Suggested New Reads on Filmmaking: A Trip to Asteroid City, Women of the French New Wave, the Iconic Gandolfini, and J. Hoberman's Reflections on the '60s.

      As summer arrives, it’s the perfect time to spotlight the most sun-soaked element of Wes Anderson’s work, along with an intriguing piece by J. Hoberman, a vital biography of James Gandolfini, and a variety of other reading materials to enjoy while soaking up the sun.

      **The Wes Anderson Collection: Asteroid City by Matt Zoller Seitz (Abrams)**

      The Wes Anderson Collection, curated by Matt Zoller Seitz and the team at Abrams, is undeniably essential for film enthusiasts. One of the joys of experiencing a new Anderson film is the knowledge that a new edition from the Wes Anderson Collection will soon follow to analyze it thoroughly. A detailed examination of Asteroid City is particularly valuable because the 2023 film represents one of the director’s most ambitious projects. Film historian David Bordwell highlights in his foreword that the dual narratives in Asteroid City—a black-and-white TV program from 1955 and a widescreen color film—indicate a notable shift in how Anderson approaches storytelling. Bordwell argues that the film showcases Anderson's ability to “shift timelines while reinterpreting refracted storytelling, the alteration of one tale during its retelling.” This notion, among many others, is explored with in-depth analysis by Zoller Seitz, alongside interviews, behind-the-scenes images, and more.

      **Everything Is Now: The 1960s New York Avant-Garde—Primal Happenings, Underground Movies, Radical Pop by J. Hoberman (Verso Books)**

      Is there a more consistently insightful critic alive than J. Hoberman? The legendary figure from the Village Voice has been a crucial voice in film and cultural critique for decades. In Everything Is Now, he reflects on the 1960s, creating a deeply personal history of the avant-garde scene in New York City. Hoberman delves into much beyond film, though prominent figures like Jack Smith and Nam June Paik are significant. One of the most entertaining sections chronicles the uproar that erupted when Jodorowsky’s El Topo premiered in the U.S. He also discusses Bob Dylan (“Self Portrait represented a disheartening summer”); the Velvet Underground (“finally, the Factory united with rock”); and Jimi Hendrix (“the hippie-clad Hendrix’s racially diverse band was met with boos and a thrown bottle upon arrival at midnight”). Everything Is Now is a breathtaking exploration of an extraordinary decade and stands as one of J. Hoberman’s exceptional works. For more, check out Mark Asch’s interview with Hoberman here.

      **Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend by Jason Bailey (Abrams Press)**

      It is hard to believe that more than a decade has passed since the remarkable James Gandolfini left us. This fact adds to the emotional depth of critic and author Jason Bailey’s biography of the late Sopranos star. While the sections detailing the latter part of Gandolfini’s life are indeed somber and moving, I found the accounts of his early acting days to be particularly compelling. Take, for instance, Gandolfini's method for conveying the agony his character experiences when Patricia Arquette’s Alabama drives a corkscrew into his foot in True Romance: “Jim wanted her to do it for real,” Bailey shares. After Arquette refused, “Jim adjusted his request, asking [director Tony] Scott to drive a pencil into the top of his foot; according to Scott, ‘one of the second ADs got a compass and slammed it down at the top of his foot. You know, that was just for the response on his face.’” It’s an astonishing story, and I’ve yet to mention the anecdotes surrounding Gandolfini’s most famous role. Bailey emphasizes that Tony Soprano was merely one aspect of a life and career that will always be remembered.

      **Nouvelles Femmes: Modern Women of the French New Wave and Their Enduring Contribution to Cinema by Ericka Knudson (Chronicle Chroma)**

      For some, the French New Wave constantly lingers in our thoughts. The movement that produced films like Breathless will attract even more cinephiles when Richard Linklater’s anticipated Cannes favorite, Nouvelle Vague, has its brief theatrical run before debuting on Netflix. For those eager to get a head start, I suggest exploring Nouvelles Femmes: Modern Women of the French New Wave and Their Enduring Contribution to Cinema by Ericka Knudson. “Nouvelles Femmes tells the story of the French New Wave through the perspectives of many women, both prominent and lesser known, who were central to it,” Knudson notes. This includes chapters on stars like Anna Karina, Jean Seberg, and Jeanne Moreau, as well as Macha Méril, Haydée Politoff, and Françoise Fabian.

      **Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queern