James Bond Double Feature At Dryden Theatre In New York

Goldfinger

007 fans in Rochester, New York can be treated to two doses of Sean Connery’s James Bond on two different days as part of an upcoming double feature at the Dryden Theatre.

1964’s Goldfinger and 1967’s You Only Live Twice will be shown back to back on Saturday, 29 December 2007 and once again on the following Sunday, the 30th. The full schedule follows:

• Saturday, 29 December:
• 7:00pm – Goldfinger
• 9:00pm – You Only Live Twice

• Sunday, 30 December:
• 2:00pm – Goldfinger
• 4:00pm – You Only Live Twice

Tickets cost $6.00 for general admission, $5.00 for students and $4.00 for members. The box office opens 45 minutes prior to screenings.

The Dryden Theatre is located at George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. The full address is: The Dryden Theatre, 900 East Avenue, Rochester NY, 14607.

For further information on this upcoming James Bond double feature, ticket prices, or any other details, phone 585-271-3361 or visit the official website.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest 007-related news.

Joyeux Anniversaire, Club James Bond France

French Club James Bond celebrates its 10th anniversary with an event in Paris tonight, December 16th. Apart from more than one hundred members, Club President Luc Le Clech will welcome a number of honorary gusts, such as the club’s godmother, The Living Daylights‘s Kara Milovy, Maryam D’Abo, Caterina Murino and Richard Sammel from Casino Royale (Solange and Gettler), Blanche Ravalec, Jaws’ girlfriend Dolly from Moonraker and French Bond stunt veteran Rémy Julienne. Also present will be a number of presidents of European Bond fanclubs from the UK, Italy, Spain, Switzerland and Germany.

Visit the official website at www.clubjamesbondfrance.com for further information on Club James Bond France.

CommanderBond.net would like to wish the Club James Band France a very Happy Birthday and a great party tonight. Here’s to the next ten years.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest news on James Bond events happening around the world.

The Blades Library Book Club: Brokenclaw

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

John Gardner’s Brokenclaw

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 Twenty-fourth Book

Currently 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. The club has just finished all fourteen of the Ian Fleming novels as well as the one-time-only Bond novel by Kingsley Amis, Colonel Sun. Most recently, the club moved onto the John Gardner era, and now continues with his ninth novel: Brokenclaw.

Obtaining The Book

Ordering online should be fairly easy. Brokenclaw can be ordered online (although in used condition) from the following sources:

• Amazon.co.uk
• Amazon.com
• eBay

Discuss other places to buy Brokenclaw 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 Brokenclaw, 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

• 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

Exclusive: 'The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling' Cover Artwork Revealed

CommanderBond.net can today exclusively reveal the cover artwork that will be featured on the third and final novel in Samantha Weinberg’s The Moneypenny Diaries trilogy, Final Fling.

The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling

As first mentioned in early September, the cover artwork for Final Fling is based upon the same design created by artist Stina Persson for the UK paperback edition of The Moneypenny Diaries: Secret Servant.

Final Fling will be set in Jamaica, the Outer Hebrides (an island chain off the west coast of the west coast of Scotland), Cambridge, and London. The novel’s action is planned to be split between Jane Moneypenny’s 1964/65 diaries and the contemporary adventures of her neice, Kate Westbrook. The full blurb follows:

Final Fling combines the excitement of a cold war spy thriller with the mystery of a contemporary detective story. In the 1964/65 volume of her private diaries, Jane Moneypenny reports her demotion from the position of M’s secretary as the British Secret Intelligence Service is hit by a series of defection scandals. Facing considerable personal danger, she combines forces with 007 in a resolve to smoke out the mole she is convinced is buried deep in the heart of the Office. But, when Bond is sacked and M is forced into retirement, Moneypenny finds herself on her own…

Forty-two years later, Miss Moneypenny’s niece and heir, Kate Westbrook, starts to suspect that her aunt’s death was no accident. She is sure the clues to what happened lie in the search for the mole. As she pieces them together, however, she realizes that there are significant forces who are determined to prevent her finding the truth.

From the glamour of 1960s Jamaica to the treacherous beaches of the Outer Hebrides, Final Fling reveals just how far people are prepared to go to defend – or betray – their beliefs, and relates the life and death, and surprising final love, of the world’s most famous fictional secretary.

The Moneypenny Diaries: Final Fling is due for release on 1 May 2008 and can be pre-ordered from amazon.co.uk. A UK paperback is expected to follow in March 2009.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

Anatole Taubman Speaks Out On His Role

Bond 22 villain Anatole Taubman

Anatole Taubman, who scored a villain role in Bond 22
earlier this week, has given different German-speaking media hints and tid-bits about his engagement in
Bond 22.

"I’m playing – besides Mathieu Amalric – the second big villain of
James Bond in the film. It’s not the henchman kind of thing, it’s a really big
role. I’m not allowed to tell you more", Taubman stated in an interview with

persoenlich.com and added that he had to sign a "Non Disclosure Agreement".
"Everyone who is signed on Bond has to accept it. Every detail is protected."
Asked, whether he had already seen the script, Taubman said: "I alreay received
a copy, but I treat it like a treasure. I even don’t take it with me when I need
to go abroad."

