James Bond's rocket man coming to Niagara Falls on 18 February

James Bond fans will have the chance to meet up with the man dubbed ‘the greatest rocket belt pilot in the world’ later this month in Niagara Falls.

According to the Niagara Falls Review, William Suitor will be at the Niagara Falls Public Library on Thursday, 18 February to talk about the rocket belt and his more than 1,000 flights at places around the world. He will also be signing copies of his book ROCKETBELT’S MANUAL: A Guide by the Bell Test Pilot.

As many fans are aware, it was Suitor who doubled for Sean Connery’s 007 in the pre-credits sequence of Thunderball when he flew the rocketbelt.

‘There’s never, ever a time you’re not at least … apprehensive,’ Suitor said, when asked how nerve-racking it is to be thrust in the air with a rocket pack attached to your body. ‘Ignorance is bliss. Some-times, it’s better not to know a lot of the things that can go wrong,’ he laughed.

He also adds that he hears a ‘bazzilion’ questions regarding his brief appearance in Thunderball: ‘I didn’t know anything about it at the time. It was just another job to do. Now, it’s regarded as one of the best films in the James Bond series.’

The event will be free to the public. The Niagara Falls Public Library Victoria Avenue branch is located at 4848 Victoria Avenue, Niagara Falls, ON L2E 4C5. For further details, visit the official website.

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Thunderball screening in Hamburg, Germany on 19 February

1965’s classic James Bond adventure Thunderball will be back on the big screen later this month in Hamburg, Germany.

007 fans can attend the screening of Sean Connery’s fourth Bond film on Friday, 9 February at the Metropolis Kino, located at Steindamm 54, 20099 Hamburg, Germany. The event kicks off at 9:15pm.

For ticket information and additional details, visit the official website.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

Peter Murton passes away

Cinema Retro reports the sad news that acclaimed production designer and art director Peter Murton passed away shortly before Christmas 2009. An accomplished technician in his field with a career spanning six decades, Murton is best known in the world of 007 for his work on three James Bond films.

Murton got his start in the art department in the mid-1940’s, working as a draughtsman on Madonna of the Seven Moons and Caravan. He continued this role on several films that followed into the 1950’s, also serving as a set dresser on titles such as Across the Bridge, The Wind Cannot Read and Carry on Sergeant.

In 1959, Murton would receive his first assistant art director credit on Tarzan’s Greatest Adventures, which featured a pre-007 Sean Connery in the cast. He also served in this role the following year for Walt Disney’s classic family adventure Swiss Family Robinson.

1961’s Mr. Topaze, starring Peter Sellers, provided him with his first art director credit. Murton also headed the art department on 1963’s Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb and 1964’s Woman of Straw, the latter also starring Connery.

It was also in 1964 that Murton was introduced to the cinematic world of James Bond, working as the art director on Goldfinger alongside production designer Ken Adam. The two would meet up again the following year for the even more successful Thunderball as well. In between his two 60’s Bond films, Murton also worked as the art director on the classic espionage tale The Ipcress File (produced by Harry Saltzman).

Several years would pass until Murton took on another 007 film, but he kept very busy with credits on Funeral in Berlin, Half a Sixpence and The Lion in Winter (the last featuring a young Timothy Dalton almost 20 years before he would debut as the fourth official James Bond).

In 1972, Murton transitioned to the role of production designer on The Ruling Class and continued in this position for his third and final 007 credit, 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, creating the film’s numerous standout set pieces, including Scaramanga’s junk and the funhouse.

After he departed from Bond, several more high-profile film credits followed in the 1970’s and 80’s, including The Eagle has Landed, Death on the Nile, Dracula, Superman II and Superman III. His final credit was 1994’s Stargate, on which he served as art director.

In 2005, Murton was reassociated with the James Bond series when he attended the 40th anniversary Thunderball event in London. This was followed by appearances at Bondstars.com’s ‘Behind the Scenes of Bond’ in July 2007 and ‘Goldfinger: The Reunion’ in April 2008. The former event reunited Murton with fellow production designers Ken Adam and Peter Lamont.

