In 1973 James Bond was about to change. Long gone where the Martinis, the Walther PPK and the Scottish accent. Bond was now English, drinking bourbon whiskey, smoking cigars and carrying a Magnum. Though none of these changes stuck with the Bond films that followed, they are part of what makes Live and Let Die a Bond […]
Draw a Venn diagram making up the formative influences on the James Bond series, and a sizeable slice would be taken up by legendary designer Ken Adam. German born Sir Ken Adam OBE and his Jewish family escaped the Nazis in 1934. He went on to rival James Bond for derring-do exploits in the RAF […]
10. The gun barrel While many among you may say, “Ah yes, but the gun barrel was in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace” I would counter that argument by saying, “No it wasn’t – sod off”. In Casino Royale it was barely there and in QoS it appears at the very end. The end?? […]
Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt didn’t do so much running after all in Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation. But he’s not the only spy on the block who can show us a clean pair of heels. Daniel Craig as James Bond gives literal meaning to the phrase, “active duty.” And ignore that ageist crack from Silva (“Your […]
For absolutely no reason at all, I give you the top 10 moments in Bond film history. I am sure you will all say I am wrong, but here you are anyway. 10. “This Never Happened To The Other Fella” Taking over from Sean Connery was a very tough gig for George Lazenby, a bit like […]
10. Quantum of Solace How do you follow an action packed and exciting rejuvenation of James Bond? With the filmic equivalent of a weak piss into an empty water bottle that you then throw from a car during a tired camping trip. Not a terrible film by any means, just incredibly MEH. Bond spends […]
There is a reason that The Wild Geese feels like a Bond film. Although it doesn’t feature 007 and has absolutely no elements of him, some of the same crew worked on it, including future Bond director John Glen and the incumbent Bond at that time Roger Moore. The other major similarity, which really gives the […]
In 1983 there were few men on God’s green Earth to compare with Lewis Collins. He was a real man. Not a namby-pamby, simpering wimp of a man like you or me, no. A real man. Women wanted to be with him, men were beaten up by him. Furniture doubtlessly orgasmed by having been sat […]
There is a moment during the opening titles of Spectre that says more than it probably more than it meant to. We see a topless Bond, sitting down and being helplessly smothered by an octopus – this is quite possibly the most fitting metaphor I can find for what is wrong with Spectre. At its […]
During the heady days of James Bond’s formative movie life John Barry, the composer supreme who provided Bond with pomp and swagger, was unavailable (tax reasons, work commitments, retirement) for a few films, so other composers stepped into the breach and attempted with some mixed results to replicate, or better, his work. Here is a […]
All On Accounta Paddlin’ A River: John Boorman’s Deliverance
It’s the early 1970’s: two first time novelists works will be translated...
Sheer Magnetism – Sir George Martin & Live & Let Die (Interview)
In 1973 James Bond was about to change. Long gone where...
Capricorn One, Moon-landing Deniers, Nil
On Saturday, August 25, 2012, the most famous man in the world...
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