'Another Way To Die' Enters UK Singles Chart At #26

Jack White

The title theme for Quantum of Solace ‘Another Way To Die’ by Jack White and Alicia Keys, recently entered the UK Singles Chart at #26.

The latest James Bond theme also made an entry on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart (which comprises of the top 25 songs that are just missing out on the main Hot 100 chart) in the #7 position (or, in turn, #107 overall).

The official CD single is scheduled to be released on 20 October.

In comparison, Casino Royale‘s ‘You Know My Name’ by Chris Cornell entered the UK charts at #12 two years ago and eventually peaked at #7.

In the US, ‘You Know My Name’ managed to climb to #79 overall on the Hot 100 chart.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

'Quantum of Solace' Yarmouth Regional Screening Announced

A regional screening for Quantum of Solace is scheduled to take place at Yarmouth’s Hollywood Cinema on Thursday, 30 October at 7:30pm.

The screening will take place one day before the latest James Bond film goes on general release in the UK, reports EDP24. The event is being organized in aid of Palliative Care East, an appeal to build a palliative care centre at Gorleston’s James Paget University Hospital.

Distributor Sony has imposed strict measures on the event, including the hiring of security guards, to prevent any chance of pirating.

‘We’re so pleased to be allowed to have this screening for the appeal,’ said Tony Mallion of BBC Radio Norfolk, who is a patron of the JPH appeal and organiser of the event.

He continued: ‘Naturally we have to comply with the strict conditions they set down. But it does seem a bit over the top. People are coming to enjoy a great night out for a good cause, not to sit with video cameras or mobile phones trying to make bootleg copies.’

‘We want to make money for the appeal and sadly this condition means that £300 has to go to pay for the two guards and the hire of their special night goggles.’

‘It will add to the glamour and excitement though, to think we’re all being treated as potential spies and pirates.’

Tickets to this Quantum of Solace screening are still available, priced at £15 and £10. Phone 01493 852600 for additional details.

As always, stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of the announced Quantum of Solace regional charity screenings.

'Quantum of Solace' Set For 5 November China Premiere

James Bond is returning to Chinese theatres once again.

China Daily reports that Quantum of Solace is scheduled to premiere in the country on Wednesday, 5 November 2008.

7 November was the date originally pegged for release, but 007 will now arrive two days earlier to avoid competition during the ‘New Year Session’, when several new films make their theatrical debuts.

As many Bond fans will recall, Daniel Craig’s first film in the series, Casino Royale, became the very first Bond film ever to play on Chinese theatres after being approved by the country’s censors with no cuts made. It became a box office success following on from a strong $1.5 million opening day on 30 January 2007.

Industry insiders are expecting similar strong business for Quantum of Solace.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

All-New 'Quantum of Solace' Footage Hits The Net

WARNING: Possible Spoilers

Three new video reports have appeared on Swedish websites today featuring never-before-seen footage from Quantum of Solace and new interviews with the star of the show, Daniel Craig.

New footage (although bits and pieces have shown up in the two trailers) includes, James Bond with Felix Leiter, a brief dialogue scene with Agent Fields, Bond and Camille in the Ford Ka chase, plus an extended look at the truly action-packed finale which features Bond against villains Dominic Greene and Elvis.

Daniel Craig is James Bond

‘Last time, it was a huge success, so now we have to try and repeat that success. So one problem gets replaced with another,’ said Craig with a laugh.

When asked how he was handling being a much more public figure resulting from his debut appearance as Bond in Casino Royale, Craig said: ‘I knew that would happen so I accepted a certain degree of it. The only thing that I dislike intensely is when it bothers my family and my friends, that’s what really gets me.’

‘I get a kick out of it,’ Craig said on the topic of the dangerous stunts that have become a hallmark of the Bond films. ‘It’s important that when we pull back to a wide shot, the audience sees that it’s me. I’m not up there taking risks. I’m up there having rehearsed the stunts for a long time before to I do them.’

As was the case with Casino Royale though, Craig wouldn’t make any bets on the predicted box office business and public reaction to the film.

‘I can’t [predict] what the public will say. All I can say is that I’ve seen the film now, I’m very proud of it, I think it works brilliantly next to Casino Royale, it looks beautiful and Marc Forster’s done a wonderful job. Beyond that, who knows? It’s in the hands of somebody else now.’

