Pinewood Studios to host Water on the Lens exhibition

Pinewood Studios, home of the James Bond films, will be launching a brand new exhibition in October featuring never-before-seen underwater photography from some of their most famous film productions.

Entitled Water on the Lens, the exhibit will showcase several different film, television, and music video productions including Daniel Craig’s debut as 007 in Casino Royale, The Da Vinci Code and Dr. Who.

Full details follow in the press release below:

Pinewood launches Underwater Photographic Exhibition ‘Water on the Lens’

Entitled ‘Water on the Lens’, the exhibition comprises images of underwater shoots for film, TV, commercials and pop videos, celebrating the heart of Britain’s creativity with breathtaking art. Keira Knightley, Jared Leto, Sharon Stone, Matt Lucas and James Blunt are amongst those captured performing underwater, alongside sets from Casino Royale, Da Vinci Code, Eastenders, Elizabeth: The Golden Age and Dr. Who.

‘Water on the Lens’ will be sponsored by Hunter Boot, the quintessentially British brand renowned for wellington boots. Peter Taylor, MD for Hunter Boot comments “Hunter Boot are delighted to be the official sponsor of such a unique and beautiful exhibition. There is an obvious association for Hunter with such a strong water related theme and this exhibition showcases the creativity and skill involved in producing these breathtaking underwater images.”

This capsule collection provides a rare, behind-the-scenes view into one of the world’s most prestigious film and television studios and its Underwater Stage (U Stage) – a globally unique water-filming facility. The scene of a thousand iconic images, U Stage opened in 2005 after 5 years in concept and design by Dave Shaw of Diving Services UK, who manage the facility on Pinewood’s behalf. It houses a permanently filled water tank sized 20m x 10m x 6m deep, holding 1.2 million litres of water.

These inspiring pictures have been captured by Phoebe Rudomino, commercial diver and underwater photographer of Diving Services UK. “U Stage provides such a secure and comfortable water filming environment that we’re able to produce almost any type of underwater production shoot” says Phoebe. “From working with horses and fire to the world’s top actors and models, the scenes are truly fascinating to capture.”

‘Water on the Lens’ will form part of The Movieum of London in the Riverside Rooms, County Hall, Southbank, London SE1 from 1-28 October 2009. Tickets £12 adults, £10 concessions, £8 children available from Ticketmaster.

For further details regarding this upcoming exhibition, visit the official Pinewood Studios website.

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page—and our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

First look at Daniel Craig in A Steady Rain

As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, James Bond star Daniel Craig will be making his Broadway debut next month alongside Hugh Jackman in the Keith Huff drama A Steady Rain.

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.

Following up last month’s ‘under cover’ research trip in Chicago for Craig and Jackman, Entertainment Weekly has posted the very first photograph of the 007 star in his new role. Click here to view.

A Steady Rain arrives on Broadway on Tuesday, 29 September at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, located in midtown-Manhattan, New York. Previews will take place earlier in the month.

For additional 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.

More Ian Fleming 007 paperbacks added on Amazon.co.uk

As CommanderBond.net readers are likely well aware, this year has seen the 2008 centenary editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond adventures arrive in paperback format. The titles have sporadically been added to online bookseller Amazon.co.uk at various intervals and now an additional set of them have been announced.

Fleming’s Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service have been added on the site with release dates set at 7 January 2010 (although the Fleming centenary paperbacks frequently ship earlier than such posted dates).

The original hardback editions were published under the Penguin 007 imprint with striking new cover designs by artist Michael Gillette. These editions were quickly coveted by fans and went out of print after just a few months following their May 2008 release.

Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page—and our brand new Twitter feed—for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

Titan's James Bond Omnibus moved to October release in US

The US release date for the newest release from Titan Books—James Bond: Omnibus Volume 1: The Graphic Novel Collection—has been pushed back to 20 October.

Debuting in the UK on 25 September, this ‘Movie Collection’ volume brings together numerous (11 of them, in fact) different comic strip adventures that have previously been featured in earlier James Bond comic strip collections from Titan.

Limited to original Ian Fleming material, this volume will showcase the work of writers Henry Gammidge, Anthony Hern and Peter O’Donnell and artist John McLusky.