CommanderBond.net wishes to extend their condolences to the family and friends of Peter Murton.

Titan's James Bond Omnibus Volume 2 due in September '10

Even though the forthcoming release of Nightbird will mark the complete reprinting of all 52 listed James Bond comic strips by Titan Books, the 007-themed publications are just going to keep on coming.

Due out this September is volume two in Titan’s James Bond Omnibus series.

As CommanderBond.net readers will recall, volume one arrived in late-2008 and was comprised of 11 original Ian Fleming-based adventures, featuring the work of writers Henry Gammidge, Anthony Hern and Peter O’Donnell and artist John McLusky.

While there is no word yet on which Bond newspaper strips will make up this new collection, writer Jim Lawrence and artist Yaroslav Horak, alongside Fleming, are listed as contributors.

CBn will keep you updated as more information becomes available. In the meantime, feel free to pre-order at Amazon.com, where the title is listed for release on 28 September 2010 at a retail price of $19.95 (order links follow below).

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for the most up-to-date literary James Bond coverage on the web.

The World is not Enough (2000) – Multiplayer

The World is not Enough (2000)
(Nintendo 64 / PlayStation 1 / Game Boy Color)

Multiplayer

The customizable multiplayer mode is only available on the Nintendo 64 platform of The World is not Enough.

Arena
It’s every player for themselves. The most effective player wins the match.

Team Arena
Players are split into two teams. The most effective team wins the match.

Capture the Flag
Players are split into two teams. Each team must steal the opposing team’s flag and return it to their own capture point to score points.

Capture the Briefcase
Players are split into two teams. Each team must steal the opposing team’s briefcase and return it to their own capture point to score points. However, you only earn a point if both briefcases are in your capture point at the same time.

King of the Hill
Players score extra points by possessing ‘The Hill’, a special area in each map. Keep your opponents away from The Hill.

Team King of the Hill
Players are split into two teams. Players score extra points by possessing ‘The Hill’, a special area in each map. Keep your opponents away from The Hill. The team who score the most points wins the match.

Uplink
Players are split into two teams and three uplink units are placed throughout the map. When a member of either the red or blue team touches the uplink unit, the unit switches to that team’s color. As time passes, each team earns points for the uplink units under their control.

Last Agent Standing
Each player has a fixed number of lives. The last player left alive wins the game.

Golden Gun
In this scenario, the three components of the Golden Gun (Golden Pen, Golden Lighter, and Golden Cigarette Case) are scattered throughout the level and players must try to collect them. Once collected the player can utilize the Golden Gun. A single shot is lethal. When a player holding the the Golden Gun, or any of its components, is removed, the player loses it. The players that eliminate al competitors with the Golden Gun wins the game.

Standard
All weapons are available to each player in this mode.

Covert
Only weapons designed or covert missions are available here.

Combat
Only weapons designed for assault missions are available here.

Rapid Fire
Only weapons with a high rate of fire are available here.

Close Combat
Only weapons designed for use at close-range are available here.

Sniper Combat
Only weapons designed for use at long-range are available here.

Explosive
Only weapons that create explosions are available here.

Exotic
Only the most unique weapons in the game are available here.

Wild Fire
Only fully-automatic weapons are available here.

Gadget War
Only silenced weapons and gadgets are available here.

Labyrinth
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M45, Frag Grenade, Frinesi Special 12, Ingalls Type 20, MB PDW 90, Mustang MAR-4 GL, Raptor Magnum, RL 22, Soviet KA-57
Standard starting gadgets/items: X-ray Glasses

