Looking Back: Win, Lose or Die

In August of 1989 John Gardner’s eighth James Bond 007 novel, Win, Lose or Die, was published. Here CBn takes a look back at the book which saw the promotion of the literary James Bond from Commander to Captain.

UK First Edition Hardback

Britain’s greatest spy returns, but not even James Bond has envisioned such a diabolical plan!

In a curious change of assignment, James Bond, Commander RN, is transferred from the Foreign Office to the active sea duty aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible. M’s explanation is twofold: Without blowing his cover, which must appear absolutely real to all involved, Bond must “mind” the British, Russian, and American admirals and their staffs on board the ship as observers during the annual four-week exercise in the North Sea.

This is not a casual baby-sitting assignment. Regardless of the existing cooperation between the three superpowers, it is a situation laden with deadly possibilities. And the deadliest one of all explodes into reality when terrorists hijack Invincible and hold the ship hostage for a price higher than any country is willing to pay.

Surrounded by enemies in the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, Bond joins forces with the beautiful Russian naval attache to confront and destroy the terrorists who, with control of the ship, have control of the world.

Fraught with the intrigue, explosive action, and technological wizardry that Bond fans have come to expect, Win, Lose or Die is a tour de force in the rousing Ian Fleming tradition.

US First Edition Hardback

Trivia

• Bond is promoted from Commander to a Captain in this book, and remains Captain Bond for the rest of the Gardner books.
• Raymond Benson named Win, Lose or Die as one of his favourites of Gardner’s Bond novels, saying: “This book ranks as one of the best of the Gardner Bonds for several reasons.“
• In doing research on the Harrier Jet, Gardner practiced in a Harrier simulator and described it as “Very hairy.“
• Win, Lose or Die contains the only appearance of Quarterdeck (M’s Residence) in a Gardner novel.

Release Timeline

• 1989: 1st British Hardback Edition
• 1989: 1st American Putnam Hardback Edition
• 1990: 1st British Coronet Open Market Edition
• 1990: 1st British Coronet Paperback Edition
• 1990: 1st British G.K. Hall Large Print Edition
• 1990: 1st American Berkley Paperback Edition

Relationship to the film series

• Win, Lose or Die: Book: Bond dogfights in a Harrier fighter jet.
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) – Bond dogfights in a MIG fighter jet.

Forum Reviews

I’m an attorney and one day I had to wait around in a Courtroom until late afternoon to argue a motion. I had Win, Lose or Die with me I had read maybe 50 pages before I got there and then read the rest of it while I waited. It was great, I felt like I was watching a Bond movie.

CBn Forum member B007GLE

I think turning Bond into a detective is what Gardner did a bit too much – it made him a glorified police officer. However, if I was going to suggest a Gardner I would probably rank this one up there.

CBn Forum member Compliments Of Sharky

UK First Edition Paperback

In Win, Lose or Die, Bond is doing all right up until around half-way, that’s where he starts missing things and essentially, he doesn’t do a whole hell of a lot to help the situation. The women always end up saving him and especially in the ending as well – where it was a bit weak, in my opinion. I would call this book one of the best after Icebreaker though.

CBn Forum member deth

Gardner did over do it just slightly with all the evil organisations: ‘BAST’.

CBn Forum member James Boldman

John’s been watching Top Gun again. Not unentertaining, but staggeringly unlikely; no evidence of Bond being a navy pilot before now. Isn’t he supposed to be about fifty in these books anyway? Still on the gaspers and the booze? Let’s shove him in a quadzillion pound aircraft then. I’m sure there are some villains in there somewhere, but buggered if I can remember what they’re up to and why. Title meaningless when you think about it. Real people? Check. Traitor and hotel rooms et cetera? Yep. OK, so it’s a bit of a twist on the norm but it’s a clear step away from the adventures of Commander James Bond, HMSS, and towards Captain James Boldman / John Bryce, RN, who is a considerably more boring character. Patchy.

CBn Forum member Jim

…on the Captain Bond promotion. I think it was an unnecessary touch to Bond, everyone knows him as a Commander, and there isn’t much point in promoting him to captain.

CBn Forum member Johnboy007

UK Paperback

Not bad, not great. I think I was thrown at first, because after the ‘Meek Ones’ from Scorpius, I was hoping that Gardner would stay away from these moist names for evil organizations, and the ‘Brotherhood of Anarchy and Secret Terror’ made me want to puke.

The story was fine but, when did James Bond lose his balls? He’s now getting bailed out in just about every situation. He gets kicked in the crotch by a girl, and a Marine has to save him; he almost gets shot at the end, and Beatrice has to save him; and it seemed like the only people he’s able to kill in this book are the Wrens.

CBn Forum member Jriv71

Which Gardner book should be turned into a movie?

Win, Lose Or Die has a decent title and I quite like the idea of Bond going back to the Navy. Nothing much else about it is worth keeping, but that’s enough to build a film on it seems.

CBn Forum member marktmurphy

It’s generally looked upon as an average James Bond continuation novel I would say. The Captain Bond bit may turn off some fans of course. It was one of the most difficult Gardner’s for me to track down, but it was a pleasent surprise compared with some of his others.

CBn Forum member Qwerty

Large Print Editon

I’ve never read this Win, Lose Or Die, but its reputation is interesting. Numerous critical reviews at the time were very favorable, more so than with a lot of previous Gardner Bond books. But I find the fan reaction rather mixed such as here. My brother in particular said he didn’t like it very much.

CBn Forum member Turn

I liked the first half — good locations and relationship. I liked the “hook” of the book that Bond is going back to the Royal Navy. But it sort of lost me when Bond goes onboard the Invincible. He becomes too much of a detective for my tastes.

