The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie by James King was interesting enough while I was reading but ultimately mostly forgettable and a skim read most of it. I do want to this this another try when I'm not in a reading slump though, as it seemed really cute.

The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

The Ultimate History of the 80s Teen Movie book is packed with tons of information on every 80s teen movie imaginable. It doesn't really touch any new ground but for those unaware of these movies or want a nice compilation it is a great resource. Well researched and informative look at how the framework fo the time made these movie thrematically happen.

A compelling and sweeping look at iconic and less known 80s teen movies. Packed full of research and anecdotes, structured with 17 chapter/essays to dip into, this is a real pleasure to read. The perfect gift for any 80s lovers!

Not a ton of new information but a solid exploration of the '80s teen movie. Would have enjoyed more analysis of the films.

James King's The Ultimate History of the '80s Teen Movie presented an in-depth, linear look at the themes and natures of the films that defined an entire culture movement: The Breakfast Club, Fame, Dirty Dancing. If young adults were rewinding their VHS tapes to relive them, in rooms littered with neon leg-warmers and hairspray cans, you can bet they're included in this book. Therefore, it should have been a riot - a nostalgic trip down film history lane; an afternoon spent with old, slightly zany friends. But, unfortunately, it was a book that lacked any of the 'zig' of the era. It was dry! Dry! I mean, can you imagine? A book about John Travolta, Sean Penn and Madonna, and the two Coreys being dry? Somehow, it managed to make drug-fuelled, raucous teen fun feel like one of the textbooks the teenagers had been watching all of these movies to avoid. And, honestly, for a little while whilst reading it, I actually forgot why I loved all of these movies so much.

I'm not usually one for books on film - I like watching films and reading books but never the twain should meet. However, I have a weakness and that is 80's movies and in particular brat pack films. Back in the day, I sought information but apart from a few dedicated magazines, there wasn't much to read. So I couldn't resist this. But this turned out to be a lot more than I was expecting. Being a trivia nerd I don't often now learn new things about my expert subjects (expect to see me on Mastermind - specialist subject Emilio Estevez) but I picked up lots of snippets in this I didn't expect. Good times. BUT as much as I enjoyed this it is a little dry, sometimes reading like a textbook rather than something you might read for 'fun'. But that said there was enough in here for me to have really liked reading this book.

As an 80s movie geek I was excited to read this book. I enjoyed learning some of the history and reading some of the anecdotes but overall this book was a little heavy for my taste. It felt a little too serious considering the topic.

I was looking forward to this book and thought I'd get some cool, fun behind the scenes type reads from it - but it was just too dense. It felt like I was reading the dictionary, and I struggled through alllll of it. Also there was a ton of information that felt unnecessary and kind of irrelevant. I can tell so much hard work went into this, but all the footnotes and references kind of made my eyes blur.

More text book type than fun and informative *shrug*

I had a rather low expectation of this book.

I have to confess that I thought it was going to be like so many others that I have read in the past that just rehashed the same old quotes and the same old interviews that we have all read a million times before with the Brat Pack or John Hughes.

I was pleasantly surprised by this which was far more in depth.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Boy oh, boy did this book bring back fond memories of my youth. Although the movies mentioned were not my all time favorite, it was still interesting to read all the behind the scenes tidbits. The book started off going over John Travolta and his success with Saturday Night Fever, and finally dove into all things TOTALLY RADICAL. The Karate Kid will never grow old in my book. This would make a great gift for an 80's movie buff. I do wish it would have had pictures and movie location still shots. My favorite movie covered? Fast Times at Ridgemont High...!!!

This was really interesting, although at times it got quite dry. I liked learning all of the facts, although it felt quite dense sometimes. This would would be a good resource for someone writing a paper on it.

As a child of the 80s, this is literally all I could want and more in a book about movies I loved while growing up. Interesting and insightful, anyone who grew up in the era, or has an interest in it,will want to make this a must read!

I felt I was taking a short semester course on the 80s era of movies while reading this book which was both fun and informative. Though I would have loved to see some pictures and stills.

Growing up in the 80's, Teen Movies were my jam. Although slightly on the younger side for these movies I still ate them up as much as I could.

This book was a great history on those movies. It not only had interesting back histories of these movies but also fun facts and anecdotes.

Although it was a little overwhelming with information it doesn't skimp on it's name!

If you're a movie buff or love teen movies I highly recommend you give this book a skim. I think you'll learn a lot more than you ever knew.

But be warned, this book makes you want to do many rewatches, so be sure you have your Netflix account up to date!

I was surprised at how difficult it was for me to get into this one at first. I love 80s teen movies, But then this book was confident enough to put the words “Ultimate history” in its title and to get to the movies we all think of when we think 80s teen movies, you have to examine what trends came before and how attitudes started shifting.

I think in the beginning of the book, there was a little much John Travolta for my liking. I don’t even have anything against him, I loved him in Welcome Back Kotter, but he was a star of teen movies and shows in the 70s and I was here for the 80s. I do think it’s important to see how much Hollywood trends can change in a short period of time. One year you’re grooving to Staying Alive and the next it’s a whole new decade with all new norms. Basically I was just impatient to get to my faves. Once we got to the 80s stuff, I was much happier. The usuals are here. But so are some that would probably be considered cult classics. I’m always amazed when people I know who love 80s movies as much as I do haven’t even heard of River’s Edge. I mean it stars Dennis Hopper, Crispin Glover, and Keanu Reeves. How can you not have heard of it? It’s here!

If you love 80s teen movies, you’ll like this book. If you like Hollywood history, you’ll like this book. When in doubt, I’d suggest skimming the Index. As I said, what came before it is mentioned. My fave actor of all time is James Dean. He’s even here. The focus in on the 80s. But the history of the genre is here too.

A must read for any fan of 80's Teen Movies.

I wasn't around in the 80's. ( '94 baby right here ) But I've loved so many of these movies mentioned for pretty much my entire life. I can't tell you how many times I've watched The Breakfast Club. It was great to dive in and read about the Hollywood history of this time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Diversion Books for an advanced review copy. The title appears promising since I love anything related to the eighties. I enjoyed the bits of information about John Travolta's career beginnings. The rest of the book did not interest me as much.

A total geek fest! This book has so much detail about the movies of the 80s that it took quite a bit of concentration at times. The book goes through each year and talks about the major movies released as well as some more lesser known ones. I enjoyed it and have learned quite a bit about the decade. Worth a read.

Very informative. A must have guide for all lovers of 80s movies.
Brings back so many memories. Highly recommended.
No era can replace the rocking 80s..........it's classic everything