I'm a fan fiction bookbinder and writing this from the perspective of an amateur book designer. In this respect, Good Movies as Old Books by Matt Stevens is an excellent resource, particularly since the minimalist cover designs in the book are very similar to the style of book covers that home bookbinders are able to create.

The "book covers" inspired by movies are also helpful from a design perspective because the films are familiar to the reader, and it's easy to extrapolate the design sense and how the movie ended up with the cover design it did.

Overall, this is a very useful book for cover designers in the home bookbinding hobby. It would also be a great waiting room book in a reception area, or a coffee table book to spark conversation.

Instantly obsessed with this. I love movies and I love books and tying the two together - especially in a nostalgic way of being "old books" --- so much YES. I also think this is great for a wide variety of people - movie viewers, book readers, artists, and people who are just interested in how one form of art can move into another. Very cool idea and concept and executed well.

Whether you are a film buff or just a casual movie fan that appreciates creative art this is a coffee table style book for you! The perfect blend of film and nostalgic paperback art, there are several pieces in this collection that I would have framed, or blown up to poster size, so I can hang them on my wall! Such a fun book!

Thank you Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the eARC of Good Movies as Old Books!

I pretty much picked this up based solely off the Karate Kid and Top Gun illustrations on the cover of this book. I really enjoyed this, and actually wish that some of these movies would have their screenplays released as books using these covers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a lot of fun to flip through. I loved the attention to detail including wear and tear on the covers as well as price tags. There were a few that I thought weren’t as original as some of the others especially when they used actors’ likeness. This made the cover feel more like movie tie in cover instead of standing on their own.

Overall greatly enjoyed the art and the creativity.

This book is exactly what it was described as. I loved the artwork, and it was enjoyable to go through. It was a great exploring this book.

I had such a fun time reading this!! It’s a book I’d love to have on my coffee table to peruse on my down time. Or even just for when i need inspiration, I think it’s such a fun idea and I loved the covers.

Generally speaking, books have covers and movies have posters. But...what if movies came with imagined book covers? That is the premise of this book.

There are way too many movies featured in these pages to come anywhere close to naming them all. A look at this title's cover will offer a good introduction though.

I love vintage feel of this book, the translation of movies into very realistic covers, and the love that Stevens has for his work. I am also in awe of his creativity in designing so many covers.

This is a fun book to explore. Cinema people will want to take a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

Good Movies as Old Books is a collection of movie covers, remade by Matt Stevens, who clearly is a lover of cinema and the history of film as well as graphic design. The vintage comic book/pulp paperback aesthetic of the works as well as the selection are an amazing depiction of film history throughout the decades. There's titles anyone would expect to see in a cinephile's collection of favorites, and some choices that are more on the side of personal or cult classics. I enjoyed flipping through and discovering movies I have seen and love, and getting suggestions for others that I haven't been able to see quite yet. I love film and film history, and this book would be an excellent addition to any film lover or buff's home library. The minimalism lets you focus on the film and the art, which I thought was really cool and would make such cool decorations. I really enjoyed checking out his take on the vibe of each movie and the important motifs/designs that will be identifiable to anyone who knows and loves the movie.

Some of my personal favorites in the collection: Inside Llewyn Davis, Mad Max: Fury Road, Taxi Driver, Charade, Prometheus, Big, Late Night With the Devil, The Northman, and others, because there's really too many to list. If you're a design nerd or know a design nerd, the typography and stylistic choices are especially enjoyable and provide excellent examples of how to compose pieces with a retro flair. While looking at these, I thought it would be soooo cool to be able to have cases for discs that resembled old books with these covers, but inside, it held the discs for a film. It would be fun to replace the less aesthetically-pleasing versions with these cool, retro ones for the sake of interior design and be able to display films that mean a lot to me personally.

If you're a cinephile, Criterion Collection expert, or movie buff/design lover in general, this is a great conversation piece and fun inspo for films to rewatch or to finally get around to watching for the first time. I'll keep this book in mind for housewarmings or other gift ideas for those in my life who love film and design. I already have someone in mind! I'll have to pick up a copy when it releases. The cover itself I think could use a rethink, as it just feels kind of slapped together at the moment and doesn't really give as cool of a vibe as the inner pages do. I think the price point indicated inside of $30 is fair for a hardcover, but I could also see this book being a popular buy as a thicker, quality-made, clothbound coffee table/art book with a higher price point as well. Thank you so much to the author/designer, Matt Stevens, Chronicle Books, and NetGalley for the immense opportunity and privilege to be able to check out a digital version of Good Movies as Old Books. I will share my review to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble upon release.

It's a very clever concept. I would love it if some of these movies were books before they were movies. I thought the covers were imaginative, and naturally, I thought of some ideas for my own art from them as well. It's an enjoyable "read" and would be lovely as a coffee table book.

Possibly the most giftable book ever, perfect for movie fans, vintage book lovers, or coffee table book collectors. The book includes a wide assortment of classics and newer selections, very creatively designed and with fun nods to the films' content. The faded "vintagey" look added to the nostalgia, and frankly most of them would look great hung on the wall Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy.

