Daniel Craig To Promote 'Quantum of Solace' On The Tonight Show

As the theatrical release of Quantum of Solace gets closer and closer, details are starting to come in on some of the upcoming promotional events organized for the James Bond film.

007 himself, Daniel Craig, will make an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Friday, 17 October (show starts at 11:35pm) to promote the Bond film.

Quantum of Solace hits US theatres on 14 November.

We’ll keep you updated as more Quantum of Solace-related events roll in. Just stay tuned to the CommanderBond.net main page.

James Bond Blu-ray Discs Reviewed

It is now only a matter of days until James Bond fans will get the chance to experience high-definition 007 on the all-new Blu-ray discs of the films.

As earlier reported on CommanderBond.net, the first wave of Bond Blu-ray discs, (Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Thunderball, Live and Let Die, For Your Eyes Only and Die Another Day), are due to be released in mid-October in the UK and US.

The What Hi-Fi? blog has gotten ahold of the UK volume one collection (which features all six titles being released at this time) and has posted reviews of Sean Connery’s Dr. No and From Russia with Love.

Being that these first two Bond films are each 40+years old, the key question is whether or not the Blu-ray treatment can significantly benefit them now.

‘These Blu-rays will look better than you’ve ever seen Bond–even in the cinema,’ said Mike Inchalik, chief operating officer at Lowry Digital, the company responsible for remastering and restoring the first 20 Bond films over the past two years for the 2006 release of the Ultimate Edition DVDs–and now once more for these Blu-ray discs.

‘We’ve gone right back to the camera negatives and original prints. There’s colour and detail no-one’s seen since the day they were shot: some of these films are 40 years old, but they look like they were shot yesterday.’

‘The new Blu-ray titles may look better than the public has ever seen them.’

He continues: ‘Blu-ray is a very discriminating format, so you have to make sure the films are up to it. Dr. No was a pretty low-budget movie, and it shows in places. There were lots of “gate-hairs”, scratches and problems with principle photography that we had to take out.’

But working on the more recent 007 titles wasn’t necessarily a walk in the park either. ‘More money meant more effects and faster edits,’ said Inchalik, ‘which mean more restoration work for us: every time you cut into the film negative it can make the image look softer, or introduce “noise”.’

So do the new Blu-ray Bond discs actually look that good?

‘Oh yes–and some!’ according to the What Hi-Fi? review.

Despite a few grainy bits here and there, Dr. No ‘seemed like a whole new film, brimming with life and oozing early-sixties retro appeal–thanks to the details on everything from cars to clothing to make-up that are suddenly apparent.’

Similar words of praise followed for From Russia with Love: ‘it wasn’t too long before the high-definition glory impressed: the sights and sounds of 1960s Istanbul; the nuances of expression you hadn’t picked up before; even the product placement (yes, it was even going on back then!) seems more obvious because you can easily pick out the brands.’

Click below to pre-order the James Bond Blu-ray discs…

James Bond On Blu-ray
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30 New 'Quantum of Solace' Photos Hit The Web

More than 30 new photographs from Quantum of Solace have hit the web.

The photographs, which are available to view at Yahoo Movies, feature many of the key characters from the 22nd James Bond film, including Bond girls Camille and Agent Fields, villains Dominic Greene and Elvis, Felix Leiter, Rene Mathis, ‘M’ and–naturally–007 himself.

In addition, following up the Daily Mail’s major spoiler news regarding a tribute of sorts in Quantum of Solace to a past Bond film, they too have also gotten their hands on some new behind-the-scenes pics from the film.

Click here [Spoiler Warning] to view.

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

MAJOR SPOILERS: 'Quantum' Tribute To A Past James Bond Film

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS

When asked way back in January about her role as Bond girl Agent Fields in Quantum of Solace, actress Gemma Arterton stated: ‘She sort of comes to a sticky end.’

She couldn’t have been more right.

