The CBn Dossier, May '06

Welcome to the May 2006 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the James Bond 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 many upcoming literary James Bond releases, the ‘Ultimate Edition’ James Bond DVDs, the move from EA to Activision, as well as other 007-related events, and much, much more.

This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Devin Zydel.

Enjoy.

Everything ‘Casino Royale’

In perhaps one of the busiest months news-wise since the announcement of Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, May brought us the Casino Royale teaser trailer, teaser poster, the launch of the official Casino Royale website, the Aston Martin DBS, and on, and on…

So, to start things off we’ll go back to the very beginning of the month. The English version of the Casino Royale trailer was released to fantastic reviews on the CBn forums and other Bond websites. For an interesting take on this teaser trailer, check out Stuart Basinger’s shot-by-shot analysis. This was followed a few days later by the official unveiling of the new Aston Martin DBS, which will ‘continue [the] proud and lengthy association with James Bond. The DBS is not of the understated elegance of a DB9, nor the youthful agility of the V8 Vantage. It is explosive power in a black tie and has its own unique character which will equal that of James Bond.’

May was also filled with more visits to the set of Casino Royale, including those by Entertainment Tonight and The Insider. Daniel Craig is featured in both. In addition, a video featuring the Bahamas location in the film was released on the internet. Entitled ‘Bond in the Bahamas’, the video starts off with Dame Judi Dench as ‘M’ being awoken by a phone call informing her that ‘he’s in the Bahamas.’ A chase scene and a conversation between James Bond and M are two other scenes from the film featured. Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Caterina Murino, producer Michael G. Wilson, and director Martin Campbell are all interviewed. Things have apparently ‘settled down,’ according to Wilson, as the crew is ‘in week six and out of the frozen wastelands of Prague and into the sunny Bahamas.’ According to Murino, who plays ‘Solange’ in the film, ‘it’s like home for James Bond.’ On the many stunts in the film, one in particular, Craig had to say: ‘no time to have a fear for heights…you gotta get up there and do it.’

CBn’s Heiko Baumann reported on the Czech shooting titbits of Casino Royale, while mid-May brought a photo round-up, which included shots of Daniel Craig, Bond girl Eva Green, the Aston Martin DBS, and more. Other action shots of Craig outside of Hotel Splendide can be viewed here Lastly, photographs of James Bond and Vesper Lynd at dinner together can be viewed here.

Sunseeker motoryachts will be featured in the film. Sunseeker motoryachts, which were previously apart of the The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day James Bond films, will be providing the company’s XS 2000 and Predator 108 for sequences to be filmed in central Europe, the Bahamas, and in studio. In addition, Heineken is set to launch a world-wide promotional campaign for this newest 007 film. Eva Green (Vesper Lynd) will be featured in a television commercial, which will be filmed on the set in the Czech Republic and broadcast in November and December 2006. According to Green: ‘I’m delighted to be promoting Casino Royale in association with Heineken. Heineken continues to be a highly innovative partner in its support of film-making.’

The 19th of May saw the official launch of the Casino Royale website. Wallpapers, screensavers, AIM icons, photographs, the teaser trailer, Bond’s past, Yarborough’s production blog, and a poker game are just a few highlights to check out. Visit the website here. Collectors of the many Bond film posters will be pleased to know that the Casino Royale teaser poster is now available to purchase online. Also, CBn has rounded up the international release dates and full cast list for the film.

Some of the best things are often left until last. A CBn exclusive set visit to Casino Royale certainly qualifies. Check out Heiko Baumann’s report for all of latest news and pictures (of which there are many!).

Young Bond, Miss Moneypenny, The Man Who Saved Britain, and more…

The never-ending release of literary 007 gems that started several months ago continues on. One new release for 2006 is The Art of Bond, which will ship to US and UK fans in October. According to the official blurb, The Art of Bond ‘gives readers an insider’s look at the Bond evolution, from storyboard to screen, through all-new interviews with the series’ creative talents, as well as previously unseen art and behind-the-scenes photography from all 21 films.’ The Rough Guide To James Bond and James Bond: The Secret World of 007 will also both be revised and updated for new releases later in the year.

The paperback edition of Samantha Weinberg’s (writing under the name of Kate Westbrook) The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel was released in the UK on the 4th of May. Even bigger news followed a week later when the second volume of the The Moneypenny Diaries, Secret Servant: The Moneypenny Diaries was announced. It will be released in the UK in November. According to the author, ‘there are a couple of on-going story lines that I am bound to follow–Miss Moneypenny is going to keep on her father’s trail, for instance, there has to be some resolution over the Prenderghast affair and, of course, Bond does return, with a bang, at the beginning of The Man With the Golden Gun. I don’t want to give too much else away, but she will definitely be getting out of the office again, and probably heading eastwards, towards the Iron Curtain.’

Young Bond author kicked off a US tour to promote the upcoming release of Blood Fever (which was released early online). A flood of news of the third, currently un-titled Young Bond novel was released when Higson released several new details on the official Young Bond website. According to the author: ‘The third book in the series will be out in January 2007 (just realised there’s a 007 theme to the year! Hope that’s a good omen). The working title for the book is ‘Shoot The Moon,’ but as we never stuck with the working title on the first two books it’s unlikely we’ll end up calling it that. Another working title is ‘The Big Smoke’ (which is the nickname for London – where most of the book is set)… I wanted to send James to a big city, as the first two books had mostly taken place in the countryside. I chose London because I live in London, I know it well and I love it. There are some fascinating unknown corners, and I wanted to do a sort of Da Vinci Code about the city, in which James has to follow a series of cryptic clues, to find out what’s going on and save the day.’ Click here for the full story.

Charlie Higson also announced that SilverFin will be the first Young Bond graphic novel, with artwork by Kev Walker. Further news was released on the series, when Higson again released some details to the fans, this time about the fifth and final novel of the series (which will most likely be released in 2009). The author tells fans to ‘wait and see. All will be revealed in book 5. I have been planting some seeds, but nobody will really put it all together until the last book is published.’ For the literary collectors: the French edition of Blood Fever has been announced.

Simon Winder’s The Man Who Saved Britain is shipping early from amazon.co.uk. The book, initially described as ‘a funny, serious history of post-Colonial Britain as seen through the eyes of James Bond, part memoir, part history’ can be ordered for a discounted price of £9.89.

Several upcoming appearances by former continuation author Raymond Benson in June have also been announced.

Activision to Bond with 007

A surprise was in store for fans when it was announced that the video game rights for the James Bond series had been granted to Activision Inc., taking Electronic Arts (EA) out of the equation. According to Variety, their first 007 game is expected to be a Bond 22 tie-in. From September 2007 onwards, Activision will exclusively have the rights to the series for seven years.

For reviews of the PSP version of EA’s From Russia With Love, click here.

Double-Oh-DVDs

May saw the release of all of the special features and DVD covers for the upcoming ‘Ultimate Edition James Bond 007 DVDs. The covers feature the James Bond actor in the middle right panel, while often a Bond girl and/or prominent location are featured on the left. The top and bottom panels contain the title of the film in the original font as well as other scenes and characters from the respective film. They are set for release on 17 July in the UK, 30 August in Australia, and are supposedly set for a release to coincide with Casino Royale in the US.

Bond fans will be happy to note that both GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies will have several changes made, including several previously cut scenes. The result is an ‘uncut’ release for GoldenEye and a new ’15’ certificate for Tomorrow Never Dies.

A Living Legend, a Concert, a Boat Show, and a Birthday

Bond fans will want to take notice of the upcoming Boats of Bond exhibit, which is set for 1-5 June 2006 at the Auckland showgrounds in New Zealand. The event will be showcasing the Tow Sled from Thunderball, the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds Are Forever, the Neptune Submarine from For Your Eyes Only, and the Q-Boat from The World Is Not Enough.

Other upcoming 007 events include a James Bond movie posters exhibit in New York throughout the summer, as well as a Live and Let Die – James Bond Spectacular concert. It will be performed by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Nic Raine, and is set for Friday, 11 August 2006.

CBn would like to wish another Happy Birthday to Pierce Brosnan, who celebrated his 53rd this year as well as congratulations to CBn forum member ‘Aussie21,’ winner of the CBn ‘The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel’ competition.

And in conclusion, all the very best wishes to Sir Roger Moore, winner of the Hall Of Fame ‘Living Legend’ award, which was presented by the Queen at Windsor Castle on 3 May.

