Double Shot of 007 on 'Dave White Presents'

‘A Double Shot of 007’ will be the theme of the next Dave White Presents—with MAGNUM P.I. as a chaser!

On Tues. Oct 26, Bond novelist Raymond Benson will share insights behind his 007 books and short stories, especially those re-published in this year’s anthology, Choice of Weapons. Then, editor Rob Weiner will discuss this summer’s new essay collection, James Bond in World and Popular Culture: The Films Are Not Enough. Rounding out the action-adventure theme, actor Larry Manetti recalls his years as playboy club manager Rick Write on television’s MAGNUM P.I.!

The 90 minute online radio program will premiere this special broadcast on Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, then 7:30 Pacific over www.KSAV.org

On Wednesday, Oct. 27, this edition of Dave White Presents will become available for 24/7 download access at www.audioentertainment.org/dwp

For a list of their past James Bond features — including interviews with George Lazenby and Vic Flick — check out the ‘James Bond Files’ at www.spywise.net

Keep watching the CommanderBond.net main page for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls – File #1 The 1960s

007 Magazine Archive Files:
The James Bond Girls -
File #1 The 1960s

Another new issue of 007 Magazine Archive Files has been announced (and is available from now): The James Bond Girls – File #1 The 1960s, which is the start of a new ‘Archive Files’ series focussing on the Bond girls of each decade, as usual written and designed by Graham Rye.

The features of each issue are as follows:
• The Bond Girls covered by each decade!
• Major new picture content throughout!
• 2010 updated text!
• Never-before-seen images!
• Rare behind-the-scenes photographs!
• The ideal souvenir brochure for autographs!
• A Deluxe Limited Edition Publication!

The covers of the forthcoming issues of 007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls (1970s, 1980s and 1990s) have already been unveiled, even though these magazines are not yet available (but will become so in the near future.

Covers for the forthcoming issues of
'007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls':
File #2 The 1970s, File #3 The 1980s, File #4 The 1990s

Bond fans can purchase 007 Magazine Archive Files: The James Bond Girls – File #1 The 1960 at the official 007 Magazine website for the following prices: £9.99 (UK) | $15.99 (US) | €11.99 (EU) | £9.99 (Worldwide). Please be aware that prices do not include shipping.

Click here for further details and inquiries.

'A View To A Kill' 25th Anniversary – The report

As previously reported by CBn, the French Fan Club Club James Bond France recently hosted an event at the Château de Chantilly near Paris to celebrate the 25th anniversary ofA View to A Kill. Laurent Perriot reports on the event.

Director John Glen presents the special issue of 'Le Bond' magazine.

Chantilly – its whipped cream, its horse races, its castle, its forest, its history… and James Bond. And it’s not just any Bond film, it’s A View to A Kill, Roger Moore’s last one. A page turns, a chapter closes for a generation of Bond fans. Some of the most glamourous and romantic scenes in A View to A Kill took place in this elegant place surrounded by a huge forest and located some thirty kilometers north of Paris.
 
The Club James Bond France’s plannings to celebrate the film’s 25th anniversary took several months. The Club had invited fans from France and abroad (Dutch, Belgium and British fans were present) to this special event on September 18th, taking advantage of the nation’s European Heritage Days.
 

Rémy Julienne, Serge Touboul and John Glen

Prestigious guests came along and shared their memories from shooting the movie. Director John Glen and his wife Janine, Car Stunt Coordinator Rémy Julienne and France Production Manager Serge Touboul presented the film in front of 1200 people.

The gas station where Tibbet was killed.

The day started with the visit of the gas station where Tibbett (Patrick McNee) is murdered by May Day (Grace Jones) in his Rolls-Royce. The gas station has been modernized but the place is totally recognizable and fans had no trouble imagining May Day’s threatening silhouette appearing in the car wash.
 
The group had lunch in a nearby restaurant where all napkins bore Jamed Bond movie quotations. John Glen made his grand entrance during the apéritif. The five-time Bond director was greeted like a hero. After the meal, there was a signing session with him.

John Glen chats with the fans.

The entire group of fans then visited the Château de Chantilly, with comments from both a guide and John Glen himself. John and his wife Janine were clearly enjoying themselves. John Glen told as many anecdotes as he could during the visit.
 
Locations from the scene where the group stopped include :
• the small drawbridge which 007 hangs on to go back to his bedroom.
• the way to Zorin’s office (the office itself was a Pinewood set)
• the magnificent gardens and bridge from the outdoor party scene
• the staircase where Bond tells Jenny Flex: “I’m an early riser myself”
• the spot of the Rolls’ arrival
• the spot where Tibbett washed the car
• the stables seen at the beginning of the sequence
Of course, some of the fans could not resist taking photos at the exact spot where the actors stood. The weather was fantastic and it made for a fabulous afternoon.

