James Bond & Friends

What's in a name? 

We welcome Joseph Darlington, Head of Section at Being James Bond, to the panel as we discuss the Bond 25 title drop 'No Time To Die.' Announced without much fanfare on an otherwise quiet Tuesday, we discuss how the new title fits in with the series. We also reveal the first news about the teaser trailer and what we can expect to see soon! Along the way we stumble across old fonts, Spectre's tiramisu, uncanny valley DB5s, dodgy timelines, and Mr White's diet.

The recording took place on August 23rd, 2019 in the USA and Spain.

James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Joseph Darlington is Head of Section at beingjamesbond.com

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

How much money does a Bond film really cost to make?

With the news that one of Bond 25's distribution partners Annapurna is having some money troubles, we dive deep into the murky waters of the business of the movies, how much films really cost, and who pays for them. Ajay shares his professional expertise on film financing and Bill recounts the history of United Artists at the start of the Bond series. Along the way we stumble on Telly Savalas' hair, Cleopatra's expense account, Q-Branch pet food, Hai Fat's inspiration, Ian Fleming's animal rights, the James Bond goat, and the faded glory of a Wimpy hamburger.

The recording took place on August 9th, 2019 in the USA, UK, New Zealand, and Spain.

Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Ajay Chowdhury (co-author with Matthew Field) of Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

How have Bond’s key allies translated from page to screen?

Observing the passing of David Hedison - two time Felix Leiter - we note how he became the first man to return to the role some 10 years later with the long-serving ally’s pivotal role in ‘Licence to Kill’. We continue by discussing Leiter and Bond’s relationship and how the re-casting has lead to some inconsistent characterisation. Along the way, we stumble on Leiter’s drinking habits, Felix’s faux pas, his Kennedy impersonation, Jack Lord’s moisturiser, Felicia Leiter, big livers, the martini olive scam, an ill-fated fishing trip, Le Chiffre’s undead exit, rewrites whilst boozing, and the Leiterverse.

The recording took place on July 26th, 2019 in the USA, New Zealand, Spain, and Portugal.

Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Marcos Kontze is creator and editor of jamesbondbrasil.com

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

In space, can you hear the James Bond screenwriters scream?

Space has been a recurring element in the James Bond film series, appearing in 7 adventures so far, and it was almost 8! As the 50th anniversary of the moon landings is celebrated, we discuss how 007 on the big screen was influenced by the real-world space race and the bets producers took on future events. We are left with just one question: how the hell do we get those diamonds down again? We round out the episode with a look at the latest 007 news including new trademarks, special screenings, Bond 25 shipping containers, and everyone takes a punt on when the title will drop.

The recording took place on July 19th, 2019 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Calvin Dyson can be found at youtube.com/calvindyson

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

How much James Bond history is left to be discovered?

Bill recounts his recent trip to the Lilly Library in Indiana where he looked at one of Ian Fleming's early Casino Royale manuscripts and shares some of the changes made to the final novel. As Formula 1 celebrated its 1,007th Grand Prix we look back at Bond's motor racing connections over the years and Ben reveals the story of the Aston Martin that probably influenced Ian Fleming's gadget laden car. Rounding out, we explore the state of James Bond research and what history still lays hidden. Along the way we cover the latest news including Ajay's location visit with Bond 25, bumping in to Bojo, SEO tabloids, firestorms on social media, into the Bondverse, Fleming in the public domain, and find a song about Blofeld.

The recording took place on July 14th, 2019 in the USA and UK.

James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Ajay Chowdhury (co-author with Matthew Field) of Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films

Lisa Funnell (@CinemaOnFire) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

How has fandom changed over the years?

It's so secret that we neglect to mention the name of the event! Mark and Calvin recount their amazing day at Secret Cinema's Casino Royale show (spoiler-free) and we ponder what other Bond films would make great interactive experiences. We also debate the current state of Bond fandom in 2019 and how things have changed over the past 20 years. At the end, discussion of the latest Bond 25 developments throw up some wild rumours that sound a little too familiar.

The recording took place on July 4th, 2019 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Calvin Dyson can be found at youtube.com/calvindyson

Mark O'Connell's home base is markoconnell.co.uk

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

Who can defend the indefensible?

We experiment with a new format for this episode where each guest takes a turn to 'defend the indefensible' and make their case for an unpopular opinion in the James Bond universe. Will anyone have their minds changed? We tackle changing the shooting order of the early films for better continuity, under-appreciation of a much-maligned Bond girl, exploring just how smart James Bond is, future actor choices, and going with a left-field composer. At the end, we round out with discussion of the latest Bond 25 developments including the Jamaica teaser video and London shooting.

The recording took place on June 30th, 2019 in the USA, UK, and New Zealand.

Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

Did this ever happen to the other fellas?

This week we dive into a retrospective of 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service.' As it celebrates its 50th anniversary, we look back on the film that's often dubbed the 'odd-one-out' by the media and assess how it is seen now by fans and the general public. Along the way, we muse on how American television audiences were left confused, restoration mistakes, changes to the final cut, and ponder a new way to judge George Lazenby's performance. At the end, we round out with a recap of the latest Bond 25 news and add another entry to the Bond cover song hall of shame.

The recording took place on June 21st, 2019 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

James Page is the co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Ajay Chowdhury (co-author with Matthew Field) of Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

Have the recent Daniel Craig films regressed in their representation of women?

This week we tackle the topic of diversity, representation of women and minority characters in Bond films, welcoming a new guest Associate Professor Lisa Funnell. We round out by discussing the curious appearance of an Aston Martin in Norway for Bond 25 and answering some listener questions. Along the way we muse on the times when James Bond’s licence to kill was inappropriately used, the fine distinction between murder and manslaughter, why academics find Bond fascinating, how to lose your tenure, when imitating Bond is a good thing, pitfalls of a choose-your-own Bond adventure, villains you root for, and killing Madeleine Swann.

The recording took place on June 9th, 2019 in the USA, UK, New Zealand, and Spain.

Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Lisa Funnell (@CinemaOnFire) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com

Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man

Has public opinion of the older films changed during the Daniel Craig years?

After we round up the latest Bond 25 news and tabloid bumblings, we dive into dissecting how public opinion of every film in the James Bond series has changed over the past 15 years - from 2004 to 2019. Using a semi-scientific method, the results were surprising! Along the way, we stumble upon the next Uncle Bond, psych out John Wayne, ponder Dalton's dark prophecy, freeze frame Judi Dench, and downgrade some classics.

The recording took place on May 23rd, 2019 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

Calvin Dyson can be found at youtube.com/calvindyson

Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command

Mark O'Connell's home base is markoconnell.co.uk

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2019

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man