What do you think?
Movie Trivia Madness: Interesting Facts and Movie Trivia
Do you like secrets?
Well we dug deep to uncover only the most interesting facts and movie trivia for you to enjoy. We're big movie fans too, so we know just what you love to read about. You want all the amazing facts behind your favourite movies. Not just the regular stuff that is easy to find.
And you don't just want to be entertained, you want to enrich your movie watching experience. So these pages are full of random facts about your favourite actors and actresses. We discovered the sometimes bizarre ways that they prepare for their roles, and the stories from the set you almost can't believe to be true. And we made sure to include some fun trivia questions for you to test your movie knowledge with. Are you up for the challenge?
Of all the trivia books out there, this is surely going to be your favourite. We jammed over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...we've got it all! There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia as well. Keep an eye out for an easy-to-miss cameo from your favourite droids!
So are you ready to learn the secrets from the Hollywood vault? Good, because we're ready to share them! Enjoy the ride!
Well we dug deep to uncover only the most interesting facts and movie trivia for you to enjoy. We're big movie fans too, so we know just what you love to read about. You want all the amazing facts behind your favourite movies. Not just the regular stuff that is easy to find.
And you don't just want to be entertained, you want to enrich your movie watching experience. So these pages are full of random facts about your favourite actors and actresses. We discovered the sometimes bizarre ways that they prepare for their roles, and the stories from the set you almost can't believe to be true. And we made sure to include some fun trivia questions for you to test your movie knowledge with. Are you up for the challenge?
Of all the trivia books out there, this is surely going to be your favourite. We jammed over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...we've got it all! There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia as well. Keep an eye out for an easy-to-miss cameo from your favourite droids!
So are you ready to learn the secrets from the Hollywood vault? Good, because we're ready to share them! Enjoy the ride!
- GenresNonfiction
150 pages, Paperback
Published March 11, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 26, 2022
Well this was quite interesting and entertaining to say the least. Like almost going to a Hollywood gossip party and getting all the dirt.
As mentioned: "over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia...".
Not all of the movies I have seen, but generally knew most of the actors. It made them more real, and the scenes more picturesque in my mind as I envisioned them.
Reading this was just entertainment and kind of fun for a change of pace read, taking a break from the regular genre(s).
As mentioned: "over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia...".
Not all of the movies I have seen, but generally knew most of the actors. It made them more real, and the scenes more picturesque in my mind as I envisioned them.
Reading this was just entertainment and kind of fun for a change of pace read, taking a break from the regular genre(s).
April 7, 2017
Movie Trivia Madness, by Bill O’Neill and Steve Murray, may not include facts about your favorite movie, actor or director. But, if you love (or even watch) movies, it’s sure to include something about someone or some movie you’ve seen and remembered. Anecdotes about directors' pranks perhaps, or actors who go too hauntingly deep into method … reminders not to give Jack Nicholson a cheese sandwich … The stories will give you plenty to laugh about, snippets to amuse and annoy your friends, and maybe even validation of some of your pet theories, all told in a lightly conversational voice, and accompanied with questions and answers to “test” your knowledge or just keep you satisfied that you guessed right. There’s even a f-bomb count.
Well-presented, with sections and stories that follow on naturally, pleasingly broken up with questions and answers, Movie Trivia Madness is both a curious resource for movie aficionados, and a surprisingly good read for the rest of us … with more to follow!
Disclosure: I got it on a deal and enjoyed reading it.
Well-presented, with sections and stories that follow on naturally, pleasingly broken up with questions and answers, Movie Trivia Madness is both a curious resource for movie aficionados, and a surprisingly good read for the rest of us … with more to follow!
Disclosure: I got it on a deal and enjoyed reading it.
December 10, 2017
NOTE: One of the authors notified me that this book was temporarily available for free on Amazon and asked me to write a review.
Everybody loves trivia, and everybody loves movies, so a movie trivia book is bound to have a following. Bill O’Neill and Steve Murray try to tap into that built-in audience with Movie Trivia Madness, a compendium of several hundred generally little known facts about the films, stars, and directors we love. Most people are going to learn at least a thing or two from this book, but the authors should have done their homework a bit better.
