28 replies to this topic

[zencat]

Just got my updated James Bond Poster book from Amazon.co.uk. Nice new section on DAD featuring the US, UK, and Japanese posters. If you're going to buy this book, make sure you get this updated edition and not the regular edition (which is still readily available). The only noticeable difference on the cover is that it says "From Dr. No to Die Another Day." http://www.amazon.co...1050659-6799841

[Bryce (003)]

Thanks for the tip Zencat;)

[DLibrasnow]

I already have the original....... :mad:

[zencat]

I have the original too, but in a hardcover. I wanted the paperback also, now I'm glad I waited for this updated edition.

[JackChase007]

Damn, I have the original as well.

[DLibrasnow]

Still I was not too thrilled with the marketing campaign for DAD so I am satisied with what I have!

[Loomis]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow

I was not too thrilled with the marketing campaign for DAD  

You know what? I think DAD has the best posters of the Brosnan era (runner-up: TOMORROW NEVER DIES). I don't really like the final release poster, but the teaser poster with the gun on the ice is very cool indeed (ho ho), and I love the Japanese posters, even though they look like artwork for computer games. I even like the (much-maligned, I think) posters with Brosnan and Berry pointing their guns against a blue background.

Overall, best artwork since LICENCE TO KILL, IMO, and certainly a vast improvement on the horribly boring posters for THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Loomis
and certainly a vast improvement on the horribly boring posters for THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH.

What movie??? That must have been one of the unofficial movies!!

Seriously the last 007 posters I really liked were the ones for The Living Daylights

[zencat]

I really liked the GOLDENEYE campaign. For me, that's the best of the Brosnan era. DAD is a close second. I loved the posters, even the much maligned US one-sheet.

[Genrewriter]

I like all of the Brosnan campaigns with the exception of TWINE. The teaser poster was nice but the rejected concepts for the main poster art are incredible. I really wish they would have gone with one of the rejected concepts.

[DLibrasnow]

I thought the Brosnan posters were all universally dull....They made the 007 movies just look like any other action picture.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by zencat

I really liked the GOLDENEYE campaign. For me, that's the best of the Brosnan era.  

I disagree. For me, GOLDENEYE has possibly the dullest campaign of any Bond movie. All its posters seem to look exactly the same. Nothing but boring head shots. And this was the best they could come up with after SIX YEARS?!?!

[Genrewriter]

I think its not just the Bond series, Loomis. Pretty much all films these days have poster campaigns that are essentially headshots with a maybe a bit of action thrown in for mood. I really like the posters from the seventies and eighties, and not just those from the Bond films.

[Simon]

Loomers, Zencat, I think you two maybe exhibiting the problems of discussing "a" campaign that had two very different manifestations across the water from each other. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The US GoldenEye campaign didn't have a head shot appearance as that of the UK campaign.

Similarly, the UK TND campaign was just as flat as paper compared to the US campaign. The US excelled with this one, lots of deep reds, a splendidly dynamic style for the teaser poster, a full presentation for the main campaign. Meanwhile, back in the UK, it's head shots a go-go to "tease" us and erm, well, another head shot in front of some blue TVs for the main campaign - I really do not know how this got past the drawing board.

[Tanger]

I'll probably skip this edition and get the third one. It's annoying when they keep releasing updated versions of books that you've already got. Sure they've got new stuff in but it doesn't really justify buying the whole book again.

[Genrewriter]

I usually just skim through the new stuff in the bookstore.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Simon

Loomers, Zencat, I think you two maybe exhibiting the problems of discussing "a" campaign that had two very different manifestations across the water from each other.  Correct me if I'm wrong.

You may be right, but I thought all the GOLDENEYE posters were to be found here: http://www.artofjame...m/goldeneye.htm. And, to be honest, I don't think any of them, British, American or otherwise, are up to much.

[Turn]

I've got to echo what Tanger said about this being pretty annoying that they would come out with an updated version of this book just a year after the initial one was released. There's no way I'd buy it a second time.

I think the first one was something of a disappointment anyway. The unusued stuff was a nice plus, but there were lots of posters I've seen over the years that were nowhere to be seen. I thought this was the definitive collection but seemed far from it.

Where was the unusued campaign for LTK, for instance? It seems some of the newer films got shortchanged. Plus there have been numerous rereleases and double features that didn't make the book. I'm not knocking it, I just wasn't all it could have been.

[zencat]

I share some of your thoughts, Turn. here's my Amazon review of the original book:

Incomplete, but still a GREAT collection of Bond posters!
March 20, 2002
Reviewer: John Cox from Marina del Rey, CA

At last a collection of James Bond posters! While I wouldn't say this book is complete in a check-list sort of way, I do think it's pretty darn impressive. This book owes much to a German publication released in 1997 called LICENSE TO THRILL. In fact, it uses many of the same images and utilized the same basic format. But at least with this book I can read the text (or what there is of it).

