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mike_baker's review
4.0
Very entertaining and droll account of the Bond films as told from the perspective of the writer's growing up years. In part it's a review of the movies, but mostly it's about how they juxtapose with Mark's formative years. The detail is great, and for those of a similar age like me there's some wonderful stuff covering the perils of watching 007 on TV. This was the only way to catch the extensive back catalogue for a long time, and what we put up with - pan and scan editions to clumsily fit a widescreen feature onto standard 4:3 sets, with bits cut out so that afternoon audiences couldn't be offended - seems unholy now. Imagine seeing a visually luscious entry like YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE in this way, which is of course exactly what we did because it was this or nothing...
dakegra's review
5.0
Fantastic. A Bond book for Bond fans by a Bond fan. Makes me want to rewatch them all! Cracking stuff
jonathanmelville's review
5.0
As someone with a shelf filled with Bond books, my standards are pretty high when it comes to any new arrivals. A bit like when Pierce Brosnan was replaced by Daniel Craig.
Thankfully Catching Bullets is the best Bond book to have been published in many a year, a fresh insight into a film series which has been analysed to death by scholars, critics and bloggers over the years.
The author brings a fans-eye-view to 22 of the films (Skyfall hadn't been released at the time of publication) and recalls where he was when he saw each of them. Whether watching them on ITV at Christmas, on VHS or at a special screening hosted by Eon Productions (O'Connell's grandad, Jimmy, was chauffeur to Cubby Brocolli), we follow him as both he and the series mature.
Each film is analysed in detail, with an enthusiasm that will send every jaded fan back to their DVDs and Blu-rays with renewed vigour.
One of the finest books I've read in a long time in any genre, Catching Bullets will help you remember why you became a Bond fan in the first place.
Thankfully Catching Bullets is the best Bond book to have been published in many a year, a fresh insight into a film series which has been analysed to death by scholars, critics and bloggers over the years.
The author brings a fans-eye-view to 22 of the films (Skyfall hadn't been released at the time of publication) and recalls where he was when he saw each of them. Whether watching them on ITV at Christmas, on VHS or at a special screening hosted by Eon Productions (O'Connell's grandad, Jimmy, was chauffeur to Cubby Brocolli), we follow him as both he and the series mature.
Each film is analysed in detail, with an enthusiasm that will send every jaded fan back to their DVDs and Blu-rays with renewed vigour.
One of the finest books I've read in a long time in any genre, Catching Bullets will help you remember why you became a Bond fan in the first place.
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