James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters #awesomegifts

I love giving books as gifts, especially when I come across the perfect book to gift someone.   There truly is no better way to share a love for books than by giving a book.  This year DK Canada’s Gift Boutique features a wide selection of great gift ideas for all tastes and budgets.

There is no movie series character quite as iconic as James Bond – nor as long lasting. Since the series is still being played out in new films, there are James Bond fans to be found among the young and old.  24 Bond films and 50 years since it all started with Dr. No means there have been plenty of Movie Posters over the years.
   

James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters

Now in paperback, DK’s definitive James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters is updated with posters from Skyfall and the latest Bond film, SPECTRE. This lavish, film-by-film guide boasts the most impressive visual collection of James Bond movie posters to date. Featuring a gallery of rare and sought-after posters, as well as spectacular, unused concept artwork, and unique teasers and lobby cards from virtually every country where Bond movies have screened, James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters is a stunning collection of the images that have defined cinema’s most famous superspy.

While not a completely comprehensive guide, James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters  is a beautiful and substantial collection of James Bond poster art, door panels, lobby cards and other promotional artwork from Dr. No right up to Spectre that will thrill any fan of 007.  It also goes beyond the common artwork found in the US and Britain and displays international interpretations.

Each movie has it’s own chapter and includes design concepts, and unused poster art and other artwork in full colour along with a brief intro at the beginning of each chapter and sparse explanatory text accompanying the artwork. The images basically speak for themselves, however there are interesting facts included, especially at the beginning of the book, about the artwork. There are also translations included of the non-English artwork.

The movies are presented chronologically and interestingly includes some of the more contentious (and un-official) Bond films – The 1967 Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again.  Leafing through the pages you can see the evolution of the artwork from beautiful vintage posters into the modern photocentric artwork typical of the more current films.

Seeing the posters from the early days of 007 and from all over the world gives some insight into the cultural and generational differences at play when marketing the series.

I think any Bond fan would be enamoured with this collection of promotional artwork, and it certainly deserves a place on the coffee table where it can be perused over and over.

James Bond: 50 Years of Movie Posters is available to purchase from Amazon and at bookstores near you.

Elizabeth Lampman

Elizabeth Lampman is a coffee-fuelled Mom of 2 girls and lives in Hamilton, Ontario. She enjoys travelling, developing easy recipes, crafting, taking on diy projects, travelling and saving money!