SPY BITS: The James Bond Gun Barrel Sequence

"007 Science: Inventing the World of James Bond" is a new exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Dan and Tom became big fans of this exhibit while attending the Press Day viewing. They take you inside and highlight many of the items displayed. And they let you know why you will want to attend this exhibit. What's in the exhibit? We won't give everything away. But there are screen-used gadgets from the James Bond movies. These are some of the most well-known gadgets in the James Bond history. Plus, there are James Bond movie vehicles. Vehicles like the Aston Martin DB5 used in GOLDENEYE, and the Lotus Espirit which was used in THE SPY WHO LOVED ME. And, there are real-world spy gadgets that the CIA has used to showcase how the Bond gadgets may have had some real-world background. Who did we talk with? Includes a quick interview with Meg Simmonds, Archive Director for Eon Productions, and Eric Andersen, Project Manager of Featured Experiences and Special Projects at the Museum. They help us understand what is in the exhibit and why. Meg talks about one gadget that was from a very early James Bond movie. She had never seen it before but was able to track down. And, that gadget is on display in this exhibit! Which one?! Eric focuses on is the fact that this is the Museum of Science and Industry. So, they want to make sure the exhibit highlights Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) throughout. There are interactive activities and Eric helps us understand what is there, and why kids will like this too. Finally, Chris Corbould, who was the Special Effects Supervisor on all of the James Bond movies from GOLDENEYE through NO TIME TO DIE was there. A separate episode will come out with that interview! So, take a listen. Dan and Tom think the "007 Science: Inside the World of James Bond" exhibition is extremely well done. It is a must for any James Bond fan! Have you gone to see it yet? Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! Where is the exhibit? The Museum of Science and Industry is located at 5700 DuSable Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Check out their website to find out more details. The exhibit runs from March 007, 2024, to October 27, 2024. You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/3ISOnXL

12 Mars 202434min

Steve Oxenrider is One of the Biggest James Bond Memorabilia Collectors! Are you a James Bond memorabilia collector or interested in James Bond items? How big is your collection? Well, in this episode, Dan and Tom talk with Steve Oxenrider, whose name you have seen - as he is credited on some of the "Making of" James Bond documentaries and has contributed images for numerous books and articles. In case you didn't know, Steve is auctioning off his over 30,000-item collection of James Bond memorabilia. Take a listen to find out where the auctions are being held, what is being auctioned off, and why he is auctioning his collection. Steve, who is obviously a big James Bond fan, also explains how he got started collecting and the tremendous connections he has made. Oh, and his story about talking to Rosa Klebb (twice) is very funny. Would you have the guts to do what Steve did? He's done it more than once and even talked with Harold Sakata using the same technique. So, take a listen to Steve Oxenrider's fascinating story! It might get you started collecting if you don't already! Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/49Vdg0j

5 Mars 20241h 4min

THE HILDEBRAND RARITY and LICENCE TO KILL Ian Fleming published the short story "The Hildebrand Rarity" in 1960. In it, he created the character of Milton Krest. James Bond movie fans will recognize Milton Krest from 1989 movie LICENCE TO KILL. In this episode, Dan and Tom decode how this character from the short story landed in this movie. They also talk about how his character from the novel changed in the movie. And how some of his traits were split between the characters Milton Krest and Franz Sanchez in the movie. And what about Krest's wife? Parts of her character morphed into Lupe. Remember that stingray tail that Franz Sanchez uses on Lupe in LICENCE TO KILL? It had its origin in the novel as well. But it wasn't someone named Sanchez who used it. And of course, there is a Playboy tie-in here as well that we discuss. So, take a listen. Have you read "The Hildebrand Rarity"? If so, did Dan and Tom miss anything? Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/3uLOH78

27 Feb 202420min

In Defense of Quantum of Solace Dan and Tom provide a defense of the James Bond movie QUANTUM OF SOLACE, looking at the pros and cons of this oft-maligned movie. Revealed: What does Quantum of Solace even means! QUANTUM OF SOLACE was not the critical success of its successor, CASINO ROYALE. That's even with it being a direct continuation of the CASINO ROYALE story. There were numerous problems, many stemming from the writer's strike at the time. But, there were also some positives in QUANTUM OF SOLACE. So, take a listen – Do you agree with Dan and Tom's defense of QUANTUM OF SOLACE?  Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Additionally, you can check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/48lubIg Here are the links to the podcast episodes we mentioned in this episode: Audio Podcasts: James Bond's QUANTUM OF SOLACE Pre-Title Sequence Decoded! - Spy Movie Navigator A Talk with QUANTUM OF SOLACE Director of Photography, Roberto Schaefer, ASC, AIC - Part 1 - Spy Movie Navigator Part 2: A Talk with QUANTUM OF SOLACE Director of Photography, Roberto Schaefer, ASC, AIC - Spy Movie Navigator YouTube Video: James Bond is Not Likeable - https://youtu.be/vVFyn9w1dcc

