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  1. James Bond: Behind the scenes with the World's Favorite Secret Agent

    By Devin Zydel on 2009-10-22

    The USC School of Cinematic Arts and
    Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative
    in conjunction with Danjaq and Eon Productions

    Invite you and a guest to a special film celebration

    JAMES BOND:
    Behind the scenes with the
    World’s Favorite Secret Agent

    Friday, November 6th – Sunday, November 8th
    Norris Cinema Theatre/Frank Sinatra Hall

    FREE ADMISSION. OPEN TO ALL.
    ELECTRONIC RSVPS REQUIRED FOR EACH FILM AND PANEL DISCUSSION.

    Albert R. 'Cubby' Broccoli

    ABOUT THE EVENT

    For almost 50 years, the name Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli has been synonymous with the most prolific and longest running film franchise in cinema, Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. Beginning with Dr. No in 1962, Broccoli transformed Fleming’s novels into a groundbreaking and trendsetting pop-culture phenomenon.

    Presented in celebration of the Cubby Broccoli centennial, this three-day festival will feature screenings, discussions and an exhibit examining the impact of the Bond series and the producer who brought it to the big screen. Film screenings will include at least one film starring each of the five actors who have played Bond, from Dr. No to Casino Royale. Panel discussions will feature key figures from the Bond franchise and the Broccoli family. Additionally, an exhibit featuring a wide array of gadgets and props from the films will be on display during the festival.

    SCHEDULE OF SCREENINGS

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6:

    7:00 P.M. — Dr. No (1962), 110 minutes
    Written by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood and Berkely Mather
    Directed by Terence Young
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Bond’s first adventure starring Sean Connery sees him travel to Jamaica to investigate the death of a British agent. There, he joins forces with CIA agent Felix Leiter and the beautiful Honey Ryder as his mission leads him to the island home of the sinister Dr. Julius No. Confronting lethal assassins, femme fatales and poisonous spiders in his search for the truth, Bond uncovers Dr. No’s evil plans for world domination.

    9:00 P.M. — Goldfinger (1964), 110 minutes
    Written by Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn, Directed by Guy Hamilton
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Bond (Sean Connery) must investigate a powerful bullion dealer named Auric Goldfinger as he uncovers a plan to plunge the west into economic chaos. Bond’s mission takes him to Fort Knox, where he must team up with beautiful pilot Pussy Galore and stop the mastermind before it’s too late. First, however, Bond must come face to face with Goldfinger’s chief henchman – Oddjob.

    SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7:

    12:00 P.M. — On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969), 142 minutes
    Written by Richard Maibaum and Simon Raven, Directed by Peter Hunt
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Bond (George Lazenby) comes up against Blofeld once more as he tries to thwart his latest plan – unleashing a plague through a group of brainwashed “angels of death” unless his demands are met. As usual intelligence sources fail, Bond enlists the help of crime boss Draco as the trail leads to the mountains of Switzerland. Bond encounters many seductive women, but none so beautiful as Tracy di Vicenzo, Draco’s daughter.

    2:40 P.M. — Live And Let Die (1973), 121 minutes
    Written by Tom Mankiewicz, Directed by Guy Hamilton
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    When Bond (Roger Moore) travels to New York to look into the deaths of three fellow agents, he soon becomes the next target. Mr. Big aka Dr. Kananga is flooding the US market with free heroin with the intention of driving out competitors and creating millions of new addicts in a globally threatening scheme. Bond must work his magic on Kananga’s beautiful tarot card reader, Solitaire, in order to unravel the mastermind’s plan.

    5:00 P.M. — Panel Discussion: James Bond Today
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    A conversation about James Bond in the 21st century, featuring Screenwriters Robert Wade and Neal Purvis (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace), Director Marc Forster (Quantum of Solace) and longtime Stunt Coordinator Vic Armstrong. Moderated by SCA Professor Rick Jewell.

    6:45 P.M. — The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), 125 minutes
    Written by Richard Maibaum and Christopher Wood, Directed by Lewis Gilbert
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Bond (Roger Moore) teams up with beautiful Russian agent Anya Amasova to find the truth behind the abduction of several US and Russian submarines by a massive underwater craft. With global tensions heightened to the brink of war, Bond must foil the evil Karl Stromberg’s plan for nuclear holocaust before it’s too late. To complete this mission however, 007 must first battle one of his most challenging adversaries – the seemingly indestructible Jaws.