CBn Forum member zencat

To discuss ‘Win, Lose Or Die’ visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

The Looking Back at John Gardner Series:

• Licence Renewed
• For Special Services
• Icebreaker
• Role Of Honour
• Nobody Lives Forever
• No Deals, Mr. Bond
• Scorpius
• Licence To Kill
• Win, Lose Or Die
• Brokenclaw
• The Man From Barbarossa
• Death Is Forever
• Never Send Flowers
• SeaFire
• GoldenEye
• COLD

Related Articles:

• “THE SILVER BEAST”
• “Déjà vu, Mr. Bond?”

Higson & Horowitz to Talk 'Thrillers' at NFT

UPDATE: EVENT CANCELLED

From the NFT website: “Unfortunately, this event is now cancelled. We apologise for any disappointment caused. Customers are kindly requested to contact the box office for a ticket exchange or refund.”

Young Bond author Charlie Higson will be appearing together with Anthony Horowitz, author of the bestselling Alex Rider series of children’s spy novels, at London’s National Film Theatre in a program called Anthony Horowitz and Charlie Higson: Writing Thrillers for a Younger Audience.

The event will be held on Friday, 1st July at 2:20PM. The cost is £5.00.

NFT Box Office: 020 7928 3232

Anthony Horowitz claims he was originally offered the job of Young Bond author by Ian Fleming Publications, but turned it down in favour of continuing his Rider books. His most recent Alex Rider novel, Ark Angel, was published on 1 April.

Charlie Higson’s first Young Bond novel, SilverFin, has been a huge success, selling over 50,000 copies to date with arrangements in place for foreign translations in Brazil, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Sweden.

Higson’s second yet untitled Young Bond novel is due out in January 2006. A series of Young Bond graphic novels are also being planned.

Keep watching CBn for the latest news on SilverFin and Young Bond Book 2.

Discuss this news in this thread on the CBn Forums.
Thanks to James Swallow for alerting us to this event.

Related links

• The Charlie Higson CBn Interview
• Charlie Higson Q&A Reveals More on Young Bond 2
• CBn Reviews Young Bond Book 1: ‘SilverFin’

'From Russia With Love' Level 2 Screenshots

EA Games has once again provided us with 3 CBn-exclusive From Russia With Love screenshots. Last month we got a preview of Level 1: The London Level. Today we have screenshots from the game’s second level, Hedgemaze.

Hedgemaze is the first level adapted directly from the 1963 film. It’s a recreation of the famous From Russia With Love pre-title sequence in which we see James Bond (Sean Connery) being stalked by Red Grant in the gardens of SPECTRE island (in reality the gardens of Pinewood Studios). In this nighttime level of From Russia With Love, there is more of an emphasis on stealth gameplay since there are guards everywhere patrolling the OCTOPUS hideout.

OCTOPUS hideout? Yep, you got it… in From Russia With Love SPECTRE will be known as OCTOPUS because according to EA there are still legal issues in regards to the use of SPECTRE.

Stay tuned to CBn for the latest breaking news on From Russia With Love.

• Pre-order From Russia With Love on Microsoft Xbox
• Pre-order From Russia With Love on Nintendo GameCube
• Pre-order From Russia With Love on Sony PlayStation 2

'OO7' Magazine #46, Roger Moore Special

Publisher and editor Graham Rye reports that ‘OO7’ Magazine #46 will ship to subscribers and select retailers the first week in July. Roger Moore fans will be delighted to hear that a large portion of this latest issue of ‘OO7’ will be devoted to the unflappable James Bond #3.

Here’s an exclusive first look at what’s inside the new issue.

• INTERVIEW: The Full Monty. THOMAS HEDMAN spoke with Monty Norman, the composer who has written music for many films, and even more stage musicals and TV shows. However, his place in cinema history was assured in 1962 when he composed the immortal “James Bond Theme.”
• FEATURE: Jolly Roger! GARETH OWEN examines Sir Roger Moore’s remarkable tenure in the role of James Bond, which spanned seven films over an incredible 12 years, and included some of the most financially successful movies in the history of the oo7 franchise. 32-page special feature showcasing over 200 photographs.
• MUSIC: Hear You Loud And Clear! GREG BECHTLOFF takes a concise view of the James Bond film soundtracks.

Visit the official ‘OO7’ Magazine website to purchase this latest issue of ‘OO7’ or back issues. SUBSCRIBE NOW and receive ‘OO7’ #46 as your first issue!

* ‘OO7’ Magazine is no longer affiliated with The James Bond International Fan Club. The JBIFC has announced plans to release their own club magazine in ’05.

To discuss this issue of ‘OO7’ visit this thread in the CBn Forums.

Thanks to Graham Rye.

Related articles:

• ‘OO7’ Magazine: A Complete Bibliography
• ‘OO7’ Magazine #45
• ‘OO7’ Magazine #44
• ‘OO7’ Magazine #43
• ‘OO7’ Magazine Selling For Big Buck$ on eBay

The John Griswold CBn Interview

While books about James Bond films are plentiful, only a handful deal exclusively with Ian Fleming’s written work. 20 years in the making, John Griswold’s Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies has been well received among Bond and Fleming scholars, though the chronologies have caused some debate.

CBn spoke with Griswold about his landmark work and the journey from idea to fruition.

Thank you for agreeing to the interview. First, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you became a Bond fan?

I am a person who enjoys doing analysis, research, and artwork (primarily, drawing and sculpture) and, for over twenty years, has pursued a career in computer systems design work which also tapped my creative side.