‘We took on [Quantum of Solace] and a lot of things changed. We got a new production designer, a new director, a new costumer designer… We shot on location more on this film than any other Bond film–we were in Panama, we were in Chile, we were in Italy, we were in Austria. It looks extraordinary, this film. I don’t think it looks like any other Bond movie.’

Visit Aftonbladet TV, TV4 Anytime (1) and TV4 Anytime (2) to check out all the videos.

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news and Quantum of Solace coverage.

'Quantum of Solace' – Official Blog Report #30

The official Quantum of Solace blog has been updated today with another crew member from the 22nd James Bond 007 film: visual effects designer Kevin Tod Haug.

‘I’m the visual effects designer on Quantum of Solace‘, says Haug, who has worked on several of director Marc Forster’s previous films. ‘Visual effects are kind of the glue department. Everything that becomes impossible becomes our problem.’

He continues: ‘The goal I think is to do as much of it in camera as you can and yet get the most exciting shots. We had to falls that are supposed to be 50-foot falls and yet their’s only 25 feet to fall,’ referring to the shot between Bond and Henry Mitchell from the film’s trailer.

‘It’s still a monster shot. It’s falling from the top of the set. You see Siena in the background, and then they fall through the glass, but the glass is all real. The hit and everything else about it is CG. Then they fall onto a real set with the CG set behind it and all these hand-offs as you go “they really did that stunt, it just didn’t happen there”.’

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

'Quantum of Solace' 12A Certificate And Runtime Confirmed

As previously reported on CommanderBond.net, Quantum of Solace was set to become the shortest James Bond film ever with a runtime of 106 minutes.

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) has today confirmed that run time, with the latest 007 adventure clocking in at exactly 105 minutes and 58 seconds.

The website also officially announced a 12A certificate for the film, which should come as little surprise to Bond fans. The BBFC statement specifies that Quantum of Solace ‘contains frequent moderate action violence’ and made the following general remark:

This film was originally seen by the BBFC in an unfinished version, for advice as to the film’s suitability at ’12A’. The BBFC advised the company that the film would most likely receive a ’12A’ as it was, but that care should be taken when finishing the film not to increase the intensity of certain scenes. When the completed version of the film was submitted for classification, reductions to one of those scenes had been made and the film was passed ’12A’ without cuts.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.

Sir Ken Adam Honoured With 2008 Lucky Strike Award

Sir Ken Adam was recently honoured with the 2008 Lucky Strike Award. The leading international designer prize was awarded by the Raymond Lowey Foundation along with the prize money of 50,000 €.

007 Magazine OnLine reports that this marks the first time the Foundation has honoured a production designer. ‘Ken Adam created unique cinematic worlds, illusions on film whose images, spaces and products remain alive in the collective memory of entire generations,’ they stated.

He will be presented with the award at a 13 November ceremony taking place at the Berlin cinema Kino Kosmos.

James Bond fans are well acquanted with Sir Ken’s contributions to the 007 series, whether they recognize it or not. The legendary designer worked on seven films in the series–Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker–and was responsible for creating some of the most innovative and majestic sets to ever grace the Bond films. Well-known examples include Fort Knox, Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s volcano headquarters and the Liparus supertanker.

In addition, he returned to the world of Bond in 2004 by contributing to the Electronic Arts (EA) videogame, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.

Visit 007 Magazine OnLine to read more about the award and Sir Ken’s response.

For more on Ken Adam’s contributions to the world of Bond, check out the recently released book by Adam and Christopher Frayling, Ken Adam Designs the Movies: James Bond and Beyond.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest James Bond news and coverage from around the world.

Raymond Benson's 'James Bond: The Union Trilogy' Shipping Early

Raymond Benson’s James Bond: The Union Trilogy: Three 007 Novels

Despite not being due for release until early November, literary 007 fans can now get their hands on the brand new Raymond Benson omnibus, James Bond: The Union Trilogy: Three 007 Novels.

The collection, which is shipping early from Amazon.com, collects together three of Benson’s Bond novels, High Time To Kill, Doubleshot and Never Dream of Dying.

In addition to an introduction by Benson, what makes this all-new Bond omnibus especially notable is that it will additionally include the complete, unedited version of the author’s first 007 short story, Blast From The Past.

Blast From The Past was first (and up to this point, only) published in an edited version in the January 1997 edition of Playboy magazine. The full-length short story was originally only made available in French and Italian.

