Jackson Gillis dies, long-time TV writer who dabbled in spy adventures

Jackson Gillis, a television writer from the 1950s to the 1990s, died Aug. 19, just two days shy of his 94th birthday. His many, many credits included episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., I Spy, The Wild, Wild West and Mission: Impossible. Those weren’t his most significant credits. Those would probably [...]

NPR on “Project X”

Today’s update of the National Public Radio website has a little nugget of a piece of the upcoming “Project X” James Bond novel by Jeffrey Deaver. (As an immediate side note, the article asks the question The more we read about this summer’s so-so blockbusters and outright bombs, the more we think … wouldn’t it [...]

BBC says MI5 suspected 007 screenwriter of being a Communist agent

Wolf Mankowitz has only one official 007 screenwriting credit but his influence extends beyond that. Anyway, the writer was monitored by the U.K.’s MI5, which suspected Mankowitz of being a Commnist agent, the BBC reported this week, citing newly released government records. You can read the full story BY CLICKING HERE. Here’s a brief excerpt: [...]

11 U.N.C.L.E. facts for fans of Mad Men

Thanks to a clip shown on the most recent episode, fans of AMC’s Mad Men series have either discovered or re-discovered The Man From U.N.C.L.E. So here are 11 U.N.C.L.E. facts for fans of the show. Why 11? Check out reason No. 1: 1. Napoleon Solo, the title character of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. wore [...]

Happy 80th birthday, Sean Connery

As we type this, it’s Aug. 25 in Scotland, the land of Sean Connery’s birth. So here’s happy 80th birthday, Sir Sean, the first film James Bond. Connery, of course, helped make 007 a phenomenon. There was that simple, yet powerful, introduction: There were a number of memorable moments: Of course, there were some critics: [...]

WSJ profiles Ian Fleming Fondation’s Doug Redenius

The Wall Street Journal, in its Personal Journal section, ran a profile of Doug Redenius, the Ian Fleming Foundation vice president who supervises that group’s efforts to acquire and revamp vehicles that have appeared in James Bond movies. The story by Mark Yost has this passage: The 54-year old has been a postal worker for [...]

The Man From U.N.C.L.E. meets Mad Men

The Man From U.N.C.L.E., the 1964-68 spy series, had a one-evening revival — as a 1960s cultural reference on the acclaimed cable-television series Mad Men. Here’s how Vanity Fair’s James Walcott described the reference: What was even more harshly cruel about the Sally’s shaming was that she was only responding naturally to the sight and [...]

2006: film professionals describe Sean Connery’s impact as 007

Sean Connery turns 80 this week. There’s a lot that could be said — and is said everyday on James Bond fan message boards — about how the Scottish actor created the film 007. Four years ago, when the American Film Institute gave Sir Sean its lifetime achievement award, film professionals summed it all up [...]

David Arnold still optimistic about Bond 23

David Arnold, the composer for James Bond movies since 1997, told the BBC on Aug. 13 he’s still optimistic about Bond 23. “It won’t be next year,” he said of the next entry in the 007 film series. He said in an interview that Bond 23 would come in 2012 if studio Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s financial situation [...]

007 Fidelity Index: how close are the films to the books? Part III

We conclude our comparison of James Bond films to the Ian Fleming originals. We’ve gotten a mixed reaction. While some like the analysis, there’s also a worry that these entries reinforce fan like/dislike of particular actors. These postings, for the most part, aren’t intended as movie reviews (though we admit to taking a shot to [...]