether you''re a longtime fan or new to the series, The Sopranos Sessions offers a rich, engaging exploration of the show that paved the way for the very best of modern prestige television. “This amazing book by Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz has bigger twists than anything I could ever come up with.” —Sam Esmail, creator of Mr. Robot

"This book is a time machine. It goes backwards and forwards through all seven seasons. It takes longtime fans to a place where they ache to go again. It guides new viewers on their first trip to 1960s Madison Avenue. It lets us think about the show the way a TV critic does. Around and around and back home again, to a place where we know why it''s loved."--.

The official behind-the-scenes companion to The French Dispatch and the latest volume in the bestselling Wes Anderson Collection series The French Dispatch—the tenth feature film from writer-director Wes Anderson—is a love letter to journalists set at the titular American newspaper in the fictional 20th-century French city of Ennui-sur-Blasé. The film stars a number of Anderson''s frequent collaborators, including Bill Murray as the newspaper''s editor in chief; Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, and Frances McDormand, as well as new players Jeffrey Wright, Benicio del Toro, Elisabeth Moss, and Timothée Chalamet, who bring to life a collection of stories published in The French Dispatch magazine. In this latest one-volume entry in The Wes Anderson Collection series—the only book to take readers behind the scenes of The French Dispatch—everything that goes into bringing Anderson''s trademark style, meticulous compositions, and exacting production design to the screen is revealed in detail. Written by film and television critic and New York Times bestselling author Matt Zoller Seitz, The Wes Anderson Collection: The French Dispatch presents the complete story behind the film’s conception, anecdotes about the making of the film, and behind-the-scenes photos, production materials, and artwork.

The official behind-the-scenes companion to Asteroid City and the latest volume in the bestselling Wes Anderson Collection series Asteroid City—the eleventh feature film from Academy Award–winning director Wes Anderson—follows a group of teen geniuses and their families as they attend the 1955 Junior Stargazers convention in the eponymous dusty hamlet. The events of the film, a representation of a fictional play, also titled Asteroid City, unfold in a parallel narrative to a televised broadcast of the creation of a theatrical production. As the lines between reality and theater blur, the audience is treated to stunning technicolor vistas and stark black and white sets, all while the promise of an extraterrestrial visit hangs overhead. In The Wes Anderson Collection: Asteroid City, the latest entry in The Wes Anderson Collection, cultural critic and New York Times bestselling author Matt Zoller Seitz presents the complete story behind the film’s conception via interviews with Wes Anderson and Jason Schwartzman and illuminating behind-the-scenes photos, ephemera, storyboards, models, miniatures, and artwork. Contributions from Tom Hanks, Jeffrey Wright, Bryan Cranston, Rupert Friend, Hope Davis, Stephen Park, and the Junior Stargazers themselves provide reflections on the film’s production and insight into the intricately layered characters.

A dialogue about cinema''s legacy and best directors through essays by three of the best long-form critics out there, collected from the legendary NYPress for the first time. Comprising of the kind of long-form criticism that is all too rare these days, the weekly film columns in the NYPress included polemics, reviews, interviews, festival reports and features. A far cry from what is often derisively termed the "consumer report" mode of criticism, Cheshire, Seitz and White were passionately engaged with the film culture of both their own time, and what had come before. They constituted three distinctly different voices: equally accomplished, yet notably individual, perspectives on cinema. Their distinctive tastes and approaches were often positioned in direct dialogue with each other, a constant critical conversation that frequently saw each writer directly challenging his colleagues. Dialogue is important in criticism, and here you can find a healthy example of it existing under one proverbial roof. This three-way dialogue between Cheshire, Seitz and White assesses the 1990s in cinema, along with pieces on New York''s vibrant repertory scene that allow us to read the authors'' takes on directors such as Hitchcock, Lean, Kubrick, Welles, Fassbinder and Bresson; as well as topics such as the legacy of Star Wars, film noir, early film projection in New York City, the New York Film Critics Circle, Sundance, the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and the emerging cinema of Iran and Taiwan.