Movie Trivia Madness is divided into seven chapters, each dealing with a particular aspect of the film industry, including actors, directors, and famous films. In each chapter, the authors have a dozen or so headings devoted to a particular person or movie and usually provide two to four fun facts about each. At the end of each chapter is a numbered list of an additional 20 or so random facts pertaining to that particular category, followed by a short multiple-choice quiz.
Depending on a reader’s level of familiarity and interest in the movie industry, some of this material may be old hat, but I consider myself rather well-versed, and I learned a number of things from reading the book. For example, I didn’t know that Tom Hardy now sports a particular tattoo thanks to a bet he lost to Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of The Revenant.
Movie Trivia Madness is not, of course, a reference book, so the authors aren’t strict in their categorization of particular bits of information. As a result, people interested in a particular actor or film may find different tidbits of information pertaining to their favorite in several different chapters. As an example, the authors devote quite a bit of space in a number of places to the various types of preparation by different actors for some of their best-known roles. Frankly, I felt this Forrest Gump approach to organization (“you never know what you’re gonna get”) was rather fun.
Somewhat less fun, however, were the amount of inaccuracies and incomplete information I found in Movie Trivia Madness. In an era of “fake news,” I was a bit curious as to the accuracy of some of the information in the book and how well it was researched. In that regard, I was disappointed. I didn’t try to verify the authors’ assertions in most cases, but a few obvious mistakes caught my eye, such as stating that Vince Vaughn appeared in the original Jurassic Park (it was the sequel), or that How I Met Your Mother was a movie, not a TV show. One fact I did check was a reference to martial arts star Tony Jaa quitting acting to become a Buddhist monk. That did indeed happen in 2010, but he since resumed acting and has been in several big name recent releases, including the last Fast and the Furious movie.
The authors also curiously omit some information that would have been interesting to learn. They note that Viggo Mortensen only got his role in Lord of the Rings at the last minute, replacing another actor, but don’t mention the other actor (Stuart Townsend). Similarly, they note that the actor originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz lost the part because of an allergy to the makeup used. That actor was Jed Clampett himself, Buddy Ebsen, a detail almost as interesting as the fact that the role was recast due to an allergy. Failing to include details like that leave readers wondering who the actors being discussed were and makes Movie Trivia Madness seem sloppily put together.
The authors also have a couple of annoying writing quirks, most notably using the word “apparently” a lot in their descriptions, such as “Apparently, Stephen King attended a screening of [Pan’s Labyrinth] and sat next to the director.” Either he attended or he didn’t; there’s no apparently involved. I don’t know whether the authors are doing this to hedge their bets when they can’t fully source something or it’s just a habit, but either way, using that word over and over is annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed Movie Trivia Madness, but the errors and sloppiness were bothersome. Many people probably won’t be upset by that, but I think that authors compiling a fact compendium, even one of trivial facts like this, shouldn’t have these types of mistakes in their book. I still recommend the book as a generally fun read (albeit somewhat pricey at $3.99 for the amount of information in it), but I do wish the authors paid more attention to facts and detail in what is, after all, a book of facts, trivial though they may be.
Everybody loves trivia, and everybody loves movies, so a movie trivia book is bound to have a following. Bill O’Neill and Steve Murray try to tap into that built-in audience with Movie Trivia Madness, a compendium of several hundred generally little known facts about the films, stars, and directors we love. Most people are going to learn at least a thing or two from this book, but the authors should have done their homework a bit better.
Movie Trivia Madness is divided into seven chapters, each dealing with a particular aspect of the film industry, including actors, directors, and famous films. In each chapter, the authors have a dozen or so headings devoted to a particular person or movie and usually provide two to four fun facts about each. At the end of each chapter is a numbered list of an additional 20 or so random facts pertaining to that particular category, followed by a short multiple-choice quiz.
Depending on a reader’s level of familiarity and interest in the movie industry, some of this material may be old hat, but I consider myself rather well-versed, and I learned a number of things from reading the book. For example, I didn’t know that Tom Hardy now sports a particular tattoo thanks to a bet he lost to Leonardo DiCaprio during the filming of The Revenant.
Movie Trivia Madness is not, of course, a reference book, so the authors aren’t strict in their categorization of particular bits of information. As a result, people interested in a particular actor or film may find different tidbits of information pertaining to their favorite in several different chapters. As an example, the authors devote quite a bit of space in a number of places to the various types of preparation by different actors for some of their best-known roles. Frankly, I felt this Forrest Gump approach to organization (“you never know what you’re gonna get”) was rather fun.
