Local man's book spots little known flix gems

MILFORD — In this age of Netflix, what movie lover isn’t looking for new recommendations on what to watch? John DiLeo’s new book, “Screen Savers: 40 Remarkable Movies Awaiting Rediscovery,” puts the spotlight on underappreciated movies of the 20th century. This is the third film book by DiLeo, who splits his time between Milford and Manhattan. Essential stars and directors—Gregory Peck, Jeff Bridges, Katharine Hepburn, Boris Karloff, Audrey Hepburn, Gene Kelly, Frank Capra, Francis Coppola—are represented here, not for their undisputed marvels but for other wonderful films that deserve greater attention, including “The Big Country,” “Isle of the Dead,” “Two for the Road,” “Cover Girl,” and “Tucker.” More recent movies, such as “Rambling Rose” (1991) and “The Iron Giant” (1999), are also included. Organized by genre (eight chapters of five films each), “Screen Savers” sends readers on an unpredictable and rewarding ride through movie history, providing fresh spins on the careers of familiar names and new insights into the genres that have been longstanding mainstays of filmmaking: love stories, war movies, film noir, westerns, comedies, fantasy/horror flicks, musicals, and period pieces about American life. DiLeo uncovers some real treasures: “Border Incident” (1949), a timely look at illegal doings at our Mexican border; the Tracy-Hepburn comedy “Pat and Mike” (1952), a rare old movie truly comfortable with the idea of equality between the sexes; “Hour of the Gun” (1967), a Wyatt Earp western that daringly uses the O.K. Corral gunfight as its prologue rather than its climax; “Pretty Poison” (1968), an audaciously funny and chilling reworking of the quintessential elements of film noir; “Time after Time” (1979), a fantasy thriller that lands Jack the Ripper and H.G. Wells in 1979 San Francisco; and “Three Kings” (1999), a darkly comic look at the Gulf War, released four years before the beginning of the Iraq War. DiLeo’s two previous film books are “And You Thought You Knew Classic Movies!” (1999), which received an enthusiastic blurb from the great Pauline Kael (“the smartest movie quiz book I’ve ever seen”), and “100 Great Film Performances You Should Remember—But Probably Don’t” (2002), his highly praised book of essays. DiLeo will be signing copies of “Screen Savers” at the Mill Run Booksellers in Milford (above the Water Wheel) on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. “Screen Savers” is also available online.