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Landing the role of James Bond turned out to be a double-edged sword for Sean Connery. While it launched his career and made him a household name, the actor was the first to experience what would become somewhat of a 007 curse: he felt he couldn't escape the shadow of England's greatest spy. Regardless of how the public viewed him, Connery was at various points seemingly tired of his association with the role, delivering multiple grumpy utterances on the matter throughout his early career, most famously saying (via The Hollywood Reporter) that he had "always hated that damn James Bond" and that he'd "like to kill him."

Of course any fan of the actor will know that his range extended far beyond Commander Bond. In the years after "Dr. No" kick-started cinema's most enduring franchise, Connery demonstrated that range in a slew of films designed to prove his talent. 1965's "The Hill...

With comic book adaptations dominating the film industry today, let’s take a trip back to a time when they were neither reputable nor among the most expensive films ever made. For fans of cult movies, Mario Bava hardly needs any introduction. Since his debut directing the gorgeously gothic “Black Sunday,” he innovated several genres, including the Giallo, with “The Girl Who Knew Too Much,” paving the way for the slasher film, the horror anthology with his masterful tryptic “Black Sabbath” (In the process giving the godfathers of heavy metal their moniker), and even science fiction – the fingerprints of his “Planet of the Vampires” are all over Ridley Scott’s “Alien” and “Prometheus.” “Danger: Diabolik” was produced during the height of the James Bond and “Batman 66” craze to cash in on the cult Eurospy genre. But whereas contemporary comic book adaptations center around superheroes, Bava’s world is an altogether different one.

A smattering of well-known classic titles are now on their way to the crisp realm of ultra-high-definition physical media. Bill Hunt of The Digital Bits has just unveiled a number of movies that have been announced to release in 4K Blu-ray early next year. We’ve reported earlier that the Pierce Brosnan/Linda Hamilton volcano film Dante’s Peak is set for a February 11 release, the same day will also see the 4K Uhd release of Howard Deutch’s teen comedy Pretty in Pink (1986). It is said to feature Dolby Vision Hdr and a new “Filmmaker Focus” featurette.

It has also been confirmed that Disney, who is the parent company of the Buena Vista label, has completed a 4K restoration of the Michael Bay 1997 disaster blockbuster Armageddon. On December 6, the Bruce Willis asteroid movie is set to screen in this remaster at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles as part of An Evening with Diane Warren.

Sherlock Holmes investigates Jack the Ripper in Murder By Decree, hitting 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray on January 14 via Kino Lorber.

From Black Christmas director Bob Clark, the 1979 murder-mystery has been newly mastered in 4K by StudioCanal.

Christopher Plummer and James Mason star as as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively, alongside David Hemmings, Susan Clark, Anthony Quayle, John Gielgud, Frank Finlay, Donald Sutherland, and Genevieve Bujold.

Disc 1 – 4K Uhd:

Uhd Sdr Master by StudioCanal Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell Theatrical Trailer 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

Disc 2 – Blu-ray:

HD Master by StudioCanal Audio Commentary by Director Bob Clark Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger and Steve Mitchell Theatrical Trailer 5.1 Surround and Lossless 2.0 Audio

John Hopkins (Thunderball) penned the script, inspired by Elwyn Jones & John Lloyd‘s 1975 book The Ripper File, Stephen Knight‘s 1976 book Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution,...

Every James Bond movie has separate iconic songs to get listed, but the James Bond Theme has become synonymous with the franchise name. It has been the signature music since Dr. No in 1962. Before Daniel Craig took the legacy baton forward in 2006, every Eon-produced James Bond movie featured Monty Norman’s created theme song. Although Monty Norman wrote several songs for other musical stage plays, including Pinocchio, Stand, and Deliver, he will forever be remembered for composing the iconic James Bond music.

A snippet from Dr. No | Credits: United Artists

Despite his illustrious career, Norman’s association with the “Dum di-di dum dum” guitar que arranged by the John Barry Orchestra will always be iconic. Vic Flick, who used to work with John Barry as a guitarist is popularly known for playing that particular guitar riff, has died. To honor his legacy, let’s look at a few unknown facts about the theme music.

Jason and Anna were trapped by Sidwell and believed they were about to die on General Hospital. The two were imprisoned in a cage with Anna starting to fall apart, and hearing guards coming, Jason kissed her. Fans didn’t see that coming, and their reactions were overwhelming.

Anna Was Shaken and Stirred

Never before in the history of Gh have we seen Anna (Finola Hughes) come so unglued as when she thought Sidwell (Carlo Rota) was going to kill her and Jason (Steve Burton). She started banging the bed in their makeshift prison, trying to find anything that could be used to pick the locks. Jason grabbed her to console the former spy, and they got so close that he planted one right on her lips on the September 26 episode. In that scene, he obviously heard the guards coming and kissed her as a distraction. But Anna has been...

