[.ca] Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (ISBN 087951874X)

IF YOU CANt GET ENOUGH OF JAMES BOND:
"Kiss Kiss Bang! Bang!: The Unofficial James Bond Film Companion" by Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn is a very good book on James Bond info. Even though unofficial it has good information. I like it.

Highly informative insight into making the James Bond films.:
Unlike the "official" James Bond compendiums written before it, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" offers a broader, more objective view of the history of the James Bond film franchise. While the finished product could have used a polish from a real editor (there are typos everywhere,) the raw material contained here is worth the read alone. Everything from Fleming's early failed attempts to bring his hero to film, to Saltzman and Broccoli's instrumental casting of Sean Connery as the first James Bond is documented and seemingly well researched. Each film production receives it's own chapter, From "Dr. No" to "Tomorrow Never Dies" including the non-Eon produced "Casino Royale" and "Never Say Never Again." All chapters open with production stories as recollected by the cast and crew and includes initial reviews by film critics (a real plus here) who reflect on the sexual and moral perversion that audiences succumb to when viewing a James Bond film. The authors close each chapter with a 10 point fan-boy rating system, grading everything from the opening sequence and titles to the girls and gadgets. Overall the book is a quite refreshing and insightful companion. There aren't a lot of photos in the book, but the ones that are included aren't ones we've seen before. As a fan it left me thankful that Burt Reynolds was never cast as 007, upset that "Casino Royale" was wasted as a spoof and imagining what the franchise would be today if George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton did more films and if Roger Moore did less.

Great read for those wanting more info on the Bond movies!:
If you are wanting more information on the James Bond movies (background stories on how they got made, info on how various actors came to be Bond, ratings of the movies, etc.) then this is the book for you. At over 200 pages, the tome certainly isn't short on information. The authors definitely have their favorite, and there is room for argument with some of their ratings, which makes the book even more interesting. They rate each Bond movie in a variety of areas (Villains, Women, Plot, Action, Bond, Gadgets, Dialogue, etc.) I've found this to be a book I go back to quite often. It's great to read right before or after I've watched a Bond DVD. It illuminates some of the background on actors, producers, directors, locations, etc. Highly recommended for the Bond movie fan.

Essential Companion Book on the Cinematic James Bond:
Alan Barnes and Marcus Hearn's KISS KISS BANG! BANG! is an essential companion book on the cinematic world of James Bond. I like the way the authors choose to take 10 essential elements film by film and critique them. KISS KISS BANG! BANG! is quite insightful and interesting reading. I also enjoy the very handsome layout of the book, which only enhances the reader's interest. The book is also profusely illustrated with very unique photographs not associate with other official books on the cinematic James Bond. This is a well thought out and well-intentioned book. I highly recommend it. If you are a James Bond fan it is quite essential.