CBn Exclusive: A visit on the set of Casino Royale

Just in time before shooting was finished in Karlovy Vary, CBn grabbed the opportunity for a visit on set and location of Casino Royale: We have exclusive pictures of The Grand Hotel Pupp, which will double for the ‘Hotel Splendide’ in Montenegro and the ‘Lazne I’ (Spa I, the former ‘Kaiserbad’) which will be the Casino Royale itself. We also deliver images from the Mill Collonade (double for Montenegro station) and the Cafe Pupp (‘Kafana Splendide’).
(Click images to enlarge.)

As mentioned above, shooting in Karlovy Vary is now finished. The Grand Hotel Pupp, which had a double function as location and crew hotel, was booked until May 29th and many equipment trucks were already on their way to Venice by the end of the past week.

Karlovy Vary is an excellent location choice. The city itself is very picturesque and looks like it comes right out of a toy box or a from a model train landscape. Being and old spa town itself, it is a perfect stand-in for Royale-les-Eaux. Consisting almost entirely of historical buildings, it has a classic European feeling and can already be judged as one of the most beautiful Bond movie location in years.

 

Watch out for more details and pictures to come within the week.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

Discuss the set visit in the CBn Forums.

Goldfinger On The Big Screen In August

AJB reports that James Bond fans will get a chance to see Goldfinger on the big screen in August.

Set for the 20th and 22nd of August, the Broadway Cinema in Letchworth Garden City will be showing the classic 007 film as apart of its 70th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets will be going on sale on 2 June, with show times to be announced. Advanced booking line: 01462 681088

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond 007 news.

Discuss this James Bond news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

Heineken Bonds with 007 and Casino Royale

Market Wire reports that Heineken International (in partnership with EON Productions and Sony)will be launching a world-wide promotional campaign for the 21st official James Bond film, Casino Royale.

The upcoming campaign will ‘comprise of on- and off-premise promotions, interactive and digital activities, radio promotions, consumer competitions and tie-ins with local Sony publicity and promotional events. The promotional campaign will be activated in approximately 40 countries worldwide.’

In addition, Bond girl Eva Green (Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale) will be featured in a television commercial, which will be filmed on the 007 set in the Czech Republic and broadcast in November and December 2006. According to Green: ‘I’m delighted to be promoting Casino Royale in association with Heineken. Heineken continues to be a highly innovative partner in its support of film-making.’

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

Discuss this ‘Casino Royale’ news in this thread on the CBn Forums. Thanks to CBn forum member ‘Fro.’

James Bond Boat Show Heading to New Zealand

James Bond fans will get a chance to see four of the magnificent boats used in the 007 films, thanks to the Hutchwilco New Zealand Boat Show.

Set for 1-5 June 2006 at the Auckland showgrounds in New Zealand, the ‘Boats of Bond’ exhibit will be showcasing the Tow Sled from Thunderball, the Bath-O-Sub from Diamonds Are Forever, the Neptune Submarine from For Your Eyes Only, and the Q-Boat from The World Is Not Enough.

Thunderball: Tow Sled (1965)
The underwater tow sled was used by James Bond and the villain Largo. There were 14 boats originally built for the production company. Today, there are only two known to exist. The original builder, Jordan Klein, owns the other remaining sled.

Diamonds Are Forever: Bath-O-Sub (1971)
The underwater bath-o-sub is one of two originally featured in the film and was used by 007’s nemesis, Blofeld, to escape from the oil-drilling platform that doubled as his headquarters. It can be seen as Blofeld climbs inside and is lowered over the side of the oil platform.

For Your Eyes Only: Neptune Submarine (1981)
This Neptune submarine is one of two originally built by the film’s production company. This is the actual working wet submersible that was seen throughout most of the film. It had to be operated by stunt men using scuba gear.

The World Is Not Enough: Q Boat (1999)
Major Boothroyd’s famous Q boat. Fifteen boats were originally built for the production. Today only 8 survive. The Q Boat that performed the barrel roll stunt seen on the screen will be on display.

The show is open from 10AM – 8PM on Thursday and Friday, and 10AM – 6PM on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Ticket prices are: $16 for adults and $6 for those 14 years old and under. Children under five are free. Full details here.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond 007 news.

Discuss this James Bond news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

Casino Royale Video Report from The Insider

A new Casino Royale video report from The Insider is now online, featuring Daniel Craig.

Running for about a minute and a half, Craig is speaks about this new role, co-star Eva Green and shooting on location for Casino Royale. Speaking about the role of 007 and Eva Green’s role respectively, Craig said: ‘each day is a challenge… each day brings something new,’ and ‘the great thing about this role, Vesper Lynd, is that its incredibly complex.’ Watch the entire video here.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

Discuss this ‘Casino Royale’ news in this thread on the CBn Forums. Thanks to CBn forum member ‘DanFan2.’

