ALL THE RIGHT MOVIES: THE STORIES AND SECRETS BEHIND THE MAKING OF 25 ICONIC FILMS (Book Review)

Being a true fan of film and following cinematic history is not simply a 'hobby'.  Those who live and breathe never ending big screen content, collect countless physical media releases, and can quote the most memorable movie scenes on que are, let's face it, not merely obsessive about the industry and medium but are also addicted to it.  Thankfully this type of addiction is relatively harmless although likely many spousal partners would disagree.  And even though the world-wide-web (and the IMDB; Internet Movie Database specifically) is more than enough to satiate film fanatic readers from absorbing and retaining all this material...there is nothing like picking up and holding a good book in your hands, is there?

And so comes All The Right Movies: The Stories and Secrets Behind The Making Of 25 Iconic Films, a 336-page hardcover coffee table gem published and distributed by Epic Ink (an imprint of The Quarto Group) that is derived and written by the creative team from the popular podcast of the same name; John Barker and Luke Cardy.  In the spirit of their podcast show with each episode focused on one unique film's fascinating stories behind-the-scenes, the book selects 25 films worth of that in-depth look with each containing 50 points of tantalizing trivia bits that film fanatics cannot get enough of, a one-page interview with a key member of the film's production, and a summary 'by the numbers' page that further put the film's particular impact on history and culture into perspective.

All The Right Movies is not intended to be a sweeping, in-depth eye-opening read on all the films, but rather a fun, light-hearted journey through them.  With each passing page, it almost feels like the reader is seated on a Hollywood studios tour ride of historic productions, with the book serving as the voice of the welcoming and humorous guide with a microphone-in-hand as you arrive at each stop and listen to their knowledge intently.  The 25 movies chosen are also sub-grouped together by genre, with 5 films each in the categories of Action, Drama, Horror, Science-Fiction and Thriller (sorry rom-com or western lovers, you are out of luck on this one)

Another element of the book that should be perceived as a commendable approach, is the choices of the 25 films themselves.  After all, this is not a book written by critics of the industry, this is a piece written by fans for other fans.  And in that event, even though some selections are righteously included because of their longstanding iconic status' as cinematic masterpieces (i.e. The Godfather, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Taxi Driver, Gladiator), others are embraced on their sheer rewatchable merit accomplished by the masses even more over time after their initial success or failure (i.e. The Thing, Predator, The Shawshank Redemption, Die Hard) that present day has made them giant staples of their genre that are now regarded as absolute 'must-sees'.  Even among the selections are sleeper, hidden gem feature films that earn a spot in the book, simply because they deserve to regardless whether they proved successful or not like 1982's First Blood, 1993's True Romance, 1994's Speed, 2000's High Fidelity and 2001's Training Day.

Perhaps the most entertaining portion or sub-category of the book is the Horror collection, which let's be honest is a genre that never gets the true recognition it deserves in critical circles, but here is showered with it with five blatant cases of evidence of why it should be with trail-blazing pieces during its golden era; An America Werewolf In London, A Nightmare On Elm Street, The Evil Dead, The Thing and 1999's trend-setting, found-footage phenomenon The Blair Witch Project.  Even though they appear in other categories, there are connective entries contained within the book which even further enhances the reading experience for fans of this genre with 1979's Alien (found in the Sci-Fi category) and 1995's Seven (located in the Thriller section).

A nice touch is also the interviews included from production players who were hands-on with each film and offer great perspective, a prime example is Casting Director Jackie Burch providing interviews for both 1987's Predator and 1984's gold standard of high school movies; The Breakfast Club. Burch speaks to working alongside beloved late directors John McTiernan and John Hughes respectively, but also the difficulty of figuring out who was the right fit for certain roles in both films even if it meant some turbulence to get there (i.e. rebellious Judd Nelson as the equally authority-resistant Bender for Club, Jean-Claude Van Damme's brief but ill-fated tenure initially as the alien hunter in Predator).  

Ultimately All The Right Movies is a film fans' dream of absorbing countless facts and tidbits about their favorite film's production histories and the list chosen is an incredibly well-balanced and considered offering that does not just appeal to a one-side perspective of what makes movies the experiences that they are and instead nicely reflects how they are truly appreciated over time.  To make sure it lands a particular audience that can revel in it, there are no films included that are pre-1970's or an entry past 2013 (the blockbuster and technically inventive space story smash Gravity serves as the closest modern-era film to appear in the book).  So buckle up film fans, make sure you brain has capacity to gobble up all the facts and stories included on an assortment of movies that have proven their worth in one way or another.

*All The Right Movies: The Stories and Secrets Behind The Making Of 25 Iconic Films is available for purchase as of September 1st, 2026.