Taubman also spoke out on director Marc Forster and their Swiss connection (interestingly
enough, Marc Forster doesn’t even have a Swiss passport – actually, he’s a
German who grew up in Switzerland, but he is always refered to as a "Swiss"). "I
don’t think that I got the role because I’m Swiss. The only difference to other
auditions was that the director welcomed me in Swiss German language." Taubman
thinks highly of Forster: "The job is quite a challenge for Marc, but otherwise
he wouldn’t have accepted the offer at all. Because of Daniel Craig, the James
Bond character has been re-invented in the last film. So this makes a further
development of the character possible. And because of Marc Forster, the 22nd
Bond film will become a great one! His films are coined by sensibility and
character depth."

In another interview with Swiss newspaper
Blick,
Forster precised that his film’s character is French. "My wife and my children
are the most important things in my life. They are my foundation. Although the
Bond film role is a golden ticket, the working part is yet to come. And
it is much work – at last, I want to go down as a bad Frenchman into Bond history!"

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest coverage and details on Daniel Craig’s upcoming 007 film!

Gemma Arterton Cast As Bond Girl?

Gemma Arterton

According to corresponding article’s in today’s

Sun,
Guardian and

Daily Mail, 22 year old British actress Gemma Arterton has won the audition
for a Bond girl role in Bond 22. Still, there remain big doubts about the
validity of these articles.

Little known Arterton beat out 1,500 other women to win the part, according
to the papers. The reports claim an insider at Eon Productions said of
Arterton: "Gemma has the modern look and fits perfectly with the new vulnerable
image of Bond." According to the "Daily Mail", Gemma learned of her success only
this week and has been sworn to secrecy until the complete cast is revealed
later this month. "The Sun" claims that Gemma sent her mother Sally a text
saying: "I got Bond!" Interestingly enough, Mother Craig also broke the news of
her son being cast as James Bond.

What makes the story doubtful is the fact that the last information Bond fans got
was that producers are looking for a South American Bond girl and that auditions
had taken place in Brazil and Panama. There is also the possibility that Arteron
has landed a minor role in Bond 22 and tabloids are vaporizing up the story.
Bond fans will know by the end of the month.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest coverage as the Bond girl casting heats up.

Win A 'Tomorrow Never Dies' Ultimate Edition DVD

‘Don’t get any ideas, Mr. Bond.’

10 Years Of Tomorrow Never Dies

With the 10th anniversary of Pierce Brosnan’s second James Bond film, Tomorrow Never Dies, taking place this month, lucky CommanderBond.net Forum members now have the chance to win an Ultimate Edition DVD copy of the film.

A Region 2 (UK, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, et al.) copy of the Tomorrow Never Dies Ultimate Edition DVD is being given away. Special features on the DVD include:

• DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT:
• Deleted and Extended Scenes Introduced by Director Roger Spottiswoode
• Expanded Angles Introduced by Director Roger Spottiswoode
• Highly Classified: The World of 007
• Special Effects Reel
• ‘The James Bond Theme’ (Moby’s Remix)
• 007 MISSION CONTROL:
• Interactive Guide Into the World of Tomorrow Never Dies
• THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY: MISSION DOSSIER:
• Audio Commentary Featuring Vic Armstrong and Michael G. Wilson
• Audio Commentary Featuring Roger Spottiswoode and Dan Petrie Jr.
• The Secrets of 007
• Storyboard Presentation
• Gadgets
• Sheryl Crow ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ Music Video
• MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA:
• Original Trailers & Photo Gallery

This competition is open to all members of CBn. You must be a registered member of the CBn Forums and answer the following question correctly to be eligible to win. Not yet a member of CBn? Register here now – it is free and only takes a minute!

To enter, fill out the following questionnaire and send a Communiqué/Private Message on the CBn Forums to ‘CBn Competition’ (Subject: CBn Tomorrow) by Midnight EST on 31 December 2007 (simply click on the link in this paragraph).

1. True or False: In terms of unadjusted worldwide box office numbers, Tomorrow Never Dies is one of the top two highest grossing Pierce Brosnan Bond films.
2. What is your CBn Forum Screen Name?
3. What country/state do you live in?

To discuss this CBn competition or if you have any questions visit this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

All those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing and the winner will be sent a Communique/Private Message via the CBn Forums to the Screen Name they provided to inform them of their winning. The winner must respond to this PM within five (5) days with the requested information (name, mailing address, etc) or another drawing will be held. The winner will be announced once shipping information has been received. The item will be shipped from the USA. In the event that a prize has been stolen or mishandled during shipment, CBn will not be able to replace the specific item–this has yet to be a problem.

'Shark Bait' James Bond Collection Now Available In UK

Despite a release date listing of 25 January 2008 on amazon, The Literary 007 website informs us that Shark Bait, the newest James Bond 007 collection from Titan Books, is available now in UK stores.