Merchant
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M95, Frinesi Special 12, Ingalls Type 20, MB PDW 90, Meyer Bullpup, Meyer TMP, Mustang MAR-4, Raptor Magnum, Soviet KA-57
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Istanbul
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche SA90, Frinesi Special 12, Ingalls Type 20, Meyer Bullpup, MB PDW 90, GL 40, Mustang 44
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Field Of Fire
Standard starting weapons: AT-420 Sentinel, Frag Grenade, GL 40, Ingalls Type 20, MB PDW 90, Meyer TMP, Mustang MAR-4, RL 22
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Hidden Volcano
Standard starting weapons: Delta 900 Mag, Ingalls Type 20, GL 40, Mustang MAR-4
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Silo Surprise
Standard starting weapons: Frinesi Special 12, Ingalls Type 20, MB PDW 90, Meyer Bullpup, Meyer TMP, Mustang MAR-4, Mustang 44, Raptor Magnum, Suisse SSR 4000
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Frostbite
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche SA90, Frag Grenade, Frinesi Special 12, Meyer TMP, Mustang MAR-4, Suisse SSR 4000
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Submarine
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M45, Meyer Bullpup, Meyer TMP, Mustang 44, Raptor Magnum, Soviet KA-57
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Flashpoint
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M95, Frinesi Special 12, MB PDW 90, Meyer Bullpup, Mustang MAR-4
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor, Night Vision Glasses

MI-6
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M45, Frinesi Special 12, MB PDW 90, Raptor Magnum
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Forest
Standard starting weapons: AT-420 Sentinel, Deutsche M95, GL 40, Meyer TMP, Soviet KA-57
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor, Night Vision Glasses

Sky Rail
Standard starting weapons: Meyer Bullpup, Meyer TMP, Mustang 44, Raptor Magnum, RL 22, Suisse SSR 4000
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Air Raid
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche SA90, Frinesi Special 12, Ingalls Type 20, Soviet KA-57, Suisse SSR 4000
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

Castle
Standard starting weapons: Deutsche M95, Frinesi Special 12, Mustang 44, Raptor Magnum, RL 22, Soviet KA-57
Standard starting gadgets/items: Body Armor

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Keep your eyes on the CommanderBond.net main page for all the latest coverage of all the James Bond 007 video games.

James Bond guests confirmed for May 2010 Autographica

Another Autographica event means another chance for 007 fans to meet up with numerous actors and actresses from the James Bond films.

Taking place in May 2010, this forthcoming event—the world’s largest autograph show—already has six Bond film stars lined up with many more likely to follow in the upcoming weeks. Confirmed guests include:

• George Baker (Sir Hilary Bray/Captain Benson, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service/The Spy Who Loved Me)
• Marilyn Galsworthy (Stromberg’s Assistant, The Spy Who Loved Me)
• Carole Ashby (Octopussy Girl/Whistling Girl, Octopussy/A View to a Kill)
• Bogdan Kominowski (Klotkoff, A View to a Kill)
• Nike Clark (Zorin Party Guest, A View to a Kill)
• Tony Sibbald (Mine Foreman, A View to a Kill)

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

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

Autographica will be taking place from Friday, 7 May through Sunday, 9 May at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole Hotel in Birmingham, UK. Specific times follow:

• Saturday, 8 May: 11:00am – 4:00pm
• Sunday, 9 May: 11:00am – 4:00pm

Ticket prices are £10 per day. Early-Bird tickets are available at £15 per day.

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

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page and our Twitter feed for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

Scoop: Otto Penzler auction in April to feature numerous Ian Fleming first editions

You read it first on CommanderBond.net… Keep an eye out for forthcoming details on a major auction this upcoming April featuring numerous James Bond first editions from the personal collection of Otto Penzler.

Well-known by book collectors as a publisher of mystery fiction and the proprietor of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York City, Mr. Penzler will be putting up the majority of his massive private collection up for sale at the New York-based Swann Auction Galleries on Thursday, 8 April 2010.

An obvious highlight of the sale for 007 collectors will be a pristine first edition set of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels. Standouts include a first edition copy of 1953’s Casino Royale and a signed/inscribed copy of 1955’s Moonraker (the latter valued at an estimated $15,000 – $25,000).

Other authors represented in sale include Eric Ambler, John Buchan, Len Deighton, Graham Greene, John Le Carré, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Dennis Wheatley and endless others.

CBn will bring you full details on the James Bond lots as they become available.

Keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page and our Twitter feed for all the latest news on James Bond-related events occurring around the world.

Pinewood Studios launch apprenticeship scheme

Press Release – A new apprenticeship scheme designed to give young people a start in the UK’s thriving film industry was launched at Pinewood Studios by film Minister Siôn Simon today.