Brand new photographs (Click Here To View) published by the Daily Mail reveal the particularly nasty fate of her character: drowned in crude oil.

The photos show Arterton covered head-to-toe in the sticky substance, lying dead on a bed in a scene that immediately brings back memories of the iconic death of Jill Masterson in 1964’s Goldfinger, after she was covered by gold paint.

Said Arterton of the sequence: ‘I couldn’t move. I couldn’t see, I couldn’t breathe or hear because it went in my ears. It was unpleasant, but it’s something I’ll always remember and it will be an iconic part of the film.’

These photographs are included in the Live magazine James Bond supplement to The Mail on Sunday, published on 5 October.

As always, make CommanderBond.net your one and only stop for all the latest James Bond news and coverage.

'Quantum of Solace' Cambridge Regional Screening Announced

The Quantum of Solace Cambridge regional screening has been announced.

Cambridge News reports that Daniel Craig’s second James Bond film will have a charity screening at Cineworld Huntingdon on Thursday, 30 October.

007 fans in attendance will be treated to a champagne reception, a free Martini and a Bond-themed auction and entertainment.

Funds raised from this Quantum of Solace screening will go towards the £1 million News Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) appeal at the Addenbrooke Hospital. The event will also benefit Q103 Kids, the charity of radio station Q103, and the Rotary Charities – Huntingdon Young Carers Project.

This regional screening is being supported by Aston Martin Harston and Cineworld, as well as Press Relief, the News’ charity.

Bond fans can order tickets, costing £30 each, at Q103.co.uk. Doors open at 7:00pm and the curtain goes up at 8:30pm.

As always, keep up-to-date with all the latest Quantum of Solace news by pointing your browsers to the CommanderBond.net main page.

Daniel Craig Strives For Success In 'Quantum' Stuntwork

If you followed the production of Casino Royale from start to finish, then it should come as little surprise that Daniel Craig is willing to push himself the extra limit to ensure a good James Bond film is made.

That holds true for Quantum of Solace too, according to a new Daily Mail article.

Stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell spoke about what went into one of the film’s action-overflowing sequences where Bond chases after a rogue MI6 agent, Mitchell across the rooftops of Siena, Italy.

‘We use wires as safely when we’re doing jumps; we don’t use them to exaggerate the shot,’ he said. ‘If Danel can only jump 15ft, that’s how far you see him jump. He falls 50ft off scaffholding during this sequence, for real.’

‘Daniel was pretty proficient at stunt work after making Casino Royale, but in this film we’ve pushed him even further.’

Director Marc Forster also spoke about this key sequence: ‘The roof chase was one of the most important elements in the opening section of the film. We shot it at Pinewood and in Siena.’

He continues: ‘There’s a bus jump towards the end of the sequence–it was very expensive and dangerous to film, but we couldn’t work out any other way for Bond to cross over the street to Mitchell.’

‘Daniel Craig is willing to do just about anything to get a good shot,’ added second unit director Dan Bradley. ‘In Sienna, there were always several leaps across streets and alleyways from four- and five-storey rooftops, and Daniel did them all.’

‘He even dropped 20ft onto the top of a speeding bus. It’s very impressive.’

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

New 'Quantum of Solace' Video Interview Hits The Web

Just one week since the last Quantum of Solace game video interview hit the net and now another one has been released.

In this new GameTrailers interview, executive producer of the Activision James Bond game, discusses incorporating the more cinematic elements of the films into their game.

He says: ‘Of course our game is a first-person, cover combat game, but we also have that extra layer of cinematic feel that we want to bring to life as a movie game and to meet the expectations that gamers have of a James Bond game.’

‘I think last week, we just saw the new [film] trailer that they released and we thought “Oh my gosh, that’s exactly like our game. That’s like our scene in that level. That’s like our scene in the other level. We have that.”‘

‘You might be sneaking across a ledge and you’ll see Bond in a really dramatic camera angle because there’s a little bit of tension about “OK, am I really going to make it across this?”‘

Young also briefly previews some of the levels gamers will play through as 007, including an ancient Roman cistern as well as the train to Montenegro from Casino Royale. While may fans will remember this sequence primarily for it’s witty dialogue between Vesper and Bond in the film, here it has been revamped as a full-blown action sequence originating from an earlier draft of the film’s script.