Bonding with Golden Girl Shirley Eaton

James Bond fans have a chance to meet with Bond girl Shirley Eaton today, 27 May 2006, for a meet and greet, book signing, showing of Goldfinger, and more.

The Daily News Journal reports that golden girl Shirley Eaton, who starred as the ill-fated Jill Masteron in the 1964 007 film, Goldfinger will be attending the Murfreesboro/Rutherford County Center for the Arts in Tennesse at 6:30 PM, 27 May, to meet with fans, sign copies of her book Golden Touch, An Intimate Diary of Poems and host a reception which will be followed by a showing of Goldfinger.

According to Eaton, ‘I was only in Goldfinger for five minutes maybe 42 years ago, and I still get fan mail. But I needed to be stable more than I needed to be famous. I’m so much more than the shallowness of show business… I fulfill myself. When I look at the photos of myself back then, I feel like ‘Wasn’t she gorgeous?’ But at the time I didn’t think so. I had a stable childhood and a good marriage, and that’s why I stay grounded.’

Admission to tonight’s show is $25, with copies of Golden Touch, An Intimate Diary of Poems available at $20 each. For more information, phone 904-2787.

Keep watching CBn for all the latest James Bond 007 news.

Discuss this James Bond news in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

'From Russia With Love' on PSP: What The Critics Said

The most recent James Bond 007 video game, From Russia With Love was released on Sony PSP in April 2006 to many differing reviews. The most obvious factor drawing in many fans to this Bond game was James Bond himself – Sir Sean Connery. Now, after fans have played the game through and through, CBn takes a look back at the various reviews of From Russia With Love…the good and the bad.

Two very different types of control system are on offer here although we’d urge you to select the former if you want to achieve anything in the game. This controls your character with the analogue stick whilst the other buttons take care of weapons, reloading, crouching and other movements. The other way is the reverse but this makes the whole thing feel considerably less responsive. Overall though the it is a testament to the developers and unlike the majority of console to handheld conversions you don’t feel like you are losing out on too much due to a compromised control system. Upgrades are also available to all your weapons by collecting stars although you’ll have to do some sharp shooting to acquire these.

While many handheld versions of console games suffer from gaming elements either watered down or extracted completely, From Russia From Love arrives on the PSP almost completely intact with added bonus missions and multiplayer to boot. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable action romp too and in some ways it’s superior to its console cousins mostly due to the extras. Where it does come unstuck though is with the final polish and presentation – you do get the feeling that the games latter stages were a little rushed. Nor is there any sign of the famous Bond cars and while the average action fan will no doubt overlook this, fans of the series will be harder to please.

Full Review – PSPworld

The multiplayer experience reflects the rest of the game, in that it’s fun, simple to pick up, varied and yet a little rough. You can choose four match types, including the classic deathmatch and domination modes, as well as a few jetpack-based modes. Each match is fun, different and easy to set up and start. Plus, you can even play a few of the modes alone by using the game’s AI bots. This in particular helps elevate From Russia with Love from other multiplayer PSP games. Making things even better are the maps, which boast pretty good design, traps and the like. There aren’t many (you can choose four) but three of them are exclusive to the PSP build and they make for good matches.

Having said all of that, From Russia with Love does suffer from a few issues. For starters, the camera tends to get stuck behind walls, tables and the like. Not all the time, but it happens more than it should. Certain levels in the game feel rushed, too, and you’ll therefore notice tears and a bunch of other graphical glitches. Along the same lines, the entire experience suffers from poor performance, so you’ll rarely notice a stable framerate. All in all, these aren’t game-shattering problems. It’s nothing that a little extra development time couldn’t have easily fixed.

Full Review – IGN

Interestingly enough, the best parts of From Russia With Love are the ones that EA managed to successfully translate from the film. The shoot-out with the Russian soldiers in the gypsy camp, the daring heist of the Lektor from the Russian consulate… These are the sequences that are the most memorable and enjoyable by far, not necessarily because of how great the gameplay is, but because they appropriately stretch out a few minute-long film sequences into a 10- to 15-minute level without sacrificing the great bits from the film. Fortunately, there are several of these sequences in the game, although there are less of them than there were in the console versions. All the driving missions from the console game have been cut here, which is really unfortunate, since some of those were among the most enjoyable levels.

Full Review – Gamespot

The action is wrapped up in a “classic” era Bond aesthetic, with Sean Connery in the lead role shooting his way through the plot of From Russia With Love, re-edited for videogames. As a result, the plot becomes more hackneyed after a few useless scenes/levels are tacked on, a bunch of faceless goons (great for shooting!) are added to the cast list, and you’ll spend a lot of time with a jetpack that wasn’t actually in the movie. Actually, it’s strange that EA didn’t just pick the over-the-top spectacle of Thunderball over From Russia With Love in the first place. The result is that the game walks the line between “retro” and “campy” — frequently crossing over to the camp side for a brisk jog. It’s strange, but the Bond personality can still be considered an asset.