The audience awaiting the screening of 'A View To A Kill'.

As the sun set, the group went to the nearby racetracks where the best was still to come – the outdoor screening of A View to A Kill on a 250 square metro giant screen. Behind it, the lit château and stables were a marvelous sight for the 1200 people attending the event.

Fireworks accompanying the movie's end credits.

John Glen, Serge Touboul and Rémy Julienne paid tribute to the city which allowed them to shoot in the best possible conditions. And the icing on the cake was the movie’s end credits rolling with spectacular fireworks above Chantilly. A great way to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Roger Moore’s last Bond.
 
This has been Club James Bond France’s biggest event ever thanks to an excellent partnership with the city of Chantilly. Currently the world’s most dynamic Bond fan club it is setting up a James Bond film festival in Paris on December 11 and 12. Stay tuned!

Wilson gives update on Bond 23

While speaking with IGN about the upcoming James Bond video games Blood Stone and GoldenEye 007, producer David G. Wilson gave a small but good update on Bond 23. “We’re in a holding pattern to see what happens with the studio. We support them – we’ve had a long relationship for a long time and it’s really important for us to get going again. They just have to sort out their financial issues.”

Wilson also admitted that the script isn’t currently being worked on. “The script’s been in development for some time. We often start the scripts about a year before pre-production has begun. So the script has been in development but it’s been halted for the time being.”

Recently it was reported that director Sam Mendes took himself out of the running to direct Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games because of MGM’s recent progress. Wilson also commented on Mendes reconfirming that Mendes is still slated to direct once filming gets underway, “Yes, he’s very excited to do this film – and it’s a matter of timing too. He’s a hot director, and there’s a danger he would have to go and work on something else so we have to be patient and optimistic.”

When asked about a start date Wilson said “They have a plan going forward, and hopefully everything will go to plan and we hope to be in a position next year to start the film again.”

MGM announces "Plan", names Barber and Birnbaum new CEOs

Good news for James Bond fans waiting on MGM for more positive news on Bond 23, MGM has formally announced their plan for restructuring and have named Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum as co-CEOs of MGM. Barber and Birnbaum won’t officially take that position until MGM emerges from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Lenders have until October 22 to vote on MGM’s “Plan” (unless extended) that will see MGM’s roughly $4 billion in debt wiped away in exchange for 95.3 percent equity in the new MGM.

Press Release

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (MGM) today announced that it has begun a solicitation of votes from its secured lenders for a pre-packaged plan of reorganization (the “Plan”).

MGM expects to continue normal business operations throughout the restructuring process. The Plan provides for MGM’s employees, vendors, participants, guilds, and licensees to be unimpaired.

The Plan provides for MGM’s secured lenders to exchange more than $4 billion in outstanding debt for approximately 95.3 percent of equity in MGM upon its emergence from Chapter 11. Spyglass Entertainment would contribute certain assets to the reorganized company in exchange for approximately 0.52 percent of the reorganized company. In addition, two entities owned by Spyglass affiliates – Cypress Entertainment Group, Inc. and Garoge, Inc. – will merge with and into a subsidiary of MGM, with the MGM subsidiary as the surviving entity. The stockholders of Cypress and Garoge will receive approximately 4.17 percent of the reorganized company in exchange.

Following the receipt of the requisite consents from secured lenders during the solicitation period, and in order to implement the debt restructuring, MGM intends to commence pre-packaged Chapter 11 cases under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and seek confirmation of the Plan. Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, currently Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Spyglass Entertainment, would serve as the Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MGM following the company’s emergence from Chapter 11.

The deadline for the Company’s secured lenders to vote on the Plan is October 22, 2010, unless extended. Only holders of secured debt as of October 4, 2010 under MGM’s April 8, 2005 Credit Agreement will be solicited.

This press release is for informational purposes only and is not a solicitation to accept or reject the proposed Plan of reorganization referred to herein, or an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

Four new trailers for GoldenEye and Blood Stone

Newish, anyway. Truth is we acquired these four new trailers for GoldenEye 007 and Blood Stone over the past couple weeks from Activision, but just haven’t really found a time to unleash them here. We did however upload them to our YouTube channel, which you can follow here.

In related news, if you subscribe to Edge magazine, the new issue (#220) features some new information and screenshots for both GoldenEye 007 and Blood Stone. Being a special edition, there are two possible covers that feature Bond in a gun barrel sequence. For GoldenEye 007 the barrel is gold while for Blood Stone, it’s red.