Robert Watts, a production manager on George Lucas’ Star Wars and producer on its first two sequels along with Steven Spielberg’s first three blockbuster Indiana Jones movies and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, died Monday in his sleep at his home in West Sussex, England. He was 88.

His rep Julian Owen of Alliance Media confirmed the news to Deadline, writing: “Goodnight to my wonderful friend and client Robert Watts, Producer of some of the most famous films in cinema history. … Talking about his career was his favourite thing to do. We had some amazing adventures together which I will cherish forever.”

After working on Star Wars, Watts was an associate producer on smash 1980 sequel The Empire Strikes Back, which solidified and furthered the Star Wars galaxy as a cultural touchstone. The next year he served in the same role for Raiders of the Lost Ark, which introduced the world to...

Robert Watts, the British producer and production manager who collaborated with George Lucas on the first three Star Wars films and the first three Indiana Jones movies, has died. He was 86.

Watts died Monday in his sleep at his home in East Sussex, England, his rep, Julian Owen at Alliance Agents, told The Hollywood Reporter. “We were with him for a decade taking him to conventions all over the world, where he could connect with fans and talk about his career,” Owen said.

Watts also worked alongside Indiana Jones director Steven Spielberg on the Spielberg-produced Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991).

For the extremely challenging first Star Wars film, Watts served as production supervisor under production designer John Barry, and the two traveled to Morocco and Tunisia to scout locations. He then did some third-unit directing.

“We were under a great deal of pressure from 20th Century Fox,...

This article is the best at what it does, but what it does is spoil Deadpool & Wolverine.

When it comes to the big screen, there’s only one Wolverine and his name is Hugh Jackman. After Dougray Scott stuck shooting Mission: Impossible II for longer than anticipated and had to drop out of playing Logan in 2000’s X-Men, Jackman has owned the part. Not even a noble and beloved death in Logan can put a stop to Jackman’s reign as cinema’s premiere Canucklehead, as he dons the goofy mask and yellow duds in full for Deadpool & Wolverine.

But while Deadpool & Wolverine does further delay the inevitable recasting of Logan for the MCU, it also gives viewers a look at different types of Wolverine. Sure, these are all still Hugh Jackman—save, of course, for the one played by Henry Cavill—but at least there’s some more flavor.

George Lazenby was the first actor to play James Bond on the big screen after Sean Connery left the role. That might sound like a significant accomplishment, but Lazenby has been a walking punchline for decades for two very different reasons.

George Lazenby is the worst actor to play James Bond by far

Connery made Bond one of the most famous fictional characters of the 20th century through the first five 007 movies: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Love Twice. He left the franchise, only to be replaced by Lazenby for the following movie: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Lazenby had some big shoes to fill.

And fill them he did not. While 007 is supposed to be all about his wit and charm, Lazenby is wooden. Watching On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, it’s hard to imagine Lazenby getting the lead role in a...

The James Bond jetpack sequence in “Thunderball” (1965) was a cheesy-awesome thing that was like, “Whoa! The future will be jetpacks!” “My Spy the Eternal City” opens like a Bond film, or maybe a movie whose goal is to make the “Kingsman” series look weighty. Dave Bautista’s JJ, a former Special Forces soldier turned CIA operative, is on a private plane, where he’s playing bodyguard to a teen idol named Ryan (Bill Barratt). Out of the blue, he’s attacked by the flight attendant. As they go at each other with sharp objects, a helmeted figure zips through the sky in a jetpack, placing a bomb on one of the plane’s windows and blowing a hole in its side; everyone comes tumbling out, and a plunging-to-the-earth scuffle ensues.

The hook? The jetpack flier is Sophie (Chloe Coleman), a 14-year-old spy. While falling through the air and rescuing JJ,...

The ‘unofficial’ James Bond film that met with lots of legal hurdles. And the comedy that sounded different – until The Sopranos came along…

Sean Connery had vowed he was never going to return as James Bond after 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever. Meanwhile, a man called Kevin McClory had agreed not to exercise his screen rights to the story of Thunderball until 1975. Yet the highest profile ‘unofficial’ Bond project would bring them both together, as Never Say Never Again did battle with the official 007 film Octopussy at the 1983 box office.

A different battle played out in 1999, as Robert De Niro took the plunge into comedy with Analyze This. It’d be an early hit in a year that was awash with them – yet the idea of a mob boss seeing a shrink, that seemed original when the film was conceived – was about to slam head-first into a brand new TV show…...

