cover image James Bond Movie Posters: The Official 007 Collection

James Bond Movie Posters: The Official 007 Collection

Tony Nourmand, Chronicle Books. Chronicle Books, $29.95 (208pp) ISBN 978-0-8118-3625-8

Campy, sexy and legendary in their own right, the James Bond movie posters in this whopper of a compilation feature every movie from 1962's Dr. No to 1999's The World Is Not Enough. All the usual suspects are here: the logo, the girls, the tag lines and the various incarnations of 007, including David Niven and George Lazenby. The author throws in a few surprises, too, including foreign, regional, unused, festival and special posters, assorted cross-promotional pieces and other displays. There's even a poster altered by theater owners who were afraid of offending patrons, evidencing that Bond art, like Bond movies, ""always pushed the boundaries."" In addition to the full-color (often full-page) reproductions, Nourmand, a dealer in international film posters and consultant for Christie's, offers commentary on each movie and its artwork, and concludes with profiles of the artists who created these memorable images. A fun and fresh retrospective of a pop culture phenomenon and lucrative franchise, this book will undoubtedly thrill Bond aficionados, movie buffs and film poster collectors.