This companion to the New York Times bestselling book The Wes Anderson Collection takes readers behind the scenes of the Oscar®-winning film The Grand Budapest Hotel with a series of interviews between writer/director Wes Anderson and movie/television critic Matt Zoller Seitz. Learn all about the film''s conception, hear personal anecdotes from the set, and explore the wide variety of sources that inspired the screenplay and imagery—from author Stefan Zweig to filmmaker Ernst Lubitsch to photochrom landscapes of turn-of-the-century Middle Europe. Also inside are interviews with costume designer Milena Canonero, composer Alexandre Desplat, lead actor Ralph Fiennes, production designer Adam Stockhausen, and cinematographer Robert Yeoman; essays by film critics Ali Arikan and Steven Boone, film theorist and historian David Bordwell, music critic Olivia Collette, and style and costume consultant Christopher Laverty; and an introduction by playwright Anne Washburn. Previously unpublished production photos, artwork, and ephemera illustrate each essay and interview. The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel stays true to Seitz''s previous book on Anderson''s first seven feature films,The Wes Anderson Collection, with an artful, meticulous design and playful, original illustrations that capture the spirit of Anderson''s inimitable aesthetic. Together, they offer a complete overview of Anderson''s filmography to date. Praise for the film, The Grand Budapest Hotel: Four Academy Awards®, including Costume Design, Music - Original Score, and Production Design; Nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Directing, and Writing - Original Screenplay; Best Film - Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Awards; Best Original Screenplay, BAFTA, WGA, NYFCC, and LAFCA Awards Praise for the book, The Wes Anderson Collection: “The Wes Anderson Collection comes as close as a book can to reading like a Wes Anderson film. The design is meticulously crafted, with gorgeous full-page photos and touches . . .” —Eric Thurm, The A.V. Club Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: Mad Men Carousel, The Oliver Stone Experience, The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads, andThe Wes Anderson Collection.

Stone himself serves as guide to this no-holds-barred retrospective—an extremely candid and comprehensive monograph of the renowned and controversial writer, director, and cinematic historian in interview form. Over the course of five years, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone (Midnight Express, Scarface, Platoon, JFK, Natural Born Killers, Snowden) and New York Times bestselling author Matt Zoller Seitz (The Wes Anderson Collection) discussed, debated, and deconstructed the arc of Stone''s outspoken, controversial life and career with extraordinary candor. This book collects those conversations for the first time, including anecdotes about Stone''s childhood, Vietnam, his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, and his continual struggle to reinvent himself as an artist. Critical commentary from Seitz on each of Stone''s films is joined by original essays from filmmaker Ramin Bahrani; writer, editor, and educator Kiese Laymon; writer and actor Jim Beaver; and film critics Walter Chaw, Michael Guarnieri, Kim Morgan, and Alissa Wilkinson. At once a complex analysis of a master director’s vision and a painfully honest critical biography in widescreen technicolor, The Oliver Stone Experience is as daring, intense, and provocative as Stone’s films—it''s an Oliver Stone movie about Oliver Stone, in the form of a book. Both this book and Stone’s highly anticipated film, Snowden, will be released in September 2016 to coincide with Stone’s seventieth birthday (September 15, 1946). Also available from Matt Zoller Seitz: Mad Men Carousel, The Wes Anderson Collection: Bad Dads, The Wes Anderson Collection: The Grand Budapest Hotel, and The Wes Anderson Collection.

A colorful review of Brad Pitt''s life and the films (including Interview with the Vampire, Twelve Monkeys, and Thelma and Louise), costars, and directors who helped make him the most compelling superstar in modern cinema. This volume offers a unique portrait of an enigmatic, brilliant actor. Featuring more than seventy-five photos and in-depth reviews of all of Pitt''s films.

Explore the creation of Guillermo del Toro’s early masterpiece through this visually stunning and insightful look at the spine-chilling classic. Released in 2001, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone announced the director as a singular talent with a unique ability to mix the macabre with the sublime. A spiritual companion piece to his Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth (2006), the film shares similar themes and is also set against the backdrop of the Spanish Civil War, a brutal conflict that turned ordinary men into monsters. Through a series of in-depth and extremely candid interviews with the director, this deluxe volume not only explores the shooting of the film but also delves into a range of other topics with del Toro, including his influences, his uniquely nuanced approach to filmmaking, and the traumatic personal events that colored the creation of The Devil’s Backbone. The book also draws on interviews with key contributors in the film’s creation, including cinematographer Guillermo Navarro and composer Javier Navarrete, to give readers an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at how this gothic horror masterpiece was crafted. Featuring a wealth of exquisite concept art and rare unit photography, Guillermo del Toro’s The Devil’s Backbone is the ultimate behind-the-scenes look at an unforgettable Spanish-language classic.

A book about HBO''s Western drama Deadwood, including a history of the production, a biography of creator David Milch, and scholarly and critical essays about the program

An account of the making of Deadwood: The Movie, the final chapter of David Milch''s HBO drama, as told through person photos by the cast and crew.