As for becoming a Bond fan, it began in 1964, halfway through the movie Goldfinger when I realized that the character on the screen, James Bond, was the same one who was in the movie From Russia With Love. Then, at the end of Goldfinger, when the words appeared on the screen that James Bond would be returning, my interest was forever cemented. The movies made me aware of Ian Fleming’s thrillers. Doctor No was the first Bond novel I read. From then on, I read the whole series.

What prompted you to create this book?

I have been analyzing and researching Ian Fleming’s Bond stories for over twenty years as a hobby and was fortunate to have had access to many of the original Fleming manuscripts. As time went on and our culture and environment changed, I became aware of the need to annotate Fleming’s Bond world to ensure that his references would not be misunderstood or unknowingly ignored. In 1993, on a part-time basis, I began consolidating my notes obtained from a variety of sources. As an analytical and curious person, I also began constructing a chronology based on the literary series as whole as opposed to viewing each book as an independent entity. In mid-2001, I began writing my book part-time. By 2002, it became a full time endeavor where I worked on it full time up to 12 to 14 hours a day, writing, researching, and crosschecking.

You mention annotated authors such as Lewis Carroll, Mark Twain, Tolkien, and Conan Doyle in your introduction—was there a work on one of those authors that served as inspiration or blueprint for your Fleming work?

To be honest, no. It was the process of annotating a work of literature that interested me. As I point out in my book’s introduction, Fleming’s Bond stories were contemporary when written, but with the passage of time, have become period pieces covering the 1950s and early 1960s. Fleming had a broad base of knowledge and utilized the knowledge of many of his friends and correspondents. References to literary works and items of historic interest lend us insight into Fleming, the man.

Did you set any goals for yourself when starting the book? For instance—was it always going to include chronologies—or was that idea added after you had started researching annotations?

By the time I actually began to write the manuscript, I had a mental outline as to exactly what I wanted to accomplish. The book that one sees is the book that I envisioned. The chronologies were always one of the goals.
For Moonraker, I did extensive analysis of the famous contract bridge game between Bond and Drax. Each hand played and their results are given. At the conclusion of the analysis, British pounds were converted to their equivalent 1953 American dollars. These amounts were then converted to their equivalent 2001 purchasing power values. This was done to demonstrate for readers as to how large the stakes had become.

To crosscheck my analysis of the location of the fictional Spectreville in Diamonds Are Forever, my wife and I went to Las Vegas, Nevada. From Las Vegas, we took Highway 95 to the Specter (Fleming spelt it as ‘Spectre’) mountain range and observed how the path of the fictional Spectreville railroad’s track could have been laid out. This path appears on a map included in the section on Diamonds Are Forever.

Maps were created for many of the other novels. Travel to the Bahamas was necessary to locate the ordnance map of New Providence Island as it was in 1959 for my section on Thunderball since many of the road names on New Providence Island have been changed and no longer correspond to those mentioned in the novel. The Sunday Times Book Publication Go Golfing in Britain (1961) had wonderful hole-by-hole graphics of the Royal St. George’s golf course for which I obtained the rights to use in my book as the Royal St. Marks golf course. The fictional Royal St. Marks golf course in Goldfinger was in reality the Royal St. George’s golf course as it looked during the time Goldfinger was set. Now readers of Goldfinger can follow the graphic hole-by-hole while reading the novel. In 2003, my wife and I were fortunate to be invited to tour the Royal St. George’s golf course. It was an exciting experience to walk from one hole to another and get the actual feel of the course.

What was the most difficult part of completing the chronologies?

The key to creating the high level chronology was to view the series of books as a whole. As noted in my book, it wasn’t until From Russia, With Love that Fleming began creating a clearer chronology of events for the books. As it turned out, it was the relationship among Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service that challenged me most from a chronological point of view.

Based on information contained in You Only Live Twice and The Man with the Golden Gun, one can determine that On Her Majesty’s Secret Service takes place from September 1961 to January 1962. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Fleming states that the events involving Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me occurred in October and one of the dates is Friday, October 13th. Friday, October 13th is a day in 1961. Interestingly enough, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service has a flash-forward structure. Fleming had left a space in time for the events involving Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me to fit nicely between mid-September and mid-November 1961.

Both The Spy Who Loved Me and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service had statements concerning Operation Thunderball that didn’t seem to make sense. In Thunderball, Fleming stated explicitly that portions took place in June 1959, but in The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond mentioned Operation Thunderball as having been less than a year ago. In Bond mentioned Operation Thunderball as having been about a year ago. It isn’t until the context of these statements is reflected upon that one can arrive at the conclusion that Bond was referring to when some vague information about Operation Thunderball was leaked and first appeared in the newspapers around the end of November 1960 and not when Operation Thunderball actually occurred. In The Spy Who Loved Me,, chapter 11 – Bedtime Story, October 13, 1961, Vivienne mentions the newspapers as having had some information about Operation Thunderball, and in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, toward the end of November 1961, Bond mentioned the leaks about Operation Thunderball to the Sable Basilisk.

Considering the length of time it took to work on this—was there ever a time when you thought it might never get done?

No.

Due to the Internet’s somewhat transitory nature—were you reluctant to use web sites as sources for entries or not?

With the nature of the world today, one must use qualified resources where one finds them. At one time, many books, many good books, have had a transitory lifespan. The Internet has been a great tool for locating some of these out of print books.

Contacting people with specific expertise by mail and via the Internet was extremely productive. Their generosity was greatly appreciated, and I gave full credit in the footnotes for the information they provided and listed their names on the Acknowledgements page. I have a separate binder that contains permissions for usage from people who have contributed to the book. For example: The people at the Continental Register helped me to clarify Fleming’s Bentley information, and a Scottish-based film producer and screenplay writer pointed me in the right direction for finally solving the ‘girl in the balloon bet’ mentioned in Moonraker and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Akihiko Sato, who is a Japanese scholar, supplied the information concerning the Bar Mecca murder case, which was referenced in Moonraker.

