If you liked any of the movies but especially the first one this book is for you. goes into everything about how they got the actors writing the script even the delivery to when the police officer with no emotion is talking to John Wick after his first fight scene with all of the bodies, and the way he delivered his lines the director and everyone knew that everyone got what they were going for. A really good book.

If you love John Wick, you will be interested in this book. There have been lots of really interesting nonfiction books like this, and I think that they are interesting mashups that bring the book world into a closer look at some of these mega-fandoms such as John Wick. Interesting title.

I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. I have to admit I got this book because I am a fan of the films themselves. I got a deeper look into what made them possible and what inspired them. There was so much I did not know and it makes me appreciate the books so much more. It has me taking a whole new look at them and wanting to watch them all over again. There is so much from the people who work on or acted in the films. I enjoy books like this that tell more about something I already love.

This book is a fun must-read for any and all "John Wick" and Keanu Reeves fans, of which I am one. Learning about the origins, making of, and reception of the film franchise was an absolute joy ride. Gross & Altman offer an inside look into the contemporary film industry, providing a historical overview of the action and martial arts genres that would interest any film historian. The interviews contained in each chapter are extensive and include commentary from director Chad Stahelski and even some remarks from Keanu Reeves himself.. There are fun facts sprinkled throughout--Without giving away any spoilers, I was tickled to learn who the actors who played John Wick's tailor and the violin-playing assassin are in real life. Though the book reads like the transcript of a documentary at times, its first-hand accounts of the franchise's history illustrate how its existence, like that of many films, is a near-miracle. Fans of "The Internet's Boyfriend" will be thrilled with his colleague's depictions of his work ethic. A chapter on "John Wick's" influence on the film industry piqued my interest in "Atomic Blonde." I look forward to exploring more film history in Gross & Altman's other books, and of course seeing the next "John Wick" installment once it is released.

If a movie captivates you, do you immediately search for any information relating to that film like I do?? For those who love the John Wick franchise and want to know how it came to fruition read “They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog” by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman.

The book gives us behind the scenes information including accounts from the cast and crew. I now know why I love this franchise, inspiration stemmed from old and present martial arts movies I sat still for as a kid in the 1990s.

The book mentions thought processes for the next Chapter in the film series. I thought that would be especially helpful for script writers, book writers, or just writers in general.

If you are a Keanu Reeves fan, behind-the-scenes info hoarder, movie buff, or writer to name a few, I recommend reading this book!

Thank you to Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Let me start by saying if you love John Wick OR Keanu Reeves, then this is the book for you! Fans rejoice in this iconic behind the scenes look at one of the most thrilling and addictive series EVER. Hear first hand accounts of what happened and just how much everyone loved my man, Keanu, because Duh.

This book also offers some unique insight into action movies in general. I will say it seems there’s a bit of filler at the end, but the core of the book is so fulfilling. But again, I’m fairly obsessed with Keanu Reeves and John Wick so maybe that’s why I enjoyed it so much?

Regardless, if you want to fangirl (or boy) over the series or actor or action movies in general, pick this bad boy up. The cover’s pretty nice too.

Every person who has watched a John Wick movie has thought They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog. It is the last straw that pushes him down a path the bad guys are not going to enjoy.

This book itself goes down two paths. The first third is an almost scholarly look into the history of action films from 1903’s The Great Train Robbery forward. Next, it looks at how the John Wick saga reached the screen and moves onto the soundstage of the movies to show us a backstage viewpoint.

They Shouldn’t Have Killed His Dog is a detailed and worshipful tribute to film making and the John Wick movies. It is also a love letter to Keanu Reeves. I think fans of any one of the three will love this book. Though it is a bit scholarly at times, the pacing keeps the book from dragging. The interviews of so many different film experts and people involved directly with the films provide a multi-faceted perspective. 4 stars!

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I adore John Wick and the entire genre of gun-fu so it was a no-brainer to request this ARC. I didn’t know what to expect of the book and was quite surprised. The book contains all quotes from those directly affiliated with the John Wick movies. I found the information so interesting. It took a deep dive into the making of John Wick and the gun-fu genre. There were so many tidbits of information I never knew, which just made me love the franchise even more.

I would definitely recommend this book if you are a John Wick fan like me.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review.

This book is a comprehensive guide to all things JOHN WICK, from what influenced its creation, to movies that it in turn influenced, to the nitty gritty of making the movies themselves, and to the future of the franchise.

The information comes directly from a variety of people who contributed to the movie and to movies like DIE HARD (influencer) and ATOMIC BLONDE (influenced). This is the book’s greatest strength as well as its greatest weakness, because it reads like all these people are in a room having a conversation, and like conversations there’s some meandering and repetition and tangents. I found these at times fascinating and at other times a bit frustrating. But, I feel that depending on the reader’s interests, they may be fascinated by some of the things that frustrated me and vice versa.

In this case, having a bit too much information was a good problem to have because of the nuggets which wowed me. For example, the evolution of the original script, the way the cast and crew collaborated in making the films shine, and the honestly around what worked and what didn’t work as well. For example, the discussion on why the ending of the third installment was not ideal and the way Mark Dacascos who played assassin and John Wick fanboy in the third installment helped shape his character. It was cool to hear directly from the writers, directors, producers, editors, actors, etcetera.

I’m the rare individual who doesn’t mind spoilers, but I didn’t feel that the parts that spoke to the future of the franchise provided any plot secrets. They did, however, make me excited for John Wick’s next adventure. I appreciate how Keanu Reeves and Lionsgate championed the first film and how screenwriter Derek Kolstad not only conceptualized the character and world, he had a big hand in bringing them to life.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Press, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for an E-ARC of They Shouldn't Have Killed His Dog by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman.

