Although a good compendium of movies set and/or filmed in the Pacific Northwest, information is not detailed for most entries instead giving a rather generalized location. For one movie in particular, the main location of the filming isn’t mentioned at all. This movie was mostly filmed in the town I lived in and nary a mention is given though the information is listed on its IMDb entry. I can’t help but think if there is an error in a movie I’m particularly familiar with, what about films I know little or nothing about? For the movie buff interested in what movies were filmed in Washington or Oregon but not for fans wishing to visit exact sites.

I absolutely adored this book and as someone who has read A LOT of movie books in his day, this one definitely stands out.

The collection and arrangement of movies in Filmlandia! does what all great film books should aim for, it tells a story. The Pacific Northwest's history is tackled in all forms from the good to the bad through the lens of cinema and this book doesn't shy away from it.

Incredibly funny, with gorgeous artwork this one needs to be experienced in full colour. I had erroneously sent this to my kindle at first and am very glad I kyboshed that as it didn't allow for the full impact of the work.

Short, sweet, and with plenty of films to add to my watchlist, I couldn't be happier.

Another great book that highlights filming locations and movies made in the pacific north west. Full of artful depictions, but no photography. Great for movie fans.

A highly entertaining movie lover's guide to films and television shows that take place in Seattle, Portland and the Great Northwest. I loved the book right away - from his opening dedication to his mom to the well known and obscure blurbs on the many movies and tv shows from the Northwest. The artwork is great and does a nice job supplementing the blurbs. Directors such as Gus Van Sant and Kelly Reichardt and of course TV shows such as Twin Peaks are all in this book. But who knew Bruce Lee lived and is buried in Seattle? I like the emphasis on queer cinema such as a recent film "Potato Dreams of America" which I saw at SXSW online during Covid and is a must-see. I particularly liked the thematic binge lists included at the end to seek out a wide range of films and tv shows. Each film has a brief blurb and some of these were laugh out loud funny! This is a fun, quick read and is a great reference guide. I recommend this book for all movie lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Sasquatch Books for a free advance copy and I wrote this review voluntarily.

As a recent transplant to the Pacific Northwest (five years now!) who still plays tourist in Oregon and Washington and loved film, film history, and traveling to filming locations, I was super stoked to get my hands on this! Though I would have eventually bought it lol

David Schmader, in the easily digestible modern format of "listicle", succintly and almost completely tells the reader of almost every film and television show shot in Oregon and Washington... even if it was just an establishing cityscape, or a well-known landmark's photobomb. Everything you can think of, and more, will have been mentioned, except for those who've fallen victim to the ol' "Vancouver Switcheroo", confusing something shot in Canada for something, well, not.

Schmader keeps mostly to the listicle of Title + 3-5 sentences of description/summary/fun fact. Where Filmlandia shines though are the tangents the author takes on subjects like queer cinema, documentaries, studios (love LAIKA), adult films, the PNW standing in for the post-apocalyptic landscape, and local celebrities (pages are dedicated to the likes of Bruce Lee, Gus Van Sant, and Kurt Cobain). The two pages on "Oregon's frontier epics" was one of the most fascinating reads in the book. Honestly, while I don't mind the efficiency in which the book's topic is presented, I do wish Schmader went more in-depth like this because, frankly, the rest of the content is easily found online (and on more than one site), and Schmader has a such an approachable tone that it feels like being told a story by an excitable and witty friend.

I also wanted to make a quick comment on the artwork by Ashad Simonian - every few pages are fun, colorful, pop art representations of one of the recent mentions and they are a joy. I want a poster of the Harry and the Henderson's page for a friend lol If I could I would insert a pic here of myelf with the Harry statue, off the highway in Index, WA (surprisingly unmentioned by Schmader!).

Oh, and one more thing! I am both offended by, and giggling at, the description of Keanu Reeves as "cinema's most soulful mannequin". How dare you! lol

Such a fun book! Loved going through and reading about all the different movies, some I hadn’t even realized were filmed in the PNW! The art was unique and interesting and everything was so thoroughly researched! Loved this book and it would be so fun as a book for a coffee table!