The full blurb follows:

The daring James Bond is back in a definitive bumper edition collecting Ian Fleming’s earliest literary adventures in comic strip form! For the first time, eleven of Bond’s most thrilling and dangerous missions appear in a single volume: “Casino Royale”, “Live and Let Die”, “Moonraker”, “Diamonds are Forever”, “From Russia With Love”, “Dr. No”, “Goldfinger”, “Risico”, “From a View to a Kill”, “For Your Eyes Only” and “Thunderball”!

With an exclusive introduction by Sir Roger Moore, this huge volume features beautiful women, thrilling action, incredible gadgets and the odd Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred…this ultimate collection of Bond’s best is not to be missed.

Pre-order links for James Bond: Omnibus Volume 1: The Graphic Novel Collection follow at the end of this article.

James Bond Encyclopedia available for UK pre-order

The newest edition of the James Bond Encylopedia by John Cork and Collin Stutz is now available to pre-order online from Amazon.co.uk.

This new edition of the Bond encyclopedia will debut in the UK on 1 October, while fans in the US will have to wait just a few weeks later until the 19th rolls around. Retail price is £25.00 / $40.00.

Literary 007 fans will recall that the original edition of the book was first published in late 2007 and included details on all of the James Bond films through 2006’s Casino Royale. This new edition also adds in Daniel Craig’s Quantum of Solace.

The original publisher’s blurb follows:

Created in full collaboration with Eon Productions, producers of the Bond movies, this illustrated celebration of the world’s most famous super-spy examines every aspect of 007’s world, with information on his history, style, and tastes, along with A-Z guides to his adversaries, allies, gadgets, cars, and, of course, the ever-glamorous Bond girls.

John Cork and Collin Stutz authorities on every aspect of the James Bond story, wrote the acclaimed book on the James Bond phenomenon, James Bond: The Legacy, have produced, written and directed 30 special feature documentaries for MGM’s DVD releases of James Bond films, and contributed to The Ultimate James Bond: An Interactive Dossier CD-Rom for MGM Interactive.

• Order the UK hardback edition of James Bond Encyclopedia from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US hardback edition of James Bond Encyclopedia from Amazon.com

For up-to-the-minute literary James Bond coverage, always turn your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page. Be sure to check out our new Twitter feed as well.

Double dose of 007 at The Egyptian in September

James Bond fans in California will be treated to a double dose of classic 007 at the end of next month.

American Cinematheque at the Egyptian Theatre will be presenting a double bill of two ever-popular Bond films, Sean Connery’s From Russia with Love and George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on Saturday, 26 September beginning at 7:30pm.

General admission is $10.00 per person / $7.00 for Cinematheque members / $8.00 for seniors and students with valid ID / unless otherwise noted.

The Egyptian Theatre is located at 6712 Hollywood Boulevard, between Las Palmas and McCadden, just east of Highland Avenue in Hollywood.

To purchase tickets online from Fandango or for further details on this James Bond double bill, visit the official website or phone 323-466-3456.

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.

Joshua Zetumer boards Bourne 4

The Hollywood Reporter reveals that uncredited Quantum of Solace scribe Joshua Zetumer has signed on to write a new script for the fourth instalment in Universal’s Jason Bourne series.

Zetumer was brought on board several months into filming of the latest James Bond pic to polish a script that was hurriedly put together by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Haggis in anticipation of the 2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

The screenwriter will reportedly develop a “parallel script” after George Nolfi (The Bourne Ultimatum) crafted a preliminary script before leaving to work on another project. The fourth, as yet untitled Bourne film, is set for release in 2011.

Zetumer is also behind scripts for upcoming films Dune and The Infiltrator, to which Leonardo DiCaprio is attached. Quantum of Solace includes Zetumer’s only produced work to date.

Two months ago, it was announced that Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Paul Morgan will be the scripting team for the twenty-third James Bond film.

Pardon the heresy of mentioning that other spy with the initials J.B. – we now return you to your original spy programming.

Bond girl Ursula Andress voted ultimate bikini goddess

Bond girl Ursula Andress has been crowned the ultimate bikini goddess in a new survey of more than 1,000 women.