Somewhat less fun, however, were the amount of inaccuracies and incomplete information I found in Movie Trivia Madness. In an era of “fake news,” I was a bit curious as to the accuracy of some of the information in the book and how well it was researched. In that regard, I was disappointed. I didn’t try to verify the authors’ assertions in most cases, but a few obvious mistakes caught my eye, such as stating that Vince Vaughn appeared in the original Jurassic Park (it was the sequel), or that How I Met Your Mother was a movie, not a TV show. One fact I did check was a reference to martial arts star Tony Jaa quitting acting to become a Buddhist monk. That did indeed happen in 2010, but he since resumed acting and has been in several big name recent releases, including the last Fast and the Furious movie.
The authors also curiously omit some information that would have been interesting to learn. They note that Viggo Mortensen only got his role in Lord of the Rings at the last minute, replacing another actor, but don’t mention the other actor (Stuart Townsend). Similarly, they note that the actor originally cast as the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz lost the part because of an allergy to the makeup used. That actor was Jed Clampett himself, Buddy Ebsen, a detail almost as interesting as the fact that the role was recast due to an allergy. Failing to include details like that leave readers wondering who the actors being discussed were and makes Movie Trivia Madness seem sloppily put together.
The authors also have a couple of annoying writing quirks, most notably using the word “apparently” a lot in their descriptions, such as “Apparently, Stephen King attended a screening of [Pan’s Labyrinth] and sat next to the director.” Either he attended or he didn’t; there’s no apparently involved. I don’t know whether the authors are doing this to hedge their bets when they can’t fully source something or it’s just a habit, but either way, using that word over and over is annoying.
Overall, I enjoyed Movie Trivia Madness, but the errors and sloppiness were bothersome. Many people probably won’t be upset by that, but I think that authors compiling a fact compendium, even one of trivial facts like this, shouldn’t have these types of mistakes in their book. I still recommend the book as a generally fun read (albeit somewhat pricey at $3.99 for the amount of information in it), but I do wish the authors paid more attention to facts and detail in what is, after all, a book of facts, trivial though they may be.
March 15, 2017
‘This is THE book for movie fans. How do we know? Because we love movies too!’
Co-authors Bill O’Neill and Steve Murray are both prolific writers – and they love to explore all manner of subjects form reiku to trivia. They have gathered fascinating facts about movies and movie stars and movie characters and have arranged these into Sections on THE MOVIE STARS (Leonardo Di Caprio, Bill Murray, Heath Ledger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jenifer Lawrence, Nicole Kidman etc), MOVIES as movies (Fight Club, Die Hard, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, 300, etc), SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY (Wizard of Oz, E.T., Harry Potter, Avatar, Planet of the Apes, etc), DIRECTOR’S CUT (find out who falls into the categories of legends, visionaries, perfectionists, rebels, American Icon, etc), ANYTHING FOR A LAUGH (Austin Powers, The Hangover, The Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Clerks, etc), DRAMATIC TURNS ( Gangs of New York, The Deer Hunter, Eyes Wide Shut, Boyhood, etc) and BITS AND BITES (odd diets, before they were famous, strange inspiration, danger on the set, and much much more). Each section is followed with a Random Fun Facts and a quiz of sorts.
An example of their style – STRANGE DIETS: There are many vegetarians and vegans running around Hollywood, from Natalie Portman to Woody Harrelson. Leonardo DiCaprio is a vegetarian but he gave that up for a moment on the set of ‘The Revenant.’ Concerned that the jelly bison liver that the props department had made didn’t look genuine enough, DiCaprio opted on eating the real thing instead. After it was cleared by his lawyers and agents, Leo bit in and had this to say: “The bad part is the membrane around it. It’s like a balloon. When you bite into it, it bursts in your mouth.” He also said he’d never do that again. He should have taken a word of advice from Jules in ‘Pulp Fiction’... “Sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know, ‘cause I’d never eat the filthy muthaf** ka.” Samuel L. Jackson is a vegetarian in real life too. Ashton Kutcher took it to the next level for his role as Steve Jobs. He mimicked Jobs’ fruitarian diet but didn’t do it correctly and was briefly hospitalized for pancreatic pain. Heard of the Marilyn Monroe diet? Apparently, she started her day with two raw eggs whipped in warm milk. She’d then skip lunch and would eat a huge dinner of boiled liver, steak, or lamb, and five carrots. Desert was a hot fudge sundae.’