Again, many thanks to people who were kind enough to help me in this effort.

Some entries are very detailed while others are a few words. How did you decide what topics to go into great depth on?

The entries are there to clarify the meaning of terms. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Hopefully, I have provided enough information to inspire readers to delve further into an item of interest. It would be wonderful if an entry in the book sparked a reader’s interest to pursue further research on his or her own.

You must have spent a great deal of time getting permissions to quote for some of the entries—was there anything that had to be left out because you couldn’t get permission?

Nothing was left out. Patience and persistence were the keys. The hard part was locating the rightful owners of source material.

Did you approach Ian Fleming Publications during your research, or did you go to them after your manuscript had been completed?

The book was written in 2002. In February 2003, I traveled with my wife, Deborah, to London to present my manuscript to Ian Fleming Publications Limited (formerly known as Glidrose Publications, Ltd). I met with Kate Jones, a publishing consultant; Zoë Watkins, Publishing Manager, Ian Fleming Publications Ltd; and Kate Grimond, Ian Fleming’s niece and co-conservator of his estate. The manuscript was approved and a license was granted for its publication.

Was it a difficult decision to self-publish rather than go through a traditional publisher?

Due to the unique nature of my book, it was difficult to find an traditional publisher willing to publish it. I decided to self-publish through AuthorHouse where I would have the greatest creative control over the format of the book.

Note: In my book, book titles referenced are underlined, as opposed to being italicized, so they standout on the page. The footnote source references were placed at the bottom of pages corresponding with the footnotes on a given page to make it easier for readers to confirm my sources.

Do you have a favorite among Fleming’s novels? Do you view it differently after your research on your book?

My favorites are Doctor No, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and You Only Live Twice. The placement of Doctor No on the series timeline was especially difficult, and I finally determined that 1956 was the best fit. While creating the detailed chronology for Doctor No, an interesting happenstance occurred by using a year 1956 calendar. The date derived for Bond and Quarrel’s arrival on Crab Key came out to be March 15, 1956. This was the same date that Fleming and Ivar Bryce arrived at Great Inagua. Fleming later used aspects of Great Inagua for his fictional island Crab Key.

Which Fleming novel was the most difficult to research, and why?

One of the most intriguing novels was You Only Live Twice. The original manuscript’s ‘Chapter 21 – Obit:’ triggered off a whole chain of thoughts and intense research as to what Fleming was possibly thinking.

In the Chapter 21 – Obit: of the original manuscript for You Only Live Twice, I found that Fleming originally stated that Bond entered ‘a branch that was subsequently to become the Ministry of Defence’ at the age of 17 in 1939. He later changed this to ‘1941’. As in the published edition, Bond’s parents are stated as having died in a climbing accident when he was 11. The fact that Fleming first used the year ‘1939’ was intriguing because if one subtracts 17 from 1939, one gets the year 1922. When you add 11 (Bond’s age when his parents died) to 1922, the result is 1933 which is the year Bond ‘bought’ his Bentley mentioned in Casino Royale. Fleming seemed to be hinting as to how Bond actually got his first Bentley, but then changed the year in the manuscript from ‘1939’ to ‘1941’ for another purpose which I touch upon. Using Bond’s November 11th birthday which was assigned by John Pearson, November 11th in the year 1921 (instead of Pearson’s 1920) can be used while still having Bond be 11 years old within the date span of January 1, 1933 to November 10, 1933. Fleming’s changing of the year ‘1939’ to ‘1941’ points to the possible origin of Bond’s fictional secret service: the SOE (Special Operation Executive) which actually existed during World War II. This issue is fully examined in my book.

Would you consider doing future volumes featuring the works of Amis, Pearson, Gardner, Benson, and Higson?

No, but it sounds like a fine project for someone else to pursue especially since these authors are still alive. I wish that I had had the opportunity to meet with Fleming.

What advice would you have for budding Fleming/Bond research authors?

If you have an idea and know its boundaries, begin to work on it. Don’t wait only to have regrets later that you didn’t try.

To discuss this interview, visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

Purchase Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies from Amazon.com (U.S.)

Purchase Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies from Amazon.co.uk (UK)

The 'Diamonds Are Forever' Ball

The UK charity InterAct is arranging a James Bond themed event which will take place in only a few weeks time. The 007 theme of Diamonds are Forever will run throughout the event, including Bond cars at the entrance, a 007 ice sculpture from which guests can enjoy a drink of vodka and a white chocolate fountain to accompany the champagne reception.

In addition to valet parking, fine dining with a three-course meal and complimentary wine, charity raffle, surprise guests, dancing, casino tables and live entertainment, guests will also have the chance to bid for some unusual auction items. From a Shirley Bassey signed disc of Diamonds Are Forever and a diamond necklace to a trip in the Capital Eye helicopter, the auction is certainly going to be a highlight of the evening.

The Diamonds Are Forever Ball
Friday, 8 July 2005
£70 per person

Radisson SAS Hotel London Stansted Airport
Waltham Close
London Stansted Airport
Essex
CM24 1PP

Currently InterAct only has a few tables left for this prestigious event so if you’d like to attend I’d suggest purchasing tickets right away by contacting Simone Robinson via Tel: 01245 608250 or email: [email protected].

On booking their tickets guests receive detailed instructions about the evening from ‘M’ and are asked to contact Miss Moneypenny for dietary requirements etc. And apparently we are not allowed to take our ‘Q’ gadgets on to the dance floor!

