2002: Turning point for the film and literary 007

Sometimes, you’re not really aware you’ve hit a turning point until well after the fact. For the world of James Bond — in both his cinema and literary incarnations — one such turning point was 2002.

At the time, the year seemed to be normal for 007. The 40th anniversary of the film series hit and included Die Another Day, the 20th film in the series produced by Eon Productions. Box office receipts certainly seemed good (the film had two straight weeks as No. 1). Meanwhile, another continuation novel, The Man With the Red Tatoo was published. It seemed liked everything would continue.

However, the seeds for change were already being sown. Despite Pierce Brosnan saying publicly he had been asked back by Eon, the film makers were again talking about how exhausting the Bond series was and not being sure where the Bond films would go next. Within 18 months, Brosnan was out as 007 and Eon began a search that would end with the casting of Daniel Craig.

On the literary side, a new regime had taken over at the former Glidrose, now calling itself Ian Fleming Publications. Raymond Benson’s run as author of 007 continuation novels was over after six novels. In an interview on the Commander Bond site, Benson said the change was by mutual agreement.

Bond fans are still feeling those chanes today. There hasn’t been a “regular” Bond movie since Die Another Day. Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace essentially were a two-part “Bond Begins” reboot.

Despite the recent announcement about a Bond 23 screenwriting team, there hasn’t been a firm release date disclosed. 2011 would seem to be the earliest date possible. Over on the literary side, there has only been one adult Bond novel since 2002: Devil May Care, published last year — and published as a one-shot, with author Sebastian Faulks saying he won’t do a second. What’s more, Devil May Care reflected one major change of course, having the story be a period piece instead of a timeshifted tale, a la the continuation novels of John Gardner and Raymond Benson.

Where all this is leading remains to be seen. But what is clear is that 2002 was the last year of business as ususal for 007, something that wasn’t readily apparent at the time.

Memories of 007 double features

Elsewhere on this blog, Paul Baack shared his version of a poster for a double feature of Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. In this home video era, such a double bill won’t reach movie theaters, at least for a general release. But that poster got us to remembering about Bond double features of the past.

1965: With Goldinger a big hit and Thunderball on track for a Christmas release, United Artists rolls out a double bill of the first two 007 movies, Dr. No and From Russia With Love.

In some ways, the two films contain the tightest continuity of the series, at least until Quantum comes out in 2008 as a direct sequel to Casino Royale. Both films were helmed by Terence Young and there a few direct references in From Russia With Love to its predecessor film.

United Artists would again issue of double feature of the two movies in the early 1970s. By that time, prints were pretty beaten up.

1966: With no new Bond film coming out, UA comes out with a double bill of Goldfinger and Dr. No. The double feature trailer (seen as an extra on Goldfinger DVDs), includes other voice over actors “re-creating” the voices of the two Ian Fleming villains.

1968: Once again inbetween Bond movies, UA brings out a double bill of Thunderball and From Russia With Love. The trailer tells us this we can “buy two Bonds for the price of one.” Interestingly, even though From Russia With Love ranks among the best 007 movies by fans, it never gets to lead off a double feature.

1970: UA decides to issue of double feature of “the biggest Bonds of all,” namely You Only Live Twice and Thunderball. The studio will re-issue this double feature in the 1970s ahead of Thunderball’s debut on U.S. television in 1974.

1972: At drive-ins during the summer of 1972, a few months before 007’s debut on U.S. television, newspapers ads suggest that people “spend the night with James Bond!” A TRIPLE feature comes out of Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. Some of the prints are really beat up, including a Goldfinger print that cuts from the middle of the main titles to Bond observing Goldfinger cheating at cards.

1970s, probably 1972 or 1973: A first for UA — a Bond double feature with two different Bond actors, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby’s only 007 outing, and Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery’s last film for the official 007 series made by Eon Productions Ltd.

1975: With the 007 series in a bit of a hiatus (due to Harry Saltzman’s financial troubles and his exit from Eon), UA rolls out Roger Moore’s first two Bond movies, Live And Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun. Except for television, this will be the last taste Bond fans will have until the summer of 1977, when The Spy Who Loved Me revives the film series.

If you have any memories of these double bills (or any we’ve overlooked), feel free to comment.

Most ridiculous 007 villain schemes? Here’s one author’s list

Over 47 years of films, James Bond villains have come up with lots of schemes for the intrepid secret agent to combat. And, truth be told, some have, eh, been on the fantastic side.

Anyway, last year the io9 Web site compiled a list of what it considered the most ludicrous James Bond villain plots.

At the top of the list? Blofeld’s Virus Omega scheme from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. An excerpt:

Blofeld, played by Telly Savalas, wants to blackmail the world by hypnotizing a woman to love chickens…the woman has just had sex with James Bond, and now she’s being hypnotized to adore chickens. That’s got to be someone’s exact fetish, somewhere on the internet.

