THE JAMES BOND MOVIES OF THE 1980s

THE JAMES BOND MOVIES OF THE 1980sBy Thomas A. Christie A survey of the series of James Bond films, which have long been considered among the most popular and successful of British movies, and have also come to be regarded as a useful barometer of Western geopolitical attitudes throughout the series’ long-running duration. This new book from Thomas A. Christie takes a look at all of the James Bond movies produced during the 1980s, and investigates the series’ changing approach to its subject matter during this most socially turbulent of decades. Moving from the East-West tension plotlines of the later Roger Moore James Bond films into a conscious deviation towards less conventional subject areas during the Timothy Dalton era, Bond’s evolving role as a Cold War hero is examined in order to ascertain just how the character was adapted to meet the demands of rapidly changing world affairs. The Eighties saw a more nuanced approach to the Iron Curtain in comparison to earlier films in the series, with the films covering topics as wide-ranging as free-market capitalism and the home electronics boom, and the movie producers’ ongoing efforts to ensure the cycle’s continuing relevance to contemporary audiences are considered in detail. Drawing on statistical data and a wide range of research material, The James Bond Movies of the Eighties considers issues such as the films’ cultural impact, the series’ radical shifts in style, and its often subtle approach to issues of ideology both domestic and international. Assessing this multifaceted era of the Bond series, this book evaluates differences in contemporary critiques and asks to what extent these motion pictures succeeded in charting the seismic shifts in the global balance of power which took place during that eventful period of history. Fully illustrated, featuring film posters and stills from the movies. Bibliography and notes. 340pp. ISBN 9781861715517. www.crmoon.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Thomas A. Christie has a life-long fascination with films and the people who make them. A member of the Royal Society of Literature and the Society of Authors, he holds an M.A. in Humanities with British Cinema History from the Open University of Milton Keynes, and a Ph.D. in Scottish Literature awarded by the University of Stirling. Thomas Christie is the author of Liv Tyler, Star in Ascendance: Her First Decade in Film (2007), The Cinema of Richard Linklater (2008), John Hughes and Eighties Cinema (2009), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Pocket Movie Guide (2010) and The Christmas Movie Book (2011), all of which are published by Crescent Moon Publishing. For more information about Tom and his books, visit his website at www.tomchristiebooks.co.uk.