James Bond & Friends

Are parts of the Bond film series becoming inaccessible to newer fans? As we gear up for the 60th anniversary, we reflect on the longevity of the series and ask if enough time has passed now that newer fans may no longer connect to the older films, especially as the cultural context of those productions is outside of living memory for average audiences. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Roger Moore taking over the role of 007, but the end of his tenure marks the mid-point of the film series! We try and get our minds around the fact that in 2028, GoldenEye will mark the half-way point in the franchise. As we head towards the day when there won't be anyone left from the early films, we also ponder how history will be written. You can now email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place in the USA and Spain on February 18th, 2022.  James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential  Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com  David

What is new in the world of James Bond? It has been a while since we rounded up the news from the 007 universe so the panel has quite a bit to catch up on. We start by exploring the power shifts in the UK studio space and how the next Bond film finding a new home may be a good thing, and explore a couple of kooky ideas for what may come next. We also catch up on the upcoming books, debate the pros and cons of the latest merchandise, and anticipate a return of GoldenEye.  You can now email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place in the USA, UK, and Canada on February 11th, 2022.  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  Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma  Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2022 

What changes or different decisions could have been instrumental in improving Licence To Kill's success back in 1989? Now undergoing a bit of a renaissance as James Bond fans rediscover Timothy Dalton's harder-edged 007, what could have been done differently back in 1989 to give Licence To Kill a better shot a box-office success? What if... The budget hadn't been a limitation? The aesthetic was popular with US audiences? First choices for cast had accepted? Della didn't die? MGM hadn't screwed up the marketing campaign? Our panel ponders these questions and more. You can now email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place on December 10th, 2021 in the USA and UK. James Page is a co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential  Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma  Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Sean Longmore shares

What were the personal Bondian highlights of 2021 and what are we looking forward to most in 2022?  2021 was a huge year for Bond fans with the eventual release of 'No Time To Die,' but what were the other highlights of the past 12 months? We turn to our friends from around the world to look back on 2021 and also pick out what they are most looking forward to in 2022. Thank *you* for joining us and we look forward to creating a lot more content in the coming year. You can email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place all over the world in the last week of December 2021. Host James Page was joined by guests Phil Nobile Jr, Dr Llewella Chapman, Bill Koenig, Tom Butler, David Leigh, Mark Edlitz, Henry Stephens, Emery Cormier, Ben Williams, Marcos Kontze, Sean Longmore, and Dr Lisa Funnell with our most avid listener.  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2022

Which team will claim victory in this festive James Bond trivia battle?  Play along as you listen to see if you can beat the two teams to the multiple answer questions as we dig into Bond's coverage of the US, debrief double-deckers, cringe at some dodgy effects, recount 007's colleagues, and pun our way to 2022.  The recording took place on December 17th, 2021 in the USA, UK, and Canada.  Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential  Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma  Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  Mark Edlitz is author of 'The Many Lives of James Bond' and 'The Lost Adventures of James Bond'  Henry Stephens hosts The Bond Geek channel on YouTube  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021 

Join us as we watch 1954's live television production of Casino Royale together as a group experience.  James Bond is American, Leiter is British, Vesper and Mathis are combined into one character, and the story of Casino Royale is condensed into a 50-minute production broadcast live! If you have not seen this unique entry in the 007 series, why not join us and watchalong as we explore the creative decisions and ponder what could have happened to the franchise if Ian Fleming's hero had taken off on television. The version we watched is complete with the original ending that is missing from the MGM print. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KVoU-9gzqU  We would love to hear your thoughts - please email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place on November 20th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain. James Page is 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 (@DrLi

Join us as we watch 1967's spoof Casino Royale together as a group experience.  James Bond is enjoying a quiet retirement when he's pulled back in to the world of international espionage by M. When his 007 code number is assigned to a sea lion, this is not No Time To Die, but rather the 1967 spoof Casino Royale. With more directors than we have panelists this week, the film is a hot mess of nonsensical plot threads. We'll forgive you if you skip this one, but we did have a good time laughing with incredulity at what was unfolding onscreen. You can email the show at contact@jamesbondandfriends.com  The recording took place on November 13th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain. James Page is 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 David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com  Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com T

