Double Oh! Oh! Body Double
January 5, 2004 - By Prasun Sonwalkar for The New Kerala News
Aishwarya Rai has agreed to appear in the next James Bond film if its producers agree to use a body double for the sex scenes with Pierce Brosnan, who plays secret agent 007. Rai was asked to play Brosnan's romantic interest in the still untitled film, the 21st in the Bond series, but she has insisted she will take the role only if a look-alike is drafted in for the inevitable sex scenes. She told the British press that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy.
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"I've said I will do the film if there is a body double. The producers have said they will have to ask Pierce," she said. The Bond offer came after she bumped into Brosnan at a party. "He walked over to me and said he had seen me on the cover of Time magazine," she said. "I could hardly say anything at first but then my friend started talking and told Pierce how much he loved his trademark intro, 'The name's Bond, James Bond'. "Pierce kept looking at me and the next thing was the casting agent for the film got in touch and asked if I would like to be a Bond girl."
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to be keen to cast a Bollywood actress to increase Bond's appeal in Asia. Reports said two other Indian actresses - Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta - had been approached to appear in the film should Rai's demand rule her out. The British media has been speculating about Rai playing a role in the next Bond outing since early last year.
Perhaps the scenes where you help Bond kill the bad guys is okay then?
Miss Moneypenny Bans Sex Scenes
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 5, 2004 - By Prasun Sonwalkar for The New Kerala News
Aishwarya Rai has agreed to appear in the next James Bond film if its producers agree to use a body double for the sex scenes with Pierce Brosnan, who plays secret agent 007. Rai was asked to play Brosnan's romantic interest in the still untitled film, the 21st in the Bond series, but she has insisted she will take the role only if a look-alike is drafted in for the inevitable sex scenes. She told the British press that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy.
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"I've said I will do the film if there is a body double. The producers have said they will have to ask Pierce," she said. The Bond offer came after she bumped into Brosnan at a party. "He walked over to me and said he had seen me on the cover of Time magazine," she said. "I could hardly say anything at first but then my friend started talking and told Pierce how much he loved his trademark intro, 'The name's Bond, James Bond'. "Pierce kept looking at me and the next thing was the casting agent for the film got in touch and asked if I would like to be a Bond girl."
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to be keen to cast a Bollywood actress to increase Bond's appeal in Asia. Reports said two other Indian actresses - Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta - had been approached to appear in the film should Rai's demand rule her out. The British media has been speculating about Rai playing a role in the next Bond outing since early last year.
Perhaps the scenes where you help Bond kill the bad guys is okay then?
Miss Moneypenny Bans Sex Scenes
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Aishwarya Rai has agreed to appear in the next James Bond film if its producers agree to use a body double for the sex scenes with Pierce Brosnan, who plays secret agent 007. Rai was asked to play Brosnan's romantic interest in the still untitled film, the 21st in the Bond series, but she has insisted she will take the role only if a look-alike is drafted in for the inevitable sex scenes. She told the British press that her strict upbringing meant there was no question of her doing anything saucy.
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"I've said I will do the film if there is a body double. The producers have said they will have to ask Pierce," she said. The Bond offer came after she bumped into Brosnan at a party. "He walked over to me and said he had seen me on the cover of Time magazine," she said. "I could hardly say anything at first but then my friend started talking and told Pierce how much he loved his trademark intro, 'The name's Bond, James Bond'. "Pierce kept looking at me and the next thing was the casting agent for the film got in touch and asked if I would like to be a Bond girl."
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli is said to be keen to cast a Bollywood actress to increase Bond's appeal in Asia. Reports said two other Indian actresses - Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta - had been approached to appear in the film should Rai's demand rule her out. The British media has been speculating about Rai playing a role in the next Bond outing since early last year.
Perhaps the scenes where you help Bond kill the bad guys is okay then?
Miss Moneypenny Bans Sex Scenes
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
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Perhaps the scenes where you help Bond kill the bad guys is okay then?