Blood Stone

GoldenEye 007

Auction: The John Griswold Collection

John Griswold

On October 4, 2010, Winter Associates, Inc. will auction the John Griswold Collection of Ian Fleming and James Bond Memorabilia. Mr Griswold is best known among Bond fans for his book Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming’s Bond Stories, the research materials for which will also be part of the auction.

The Griswold Collection is one of the major Bond/Fleming collections in the world, many of the items are extremely rare or even unique, and it’s highly unlikely that something similar will be on the market in the near future. Apart from many Bond related books of all kinds, the collection contains a large number of rare posters, movie stills, original drawings and concept art, toys and movie memorabilia. Many of the items are signed.

A brief overview:

'Casino Royale' 1st edition, Lot #15

• Books (1,000+ books in 60 lots): 14 Fleming first editions, Jonathan Cape; Fleming Centenary Ed., Queen Anne Press; Fleming signed 1st ed. OHMSS; Sable Basilisk (privately printed, 1 of 6 known); Fleming-owned book, 1907 w/ clamshell; Eaton Press & other sets; signed ltd. eds. by Gardner, Higson, Wood, Lycett et al; 1st ed. paperbacks; Griswold’s research library; comic books, etc.

Unused 'Diamonds Are Forever' artwork by Robert McGinnis, Lot #72

• Fine Art & Sculpture: 4 signed Robert McGinnis illustrations: YOLT, OHMSS, & DAF (2); Mort Drucker, 2 MAD stories, etc.; rare Fleming bust, comm. by Cape, c. 1966 (1 of 6 known); Fleming & Bond busts/figs.; custom-made Fleming medallions, etc.

• Posters/Lobby Cards (130 posters in 100+ lots): Dr. No US 1 Sheets (2); British Quads: Dr. No, FRWL, Goldfinger, Thunderball, YOLT, & more; complete sets of US lobby & British FoH cards; US 2 & 3 Sheets; foreign incl. Photobustas, etc.

Sean Connery photo, inscribed to John Griswold, part of Lot #230

• Photos (1,000+ photos in 20+ lots): Connery, Lazenby, Dalton signed; ‘Bond Girls’ signed; stills & contact sheets, many 1960s, some w/ Fleming, etc.

A Corgi Moonbuggy,
Lot #258

• Toys (150 toys in 40+ lots, many mint in box): Corgi Moon Buggy, model 811A, 1972; Multiple Toymakers camera, 1966; rare Whizzwheels Bobsleighs (2); Aston Martin DB5s, model 270A, 1973 (2); Mego & Sideshow action figures; trading card sets; Gilbert, Johnny Lighting, Dinky cars; Corgi & Little Lead Soldiers figures, etc.

• Ephemera: Call sheets, storyboards, & release/shooting scripts; court docs & photos from Fleming/McClory cases; magazines; promotional, press, & advertising materials, etc.

Reproduction Faberge Coronation Egg. Full size with carriage inside,
in blue velvet box with Certificate of Authenticity,
along with other movie-related and fan items, Lot #237

• Also: Custom-made 14K Spectre ring; Golden Gun (2); replica Fabergé egg; framed prints; Franklin Mint plates & cars; Griswold’s research materials; CDs & DVDs, etc.

A complete online catalogue for the auction can be found here. Winter Associates are also offering a CD for $7 that includes a book-format pdf catalog as well as high-resolution images of each lot.

To learn more about the auction and the reasons for it, read the full press release below:

Plainville, CT – On Monday, October 4th, Winter Associates will offer for sale the John Griswold Ian Fleming-James Bond Collection. Griswold is the author of the 2005 publication, Ian Fleming’s James Bond: Annotations and Chronologies for Ian Fleming’s Bond Stories. In 1963, the release of Dr. No, the first James Bond movie, sparked John’s Griswold’s passion for Bond. The then ten-year-old Griswold soon became a fan of Ian Fleming’s series of novels. A native of Simsbury, CT, Griswold has continued to acquire Fleming and Bond-related items since the 1960s. Griswold’s diverse and extensive collection reflects his interest in the cultural impact made by Ian Fleming and the character of James Bond. This single-consignor collection is valued at almost $250,000 and is certain to delight Bond collectors all around the world.