Ranker is a popular place on the Internet where people can rank whatever they want, however, they want, and whenever they want. This is always a fan-focused ranking system, and it is never officially tied to the people behind the projects in question. Recently, a large survey was organized on Ranker, whose goal was to determine the best James Bond films of all time. The list includes 26 titles in total, but in our report, we have decided to list the top ten films from the site to provide you with better insight, combined with our original comments and opinions, which will add flavor to the whole report.

Of course, since this is indeed an important list, we have decided to report on it, so we are going to bring you the results by listing the top 10 movies on this list, from 10th to first place. We hope you’ll enjoy it!

James Bond: a franchise known for its complex web of deceit, high-stakes power struggles, and bitter rivalries. In a world where alliances are easily forged and broken, the players are always looking for an angle to gain the upper hand. A realm where secrets are currency and the truth is only revealed to those who hold power. A landscape marked by twists and turns, where loyalties are tested, and betrayals are commonplace.

And I’m not even talking about the seminal spy’s escapades! Behind the martini-sipping, globe-trotting, and high-octane action, an arguably more intriguing drama has unfolded for decades. Welcome to the battle over James Bond film intellectual rights, where real-life drama might be more thrilling than any fictional plot. Where producers and studios engage in a game of cat and mouse, and the prize is control over the most iconic spy franchise in history.

One of the most...

A playwright-turned-screenwriter, John Logan made a name for himself — and earned three Oscar nominations — working with some of the biggest names in the business, in genres ranging period dramas, sword-and-sandal epics and spy thrillers.

His credits include Martin Scorsese’s The Aviator, Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd, Oliver Stone’s Any Given Sunday, Ridley Scott’s Gladiator, Ed Zwick and Tom Cruise’s The Last Samurai, and two James Bond movies directed by Sam Mendes, to name a few.

Logan was, in his own words, shaped by two early influences: William Shakespeare and monsters. The Great Bard led him to drama, theatre, and a career in writing. But even before that, there were monsters. He was raised on the fantastical world of Dark Shadows, the horror movies of Universal and Hammer, Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, the Aurora monster modeling kits, and Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comic books. His...

The big-screen adaptations of Ian Fleming’s James Bond have never really been known for being faithful to their source material. Apart from some initial releases, such as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Thunderball, most films haven’t gone past the title of the books when it comes to borrowing material for the silver screen.

As a result, after rumors emerged claiming that Christopher Nolan was in talks to make a faithful adaptation of Fleming’s work, fans were elated. But as the story goes, these claims turned out to be false. However, had Quentin Tarantino got the ball running for his version of Casino Royale, fans would’ve witnessed a pretty truthful adaptation of the author’s first Bond novel.

Casino Royale Would’ve Stuck to the Books Had Quentin Tarantino Directed

A still from Casino Royale | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

While with Casino Royale, director Martin Campbell did stick to the books to some extent,...

Sean Connery was hailed as one of the most notable actors who ever played the iconic James Bond. His decades-long career as the famed British spy was undoubtedly the most unforgettable one, and it’s difficult to imagine had he not continued to star in the franchise.

Sean Connery in Thunderball

This was due to the fact that the original plan for the James Bond films was to kickstart it with the controversial Thunderball. Yes, the 1965 installment almost became the first release, and had it happened, it would have posed a great danger to Connery’s career.

James Bond Was Supposed To Begin With Thunderball

Thunderball is the fourth series in the James Bond films, and it was supposed to go first if it wasn’t for the number of controversies it faced. Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, both Bond producers, worked on it in the early 1960s but...

In Jay Roach's 1997 James Bond spoof "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery," the film's villain, Dr. Evil (Mike Myers), aims to murder off his arch-nemesis by dropping him into a tank full of man-eating sharks. In a supervillainous twist, the sharks will be equipped with laser beams affixed to their heads. Dr. Evil says he likes his pets to have a well-cooked meal before eating. He then cackles maniacally. A lieutenant of his, however, informs Dr. Evil that buying sharks equipped with lasers is immensely difficult and that the tank is, instead, filled with flesh-eating sea bass. Dr. Evil isn't thrilled. "You know, I have one simple request," Dr. Evil says, "and that is to have sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads!"

One cannot say if there's a direct connection to the above scene and a James Bond movie that Sean Connery once wrote, but there are a few uncanny similarities.

Sean Connery’s legacy in film history is irrefutable just as much as his contribution to the evolution of late 20th-century cinema. Despite the era’s misgivings and misogyny, Connery remains an irrevocable icon for his role as James Bond in the franchise’s first live-action film Dr. No. His blue-eyed, broad-shouldered, and laid-back charm not only hypnotized millions but also brought the Scotsman fame on a level previously unheard of.