Some of our guests are senior business people who are entertaining clients at the event, while others are complete James Bond fanatics who cannot wait to meet the surprise guests we have lined up. We have also been contacted by a number of people who are celebrating birthdays, anniversaries and even a work reunion!

– Simone Robinson, Head of Fundraising at InterAct

InterAct is an Essex based charity that works to enable local people with mental health problems or learning disabilities to transform their lives. The charity co-ordinates skills acquisition projects, social enterprises and circles of support and also sends recycled computers to Africa in order to help African people beat the poverty trap. Further information about the work of InterAct can be found on interact.org.uk.

To discuss this event please visit this thread on the CBn Forums.

CBn Reviews 'Diamonds Are Forever'

Over the last several months, members of the CBn Forum have been reviewing all the James Bond films in the “Countdown Threads“. If you wish to join in on the forum discussion all you have to do is register. Now here are some select reviews, varying in opinions, of Diamonds Are Forever…

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Bond111

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ litho by Jeff Marshall

Not quite the mess that The Man With The Golden Gun is, but close. First off, the script is incredibly cheesy and absurd, and the action scenes aren’t up to par (not to mention the special effects). Sean Connery’s performance is obviously lacking, and he just doesn’t seem right for the film, or, rather, the film doesn’t seem right for him. The Bond girl is terrible, and probably one of the worst of the series. Charles Gray as Blofeld is even worse. He’s not even playing Blofeld.

The things I will give it credit for, however, is its quality score by veteran John Barry (though not really in my style), the exciting fight in the elevator, and the epic battle at the end (even though it ends too abruptly).

The end result ends up feeling more of a spoof of James Bond, rather than a wholehearted effort. This is bottom of the barrel Bond.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by DLibrasnow

A podgy, balding actor doing a bad impersonation of Sean Connery stars in this movie that seems confused between wanting to be a more serious James Bond picture and a more jokey seventies entry. What could (and should) have been a great tale of Bond avenging the murder of his wife with 007 tracking Blofeld around the world is instead turned into a wacked out amusement park ride. Flat setpieces (only the elevator fight with Franks gives any real excitement), loosely drawn characters, a ho-hum plot and the worst Felix Leiter of the series mean that this 1971 film fails on so many levels to serve as a swan song for Connery (no wonder he returned 12 years later for the far superior Never Say Never Again).

This movie really is going nowhere fast. Little do we care if 007 carries out his assignment or if the world survives the machinations of Blofeld. With Bond being chased by a couple of gay assassins and Blofeld prancing around dressed as an old lady the camp element becomes so pervasive that one almost expects Charles Gray to jump on a desk and start singing that number from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show.’

One of the major failings of this movie is Connery himself – he looks simply terrible (and in fact appeared much healthier and effective in Never Say Never Again). He also seems universally bored with the proceedings (as he probably was) and his monotone delivery of several lines produces not awe at his acting ability but yawns at just how uninteresting and boring the story is.

Overall a flat entry that does nothing for the audience. The climax aboard the oil rig must surely rank as one of the worst and least exciting of the series (and this from someone who loves the fight in the monastery in For Your Eyes Only). My least favorite Connery 007 movie.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Freemo

Sixth place in my “all-Connery Top Six” goes to Diamonds Are Forever. Just for being two glourious hours of comic book fun. Perhaps it’s a little flabby, a little cartoonish, but also impossible to tire of. Look at it as an “event” if you need to, Sean Connery the old gang back together again, in Vegas of all places, delivering some first-rate entertainment. The last true “adult” Bond film, with some wonderful witty dialogue and great characters.

Top stuff.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by hrabb04

The opening is really good, even though it’s Bob Simmon’s, armed with Sean Connery’s voice, who is doing all of the knocking the bad guys about. When we first see Sean, it’s almost a shock. He’s older, balder, and fatter, but it’s still Sean! I love it when he rips off the bikini top and strangles the girl. That is Bond all the way. When he nails Blofeld and his goons, welcoming his wife’s killer to hell, that again is Bond. Perfect. So far, so good.

Shirley Bassey’s theme is really good, starting with that effective opening sting. I love it that you can listen to it on the soundtrack now. Great stuff. Maurice Binder, you were a genius! And John Barry is a God amongst film composers. Nobody does it better!

Connery’s scenes with M are priceless, with Tom Mankiewicz’s script really shining here. I love his dialogue, alluding to Connery’s absence from the role. We do function in your absence, Commander!

Jill St. John is a hottie among hotties in this one. Her chemistry with Connery is spot-on, and they strike more than a few sparks. Same with Lana Wood. Her part is mangled through the crappy editing. You have to watch the deleted scenes on the DVD to put two and two together on the what and how of her character. Bad editor, bad!

Wint and Kidd are two of the best henchmen ever in a Bond movie. Bruce Glover is creepy and Putter Smith just cracks me up. He has that weird laugh. Perfect, perfect casting.

But then, well, we have Charles Gray as Blofeld. What the hell? Going from Donald Pleasance to Telly Savalas to this guy? Give me a break! He still has some funny lines, but you don’t want Blofeld to be funny! You want Bond at this point to want to rip his throat out!

Still, Diamonds Are Forever, while fun, is the weakest of the Connery’s for me, since we’re not counting Never Say Never Again.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Loomis

Fun stuff, despite (or perhaps because of) the filmmakers’ apparent desire to urinate on Fleming and totally trash everything held dear by Bond purists. Forget about 007 the spy – here, our hero is a tubby playboy type, involved in some kind of lighthearted jewel thief caper comedy rather than an espionage adventure. You get Connery back, but you don’t get Bond – swings and roundabouts, eh? But, hey, when you’ve got a terrific Barry score, some great locations and Ken Adam sets, and enough goofy and bizarre elements to keep lovers of the goofy and bizarre entertained till the cows come home, who’s grumbling? Not me. Wonderful chemistry between Connery and Jill St. John, some laugh-out-loud comedy moments (Wint and Kidd chortling in the car like Beavis and Butt-Head gets me every time), and hands down the most entertaining first 20 minutes or so of any Bond flick ever (the bra strangulation bit is genuinely unpleasant, though).