    9:00 P.M. — The Living Daylights (1987), 130 minutes
    Written by Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson, Directed by John Glen
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    After Bond (Timothy Dalton) helps a Russian officer to defect, the intelligence community is shocked when he goes missing from his remote hiding place. 007 follows a trail that leads him to the gorgeous cello-playing Kara Milovy and to a complex weapons scheme with global implications. Bond’s mission culminates in an epic battle in the Afghanistan desert.

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8:

    12:30 P.M. — GoldenEye (1995), 130 minutes
    Written by Michael France, Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein
    Directed by Martin Campbell
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Bond (Pierce Brosnan) races to Russia to find the access codes for “GoldenEye”, an incredible space weapon that can fire a devastating electromagnetic pulse toward Earth. However, he has an opponent who anticipates his every move – Alec Trevelyan, formerly 006. 007 must battle Trevelyan’s deadly allies, the psychotic General Orumov and the lethal assassin, Xenia Onatopp. Bond calls upon his sharp wits and killer instinct as the horrifying extent of Trevelyan’s plans is revealed.

    2:50 P.M. — Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), 119 minutes
    Written by Bruce Feirstein, Directed by Roger Spottiswoode
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    Someone is pitting the world’s superpowers against each other. When a British warship is mysteriously destroyed in Chinese waters, the world teeters on the brink of World War III. Bond’s trail leads him to media mastermind Elliot Carver, who can influence world events as easily as changing headlines. In his way is Carver’s ruthless chief of security, Stamper, and an army of henchmen. Together with the stunning yet deadly Chinese agent Wai Lin, 007 (Pierce Brosnan) must race to stop the mastermind’s plans before the world descends into chaos.

    5:00 P.M. — Panel Discussion: Cubby Broccoli, Producer
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    A conversation about legendary Bond franchise producer Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli in celebration of his centennial, featuring family members Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, Actor Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun), Actor Richard Kiel (“Jaws”, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker) and Actress Maud Adams (“Octopussy”, Octopussy, The Man With the Golden Gun). Moderated by SCA Professor Rick Jewell.

    6:40 P.M. — Catered Reception in Queen’s Courtyard
    NO RESERVATION NECESSARY

    8:00 P.M. — Casino Royale (2006), 144 minutes
    Written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis, Directed by Martin Campbell
    MAKE A RESERVATION

    In his first mission, newly-appointed 00, James Bond (Daniel Craig), must stop Le Chiffre, banker for the world’s terrorists, from winning back his money in a high-stakes poker game. Along with a beautiful Treasury agent and the MI6 man in Montenegro, 007 will discover not only the dangerous organization behind his enemy, but the worst of all truths: to trust no one.

    ABOUT THE PANELISTS

    James Bond Today

    Vic Armstrong

    Marc Forster (Director), a BAFTA and Golden Globe-nominated director, made his directorial debut in 2000 with a psychological horror movie entitled Everything Put Together, which he also co-wrote. The film premiered at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival and Forster went on to direct a string of critically acclaimed blockbuster hits including, most recently, The Kite Runner, based on Khaled Hosseini’s best seller. Although born in Germany, Forster was raised in Switzerland where he attended the famous Institut Montana Zugerberg. However, his early ambition was to make films and in 1990 he moved to America to study film at New York University. Forster commented, “When you grow up like that and suddenly you decide you intend to make movies, everybody says it’s impossible, but here I am and I’m living my dream.”

    Today, Forster’s impressive filmography includes Monsters Ball (2001), which received two Oscar® nominations with Halle Berry winning Best Actress, and Finding Neverland (2004); a film based on the semi-autobiographical story of the friendship between J.M. Barrie and the single mother who lived next door with her four boys. Finding Neverland, starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, received seven Academy Award⪚ nominations, five Golden Globe nominations and eleven BAFTA nominations all including Best Picture. Forster was also nominated Best Director by his peers at the Directors Guild Of America. In 2005, Forster helmed the reality bending thriller Stay starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts and went on to direct the hit comedy Stranger Than Fiction, with Will Ferrell, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson and Queen Latifah, the following year.

    Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (Writers) had their first success in 1991 with the screenplay of the controversial screen drama Let Him Have It, a true story about the killing of a policeman. The critically acclaimed film, directed by Peter Medak, was screened for Parliament and played a part in Derek Bentley’s eventual posthumous pardon. They have since worked in a variety of genres with screenplays such as The Wasp Factory, an adaptation of Iain Banks’ novel for director Stephen Daldry, and Plunkett & Macleane, starring Robert Carlyle and Liv Tyler.