Sean Connery in Goldfinger [Credit: United Artists]However, under fame’s seductive grip, Connery ended up shunning other roles that would go on to become equally iconic in the years to come. Sadder still, the actor blatantly used his fame as a tool to lord over industry producers and directors for a bigger payday.

Sean Connery Passed Up on Iconic Role Due to James Bond

Ruthless, sadistic, and diabolical, Brick Top remains one of the most exaggerated and terrifying on-screen villains to date.

Clockwise from top left: Vera Drew in The People’s Joker, Sean Connery in Never Say Never Again, and Jay Underwood in Fantastic FourPhoto: Altered Innocence, Screenshot: YouTube, YouTube

We live in a world dominated by intellectual property. Save for Oppenheimer and The Sound Of Freedom, last year’s 10 highest-grossing...

Lashana Lynch became the first woman to own the 007 title in the 2021 James Bond tentpole “No Time to Die,” but it turns out a plan to make James Bond a woman was actually pitched over 60 years prior. In Nicholas Shakespeare’s upcoming biography of Bond author Ian Fleming, titled “Ian Fleming: The Complete Man,” it’s confirmed that producer Gregory Ratoff floated the idea of casting Susan Hayward in a film adaptation of Fleming’s first Bond novel “Casino Royale.”

Shakespeare writes in the biography (via IndieWire): “Since the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached [to play Bond]. Gregory Ratoff had the arresting idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward. Ian had entertained several possibilities, from Richard Burton (‘I think that Richard Burton would be by far the best James Bond’), to James Stewart (‘I wouldn’t at all mind him as Bond if he can slightly...

Yes, a female James Bond has been over a half-century in the making.

Before Lashana Lynch briefly donned the 007 title in “No Time to Die,” the film adaptation of “Dr. No,” a woman was in talks to lead the franchise 50 years prior.

In Nicholas Shakespeare’s upcoming biography of Bond author Ian Fleming, titled “Ian Fleming: The Complete Man,” it’s revealed that original “Casino Royale” producer Gregory Ratoff had imagined a woman in the titular lead role. In fact, Oscar-winning actress Susan Hayward was in Ratoff’s mind to take the part.

Prior to “Casino Royale,” the two Bond films had floundered with “Thunderball” and “Casino Royale” receiving poor reviews, hence the proposed gender-swap.

Shakespeare writes in the biography, “Since the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached. Gregory Ratoff had the arresting idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward. Ian had entertained several possibilities,...

“It was all me, James. It’s always been me,” the villain played by Christoph Waltz reveals to super spy James Bond. “The author of all your pain.”

The name of that author? Ernst Stavro Blofeld. When Waltz revealed himself as Blofeld in 2015’s Spectre, he reversed a problem that had plagued the Bond franchise for decades: the long absence of 007’s greatest recurring arch-enemy and the huge stakes that came along with his every appearance.

How could the man who escaped every death trap and seduced every woman lose his man? How did the notoriously controlling Eon Productions, which owns the rights to Ian Fleming’s novels, let one of its most important characters slip through its hands?

Turns out, the true author of Bond’s pain is the copyright office and the he said/she said litigation that slows down big budget productions.

The Birth of Blofeld

Ernst...

Three years after the first James Bond film, "Dr. No," a handful of folks who were working on the existing James Bond movies temporarily splintered off to make a completely different kind of spy film. 1965's "The Ipcress File" stars Michael Caine as Harry Palmer, a British secret agent who is much more interested in cooking a high quality meal than skiing off a cliff or dropping quippy one-liners after creatively killing his enemies. There are no scantily clad women, no suggestive double entendres, and no laser beams or gadgets -- in many ways, it's the anti-James Bond movie.

All the more interesting, then, that a handful of key Bond players helped bring this story to the big screen. "The Ipcress File" was scored by John Barry, who was responsible for that iconic James Bond theme song and composed the score for several early Bond pictures, including "Goldfinger" (coincidentally, Michael...

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has gotten support from a former James Bond actor after rumors the Bullet Train star got offered to be the next 007 agent.

George Lazenby, who portrayed Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, gave his seal of approval to Taylor-Johnson following reports he was in contention for the role.

According to a recent TMZ report, Lazenby said Taylor-Johnson would be able to “handle the stunts and all the ladies who love a man in a tux.”

Lazenby noted that he doesn’t think Taylor-Johnson has the role yet because “when he auditioned for the part back in the 1960s, he went through a bunch of different tests and auditions before he won the role.”

James Bond was most recently played by English actor Daniel Craig, who took over the role in 2006’s Casino Royale. Craig would continue portraying the spy in 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall,...