To be pretty straight forward, I have never seen the John Wick films and it is probably because I know that they did kill off the dog. But, now I am considering watching the films out of mere curiosity.

The first section went into the history of action films and their growth from silent films, which as a film buff I really enjoyed. The history really helps set up the details for the John Wick films, because without the silent films or series like the Bond films, John Wick wouldn't have really come about. The authors feel very well researched and really try to provide a sense of how the series brought back action films.

I think the only real downfall is that it can be a bit slow in sections, but once you get past them everything is well done.

Thank you to Netgalley for this book. I thought this was an interesting read. I got a tad bored in the middle but the beginning tidbits were great.

As a John WIck fan, I had really high hopes for this book. Unfortunately, it fell short in nearly every way. I ended up DNFing at 64% because I just couldn't care enough to finish.

This is an interesting bit of backstory on the John Wick film series, plus a lot of other info on action films in general. It's ok as "oral histories" go. If you're a film studies buff like me, you'll probably enjoy it like I did.

This book was fine. The first third is actually about the oral history of action movies, and there is an entire chapter about Atomic Blonde near the end, and I think these were just filling page count. But the core of the book was interesting, even if it didn't hit all the spots I would have preferred. I would recommend this to die hard action film fans, John Wick fans, or Keanu fans, but that's about it. Side note, everyone in this book has a lot of nice things to say about Keanu Reeves, as you'd expect.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher St. Martn's Press for an advanced copy of this film history and commentary.

Creating in Hollywood can be difficult. A screenwriter has a great idea, but he producer with the money wants to take it in another direction. A director has a vision for a film, but a studio has notes. The studio can also make a movie impossible to seen, either because of spite, indifference or that wonderful thing all corporations share incompetence. However sometimes the stars align, the moon is right and things start to work in a collaborative, not combative way. A pair of directors working with their own stunt crew have a vision and a want to make a career, a producer needs a hit to prove he can play with the A-listers, a screenwriter has a good idea with a Hollywood icon liking it. A hungry group of people making art, and the magic is there. Oral Historians and longtime Hollywood reporters and writers Edward Gross & Mark A. Altman have written the ultimate guide on a movie that no knew was coming and has rewritten action movie vocabulary for the the foreseeable future in They Shouldn't Have Killed His Dog: The Complete Uncensored Ass-Kicking Oral History of John Wick, Gun Fu, and the New Age of Action. A book that goes everywhere discussing the film, its influences, and its influence on future film making.

The book begins with a history of action films and movies that can be construed as action films starting in the silent era and moving up to Die Hard and its influence and Cannon Films. This section alone is worth the book as the authors take the time to dissect what worked, what didn't and what influenced the creation of the John Wick mythos. From there we meet the directors, fight people and a producer who all need a hit movie, to show who they are and to advance their careers. Along comes a screenwriter with two credits, both direct-to-video movies with a new take on revenge. A star takes notice and suddenly a film franchise is born. All the birthing pains and watching the movie grow to being on the screen are covered, both good and bad. All three movies are covered, including hints for the fourth and fifth.

The authors do their usual outstanding jobs in writing and being able to bring all of this information together and make it not only readable, but easy to follow along. At no point does the story lag, or get to film technical. There are a lot of interviews, but the people interviewed are always identified, always clear on what is being discussed, and very forthcoming about what worked, and what didn't. Outsiders are included, for story commentary of historical and film commentary, and they too are quite clear and insightful. I wish there was a little bit more about the sound and the music, but I am a nerd about that, and still loved the book anyway. Plus there is some facts and making of information on Atomic Blonde, and what the future of action films might be post- John Wick.

Recommended for fans of the film or for fans of the genre in general. There is a tremendous amount of information in here about a variety of film subjects. Just an amazing amount of work, done very well. For fans of Future Noir: The Making of Blade Runner by Paul M. Sammon, The Making of Dune by Ed Naha and the Final Cut: Art, Money and Ego in the Making of Heaven's Gate by Steven Bach.

As a HUGE fan of the John Wick movies, I devoured this book and want to give a big thanks to the authors for writing it. The book goes into great detail on the making of the movie from the people who were involved, and I enjoyed reading everyone's take. The book is well written considering the author's background, but with that being said, this book may not be for everyone. I am a Wick nerd and love movies, and for those who like to dissect movies, you will enjoy this read.

I plan on watching the movies and rereading the book because I am interested in the creation of film from the ground up. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good movie and the Wick series because they detail how Wick was created.

I really enjoyed this book focusing on the John Wick films. It paints a picture of the start of production to where it is today. Plus, come on, who doesn’t love the movies.

This was a very informative book but it wasn't what I was expecting. Not my cup of tea but I am definitely sure someone who loves the history of action movies would love it.

I was a little worried about this one because it started with a lot of talk about the history of Action movies and Bond films (a franchise I have zero interest in), but once it gets to the John Wick stuff it really takes off. John Wick is a blockbuster franchise now, but it was anything but inevitable that that would be the case. I loved the behind the scenes look into how the team behind the films took this small action movie with a declining star (at the time) and revitalized theatrical Action.

I love John Wick to death, but unfortunately the book didn’t work for me. I thought it was going to be something totally different. I wanted a book chock full of John, but there were other movies and people and tidbits. I did enjoy the parts about Atomic Blonde.

I’m sure plenty of people will enjoy the book, I was just personally looking for something more.

*Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for a copy of this book.