Griswold’s literary collection includes the fourteen first editions of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels, a Fleming Centenary Edition published by the Queen Anne press (limited to an edition of 59), a first edition of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service signed by Fleming, as well as a 1907 book from Fleming’s own library along with its clamshell. The iconic image of Sean Connery holding a helmet and gun from You Only Live Twice painted by Robert McGinnis for the Bond movie posters is one of four original McGinnis works that Griswold once prominently displayed in his home but are now offered in this sale. Rare first-release posters, lobby cards, early toys, and signed photographs will round out the 280+ lot auction.

On the sale of her husband’s collection, Debbie Griswold elaborates: “It is with sadness and nostalgia that I report that John’s health has declined significantly in the past two years. Early-onset Alzheimer’s has taken its toll on John, and he is no longer researching or collecting. As we move into the next chapter of our life, we must leave behind John’s collection. My hope is that John’s research materials and these items from the fascinating worlds of Ian Fleming and James Bond will bring the next owner/collector the same enjoyment and satisfaction that they brought to John.”

CBn wishes the Griswold family all the best for the auction, as well as lots of strength and courage for the difficult times and challenges which they are facing.

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Eon enters running to buy MGM?

Only a few days after Spyglass’ letter of intent and MGM receiving a seventh extension of debt forbearance, there’s a new spectacular twist in the ongoing saga about the future of MGM.

Bloomberg and other media report that Indian conglomerate Sahara India Pariwar has offered between $1.5 and $2 billion to buy the troubled studio. The spectacular element of these reports is that “Barbara Broccoli and her stepbrother Michael G. Wilson are part of the Sahara India offer and would receive an undisclosed equity stake in MGM if it succeeds. It wasn’t clear whether Broccoli and Wilson would have a management role in the Los Angeles-based studio, the person said.” (Bloomberg)

Sahara India has interests in finance, infrastructure and housing, media, consumer products, manufacturing and services, according to its website. Its entertainment operations include cable-television channels, film production and cinema chains.

Abhijit Sarkar, SIP head of corporate communications, said today, “It is too early to comment on the issue.” Spokespersons for both MGM and Eon productions refused to comment.

UPDATE: Reports of an official denial by Eon are just in: According to this new Bloomberg report, “EON Productions tonight confirmed they have never had any contact with Sahara India Pariwar and are in no way involved in the Sahara India Pariwar bid for MGM,” spokeswoman Stephanie Wenborn said in a statement.

MGM given seventh extension of debt forbearance

MGM has received its seventh extension of debt forbearance from its lenders. The news was announced just as its sixth debt extension expired. The new expiration date is October 29. In prior cases news such as this has not been seen as a good thing as it has only prolonged MGM’s current predicament, however this time is different. “The lenders took this action in support of the company’s ongoing efforts to evaluate long-term strategic alternatives to maximize value for its stakeholders,” MGM said. “MGM appreciates the continued support of its lender group throughout this process.”

MGM is expected to enter a prepackaged bankruptcy soon and re-emerge debt free by the end of October. Spyglass Entertainment’s co-heads Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum recently signed a letter of intent to run MGM where they will steer the company towards greater emphasis in scripted and reality television shows for cable TV.

Recently Deadline reported that director Sam Mendes took himself out of the running to direct Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games because of MGM’s recent progress. The site further speculated that Bond 23 could potentially start shooting in late summer or fall 2011.

Charlie Higson's The Dead published

Cover art for The Dead

Following the Young Bond series, Charlie Higson’s second novel has been published. Titled the The Dead it continues the story that began with 2009’s The Enemy about a group of kids that survived a worldwide sickness that effected all the adults turning them into zombies. The Enemy was recently released in the United States this year.

What the publisher (Puffin) has to say:

A terrible disease is striking everyone over the age of fourteen.

Death walks the streets.

Nowhere is safe.

Maxie, Blue and the rest of the Holloway crew aren’t the only kids trying to escape the ferocious adults who prey on them.

Jack and Ed are best friends, but their battle to stay alive tests their friendship to the limit as they go on the run with a mismatched group of other kids – nerds, fighters, misfits. And one adult. Greg, a butcher, who claims he’s immune to the disease.

They must work together if they want to make it in this terrifying new world. But as a fresh disaster threatens to overwhelm London, they realize they won’t all survive

You can pick up The Dead from Amazon.co.uk. Following the same schedule that Higson’s books have in the past, it will likely make its way to the United States around May 2011.

In other related news, Higson’s official site, http://www.charliehigson.co.uk, was recently launched offering news and information on his current and past works. The site was designed by Frequency who also designed Anthony Horowitz’s site. Higson’s site also includes a forum where you can discuss his many projects. Not to dissuade you from joining, but the biggest and best place to discuss Higson’s works, at least for Bond, is right here at CommanderBond.net (hey, it’s just worth noting – again).