    Between writing James Bond films The World is Not Enough and 2002’s Die Another Day, they worked on The Italian Job, starring Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton, and Johnny English, starring Rowan Atkinson and John Malkovich. They then wrote and co-produced Return to Sender for director Bille August and performed the same duties on Stoned for director Stephen Woolley, before writing the screenplay for Casino Royale. After delivering their screenplay for Quantum of Solace, they wrote Barbarella for director Robert Rodriguez, to be produced in 2009 by Dino DeLaurentiis, and have adapted John Le Carre’s latest novel, The Mission Song, for producers Simon Channing-Williams and Gail Egan. Their most recent collaboration is with director John Carney, on an adaptation of an M.R. James horror story, Casting the Runes. They are currently producing The Little Red Car, a comedy from their own script set in Paris and directed by Hattie Dalton.

    Cubby Broccoli, Producer

    Maud Adams (Actress, “Octopussy”)

    Barbara Broccoli (Producer) has worked on the James Bond films for many years. Starting her career as an assistant director on Octopussy and A View to a Kill, Barbara worked her way up to become associate producer and then earning her first producer credit on GoldenEye, most recently producing Quantum of Solace with her brother Michael Wilson. In 2003, together with Dana Broccoli and Michael Wilson, Barbara produced the award winning stage version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang which opened to rave reviews in London and later in New York. Barbara was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Years Honours 2008.

    Richard Kiel (Actor, “Jaws”)

    Tom Mankiewicz (Writer)

    Michael G. Wilson (Writer, Producer) joined EON Productions in 1972 and was named Assistant to the Producer on The Spy Who Loved Me. He became Executive Producer on Moonraker and continued with that credit on the following two Bond films. He co-wrote For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. When James Bond returned to the big screen after an absence of six years, Wilson produced the hugely successful GoldenEye with his sister Barbara Broccoli, followed by the blockbuster releases Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. He was awarded the OBE in the Queens New Years Honours 2008.

    ABOUT THE MODERATOR

    Rick Jewell is a professor in the School of Cinematic Arts where he holds the Hugh M. Hefner Chair for the Study of American Film. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from Vanderbilt University and Master’s Degree from the University of Florida, Dr. Jewell began his doctoral studies at USC in 1972, started teaching in 1974 and became a full-time faculty member in 1976. From 1985-1990, Dr. Jewell served as chair of the Critical Studies Program and from 1995 through 2004 he was the School’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor Jewell’s latest book is The Golden Age of Cinema: Hollywood, 1929-1945 (2007).

    ABOUT THE EXHIBIT

    The exhibit will feature noteworthy artifacts from the spy thriller series as well as additional films from Broccoli’s career. Some of the items on display include an early draft of the script for Dr. No, the metal teeth worn by assassin Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me, the Versace evening dress worn by Halle Berry in Die Another Day, the red velvet dress worn by Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die, the mock Fabergé Egg from Octopussy, the Algerian love knot necklace worn by Eva Green in Casino Royale, the golden gun from The Man with the Golden Gun, Sean Connery’s coat from Dr. No, among many other costumes, cinema artwork, film stills and Bond spy gadgets.

    The exhibit will take place in the Hugh M. Hefner Exhibition Space in the George Lucas Building Lobby, East wing of the SCA complex.

    ABOUT CHECK-IN & RESERVATIONS

    All screenings are free of charge and open to all USC students, faculty, staff and alumni. The theater will be OVERBOOKED to ensure capacity and the RSVP list will be honored on a first-come, first-serve basis, with no reserved seating. Please bring a photo ID or print out of your reservation confirmation, which will automatically be sent to your e-mail account upon successfully making an RSVP through this website. Doors will open at 30 minutes prior to showtime.

    ABOUT PARKING

    The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 900 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes may be purchased for $8.00 at USC Entrance Gate #5, located at the intersection of W. Jefferson Blvd. & McClintock Avenue. We recommend parking in outdoor Lot M or V, or Parking Structure D, at the far end of 34th Street. Please note that Parking Structure D cannot accommodate tall vehicles such as SUVs. Metered street parking is also available along Jefferson Blvd.

    For additional details, visit the official USC website.

    Be sure to keep checking the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest James Bond-related news.