Mental Floss: The Curious Movie Buff: A Miscellany of Fantastic Films from the Past 50 Years

by Jennifer M. Wood, Mental Floss

Movie lovers rejoice! Learn amazing facts and behind-the-scenes stories about the making of some of the best-loved films of the past 50 years.

Cinephiles rejoice! From Mental Floss , an online destination for more than a billion curious minds since its founding in 2001, comes the ultimate book for movie lovers. The Curious Movie Buff is filled with fascinating facts and behind-the-scenes insights about the making of your favorite movies from the last 50 years. Every film fan will find something to love, with the team at Mental Floss profiling more than 60 films of the past half-century, from well-known blockbusters to critical favorites and cult classics. The highlighted titles span across various decades and genres and include iconic franchises like Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings , Oscar-winning classics like The Godfather and Titanic , rip-roaring comedies from Blazing Saddles and The Big Lebowski , indie hits like Reservoir Dogs and Paranormal Activity , and superhero favorites such as Superman and The Dark Knight .

Throughout are quirky sidebars from the Mental Floss archives, such “Marvel Cinematic Universe Movie Locations You Can Visit IRL,” “Remakes That Are Better than the Original Movie,” The 25 Best Movie Endings of All Time,” “Summer ‘Blockbusters’ That Completely Tanked at the Box Office,” and “The Best Movie Trailers Ever.”

TRIVIA ABOUT MORE THAN 60 MOVIES : Get the inside scoop, fascinating facts, and behind-the-scenes trivia on the greatest movies from the past 50 years, from serious dramas such as The Godfather to seriously funny comedies like The Big Lebowski

FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE LISTS : Learn about movie locations you can visit, what movies have the best endings, and which movies scraped the bottom of the barrel with Mental Floss’s info-packed lists

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE : Whether you’re in the mood for a classic, jonesing for a good Western, wondering what sci-fi films you’ve missed, or just want to discover a new movie, the team at Mental Floss will steer you in the right direction

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR MOVIE Mental The Curious Movie Buff is the ideal gift for the film enthusiasts in your life

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Pop Culture, Film

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2022

Reviews

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

As the title states, this is an essential compendium of great movies of the last 50 years. While I am no cinephile, I do have a particular set of tastes when it comes to the big screen. Twister? Fantastic. Armageddon? Garbage. Neither is mentioned in this book. I have discovered the lengthy list of quality movies I have not seen, from Raging Bull to Do the Right Thing to Hell or High Water. And many in between. In that sense, this book serves its purpose, providing snippets of plot details, enough to regale the reader with nostalgia or a promise of AV genius. Several categories are covered, a mile wide and an inch deep, such as “Riveting Documentaries”, “Offbeat Romantic Comedies”, “Sequels that Were Better Than the Original”, and so on. But sadly, as with any opinion based book, there were some glaring errors and omissions that even an amateur movie flunky like myself couldn’t overlook. When discussing the movie Rudy, the authors referred to the real Rudy as Gabe Ruettiger. His name is Daniel🤷‍♂️. When lording over Field of Dreams, hardly anyone ever mentions the awkward error that Shoeless Joe does not bat right handed as the movie depicts. While it may sound nit picky, these are purported movie “experts.” And finally, the most egregious error, was not including two classics of the last three decades, much less 50 years: LA Confidential and Kung Fu Hustle. It cannot be overstated that when you write a book about movies and include Paddington but not the aforementioned classics, your street cred is palpably diminished imho. Rant over.

[Alithea King · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of little fact blurbs about different movies. It was interesting and informative.

[Owain Perry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good informative film book and this definitely gave me some new trivia even though I'm familiar with most of the movies. As with any book like this, I wanted to see more international films included but it's still a pretty good range. Especially liked the section that is basically a top trumps for slasher movie final girls.

[Shaundel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Curious Movie Buff~
What a way to spend a morning...flipping through a giant book of movies and reading about them! You've got some fun trivia and info...and lots of great pictures. Thanks for taking me for a little ride in the way back machine where I revisited The NeverEnding Story, Back To the Future, Home Alone, and so many more! Great coffee table book!

[Kris Riley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did appreciate how the book is divided up by genre and year, the only drawback is that it sticks to successful, mainstream movies so I didn't discover anything new.

for general audiences it's a pretty cool guide

[Christine Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I consider myself to be a movie buff, but I've only seen about a quarter of the movies covered in this book. (I've got lots of catching up to do!) It's meant to be a coffee-table book you dip into here and there, but I read it straight through and really enjoyed it. Great photos, lots of new factoids and a broad selection of big hits, indie flicks and foreign films too. One of my personal favorites that wasn't included is "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day," but sadly, it can't list every movie ever made. It's not Imdb, but it is a fun (alphabetical!) romp through film, reminding us of the enormous range and talent of the artists who make the movies.

[Chy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a fun, quick read offering facts about popular movies from the past 50 years.

I liked that they covered a wide genre of movies ensuring that there’s truly something in here for everyone’s movie taste, but at the same time I wish there had been more movies that weren’t blockbusters highlighted.

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read and a great resource to build a list of movies to watch. the writing style is fun , engaging and easy to read. I've seen a ton of movies. but I found at least one new recommendation in each of the categories and genre's. It was very enjoyable to read the interesting facts about each featured movie

[Jenny Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book covering movies from the 1970’s through today. It’s very witty & a joy to browse. I will be buying a couple of copies for Christmas presents. I can only suggest you do the same. Remember, people who love movies really love movies!

[julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The cover and overall design are amazing of this book. Loved it!

[H · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession: only read the parts of the book above movies that I has seen but that was over half of the book so I can pass judgement. It was a fun book.

[Susan Dunker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fabulous treasure trove for future viewing.

[Teresa Wilkes-huggins · Rating 4 out of 5]

All about movies from the last 50 years. All of my favorite movies are discussed in the book. The movie musical section was my favorite. If you are a movie buff, this book is a must-read for you.

[Emma Canning · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big scream fan, I loved the cool facts this book has! I will be watching way more movies in this book throughout the year

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good collection of films. Shocked Bullitt did not make the car chase list.

[Mhorg · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author's idea of 'fantastic' films leaves out many that are fantastic. Disappointing.

[Tamelyn Feinstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a fun read, with lots of lists, anecdotes, and great graphics and layout. Enjoy the ride.

[Ron Law · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about movies from the past 50 years. Filled with facts I was clueless about. So many great films included.