With over 550,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join the CBn Forums to discuss Casino Royale and all other Bond topics. Registration is free and only takes a minute. It’s safe to say that as Bond fans, we have a lot to look forward to. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond 007.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, April ’06
• The CBn Dossier, March ’06
• The CBn Dossier, February ’06
• The CBn Dossier, January ’06
• The CBn Dossier, December ’05
• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, April '06

Welcome to the May 2006 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the James Bond news and rumours from the past month. In this dossier we’ll be taking a look at the reams of recent book-release announcements, some exciting news for dvd collectors, a mixed bag for gamers, and a couple of really big developments from the producers of Casino Royale.

This month’s CBn Dossier is provided by Blair Pettis (who apologises for the slight tardiness of this report).

Enjoy.

Casino Royale Teases Us Twice

The big stories which broke over the past weekend were the release of a teaser poster and teaser trailer for the upcoming Casino Royale film. The teaser poster art was first revealed on a Finnish website linked to the official James Bond website, and CBn’ers promptly registered a near unanimous cry of approval. CBn sources have confirmed that this is an official release. The moody, atmospheric image artfully evokes the stench and smoke and sweat of a casino at three in the morning. And Daniel Craig’s sidelong glance says James Bond is back indeed.

The collective burst of glee in response to the poster art was soon followed by an even more uproarious delight when fans caught a look at a new Casino Royale teaser trailer. First revealed on the French televsion show CINESIX (airing on French channel M6), a 59-second version of the trailer became widely available for viewing on website planete007.com. And what a piece of work it is. Twenty-odd seconds of black and white footage cryptically reveal what appear to be some of the film’s early moments, including Bond tussling with baddies and verbally sparring with M. Then, all of a sudden, there is Craig as Bond in a familiar spinning motion, a shot is fired in the direction of the camera, a sea of red douses the frame—gunbarrel redux? Oh, my. And a nice segue to the colour footage, which, in the manner of all modern action film trailers, is a supercharged, edit-fest of heroic ballet. We see: gunplay; knives; X-ray tech; Parkour; explosions; the Aston Martin db5; beautiful women clad in elegant dresses and sexy swimsuits; and a hint of macabre villainy. But mostly, it is Bond. And it looks to be, by nearly all accounts, very good Bond. [Note: those wishing to remain absolutely spoiler free will need to abstain from watching the trailer. But as one who is trying hard to avoid spoilers, I can report that the trailer doesn’t really spoil much. I imagine any and all Bond fans will be pleased to have watched it, and will not feel spoiled.]

While the response to the trailer has been overwhelmingly positive, there has been a smattering of the old complaints about Craig’s suitability, and a few fans have expressed worry that the trailer looks a bit Die Another Day, when Eon has promised something fresh. After seeing the trailer, this writer has faith in Eon’s pledge.

More Casino Royale News

CBn has confirmed that shooting on Casino Royale is scheduled to conclude in the Czech Republic in May of this year. Director Martin Campbell will grab the final shots in the spa town of Karlovy Vary, which is doubling Montenegro.

In other CR news, the Ivory Coast’s Isaach de Bankole has been cast as Obanno, one of the villains associated with Le Chiffre. Mr. de Bankole recently completed filming on the big screen adaptation of Miami Vice.

And finally, congrats to ITV, which just this month secured the television broadcast rights to Casino Royale, and the rest of the James Bond library. Fans will reportedly have to wait until late 2007, at the earliest, for Casino Royale to air on the telly.

Young Bond

Moving on to the literary Bond, bibliophiles were treated to a virtual tidal wave of announcements of forthcoming material. In particular, there was a lot of news on the Young Bond front. It was announced that author Charlie Higson will be making two promotional appearances in Great Britain in May of this year. Make sure to bring your copies of SilverFin and Blood Fever for signing. Mr. Higson is A-class entertainment for Bond fans, judging by his recent appearance at Foyles’ bookstore. CBn’s Matt Weston was on the case and filed a very engaging report full of juicy bits of info. To wit, Mr. Higson has completed work on the third book in the series which takes place in London, the fourth book in the series will feature Mexico and the Carribean as primary locations, and IFP was approached in regards to movie rights by the likes of Steven Spielberg. Wow.

April also saw the release of the US paperback and audiobook editions of SilverFin, and the international editions just keep on coming.

Books, Books, and More Books

There are no less than four non-fiction books devoted to 007 on the horizon, and these are no lightweight fan fawns, either. A positively ambitious array of academic ink is being spilled in James Bond’s name this year. First up, The Man Who Saved Britain, by Simon Winder is slated for a UK release on the 2nd of June, 2006. This book is being promoted as a unique history of postwar Britain as seen through the lens of Bond fandom. An intriguing premise to say the least. Should be interesting to see how this turns out. Pre-order now from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

Hot on the heels of that is The Science of James Bond: From Bullets to Bowler Hats to Boat Jumps, the Real Technology behind 007’s Fabulous Films by Lois H. Gresh and Robert Weinberg. Initially set for an April launch, this will now be available the 25th of August, 2006. Devotees of Q-branch should feast on this look at the gadgets, cars and other technological wonders of James Bond’s world. It even has an introduction by Raymond Benson. Available for Pre-order now.

For those hungry for more scholarly analysis of Bond-dom, September will bring another goodie in the form of James Bond and Philosophy, by James B. South and Jacob M. Held. In this ambitious tome ‘15 witty, thought-provoking essays discuss hidden issues in Bond’s world, from his carnal pleasures to his license to kill. Among the lively topics explored are Bond’s relation to existentialism, including his graduation “beyond good and evil”; his objectification of women; the paradox of breaking the law in order to ultimately uphold it like any “stupid policeman”; the personality of 007 in terms of Plato’s moral psychology; and the Hegelian quest for recognition evinced by Bond villains.’ Phew! Pre-order it now: Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk.

After that, readers may be grateful for something a tad lighter. Although the title belies it, James Bond in the 21st Century: Why We Still Need 007, may just fit the bill. While details are in sparse supply at this point, early reports indicate this will be an anthological look at Bond from the perspective of pop culture. Here’s hoping that author Glenn Yeffeth’s work is smart, thoughtful, insightful, and a great bit of fun. Available for Pre-order now.

Any mystery as to whether the book release accompanying the release of the Casino Royale film would be a novelisation or a tie-in was solved on the 2nd of April by The Young Bond Dossier, which revealed that a paperback movie tie-in is scheduled for release on 16, October, 2006. Thanks to the zencat (aka John Cox) for the heads up.

Book collectors welcomed the mid-month release of the large print edition of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Distributed by the Thorndike Press, this book follows on from the large print release of Live and Let Die, this past February.

Comic Strip fans sang Titan Publishing’s praises, as Colonel Sun was released in the USA, and The Golden Ghost was released in the United Kingdom. These are in the book formats which Titan has been doing so well.

Gamers’ Highs and Lows

There was good news and bad news for fans of Bond gaming this past month. OK, you want the bad news first, right? CBn has learned that the Casino Royale video game from EA has been cancelled. At this time it is unclear whether EA will release another James Bond-themed video game in its stead. Reportedly, the cancellation was due in part to the fact that EA was unable to meet the deadline for a November release while still being able to match the game action to the film action.

On the brighter side, April saw the release of the Sony PSP platform of the Electronic Arts game, From Russia With Love. It’s still early, but so far the reviews have been mixed.

Ultimate DVD madness

Videophiles may have rejoiced at the announcement that a new set of James Bond Ultimate Edition dvd’s are scheduled to be released in the UK in July (no release date yet for the rest of the world). Perhaps a bit of a surprise to those who imagined that the next generation of Bond dvd’s would be either Blu-ray or HD-DVD, this collection nonetheless has some nice things to offer. First and foremost, the set of 40(!!!!) discs will come in a sleek silver attaché case with a subtle debossed 007 gun logo. Conjuring up memories of The World Is Not Enough, this case is one cool collectible in and of itself. And the dvd’s are sure to please as well. Can I mention again that there are reportedly 40 of them? Each film gets its own slipcase with new artwork, and containing one disk of the film and one for supplemental materials. All 20 films (Dr. No through Die Another Day) will be remastered and restored using a ‘breakthrough digital process’ by Lowry Digital, radically improving both picture and sound. They will all feature DTS 5.1 surround sound, and each will feature loads of new extras including ‘never before seen footage’ and ‘Top Secret Files’ on ‘The Bond Women’ and ‘Exotic Locations’. In a coup de grace, Sir Roger Moore will provide commentary for all his movies on a separate audio track. You can pre-order this collection from amazon.co.uk now.

