KEVIN HARPER runs his expert ears and eyes over the new BOND 50
Blu-ray sets from both sides of the Atlantic to give 007
MAGAZINE readers the most
comprehensive review available.
OCTOBER
2012 - First Croatian edition of Ian Fleming's DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
3 October
2012
Croatian special edition of Ian Fleming’s DIAMONDS ARE
FOREVER presented at a gala event in Zagreb.
“I knew you all
expected Mr. Bond to show up for his promotion,” said David
Slinn, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Republic of Croatia, “but
he is currently at an undisclosed location, performing
undisclosed duties.” His excellency was addressing an audience
of some hundred people, gathered in good cheer at the Café
Kinoteka in Zagreb on September 19th for the unveiling of the
first Croatian edition of Ian Fleming’s DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER,
joining numerous Olympic and Paralympic athletes freshly
returned from their successes at the 2012 London Games.
OCTOBER 2012 - 007
MAGAZINE ULTIMATE JAMES BOND FILM POLL RESULTS
Ahead of the
much-anticipated 50th anniversary of the release of the first Bond film,
Dr. No on October 5th, an international survey of 007 MAGAZINE
readers has rated On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), starring
George Lazenby and directed by Peter Hunt, as the greatest Bond film of
all time.
007 MAGAZINE
was in attendance this week as legendary photographer Terry
O'Neill launched his new exhibition and book All About Bond
at the Proud Gallery on Chelsea's Kings Road.
Given that Ian Fleming's James Bond lived in a flat just off the
Kings Road, it is somehow appropriate that Proud Chelsea is the
location for a stunning exhibition of some of photographer Terry
O'Neill's huge collection of 007 focused photography, which
opened on 12th September with a signing event with the great man
himself.
Proud
Chelsea | 161 King’s Road | London | SW3 5XP
t: 020 7839 4942 w.
www.proud.co.uk
Open Monday – Sunday, 10am – 7pm
SEPTEMBER 2012 - Hal David (1921-2012)
Composer John Barry with Jazz legend Louis Armstrong and
lyricist Hal David at the recording of ‘We Have All The
Time in the World’, which featured in the classic 1969 James
Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
1 September
2012
Hal David, the lyricist who worked with Burt
Bacharach on an unparalleled canon of songs for film and
television has died at the age of 91.
David's James
Bond connection began in 1967 when he added lyrics to
Bacharach's ‘The Look of Love’, which had originally been
intended as an instrumental piece. The Oscar-nominated song was
performed in Casino Royale(1967) by Dusty Springfield.
In 1969 he
wrote the lyrics for 'We Have All The Time in the World'
composed for the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service by
John Barry. The late composer cited it as one of his favourites.
He thought it was the finest piece of music he had written for a
Bond movie, and because of the pleasure of working with Louis
Armstrong. Hal David also wrote the lyrics to 'Do You Know How
Christmas Trees are Grown?' which was sung by
Nina Van Pallandt
in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). David
was re-united with John Barry in 1979 when he wrote the lyrics
for Moonraker, sung in the film by
Shirley Bassey.
AUGUST 2012 - Marvin Hamlisch (1944-2012)
6 August
2012
The composer
Marvin Hamlisch, who wrote the score for the 1977 James Bond
film The Spy Who Loved Me and co-wrote (with Carole Bayer
Sager) it's Oscar-nominated title song ‘Nobody Does it Better’,
has died in Los Angeles, aged 68.
Hamlisch wrote
more than 40 film scores including The Way We Were
(1973), The Sting (1974) and A Chorus Line (1985).
In total he won three Academy Awards, four Emmys, a Tony and
three Golden Globes.
JULY 2012 - James Bond escorts HM Queen Elizabeth II to the Olympic
Games
James Bond
(Daniel Craig) escorts HM Queen Elizabeth II to the opening of
the London Olympic Games in spectacular fashion in this
special short film from acclaimed director Danny Boyle. The
film ‘Happy & Glorious’ was shown as part of the BBC
coverage of the opening ceremony on 27th July.