The 10 new apprentices join 12 others already working at the Pinewood Studios Group on a separate scheme run by Skillset, the organisation responsible for skills and training in the creative media industries.

All of these posts will contribute to an ambition of 5,000 apprenticeships in the creative industries a year by 2013, a key pledge from the Government’s Creative Britain report.

Mr Simon met drapes apprentice Sam Healey, one of the first 10 apprentices to start under the new Pinewood scheme. Drapesmasters are responsible for the production and installation of all soft furnishings on film sets, which can involve anything from a velvet cushion to a hot air balloon.

Siôn Simon said: “The film industry can be incredibly tough to break into, but Pinewood’s apprenticeship scheme is a welcome route into this exciting and highly creative industry.”

“Sam and the other apprentices I met today are employed for their ability and potential, and I am sure they will do extremely well. Pinewood Studios is working hard to address any skills gaps while providing a great start for some enthusiastic young people.”

The Minister also met four Skillset Set Craft Apprentices currently working on the new Harry Potter film. This is the second year of this highly successful apprenticeship scheme which gives opportunities for emerging talent to work on the sets of some of Pinewood’s biggest productions, including Harry Potter, James Bond, Batman and the forthcoming John Carter of Mars.

Ivan Dunleavy, Chief Executive at Pinewood Studios commented:

“The UK’s creative sector is one of the best in the world and its success is dependent on the talent and skills of the people working within it. Pinewood’s apprenticeship scheme demonstrates the Group’s ongoing investment in the skills and infrastructure that is essential to the future of the UK’s creative industries.”

Mr Simon also took a firsthand look at Pinewood’s globally unique facilities including its Underwater Stage and Post Production department. He ventured behind the scenes to discover the technical and craft skills integral to filmmaking and visited a range of companies based on the Pinewood lot that work in the creative industries.

As always, keep your browsers locked on the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest 007 news from the world of James Bond.

James Bond double feature at Toronto's Scotiabank Theatre

Two classic James Bond films featuring Sean Connery’s 007 are scheduled to screen back-to-back at the Scotiabank Theatre in Toronto later this month.

Bond fans can catch Dr. No and Goldfinger on the big screen on Wednesday, 10 February. The debut 007 film will play at 7:00pm, while the 1964 blockbuster will follow at 9:45pm.

Both 007 films are being screened as part of the Great Digital Film Festival, which presents classic and popular films shown in a digital or high definition format on the big screen.

Ticket prices are: General Admission (14 and over) $12.50 | Child (3 – 13) $8.99 | Senior (65 and over) $8.99.

The Scotiabank Theatre is located at 259 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON, M5V 2E9 near the corner of John St. and Richmond St. in the heart of downtown Toronto’s Entertainment District.

For further information or to purchase tickets, phone 416-368-5600 or visit the official website.

Keep turning to the CommanderBond.net main page and our Discussion Forums for all the latest news from the world of James Bond.

Billionaire Len Blavatnik said to join bidding for MGM

Bloomberg – Billionaire Len Blavatnik is among the second-round suitors for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., distributor of the James Bond movies, two people with knowledge of the situation said.

Lions Gate Entertainment Corp., Time Warner Inc., Liberty Media Corp. and Elliott Management Corp., working with Hollywood financier Ryan Kavanaugh, also are in the bidding, according to people close to the process who sought anonymity because discussions are private. They declined to discuss amounts proposed in the non-binding first round.

Advancing to the second round gives suitors access to more detailed information before making a formal bid for the Los Angeles-based studio, which owns a 4,100-film library and is exploring a sale after failing to make payments on $3.7 billion of debt. Last week, lenders extended a moratorium on interest payments to March 31, allowing more time for negotiations.

“The price has come down so far that it’s attracting non-studio bidders,” said David Davis, managing partner at the entertainment advisory firm Arpeggio Partners in Santa Monica, California.

Matthew Harrigan, an analyst with Wunderlich Securities, estimated last month the company is worth $1.6 billion to $1.7 billion. When the studio put itself up for sale in November, MGM creditors sought at least $2 billion, people with knowledge of the situation said then.

