Fun parody from one Joe Cornish, who would like to offer this song to the makers of the new James Bond movie 'The Quantum of Solace', entirely free, for use over the opening credits of their forthcoming movie.
Ian Fleming, renowned author and creator of iconic spy James Bond, was born 100 years ago and to mark this special anniversary, BBC Radio 4 is joining in the celebrations - which include the release of more James Bond comics collections from Titan Books, including The Paradise Plot - with a short season of programmes dedicated to the author.
The shows include an all-star dramatisation of the first James Bond book, Dr No; a documentary following Fleming's niece on a personal journey to find out more about her uncle; and an exploration of what the creation of James Bond tells us about post-Empire Britain.
On Saturday 24 May (at 2.30pm), Toby Stephens and David Suchet star in the first ever full radio adaptation of Dr No, Ian Fleming's 1958 James Bond novel.
Recovering from the after-effects of his last assignment, Bond is given what appears to be an easy job on his next case. Sent to Jamaica to investigate the mysterious disappearance of two of his colleagues, Bond discovers that the heart of the mystery lies with a sinister recluse on Crab Key, Dr No, and before long Bond comes face to face with this bizarre creature and soon he is fighting for his life in a murderous game.
The cast also include Samuel West, John Standing, Martin Jarvis and Peter Capaldi.
In The Bond Correspondence, also on Saturday 24 May (10.30am), Ian Fleming's niece, Lucy Fleming, sets out to discover more about both her uncle and the creation of his most famous character, James Bond. Her uncle has, until now, been someone Lucy vaguely remembers from her teens but after she delves into dusty old boxes of letters to see the wealth of correspondence from readers and his responses, she discovers a lesser known side of Ian.
She goes inside the old Naval Intelligence Unit where her uncle worked in the Second World War, visits his wartime girlfriend Joan Bright Astley, and stepdaughter Fionn Morgan, and, in doing so, brings to life ghosts from the past.
On Monday 26 May, Professor David Cannadine argues that the Bond novels are a fantastic response to the moment when Britain lost an Empire but was still struggling to find a role in the new world.
In James Bond, The Last Englishman, Cannadine claims that Fleming's Bond novels have played a key role in shaping England's national self-image and Bond is the consolatory fantasy of Fleming, the nostalgic conservative appalled by Britain's collapse as a great power.
There will also be another chance to hear Amis, Amis and Bond on Sunday 18 May (1.30pm) in which Martin Amis explores his father's obsessive interest with James Bond and the writing of Ian Fleming with fellow Bond enthusiast Charlie Higson.
• The Paradise Plot is released by Titan Books on 27 June 2008 and sees the publication of a story not seen since its original publication. Follow Bond in this ultra rare Ian Fleming adventure as he teams up with fellow 00 agent Suzi Kew to investigate the mysterious disappearances of the world’s most valuable scientists. But with a series of mind-controlled assassins baying for his blood at every turn, can 007 avert disaster once again?
Published with rarely seen story Deathmask the book also includes a new introduction by David Hedison (who played Felix Leiter in Live and Let Die, but is perhaps better known to genre fans as Captain Crane from Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea) and a feature on James Bond comics from around the world.
• Pre-order The Paradise Plot from amazon.co.uk
The latest issue of Book and Magazine Collector, issue 294, is now available and has a selection of interesting articles.
With the Royal Mail's James Bond stamps already with us, the centenary of the birth of Bond creator Ian Fleming is continuing to be being celebrated with two separate exhibitions.
For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond will take place at the Imperial War Museum in London and run from Thursday 17th April to Sunday 1st March 2009.
The exhibition will look at the author and his fictional character in their historical context and examine how much of the Bond novels were imaginary and how far they were based on real people and events. It is described as exploring "the early life of Ian Fleming, his wartime career and work as a journalist and travel writer and how, as an author,he drew upon his own experiences to create the iconic character of James Bond that continues to have global appeal". An official book to accompany the exhibition will be written by Ben MacIntyre. More details can be found on the IWM London website.