This is fun, informative, gossipy, and a very entertaining read! Keep it hand for both one-ups-man-ship, comic relief, and a fine chuckle.
Co-authors Bill O’Neill and Steve Murray are both prolific writers – and they love to explore all manner of subjects form reiku to trivia. They have gathered fascinating facts about movies and movie stars and movie characters and have arranged these into Sections on THE MOVIE STARS (Leonardo Di Caprio, Bill Murray, Heath Ledger, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jenifer Lawrence, Nicole Kidman etc), MOVIES as movies (Fight Club, Die Hard, Pirates of the Caribbean, Indiana Jones, 300, etc), SCIENCE FICTION/FANTASY (Wizard of Oz, E.T., Harry Potter, Avatar, Planet of the Apes, etc), DIRECTOR’S CUT (find out who falls into the categories of legends, visionaries, perfectionists, rebels, American Icon, etc), ANYTHING FOR A LAUGH (Austin Powers, The Hangover, The Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Clerks, etc), DRAMATIC TURNS ( Gangs of New York, The Deer Hunter, Eyes Wide Shut, Boyhood, etc) and BITS AND BITES (odd diets, before they were famous, strange inspiration, danger on the set, and much much more). Each section is followed with a Random Fun Facts and a quiz of sorts.
An example of their style – STRANGE DIETS: There are many vegetarians and vegans running around Hollywood, from Natalie Portman to Woody Harrelson. Leonardo DiCaprio is a vegetarian but he gave that up for a moment on the set of ‘The Revenant.’ Concerned that the jelly bison liver that the props department had made didn’t look genuine enough, DiCaprio opted on eating the real thing instead. After it was cleared by his lawyers and agents, Leo bit in and had this to say: “The bad part is the membrane around it. It’s like a balloon. When you bite into it, it bursts in your mouth.” He also said he’d never do that again. He should have taken a word of advice from Jules in ‘Pulp Fiction’... “Sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I’d never know, ‘cause I’d never eat the filthy muthaf** ka.” Samuel L. Jackson is a vegetarian in real life too. Ashton Kutcher took it to the next level for his role as Steve Jobs. He mimicked Jobs’ fruitarian diet but didn’t do it correctly and was briefly hospitalized for pancreatic pain. Heard of the Marilyn Monroe diet? Apparently, she started her day with two raw eggs whipped in warm milk. She’d then skip lunch and would eat a huge dinner of boiled liver, steak, or lamb, and five carrots. Desert was a hot fudge sundae.’
This is fun, informative, gossipy, and a very entertaining read! Keep it hand for both one-ups-man-ship, comic relief, and a fine chuckle.
January 19, 2021
I enjoy movie trivia, so expected to run across a few items I'd already heard. I did, but that is not why I walked away from this book disappointed. What I found irritating was the way the author chose to write the facts. For example, one item speaks of Robert Patterson starring in Harry Potter. It had been quite some time since I've seen these movies, and not remembering him being in them, I looked it up. He appears in one of movies - I would have appreciated the author specifying which one and including a character name. Similar vague tidbits appear throughout the book. Did take away from my enjoyment.
May 4, 2017
This was a really fun book to listen to on my daily commute. I'm not a movie buff, by any means, but I mostly keep up and I love hearing about the stuff that happens "behind-the-scenes". I enjoyed how it was broken up into a few different types of information sharing--alternating between mini-trivia questions and little tidbits. I'm used to not knowing trivia answers, so I was pleased with myself for the few quiz questions I knew. Ultimately, it felt a little fluffy as it wasn't sharing in-depth information and was very short. But, it was perfect for feeding my "little-known-fact" fix.
January 25, 2021
This is a fun little book filled with many movie facts. Most of the films in this volume are newer films like The Pirates of The Caribbean , Jim Carrey films, and The Harry Potter films, although there are some classic film facts in here.
It is an easy read and written so it can used at a fun get together with friends, or to read a small bit at a time. There is also a 5 question multiple choice test at the end of each chapter.
For an in depth review, visit my page at: https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
It is an easy read and written so it can used at a fun get together with friends, or to read a small bit at a time. There is also a 5 question multiple choice test at the end of each chapter.
For an in depth review, visit my page at: https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...