Sir Sean Connery is popularly known for being the first actor to portray the famous fictional British secret agent James Bond on-screen. He starred in a total of seven James Bond movies from 1962 to 1983, with Never Say Never Again being his last appearance as the 007 agent.

The Scottish actor was regarded as one of the finest actors in the industry and for his service to drama he was made a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France and a Knight by Queen Elizabeth II in 2000. Not only was Sean Connery a brilliant actor, but he was also one of the brave ones who faced a real-life mobster with no hesitance on his face.

Sean Connery in Dr. No Jay Leno says Sir Sean Connery was a ‘tough guy’

Jay Leno appeared on The Pete and Sebastian Show, and during the conversation, the television host and comedian remembered...

Although it’s difficult to imagine that someone would say no to Steven Spielberg – the guy who changed cinema with 1975’s Jaws, Eon studios apparently rejected him. According to reports, after earning popularity and experience following Jaws, Spielberg wanted to direct a James Bond movie. But unfortunately, despite begging producer Cubby Broccoli for a chance, the filmmaker was turned down.

Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

But surprisingly, Steven Spielberg’s love for his childhood hero James Bond, and his desire to direct a Bond movie came true after he collaborated with his best bud George Lucas. Working on Lucasfilms’ adventure film series Indiana Jones starring Harrison Ford, Spielberg went on a mission to make his dream come true and took a cheeky 007 dig in Temple of Doom.

James Bond Producer Turned Down Steven Spielberg

Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels had a massive fanbase, which...

Think in terms of movies, not eras, Mr. Bond!

If the rumors are correct, James Bond franchise overlord Barbara Broccoli is closing in on a new actor to don 007’s tux. This, however, is an endless vodka martini swirl of rumors — with the main actor in question, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, just as tied to the role a year ago as he is now. Why the delay? It’s been two and a half years since Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, “No Time to Die,” bowed in cinemas.

Part of it seems to be a franchise tradition that, with each new actor in the role, there’s a bit of a rethink of the character: To tailor the role to the actor’s strengths and better fit the sensibilities of the moment. An awareness of the history of the franchise, of what era it’s currently inhabiting, has been part of...

Michael Culver, the veteran British actor who portrayed the doomed Captain Needa in The Empire Strikes Back and a bigoted police inspector in David Lean’s A Passage to India, has died. He was 85.

Culver died Feb. 27, according to Alliance Agents, which represented him for the past decade. No other details were immediately available.

Culver also appeared on lots of British television over the years, from The Befrienders, Secret Army and The Adventures of Black Beauty to The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Game Set and Match, The House of Eliott and the Derek Jacobi-starring Cadfael.

In Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980), directed by Irvin Kershner, Culver’s character, as captain of the Imperial Star Destroyer Avenger, loses track of the Millennium Falcon piloted by Han Solo during a pursuit.

Needa takes full responsibility and apologizes to Darth Vader, who then kills him (“Apology accepted, Captain...

The biggest, most audacious James Bond movie during Sean Connery’s celebrated run as the British superspy is 1965’s Thunderball, a spectacular adaptation of the Ian Fleming novel of the same name. Thunderball sees the insidious terrorist syndicate Spectre steal two nuclear warheads from NATO and hold the world governments hostage for ￡100 million. After a run-in with Spectre operatives at a local clinic while recuperating from a recent mission, Bond suspects the warheads are hidden in the Bahamas and convinces M to investigate further. Upon arriving, Bond matches wits with high-ranking Spectre figure Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) and assassin Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi), romancing Largo’s girlfriend Domino (Claudine Auger) as he searches for the warheads.

Nearly 60 years after its initial release, Thunderball remains the highest-earning Bond film in North America after adjusting for inflation and is the second in the long-running series to win an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

Metrograph programmer Lydia Ogwang loves the balcony seats in the larger of the theater’s two screens. There’s something about having a visceral sense of the scale of the theater by being perched above the main floor. It’s easy to feel connected to the screening experience — even easier when you’re close enough to the booth that you can peek in and see the projectionist changing reels of the celluloid prints shown at the New York independent movie theater. But now, as part of Metrograph’s latest “Beach Bodied” series combining two great tastes that go great together — the beach and crime dramas — moviegoers now have the chance to see a brand-new 4K restoration of Kathryn Bigelow’s 1991 classic “Point Break” up on a big screen, no reel changes needed.

Breaking down the merits of film vs. digital in a single paragraph, or single article, would be like...

This article contains light spoilers for James Bond: 007 #1.

In the first pages of a new comic book series, a mafioso gathers his family and talks of revenge. Reeling with sorrow and anger at the murder of his son, the mafioso vows to destroy his child’s killer. As he talks, the mafioso praises the remaining members of his family, and artist Rapha Lobosco devotes a panel to each, letting the reader see their importance: his strapping sons, his beautiful daughters, his loving wife, and his elderly mother.