The Telegraph reports that the survey took place to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the bikini, since its entrance onto the fashion scene in the US.

To be expected, it was the memorable entrance of Andress as Honey Ryder opposite Sean Connery’s 007 in Dr. No that catapulted her into first place. Following in second and third were Kelly Brook and Brigitte ‘The Bikini Girl’ Bardot, respectively.

Also on the list was Halle Berry for her role as Jinx in Die Another Day. Ironically, her character’s beach introduction imitated the famous Dr. No scene from 40 years earlier.

Furthermore, women voted that Andress’s famous two-piece as the most iconic bikini ever, while Jessica Alba’s washboard stomach and Elle Macpherson’s legs were named the best of their kind.

The poll showed that despite its popularity, the bikini is the one piece of clothing guaranteed to make women self conscious about their own body image: 97% of women dread the thought of revealing themselves in a bikini with 27% cited cellulite as the reason and 22% simply not being toned.

Holly Chaves, stylist for Gillette Venus Embrace said: ‘The findings show that the number one factor enabling women to feel like a goddess in their bikini is inner confidence.’

She added: ‘However there are some other key tips to remember—women should not buy a bikini just because it is trendy but choose one that has a cut and style to suit their particular body shape—choosing the right one can take pounds off you. The perfect bikini look is certainly timeless—Ursula Andress set the bar and four decades later, it is still the benchmark women look to.’

‘The full list suggests curves and an hourglass figure are not just appreciated by men but that it is women too who feel this is the kind of look they should aim for and not just try to be thin.’

Top 10 Bikini Goddesses of all time:

1. Ursula Andress in Dr. No
2. Kelly Brook in holiday photos
3. Brigitte Bardot as The Bikini Girl
4. Helen Mirren in holiday photos
5. Halle Berry in Die Another Day
6. Myleene Klass in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here
7. Elle Macpherson on the Sports Illustrated cover
8. Megan Fox in general photographs
9. Gisele Bundchen in fashion shoots
10. Jessica Alba in magazine photos

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page—and our brand new Twitter feed—for all the latest James Bond-related news.

MGM Studios replace CEO Harry Sloan

MGM Studios replace CEO Harry Sloan

Struggling Hollywood studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is turning to a restructuring expert who has helped businesses from energy to doughnuts to help it dig out from billions in debt.

The studio said Tuesday it hired Stephen Cooper, the former CEO of such ailing businesses as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. and Enron Corp., to join an “Office of the CEO,” which replaces Chief Executive Harry Sloan.

Cooper, named vice chairman, joins Mary Parent, the chair of MGM’s worldwide motion picture group, and Chief Financial Officer Bedi Singh in the CEO office and has as his main task “to lead MGM’s efforts to evaluate alternatives to improve its balance sheet,” the studio said.

Sloan will continue as chairman.

The announcement comes as the studio faces the payback of $3.7 billion in debt by 2012, with payments due starting in mid-2011, and a $250 million revolving line of credit that matures in April.

The debt was amassed when the studio was taken private for nearly $5 billion in 2005 by a group led by Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp. and Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group.

MGM told its lenders in May it was in compliance with its debt agreements as of March 31, but that it had hired financial adviser Moelis & Co. to help it restructure.

The studio has made about $500 million a year in revenue from its library of 4,000 movies and TV shows including a range of James Bond classics, but declining DVD sales have cut that by about 5 percent this year.

It also abandoned talks last year to continue selling its movies to CBS Corp.’s Showtime pay TV channel and instead took a 28.6 percent stake in Epix, a fledgling pay channel to be launched in October with Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. and Viacom Inc.’s Paramount Pictures.

Epix has so far struck just one deal with a distributor, Verizon Communications Inc.’s FiOS network, which has 2.5 million customers.

The last movie MGM released in theaters was Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise, in December. It plans a handful of new releases in the coming months, including Fame next month and The Cabin In The Woods in February.

Sloan began his tenure at MGM in October 2005 and agreed last August to continue as CEO through October 2011, but was an apparent casualty of the collapse of the credit markets and an industrywide decline in home video revenue.