Can’t wait until July for your Bond dvd fix? No problem. Coming in May, Silvascreen presents a History Channel special, James Bond Gadgets. Featuring in-depth looks at the Aston Martin db5 and Vanquish, the Bell Textron Jet Pack, Little Nellie, TWINE’s Q-boat and many more Bond gadgets, this is sure to please the gadgetmaster in your household. Currently available for pre-order now at amazon.co.uk.

The Impossibly Witty Job

If you’ve been around CBn for any time at all, you’ll surely be aware that there is no better read than one of professor Jacques Stewart’s dissertations. This past month we were treated to The Impossible Job: Doubleshot, Part IV of Jacques’ series of Raymond Benson book reviews. If you haven’t read it, please do so now. Even if the acerbic wit doesn’t give you a guilty giggle, the critical insights will educate and enchant.

The Paul Michael Kane CBn Interview

Earlier this month, CBn’s Devin Zydel published his most excellent interview with Paul Michael Kane, author and illustrator of 007: A Literary Dossier. Mr. Kane’s book, which saw a limited release in February, with a wider release set for sometime in the near future, is an analysis of the Bond-related works of Ian Fleming, Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, and Raymond Benson. If you haven’t read this interview yet, check it out.

That’s all for this month. Now hurry on, and watch that trailer again.

With over 500,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join the CBn Forums to discuss Casino Royale and all other James Bond topics. Registration is free and only takes a minute. It’s safe to say that as Bond fans, we have a lot to look forward to. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond 007.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, March ’06
• The CBn Dossier, February ’06
• The CBn Dossier, January ’06
• The CBn Dossier, December ’05
• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, March '06

Welcome to the March 2006 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the James Bond 007 news and rumours for the month. Wellwellwell, folks, wasn’t March a really interesting month? All kinds of book news, and tons of information – real information, as in pictures, interviews and TV coverage – on Casino Royale. Putting this dossier together proved to be a real task, so here we go. It does not contain spoilers (but some of the links do) or April Fools jokes.

This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Heiko Baumann.

Enjoy.

The Literary 007

Despite a release date of April 1st 2006, copies of the US paperback edition of SilverFin have slipped out early not only on eBay, but also – later in the month – on amazon.com. Good news for collectors, such as John “zencat” Cox of YoungBond fansite The Young Bond Dossier, who revealed that the US edition of Blood Fever (scheduled for release in June 2006) will look completely different (which can be viewed here) to the UK edition and, unlike the US edition of SilverFin, will be unedited. Speaking of SilverFin: Collectors should take note that there are obviously two different versions of the US paperback available. The German edition of Blood Fever, Zurück kommt nur der Tod, was finally released in mid March. UK based fans of the Young Bond series, however, should not miss the opportunity to discuss all things Young Bond with author Charlie Higson at Foyles bookstore in London on April 12th.

Good news as well for fans of the the illustrated 007: Titan books revealed the final cover artwork for their The Golden Ghost story collection (to be released on April 21st) and confirmed to CBn that the next volume of their James Bond graphic novels will be Trouble Spot, additionally containing the stories Isle of Condors, The League of Vampires and Die With My Boots On. The release of Trouble Spot is scheduled for September 2006 in the UK. Titan’s Colonel Sun, due for release on May 1st in the USA is now available for pre-order on amazon.com at a discounted price.

Further book news include the announcement that James Bond – The Legacy is to be reprinted in August 2006, and also, Deborah Lipp’s The Ultimate James Bond Fan Book is finally scheduled for release on May 30th 2006.

Casino Galore / I must be dreaming…

Remember the old times when we had a new Daniel Craig and/or Casino Royale bashing in the tabloids every day? Didn’t we all love this? While some less confident members of the fan community used the opportunity to further elaborate their concerns on the direction the franchise is going, other Bond fans stood startling in disbelief about how many buckets of malice were poured over their beloved franchise and the current embodiment of everyone’s favourite superspy. Deep down inside, everyone knew that most stories were just the usual made-up tabloid rubbish. Just look what was made out of a “press release”, sent to the right (or wrong, if you prefer) places by some teenage fanboys (and girls) and their infamous website, which the author refuses to name here. Nothing more of this humbug! Still, a bitter taste remains with serious Bondophiles about the image that was pinned on all Bond fans throughout the world. The quintessence of venting the fans’ anger over the misdoings of tabloids and rabid naysayers was worded by CBn’s own Paul Dunphy, first in the CBn podcast from March 8th, and a few days later in written form in his great editorial ‘Daniel Craig Ate My Hamster’. The piece almost became redundant, because between writing, recording and publishing the article, Barbara Broccoli herself stepped up to the plate and commented in Variety magazine on some of the nonsense: “His teeth are fine, his driving is fine, he doesn’t have heat rash and he’s not afraid of the water.” The article did also shed some interesting light on the working relationship between Eon and Sony.

And then, Casino Royale really hit the media, and it seemed like the whole bickering of the past few weeks was forgotten after some “distinguished representatives of the world press” were invited to a visit of the Casino Royale set in the Bahamas. Fans and detractors were literally flooded with not only interesting, but also positive reports and headlines from major news outlets all over the world. And this time, it wasn’t just rumours or blury spy pictures… Set pictures, cast pictures, behing the secenes footage and loads of interviews. Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, Daniel Craig, Martin Campbel, Eva Green, Caterina Murino and others spoke out in interviews, setting the record straight on many things and false rumours that had been reported before, but also revealing lots of interesting news and tidbits. Frankly said, it’s a bit too much to summarize it all in this Dossier, especially as there would be tons of spoilers in it – and frankly said, I don’t really want to put together all the pieces of this jigsaw puzzle. Many of us will know more than enough about this movie, come November 17th – I, for one, wouldn’t mind having at least a few surprises when I finally get to see the finished product. Instead, CBn gives you the opportunity to decide for yourself what you want to read (and more important: what not) with this choice of links to Casino Royale stories of the past month:

WARNING: Some of the following links may contain spoilers.

• CBn exclusive “Madagascar” set pictures thanks to our man in the Bahamas, Harry Wyckhoff (1) and
  (2, Contains spoilers)
• CBn’s report on the finale in Venice (Spoilers)
• Interview with Michael G. Wilson and report from the Nassau Guardian
• Details from the Pre-Credits and pictures (‘Relax, Girls,he’s a real Bond after all’) from The Sun and Empire Online
• TV footage from the BBC
• Later in the month, BBC1 delivered a report with some amazing images, in Film 2006 with Jonathan Ross
• ‘Bond reloads his image’ – an article from USA Today
• A report fom Sky News
• Coverage from Extra TV, featuring Interviews with Eva Green, Caterina Murino and Daniel Craig
• SuperHeroHype (a derivate of ComingSoon.net): Daniel Craig and Barbara Broccoli on Casino Royale
• More interviews with Green, Murino and Craig on Entertainment Tonight
• Tidbits on the torture sequence from LSE
• Interesting news and insights from Martin Campbell in Swiss ‘Sonntagszeitung’ (in German). CBn’s English summary of the article contains minor spoilers!
• TV interviews with Green, Murino, Craig and Sebastien Foucan from Moviefone
• …and of course 007 Magazine with a Special Report on Casino Royale

The News Is Not Enough

Still not enough for this month? Oh, this insaturable Bond bunch with their thirst for news, news and more news… Okay, what else did we have? A number of stories that would have gained more attention in other times, but found themselves burried by the Casino Royale media blitz.

It almost went unnoticed that one of the reports mentioned a new name in the Bond family: Alexander Witt, who has previously worked on movies like Hannibal and The Bourne Identity is 2nd unit director for Casino Royale, replacing Bond veteran Vic Armstrong.

German actor Ulrich Matthes (known for the portrayal of Joseph Goebbels in the 2004 movie Downfall) has told German weekly paper “Die Zeit” that he was offered to play Le Chiffre in Casino Royale, but had to decline as he was already commited otherwise. Eon then hired Mads Mikkelsen for the job.

The release of the latest James Bond game, From Russia With Love, for Sony PSP has been pushed back to April (14th in the UK, 4th in the US).