The best thing about the book is the concept art for OHMSS, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, and LIVE & LET DIE. The OHMSS concept art is worth the price of the book alone. It shows you not just variant posters, but a whole different approach to marketing the movie. The "007 and Bride" posters are wild and I think this would have made a great campaign. It certainly would have been the most daring and different campaign ever done for a Bond film and I think perfect for this very special movie. For those of you who love montage art, you've got to see the Thai OCTOPUSSY and NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN posters (too bad it doesn't have the Thai A VIEW TO A KILL which is in the German book).

The only disappointment (and this was true of the German book as well) is how little space is devoted to the later films, especially the Dalton films. Paramount is the fact that, even though they make reference to it in the text section for LICENCE TO KILL, there are no examples of the unused and vastly superior LICENCE REVOKED campaign by Robert Peak. This is a glaring omission! Also, where's the standard U.S. one-sheets for NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN and FOR YOUR EYES ONLY? Strange.

But aside from these points, I would say this book is a must for Bond fans, especially if you don't have the German book.

[Turn]

I think it was on eBay recently, I saw a Japanese book or magazine with all the Asian Bond posters from over the years, which I consider among the most interesting. Anybody know anything about this?

[Simon]

Originally posted by Turn
I've got to echo what Tanger said about this being pretty annoying that they would come out with an updated version of this book just a year after the initial one was released. There's no way I'd buy it a second time.

If you think about it, about the only books that aren't updated with every new film are the Making of books. I totally agree, this updating fad is playing completely into the arms of the Bond fans that have to have every version of every book, I guess if the market is there... But as to the other books that have been constantly updated, Rubin's Encyclopedia, Pfeiffer's Essential Bond (now entitled Essential James Bond, Rye's Bond Girls, Pfeiffer's other work - Incredible World..., The Bond Files, the list goes on. I'm sure your bookshelves could be filled with 80 versions of just 7 books.

I think the first one was something of a disappointment anyway. The unusued stuff was a nice plus, but there were lots of posters I've seen over the years that were nowhere to be seen. I thought this was the definitive collection but seemed far from it.

Totally agreed. It was a missed chance to do something really special and while it was nicely presented, to my mind it should have been more of a checklist of all posters, all unused art, all variants to arrive at the finished product, and to have had interviews with the various designers to find out how things progressed, what the influences were, the decision making process etc etc.

I found it a bit lazy and this is the one area where I believe a Bond fan could have done the better job - albeit a trained designer - indeed, the Red Grant chap over at Art of... would have been my suggestion.

[Righty007]

I have the first one so it would be a waste of money to get the new edition.

[Turn]

Originally posted by Simon


If you think about it, about the only books that aren't updated with every new film are the Making of books. I totally agree, this updating fad is playing completely into the arms of the Bond fans that have to have every version of every book, I guess if the market is there... But as to the other books that have been constantly updated, Rubin's Encyclopedia, Pfeiffer's Essential Bond (now entitled Essential James Bond, Rye's Bond Girls, Pfeiffer's other work - Incredible World..., The Bond Files, the list goes on. I'm sure your bookshelves could be filled with 80 versions of just 7 books.

I do confess to buying updated copies of The Bond Files and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The former was very cheap and the latter I got for a really good price at a half-price book shop.

One that really gets me as far as updating is The James Bond Encyclopedia. The updated version boasts it has a new section for all the Brosnan films. Well and dandy, but Rubin didn't even bother to update any of the other sections from what I saw. Why bother to include new information on one subject if others are somewhat out of date?

[Double-Oh-Zero]

I was thinking about buying one of these books if I were to come across it. Two questions:

Is it really just artofjamesbond.com on paper?

Is there any DAD conceptual art in it that's worth looking at? I haven't seen any of the like so far that's really significant, and after seeing TWINE's concept art, I was intrigued as to how the DAD poster art (including the half-assed US DAD poster -sorry zen) evolved.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Double-Oh-Zero

Is it really just artofjamesbond.com on paper?

I don't own the book (I've only flicked through it in a shop), but I'd have to say that, yes, essentially it really is just artofjamesbond.com on paper.... but nowhere near as good, and nothing like as comprehensive. I don't think there's much text of interest.

Originally posted by Double-Oh-Zero

Is there any DAD conceptual art in it that's worth looking at?

I don't think there's any DAD concept art at all.

[Double-Oh-Zero]

Thanks for that Loomis. That's why I was interested to know if there was any DAD concept art in the book, since there aren't any around to my knowledge. I do, however, remember an alternate "B" teaser poster that was on eBAy a while back that had Berry and Brosnan standing instead of on an angle. Then again, I guess there wouldn't be many in this day and age, with posters made on computers instead of being painted.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by Simon


If you think about it, about the only books that aren't updated with every new film are the Making of books.

A truly profound statement, Simon.

Although, I wish Benson's Bedside Companion was updated on a regular basis.

This thread is quite fortuitous for as only last weekend I almost bought the book, but now I'll just wait for the updated one.

[Lancaster]

The poster book has also been released as a book of postcards. Same front cover as big poster book only postcard size!

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Blofeld's Cat

Although, I wish Benson's Bedside Companion was updated on a regular basis.

Agreed...

I also wish Steven Jay Rubin would update his "The James Bond Films: A Behind the Scenes History" book and that John Brosnan would give us his insight into the newer movies with an update of his "James Bond in the Cinema".