But just when the mafioso hits the climax of his speech, an interuption forces him to turn around. There, he sees all but his mother dead, blood pouring from a bullet hole placed precisely in their foreheads. After killing the mafioso, the gunman turns to the elderly mother and says, “Better safe than sorry.” The sequence ends with a splash page showing...

As Bono plays the Sphere with U2 in Las Vegas this fall, the Irish rock star also has been revealed to be involved with another prominent piece of architecture, this one in L.A.

For months, a huge house — with an even more enormous foundation and elevated driveway ­— has been rising in the Hollywood Hills, inescapably visible to commuters heading north on Fairfax Avenue.

According to a source, Bono is an investor in the project. Designed by architect Noah Walker and developed by Plus Development Group, the home appears to include a triangular-shaped main house, a guest house and a pool.

A rep for Bono was not reachable for comment; Plus Development Group had no comment and Walker’s office did not respond to an interview request. Back in 2021, music executive Scooter Braun paid $65 million for a 19,000-square-foot modern mansion designed by Walker, located in Brentwood.

According to a neighbor,...

It’s the battle of the Bond Cars this Christmas as Scalextric release a corker of a set! The Scalextric 007 DB5 vs V8 set, available exclusively online, features two of Bond’s most iconic cars and firm fan favourites, we mean of course, the Aston Martin DB5 and V8 Vantage.

Christmas was always a time for us growing up when Dad would get out the Scalextric set and set it up over the lounge floor. We can remember the sound, the distinctive smell and the fun! So the timing of this sets release couldn’t be more perfect.

We were gifted this impressive looking set for the purpose of review but in all honestly it’s really reminded our whole extended family how much we all enjoy having the Scalextrics around. You see we thought we would set it up, check it was the quality we’d expect, check the...

There are countless ways to enjoy the James Bond series, and every 007 aficionado has their preferred method. And they'll talk your ear off about it. Some suggest starting with the highlights, the best of the best, and then doubling back to fill in the gaps. It's the most fun way to do it. Others will tell you to take a deep breath, lean into the wind, and just watch the whole shebang straight through in chronological order of release. It's the most rewarding way to do it (even though you'll suffer through some serious stinkers).

A similar logic applies to each individual Bond era. Some, like Timothy Dalton's brisk run as the world's most dashing secret agent, are over in the blink of an eye. Others, like Daniel Craig's modern reboot, actually demand a specific order to be fully appreciated. But Sean Connery, the first James Bond...

The James Bond film series has never been known for its fealty to the original Ian Fleming source material, which comprise 12 novels and two short story collections. There have since been other books too, more than two dozen, in fact, all written by different authors. But the movies have only glancingly touched on them. Although some of the initial 007 films stayed fairly faithful to the source novels, the franchise began to veer away from the Fleming tales by the mid-1960s, only intermittently returning to them.

Intriguingly, recent (if dubious) rumors have suggested that Eon Productions has reached out to Christopher Nolan about directing the next two films in the series, which would also introduce a new Bond, but there’s no official word on what direction the property will take. There has been speculation that Nolan himself would like to go back to the books, period setting and all,...

Terence Young's 1963 triumph "From Russia with Love" was the James Bond series' first sequel, and, 60 years later, it's still considered by many 007 aficionados to be one of franchise's finest installments. It's a brisk, surprisingly brutal film. The gadgetry popularized by 1964's "Goldfinger" (and launched well over the top by 1965's "Thunderball") is kept to a sensible minimum; for the most part, this is a revenge film in which our licensed-to-kill protagonist is lured into an elaborate defection plot designed to knock him off for having killed Spectre's Dr. No in the first movie. Narratively, it's as small potatoes as the mostly maligned "Casino Royale" follow-up "Quantum of Solace" (a revenge film in the other direction), but, at the time, it had the advantage of working within an unformed universe.

"From Russia with Love" has two of the Bond series' oddest highlights: the sexualized Turkish settlement brawl between Martine Beswick and Aliza Gur,...

The spirit of James Bond has found an L.A. home. Perched above the Sunset Strip in Hollywood Hills West, The Californication House (previously known as Stanley 2) is the latest spec mansion developed, designed and curated by the team of Jason Somers and Branden and Rayni Williams, founders of Disco Volante. This lush modern mid-century riot of luxury, inspired by the tropical aesthetic of the Bond film Thunderball and the sleek contemporary chic of the film Ex Machina, is the team’s most audacious gamble to date.