More pictures
JULY 2012 - FROM RUSSIA, WITH LOVE is the latest BBC Radio 4 Ian
Fleming drama adaptation
It's 1955 and
the Russians plan an act of terrorism. Choice of target? James
Bond. To be 'killed with ignominy': a major sex scandal will
leave his reputation, and that of MI6, in tatters.
Colonel Rosa Klebb of the KGB devises a plan to lure Bond into
their trap, using beautiful Corporal Tatiana Romanova as bait -
plus a Spektor, the latest Russian decoding device. MI6 learns
that Tatiana wants to defect and M orders Bond to Istanbul.
When Tatiana makes contact she seems to be in love with him -
but is she? Either way, he soon falls for her and they leave
Istanbul together, accompanied by larger-than-life Darko Kerim,
Head of British Intelligence in Turkey. The climax of the drama
includes a surprising confrontation between Bond and the
murderous Rosa Klebb.
Stars Toby Stephens as James Bond, John Standing as M, Janie Dee
as Moneypenny, Julian Sands as Q, John Sessions as General, Mark
Gatiss as Kronsteen, Eileen Atkins as Rosa Klebb, Tim Pigott-Smith
as Kerim and Martin Jarvis as Ian Fleming.
In writer Archie Scottney's brilliantly evocative 'radio
screenplay', we see another side to 007. Unsure of his
judgement, can he bring the lovely Tatiana safely to England,
along with the precious Spektor? Will the Russians succeed in
having Bond killed? If so, who is the would-be murderer?
This is Jarvis & Ayres' third James Bond dramatization.
JULY 2012 - New audio books feature the cream of
British acting talent
Thursday 6th September
2012 will mark a hugely significant event for James Bond fans everywhere.
The launch of Ian Fleming’s classic Bond novels, read by a stellar
selection of brilliant readers!
Kenneth
Branagh, David Tennent, Roy Kinnear and Toby Stephens are
amongst the top British talent lined up to to read the twelve
new, unabridged James Bond audio recordings.
JULY 2012 -
Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style opens at The Barbican
8 July
2012
Designing 007: Fifty
years of Bond Style
The Barbican marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, from
1962's Dr. No to this year's Skyfall, with a unique
exhibition showcasing the inside story of the design and style of the
world's most influential and iconic movie brand.
In collaboration with EON
Productions and with unprecedented access to their archives, Designing
007 is a multi-sensory experience, immersing audiences in the creation
and development of Bond style over its auspicious 50 year history.
Designing 007: Fifty Years of
Bond Style runs at The
Barbican from 6 July - 5 September 2012
JUNE 2012 - George Leech (1921-2012)
17 June 2012
Veteran
stuntman George Leech has died at the age of 90. He performed stunt double duties, as well as appearing on
screen himself as various goons and henchman, in multiple
James Bond films from Dr. No in 1962 up to A View To
A Kill in 1985. Leech would also serve as overall
stunt arranger for On
Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969).
Born in London, England, on December 6th, 1921, George Leech
started his film career in the mid 1950s in the Pier Angeli
film Port Afrique, and soon found himself in great
demand. A few years later his first 'big action film' came
with The Guns of Navarone. The following year he was
engaged on a modest film called Dr. No - it was to be
the first of eleven James Bond films, which took him through
to Roger Moore's last outing in A View To A Kill in
1985. George has doubled for George Lazenby and Roger Moore,
as well as having a few fisty-cuffs with Sean Connery and his
adversaries. His other credits include Chitty Chitty Bang
Bang, Kelly's Heroes, The Eagle Has Landed, Revenge Of The
Pink Panther, Superman and North Sea Hijack.
George Leech passed away on Sunday 17th June 2012. He is
survived by two daughters. One of them, Wendy Leech, who was
one of the first stuntwomen in the business, is married to
fellow 007 stuntman extraordinaire Vic Armstrong.
