Eric Litt has written his second book about the movies for Eckhartz Press. His first book Oscars Biggest Mistakes came out in 2022.
This new book is full of recommendations for terrific films that deserve to be seen again from almost every genre from action to comedy to horror to holiday. There is something in this book for everyone. Yes, it’s available right now!
We got a chance to talk to Eric about his new book this week…
EP: What inspired you to create a collection of 200 films that might have flown under the radar or been forgotten by movie fans?
Eric: With so many streaming services out there and less and less theatrical films being released and many of those films not being that good, I’ve found it harder and harder to find something to watch. I’ve got an enormous physical media collection of titles and find myself going back to them more often than not. When I go through them, I find myself revisiting titles that tend to be smaller, older or movies that I hadn’t watched for a long time. The big movies are always easy to find and everybody has seen them, but what about compiling a list of titles that may not be thought about and haven’t been seen in a while? I thought it was a way of giving some movies, good movies too, a little more notice and attention. When you’re at home, searching for something to watch on one of these streaming services, many times, the choices are endless and you really don’t know what you’re looking for. My book hopefully, will give movie fans some choices to look for and not have to sift through as much.
EP: How did your process of choosing these films unfold? Were there any specific criteria or qualities you looked for to decide whether a movie was “worth a second look”?
Eric: I have my favorites, but I wanted to avoid Oscar nominated films or winners. I also avoided blockbusters. Those films people have seen and are recognized. I divided the films into 4 categories and tried to find movies that fit into one of those. An underrated movie, a forgotten hit, a hidden gem or a guilty pleasure. In the book I gave a little glossary for each category and criteria and example.
EP: Your book covers a range of genres, from action to holiday movies. Was there a particular genre that you found had more underrated or forgotten films than others?
Eric: Crime films and thrillers seemed to be my fattest chapter. It’s also one of my favorite genres so I gravitated towards those as well.
EP: Given that you’ve also authored Oscars Biggest Mistakes, how does your perspective on award-winning films compare with those in Worth a Second Look? Are there many award-snubbed hidden gems on this list?
Eric: As mentioned before, I wanted to avoid films that either won or were nominated for an Oscar. I believe two films did slip in, but for the most part, I purposely left them out because those are films that are not considered underrated. If anything, many of them would be overrated. There are a lot of Oscar nominated films that were nominated and shouldn’t have been. A terrific film like Zodiac (2007) wasn’t nominated for anything and should’ve been. Those are the types of films that I was looking for.
EP: What film from Worth a Second Look would you consider the ultimate “hidden gem,” and why do you think it has stayed overlooked by mainstream audiences?
Eric: There’s a terrific film directed by David Mamet called “House of Games” (1987) which is about a bored therapist played by Lindsay Crouse looking for a little excitement when she decides to investigate something for a client and she gets caught up in a great con game cooked up by Joe Mantenga and a crew of legendary stage actors including Ricky Jay and Michael Nussbaum. It’s a small film that critics liked, but I don’t believe audiences really ever discovered it. It doesn’t have any big stars (Mantegna wasn’t a big deal yet) and did not get a wide release at the time.
EP: What do you hope readers take away from your book? Are you hoping they explore different genres, revisit old favorites, or find new guilty pleasures?
Eric: All of the above. I hope readers enjoy it first and foremost. If someone comes back to me and says that they went through my book and watched something from it based on a recommendation, then that would make me very happy. I don’t care what the title is. It can be one of the Bronson films I mention, it doesn’t matter. I also like it when someone comes up to me and offers up a title of their own. I love feedback.
The book launch party for Eric’s book will be November 12th, 7:30pm at Sketchbook in Skokie. Come one, come all. Eric will be doing a reading and selling (and signing) copies of his book.
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