Well, the plot was a little more involved than that, but see for yourself. We put in one link above but in case you missed that, you can entire article by CLICKING HERE.

It’s Double Double-O-Seven!

It’s Double Double-O-Seven!

Originally uploaded by Paul Baack

I’ve always loved James Bond movie double features, which is now pretty much a thing of the past. They had the coolest — and sometimes the dumbest — posters, combining key art elements from the relevant films. I think this is in the spirit of those pop culture gems from the 1960s and 70s.

Suitably abused and distressed — unfolded and re-folded too many times!

007’s new screenwriter gets some advice

While catching up on some reading, we saw that Peter Morgan, the new 007 screenwriter, got some advice from the Web site Time Out.

Among the advice:

Please give the characters room to breathe…We’re used to Bond the wisecracking automaton, but with an actor like Daniel Craig in the role this approach is a terrible waste. ‘Quantum of Solace’ reduced Bond to little more than grunts and sneers – a smart thug who faces off against a loquacious but rather pathetic villain.

Please don’t waste your Bond girls…It’s a lesson the makers of Bond have been long in learning: these women can be more than just eye-candy. A strong female lead doesn’t just centre the film, she allows writers and audiences a chance to get to the core of Bond himself.

To read the entire article, CLICK RIGHT HERE. Also, a tip of the hat to the Commander Bond site where we saw the link to the Time Out article.

2002: 007’s swan song on ABC

In the fall of 2002, James Bond returned to his original U.S. television home, Walt Disney Co.’s ABC television network.

It ended up being the end of a 30-year, on-and-off relationship between the fictional spy and ABC.

007’s television debut occurred on Sept. 17, 1972, when Goldfinger was shown by ABC. The network was 007’s television home through the 15th Eon-produced film, The Living Daylights.

After that, things began to change. Licence to Kill appeared on Fox. Time Warner’s TBS scooped up the TV rights to the older films in the early 1990s. Pay-cable networks diminished the aura of 007 movies appearing on broadcast television. GoldenEye debuted on NBC, while CBS snared Tomorrow Never Dies and The World Is Not Enough.

So, it was a bit of a surprise when ABC brought 007 back “home” in the fall of 2002. It was an opportunity for MGM and Eon Productions to promote the upcoming Die Another Day. But the media world had changed so much, ABC canceled the Bond Picture Show after nine Saturday nights in the fall of 2002. And truth be told, things weren’t the same after ABC voiceover king Ernie Anderson passed away in 1997.

Below, here’s a promo that ABC aired for the fifth Bond movie, You Only Live Twice.

Moonraker 30th anniversary addendum

ABC and James Bond has a long relationship. So here’s the opening to The ABC Sunday Night Movie when Moonraker appeared a few years after its 1979 debut in theaters. Ernie Anderson does the honors for the voiceover:

And while we’re at it, here’s a 1980s repeat showing of From Russia With Love where Anderson tells us “the Best Bond returns!” Note the parential advisory at the start.

The return of Ernst Stavro Blofeld?

The new face of Blofeld?

As the Bond 23 silly season progresses, now we hear from the Guardian that 007’s betê noir, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, will be back to bedevil our hero in the next — and as yet, unscripted — James Bond movie. And, this time, in the personage of British actor Michael Sheen ( Frost/Nixon, Underworld, etc.)

According to an “unnamed source” (cough, cough) talking to the Daily Express newspaper,

Michael is hot property right now and it’s felt that he’s the right man to bring Blofeld back to life. [He] was a Bond fan in his youth, so this would be a dream role for him.

Seasoned Bond fans can observe for themselves from the accompanying picture how Sheen can capture the implacable menace that was the essence of Ian Fleming’s greatest villain creation.

Read all about it RIGHT HERE!

1975: ABC promo for Diamonds Are Forever

For the 1975-76 television season, ABC included Diamonds Are Forever among its slate of theatrical movies it would show. Unlike the 1972-73 season, however, 007 wasn’t the biggest draw for ABC.

In this promo, ABC begins showing previews of its movies around the 3:00 mark. Diamonds doesn’t show up until around the 6:15 mark. By contrast, Goldfinger was featured more prominently when ABC did movie promos for 1972-73.

The voicework is done by Ernie Anderson (1923-1997), best known for saying “The Looooooove Boat” when doing promos for that ABC show.

A new career opportunity awaits!

From the “tripped over this while looking for something else” department:

Her Majesty’s Secret Service is looking for new hires, in the capacity of Operations Officer. (We’re pretty sure that means “secret agent.”) We don’t know if this is how it was done in the old days — the Cold War years, let’s say — by taking out an ad in the UK Times Online seems slightly unromantic. Efficient and democratic, perhaps, but whatever happened to the ol’ “tap on the shoulder” of legend?

Interested parties can read the advert and begin the application process
RIGHT HERE. Best of luck!