Role of Honour

CBn wishes to congratulate Sir Tom Jones for his knighthood, which he received on March 29th from Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

Congratulations also to Timothy Dalton, who celebrated his 60th birthday on March 21st, and last but not least to the first Bond girl, Ursula Andress – Honey Ryder in Dr. No – who turned 70 on March 19th.

And that’s all for this month.

Or maybe not…

Just in case you want to know what didn’t happen: Unfortunately, SilverFin did not win the British Book Award for Children’s Book of the Year.

With over 500,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join the CBn Forums to discuss Casino Royale and all other James Bond topics. Registration is free and only takes a minute. It’s safe to say that as Bond fans, we have a lot to look forward to. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, February ’06
• The CBn Dossier, January ’06
• The CBn Dossier, December ’05
• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, February '06

Welcome to the February CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the James Bond 007 news and rumours for last month. In this dossier we’ll be taking a look at the numerous rumours and exciting news about 2006’s Casino Royale, the many literary James Bond releases including Charlie Higson’s 3rd Young Bond Book and much, much more.

This month’s CBn Dossier is delivered by Athena Stamos (who apologises for the fact it’s two days late due her being inundated with her 24th Birthday celebration.) Enjoy!

The Casting of Casino Royale

Felix is back, no he isn’t, yes he is, no he isn’t. AH! Thankfully at the beginning of February Martin Campbell confirmed during and interview with SciFiWire that CIA agent Felix Leiter would indeed be returning in this years film. Though he also confirmed that Q would not be making an appearance, but didn’t we already know this? I think we did.

German TV guide Hörzu, reported that German actor, Jürgen Tarrach, had been cast as a very minor character. Swiss actor and rapper Carlos Leal told a Swiss news agency that he has landed the role of a croupier in the film and that 12 days of shooting in Prague are scheduled for him. Guess we’ll have to wait and see if these two men show up in the film since they didn’t make the official cast list that was released at the Casino Royale press conference on 15 February at Prague’s Barrandov Studios. A man who did makes the list was Mads Mikkelsen who will be playing Le Chiffre. Our new Bond Girls will be Eva Green (Vesper Lynd) and Caterina Murino (Solonge). The news of our first “official” African American Felix Leiter was a surprise, he will be played by actor Jeffrey Wright. Check our cast announcement story for the full cast list.

See Craig Run… Read Craig Run…

The first pictures of Daniel Craig as James Bond that were taken during the filming of Casino Royale appeared on GettyImages last month. Soon after more and more shots of Craig started to pop up all over the internet. Craig in his swim trunks, Craig in camouflage, Craig on the back of a truck… you get the idea. We don’t have the exciting photos up on our site because a number of the James Bond fan sites plus other media sites who posted them got sent an e-mail by the photos owner telling us to take the photos down or legal action would be taken. Hello, they’re photos of Daniel Craig as Bond and we’ll credit you. Ugh, snooty tabloid photographers. Eh hem… oh sorry did I just say that all aloud!? Oops. Anywho, to enjoy these “banned” images just Click Here.

Possibly the biggest Casino Royale news this month was that the script got out! Both the LatinoReview and IGN put up script reviews. Of course I could give you my own review of this script since it is sitting here on my desk… but naaaa I’d rather CBn not get an angry letter from Eon or Sony plus I don’t want to give anything away, so you’ll have to check it out yourself — just Google for ‘casino royale script review’ to find it.

Royale Locations

A huge thank you to our man at Station B! Because of our man, Harry Wickoff, we had plenty of exclusive Bahamas location photos to show you. (Article 1, 2) We hope you enjoyed all of them as Harry put his life on the line to take them! (Photos 1, 2).

Some filming has already been done in Prague at Modrany Studios and at Strahov monastery, but shooting will continue in Prague after shooting in the Bahamas has finished. Though when the crew returns to Prague in early March they’ll be filming at Barrandov Studios instead. Also our own Tim Roth overheard on SWR1 Radio in Germany that later in the year the Bond crew will be heading to Plana, Czech Republic to shoot in and abandoned hospital. And supposedly there’s to be some filming done at the castle of Loket, a massive gothic castle, in the Czech Republic as well. Plus the Italian newspaper Il Giorno reported that one week of shooting will take place in late May in the ‘Villa del Balbianello’, which is located at the Lago di Como in the region of Lombardy (Northern Italy). Locations scouts also had a look at the casino in the small town of Campione d’Italia, but it is not known whether shooting is actually going to take place there.

James Bond’s Debuts

CBn member Ed Harris (aka: Genrewriter) started off a wonderful five part series for us about the James Bond debuts made by the 5 men who came before Daniel Craig. He started us off with Sean Connery, of course, in Doctor No where he looking at various elements of the film, the performance of Mr Connery and the development of the character as well as the evolution of the franchise. Keep your eye out for the other four parts to this series.

Young Bond Books

Thanks to The Young Bond Dossier we learned that the US print of Blood Fever, the second Young Bond novel by Charlie Higson, would not be edited for content like the first novel, SilverFin, was. Thank goodness, I hate censorship! We also leaned from The Young Bond Dossier that author Charlie Higson had completed the 3rd Young Bond Novel which is due for release in the UK in January 2007. What is especially interesting to note is that a past character from the Young Bond series will be making a return appearance in this novel. Whom exactly this character will be is not known at this point. In Young Bond Book 3 James Bond faces off against Russian spies.

From A Book To A Fanzine

James Bond Fanzine OO7 Magazine announced that issue #48 will be the last paper issue of the magazine. From here on out, OO7 Magazine will be published online at the ever expanding OO7 Magazine Official Website.

The new James Bond International Fan Club magazine released it’s second issue last month. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang issue #2 featured an overview of the Young Bond phenomenon and a report on the 40th Anniversary Thunderball screening. We were able to give CBn readers a peek at a piece that was included in the second issue, a article by Ajay Chowdhury about Bond title designer Robert Brownjohn.

A new book by Paul Michael Kane called 007 A Literary Dossier which covers all 32 literary adventures of James Bond supposedly came out last month, but I can’t seem to locate it. Can you? Well, you won’t be able to find it in stores, but perhaps you’ll find a copy on e-bay. Turns out this was a privately printed book only available to those who attended the New York Comic-Con on 24-26 February.

A new book that you can purchace is a novel by former James Bond author Raymond Benson called Sweetie’s Diamonds. It’s a suspense thriller you just must check out!

007 Events

Charlie Axworthy gave us a personalize report of the happenings at the automobile auction in Scottsdale, Arizona where the Thunderball promotional Aston Martin DB5 was auctioned off for 1.9 million dollars… no really…

But as for what the future holds in Bond eventdom… Richard Kiel will be appearing at Sci-Fi Con in Goteborg, Sweden 4-5 of March. BondStars.com is planning another 007 event for 2006. On 2 July “Bond Girls Are Forever” will be taking place with such guests as Britt Ekland, Tania Mallet, Caroline Bliss and many more. And Matt Sherman has released the details of this years BCW9 which will consist of a cruise to the Bahamas the 12-14 of August.

Have You Been CommanderBond.net-ed?

Evan Willnow returned with the CBn Podcast this month after a two month hiatus. Why did we not release a podcast for so long… either we were being lazy, Evan was deathly ill or Eon threatened to sue… you decide. To make up for lost time we released two podcasts in the month of February, the second being hijacked by Charlie Axworthy.

By the way, incase you didn’t know we have a CBn shop at CafePress.com. Please visit the CBn Store and check out all the cool CBn swag!

With over 500,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join the CBn Forums to discuss Casino Royale and all other Bond topics. Registration is free and only takes a minute. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, January ’06
• The CBn Dossier, December ’05
• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, January '06

Welcome to the January 2006 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the James Bond 007 news and rumours for the month. In this month’s column, we’ll be examining the constant news and rumours coming in on 2006’s Casino Royale, the many literary James Bond releases including Charlie Higson’s Blood Fever and the upcoming Casino Royale books, the upcoming PSP release of From Russia With Love and much, much more.

This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Devin Zydel.

Enjoy.