Miss Moneypenny Bans Sex Scenes
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Miss Moneypenny Bans Sex Scenes
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 5, 2004 - Sunday Mirror
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
PRETTY 007 star Samantha Bond has banned her children from watching her TV roles - because they involve too much sex or violence. The actress, who plays Miss Moneypenny in the Bond movies, says hardly any of her TV roles are suitable viewing for Mollie, 12 and Tom, ten.
She said: "I'm either involved in sex scenes or being murdered or crying all the time. I don't want them to see dead bodies and on top of that thrillers wind you up emotionally."
But Samantha, 41, allows them to watch Bond films, including Die Another Day in which Moneypenny has her first snog with 007, played by Pierce Brosnan. She said the 007 films were "family viewing" and added: "It makes the kids popular in the playground and it is one of the few things they know they can watch!" But the children will NOT be able to watch Mum when she stars in Donovan, a two-part thriller on ITV1 on Jan 5 and 6.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Sadism for the family.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Double Oh! Oh! Body Double - Take 2
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 8, 2004 - By Dominic Ferrao for The India Times
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
With all those rumours about Aishwarya insisting on a body double for the revealing scenes in the next Bond film before she signed on the dotted line, we decided to do a reality check. When we got in touch directly with Aishwarya's US agents, this is what they came up with. Aishwarya herself was out of town shooting in Coorg for the Sameer Karnik film Kyon Ho Gaya Na .
Q: Is it true that Ash has insisted on a body double for the revealing scenes in the Bond movie?
A: This is absolutely untrue. The entire James Bond situation is nothing more than a rumour. Ash is not the next Bond girl...There is no James Bond script in hand.
Q: Is it true that Pierce Brosnan met her personally? What did they talk about?
A: Ash did not meet Pierce Brosnan at a Hollywood party, and no casting director has contacted us with any offer. No matter how many times the press insists that she is starring in Bond, we must continually correct the statement and confirm the fact.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
It is truly amazing how much mileage this story has had.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Everything Or Nothing: A Totally Different Bond Experience
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 14, 2004 - Ign.com
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
While it almost seems like beating a dead horse, Electronic Arts has yet to beat down the Goldeneye curse. Yeah, that's a long time ago, it was 1997 in fact, but the world's largest independent third-party publisher ought to get it right, shouldn't they?
Following the wonderfully cliché-ridden naming process for James Bond movies, EA's James Bond: Everything or Nothing is a game that's not based on any James Bond movie, but it looks and plays just like one. It's also interesting to note that this Bond experience is different enough from any of the previous first-person shooters in the Bond series, that it's hardly worth comparing this one to those.
First things first. On the production side, EA has done a remarkable job of securing the likenesses and voices of several well-known Hollywood talent. Bond has been re-created in the perfect likeness of Pierce Brosnan, M is acted by Judi Dench, and Q is voice acted by the Monty Python master John Cleese. Numerous secondary appearances are made, however from the currently popular Elizabeth Shannon as a likeable Bond girl, to Willem Dafoe to the Japanese pop star Misaki Ito. To round out the cast is the lovely Victoria's Secret lingerie girl Heidi Klum and singer Mya Starling. From the preview build we have, the videogames characters are remarkably re-created in videogame form, from the body shape to the facial structure, hair and distinct facial lines.
Switching to a third-person perspective appears to have been the first order of business, and, like any 3D game these days, that change brings along with it a glut of potential problems. Namely camera angles. But EA worked hard into the Christmas season to get this game right, and several gameplay schemes seemed to have paid off well. Players use the shoulder pads to crouch, sneak around and to stick to corners, and in an aiming scheme similar to that in kill switch, players can aim, spin out from a behind a corner, and plug their opponents. The camera doesn't hurt your head with overly quick moves, and it is well buffered from the walls and from tight spots in alleys, hallways and the like.
The cool new addition to the targeting scheme occurs with the newly implemented Pipper. The reticule targets an enemy - and can switch from one to the next with the direction button - but it's got two parts. The outer aiming device, which functions as a frame, and the single red dot in the middle. By using the left analog controller, players can aim the reticule onto an enemy, but with the right analog, they can actually move the pipper around within the reticule - even outside of it - to pinpoint certain parts of the enemies' body. So, if you want to perform headshots all day, you can. Whichever body part you aim at, the accuracy and control is tight, quick and responsive. Hardcore gamers should dig it.
