9. A Woman's Concern
We now turn to another book, the book in which the film derives its title from. When Pauline Kael wrote a scathing indictment on the movie making industry in 1968, she picked the title "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" because that's what she felt all films had basically set themselves up to sell at that time. In a grand note of irony, everything from a rejected James Bond theme song (and an unofficial nickname for 007 himself) to a 2004 spy comic used that same title. Ultimately, the irony crown would fall upon the mantle of Shane Black. His film not only reveled in every kiss stolen and shot banged out, but it also showed just how both of those elements were inexplicably tied to the noir genre.