JUNE 2012 - OMEGA launch Planet Ocean Seamaster SKYFALL
6 June
2012
Celebrating the new James Bond film:
The Seamaster Planet Ocean 600M “SKYFALL” Limited Edition
In Skyfall, to be released in autumn of 2012, James
Bond will take to the screen for the 23rd time with Daniel
Craig again assuming the role of the world’s favourite secret
agent. And once again, 007 will wear an OMEGA Seamaster...
FULL STORY
MAY 2012 - Bond Girl Bérénice Marlohe is OMEGA’s
newest brand ambassador
31 May 2012
Actress
Bérénice Marlohe has been added to OMEGA’s roster of brand
ambassadors and participated in the opening of the brand’s new
boutique in Venice.
The half-French
half-Cambodian actress portrays Séverine in Skyfall, the
James Bond film to be released in November. It will mark her
English-language acting debut for Ms Marlohe whose previous film
roles have been in her native French.
MAY
2012 - Iconic Connery images at Terry O'Neill's INFAMOUS
5 May 2012
If one
photographer can be said to have defined the swinging showbusiness
scene of the 1960s then that photographer is the East End born
Terry O’Neill, who has photographed every James Bond from Connery
to Brosnan (including David Niven!) 007 MAGAZINE’s LUKE WILLIAMS
was at the opening of O’Neill’s new exhibition INFAMOUS in Mayfair
this week ahead of his eagerly anticipated book ALL ABOUT BOND,
which will be published later this year.
Terry O’Neill
INFAMOUS is at
Alon Zakaim
Fine Art, 5-7 Dover Street, London W1S 4LD until 8 June 2012.
APRIL 2012 - Two Bond Girls reunited at Chiller Theatre
April 2012
James Bond Girls
Luciana Paluzzi (Fiona Volpe in Thunderball) and Maryam
d'Abo (Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights) appeared
together at the Chiller Theatre Convention, Parsippanay, New
Jersey - April 27-29 2012.
APRIL 2012 - William Boyd to write new James Bond novel
12 April 2012
William Boyd
to write new James Bond novel
Boyd takes Bond back to the Sixties with all the style and flair
of Ian Fleming
William Boyd, the award-winning and bestselling author of
Restless and Any Human Heart, is to write the next
James Bond novel.
The novel, which is yet to be titled, will be published in the UK
and Commonwealth in autumn 2013 by Jonathan Cape – Ian Fleming’s
original publisher and an imprint of Vintage Publishing – and
simultaneously by HarperCollins Publishers in USA & Canada. Rights
were sold in the English language by Jonny Geller of Curtis Brown,
on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.
January 2012 - James Bond 50th Anniversary Blu-ray collection
10 January
2012
THE WORLD’S
MOST SUCCESSFUL SECRET AGENT MEETS THE WORLD’S BEST HOME
ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE.
Former Bond Girls
Olga Kurylenko and Caterina Murino joined three 007 film directors
John Glen, Michael Apted (left) and Martin Campbell on stage at
the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada to launch the
50th Anniversary Blu-ray collection.
In celebration of
James Bond’s monumental golden anniversary, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today
unveiled BOND 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James
Bond films on Blu-ray Disc for the first time in one complete
offering. Fans around the world can pre-order now with
participating online retailers...
Michael G. Wilson
& Barbara Broccoli today announced that composer Thomas Newman
will score the 23rd James Bond film, Skyfall. “We are
delighted to confirm that Thomas Newman will score. Thomas is one
of the most respected and successful composers, he has a long
history of working with Sam Mendes and we look forward to
welcoming him into the Bond family,” commented Michael. G Wilson
and Barbara Broccoli.
Said Newman today, “I’m incredibly excited to be working with Sam
again. It’s a real thrill to be able to collaborate on something
as special as a Bond movie.”