Matt Stevens, graphic designer and illustrator, imagines over 200 films as vintage book covers in Good Movies as Old Books: Films Reimagined as Vintage Book Covers. I hadn’t seen this concept done before, and as a bibliophile, I had to check this book out.

Stevens makes it clear that this is not a “best of” list, but rather a collection of films that are of personal interest to him. But still, I found a lot of films here that I love, and many that I was unfamiliar with as well. There were also plenty in here that I know are popular that I just have never seen. So I am sure most readers will find something that interests them.

There’s minimal text in this book. Most pages are consumed almost entirely by the cover art, and then have a caption with the film’s title, year, director, and additional relevant information. It’s 1-2 lines maximum of small text.

The covers are stylized to look like worn paperbacks. The art is as varied as vintage covers are, and a few of the titles had some alternate designs as well. I liked the covers, it was fun to see what elements of the films were included, as some were more straightforward than others. I also was trying to identify which book covers might have inspired the designs. (One was super obvious.) I thought the designs were varied and vibrant, though cohesive, and it kept visual interest throughout the entire book. It also sparked my imagination about how some of my favorite movies might have been if they were books first.

I don’t have any particular critiques, but I do wish I could learn more about the author’s creative process and sources for inspiration.

I can’t wait to see the companion postcards. I am big into postcards!

I would recommend it to bibliophiles who are all about the cover art, and cinephiles who can’t get enough of the graphic design in movie posters. But I think anyone with an interest in graphic design or art could get a kick out of this.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!*

"Good Movies as Old Books" by Matt Stevens is a captivating fusion of film and design, perfect for anyone who appreciates the intersection of visual art and storytelling. This book is an absolute gem for cinephiles and bibliophiles alike, and I can already see it becoming a staple for film students, art students, art collectors, graphic artists, and design enthusiasts. If you're someone who admires the intricate beauty of book covers and the visual language of film, "Good Movies as Old Books" will speak directly to you.
The concept behind this book is fascinating. Matt Steven's idea came to life after collaborating with a friend on a project where they pitched a potential new movie property as a book cover. This sparked a deep dive into the art of visually translating movies into the world of book covers. It's a brilliant concept, and Matt Stevens pulls it off with great insight, blending the worlds of cinema and print in a way that feels both nostalgic and refreshing.
As I turned the pages, I could almost "smell" the scent of these imagined movie covers — the type of scent that reminds you of old books and vintage film posters. The imagery here isn’t just superficial; it’s a deep celebration of how movies and books intertwine in the visual realm. Each page is an invitation to revisit some of the greatest cinematic moments, reimagined in book form.
Reading "Good Movies as Old Books" has me itching to rewatch several beloved films, like Some Kind of Wonderful, Ocean’s Eleven, The Goonies, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. These films, which are already staples in pop culture, now feel even more special as I envision their reimagined book covers.
Even more exciting is the urge this book gives me to watch films I haven't seen yet. Titles like Beau is Afraid, The Banshees of Inisherin, and Mad Max: Fury Road are now on my must-watch list, thanks to the striking, thought-provoking way Matt Stevens explores these films visually.
With its official release set for April 2025, I can’t wait to add this book to my collection. In fact, I’m already planning on purchasing a copy for myself and for my graphic artist niece, who will undoubtedly appreciate the thought and creativity behind each page. Whether you're a movie buff, a design lover, or simply someone who enjoys looking at art in new ways, "Good Movies as Old Books" is a must-have. Go pick up your copy today and immerse yourself in the magical marriage of movies and books!

An interesting idea and a beautiful book . . . but, for me, there was a singularity to the style(s) of each cover that left me somewhat cold as I worked my way through the titles. Definitely worked as a throw back to the paper back aesthetic of years back but, ultimately, I lost interest as the styles seemed sort of the same ole same ole after awhile.

This was a fun book that imagines numerous movies as book covers. I would recommend it for movie and graphic design fans. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This book includes a lot of really fun designs that really feel like they'd be right at home in some bargain bin of old paperbacks. I would 100% buy poster versions of the "Before" trilogy designs! To me, the most effective covers were the ones that managed to establish the vibe of the story, while showcasing an image that would be indecipherable without the context of the story. "Psycho" being the particular cover that I'm thinking of as the most impressive design, with "Everything, Everywhere All At Once" and "Nope" also being excellent examples of this. Overall, this would make for a perfect coffee table book for anyone who loves both movies and old paperbacks.

This was so fun! I loved seeing some of my favorite movies being made into vintage books. All of the details were spot on. Definitely a must for movie and book lovers!

This is a perfect coffee table book for movie and book lovers. It’s as described. Good movies redesigned as old books. The artwork is beautiful, creative, and delightful. I would love to see the art cards.

I’m somewhat of a movie buff so this was a fun picture book for adults to “read”. The art was amazing and I did lost account how many of the covers I thought it was my favorite. This would be fun coffee table book and conversation starter for both books and movies.

I was hoping there would have been something more though so I would have the urge to go back to this multiple times.

I recommend this to all movie, book and art lovers. It’s definitely worth of checking out.

Good Movies as Old Books is a visual book with reimagined posters for classic or well-known films as old books. It reframes these films as books published in the 1980s and 1990s, with simple and basic covers capturing general themes from the books.