In addition to the title story, the Shark Bait collection also includes The Xanadu Connection (originally not syndicated in the UK) and Doomcrack. The latter represents the first of ultimately five Bond comic strips serialised in the Daily Star and is the one and only time Harry North served as the artist.

Furthermore, this Bond collection also features the second part of an article centering on the 007 adventures in US comic strips. Caroline Bliss (Miss Moneypenny in The Living Daylights and Licence To Kill) provides the introduction. Click here to view the brand new (and final) cover artwork for the collection.

Titan’s Shark Bait collection will be released in the US on 12 February 2008.

Stay tuned for CommanderBond.net for all the latest news on the Titan James Bond comic strip releases.

Austria Becoming More And More Likely For 'Bond 22'

Festival House in Bregenz
(Image copyright Bruno Klomfar)

Shooting for Bond 22 in Austria is becoming more and more likely. Austrian media report today that Swiss movie company Unicorn, who has previously worked on two James Bond movies, GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies, has been hired as local production company in the Vorarlberg region. Unicorn Boss Leonhard Gmür has confirmed that his company is already at work and that a casting of 1,500 extras will take place in January.

No contracts between Unicorn and the Bregenz Festival have been signed yet, but negotiations with the leading team for the Tosca production who has to agree on the use of the stage design and direction are currently going on. An agreement will hopefully be found before the end of 2007.

Floating Stage with ‘Tosca’ Set (Image copyright Bregenz Festival, Karl Forster)

Because of this situation, there is no fixed schedule, but it is planned to start shooting on the Bregenz floating stage by 27 April. These scenes are intended to be filmed at nighttime. Also, a short driving scene will be shot in Feldkirch.

Austria was first mentioned for Bond 22 back in July when the “Seebühne” (Floating Stage) in Bregenz was brought up as a possible location.

CommanderBond.net will keep you updated with all the latest news and details on the locations to feature in Bond 22.

Looking Back: 'Die Another Day'

The CBn ‘Looking Back’ series now moves onto Raymond Benson’s third and final James Bond novelisation, Die Another Day. The book was first released in early November 2002, just a few weeks before the theatrical premiere of Pierce Brosnan’s fourth 007 film of the same name. CBn takes a look back at Die Another Day—included are publication details, the original jacket blurbs and trivia notes about the book.

The action-packed story begins in the demilitarised zone between North and South Koreas with a spectacular high-speed hovercraft chase.

From Hong Kong to Cuba to London, Bond continues his quest to unmask a traitor and prevent a war of catastrophic consequence—but not without the help and hindrance of two mysterious femmes fatales.

Hot on the trail of the principal villains, Bond travels to Iceland where he experiences at first hand the power of an amazing new weapon before a dramatic confrontation with his main adversary back in Korea where it all started.

UK First Edition Hodder & Stoughton Hardback

Trivia

Bond author Raymond Benson

A production error of the UK 1st edition Hodder & Stoughton hardback of Die Another Day resulted in several copies, the exact number is unknown, that had pages cut short. As a result, a second corrected edition was quickly produced, making the 1st edition of this novelisation even more difficult to obtain.

Amazon UK and Amazon US originally featured the cover of this novelisation as based upon the first gun on ice teaser poster of the film. It was ultimately changed to the generic blue poster art featuring Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry.

While the Walther PPK was featured in the previous Bond novelisation, The World Is Not Enough (despite the switch to the P99 in Tomorrow Never Dies before that), here 007 is once again using the P99.

Like previous James Bond novelisations by Benson, there was no regular US hardback printing of Die Another Day.

While Tomorrow Never Dies remains the most difficult of all the Raymond Benson James Bond novels and novelisations to obtain in UK 1st hardback printing, copies of the hardback edition of Die Another Day are somewhat easier and cheaper to come by.

The UK and US large print edition of the novelisation features the same cover art used for the UK Hodder & Stoughton hardback edition.

While being promoted to the captain status in later John Gardner James Bond novels, here 007 is a commander once again.

When danger becomes a temptation, when every move brings you closer to the edge, when you live each day like it’s your last—there’s a surprise around every curve…

From North Korea to Iceland, Bond circles the world in his quest to unmask a traitor and prevent a war of catastrophic proportions. Crossing paths with beautiful allies and deadly assassins in a high-octane action adventure of intrigue, revenge and betrayal, never has Bond been so vulnerable, nor so dangerous…

US Boulevard Paperback

Release Timeline

• 2002: 1st British Hodder & Stoughton Hardback Edition
• 2002: 1st British Coronet Paperback Edition
• 2002: 1st American Boulevard Paperback Edition
• 2003: 1st American Windsor/Chivers Press/Thorndike Large Print Hardback Edition
• 2004: 1st American Windsor/Chivers Press/Thorndike Large Print Hardback Edition

Your Own Opinion On Die Another Day

Want to share your thoughts and opinion on Raymond Benson’s Die Another Day? Feel free to discuss the novelisation by visiting this thread and give the novelisation your personal rating in this thread on the CommanderBond.net Forums.