Join us as we watch 2021's No Time To Die together as a group experience.  It's been a long time. But, finally, here we are. Our journey through all of the James Bond films by EON Productions wraps up, appropriately, with No Time To Die. As the film is now available to stream on demand, you can watch in real-time with our commentary. Along the way, we get into the finer details of direction and art style, meet Dr Borat, make a big reveal about the name of character, suggest alternative lines for THAT ending, and retire the Klaxon. James Bond will return?  The recording took place on November 11th, 2021 in the USA and UK.  James Page is 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 Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com Sean Longmore

Join us as we watch 1983's Never Say Never Again together as a group experience. For this episode, don your dungarees, grab an exploding fountain pen, and cue up your copy of Never Say Never Again as the panel chats over the film in real-time with observations, trivia, insights, and irreverence. Along the way, we discover Ice Station Zebra footage, launch a villain's merch store, find under-employed dance instructors, worry about crushed sharks, and will never now be able to unsee Tim Curry. After the film, we dive in to your questions from Twitter. The recording took place on October 23rd, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  James Page is 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 Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confiden

How did the end of each Bond actor's tenure differ?  As the Daniel Craig era comes to an end with 'No Time To Die' playing in cinemas around the world, the panel discusses how each previous James Bond actor wrapped up their run. Who came out looking good? Do we see those films differently knowing it was their last one? Who left on their own terms, was a victim of circumstance, or misread history? Do old spies die or do they become villains?  The recording took place on June 26th, 2021 in the USA, New Zealand, and Australia.  James Page and Paul Atkinson are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Natalie Bochenski (@girlclumsy) is a writer, performer, and producer from Brisbane known for her Raven On series  Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Dr. Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021

What Easter eggs and callbacks have we found so far in 'No Time To Die'?  This week we gather to swap notes on the special nuggets that we have discovered so far in 'No Time To Die'. What Easter eggs have we spotted and how many callbacks to previous James Bond films have we found - beyond the obvious ones to 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'? As we reference events in the film, make sure you watch it before listening to this episode to avoid spoilers.  The recording took place on October 15th, 2021 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Tom Butler is Editor at Yahoo Entertainment UK and host of @JamesBondAtoZ  Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  Dr. Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021

Full spoiler discussion of No Time To Die.  A week after it opened in most countries, the 25th James Bond film is finally out in the USA, so we gather a panel of American fans to discuss the movie and how it went down with the audiences they saw it with. If you have not seen the film yet, please save this episode until you do. We won't put the usual list of things covered in this episode as those themselves will be spoilers for some passing by, except to say that we find a way to fix the gunbarrel.   The recording took place on October 8th, 2021 in the USA.  James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Dr. Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Tim Guccione (@TheTimGuccione) is host of the podcast No Time To Bond Melanie runs @birb.jamesbirb on Instagram and is a contributor to several Bond podcasts and YouTube channels Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command

Full spoiler discussion of No Time To Die.  Now that the 25th James Bond film is out in most of the world, we take the gloves off and discuss the good, bad, and the ugly of No Time To Die with full spoilers. If you have not seen the film yet, please save this episode until you do. We won't put the usual list of things covered in this episode as those themselves will be spoilers for some passing by. We'll be back in the next episode with a different panel to look deeper into the film as it opens in the USA. The recording took place on October 1st, 2021 in the USA, UK, and Spain. James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Madeline Grant (@Madz_Grant) is a columnist for the Telegraph and lifelong Bond fan  Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson   Dr. Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Sean Long

Our no-spoilers first impressions of No Time To Die We return from our premiere screenings of the latest adventure No Time To Die with our initial impressions. This podcast contains no plot spoilers and only discusses overall themes (anything in the trailers is fair game as a reference). How do we think it ranks in the Daniel Craig era? And to get a view on what wider audiences beyond hardcore Bond fans will think, we invite a new panelist to bring outside perspective. Our next episode will be released on Friday and will contain spoiler discussion after it has opened in most of the world. The recording took place on September 28th, 2021 in the USA. James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Doug Russell represents John Q Public This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021