James Bond: EON exercises several similar gameplay elements seen in the previous Bond games, but here that's a good thing. The game is predominantly an action-shooter, but EA has connected with its erudite racing development team up in Canada to provide a heaping armful of killer racing/driving levels. For instance, in the third level Train Chase, Bond must prevent a Russian train from escaping. If he runs left he gets into a sweet maroon Cayenne Turbo, but if he runs right, he jumps onto a high-powered motorcycle, which is faster and more fun, but far more dangerous, thus a greater challenge. One of things we've noticed about the game that also differentiates this from previous Bond games is this very point. The game is well designed, build for both casual gamer and well constructed with the hardcore gamer in mind - something that EA has never delivered in any of its previous Bond titles.
The game offers three difficulty modes, Operative, Agent, and 00 agent (easy, medium, and hard), and as players step up to the next difficulty level, they're notice the requisite harder enemy, but also more objectives. It also looks like EA has really tried to not dumb down this version like it has the last two or three games, so, while players might blast past the first two levels pretty easily, they won't be blowing through the rest of the game the first time through.
As previous unveiled at Camp EA, another cool element separates this from the others. Using a rappel device, Bond can jump down the sides of buildings - swinging left or right, switching direction and using guns to target enemies while rappelling - or he can climb up to second and third stories of buildings to progress. This adds a nice streamline 3D technique to plow through levels, and it also is accompanied by an excellent camera that works perfectly to make the addition nearly flawless.
Several other elements push this game far and away from the pack. While it may not be new, a Spider-Bot has been added to the lineup of gadgets. The bot is quick and agile, and it is used to locate special areas, blow up enemies and to explore. While I've definitely seen this kind of gadget before, I'll admit it works quite well here. Additionally, EA must have been drooling a bit over Spider-Man, because it's added a Bond sense. Bond sense isn't really like a Spidey sense, rather it's like a super slow-motion pause. The game switches to a darker palette, Bond can select weapons in the middle of a heated gun fight, and he can also see things he couldn't see before, such as breakable items, hidden enemies, and more.
Did we mention the game is also online for PS2? That's right, EA took the extra time this winter to build a two-player online co-operative mode, including a deathmatch level. These online levels were created entirely for the online game, and they really demand players work cooperatively to make it through each new one. There's also a killer new arcade mode, inspired by the VR missions from Konami's Metal Gear Solid series. It's a survival mode of sorts, and it's not going to start a revolution, but the gameplay is tight, the challenge level is hard and if you have a good gameplaying friend around, this mode may keep you up all night. It's very cool.
All in all, James Bond: Everything or Nothing is on the right path to success. It's running at a solid 30 FPS, it's already proving to be a game that's not following its brethren, and I think the team has actually trimmed down to a minimum the duh-duh-duhhhh-duh soundclip that's been so overused in previous games. Wouldn't it be great to play another stellar Bond game again? We think this may be the one.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Since when is the James Bond theme overused?
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Lazenby and Shriver Expecting James Bond Jr.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 18, 2004 - by Rosanne Michie for The Herald Sun
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
TENNIS legend Pam Shriver and Australia's only James Bond, George Lazenby, 64, are expecting a baby. Shriver confirms that "Baby Lazenby" is due in July.
"I haven't talked about it publicly yet, but we are thrilled," Shriver, 41, said on her way to Melbourne to commentate on next week's Australian Open.
Shriver said Lazenby's age was not an issue. "It keeps you young. George is very excited," she said.
Lazenby played James Bond in 1969 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The couple deserve happiness. Shriver's first husband, Joe Shapiro, a former Walt Disney company lawyer, died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1992. Lazenby's only son died 10 years ago. He also has two adult daughters.
"I am very well. I have had a comfortable time, touch wood. I had to be pretty careful early on. I'm keeping reasonably fit. I am not a picture of fitness, but I guess it's all relative," laughed Shriver, who plans to stay in Australia with Lazenby for six weeks.