Watch online:

There’s more still. Visit GameTrailers.com TV for an all-new look at the character of Camille in the Quantum of Solace game.

This preview, which includes an interview with Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, begins during the fifth segment of the show.

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

Quantum of Solace will be released on 31 October in the UK and 4 November in the US on the following formats: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2, Nintendo DS and Windows PC.

Bond Girl Reunion At Autographica 12

The upcoming Autographica 12 event–‘the world’s largest autograph show’–will feature a reunion of Bond girls from past and present 007 films in the series.

The line-up of Bond girls includes:

• Margaret Nolan (Dink, Goldfinger)
• Joanna Lumley (English Angel of Death, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
• Gloria Hendry (Rosie Carver, Live and Let Die)
• Alison Worth (Pool Girl/Octopussy Girl, For Your Eyes Only / Octopussy)
• Cheryl Anne (Octopussy Girl, Octopussy)
• Carol Ashby (Octopussy Girl/Whistling Girl, Octopussy / A View to a Kill)
• Helene Hunt (Octopussy Girl, Octopussy)
• Kristina Wayborn (Magda, Octopussy)
• Papillon Soo Soo (Pan Ho, A View to a Kill)
• Caroline Hallett (Zorin Party Girl, A View to a Kill)
• Jane Spencer (Zorin Party Girl, A View to a Kill)
• Gloria Thomas (Zorin Party Girl, A View to a Kill)
• Toni White (Zorin Ascot Girl, A View to a Kill)
• Ivana Milicevic (Valenka, Casino Royale (2006))
• Rachel McDowall (Anna, Quantum of Solace)

Autographica is unlike any other similar event you have ever attended. At Autographica you will not just see and meet the guests, but get to know them, as the entire event is held in a luxury hotel, with all the facilities that that encompass. All of our guests stay in the same hotel, so you may well find yourself having breakfast with any one of our guests.

Most guests are available all day both days for signing, and some also offer talks or Q and A session too. In addition, and where time allows, we also have photo shoots with specific guests, and all of these can be booked in advance.

Autographica 12 will be taking place on Saturday, 25 October through Sunday, 26 October at the Radisson Edwardian Hotel in Heathrow, London in the UK. Specific times follow:

• Saturday, 25 October: 10:30am – 4:00pm
• Sunday, 26 October: 11:00am – 4:00pm

Ticket prices are £10 per day. The pre-booked Gold Pass for unlimited two day early admission is £35. Children, if accompanied by an adult, are free on both days.

Note that there are only 1,000 tickets set aside each day for at the door purchases, so pre-booking is strongly recommended. Pre-booked tickets are only available to buy in advance. Phone 01959 573792 for details or visit the official website.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest details on upcoming James Bond events.

Jack White And Alicia Keys On 'Another Way To Die'

Following up the recent release of the music video for ‘Another Way To Die’, the title theme for Quantum of Solace, performers Jack White and Alicia Keys spoke about their inspirations for the song, creating the video, being apart of the world of James Bond and much more.

‘I’ve been an incredible fan of James Bond theme songs since I can remember.’ Referring to ‘Another Way To Die’ being the first 007 title theme to be a duet, White said: ‘It’s nice to be apart of that. It’s hard to have a first in a franchise that’s been going on for so long.’

He also had words of praise for Keys: ‘She’s incredibly soulful and powerful with her voice. And I think she takes a lot of chances too. She’s doesn’t do this cookie-cutter pop music, she puts things in her compositions that aren’t a safe way out. She’s taking contol and taking a chance and forcing things into her songs that wouldn’t normally be on the radio. And I like people like that.’

