007 alumnus Vic Armstrong talks to NPR

Vic Armstrong, former James Bond stuntman and second unit director, was interviewed by NPR on May 18 about his new book. He talked about how a fellow stuntman, who was working on 2001: A Space Odyessey and unable to get away from it, helped him get a job on You Only Live Twice, his first 007 film.

From that rather humble beginning (Armstrong figures he got about $100 a week on You Only Live Twice), he would eventually be put in charge of Bond’s action unit. As a second unit director (on Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day), he was responsible for tens of millions of dollars.

Armstrong also did many other films, including doubling for Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones and Christopher Reeve’s Superman. In the NPR interview, Armstrong says Yakima Canutt was the greatest stuntman of all time (he did a memorable stunt in 1939’s Stagecoach and staged the chariot race in 1959’s Ben Hur), while also favorably mentioning long time 007 stunt arranger Bob Simmons and George Leech, another veteran 007 stuntman (and Armstrong’s father-in-law).

To listen to the interview, just CLICK HERE.

CBS renews Hawaii Five-0

CBS renewed Hawaii Five-0 for a second seson again putting it at the 10 p.m. ET Monday time slot.

The move came despite the fact ratings had slipped in recent weeks. The show may have been hurt by the Two And a Half Men/Charlie Sheen fiasco, where the supply of new episodes of the comedy dried up because of conflicts with the now-fired star. That, in turn, lessened CBS’s audience for the programs that followed. The ratings for Five-0’s season finale on May 16 improved a bit compared to previous weeks.

In any event, Five-0’s producers can now figure out how to resolve the May 16 episode’s cliffhanger where Steve McGarrett 2.0 (Alex O’Loughlin) was framed for two murders, including the Goveror, by evil mastermind Wo Fat.