 The phrase "kiss kiss, bang bang" appeared in the 1960s as an  overseas slang for spy movies, especially James Bond movies. It was  popular in Europe and Japan. It first appeared as a film title for a  1966 spy comedy made in Spain with Italian financing. It was also  the title of famed critic Pauline Kaels second published collection  of reviews. Kael wrote that she chose the words as her title because  they are "perhaps the briefest statement imaginable of the basic  appeal of movies."