‘Royale’ Revelations & Rumours

*** WARNING: SECTION CONTAINS SPOILERS ***

Casino Royale is truly on the run now, with new revelations and rumours coming in every day. Starting with casting: German newspaper “Westfälische Rundschau” reports that Ludger Pistor has been cast in a role as a Swiss banker in the upcoming Casino Royale; and apparently, he couldn’t be happier, saying “It’s no joke, I never missed a James Bond movie in the cinema.” Michaël Youn was also reportedly screentested for a villain role in the film that is comparable to the Joker in Batman. “The person … is a little crazy,” says Youn of the character. Additionally, Björn Hlynur Haraldsson told Icelandic newspaper, Visir, that he travelled to London to audition for a henchmen role and meet with the casting agents of the production. Three others have been confirmed by the French press to star in Casino Royale as well: Simon Abkarian, Caterina Murino, and Seydina Balde starring as villain Demetrius, Solonge, and Solari, respectively. The character of Solonge is said to be the girlfriend of the reckless Demetrius, and the character of Solari (matched here with Seydina Baldi) was earlier associated with pop star Seal.

If the big question before was who would play James Bond, then its replacement now is: who will land the role of Bond girl Vesper Lynd? Several names have now been linked to the part, one of the leading ones being Rose Byrne. Initially reported to have landed the role by the Mail On Sunday, the 26-year old Australian actress took part in an bedroom scene audition with Daniel Craig. But the confirmations do not end there… The Sun reported that Thandie Newton of Mission Impossible II and Crash was the “new Bond babe” to “star opposite Daniel Craig in Casino Royale.” Rachael Stirling (daughter of OHMSS‘s Bond girl, Diana Rigg) was also reported to be the favourite for the role of Vesper Lynd. The official announcement has to come soon…

Recently, Sebastien Foucan was hired for a “chase scene … which will unveil the new Bond in the form of actor Daniel Craig. The sequence in question is currently being shot in the Bahamas.” An interesting thing to note is that a CBn forum member mentioned back in May 2005 that a rooftop chase was to be apart of the upcoming Casino Royale. Looks like we finally had a rumour that turned out to be true.

Other news includes a report on the filming in the Bahamas as well as James Bond star Daniel Craig letting it slip that his 007 will not be sporting a tuxedo in Casino Royale, saying: “actually, he doesn’t wear one in this version. I’m not sure if I should tell you that, so there’s a scoop for you.” The other big news is that 007 will be driving an Aston Martin DBS in Casino Royale, a brand new model from the long-time 007 associated car company.

And last, but not least (WARNING: SPOILERS):

IGN’s Exclusive First Look at ‘Casino Royale’

Young Bonding with ‘Blood Fever’

The never-ending release of literary 007 gems that started several months ago continues on. The big release of January was undoubtedly Charlie Higson’s second Young Bond novel, Blood Fever. With author appearances, a Young Bond pin, and the extremely collectible Young Bond trading cards accenting the release, the novel is guarenteed to be successful… and indeed, it is. CBn team members John Cox and Devin Zydel both reviewed Blood Fever and all members are invited to add their own reviews on the CBn Forums. International editions of both SilverFin and Blood Fever are also on the way.

The Ian Fleming classic, Live And Let Die was released in a Large Print edition this month as part of the Thorndike Large Print Famous Authors Series. Additionally, CBn reported that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was next on the list for the Large Print treatment from Thorndike, and will be released on 1 April.

The hard-to-find continuation novel, James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007 by author John Pearson will also be making a return this year. Originally published in 1973, this novel has always been one of the more difficult novels to track down, but will be available to order from Amazon UK come September 2006. It will be reprinted by Century. Additionally, the release of Casino Royale On November 17th, 2006 will bring with it at least two new books for Bond fans: Bond On Set: Filming Casino Royale on 16 October 2006 and an “English Language Teaching” edition of Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale in 2007.

Last, but not least: continuation author Raymond Benson’s new original novel, Sweetie’s Diamonds will be released on 2 February of ’06.

From Russia With Love

Even though the console versions have been out for some time now for the newest James Bond video game, From Russia With Love, the Sony PSP adaption is still available to pre-order and will be released on 14 March.

Pre-order ‘From Russia With Love’

• Sony PSP: Amazon US
• Sony PSP: Amazon UK

Aston Martin and Vue Sur Bond 007

January saw the auction of an Aston Martin DB5 which had featured in both Goldfinger and Thunderball. The final sale price was over an incredible £1m. The other big event to look out for in February is Vue Sur Bond 007 – an “unprecedented event that will feature Sir Roger Moore and a host of celebrities and artists who were involved in the filmography of the famous British secret agent… designed and produced to spotlight the contribution of Harry Saltzman,” producer of many of the early James Bond 007 films.

With over 500,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join the CBn Forums to discuss Casino Royale and all other Bond topics. Registration is free and only takes a minute. It’s safe to say that as Bond fans, we have alot to look forward to. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, December ’05
• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, December '05

Welcome to the December 2005 CBn Dossier, a wrap-up of all the 007 news and rumours for the month. In this month’s column, we brace ourselves for an onslaught of news as Casino Royale is set to begin filming, we take a look at the latest Young Bond developments (including the release of Blood Fever) and we examine the news that EA’s next 007 game will be based on the next Bond film!

This month’s CBn Dossier is delivered by CBn’s Matt Weston (who apologises for the fact it’s three days late due to some New Year’s Eve, ahem, festivities). Enjoy!

The calm before the storm

What should have been the last quiet month before Casino Royale turned out to be not so quiet after all.

With the next 007 flick set to begin filming in the New Year, fans can expect an onslaught of Bond news over the coming weeks. Of course the most anticipated announcement is that of casting. With a new James Bond locked in, fans (and the media) have now turned their attention to the supporting cast, including Bond Girl, Vesper Lynd; Angelina Jolie, Charlize Theron and, most recently, Naomi Watts, are the names that have been tossed around this past month. British pop singer, Seal, has also been rumoured to play a henchman named “Solari”. Hmm.

Speaking of Casino Royale‘s cast, the two confirmed cast members (007 and “M”) have been dropping hints as to what we can expect from the new movie. Dame Judi Dench gave a timeframe on her future as “M” and solved one 007 mystery when she revealed why she seemed adamant that Pierce Brosnan would return as James Bond (turns out she read it in the media, took it as fact and got in a spot of trouble when she spouted off to the press accordingly! Tut-tut!). New Bond Daniel Craig, meanwhile, broke his Royale silence. In an interview with MTV, Craig revealed that Casino Royale will be “a Bond movie first and foremost”, ending speculation Sony were planning to adapt Ian Fleming’s novel as a comedic farce starring Peter Sellars, Woody Allen and Orson Welles. Pity.

CBn was also invited back to Club Aston for an exclusive look at what is expected to be Bond’s new car in Casino Royale. If anyone wants to get me a late Christmas present, I have an idea…

Oh, and German paper Mitteldeutsche Zeitung claim location scouting is taking place at a series of impressive locales throughout the Czech Republic. With Michael G. Wilson claiming Casino Royale will be a location-heavy flick, I’d say here is a good place to start!

Meanwhile, congratulations are in order for ex-007, Pierce Brosnan, who recently earned himself a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination for his role in The Matador. Miramax have held back on the film’s release to have it fall in “Oscar season”, so who knows how far this indie film could take Pierce.

‘Casino Royale’ offers gaming

Speaking of Casino Royale, CBn revealed early in December that the next Bond flick will serve as the basis for EA’s next Bond game, expected to hit current-gen consoles.

EA’s Casino Royale will be a third-person title, akin to Everything Or Nothing and From Russia With Love. The game is already in pre-production and will feature the likeness of Daniel Craig (and presumably whoever else is cast). Predictably, the game is expected to hit shelves coinciding with the release of the filmic version late this year.

In other gaming news, Sean Callery’s score to Everything Or Nothing is now available to purchase. And the PSP adaption of From Russia With Love is up for pre-order at Amazon.com.

Young Bonding again

Charlie Higson’s second Young Bond novel is just a couple of days away from its formal release, despite Amazon.co.uk letting a few copies slip through in mid-December.

Expect the Young Bond marketing machine to crank up very soon, with a number of very cool promotional tricks planned to market James’ second teenage adventure. Most exciting is the competition due to be held on Thursday that will give 10 lucky fans the opportunity to Be Young Bond for a Day (at Eton College, no less)! The winner, as chosen by Charlie Higson and a professional stunts team, will appear as a character in not only the next Young Bond novel, but also the next Young Bond mobile phone game. It’s fantastic to see some oomph back into marketing the literary Bond!

Author Charlie Higson will also kick off a series of promotional appearances over the next couple of weeks at Ottakar’s and Heffers stores in the UK. Any chance you’d swing by Australia, Charlie?

Meanwhile, the U.S. edition of Blood Fever has been delayed an extra month and will now hit shelves in June.

