Bond By Numbers

A short reflection and tribute on the occasion of Sir Thomas Sean Connery's passing.

Eric Serra's music for "Goldeneye" still manages to elicit grumps, frumps and outrage among Bond fans a quarter-century after its arrival on the scene. However, the soundtrack for Pierce Brosnan's 007 premiere isn't short on creativity and is staunchly defended by some for its tradition-breaking novelty. From guttural beats to "hammer and sickle synth", BBN investigates the story, tracks and contr...

Josh and Scott weigh in on the recent announcement of a further six-month delay to NTTD and related issues facing the franchise, its distribution and of cinemagoing more generally.

Long overlooked by 007 location scouts and producers, Canada remains an untapped well of potential for the adventures of James Bond. In this special "What If?" episode, Josh, Jeff and Scott put their fandom to creative work and share their ideas for original James Bond missions featuring the true north, strong and free!

Tom Mankiewicz wrote three James Bond films. He also came from Hollywood royalty and developed for himself a reputation as script doctor extraordinaire. A creative talent and raconteur beloved by his friends and collaborators, "Mank" never won an Academy Award like his father or uncle did but succeeded where they failed in "playing the game" by his own rules. In this special episode, BBN digs deep...

In our second "What If?" of the series we throw caution to the wind and let our roulette wheel guide us through the reimagined world of 007 title singers. Some hit the musical wall softly and stick, while some other selections miss horribly and fall heavy to the ground. In any case, we welcome you behind the glass and inside the BBN (re)production booth as movie music history falls victim to whims...

After years of false-starts, Kevin McClory's remake of "Thunderball" finally got green-lit in 1982. Sean Connery's involvement in the project stretched far beyond his reprisal of 007 and ensured that Cubby Broccoli and EON were kept guessing as production on their own feature evolved simultaneously. Despite its origins in bad blood, "NSNA" nevertheless has its devotees and defenders and holds a fi...

John Barry's creative ambitions for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" played innovatively off the electronic landscape of the late '60s and brought James Bond music to new heights. Revered by fans, Barry's work for George Lazenby's lone outing also pushed the envelope for film music in general, opening up new doors of perception and possibility for composers to come. In its first soundtrack deep-d...

Clint Eastwood politely turned down the role of 007 when it was offered to him after Connery's departure, which probably leaves "The Eiger Sanction" as the closest fans ever got to seeing him play the secret agent. Like Bond, Jonathan Hemlock also has henchmen, villains and a speckled past to contend with. This controversial film from 1975 is part spy thriller, part mountaineering adventure and ma...

More than twenty years after its release, John Frankenheimer's "Ronin" still delivers to audiences some of the best car chases ever manufactured for cinema. But the film's impact isn't restricted to its 150 stunt drivers tearing up French highways and locales. "Ronin" also offers the promise of Robert DeNiro in full action mode and an ensemble cast featuring no less than three 007 villain actors....

Six Bonds walk into a Blockbuster Video... this might be the start of a bad joke but it's also the premise of our fanciful discussion for Ep.40! What will they rent? What confectionary is collected at the counter? Do they rewind the tape? The variables abound as Josh, Scott and Jeff wax hypothetical on this singular topic so grab your membership cards and join BBN for some weekend rentals!

Our seasonal survey of "3 Non Bonds" kicks off with Josh's selection, 1996's "Mission Impossible". The teaser poster forewarned audiences to "expect the impossible"... which is another way of saying "suspend your disbelief, a whole lot of crazy is on the way"! And yet, the production confidently came in under budget and ahead of time. Most critics warmed to the performances and the ambitious visio...

Our first What If? episode renders a range of scenarios spanning from the intriguing to the incredulous. We unleash our roulette and empower it as casting director in charge of the Bond Ladies. Every film is subjected to its spinning whimsy and judgement. There probably aren't enough polite disclaimers to cover this one - trust a toy wheel and you'll get what you deserve!