An enjoyable “Bond” outing (best to put it in inverted commas, I think) that doesn’t take itself too seriously (which is just as well).

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Moonraker

A great Bond film for Connery to go out with. The action sequences are very elaborate. Sean gives a decent preformance and has great one liners with Tiffany. Tiffany is a good Bond girl, smart and sassy especially at the gas station seen. Charles Gray is decent Blofeld, but not as good as the predecessors. Wint & Kidd are great villians as well. The score is fantastic and Shirley Bassey’s theme is magnificent, sexy, dark and cool. Overall a great film my all favourite James Bond film.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Qwerty

It’s really not all that bad, it’s just not one of those top Connery films in my opinion. Ranking it at #15 seems to make out that I don’t care for this one too much, but you can never have enough Diamonds Are Forever. It’s a light, fast paced movie that keeps you entertained for the most part, throughout.

It’s nice to see Connery return, although I’ve always seen him as looking his worst in this film. While he may be the most disinterested in You Only Live Twice, he looks the least like the Bond we once knew him as in this one. He does get some pretty good lines, thanks to Tom Mankiewicz’s very sharp screenwriting. Charles Gray’s Ernst Stavro Blofeld is, however, the weakest of the three. He is hammed up and doesn’t really have all that much menace. While some of the dialogue he has with Bond is good, it isn’t enough.

Tiffany Case is a fair Bond girl. More enjoyable and believeable in the first half of the movie though.

The finale is one of the main problems with the film. It lacks spectacle, it lacks polish and just seems to be quickly thrown together. We do have, at least, a good score by John Barry, as well as a good main title song. Some good dialogue, but the film has good and bad parts on the whole.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Scottlee

The good: Very witty script from Mankowitz, hilarious in places | Connery looks enthused at playing Bond again. The 4 year break appeared to do him good, even if his weight was slightly dodgy. You couldn’t imagine the 62-65 Connery physique, for instance, getting slapped around by Bambi and Thumper. | Wint and Kidd are superb, and aren’t over-used. | Good score | Decent pre-credits

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by Tarl Cabot

A flabby Connery with a bad hair day and a lame revenge of Tracy’s murder makes this outing Connery’s least worthy. It entertains but it’s not the Bond film that the series deserved as a follow up to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. A lot of fans seem to wish Connery had starred in the superior On Her Majesty’s Secret Service but I think Diamonds Are Forever would have been better with Lazenby as Bond.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by tdalton

I have no idea what Saltzman and Brocolli were thinking when they came up with the idea behind this film. It might have been alright if the film had come later in the series, but it just doesn’t work as a follow up to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

First of all, Sean Connery doesn’t really seem all that interested to be returning to the role of 007, and it shows in his performance. He just waltzes through the film as though he is just waiting to pick up that monsterous paycheck upon the completion of the film. George Lazenby should have been allowed to return to the role and at least finish what he started in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and the film would have been better off if that had happened.

The main reason that Diamonds Are Forever does not work is the fact that it should have been a revenge story, but instead, it is almost a slapstick comedy, almost a foreshadowing of the Roger Moore Era that was to follow. I just am not willing to believe that someone like James Bond could be put in the same room as the man who murdered his wife (in the previous film) and that he doesn’t seem to have any extra animosity towards Blofeld. It doesn’t make sense, and it is just a crime that the Bond fans were not able to get a true revenge story following On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, one of the best films in the series.

Blofeld also poses another problem. He is horribly miscast in the guise of Charles Gray. Gray is a fine actor in his own rite, but after two consecutive films in which Blofeld has appeared as a short, bald man, it once again doesn’t make sense for him to appear in a third film as a taller man with a full head of hair. Also, instead of the deadpan performances of Donald Pleasance and Telly Savalas in You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Gray portrays Blofeld as a camp villian, and even dresses in drag towards the end of the film, something that the Pleasance and Savalas incarnations of the character would not have done.

Jill St. John is also miscast as Tiffany Case. She is just an annoying character that is there simply to fill the need for a Bond girl. After Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, St. John is very disappointing and does not carry the screen well at all.

Blofeld’s caper is one of the same ho-hum space satellite weapon plots. He once again threatens to destroy cities if his demands are not met, and this is a tired plot device that we have seen before. Also, after the down to earth scheme in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever’s plot seems a bit farfetched.

The idea to set a Bond movie in Las Vegas, however, was a good idea. Las Vegas is the perfect place for 007. Unfortunately, it was not used to its full potential.

The score of the film was decent. Nothing spectacular, but definitely not the worst of the Bond scores. Shirley Bassey’s theme song, however, was outstanding.

‘Diamonds Are Forever’ by YOLT

I think Connery’s Bond legacy died with this film until 1983. Connery was so-so but the film was awful. It was just a film made to say that “Connery’s back so come and see it”. The locations and the action scenes were dull. The elevator fight was one of the highligths of the film. It was a bad and an awful Bond film.

Win a James Bond 'GoldenEye' Sideshow Figure

UPDATE June 27: We have a winner! Congrads to CBn Member B007GLE!

Courtesy of Sideshow Collectables, we now have a James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) GoldenEye 12″ figure to give away to one lucky CBn member. You must be a registered member of the CBn Forum and answer the questionnaire correctly to be eligible to win.