September 18, 2017
Good read
A good read and some interesting facts. Learned a. A few things that I hadn't heard and it was entertaining
A good read and some interesting facts. Learned a. A few things that I hadn't heard and it was entertaining
January 5, 2018
A mega read
I would recommend this to people that love the movies and trivia. It was more than I expected and kept going.
I would recommend this to people that love the movies and trivia. It was more than I expected and kept going.
May 11, 2018
Some interesting facts and trivia. Quick read.
May 22, 2018
Interesting trivia
I liked the book very much. Unfortunately, some of the movies listed were ones that I have not seen. Good book
I liked the book very much. Unfortunately, some of the movies listed were ones that I have not seen. Good book
April 5, 2019
ENJOYABLE AND FUN, EASY READ!!
This was a cool book. I liked all the interesting little tidbits of info thrown in with descriptions of incidents in favorite films during production.
This was a cool book. I liked all the interesting little tidbits of info thrown in with descriptions of incidents in favorite films during production.
April 15, 2021
Lots of fun
This is a rather short book, but has a lot of movie trivia. It's a fast read and very enjoyable. Most of theatrical i had never heard before
This is a rather short book, but has a lot of movie trivia. It's a fast read and very enjoyable. Most of theatrical i had never heard before
February 9, 2025
Interesting
It was a fun and quick read, but I was disappointed to find Hitchcock was never mentioned. I think the golden age of film deserved at least a few pages.
It was a fun and quick read, but I was disappointed to find Hitchcock was never mentioned. I think the golden age of film deserved at least a few pages.
March 23, 2017
Movie Trivia
As with Bill O'Neill's other books on trivia, this book was an interesting read to find out about actors, directors and movies.
As with Bill O'Neill's other books on trivia, this book was an interesting read to find out about actors, directors and movies.
March 6, 2021
Well we dug deep to uncover only the most interesting facts and movie trivia for you to enjoy. We're big movie fans too, so we know just what you love to read about. You want all the amazing facts behind your favourite movies. Not just the regular stuff that is easy to find.
And you don't just want to be entertained, you want to enrich your movie watching experience. So these pages are full of random facts about your favourite actors and actresses. We discovered the sometimes bizarre ways that they prepare for their roles, and the stories from the set you almost can't believe to be true. And we made sure to include some fun trivia questions for you to test your movie knowledge with. Are you up for the challenge?
Of all the trivia books out there, this is surely going to be your favourite. We jammed over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...we've got it all! There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia as well. Keep an eye out for an easy-to-miss cameo from your favourite droids!
This was interesting, a lot of the facts I had not heard before.
And you don't just want to be entertained, you want to enrich your movie watching experience. So these pages are full of random facts about your favourite actors and actresses. We discovered the sometimes bizarre ways that they prepare for their roles, and the stories from the set you almost can't believe to be true. And we made sure to include some fun trivia questions for you to test your movie knowledge with. Are you up for the challenge?
Of all the trivia books out there, this is surely going to be your favourite. We jammed over 400 of the most interesting facts into these pages. From the world of sci-fi, to the kings of comedy and the dramatic powerhouses of cinema...we've got it all! There's a little bit of everything. TV trivia, crazy sound effects, some little known Hollywood history, and of course, we had to include some Star Wars trivia as well. Keep an eye out for an easy-to-miss cameo from your favourite droids!
This was interesting, a lot of the facts I had not heard before.
March 27, 2017
Interesting movie trivia -- some things I've heard before, but other info. I had never heard before. It was fun to ask family and friends if they knew the trivia -- great way to share information and start conversations.
April 23, 2017
What a fun book! I love trivia, especially movie trivia, and this book has it all. Most I had never heard of, too. There were also quizzes and little known facts about actors/actresses. It also talks about sound effects, different things actors/actresses did to get roles, or just plain interesting facts about different movies. Did you know that Brad Pitt is banned from China? I had no clue! Some other facts were just plain weird, like putting bologna in shoes and one who was a lion tamer and one who was a clown for parties. So many facts. I loved this book! It was great fun and an easy read. I would love to read more.
May 1, 2017
A good book, but a book that may be much more enjoying if read in a paper book, or even a epub, I personnaly listen to it on an audiobook and I find the trivia/facts not really adapted to this format. The book containd tons of facts and anecdotes that are enjoyable for the movie fans!
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews