Paul Simpson (1) (1961–)

Bond vs. Bond: Revised and Updated: The Many Faces of 007 by Paul Simpson is a comprehensive but not exhaustive look at all things Bond. Succeeds very well as either an introduction to the wider world of James Bond or as a quick reference to the many iterations.

This is, I think, aimed at a general readership who likes the Bond movies and wants to know more about the novels, the movies (specifically the different actors who portrayed Bond), and the versions in other media. Two quick points show more about what the book isn't and wasn't intended to be. First, this is not an academic overview so there is not much in the way of analysis, either film analysis or cultural analysis around the films. While such a book would be interesting I also think it would lose some of the target readership this book aims for. Second, this is not a popular gossipy behind-the-scenes type book (thankfully from my perspective) so any stories about controversies or conflicts that don't directly impact the purpose of the book is mentioned but not delved into. Again, that would be an entirely different book and aim for a different readership.

I liked the short synopses of the novels, I have only read a couple of them and was unaware of what differences or similarities might exist between film version and print version of any title. While the bulk of the book focuses on the movie versions and the different actors to play Bond, there are plenty of sidebars and "mini-essays" covering everything from gadgets to the "Bond Girls" and the music.

I admit to not being a diehard fan. I have seen most of the movies but not all, and probably won't see them all. Yet even as a casual fan of James Bond I found this book to be interesting on many levels as well as visually pleasing. The layout is very good and there is a nice mix of type, picture and white space on most pages.

I recommend this to both avid fan and casual fan alike. For a casual fan such as myself there is a lot of information you likely didn't know, while the avid fan will enjoy the nostalgia of reflecting on past versions and, likely, still learning a thing or two.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. show less

This is a great guide book. It’s a mine of info about LOTR and Tolkien.

There’s plenty of text and a great number of images from the Peter Jackson movies and other sources. I would say it’s a great introduction to the lore of Middle Earth as found in LOTR. I’m sure there are those hard core Tolkien fans that would find the material a little superficial in places and may even decry that the movies are given a fair amount of coverage. There are definitely more ‘learned’ tomes that show more are more analytic than this book for a more academic and critical appraisal.

That isn’t what this book is about. My personal feeling is this is a great companion to the books for someone relatively new to LOTR. it’s also got a nice little section explaining differences between the movies and books. Tom Bombadil’s absence has always puzzled me…

There are a number of sections about the movie e.g. locations that aren’t specifically related to the literary cañon. As I like both books and movies I found this a nice touch.

A great little book. Highly recommend it.

Oh one thing I can’t remember if it’s in the book…Trying to tackle LOTR without any knowledge of events in The Hobbit is going to make you despair and likely give up. Tolkien made his first book a great precursor to the phenomenon that has become LOTR. Read it first show less

The Rough Guide to Cult Movies (2001) by Rough Guide. I love movies. Good movies mostly, but there are some stinkers in my collection of DVDs and Blu-Rays. But this book is a wonderful guide to those “good, bad and very weird indeed” films that may have slipped by unnoticed by our collective knowledge. But here in one pocket sized edition (it is small in shape, but an inch thick and has very small print) are the flicks you might not have heard of but which might satisfy your itch for show more that next film you HAVE to see.
The films are broken into categories ranging from action/adventure to zombies. If your taste runs to sci-fi, serial killers, musicals, 3-D, kitsch, buddy movies or block busters, there is a category for you. I will not start listing the names of the films included, just keep in mind this guide is 20 years old now so newer flicks will not be included. That being said, most of the films thought of as “Cult” would by necessity have to be twenty years or more in the public realm so as to have proved their status. Rocky Horror, included here, being one very notable exception, although it did take a while for even that classic to gain traction among the viewing public.
This is a nice easy to use guide for many well known films and some obscure titles (Oblomov anyone?) that will make your day. In a good or bad way I can’t say, but you will be amused. Each entry also lists the director, top actors in the film, year of release and a short blurb on why this film should be considered a cult classic.
This book has been indispensable to me during the past year of the pandemic and it will remain by my remote controls for a long time to come. And this is just the first of two Cult Movie books by Rough Guide! show less

Brilliant introduction: Goethe, Feynman, Newton, and more all mentioned with colour illustrations and references. However, the book degenerated into chapters about each colour, and used bullet-point style paragraphs presenting faces about each chapter that read like encyclopaedia entries. Interesting, but not coherent. Fun to read, but after such a promisingly 5-star introduction, I can only rate this book as a three-star.