Eurospy Guide co-author Matt Blake reports on The Wild Eye that there's a lavishly illustrated new book available on the Eurospy genre... in Italian. 007 all'italiana ("Italian 007"), a massive 299-page book by Marco Guisti, explores the often overlooked genre of Italian James Bond knock-offs produced rapidly and prolifically at the height of the spy craze from 1964-1967. Guisti draws from extensive interviews with directors and other personell involved in these productions. Matt sings the praises of the author and his previous book about spaghetti westerns, so if he's excited about this, then I'm excited too! Matt's also translated the publisher's blurb, which promises "numerous archive images and original posters," so perhaps there's something there even for non-Italian speakers. Go read the whole description on The Wild Eye, but here's a tantalizing sampling:
Using wonderful images and original posters, Marco Giusti outlines the history of this fantastic pop imagery: “movies made in a matter of months, written in a few weeks”, with “minimal costs, small crews, sure bargains”. An important piece of Italian film history, full of madness, creativity and original ideas: a genre worth reviving and appreciating.I really hope this is eventually translated into English or at least offered in a multi-lingual edition! (I know, fat chance.) But as fantastic as The Eurospy Guide is as an introduction to this world and a comprehensive guide to these films (and it is fantastic), I've always dreamed of a book that interviewed some of the talent and detailed the production histories of some of these fantastic films. And this sounds like it. 007 all'italiana is available to order for €35 from the Feltrinelli website.