Full Review – GameSpy

Sadly, the horrible control scheme puts a damper on this dapper British agent. Definitely watch the movie, strongly consider playing the PS2 and Xbox versions, and try out From Russia With Love on the PSP only if you haven’t already had enough Bond moments. Otherwise, this is one James Bond experience you can play without.

Full Review – GamePro

The Ratings On From Russia With Love

• UGO – B-
• IGN – 7.1/10
• Gamespot – 6.3/10
• GameSpy – 6.0/10
• GamePro – 6.0/10
• PSPworld – 7.0/10

To discuss these reviews, or to offer you own opinion of From Russia With Love, visit this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond 007 forum on the internet.

Casino Royale Photographs Featuring Daniel Craig and Eva Green Online

New snapshots from the newest James Bond film, Casino Royale seem to appear online every day now, and this one is no different.

From www.evagreenweb.com come several new photographs featuring Daniel Craig as James Bond and Eva Green as Bond girl Vesper Lynd. The photos, which can be viewed here, show the two attending dinner together. The first shows James Bond sipping a drink… perhaps the famed Vesper Martini?

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

Discuss this ‘Casino Royale’ news in this thread on the CBn Forums. With thanks to CBn forum member ‘marktmurphy.’

'The Man Who Saved Britain' Shipping Early

Fans of the literary James Bond take notice. The Man Who Saved Britain (which was set to be released on 2 June 2006), written by Simon Winder is shipping early from amazon.co.uk. Published by Picador, and 300 pages in length, it can now be ordered for £9.89.

The book was initially described as ‘”a funny, serious history of post-Colonial Britain as seen through the eyes of James Bond, part memoir, part history.’ A more complete blurb of the book found on both amazon sites (they differ slightly) describes it as:

Bond. James Bond. The ultimate British hero — suave, stoic, gadget-driven — he was more than anything the necessary invention of a traumatized country whose self-image as a great power had just been shattered by the Second World War. Bond’s creator, Ian Fleming, was an upper-class wastrel who had found purpose and excitement in the war, and to whom, like so many others, its end was a terrible disappointment?the elation of survival stifled by the reality of the new British impotence. In 1952 Fleming set out to repair this damage. By inventing the magical, parallel world of secret British greatness and glamour, he fabricated an icon that has endured long past its maker’s death.

To grow up in England in the 1970s was to grow up with James Bond, and The Man Who Saved Britain is first of all the story of the author’ relationship with the “national religion.” Simon Winder lovingly and ruefully re-creates the nadirs and humiliations of fandom while illuminating what Bond’s evolution — from books to film, from his roots in the 1940s to his “managed decline” today — says about the conservative movement, sex, the monarchy, food, attitudes toward America, class, and everything in between. The Man Who Saved Britain is an insightful and, above all, entertaining exploration of postwar Britain through the palliative influence of one of its most legendary icons, the larger-than-life Agent 007.

What is also somewhat interesting to note is that amazon.com cites the complete title as The Man Who Saved Britain : A Personal Journey into the Disturbing World of James Bond. It will be released on 17 October 2006 in the US; published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The current pre-order price is $15.60.

Be sure to stay tuned to CBn for further news on Simon Winder’s The Man Who Saved Britain.

Order the UK hardback edition of ‘The Man Who Saved Britain’ from Amazon.co.uk

Pre-order the U.S. hardback edition of ‘The Man Who Saved Britain’ from Amazon.com (17 October 2006)

Discuss this James Bond book in this thread on the CBn Forums, the largest James Bond forum on the internet.

Casino Royale – Update #2 on Official Website

The official Casino Royale website blog has been updated by ‘Yarborough.’ Coverage this time centers around the ‘beginning of term’ feel that accompanies every James Bond film and the action and stunts that Daniel Craig is getting involved in.

This second official report from the website starts off on the production move from Pinewood Studios to Prague, and the changes and reasons that accompany it. The blog also reports on Daniel Craig and his involvement in the action scenes (with stunt co-ordinator Gary Powell) right from the very start.

The accompanying two-minute video mostly covers the action and stunts of this newest 007 film, and how Craig and director Martin Campbell wanted to get ‘right into the [action scenes]’ from the beginning. According to Craig, ‘Martin [Campbell] just wants to … get as much energy into it as possible.’

Read the entire report and view the video here.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest news on Casino Royale and all things James Bond 007.

Casino Royale is the 21st James Bond 007 film produced by franchise holders Eon Productions. The MGM/Columbia Pictures production began shooting in January and is due for release worldwide on 17 November 2006. Starring Daniel Craig as James Bond, it is currently being filmed in the Czech Republic, the Bahamas, Italy and the UK.

The film co-stars Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Jeffrey Wright, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Caterina Murino, Simon Abkarian, Tobias Menzies, Ivana Milicevic, Clemens Schick, Ludger Pistor, Claudio Santamaria, and Isaach De Bankole.

Discuss this ‘Casino Royale’ news in this thread on the CBn Forums.