As a Film Studies lecturer, for years I have been unable to find a really solid, readable, all-round affordable textbook for my 16-19 year olds students. Bordwell & Thompson's Film Art is a bona fide classic, but it costs an arm and a leg. Pam Cook's The Cinema Book, likewise, on both counts. The rest (and there has of course been a vast amount published about film) is nearly always specialised, to a greater or lesser extent, tending to focus on certain directors, certain stars, certain genres, the film output of certain countries, and so on. This book, on the other hand, written by three British academics, covers the waterfront. It doesn't attempt to be comprehensive (that's where you need Pam Cook), but aims to include all the essentials in an intelligent and straightforward way. Hence you get chapters on the industry ancient and modern, basic film form and technology, critical approaches, and various film movements and national cinemas. Not a huge number of illustrations, but those included are right on the button. There's an extensive glossary, and a good list of current websites featuring film material.