The studio has had a number of disappointments since its rebirth under private owners.

It brought in actor Cruise and producing partner Paula Wagner to head subsidiary United Artists, but their first movie, Lions for Lambs, flopped and was estimated to have lost $30 million. Wagner has since left the label to pursue projects independently.

Turning to an outside executive without special experience in the entertainment business is a sign the studio’s financial problems are quite severe.

Cooper had replaced Krispy Kreme’s CEO Scott Livengood in 2005 and helped the company sort out an accounting mess while reining in its overexpansion. Previous to that he spent three years at the helm of Enron a month after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. His firm claimed it earned Enron’s creditors extra billions by holding off on selling assets immediately and shaving professional fees.

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.

The Blades Library Book Club: Never Dream of Dying

Welcome back to The Blades Library Book Club – the place for quality discussions of the books of James Bond!

Every two months a James Bond 007 novel is chosen for the club members to read. A thread is posted in the club forums listing locations on where you can find the novel. Discussions about the book will go on as the book is read and when it is finished. Another thread will be created so that club members can post their review and give a rating on the current book.

All fans of the Literary Bond are eligible for membership. All you need to do to sign up is register on the CBn Forums (it’s free and only takes a minute) and then post your name in the sign up thread.

The Book Club’s 34th Book

We are progressing though the James Bond 007 novels in chronological order, since quite a number of members are using the club as an opportunity to read the books for the very first time.
After moving through the Bond novels by Ian Fleming, Kingsley Amis and John Gardner, the club most recently embarked upon the Raymond Benson Bond era and now continues with his fifth novel: 2001’s Never Dream of Dying.

Obtaining The Book

Ordering online should be fairly easy. Never Dream of Dying can be ordered online (although in used condition) from the following sources:

• Amazon.co.uk
• Amazon.com
• eBay

Discuss other places to buy Never Dream of Dying or where you got your copy in this thread.

Discuss The Book While Reading

Want to talk about the book while reading it? Post a new thread in The Blades Library.

Review And Rate The Book

After you have finished reading Never Dream of Dying, you can discuss it with other club members in The Blades Library, and give the book your personal rating out of five in this thread.

If you have any questions or suggestions just post them in a new thread. Happy reading.

*New* Archive Of All Past Read Books

Additionally, club members can review or comment on any of the past read books in the club any time they want. Click here for the full archive of the past read books in the club.

Previous Books Read

• Doubleshot: June 2009 – July 2009
• High Time To Kill: April 2009 – May 2009
• The Facts of Death: February 2009 – March 2009
• Zero Minus Ten: December 2008 – January 2009
• COLD: October 2008 – November 2008
• SeaFire: August 2008 – September 2008
• Never Send Flowers: June 2008 – July 2008
• Death Is Forever: April 2008 – May 2008
• The Man From Barbarossa: February 2008 – March 2008
• Brokenclaw: December 2007 – January 2008
• Win, Lose Or Die: October 2007 – November 2007
• Scorpius: August 2007 – September 2007
• No Deals, Mr. Bond: June 2007 – July 2007
• Nobody Lives Forever: April 2007 – May 2007
• Role Of Honour: February 2007 – March 2007
• Icebreaker: December 2006 – January 2007
• For Special Services: October 2006 – November 2006
• Licence Renewed: August 2006 – September 2006
• Colonel Sun: June 2006 – July 2006
• Octopussy & The Living Daylights: April 2006 – May 2006
• The Man With The Golden Gun: February 2006 – March 2006
• You Only Live Twice: December 2005 – January 2006
• On Her Majesty’s Secret Service: October 2005 – November 2005
• The Spy Who Loved Me: August 2005 – September 2005
• Thunderball: June 2005 – July 2005
• For Your Eyes Only: April 2005 – May 2005
• Goldfinger: February 2005 – March 2005
• Doctor No: December 2004 – January 2005
• From Russia, With Love: September 2004 – November 2004
• Diamonds Are Forever: July 2004 – August 2004
• Moonraker: May 2004 – June 2004
• Live and Let Die: May 2003 – June 2003
• Casino Royale: March 2003 – April 2003