Tough to Compete

Blavatnik may be at a disadvantage because he doesn’t own a film distribution business, Davis said in an interview. Studio bidders would likely plan to close MGM’s distribution unit to reduce costs, he said.

“I don’t see how companies that don’t own motion-picture distribution systems can compete on bidding,” he said. “You have big overhead savings.”

Blavatnik’s bid marks an effort by the Ukrainian-born industrialist to expand in the U.S. Blavatnik, a U.S. citizen, is chairman of New York-based Access Industries Holdings LLC, which owns a stake in Top Up TV, a U.K. pay television service, and in 2008 acquired control of the U.K. arm of actor/director Mel Gibson’s Icon Productions Inc., the U.K.’s Daily Telegraph reported at the time.

A spokesman for Blavatnik declined to comment, as did Susie Arons, an outside spokeswoman for MGM. Ed Adler, with New York-based Time Warner, and Courtnee Ulrich of Liberty Media also wouldn’t comment.

The Wall Street Journal reported today that Time Warner offered less than $2 billion in cash for MGM, citing people familiar with the matter.

Other Suitors

In addition to those bidders, News Corp., parent of Twentieth Century Fox, and Qualia Capital LLC, led by Amir Malin and Ken Schapiro, have each proposed restructuring the debt and injecting cash to recapitalize the company, people with knowledge of the process said last week. Both companies are based in New York.

News Corp. is unlikely to win the bidding because others are more interested, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Rupert Murdoch said on a conference call yesterday.

MGM will probably seek a so-called pre-packaged bankruptcy to complete a sale, said Clark Hallren, managing director at the Los Angeles-based entertainment advisory firm Clear Scope Partners. The move would eliminate the need for MGM’s owners to get approval from each of the company’s 140 creditors, he said.

“You’ve got to have a bankruptcy as a matter of process,” said Hallren, who worked for 23 years in JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s entertainment banking division. “There’s no way you’re going to get 140 people to agree to anything.”

Lions Gate

Lions Gate is talking with One Equity Partners, a private equity investment arm of JPMorgan Chase, about becoming a partner in its bid, according to a person with knowledge of the talks. In May 2008, Lions Gate agreed to sell a 49 percent stake in its TV Guide Network to One Equity for $123 million.

Tasha Pelio, a spokeswoman for New York-based JPMorgan, declined to comment on any role the bank may have in the MGM deal. Peter Wilkes, a Lions Gate spokesman, wouldn’t comment on MGM or JPMorgan.

Blavatnik, 52, was ranked 44th on Forbes magazine’s 2009 list of the 400 richest Americans with a $5 billion fortune made in oil and gas. He emigrated to the U.S. from the former Soviet Union in 1978 and studied at Columbia University and Harvard Business School before founding Access Industries in 1986, according to the magazine.

In June, Blavatnik offered $33 million in an unsuccessful bid for a stake in Irish broadcaster Setanta Sports, BBC News reported at the time.

Lyondell Link

MGM Vice-Chairman Stephen F. Cooper, who is leading the studio’s restructuring, also serves as supervisory board vice chairman and head of the restructuring committee at LyondellBasell Industries, partly owned by Blavatnik’s Access Industries. The company’s U.S. operation, Lyondell Chemical Co., filed for bankruptcy protection in January 2009.

With backing from New York-based Elliott Management, Kavanaugh, 35, finances movies for Sony Corp. and NBC Universal’s Universal Pictures and produces films through his Relativity Media LLC, based in West Hollywood, California. Relativity Media and Elliott Management declined to comment, according to Scott Tagliarino, a spokesman for both.

Relativity has helped finance movies including Fast and Furious, Hancock and Mamma Mia! according to a July 2009 statement from the company.

MGM, created in 1924, made films including The Wizard of Oz” and Ben Hur. The company sold many of its early pictures prior to its 2005 buyout by a group led by private equity firms Providence Equity Partners and TPG. It released one picture in 2009 and has a co-production deal with Warner Bros. on the planned film The Hobbit.

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