The $38 million estate was designed by the architecture firm Vantage Design Group, with interiors by French interior designer Victoria Gillet. The 13,000-square-foot showpiece — which is being sold furnished — is also listed by Branden and Rayni Williams through their brokerage The Beverly Hills Estates, with all the attention to detail fans of the duo have come to expect. “This home is very tactile,” Rayni says.

October has arrived, and Amazon Prime Video is not lacking in great new movies to stream this month. The bulk of the James Bond library is available to stream on Prime Video starting on Oct. 1, so pick your favorite era and play your marathon accordingly. There’s also a bona fide new release hitting just in time for Spooky Season – the 1980s-set time travel horror film “Totally Killer,” starring “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” lead Kiernan Shipka. And the Nicolas Cage Dracula film “Renfield” also hits Prime Video this month.

Whether you’re looking for scares, thrills or a classic rom-com, we’ve got you covered. Check out our picks for the best new movies on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below.

The James Bond Franchise Eon

Ok so this is more than one film, but if you’re a James Bond fan you can now stream a slew of entries...

There’s a lot to watch on Prime Video in October and, as you may have guessed, there’s spooky stuff galore in amongst Prime’s usual rotation of extensive library content.

In the movie Totally Killer, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka travels back in time to the 1980s to stop a serial killer. Then there’s Make Me Scream, a Halloween special that challenges celebrities to “a gruesome game of terror.” Renfield will also be streaming on the service for anyone who’s been dying (muahahaha!) to catch the Nic Cage Dracula film.

Outside of Prime Video’s more creepy fare, Shazam! Fury Of The Gods will debut, Upload will be back for a third season, and new film Awareness should scratch your sci-fi itch. Meanwhile, for Frasier heads – those who consider themselves utterly Frasier-pilled – all eleven seasons of the Cheers spinoff show will be streaming at the touch of a button.

If you’re looking for a complete list of every new movie and TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video in October, you’ve come to the right place. This month kicks off with a slew of great library additions, from James Bond films to relatively new releases (“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” and the Nicolas Cage Dracula movie “Renfield”) and beyond.

There are also some high-profile originals landing in October. The third season of the sci-fi comedy series “Upload” arrives on Oct. 20, while Oct. 6 marks the release of the Prime Video original film “Totally Killer,” a fun slasher set in the 1980s that stars Kiernan Shipka.

Check out the full list of what’s new on Amazon Prime Video in October 2023 below, followed by a complete list of new arrivals for Freevee in October as well.

Arriving October 1

Frasier, Seasons 1-11 (1994)

Hit, Season 3 (2020)

A Fish Called Wanda (1988)

A Guy Thing...

When it comes to the Sean Connery James Bond movies, the highest praise is usually reserved for "Goldfinger" or "Dr. No." The latter was, of course, Bond's on-screen debut, while the former introduced so many of the trademarks we've come to expect from the franchise, it's arguably even more of a Bond blueprint than "Dr. No."

But while it might not be considered the greatest James Bond film, Connery's fourth outing in the tux, "Thunderball," is a significant entry in the saga. The fourth Bond movie made $141 million, making it the most successful Bond at the time — a title it retained (adjusting for inflation) until 2012's "Skyfall." "Thunderball" was also the last time director Terrence Young would oversee a 007 movie, having helped define the character's fashion sense, humor, and bon vivant persona with "Dr. No." But the fourth Bond outing is also significant for the behind-the-scenes controversy that accompanied it.

The James Bond saga is about as well-established a film franchise as you can get. But somewhere, there's an alternate timeline in which the first ever Bond movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

Today, there's a lot of discussion surrounding whether or not Christopher Nolan will finally be given a crack the secret agent. Nolan certainly seems up for directing a 007 entry, and has been for quite some time. With the Daniel Craig era drawing to a divisive close in "No Time To Die," there's every chance the revered British filmmaker could bring his cerebral approach to the next Bond outing. Of course, that would require producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson allowing him the complete creative control he demands.

But this isn't the first time a highly-regarded British director with a penchant for meticulous oversight has been touted as the ideal filmmaker to take on England's greatest spy.

There are few casting decisions in cinema history as important or impactful than that of Sean Connery as James Bond in "Dr. No." Ian Fleming's novels introduced us to the now-iconic MI6 spy 007, but it wasn't until 1962, when the first cinematic adaptation of those texts arrived, that the world at large came to know Bond, James Bond. Connery's casting is, perhaps, more than any other part of Terrence Young's seminal film, credited for its success. And even though Connery was a not terribly well-known actor at the time, he had a couple of demands that needed to be met before agreeing to take the part.