Now it’s time to think like James Bond. To enter, fill out the following questionnaire by Saturday 25 June and e-mail it (Subject: GE Sideshow Contest) to [email protected].

Questions

1. What’s your CBn Forum Screen Name?
2. Who wrote the title song to GoldenEye?
3. Which James Bond film featured Pierce Brosnan’s late wife?
4. Which other Oscar-nominated actress (besides Judy Dench) made a brief appearance in GoldenEye?

007 Questions provided by: Scene it? James Bond Edition

All those who answer correctly will be put into a drawing and the winner will be sent a PM via the CBn Forums to the Screen Name they provided to inform them of their win. The winner must respond to this PM within 3 days with the requested information (name, address, etc) or another drawing will be held. The winner will be announced once shipping information has been received. Item will be shipped directly from Sideshow.

To discuss this competition or if you have any questions visit this thread on the CBn Forum.

Delivery for the contest winner: The winner must allow 4-6 weeks after announcement of win to receive the product. To get the latest news from Sideshow Collectibles, join our Newsletter!

Delivery time & Restrictions: All continental US orders are shipped FedEx ground service. Because FedEx cannot provide tracking numbers for P.O. Boxes, Sideshow Collectibles will no longer ship to a P.O. Box. Please provide your street address or your shipment will be delayed. For FedEx Ground deliveries, please allow up to 6 business days for delivery from the date your order is shipped.

International Shipping Restrictions: At this time we are unable to make shipments to Mexico, Venezuela or Nigeria. Please Click Here for further international shipping information and restrictions.

All taxes are the responsibility of the winner. All prizes are non-transferable, with no cash redemptions and/or substitutions except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. All international winners will be responsible for any duties, tariffs, taxes or import fees assessed to their prize. Further some countries outside of the U.S. do not have reliable mail services. In the event that a prize has been stolen or mishandled during shipment to an international destination, Sideshow may not be able to replace the specific item and will substitute a prize at its own discretion. If the winner prefers a specific quicker shipping method, they are responsible to notify us immediately and will also be responsible to cover the additional costs if any.

'GoldenEye: Rogue Agent' for Nintendo DS Reviewed

As with the original release of EA’s GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, the game for the Nintendo DS has again met with some very mixed reviews. Gaming sites have given their reviews of the game; which site do you trust?

One of the most successful games of all time was “GoldenEye: 007” for the Nintendo 64, released in 1997 by Rare. The game was way ahead of other first-person shooters of the time, offering many missions, zany cheat codes and some of the best multiplayer action for up to four people to compete in. Many people today still play.

That said, it’s no wonder that a sequel has been produced. The sequel was released on Nov. 15, 2004, for the XBox, PS2 and GameCube. But now we have an altered version making its way to your beloved Nintendo DS.

“Rouge Agent” certainly lives up to its name by casting you as a secret agent who has been disgraced by MI6 and expelled from the British Secret Service. Since then, you have fallen in with a nefarious businessman, Auric Goldfinger. Dr. No, it would seem, has shot out your eye. In its place you have a golden eye that gives you a lot of new abilities, including the power to see through walls, a limited telekinetic ability and a shield.

All of this has been preserved from the console version of the game, along with the story line. Additionally, you will find a very nice multiplayer game.

One question that comes mind is whether the graphics are intact. The graphics aren’t 128-bit, like they would be on the XBox, PS2, or GC, so they have been reduced to the 64-bit level of the DS (think Nintendo 64, but a bit better). The graphics are certainly nice for a handheld system, and one thing that is definitely good is the fact that the frame-rate is up to par. The game runs at a solid 60 fps for the most part, which is important if you want to enjoy the game without it lagging on you.

Full Review – Sun Herald

On the console, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent was a very “meh” first-person shooter where FPS games are in wide abundance. On the Nintendo DS, GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is master of the domain if only because of the lack of any competition in the genre. Other than the basic Metroid Prime Hunters demo that came packaged with the first round of Nintendo DS units, the handheld’s been lacking in the FPS genre, and Electronic Arts is there to fill the void. The final product is a valiant effort, but it really does have a distinct “We need to rush this to market NOW!!!” feel from start to finish. It’s certainly fun for what it is, but the loose ends and overall lack of polish are too obvious to ignore.

GoldenEye: Rogue Agent is a James Bond game in license only. The storyline weaves through situations featuring familiar characters such as Dr. No, Goldfinger, Pussy Galore, Odd Job, and others, but Bond is nowhere to be seen. That’s because you’re playing as an agent dismissed from the MI4 agency, now buddied up with Goldfinger to assist in this evil mastermind’s feud with Dr. No. Whether the plot was successful on the console, it’s completely forgettable on the Nintendo DS version because of the poor storytelling through lame text cutscenes and talking heads.

Full Review – IGN

As with its console ancestor, Rogue Agent sports both a single-player campaign and multiplayer deathmatch. The single-player game is as uninspired as it was on the consoles, with a few downgrades unique to the DS. For example, enemies don’t move or flinch when they’re hit or spawn in suspiciously, and have downright brain-dead AI. That said, the weapon selection manages to cover the bases and the eye-based powers and a unique hostage-taking mechanism add a tiny bit of extra flair.

Since it apes the previous console versions so closely, the single-player action seems decidedly mediocre. But midway through level two, something strange happened: I began to have a bit of fun. I played off and on as I chatted online, and found it vaguely enjoyable to mosey through the ultra-linear levels, taking breaks every now and then to rejuvenate my waning interest. I attribute this odd enjoyment to the game’s portable nature. Being able to play it in little bites while doing something else lets the game shine as a moderately engaging little time waster. Don’t get me wrong; it’s still a middling FPS at best. However, the transformative power of context allowed me to squeeze out some enjoyment that I was unable to find in its completely boring, plodding, over-produced, under-delivering big brother.

