Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman make a surprise visit in New York

Daniel Craig

Talk show host Oprah Winfrey got quite the surprise at a recent live taping of her show in New York’s Central Park when Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman showed up unannounced for a surprise visit.

As the two stars took to the stage, a stunned Oprah exclaimed ‘I had no idea that two of the sexiest men alive would be here today!’

As Craig and Jackman explained, they showed up to make a brief mention about their new Broadway show, A Steady Rain, which is currently playing previews and is set to debut on 29 September at Manhattan’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre.

To view surprise visit, visit this YouTube link.

A Steady Rain tells of two seasoned cops whose lifelong friendship is severely tested when a seemingly routine domestic disturbance call results in the death of a young boy. When the horrific truth of the situation is revealed, one of the two must take the blame for the fatal mistake. For further details, visit this CBn article.

As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page–as well as our brand new Twitter feed–for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Golden Gun's AMC Hornet Hatchback on display at Eastern States Exposition

The 1974 AMC Hornet Hatchback, best known for the corkscrew jump in Roger Moore’s The Man with the Golden Gun, is currently on display at this year’s Big E – Eastern States Exposition event in West Springfield, Massachusetts.

The Examiner reports that the 007 car is featured courtesy of stuntman W.J. Milligan.

Milligan’s collection, including the Hornet will be available for public viewing throughout the entire event, which comes to a close on 4 October 2009.

The annual Big E – Eastern States Exposition features a variety of exhibits, food and entertainment. For further information about attending, including ticket details, visit the official website.

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On Her Majesty's Secret Service DVD inspires pop song

While the extra content of James Bond special edition DVDs has provided hours of entertainment to millions of fans around the world, the documentary material on the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service DVD went a step further and provided the inspiration for a new song, written by Norwegian indie rocker Sondre Lerche, who is best known for his work on the soundtrack “Dan in Real Life”.

“Like Lazenby”, a track from Lerche’s recently released 5th studio album “Heartbeat Radio”, was written after the musician watched the supplemental materials on the On Her Majesty’s Secret Service DVD, according to an interview with National Public Radio:

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Mr. LERCHE: I got the idea after watching On Her Majesty’s Secret Service again.

NPR: Which is a very respectable Bond film.

Mr. LERCHE: Absolutely. I think it’s terrific. And I guess the one thing that people say is that it’s a shame about the guy playing James Bond. You know, they give him a hard time, but he was not an actor. He was a model.

And a lot of these actors in the film are sort of Shakespearian, British actors, you know? And I saw these interviews in the bonus material that came with the DVD, and I thought it was so interesting to see interviews with both the young George Lazenby at the time of shooting the film and also the contemporary version, you know, him looking back. And there is the sense that he sort of messed up his opportunity, you know, because he got very cocky, I guess, and he admits to this himself. He got very cocky.

So the song isn’t directly about him, but the protagonist identifies very much with the dynamics of George Lazenby’s career that didn’t really happen the way he was maybe hoping or that it was just looking for a while.

Mr. LERCHE: (Singing) Like a fairy tale with blood on every page. My failures brought about some blessing. Someone must be watching over me. Even though I wonder why I did some of my doings, I’d do it all again if I had the chance, just like Lazenby.

Click here to listen to the interview, with a clip from the song (the Lazenby portion begins at 5:01 into the interview).

Click here to read the entire interview transcript.

• Order Heartbeat Radio from Amazon.com
• Order Heartbeat Radio from iTunes

You too can get inspired:

• Order On Her Majesty’s Secret Service from Amazon.co.uk
• Order On Her Majesty’s Secret Service from Amazon.com

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Muse: 'we'd probably say yes' to recording a James Bond song

Even though Bond 23 is barely a speck on the horizon at the moment, suggestions for who should perform the film’s title song are already coming in.

One musical group currently up for discussion is British alternative rock band Muse. Composed of members Matthew Bellamy, Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard, the group has released numerous albums thus far with their latest, The Resistance, due out this month.

‘It’s something we’d probably say yes to, or at least give it a good go,’ drummer Howard told the BBC News.

‘Certainly some of our music fits with the James Bond vibe—and I think it could work,’ Howard said. ‘The last few [007 title themes] have been pretty good, but I think we could do a good job.’

Adding that bassist Wolstenholme was a big Bond fan, Howard also made mention that one of their latest tracks from The Resistance album had that Bondian sound. ‘United States of Eurasia could have worked but it’s probably a bit late for that now,’ he said.

Do you think Muse is the right choice for a James Bond theme song? Voice your opinion here on the CommanderBond.net Forums.

As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page—and our brand new Twitter feed—for the most up-to-date Bond coverage on the net.

Sir Roger Moore continues campaign against sale of foie gras

Former James Bond star has renewed his campaign against the production and sale of foie gras, a controversial food product made from the liver of a duck or goose.

Full details follow in the press release below:

Sir Roger Moore

Actor and former 007 Roger Moore renewed his campaign against foie gras, slamming the process of making the delicacy as “vile” and eating it as “ridiculous”.

The ex-super spy has written to the chairman of London’s upmarket department store Selfridges, offering to buy its entire stock of the product, which is created by force-feeding ducks.

“It’s called foie gras which is fatty liver which is a diseased liver,” the 81-year-old Moore told Channel 4 news on Sunday.

“The idea of eating something that is diseased is absolutely ridiculous but when you think of the way it’s produced then it’s vile.”

“I would be very happy to buy his (the chairman’s) existing stock of foie gras if he would give me the undertaking that he wouldn’t restock.

“There’s been no response whatsoever to that. I presume maybe he can’t afford the stamps,” he added.

Selfridges said it would investigate any suggestion of illegality in the production of its supplies of foie gras.

