Inside the imdb top 250
The Internet Movie Database ranking of the 250 films its users deem the greatest of all-time has always fascinated me, partly because I’ve spent a disturbing amount of my life creating lists for various publications and also because it reveals America’s self-proclaimed movie snobs to be deeply perceptive and total cretins all at once. The rankings inevitably feature a few artificially high recent releases (you may not have been aware of it, but Inception and Toy Story 3 are both among the ten finest films ever). Then in a few weeks things stabilize, resulting in relatively constant master list. Here’s what I love and loathe about the rankings:
, is a history professor at Temple University in Philadelphia and has spent years researching the coffee chain and drinking coffee at Starbucks. His book focuses on just how carefully Starbucks manages its image and in-store environment.
is an interesting little read — a case study in obsession. It is the story of a book lover, his connections to the Proust family, and his obsession with preserving the author’s writings and possessions. Author Lorenza Foschini does an excellent job of pulling the threads of this story together into a fascinating — if short — read. 