Full Review – GameSpy

James Bond: A Celebration

Important Note – for all pictures click thumbnails to enlarge.

A chance to meet Bond stars and other fans at Bond’s “home” at Pinewood Studios is a fantastic opportunity. On June 11th, bondstars.com organized A Celebration + An Evening With George Lazenby for 100 lucky Bond fans, and I’m happy to report that the event was a great success.

After my girlfriend and I arrived at the studios, we were led into the main entrance and given our name badges and programs, and then filtered into the memorabilia dealer room, and the autograph signing room.

Madeline Smith, John Wyman, John Moreno, Jan Williams, Alan Hume, Joe Robinson, Thomas Wheatley and Eunice Gayson were all there early, and once we had made our purchases in the dealers room and gotten our items signed, we walked out onto the patio and into the beautiful gardens that surround the main building. It was a gorgeous day and perfect opportunity to see old friends and make new ones in such glorious surroundings.

Throughout the day we were given Fry’s chocolate bars, to acknowledge the fact that Lazenby was the Big Fry man before he was Bond. Although they had asked for 100, the chocolate company sent 100 packs of 4, so even those of us with a sweet tooth were sated.

Next came a tour of the studios, led by Gareth Owen. Throughout the building are posters, pictures, awards, and plaques commemorating films and industry individuals who have made an impact on Pinewood’s history.

Pinewood’s A Stage was currently empty but it was still chilling to see the location where so many great Bond moments were filmed. We then moved on to the most famous stage of all, The Albert R Broccoli 007 Stage. Scaffolding was being constructed inside, but we were let in for a quick peek.

Next we saw the outdoor paddock tank and large bluescreen set, used in many Bond films including The Living Daylights ice chase where the police car chasing Bond is sunk, and the sinking of the St George’s in For Your Eyes Only.

We then moved on to more gardens, including one with a Welsh slate commemorating Desmond Llewelyn as Q, and the small grotto where Renard emerges with the burning stones from The World is Not Enough.

After we crossed over a small bridge, we were on SPECTRE Island and Jan Williams was on hand to give us massages. As we headed back to the main building, we walked along Goldfinger Ave. and Draco’s henchman Terrence Mountain posed for pictures in the historic location where Bond’s Aston Martin loses it’s battle with a wall. The mirror is now domed shaped rather than flat.

Once we got back to the main building, the 2nd tour group started, and so we visited the bar and then had a delicious lunch with grilled hamburgers, chicken, and hot dogs. My girlfriend and I were sitting with another American couple, but we were joined by Jan Williams who talked to the ladies about the best places to shop in London, and her late friend Princess Diana, while the men talked about Bond.

After lunch we headed to Theatre 7 (graciously lit by Alec Mills) for a question and answer session with John Moreno, Eunice Gayson, John Wyman, Thomas Wheatley, Albert Moses, Joe Robinson, and Madeline Smith, and Norman Wanstall. Each of them had great anecdotes, and unanimous in their praise of the Broccoli family and how much Bond has helped their careers.

After a quick tea and coffee break, we came back to the theatre for the screening of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and Gareth explained how difficult it was to find a print. No useable print existed in Europe, so Eon agreed to lend their copy. That print had a couple warped reels so that wouldn’t work either. Barbara Broccoli then asked MGM, and they agreed to send
their archive print from America.

Barbara wanted to attend the event, but she was grieving the loss of her good friend Michael Billington, who was also supposed to appear, but sadly lost his battle with cancer a few days before.

We were privileged to watch the film with two of the men responsible for how beautifully On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is photographed, it’s Cinematographer Michael Reed and it’s cameraman Alec Mills.

Before the curtains parted, Gareth asked George Lazenby to come down and introduce the film. George teased the audience by guessing we had already seen it quite a few times, but he was happy to be with such an enthusiastic crowd.

The print was beautiful, and what a treat to see it on the big screen in the studio where the interiors were filmed, and with some of the cast and crew present. After the film ended, the usual fan debates over whether or not the print had little bits of alternate takes or extra footage ensued.

We headed back to the main building, for more autograph sessions, this time with George Lazenby, Terrence Mountain, Michael Reed, Alec Mills, George Leech, Norman Wanstall (who brought along his Oscar) and Peter Hunt’s assistant Jeanie Sims. Jeanie was delighted when I showed her a copy of a telegram she had sent Peter Hunt 35 years ago when On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was about to begin filming.

Next we headed off to the dining room, for a wonderful dinner, and then a discussion and question and answer session with George Lazenby. Lazenby was very candid, and had great anecdotes about being cast as Bond, the filming, and his subsequent kung fu film period. He gracefully acknowledged Peter Hunt as the prime reason On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is such a wonderful film. He also announced that his wife Pam Shriver is expecting twins, and Gareth teased him about the fact that he will be 87 by the time he can legally drink with them in the US.

After the discusson and question and answer session, the trivia contest results were announced, CBn forum member Martijn Mulder (onthetracksof007) won 1st place. We all drifted towards the bar for a final drink, pictures, and goodbyes, and picked up our goodie bags on the way out. Each of us got issues of 007 Magazine and Collecting 007, a Pinewood brochure, a Corgi toy, a Thunderbirds book, and a DVD of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service signed by George Lazenby.

With fans coming from America, Australia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Holland, Germany, Scotland, Wales and even the Isle of Wight, the James Bond Celebration and Evening with George Lazenby was well worth traveling the globe for.

My hat is off to Gareth and Andy, and it was very gratifying to get so many positive comments about CommanderBond.net once people saw my nametag.

To discuss this event visit this thread on the CBn Forums.