James Bond & Friends

What has been going on with James Bond this year?

You wait around for news for months and then... well, nothing much happens. It has been a very quiet year so far in terms of 007 big screen developments, but there has been Bond content flowing elsewhere in the literary, comics, and gaming wings of the franchise. We take a close look at the state of the box-office and ask if the movie business being in such flux may cause significant delays for EON, and also reveal some production news about a former 007 and how his next project may have knock-on consequences.

Digitally restored Casino Royale 1954:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNp6-qTWYvo

The recording took place on June 6th, 2024 in the USA and Spain.

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

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

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

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2024

What has been going on with James Bond this summer?

You wait around for news for months and then it all comes at once! We round up the latest developments on the 007 franchise with a new game, new books, new rumours on Bond 26, a 70th anniversary event for Casino Royale, and some continuation controversy. We round out with a discussion about the state of home media releases and whether or not we'll ever see a 4K Bluray boxset.

The recording took place on September 8th, 2023 in the USA and Spain.

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

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

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

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2023

What do we think of the new 007-themed reality show?

In a drought of James Bond action, an oasis appeared on the horizon: an officially branded streaming series! 007: Road To A Million is the first (and only, according to Barbara Broccoli) venture into spin-off territory. Will the budget of Amazon Prime, the deep lore of the Bond series, and the savvy of experienced producers create something fans and casual viewers can enjoy alike? We ask the panel to find out - and if not - how the show could be improved for the already commissioned second series.

The recording took place on November 17th, 2023 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

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

Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger

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

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2023

Join us as we watch 1964's Goldfinger together as a group experience.

Is the iconic film still the gold standard or are parts of it due for smelting down? Along the way, we discover Oddjob's bad fridge habits, effective grannies, why Gillette's not the best a man can get, nerve gas sponsorships, deckchairs for nuke watching, a suspicious Walgreens photo order, questions from insurance agents, the legacy of a serial number, and how Gary Marshall IS in Goldfinger despite Bill's insistence to the contrary.

The audio quality is not up to our usual standard for this episode. Unfortunately, there were several production and technical hitches that plagued the post process and caused an untimely delay to release, but we wanted to keep the order of the episodes intact.

The recording took place on September 4th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.

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

Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson

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

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

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

Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr

David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2020

What makes the Bond musical ‘sound’?

This week Warren Ringham of Q The Music returns to the show to talk about the James Bond sound and his life as a performer dedicated to 007. We discuss the challenge of composing an original Bond-esque song as Warren has just completed his first composition. Along the way we tackle mainstream journalists writing about Bond music; Bond themes as a snapshot of their musical era and embracing the contemporary; melody replaced by rhythm and ambiance in much modern film scoring; Newman’s scores and where to from here with Zimmer; and the atmospheric scoring of Moonraker, Thunderball and From Russia With Love.

We then transition to Warren’s personal story, growing up in a musical family, attending Music college and then 15 years of building the Q the Music tribute band. He notes the particular challenge of arranging the Bond music for his group and his commitment to creating an authentic Bond sound; Q the Music’s little flourishes or takes on some of the Bond themes; the buzz of the live performance; writing and performing a 20 minute medley for the 50th Anniversary event at Piz Gloria; and what might happen if he met his musical hero.

The recording took place in the UK and New Zealand.

Paul Atkinson is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential

Warren Ringham is the founder of Q The Music (qthemusicshow.com)

This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2020

Music credit 'Spy & Die' by Jay Man