Bond Bound: Ian Fleming & The Art of Cover Design will take place at the Fleming Collection in London from Tuesday 22nd April to Saturday 28th June 2008.
This exhibition will concentrate on each published Bond book, charting the role of artists and designers in creating and defining the Bond look. It will go beyond the Fleming novels to include Charlie Higson's Young Bond novels, Kate Westbrooks' The Moneypenny Diaries, and the new Bond book Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks.
More details of this free exhibition can be found in the Future Exhibitions section of the Fleming Collection website.
Talks are underway with Edinburgh City Council for this second exhibition to transfer to the Edinburgh City Art Centre from July to September 2008.
British newcomer Gemma Arterton, currently in cinemas as one of the girls of St. Trinians, has been cast as the Bond girl for the latest installment of the James Bond franchise now filming in London.
Her RADA profile lists he specials skills as "Music, gigs, film, socialising, drawing/painting, playing the guitar, making clothes and jewellery". Make of that what you will...
We were sorry to hear the news that actress Lois Maxwell died at the weekend.
Best known as the actress who starred as M's long-suffering secretary Miss Moneypenny in fourteen James Bond movies, she appeared in over 50 films (her uncredited first film role in A Matter of Life and Death earned her The Most Promising Newcomer Award at the Golden Globes in 1947) and also guest starred in episodes of shows sushc as Danger Man, The Saint and The Persuaders!. But she will also be remembered by genre fans as the voice of Atlanta Shore, the oft-disappointed would-be girlfriend of Troy Tempest in Gerry Anderson's Stingray.
Maxwell (also known as Lois Ruth Hooker), who died as a result of cancer on Saturday aged 80, near her home in Perth, Australia, apparently once predicted her obituary would start with ‘Miss Moneypenny Dead.’
The actress, who all but retired in 1989, gained the role of Miss Moneypenny after her husband, TV executive Peter Marriott, developed a heart problem.
“I had a husband who was desperately ill, with two small children and no money, so I called producers I had worked with before and said ‘help me’,” she revealed in an interview broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 2005.
Although she had to provide her own clothes and was paid just £100 a day for her appearance in Dr. No (according to the Bond book Kiss Kiss Bang Bang), Maxwell instantly made the most of an essentially cameo role and was still getting fan mail from Bond lovers up until her death.
"She was always fun and she was wonderful to be with," recalled Sir Roger Moore. "She was wonderful, absolutely perfect casting. It was a great pity that, after I moved out of Bond, they didn't take her on to continue in the Timothy Dalton films. I think it was a great disappointment to her that she had not been promoted to play M. She would have been a wonderful M."
• Lois Maxwell: Wikipedia Entry
• Time Obituary 1 October 2007
• Lois Maxwell Obituary on MI6
James Bond will not be returning to the Czech Republic. Variety reports that because of the lack of financial incentives in the country, 007 production company Eon has informed Prague's Barrandov it will not be using the studios for "Bond 22," according to Barrandov head Vladimir Kuba.
The Bond team are following the Hellboy franchise out of the Republic and Bond producers Eon have confirmed today that they are basing the Marc Forster helmed pic, which starts to shoot in December, at Pinewood.
MI6.co.uk reports the newly rebuilt 007 Stage will once again be central to the schedule, and Bond 22 is expected to take up much of Pinewood's lot. Pre-production and set construction is expected to begin late this year. Filming is due to start in January 2008 with Daniel Craig resuming his duties as 007 for a theatrical release on 7th November 2008. No details on foreign shooting locations are available yet, as no official announcements have been made.
Available now from Termight Replicas: an officially licensed Dan Dare cap badge measuring 4.5cm in diameter and costs £9.95. The concept art is by Chris Weston, based on Frank Hampson's original design.• Order by cheque or PayPal post-free worldwide from the Termight Replicas website: www.termight.co.uk