But the store told Channel 4 it planned to keep selling the product, citing huge public demand especially in the months leading up to Christmas.

Moore first achieved worldwide fame by starring in the television show The Saint as smooth-talking Simon Templar.

He took over the Bond film duties from Sean Connery in 1973, making his debut in Live and Let Die before completing the sequence with A View to a Kill 12 years later.

In recent years Moore has become well known for his humanitarian work, most notably through his activities as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, helping raise funds for under-privileged children.

He has also lent his support to animal activists People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) which campaigns against foie gras, the making of which it says is cruel.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page—as well as our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Bond girl Rachel Grant launches cancer campaign in UK

Former Bond girl Rachel Grant, who appeared opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond in Die Another Day as Peaceful Fountains of Desire, has launched a breast cancer awareness campaign to assist Cancer Research UK’s ‘Join the fight for women’s survival’ fundraising programme.

Full details follow in the press release below:

Rachel Grant at the Die Another Day premiere

Bond Girl Rachel Grant showed off her daredevil side when she made a splash to launch a breast cancer awareness campaign.

The Hollywood star joined a group of cancer survivors at Thorpe Park theme park in Surrey to rally people to sign up to Cancer Research UK’s “Join the fight for women’s survival” fundraising programme.

Grant, originally from Acton in west London, starred with Pierce Brosnan in the 007 blockbuster Die Another Day.

She and the other four women wore T-shirts with the campaign’s new pink camouflage-style ribbon as they climbed aboard the Logger’s Leap ride.

The ribbon symbolises the role the charity’s scientists play on the frontline in the battle against breast cancer, which affects more than 45,000 women each year in the UK.

Grant, who will appear on screen with Robert Carlyle in a movie called The Tournament later this year, also showed off a rubber duck, designed by fellow actress Dame Judi Dench, available in Cancer Research UK shops.

Grant said: “My grandmother was treated for breast cancer twice – she checked herself regularly and found a tiny lump.

“She used the soapsuds in her bath to check herself, a routine I now follow too.

“Thankfully my grandmother survived but too often women aren’t as lucky as she was.

“I’d encourage everyone to get busy and organise a ‘pink’ event during breast cancer awareness month and help Cancer Research UK continue its lifesaving work.”

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page—as well as our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

Casino Royale ITV premiere scheduled for 19 September

Casino Royale

The UK television premiere of Casino Royale on ITV is scheduled for this upcoming Saturday, 19 September.

Way back in April 2006, CommanderBond.net reported that ITV had then secured the broadcasting rights to the complete Sony/MGM James Bond film library, including Casino Royale, after a heated bidding war.

Initially pegged to air sometime in 2007, it has since turned out to be three year wait until Daniel Craig’s debut 007 film finally hits the air.

Casino Royale will air at 9:00pm, with a fifteen-minute break at 11:05pm for the ITV News.

For further details, visit ITV.com.

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The Spy Who Loved Me screening with Bond girl Caroline Munro

007 fans in Clevedon will have the chance to catch one of Roger Moore’s most popular James Bond entries on the big screen later this month—with Bond girl Caroline Munro in attendance.

Munro, who starred as the beautiful, but deadly femme fatale Naomi, will introduce a screening of 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me on Sunday, 27 September at the Curzon Community Cinema.

This classic Bond film presentation, which will be shown in a restored digital print, is scheduled for 2:00pm. Tickets are £7.50 and £6.50 for concessions.

The Curzon Community Cinema is located at 48 Old Church Rd, Clevedon, Avon, BS21 6NN.

For further information, phone 01275 871 000 or visit the official website.

Stay tuned to CommanderBond.net—and our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

John Hillcoat and Joe Penhall eyeing Daniel Craig for future projects

It’s all work for James Bond star Daniel Craig at the moment.

After just completing work on Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn, Craig can currently be seen alongside Hugh Jackman in the Keith Huff play A Steady Rain, which officially debuts in Manhattan, New York later this month. After that, he’ll next move into Jim Sheridan’s Psychological thriller A Dream House, which begins shooting in January 2010.

Even with all of these current filming obligations, plus his eventual return as 007 in Bond 23, Variety reports that director and writer John Hillcoat and Joe Penhall, who just recently adapted Cormac McCarthy’s The Road for the big screen, are eyeing the star for future projects.

Penhall is in talks with Craig for an English remake of the Gallic heist pic La Bonne Annee. The original film, which was made in 1973 by Claude Lelouch, follows a criminal recently released from prison who hatches a plan to rob jewelers in Cannes.

Previously, Craih and Penhall worked together on 2000’s Some Voices and again in 2004 on Enduring Love.

Meanwhile, Hillcoat is also said to be talking to Craig about an adaptation of Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro. The just published book tells the tale of a sex-obsessed traveling salesman on his final road trip.

Time will tell to see how these future projects for Craig turn out—CommanderBond.net will keep you updated with all the latest details.

Previews kick off for Daniel Craig's A Steady Rain

Previews began today at Manhattan’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre for Daniel Craig’s Broadway play, A Steady Rain.

Co-starring Hugh Jackman, the critically acclaimed Keith Huff play is set to debut at the theatre on the 29th of this month.

Daniel Craig

A Steady Rain tells of two seasoned cops whose lifelong friendship is severely tested when a seemingly routine domestic disturbance call results in the death of a young boy. When the horrific truth of the situation is revealed, one of the two must take the blame for the fatal mistake.

‘I just was fascinated by this great piece of writing, very emotional and disturbing but quite funny at points,’ Craig recently said during a break from rehearsals.

Be sure to check out this USA Today article, which includes a complete behind-the-scenes look at the play and indepth interviews with Craig and Jackman on preparing for their roles and working together.

For details about purchasing tickets, visit this CBn article.

As always, keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page–as well as our brand new Twitter feed–for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.