Early copies of the book to slip through have confirmed Book 3 is due for release in January 2007.

Also this month, signed stock of Kate Westbrook’s The Moneypenny Diaries: Guardian Angel has emerged and is available to purchase from Amazon.co.uk. Get in quickly, as this offer is unlikely to last!

Bits ‘n’ pieces

A series of exciting events were announced in December, including the inaugural Boats of Bond exhibit at the New York National Boat Show. Amongst the Bond boats to put in an appearance are Blofeld’s bath-o-sub from Diamonds Are Forever and the Q-Boat from The World Is Not Enough. As if that’s not enough, the Boat Show will hold “Bond Day” this Thursday (4 January), where attendees who come dressed as 007, a Bond Girl or villain receive a discount off entry and will be in the running for some special prizes.

The UK charity, Little Havens Childrens Hospice will host a Diamonds Are Forever-themed ball on 18 March, 2006 at Braxted Park. Tickets are available now, with all proceeds going towards a very worthwhile cause.

BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a brand new radio play entitled From Father With Love based on the relationship Ian Fleming had with his son, Caspar. To be aired 13 January, 2006, this sounds like a must-listen for Fleming aficionados.

And former Bond author, Raymond Benson filed a report with CBn about his promotional trip to Italy to market the first of the Italian re-issues of his 007 novels.

A personal note

There comes a time in every Bond fan’s life when he has to jetset around the world. For me, that time has come, and I am stepping aside from CommanderBond.net to live the high life throughout Europe over the next year (and who knows, maybe visiting a Casino Royale location or two!).

Thanks to all those who have offered company, leant support and listened to my undying (and totally justified) love for Die Another Day.

2006 is set to be a very exciting year for 007 fans – – enjoy it!

Ciao for now…

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related links

• The CBn Dossier, November ’05
• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition (‘Casino Royale’ media conference)
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, November '05

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.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, October ’05
• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, October '05

Welcome to the October 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 many literary James Bond releases including James Bond: The Man and His World and The Moneypenny Diaries, the upcoming release of From Russia With Love and much, much more.

This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Devin Zydel.

Enjoy.

Blond? BLOND?!?

The two words that are immediately popping to mind must be Daniel Craig. I must point out to all readers: be sure to check out–if you haven’t already–the CBn Special Edition Dossier, which gives complete coverage of the announcement of Craig as James Bond 007, plus the press conference, fan reactions, new information, and more.

A Blond Bond?! Nonetheless, the numbers speak the truth. Contrary to what numerous articles from various news reporting sites are putting across, there actually are fans out there excited about the prospect of Daniel Craig as James Bond. As pointed out in a recent CBn poll conducted two weeks after the big announcement, over 60% of fans approve of him as James Bond. 21% are willing to wait it out and see, while 18% disapprove. Everyone who has not voted yet is encouraged to do so.

With the announcement of Craig now slowly settling down, rumours are now shifting to another integral role in shaping Casino Royale, the role of Bond girl, Vesper Lynd. Director Martin Campbell recently spoke to USAToday on the upcoming casting of one of Ian Fleming’s most memorable characters.

“[Vesper]’s the one who forges him into the Bond that we all know and love,” Campbell said. “He certainly falls in love with her, and it does change him forever. It’s a genuinely deeper relationship. The film deals much more on a personal level with Bond.”

No dates have been set for this announcement, but it is expected to be soon.

Additionally, Martin Campbell has told fans and critics to “wait until the movie” before signing off the series. Comparing this recent outcry to the one that occurred when he directed Pierce Brosnan’s entrance to the world of Bond, GoldenEye, Campbell tells how they were proved wrong and the series continued on very successfully. Samantha Bond has also added in her support.

It has been reported that the town of Karlovy Vary will feature in Casino Royale. This will be the first time that a 007 movie will be filmed in the Czech Republic. It is not yet confirmed if this location will actually be the casino.

And just to tease you…SPOILERS ahead!

Bond, Bond, and more Bond

What a time to be a fan of the literary Bond. Starting off the month was the release of the Limited Collector’s Edition of SilverFin. With a print run of only 999 signed copies, the book was quickly coveted by fans. There are still several available on eBay, but with much higher price tags than the £25.00 list price. Keeping in line with Young Bond, CBn has learned the first details of the untitled third novel in the series by Charlie Higson. Set in London and featuring Bond against Russian spies, the book currently has a January 2007 release date.

The next major event was the release of the mysterious book, The Moneypenny Diaries. The details of the book to feature both Miss Moneypenny and James Bond can be found here. CBn was honoured to be the first James Bond website to interview the author of the book, Samantha Weinberg, aka Kate Westbrook. Being the first in a planned trilogy, The Moneypenny Diaries is a must.

24 October saw the release of the highly anticipated book covering the literary 007, James Bond: The Man and His World by Henry Chancellor. This book is a welcomed addition to the collection of Bond fans who haven’t seen another major IFP release of it’s kind since Raymond Benson’s “Bedside” companion in 1984. Be sure to read the CBn review of The Man and His World.

If that wasn’t enough, there was the announcement of the first issue of the new magazine, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, as well as the release of ‘OO7’ Magazine #47. Barry Parker’s Death Rays, Jet Packs, Stunts, and Supercars: The Fantastic Physics of Film’s Most Celebrated Secret Agent, also saw release this month.

From Russia With Love

With the release of the highly anticipated videogame, From Russia With Love nearing, fans on CBn were treated to sneak peaks at the classic gypsy girlfight as well as others featured in the the sniper level.

From Russia With Love is set to be released on 1 November for XBox and Playstation gamers in the US, but Nintendo Gamecube players will unfortunately have to wait until the 15th. The game will be released on all three platforms on 18 November in the UK. It is shaping up to be a hit!

Pre-order ‘From Russia With Love’

• Pre-order for Microsoft Xbox: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
• Pre-order for Sony PlayStation 2: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
• Pre-order for Nintendo GameCube: Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

CBn – Bond At Its Best

CBn wishes a happy birthday to Sir Roger Moore, who celebrated his 78th on 14 October 2005.

Be sure to read the review of this year’s Bond Collectors Weekend, which was set in New York and attended by several CBn members. The CBn Blades Reading Club starting reading Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service this month. If you’re not yet a member, simply add your name on the forums in the sign-up thread.

Finally, the CBn Forums reached 5000 members in October. With over 450,000 posts and endless discussion topics, there has never been a better time to join in on the fun. Registration is free and only takes a minute. It’s safe to say that as Bond fans, we have alot to look forward to. As always, stay tuned to CBn for daily coverage of all things James Bond.

To discuss this month’s CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, Special Edition covering ‘Casino Royale’
• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, Special Edition

Craig… Daniel Craig

Flanked by marines in a speedboat, Daniel Craig arrived at the HMS President for the announcement Bond fans have been waiting for for over 18 months. Despite being one of cinema’s worst-kept secrets (even Craig’s mum blabbed to the press before the formal announcement was made), the interest and media coverage generated by Craig’s selection for the famed role of James Bond has been nothing short of astounding.

Decked out in Brioni (“Because it’s a great suit!” explained Craig), the actor disembarked from the boat to pose for a series of photos for the slew of eager journalists and photographers before heading inside to partake in a half-hour press conference, addressing the media for the first time as 007.

Following a lengthy period of silence from Eon’s camp, for many fans, Friday’s press conference signified a giant step towards restoring the order and security of the franchise – and, indeed, the franchise itself – that many have felt has been absent since word leaked that Pierce Brosnan had lost the role (for many fans, Friday’s press conference also signified a giant sigh of relief at the prospect of not having to read another freaking “X tipped to be the new James Bond” story for some time). However, the decision has also been a controversial one, with fans taking vastly opposing stances on Craig’s suitability for the part.

“They’ll print anything these days”

Craig’s casting as Bond has not only been controversial amongst fans, but also the media. Following in the footsteps of Popular Pierce was always going to be difficult, as Craig himself admitted on Friday, however the media has been decidedly negative in their reportage of the actor securing the role.

Journalists have unneccessarily highlighted the actor’s blond hair as a focal point of their reports, whilst the fact Craig was wearing a lifejacket upon his arrival to the press conference has also been consistently referenced (nevermind the marines surrounding him were also fitted out with the very same lifejackets). Variety‘s Archie Thomas was more kind, writing that the entrance was executed in “classic Bond style” and lashed out at the “hacks” who criticised something as trivial as a lifejacket.