Published in 2015, Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury's book "Some Kind of Hero" chronicles the history of the "James Bond" films in great detail. In covering "Dr. No," the book contains an excerpt from an interview with Connery, who recalled how his journey as 007 began.

One of the many James Bond franchise staples introduced in 1964's "Goldfinger" was 007's Aston Martin DB5. Throughout his 60-year cinematic run, Bond has had the pleasure of driving some of the finest vehicles in the world, but none have become as synonymous with England's greatest spy as the DB5. Which is why, to this day, Aston Martin's 1963 luxury grand tourer remains the best James Bond car.

Prior to "Goldfinger," there had been two Bond movies: 1962's "Dr. No" and 1963's "From Russia With Love." In the former, 007 was seen riding in a Sunbeam Alpine, and in the latter a Bentley Mark IV — an odd choice considering the car had been around for a good 30 years prior to Sean Connery's Bond making use of it. And in Ian Fleming's first Bond novel, "Casino Royale," the MI6 agent drove a 1930 Blower Bentley, a racing version of the Bentley 4½ Litre.

Among James Bond movies, "Goldfinger" stands as the film that cemented 007's status as a global icon. Guy Hamilton's 1964 effort has since become known as the blueprint for all future Bond films, establishing longstanding tropes that still define the franchise today. A globe-spanning adventure, "Goldfinger" introduced that gadget-filled Aston Martin DB5 alongside legendary Bond girl Pussy Galore, played by the late Honor Blackman. Then there was that famous laser beam scene, in which Sean Connery's Bond is strapped to a table and forced to await an inexplicably slow death.

But it wasn't just gadgets and Bond girls with dodgy names that "Goldfinger" brought to the table. Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn's script also introduced more subtle staples to the 007 saga, including an opening sequence seemingly unrelated to the film's main plot and a testy relationship between the titular spy and Desmond Llewelyn's Q that established the pair's dynamic going forward.

Back in the 1970s, when Korea was closed to the outside world, locals relied on black market dealers to get their hands on everything from American cigarettes to Ritz crackers. Though this illicit import racket was run mostly by men, it wouldn’t have been possible without half a dozen uniquely talented women — skilled divers known as haenyeo who fished the loot from the sea. At least, that’s the fresh girl-power premise floated by action maven Ryoo Seung-wan (“The Battleship Island”) in his snappy, retro-styled crime saga, “Smugglers.”

Featuring a funky Lalo Schifrin-esque score (from composer Chang Ki-ha) and more wide-collared polyester pantsuits than a “Charlie’s Angels” costume contest, the movie presents itself as a lost relic of less enlightened times, but boasts gender dynamics that are very much of this moment. In early scenes, the divers earn their living fetching oysters off the ocean floor — or at...

To legions of James Bond fans, there is only one true Agent 007: the legendary Sean Connery. Connery’s early Bond films — Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever — established the template for the suave, debonair, and resourceful secret agent that has been maintained through all of the films (and stars) that have followed. As successful as he was playing Bond, though, the late actor once told us that, in real life, he didn’t think he had what it takes to be a good spy. (Click on the media bar below to hear Sean Connery) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Sean_Connery_Spy_.mp3

All of Sean Connery’s classic Bond movies are available on DVD, Blu-Ray, and most digital platforms.

The post Sean Connery Was A Great James Bond, But It Was All An Act appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.

Picture if you will, a world in which someone would say no to Steven Spielberg. After all, the guy changed cinema with 1975’s Jaws, creating the summer blockbuster, earning tons of money, and getting a Best Director nomination. But that’s exactly what happened, several times when Spielberg begged producer Cubby Broccoli to let him make a movie about his childhood hero, James Bond. But after numerous rejections, Spielberg’s best bud George Lucas came to him with another idea: a movie about an adventurer called Indiana Jones.

Spielberg’s James Bond Mission

It’s no surprise that Spielberg loves James Bond. As anyone who saw The Fabelmans can tell you, the director developed his remarkable cinematic sense not by going to film school but by replicating the images of movies he saw at the local suburban theaters. And few movies of that formative era were bigger in the minds...

It was 40 years ago this month when the biggest battle on movie screens took place not between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but improbably enough, between James Bond and… James Bond.

In 1983, audiences got to choose between two films starring Ian Fleming’s famous secret agent: Octopussy, the sixth film to feature the debonair Roger Moore as British spy 007, and Never Say Never Again, the first movie in 12 years to star the original James Bond, Sean Connery. This was following his second departure from the wildly successful film franchise in 1971.

How did this come to pass? Why would two movie studios go head-to-head with competing films about the same character, and how was that legally possible in the first place? The answer is found in a complicated series of events that stretch back to the 1950s and the very origins of James Bond, even continuing well past 1983 and into the 2000s,...