"The First James Bond Director"... that's the starting point for most of us in regarding Terence Young. Credited with schooling Sean Connery in the ways of cool, Young was at the helm for three of Bond's first four adventures so it's impossible to downplay his impact on the franchise. In Episode 37, BBN looks back on the career and contributions of Terence Young in this first panel discussion on t...

Kick the mud off your shoes, store your drink and buckle up, friends! Season 2 of BBN enjoys an early launch here with a quarantine-enabled chinwag over some favourite car chases. Join your hosts as they shift gears through the varied terrain of this much-loved 007 topic!

Dry-clean the evening wear, Bond fans, it's awards season! Yes, the finale of BBN’s inaugural series sees the panel join forces and butt heads over their evaluations of all things EON. Cars, gadgets, locales and all the rest – we’ve got you covered. Who’ll earn a coveted spot and who’ll be sent home in a Citroen C2V? Play along and join in the fun as Josh, Scott and Jeff say farewell to Season 1 i...

With a script tailored to his unique brand of 007, Roger Moore delivered what many feel was his best of seven EON performances. Complemented by outstanding stunts, evocative sets and the world's largest sound-stage, TSWLM is still held up as a favoured instalment. Nevertheless, controversies loom large like Liparus over elements of production. Grab your ticket for the Good Ship BBN and let it guid...

Regarded by its author as a "cautionary tale" (...uh, sure, okay Ian...) Bond's 1962 literary adventure, set in leafy upstate New York, is anything but classic 007. Narrated by a vulnerable female protagonist trapped in a motel with libidinous ghouls, "The Spy Who Loved Me" has more in common with Hitchcock's "Psycho" than the EON production of the same name. Maligned by critics and fans alike, Fl...

Expectations were high when Fleming's "You Only Live Twice" hit the shelves in 1963. The anticipated follow-up to "OHMSS" did, indeed, return James Bond to the field after tragedy befell him but how fitting was the resolution? Set exclusively in Japan, this controversial conclusion to the Blofeld trilogy is as much travelogue as dramatic denouement. Asking a lot from his readers, Fleming straddles...

Given Ian Fleming's fascination with Japan, detailed for readers in his final novel, it was destined that the cinematic Bond would soon delve into the culture's offerings. But with a new director at the helm, a tiring star in the lead and diverse challenges facing the production team, no one knew how "You Only Live Twice" would measure up to previous successes of Sean Connery's 007 run. Join BBN a...

If "Casino Royale" marked the cool and understated edge of a careful new spy writer courting the literary scene, then "Live and Let Die" was that writer's caution-to-the-wind stag party. Rowdy and unforgiving, Fleming's follow-up narrative offers high adventure, colourful characters and social commentary deeply rooted in challenging cultural conceptions. In spite of its shortcomings, "Live and Let...

Roger Moore's first outing as 007 remains, for many fans, his best. Reading Blaxploitation trends of early '70s cinema, Saltzman and Broccoli gambled on there not being a better time to adapt Ian Fleming's racially-charged second novel. The film was a financial success and heralded Moore's hold on the role for a new era. From cultural misappropriation to Bond sans Barry, inflated villains to catal...

LTK's deviation from typical Bond formulae remains as much a matter of controversy now as it did 30 years ago. Some welcome its impulsive punches and sing praises for its fresh, revenge-driven plot. Others find Dalton's second and final outing too gritty and imitative of 80s action themes to celebrate with comparative canonical ease. Charter your planes and fuel your transports, the BBN crew is go...

If you like your spy adventures with a taste of the sea then "Dr No" is the novel for you! Aside from its Caribbean setting, complete with coastal breeze and moonlight sailing, Fleming's 6th effort deviates from the sublime to the ridiculous with a fauna-heavy plot featuring centipedes, spiders, magnified fish and giant calamari. But wait, there's more! Like a backdrop of colonial politics and age...

Apart from early adaptations for broadcast radio and television, 1962 marked the true event horizon for James Bond. It was here, with Dr. No, that 007's genetic code was written. Iconic on screen, iconic in team, the ingredients for franchise success evolved out of a shared ambitious vision and a tight million-dollar budget. So come aboard and keep your eyes peeled for blind mice and dragons as th...