CommanderBond.net
  1. The CBn Dossier, November '05

    By Charlie Axworthy on 2005-11-30

    Charlie Axworthy

    Welcome to the November 2005 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the 007 news and rumours for the month. In this month’s column, we’ll be examining the constant news coming in on 2006’s Casino Royale, the Young Bond series and The Moneypenny Diaries, the release of James Bond 007: From Russia With Love and much, much more.

    This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Charlie Axworthy.

    Enjoy.

    Bond Is Back!

    Well, we’ve got Bond locked down in more ways than one.

    Set for the screen and on everyone’s game system.

    EA’s From Russia With Love hit the stores and Amazon on November 1st and has been vanishing from shelves rapidly. Many a Bond fan and gamer has been spending countless hours taking Bond (voiced by the man himself, Sir Sean) through a classic adventure with enough updating and contemporizing of the story to make it work. I have yet to really jump into it myself as of now, but soon. Then I’ll have to catch up with the mobile SilverFin game. Also, the EA 007 game soundtracks will be out by years end.

    Daniel Craig is finishing up a few projects (and has been doing PR for Steven Spielberg’s upcoming Munich) and then hopefully settling in for the holidays before donning the tux and taking us into the Casino. With Bond set and a script (while still rumored to be having some more polishing done) more or less finalized, the search is on for a Vesper (not the martini – the girl) and a few of the rumors have Angelina Jolie, (she reportedly wants the role to be tougher – Not very needed of Vesper in my opinion) as well as some others including Monica Bellucci, Sienna Miller and host of other starlets and some unknowns in the sights of director Campbell along with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. One Bond Girl said to return will be Dame Judi Dench as M. Most Bond fans, while having enjoyed her in the role, are a bit confused time-line wise as to the whole notion of this being one of 007’s early assignments. However it may go, the lady in question has confirmed she’ll be back but has yet to see a script.

    Meanwhile, Campbell has implied that there are stunts, but only one large explosion planned at this time. Less is more sometimes. I guess we’ll all know for certain on 17 November next year. The locales are the Bahamas, Pinewood, Prague, Italy and the release dates for most countries have been set.

    Hitting The Books

    Young James and Miss Moneypenny? John Cork? Henry Chancellor?

    CommanderBond.net has a new member! Author of The Moneypenny Diaries – Miss Samantha Weinberg – gave into temptation and registered here on our site after granting John Cox (Zencat) an exclusive interview. Book Two is due out October next year (tentative) and with the multitude of responses to her initial thread, she confessed “I can see this will become addictive.” and there were slanderous accusations by other members that the Team puts something in the water. I only spike the punch at the Admiral’s New Year’s Eve bash so Jim will do wheelies on the Vauxhall Bridge after two cups. The UK paperback of Book 1 is available for pre-order and a May release.

    The U.S. early cover art for the second Young Bond novel Blood Fever made it’s way to us and is available for pre-order although not due until June 2006. The U.S. edition of the first novel SilverFin is due out in paperback in April and the large print edition is shipping. With over 500,000 copies sold, this series is going strong. The third novel due in 2007 story has James chasing Russians throughout the seedier corners of London as they attempt to build an early computer.

    So…You get paid to write about Bond and Bond girls, consult on Bond films and do the 007 special edition DVD’s…
    Meet the man who has the job I want. JOHN CORK.
    In a great interview with the true Moneypenny of CBn (our own Athena) the man behind the Legacy and Bond Girls are Forever as well as the last and upcoming set of DVD’s, John Cork gave us the scoop on having a foot in both worlds. The fan and the family. Check it out.

    Henry Chancellor – author of James Bond : The man and his world – gave the ever reliable Doublenoughtspy an interview on his addition to the Bond and Fleming history. Get thee to a bookstore soon.

    Raymond Benson is enjoying the reissue of three of his novels and traveling in Italy for a book tour. I suspect we’ll be getting a debrief from the man himself somewhere along the way.

    The Titan comics keep on coming up offering The Golden Ghost, Fear Face and Double Jeopardy and are available for pre-order.

    On The Road In The Past

    CBn’s Stromberg (who’s time is precious) dug up and researched the full history of a Bond car not driven by Bond. Kissy Suzuki’s Toyota 2000GT is alive and well and still capable of arranging a “Drop in the ocean”. Check out the facts in a spread that’s right out of Tiger’s own Q Branch.

    Woulda Coulda Shoulda?

    Now that it’s decided, the front-runners all can rear their heads and say “I was almost Bond” – Some familiar, some not, but all in the running at one point during the 18 months.

    Speaking of “almost Bond” (yet it would have been for the fifth time), Bond #5 Pierce Brosnan spoke very frankly about Bond in an interview for the December issue of Playboy and gave some scathing reviews of how things went down and a few former Bonds. Trust me. He ain’t comin’ back. They aren’t serving and he doesn’t want any.

    Looking Over Your Shoulder

    Smackdown interview or not, November 17th marked the 10th anniversary of GoldenEye hitting most of the world’s screens and giving us back what we wanted: BOND.

    Several bits here and there covered it for everyone on CBn – the ‘Reflections’, ‘Premiere’ and ‘Novelization’ stories are all worth your time as are threads.

    And In Closing…..No…Really

    *pours a wee dram*

    Well, seems like Bond is back on track. After all the cries of “we’re taking it back to the basics.” It *appears* as if they are in many regards. Hey, after Moonraker (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with that film) we got For Your Eyes Only.

    Now we can only PRAY they wise up and cast Jessica Simpson as Vesper.

    What?

    Quit throwing things!

    OW!

    Kidding…Kidding…

    OW! – OK that last one was from Bondian.

    *rubs arm* Wanker.

    Lastly, and on a personal note, November 25th marked the start of chapter 38 in the ongoing novel that is my life. I thank everyone here at CBn for the kind wishes, PM’s, emails, and goofy pics. I vow to continue to serve living the lifestyle as best I can…which includes chasing girls, driving fast, dining extravagantly, traveling luxuriously, shooting accurately, saving the world and sampling scotch…No…

    Really.

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