JAMES BOND
NEWS 2005

10 December 2005
Caroline still flying high after nearly three decades in Bondage!

Looking at her photograph it seems almost impossible to believe that it’s nearly 30 years since actress Caroline Munro, as Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), tried to eliminate Roger Moore’s 007, raining machine-gun bullets from on high in her pursuing helicopter. Caroline appeared on Saturday 10th December at the Vintage Magazine Co. shop in London’s Soho, where many of her loyal fans and new converts turned out in abundance to purchase her personally autographed photos. Cor! Long may she reign!

LEFT: PHOTOGRAPH/MARK MAWSTON

7 December 2005
Adrian Biddle, the director of photography on The World Is Not Enough (1999) has died of a heart attack at the age of 53.

In his youth Adrian Biddle was a talented swimmer which enabled him break into the film industry at the age of 15 when the Norwegian underwater photographer Egil Woxholt hired him as an apprentice. This collaboration allowed Biddle to work uncredited as a second unit camera operator for Woxholt on On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Biddle then joined Ridley Scott at the director's company RSA, working on numerous commercials. He was clapper loader on Scott's first feature film The Duellists (1977), and focus puller on Alien (1979). Ridley Scott later recommended Adrian Biddle to James Cameron which led the director to hire him as cinematographer on Aliens (1986), after the original director of photography Dick Bush left the project due to creative differences. Aliens marked Adrian Biddle's first credit as cinematographer, and he then worked in this capacity on a further 25 films including Thelma & Louise (1991) [directed by Ridley Scott], for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography. His final film was V For Vendetta (2005), which is dedicated to his memory.

1 December 2005

John W. Mitchell, film sound technician, was born on June 14, 1917. He died on November 21, 2005, aged 88.

John W. Mitchell was one of the most prominent sound recorders and mixers in British film. He served on more than 100 films from the 1930s, when he was boom operator on Rembrandt (1936) and Goodbye, Mr Chips (1939), to the 1980s when he was responsible for sound on David Lean’s swansong A Passage To India (1984). He also recorded four different James Bonds: Sean Connery, George Lazenby and Roger Moore in the ‘official’ series, and David Niven in the ‘unofficial’ version of Casino Royale (1967).

Oscar-Winning Sound Editor Norman Wanstall pays tribute

Staged over the weekend of October 29th-30th, 2005, AUTOGRAPHICA's guest list was extremely varied, including Astronauts, Cosmonauts, Sports Stars, and a wide range of guests from the entertainment world. The biggest name by far on the guest list, courtesy of Graham Rye and 007 MAGAZINE, was Ursula Andress. This was a major coup and her first appearance at any event of this kind. Miss Andress was the biggest draw for the majority of the people attending the event. Graham was also responsible for bringing in a whole host of Bond stars which included Guy Hamilton (another first-timer at a signing event), Norman Wanstall, Joe Robinson, and Mai Ling. Mai Ling you’ll remember featured as Goldfinger’s spying stewardess on board Bond’s flight to Baltimore, and like her director Guy Hamilton, had never-before attended an event of this type.

FULL REPORT

24 October 2005
007 MAGAZINE arranges for James Bond prolific comic strip artist Yaroslav artist to attend a signing in the UK for the first time since returning to Australia 1980.

After the signing at The Cinema Store, it was on to Kettners’ restaurant where 007 MAGAZINE had sponsored a special reception for Horak, and where he was reunited with his old colleague from The Daily Express, Sydney Jordan, creator and illustrator of space hero Jeff Hawke. Other guests on hand to meet Horak were Bond production designer Syd Cain, photographers Mark Mawston and Sylvan Mason (Thunderball scriptwriter Jack Whittingham’s daughter).

FULL STORY AND IMAGES FROM THE EVENT

The 21st 007 Screen Adventure, An MGM/Columbia Pictures Co-Production to be directed by Martin Campbell.
Columbia Pictures will release on November 17, 2006

Culver City, CA October 14, 2005 – It was announced today by producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc. and Sony Pictures Entertainment, that DANIEL CRAIG has been cast in the role of the legendary British secret agent, James Bond, in the highly anticipated 007 adventure thriller Casino Royale.

Casino Royale reunites Wilson and Broccoli with Martin Campbell, who directed the 1995 Bond blockbuster GoldenEye. His most recent film, The Legend of Zorro, will be released on October 28, 2005.

Casino Royale will be the 21st James Bond film produced by the franchise holders, EON Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production begins shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on November 17, 2006. It will be filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM THE PRESS LAUNCH

5 August 2005

Monty Norman back in action!
007 MAGAZINE editor & publisher Graham Rye recently spent two days in the recording studio with composer Monty Norman and his musicians photographing the sessions for posterity.

GRAHAM RYE reports for 007 MAGAZINE on the recording of Monty Norman’s new 2-CD album ‘Completing The Circle’.

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SESSIONS

Thumper’s in town!
And while she was here she found time to sign a series of exclusive photographs for sale through the 007 MAGAZINE website. Actress, vocalist, choreographer and dancer, Trina Parks still retains that dangerous glint in her eye and high-kicking spring in her step that cut Sean Connery’s 007 down to size in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. But her charm and smile are even more disarming when you meet her in the flesh. Soon-to-be rehearsing for the famous ‘Palm Spring Follies’ when she returns to the States, Trina is still looking for that role that will place her dynamic abilities firmly back where they belong, in the limelight on a movie screen in a theatre near you. Casting directors take note!

1 July 2005

The internationally famous 1964 Aston Martin DB5 “The James Bond Car” - Chassis no. DB5/2008/R, the unofficial star of Goldfinger and Thunderball, will be offered for sale for the first time in 35 years. Formerly the property of Sir Anthony Bamford, the Aston Martin is one of 40 cars offered from the Smoky Mountain Car Museum where it has been on display since the late 1970. Complete with all the exciting spy car features and details, the Aston is one of only four cars originally constructed and used for film, tour and promotional use. It is one of only three examples that exist today and remains in completely original, low mileage condition.

FULL STORY

27 June 2005

James Bond and Peter Franks both had fans queuing for more over the weekend of 25th/26th June, when George Lazenby attended a special Saturday signing at the Vintage Magazine Shop in London’s Soho, while only a few miles down the road at Earls Court 2 – at The London Film & Comic Convention – Joe Robinson signed autographs and regaled fans over the weekend with his stories of filming the near legendary fight sequence with Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever. Any chance of a re-match fellas?

EXCLUSIVE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENTS

3 February 2005
Official Press Release from EON PRODUCTIONS LTD

Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the James Bond films, and MGM announced today that Martin Campbell will direct Casino Royale, the 21st film in the 007 franchise. This is Campbell’s second time as helmer of a James Bond film. In 1995 he directed the hit GoldenEye which introduced Pierce Brosnan to the role of 007 with great success.

Wilson and Broccoli said: “We are thrilled that Martin has accepted our offer to direct Casino Royale. He is an extremely talented director and we believe he will help take our films in a new and exciting direction. He is currently finishing filming Legend of Zorro, the sequel to The Mask of Zorro, and will be joining EON Productions shortly to work on the development of the script with our writers, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade.”

MGM Vice Chairman and COO Chris McGurk said: “Martin is an incredibly exciting filmmaker. GoldenEye was a wonderful movie and helped reinvigorate the Bond franchise. We’re thrilled to have him back to direct the newest Bond.”

Casino Royale will be released in 2006 and distributed worldwide by MGM. No decision has yet been made regarding casting for the role of James Bond.