Inside the conference, The Daily Mirror‘s Fiona Cummins got the proceedings off on the wrong foot by prodding at Craig’s private links with Kate Moss and Sienna Miller as the conference’s very first question (something the journo raised no fewer than two more times over the following half hour). Craig’s reluctance to answer such questions resulted in The Mirror‘s nasty front page story entitled The Name’s Bland… James Bland, in which Cummins labelled Craig’s debut as “deadly dull” and that he “showed none of 007’s charm and charisma” (Variety rightly backed Craig’s deflections, noting them to be done in “a suitably diplomatic fashion”).

The Daily Mail‘s Richard Simpson was similarly unenthusiastic. “[I]t wasn’t the most auspicious of starts for the 37-year-old actor,” Simpson wrote. “Craig’s suit looked more banker than spy. Add to that his carefully-fitted lifejacket and the way he clung for dear life to the rail, and Bond he wasn’t.”

The Sunday Times, in a particularly thorough piece, considered Craig’s casting particularly unconventional. “Craig is not an obvious choice,” the article stated. “Indeed, some think he is not the real goods.” However, the article was quick to argue that Craig’s two concerns about taking on the role – that it would limit his acting ambitions and that he could not act as well as Connery – were “ill-founded”. The article also leapt to the defense of Craig’s Liverpool roots, something also picked on by the UK tabloids. The story also favourably compared Craig’s position to that of Connery just prior to his first film. “At 37 [Craig] has a more bankable reputation than the 32-year-old Connery when the latter inaugurated the Bond series in 1962.”

Other major media outlets were less forgiving. Reuters‘ Mike Collett-White wrote that many of Craig’s comments at the conference were “decidedly un-Bondlike”, citing his reaction to the boat entrance as an example. Fiona Hudson in Australia’s Sunday Mail (not online) wrote that Craig seemed “nervous and shy” in front of the world’s media, claiming that bookmakers are already “betting [Craig] will emulate Aussie George Lazenby and last only one Bond film”.

Only time will tell as to how the media circus will pan out as Casino Royale‘s release approaches.

Downsizing at MI6?

“We’re planning to bring M back, and the script as it stands, does not have Q or Moneypenny in it.”

Q has long been said to have been absent from the Casino Royale script, despite John Cleese only technically assuming the role in the previous Bond flick, however producer Michael G. Wilson also revealed Moneypenny may also sit out the new film (even though she featured in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale). Four-time Moneypenny, Samantha Bond, who starred opposite Brosnan, had always maintained that she would depart the series when the Irish actor did, but it appears M’s secretary’s services will not be needed at all. Oddly, the revelation of Moneypenny’s absence from Casino Royale comes hot on the heels of the publication of the first in Ian Fleming Publications’ trilogy of books told from the perspective of Miss Moneypenny.

Casting for Casino Royale‘s Bond girl, Vesper Lynd, is now underway. Wilson said the frame is currently very wide for casting for the role. “We haven’t really focussed on anyone,” he said. “I think we wanted to make sure we got the part cast for 007 and now I think it’s open casting. We’re just looking for someone who has to do a very important job in this film.”

Campbell was highly enthused about the role Vesper plays in the story. “It’s a terrific part. It’s actually probably the best Bond girl part, if you will.” The director also addressed what was being sought after for the role. “First of all, what we’re going to get is a terrific actress. I think that’s really important. She has to look beautiful, she plays a very important role in the piece, and she also spends a lot of time with Bond. So clearly, when we decide who it is, it’s got to be somebody who has all of those attributes.”

What makes 007

Perhaps most interesting was Campbell’s revelation that Casino Royale will hint not only at the origins of 007 himself, but also some of the “embyonic” Bond trademarks, including “how, perhaps, he gets the Aston Martin, how he mixes his martini, what the ingredients are, and indeed, the make of the ingredients.” The director constantly reiterated that Casino Royale will see 007 moulded into the character we know and love.

The news reaffirms Aston Martin’s multi-picture contract with Eon Productions that began with 2002’s Die Another Day; Wilson also denied reports that the decidedly unconventional Fiat Panda will be Bond’s car of choice in Casino Royale.

Despite Fleming’s 007 famously being a 70-a-day smoker, director Martin Campbell firmly stated that Casino Royale‘s Bond keep his distance from cigarettes. “He’s not going to smoke, simply because it’s difficult with children or young people who go and see the movie, and given that he’s the iconic hero he is, it’s perhaps not the right thing to do. So he will definitely not smoke.” Brosnan’s Bond only ever smoked a cigar in Die Another Day.

More controversial will be the handling of the brutal torture sequence that features prominantly in Ian Fleming’s 1953 novel. “I think there will be a lot of wide shots of the house and a bit of screaming in the background,” Campbell quipped. “But if you read the book, it’s a fairly horrific scene and it’s quite shocking and I’m sure there’s an awful lot of women who would appreciate it. Nevertheless, it is a difficult scene, and quite how we’re going to deal with it, or I’m going to deal with it, I don’t know.” The film, according to Campbell, is nonetheless aiming for a 12A / PG-13 rating.

The limits at ‘Casino Royale’

Attempting to dodge the topic, Campbell and Wilson fielded several questions pertaining to the film’s budget. “Of course, it’ll probably be north of $100 million, as they tend to be, because these days, ironically enough, there’s an awful lot of films that are costing that, but beyond that, I can’t tell you,” Campbell said.

“We have plenty of action in this picture,” Wilson added. “We’ll be lucky to keep it within the balance of the last film.”

Die Another Day reportedly cost $160 million, making it the most expensive film of 2002 (a year that saw entries in the Star Wars, Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter franchises released).

Bond 21 and beyond

Yet one of the most exciting revelations to come out of Friday’s conference was the news that Bond screenwriters Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are already at work on the 22nd Bond picture. “Purvis and Wade, who wrote the [Casino Royale] script are also starting on the next Bond script, so all this is going forward,” Wilson said.

The news comes as a positive sign to fans who have become jaded with the recent three- and four-year breaks between films. The 007 producers have typically tried to cement new Bond actors in the role fairly quickly, which may well turn out to be the strategy here. Roger Moore’s first outing was followed by his second the very next year, whilst both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan experienced two-year gaps between their first and second films.

Bond 22 will be the writing duo’s fifth Bond script, following The World Is Not Enough (which was co-written with Bruce Feirstein), Die Another Day, Casino Royale (which is receiving a dialogue polish by Oscar-nominee Paul Haggis) and the ill-fated Jinx spin-off, which was to be directed by Stephen Frears for release in 2004.

But for now, the focus is on next year’s Bond film.

‘Casino’ chatter

With CBn’s forums hitting 5,007 members before Friday’s announcement, the discussions went into overdrive as the sixth actor to play the role was formally named.

If you’re not yet a member, and wish to join the largest James Bond forums anywhere on the web, simply click here to register. It’s simple, it’s free and it’s your chance to sound off on any aspect of the world of Bond! With Casino Royale exactly 13 months from hitting cinema screens, there’s never been a better time to join.

Until next time…

To discuss this Special Edition of The CBn Dossier visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Related Links

• The CBn Dossier, September ’05
• The CBn Dossier, August ’05
• The CBn Dossier, July ’05
• The CBn Dossier, June ’05
• The CBn Dossier, May ’05
• The CBn Dossier, April ’05
• The CBn Dossier, March ’05
• The CBn Dossier, February ’05

The CBn Dossier, September '05

Welcome to the September 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 never-ending rumours and news of Casino Royale, the current status of the upcoming videogame, From Russia With Love, the Young Bond series and much more.

This month’s CBn Dossier will be delivered by Jacques Stewart.

Enjoy.

Casino Royale … flop?*

One of the more interesting things that CBn learned during the month was that in Casino Royale, the twenty-first James Bond film to be produced by Eon Productions Ltd, the centrepiece card game will be… nope, that’d be telling. So we told.

“Mixed” is the most appropriate way to sum up reaction to this development**. And just be grateful that it’s not dominoes. Or Su-Doku. Or Rugby League.

*not an early review; simply a clue as to the game.

**although smashing one’s face into a wall in astounded frustration seems popular***.

***not that this is an endorsement. CBn in no way recommends repeated frenzied headbutts of disbelief as a lifestyle choice****

****although it does respect the freedom to choose amongst those who have chosen to do so*****.

*****this is a lie.

Pierce Brosnan may or may not be James Bond in Casino Royale

“Probably” Pierce… & Final Decision Next Week…

That pretty much covers all angles there, then.