20 Feb 202451min

Gadgets in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL Dan and Tom break down the gadgets in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL – the two Dalton James Bond movies. Are these gadgets believable? Flashy? Dalton changed the tone of the character of Bond and to some extent the gadgets in the movies. For instance, could the milk bottles really do that? What about the remote keychain? And there is also the X-Ray camera, Broomstick Radio, night-vision binoculars, the rocket engine, Dentonite toothpaste, the manta ray costume, and more. And we get two looks at the use of lasers, one from each movie. Were they believable? Well, we take apart these and all the other key gadgets in these two movies. So, take a listen – did we miss any key gadgets from these two Bond movies? Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Additionally, you can check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/3wgZR4b

13 Feb 202435min

Alfred Hitchcock's Storyboards with author Tony Lee Moral Dan and Tom bring back author Tony Lee Moral to discuss his latest book Alfred Hitchcock's Storyboards. We focus on Hitchcock's spy movies in today's discussion. Unquestionably, Hitchcock was notorious for his use of storyboards and his practice has been emulated by many directors. We read an advance copy of the book prior to its February 6, 2024, release. Tony's book is an excellent look at why Hitchcock used storyboards. He also discusses how Hitchcock used them to set up the filming of the scenes in his movies. He drills into many of Hitchcock's movies. In addition, one great aspect of the book is the sheer number of storyboards he includes in the book that Hitchcock used. And the industry tricks of the trade including how those have changed over time with the use of technology. Another thing we love about this book is that Tony teaches us about making movies. He does this by showing us how Hitchcock did it. For example, in his discussion on THE 39 STEPS, Tony talks about how TikTok users can use a similar approach to what Hitchcock did to string together a bunch of shorts. We drill into this with Tony in this episode. It's a great and fun way to learn. WHERE TO GET ALFRED HITCHCOCK'S STORYBOARDS You can order Alfred Hitchcock's Storyboards at the following links (These are non-affiliate links, SpyMovieNavigator receives no compensation if you use them): tonyleemoralbooks.com – A site of mystery and suspense Alfred Hitchcock Storyboards @ Titan Books Alfred Hitchcock Storyboards: Moral, Tony Lee: 9781789099546: Amazon.com: Books Alfred Hitchcock Storyboards by Tony Lee Moral: 9781789099546 | PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books Alfred Hitchcock Storyboards by Tony Lee Moral, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com) Share your thoughts So, take a listen – did this discussion help you decide to buy Tony Lee Moral's book Alfred Hitchcock's Storyboards? We highly recommend it if you are a movie fan. Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Additionally, you can check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/hitchcock-storyboards

6 Feb 202443min

ARGYLLE– A No-Spoiler Review In this episode, Tom gives you his no-spoiler look at the latest Matthew Vaughan movie, ARGYLLE. As with all of our no-spoiler reviews, our goal is to give you our thoughts as to whether or not this latest spy movie is worth your time and money. We don't cover the plot because our goal is to not give it away. But, we will say that the plot is pretty complex. You need to pay close attention. There are a lot of twists and turns in ARGYLLE. And it has a fantastic cast led by Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, and Henry Cavill. So, take a listen to this ARGYLLE – A No-Spoiler Review. Is ARGYLLE worth your time and money? Let us know your thoughts if you go and see it, ideas for future episodes, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. Webpage: https://bit.ly/3ulWYOY

3 Feb 20249min

Hitchcock's TOPAZ – is it a gem? Hitchcock's movie TOPAZ received mixed reviews when it was released. Some people love it while others don't like it at all. Why is that? Dan and Tom mine what works and what doesn't in this Hitchcock spy movie. And there is a bit of both here. That said, TOPAZ is a spy movie with a lot of espionage. It isn't an action movie with some spy elements as we often get in today's spy movies. The setting for TOPAZ is 1962 at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis which brought the US and the Soviet Union to the brink of nuclear war. So, there is some historical background for this movie. Dan and Tom look for the hidden gems in this one. What works best? And what doesn't? So, take a listen – Hitchcock's TOPAZ - is it a gem? Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will be! You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. Subscribe! Webpage: https://bit.ly/hitchcocks-topaz

30 Jan 202430min