The James Bond celebration at BFI Southbank continues. In addition to the endless screenings of 007 films throughout April and May and the upcoming Bond School, next month will also see several more Bond-themed events featuring numerous cast and crew members from the series.
The events will run from 1 – 28 May. CommanderBond.net has a breakdown of who will be appearing when:
Come and join us for a weekend-long celebration of one of cinema’s most loved and enduring heroes. As the centrepiece of our two-month retrospective of the career of producer Albert R Broccoli, we have organised an extravaganza for Bond fans old and new. Visit us on Saturday 2 May to see a fleet of 8 Bond Cars including Goldfinger‘s 1937 Phantom III Rolls-Royce, Bond’s submersible Lotus Espirit from The Spy Who Loved Me and a variety of Aston Martins heavily armed with gadgets and weapons. We will have an SFX specialist on hand to demonstrate some of these very special extras.
Throughout the weekend we’ll be welcoming special guests to talk about their experiences of working on Bond films, including David Arnold, John Glen, Lindy Hemming, Lewis Gilbert and Vic Armstrong.
On Saturday evening our benugo bar will play host to a Bond club event with DJs playing an appropriately suave mix of Bond- inspired grooves, a fun casino complete with BFI/Bond prizes and, of course, special Bond cocktails, shaken not stirred. On Sunday our Family Funday will include a visit from the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car, and a host of fun activities for younger cinema lovers. Watch out for other Broccoli events during the month.
David Arnold Masterclass
Fri 1 May 18:30 NFT1
One might imagine that succeeding John Barry as composer for Bond might be a daunting task, but David Arnold has done so with aplomb, composing dynamic scores for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. As well as composing for marquee greats such as Independence Day, for which he won a Grammy award, David is a much sought after producer and songwriter and will be joining us for an illustrated on-stage masterclass.
Joint ticket available with 20:30 screening of The World Is Not Enough on Fri 1 May, £12.90 (concs £9.65) on 020 7928 3232.
Moonraker + Lewis Gilbert in Conversation
Sat 2 May 15:00 NFT1
For Your Eyes Only had been announced as the next Bond film in the closing credits of The Spy Who Loved Me, but with the success of sci-fi hits Star Wars and Close Encounters…, Broccoli instead decided to produce Moonraker in which Bond blasts off into space aboard a shuttle. Lonsdale is compelling as megalomaniac villain Hugo Drax and Bernard Lee makes his last appearance as M.
Stunt Masterclass with Vic Armstrong
Sat 2 May 18:40 NFT1
He’s worked with some of the greatest directors of modern cinema, doubled for the leading stars in Hollywood, co-ordinated the best stunts in some of the biggest blockbusters of all time and has been awarded an Oscar for his services to film, as well as an honorary BAFTA for lifetime achievement. We’re honoured to welcome to BFI Southbank Vic Armstrong – who worked on the Bond stunts from You Only Live Twice until Die Another Day – to speak about his craft.
The Costume Interpreter: Lindy Hemming
Sun 3 May 15:20 NFT1
Oscar-winning costume designer Lindy Hemming masterminded the costumes for five Bond films and in the process helped modernise the look of the legendary franchise. Easing Bond out of his traditional Savile Row suits, she helped to create Pierce Brosnan’s urbane Bond, shaped the image of Judi Dench’s M and reinterpreted Ursula Andress’ bikini for Halle Berry, moving on to tailor the momentous transition when Daniel Craig assumed the role. Author and journalist Bronwyn Cosgrave welcomes Lindy Hemming to discuss her career to date, which spans from My Beautiful Laundrette to Harry Potter and The Dark Knight.
The Living Daylights + John Glen in Conversation
Sun 3 May 17:30 NFT1
We warmly welcome another Bond maestro to BFI Southbank: director John Glen. He first played a hand in the series as 2nd unit director on On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Working on two more instalments of the franchise, he took the helm in 1987, directing The Living Daylights, and went on to make a further four, directing more Bonds than anyone else. Expect an evening of insightful stories from a man who has played a pivotal role in this monumental film series.
Moonraker + Richard Kiel Q&A
Sun 10 May 17:30 NFT1
Actor Richard Kiel joins us to talk about his roles as one of Bond’s great adversaries (The Spy Who Loved Me) and as an ally (Moonraker): the steel-toothed Jaws. Richard, now retired from the screen, is an author and regular guest at Bond conventions.
Sir Ken Adam and Sir Christopher Frayling in Conversation
Wed 20 May 18:30 NFT1
We are delighted to welcome the man whose vision and creativity defined the look and feel of Bond films for arguably the series’ most iconic and influential period. Within a stellar career, Ken Adam is best known for his futuristic set and production designs for no less than seven Bond films from Dr No in 1962 to Moonraker in 1979. His flair for combining technology and an instinct for the decadent inspired designs produced for countless memorable Bond locales and cars, including the Fort Knox interior and the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB6 for Goldfinger, Blofeld’s volcano lair for You Only Live Twice, and the submersible Lotus Esprit for The Spy Who Loved Me.
Adam is also widely acknowledged as having a significant influence on architecture through his innovative use of industrial materials, particularly glass, steel and concrete. Christopher Frayling, until recently the rector of the Royal College of Art, is a well known historian, critic and award-winning broadcaster and author. He has published many books on contemporary culture, including the definitive Ken Adam – The Art of Production Design.
Sir Roger Moore in Conversation
Thu 28 May 18:20 NFT1
To close our tribute season to Cubby Broccoli, we are delighted to welcome to the BFI Southbank stage the man who, in taking on the role no less than seven times, helped establish James Bond as the archetypal British hero – Sir Roger Moore. First coming to prominence as Simon Templar in the hugely successful spy-thriller TV series The Saint, he claimed his most famous role as 007 with 1973’s Live and Let Die. Bringing a more relaxed and suave tone to Bond Sir Roger was instrumental in extending the life of the charming but deadly secret agent. Now an ambassador for UNICEF and highly commended for his charitable work, he will discuss the exhilarating world of 007, his memories of Broccoli and his career so far.
CommanderBond.net will continue to keep you updated with all the events going on at the BFI to mark the Albert R. Broccoli centenary.