Moving on…

Still in the Lion’s Den

Of all the recent rumours, of all the shortlists and speculation, the one constant name is Daniel Craig. This month, an interesting phenomenon – when the Mr Brosnan returning rumours hot up, the Mr Craig rumours die down and vice versa, although CBn accepts that this is probably inevitable. However, has anyone seen them in the same room together?

Oh.

Bang goes that theory.

Autographica Magnifica

Thanks to Graham Rye for informing us all about the Autographica event taking place at the end of next month – big news here is the first ever convention appearance of Ursula Andress, the Bond Girl of Bond Girls.

Given that other Bond notables attending Autographica will include a villain, a comedy sidekick, an obligatory sacrificial lamb (and motivation for a plot) a Felix Leiter, a stunt arranger and assorted technical folk, if anyone brings a video camera there’s an instant (and pretty damned good) Bond film in the making. Could get Mr Horak to do the poster, too. All that would be needed is a James Bond…

The Announcement

A race between yesterday’s man, a host of relative unknowns and a youthful pretender… the right choice is critical given the dominance of the competition… will it lead to a total reinvention?… is it all too late to save something that was once dominant? … it could get nasty but will the rest of the world really care? …everyone has their favourite but none of us can really make the decision… and if this doesn’t work, is it oblivion forever?

Who will be the next leader of the UK Conservative Party?

Ooh, see what I did there? Not clever, not funny. And not particularly interesting either. Something else is rapidly getting that way too.

The outcome of the German general election…

Aha! Oho! But you know what I mean…

How long Sven will stay in charge of England…

OK, I’ll stop it now.

People not doing things they were never going to do anyway shock!

Charlie Higson will not be writing Adult Bond (not yet, anyway). IFP have not entered into negotiations (not yet, anyway) for Young Bond film 1 nor for the author for the 2008 Bond book.

I deny all rumours that I intend to eat Cornwall.

Not yet, anyway.

Stuck who to choose? Let Brown Majesties decide for you

I often find (this is complete rubbish, by the way) that when stuck in coming to a decision, an anagram may help (I repeat: this is not true. I do have some sort of life – it’s just that I found an anagram site on this interweb thing and messed about for ten minutes, although you’d have to wonder about the quality of my life if I am the sort of person who goes looking for such things on the internet when there’s so much lovely free pornography available).

Accordingly, given that the alternative seems to be sticking a pin in a list of names, if you’re still undecided – choose your favourite anagram!

Henry Cavill is James Bond – “Damnably cleverish joins”. OK, that’s meaningless, but then some would argue that “Henry Cavill is James Bond” is equally so.

Goran Visnjic is James Bond – “Is jingoism and craven jobs”. Not evidently in English. You insert your own comment… […here…].

Pierce Brosnan is James Bond – “Rejoice! Brain snob dampness”. I’m saying nothing. The alternative is “What? Him again? I thought he was about eighty.”

Alex O’Lachlan is James Bond – “Sex-mad jail snob, clean halo” which is a tabloid story just begging to be written.

Dougray Scott is James Bond – “Take another photo of me, sonny, and I’ll do yers”. In fact, that isn’t Dougray Scott in the photo – it’s Tom Cruise in a silly Dougray Scott rubber mask.

Ewan Stewart is James Bond – Lest we forget him, “Brown majesties, as wanted”. Well, there’s another euphemism for poo-poo. As, sadly, is “Ewan Stewart is.. etc…”

Sam Worthington is James Bond – “Not braw, handsomest jingoism”. Whoever Sam Worthington may be, he makes for a rubbish anagram so best not be him.

Daniel Craig is James Bond – “Bad ladies’ man rejoicings”. Even the anagrams diss the poor sod’s looks, but you read it here first – this time next week, it could well sum up “the” announcement.

Charles Axworthy is James Bond – “Clownish Majesty, drab hoaxers”. Sums the whole thing up very neatly – accordingly, Charles Axworthy is James Bond.

Solved!

Form is temporary; class is permanent

With all the speculation flying about, all the rumour and counter-rumour and stuff allegedly being leaked about whether or not company A wants X to be the stand-in for the stuntmen in the twenty-first slice of this silly old tosh, isn’t it nice to take a peaceful moment and reflect on…

a ) the munificence and understated class of Sir Roger Moore recording commentaries to the DVDs of his Bond films and

b ) the magnificence of him doing so in Monaco.

Truly, we are lucky to have lived at the same time as such a top chap. [Although it’s a bit of a pity that we had to watch some of his films, but those really weren’t his fault].

Given the ostensibly “difficult” relationship between Eon and at least one of its other Bonds, and the apparent silence on the subject from the others, why not let Sir Rog do the lot? That’d be a hoot. Oh come on, it would.

iThink therefore iPod

Just in passing, CBn’s podcast received 1,900 listeners August to September, so thanks to everyone for your support and keep listening (it’s free!) – with the potential for major news about Casino Royale and the Literary Bond in the near future, keep downloading and logging on and importing or whatever it is one does with these things; oh, for the days of the transistor radio and only three types of cheese. Life was much simpler then, wasn’t it? Rubbish, though.

Cigarettes and Alcohol

Highly reminiscent of the Surgeon General’s warning about the dangers of smoking at the end of Licence to Kill (message: smoking will kill you but putting people in decompression chambers is OK by me), our Heiko Baumann noted some rather odd and pretty inexplicable changes between the UK and US editions of SilverFin.

My two lads, having read SilverFin “undiluted”, have yet to develop gaspers ‘n’ booze dependency* so to all you good folks out there who should be reading SilverFin anyway (it’s pretty sound), you’re really quite safe y’know.

*although their crack habit is out of control.

I’d say things are shaping up nicely

The more detail CBn gets about the upcoming From Russia with Love videogame, the more interested the more susceptible of us become to demanding children – the character detail (especially, from the writer’s point of view, Rosa Klebb) looks pretty solid. Still no gypsy girls yet, which is a bit of a disappointment to the colossal pervert amongst me.

Great Chieftain of the Pudding Race

Mr Haggis has come up with some sound stuff this month, albeit potentially controversial. Just in case you were unsure of his work, some facts about Haggis:

He consists of minced lamb heart, lungs and liver mixed with pepper and oatmeal, cooked in a sheep’s stomach. Mmm – very Atkins.

Robert Burns considered him highly sophisticated and mighty (perhaps he cried at Million Dollar Baby, who knows?) and consequently wrote an ode to him, albeit several decades before his birth.

Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face

Great chieftain o’ the puddin-race!

Aboon them a’ ye tak your place

Painch, tripe, or thairm:

Weel are ye wordy of a grace worthy

As lang’s my arm

In modern parlance – don’t **** it up, sunshine, honest sonsie face or not.

Location, Location, Location

Wherever Casino Royale may be set, “Not France” seems to be the agenda. Does the return to The Bahamas mean underwater scenes? Does it mean a return to the widescreen spectacle of Thunderball? Does it mean a rather surreal volte-face and that scenes set in a Buckinghamshire chalk pit will actually be Nassau dressed up as a Buckinghamshire chalk pit?

Weekly World News

Oddest item of the month (other than practically everything else) was that a Bible written entirely in limericks has likened Samson to James Bond.

People may remember other strange Bond / religious connotations brought to light (or just made up), amongst them the appearance of the face of Timothy Dalton in an almond croissant, the horrific incident in 1994 when a spectral Lotte Leyna descended amongst eleven partially undernourished Finns and talked to them about speedway for an hour, and the generation of men who worship Claudine Auger as some sort of goddess.

Quiet, isn’t it…? Isn’t it? Isn’t it? Or is it…?*

Amidst all the rumours and counter-rumours and our willingness to be fully and thoroughly and satisfyingly facted until we squeal, exhausted and moist, by whatever comes along, momentum does seem to be building on Casino Royale – CBn learned this month that with post-production on the Zorro sequel largely complete, Martin Campbell is pushing ahead with Casino Royale (even if no-one else is). Watch this space; things could get a lot louder very soon. Very soon. If I told you any more than this, I’d have to kill you. Or be better at making stuff up.

*it is.

Just think…

This time next week, we may all know…

This time next year, the film may [note: may] be in the can…

This time in two years’ time, we’ll be banging on about the next one and whether it will be better / worse / feature the return of the giant talking leper badger.