Talking about the music video, White said: ‘We saw some of the clips from the intro to the film and that’s what really inspired this video. When I saw that, I said to Alicia “I think we should get the guys who did that to produce this. It just has this vibe.’

‘It is special to be apart of the Bond world. It’s own world. It’s own universe. You know, it’s own planet. There’s Earth, there’s Mars, there’s Venus, there’s Bond.’ – Alicia Keys

He continues, speaking specifically about the song itself: ‘I was also a big fan of John Barry and all his compositions and Shirley Bassey. We kind of put it in our mind that if we’re going to do this, let’s join that world. Let’s aim for that. It’s a high bar. The bar was raised 30, 40 years ago so it’s tough to live up to that. I mean, you don’t try and top it, you try to get in that world somehow and join that family a little bit.’

‘I would say the Bond theme is totally throughout the song, but in a new way,’ Keys added. ‘There’s variations that you’ll hear, especially with the horns and the lines that the horns play, the piano, guitars… it’s all kind of themed around Bond, but in a slick style.’

Keys also gives fans their first clue of exactly when the main title sequence commences in Quantum of Solace: ‘I was telling Jack that I got a chance to see the movie a couple of days ago or so and the movie just starts–bang!–with this crazy car chase. And you’re like “what’s going on?”, you’re trying to catch up with the car, and it’s spinning out of control, and things are flying off the edges, bananas, and then [Bond] opens the trunk and the song starts and it’s crazy! I did start screaming in the theatre.’

The full line of ‘Another Way To Die’-related video interviews are available to view here.

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

Olga Kurylenko Launches Ford's 'Quantum' Ka At Paris Motor Show

Olga Kurylenko, who stars as Camille in Quantum of Solace, was on hand at the 2008 Paris Motor Show yesterday to assist in the launch the all-new Ford Ka.

This new vehicle makes it’s screen debut in the 22nd James Bond film and is described as a perfect match for the feisty character of Camille.

The press launch also included some new footage from Quantum of Solace, specifically Daniel Craig’s 007 and Kurylenko’s Camille in the Ford Ka.

Click on the video link before to see the grand event and footage:

JAMES BOND MOVIE ROLE FOR NEW FORD KA

The highly-anticipated new James Bond adventure, Quantum of Solace, will feature a cameo appearance from Ford’s fresh-faced new model, the all-new Ford Ka.

Ford’s cheeky new small car will make its screen debut alongside the film’s beautiful but feisty leading lady, Olga Kurylenko. Kurylenko plays Camille, a woman with her own personal mission and who quickly becomes an unlikely ally for Bond.

The Quantum of Solace Ka is unique with metallic gold paint and an exclusive exterior graphics and interior trim combination.

“The new Ka is the perfect match for the character of Camille–adventurous, individual and thoroughly modern,” says Ford of Europe’s Chief Operating Officer, Stephen Odell. “We are delighted that the launch of the film coincides with the launch of such a significant new model for Ford of Europe.”

The special ‘Quantum of Solace’ Ka was created by Ford of Europe’s Design team, in collaboration with the movie’s Oscar award-winning production designer, Dennis Gassner. The Ka’s cameo continues Ford of Europe’s relationship with the James Bond films, following the debut appearance of the latest Ford Mondeo, in the 2006 blockbuster, Casino Royale.

Twelve years after the original Ford Ka wowed customers with its modern spirit and what has proved to be a remarkably age-less design, its successor looks set to repeat its impact.

The new model retains all the qualities which made the Ka so popular–compact size, great looks, lively dynamics and fun personality–but presents them in a fresh new package. Further technical details of the new Ford Ka will be revealed closer to launch later in 2008.

Quantum of Solace is produced for EON Productions by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Directed by Marc Forster, the film stars Daniel Craig as the legendary secret agent, James Bond and opens in the UK and France on October 31st, then elsewhere November 7th.

The all-new Ka enjoys the spotlight of its own at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, on October 2.

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