How we're all getting ready for the No Time To Die premiere We're just a few days away from the world premiere of No Time To Die as we gather to chat about past premiere experiences and how this time will be different under the special circumstances that also marks the end of an era of Bond. We offer first-timers Calvin and Sean some bad advice about bow ties, royal protocol, and bathroom breaks, and as is the norm with Bond fandom, already have one eye on the 60th anniversary next year.  The recording took place on September 24th, 2021 in the USA & UK. James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson   Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  This podcast is copyright Pretitles LLC © 2021

Did the two new No Time To Die trailers reignite our excitement? It has been a long and tortuous road to the release of No Time To Die, with many false starts and a rollercoaster of excitement and disappointment. With two new trailers launched, what was new, what did we learn, and did they have the desired effect? Along the way we trip over some unused Ian Fleming material and ponder what Daniel Craig's last line might be. The recording took place on September 3rd, 2021 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  James Page is co-founder of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential Henry Stephens hosts The Bond Geek channel on YouTube Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at the University of Oklahoma Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com This podcas

What did we learn from our 24 film marathon? If you have been following our James Bond Watchalong series, this episode recaps our thoughts from the 24-film exercise, and asks whether our opinions of anything changed? Along the way, we debate the moment when 007 becomes an assassin and not a spy, discuss Corporate Bond, FYEO's sensible fun, the colour of phones, Connery's rugs and his lack of emotional journey, and how fans could curate the Bond series in different ways. The recording took place on October 16th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  James Page is 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 Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confiden

This is the big one, 007. Team North America take on Team Europe in an epic James Bond themed Family Fortunes/Feud extravaganza to mark our 100th episode. Compered by a very special guest (who finally showed up), the evening's frivolities culminate in a nail-biting conclusion. Can you guess the top answers to the 007-themed questions better than our panelists?  The recording took place on August 6th, 2021 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  Phil Nobile Jr is editor of Fangoria and shares his expertise at @PhilNobileJr  Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com  David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com   Tom Butler is Editor at Yahoo Entertainment UK and host of @JamesBondAtoZ Sean Longmore shares his artwork @ThatTallGinger  Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ

Have we saved the most interesting commentary for last? The Man With The Golden Gun marks the end of our watchalongs of the official EON series of James Bond films - but don't worry - we'll be back with the non-canonical adventures next! Along the way, we have the final lion raw from Brian Laws, ponder why Scaramanga had an anatomically correct waxwork, ask which end Bond chose for his bullet extraction, spot some flawed floors, and wade into the debate about JW Pepper and Calvin's choices for hypothetical nights out.   The recording took place on October 9th, 2020 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  James Page is 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 Bill Koenig runs the Spy Command at hmssweblog.wordpress.com David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com Ben Williams writes for MI6-HQ.com and MI6 Confidential  This podcast is copyrigh

What has been going on in the world of Bond recently?  In this episode, we cover the latest news and current events in the world of James Bond. With the long-lead articles about No Time To Die starting to drip out, we discuss the points raised by Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, and Ana de Armas in interviews. Along the way, we suggest some alternative approaches to publicity over the well-worn trope of being a 'different Bond girl,' catch Roger Moore in Black Widow, ponder if the 007 series has so much influence over the spy genre that there is no room left to move for upcoming properties, ask if the billion-dollar club is gone for good, and bask in David's statistics.  The recording took place on July 23rd, 2021 in the USA, UK, and Spain.  Paul Atkinson and James Page are co-founders of MI6-HQ.com and the magazine MI6 Confidential  David Leigh runs thejamesbonddossier.com   Calvin Dyson Reviews Bond channel can be enjoyed at youtube.com/calvindyson   Lisa Funnell (@DrLisaFunnell) is Associate Professor at t