The collection is published as an 832-page paperback by Pegasus Books. The publisher is currently planning for an additional Benson Bond collection to follow sometime in 2009.

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest literary James Bond coverage.

'James Bond – The Gold Collection' Released In US

Silva Screen’s latest 007 music collection, ‘James Bond – The Gold Collection’, has been released today in the United States and is currently available to order from Amazon.com.

This 2-CD set tracks the series’ 45 years of music, from Dr. No through Casino Ryale. The UK release follows on 20 October.

The original press release follows:

SILVA SCREEN PRESENTS

JAMES BOND – THE GOLD EDITION

A Lavish 2 CD Set

From Dr. No to Casino Ryale, this lavish CD collection features James Bond signature tunes, spanning over 45 years of Bond music.

Featuring classic John Barry themes as well as themes by Monty Norman, Lionel Bart, Paul McCartney, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Michel Legrand, Sheryl Crow, Madonna and David Arnold.

Including an EXCLUSIVE 24 page booklet James Bond – A Musical History written by GEOFF LEONARD and PETE WALKER, acclaimed authors of JOHN BARRY – The Man With The Midas Touch, a title to be reissued this autumn.

PRAISE FOR PREVIOUS SILVA SCREEN BOND RELEASES:

“The disc is packed full of favourites…everything’s recorded perfectly” – Total Film

“John Barry’s scores are given a lustrous working over by his main arranger and orchestrator Nic Raine” – CD Choice

To be released on 20th October 2008 in time for the October 31st UK opening of the 22nd James Bond film Quantum Of Solace.

Tracklisting:

Disc One:

1. Dr. No – The James Bond Theme
2. From Russia With Love – From Russia With Love
3. From Russia With Love – 007 Takes The Lektor
4. Goldfinger – Goldfinger
5. Thunderball – Thunderball
6. You Only Live Twice – You Only Live Twice
7. You Only Live Twice – Capsule In Space
8. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – We Have All The Time In The World
9. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Escape From Piz Gloria/The Ski Chase
10. Diamonds Are Forever – Diamonds Are Forever
11. Live And Let Die – Live And Let Die (edit)
12. The Man With The Golden Gun – Slow Boat From China/Nick Nack/ The Man With The Golden Gun
13. The Spy Who Loved Me – Nobody Does It Better
14. Moonraker – Moonraker (edit)
15. Moonraker – Arrival At Chateau Drax/Freefall

Disc Two:

1. For Your Eyes Only – For Your Eyes Only
2. Octopussy – All Time High
3. Never Say Never Again – Never Say Never Again
4. A View To A Kill – Wine With Stacey/Fanfare/Snow Job
5. The Living Daylights – The Living Daylights End Title
6. Licence To Kill – Licence To Kill
7. GoldenEye – GoldenEye
8. GoldenEye – Tank Drive Around St. Petersburg
9. Tomorrow Never Dies – Tomorrow Never Dies
10. Tomorrow Never Dies – Surrender
11. The World Is Not Enough – Ice Bandits
12. The World Is Not Enough – The World Is Not Enough
13. Die Another Day – Die Another Day
14. Die Another Day – Going Down Together
15. Casino Royale – You Know My Name

• Order ‘James Bond – The Gold Edition’ from Amazon.co.uk
• Order ‘James Bond – The Gold Edition’ from Amazon.com

Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest James Bond news.

Bond Girls Hold Their Own, Says Daniel Craig

Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Gemma Arterton

Keeping in line with the recent string of leading, independent Bond girls such as Wai Lin from Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day‘s Jinx, Daniel Craig said the Bond girls in Quantum of Solace hold their own.

The 007 star made the comments in the new issue of Radio Times, which will be available on 14 October.

‘I think Bond is as misogynistic as he always was. But the difference is that we try to cast great actresses playing strong women who, if he misbehaves, will tell him to f–k off,’ said Craig.

‘Instead of it being a giggling girl in a bikini–and there’s nothing wrong with giggling girls in bikinis, sometimes it’s quite nice–there are women who challenge him. And there were strong women in earlier films–Honor Blackman and Diana Rigg. We have to maintain that.’

Craig went on to stress the importance of the new era of Bond films being ‘part of the times we live in.’

‘And that’s not to say that we can’t honour that Bond tradition–with the locations, the big sets, wide camera angles and big shots–but that’s all incorporated into a contemporary, fast-moving story.’

Stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date and complete coverage of Quantum of Solace.