The pair will have a brief holiday after the Open before returning to their Los Angeles home. They plan to have the baby in the US, but Shriver was open-minded as to the baby's residency status.
"I wouldn't rule out anything as far as living here or whatever," the American said. She plans to continue working until April.
Shriver, who won 21 singles and a phenomenal 112 doubles titles, including 22 Grand Slams, met Lazenby at a tennis tournament in Australia. Their paths crossed again in 2000 at Wimbledon. Love blossomed on Valentine's Day in 2001. Shriver boasts she can still beat Lazenby on the tennis court. The sporting rivalry between Shriver and Lazenby, is fierce.
"I can still beat George in tennis," she boasted. "But not for long," quips Lazenby, who's relishing the thought of fatherhood and finally usurping his wife of two years.
Golf, it seems is another matter. "He plays off nine. I played off three before I got pregnant."
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
I never knew she had it in her!?
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Willard Whyte Canned!
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 22, 2004 - by Mark Brown for Chicago Sun-Times
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Sara Lee Corp. has dumped Jimmy Dean as the spokesman for the breakfast sausage brand that he founded. Julie Ketay, a Sara Lee public relations person, spoke about replacing Dean.
"Unfortunately, we're not looking for a spokesman. We're focusing more on the product, not the person. Our consumers want convenience and great taste."
75 year old Jimmy Dean was not taking it real well to being divorced from the company he started in West Texas in 1969 and sold to Sara Lee in 1984. Not many entertainers put their name on a product and make a go of it over time, which is a compliment to Dean, who must have been a sharp businessman. His sausage was the nation's top seller in its category when he sold it to Sara Lee and remains so today. It is odd that Jimmy Dean would no longer be hawking Jimmy Dean sausage.
"It is extremely odd, and I don't understand it at all," said Dean in that same rich country voice that sold millions of records and even more pounds of sausage. "Hell, I'm still the best sausage peddler they've got." Dean said that's exactly what he told Sara Lee President Bob Kopriva after he was dumped.
"He said, 'Yes, that's true, but you're not going to live forever and we've got to move on,'" recalled Dean. "It's kind of painful to hear someone say: We don't need you anymore. But the old folks left Sara Lee and the new ones came in. And always the new ones want to reinvent the wheel. They told me when this thing happened that they were trying to attract the younger housewife. An old saying came back to me from some West Texas dance hall: You better remember to dance with the one who brung you."
Dean said he understood the company's desire not to use him on camera ("My face has so many wrinkles it looks like 12 minutes of bad reception"), but figures they could have worked around that.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Hmm. They used Colonel Sanders until his death. Why not use Jimmy Dean until he drops? Perhaps this is a diabolical plot performed by Blofeld, who allegedly is living in retirement on an island near Japan.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Sir Sean Swaps His Martini For Scotch
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 22, 2004 - by Frank O' Donnell for Scotsman.com
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
After years of being wooed by various distillers, Scotland’s most famous actor has agreed to front a major campaign for Dewar’s, the world’s fourth-largest whisky brand. It is the first time Sir Sean has agreed to promote his country’s most illustrious export, with the deal reported to have cost the brand more than $1 million. The promotion for Dewar's 12-year-old will not run in the UK, where the brand is small, but will instead focus on the emerging markets of Lebanon, Greece, Mexico, Venezuela, Russia, Thailand, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. Television and cinema commercials with subtitles will run alongside poster advertising, with the strapline: "Some age, others mature". The campaign will run until March 2006. Neil Boyd, the global brand director of the Aberfeldy-based company, said the company was thrilled to be associated with Sir Sean.
"As celebrities go, he is one of the biggest names." He said it had taken 18 months of negotiations to make the promotion happen.
"Celebrity endorsements are very fashionable just now. The public seem very interested in their lifestyles and what they do. And it’s an effective promotion for a brand," he added. "It took a lot of chasing and a lot of hard negotiations. We are delighted it is the first Scotch whisky he has ever promoted.
Sir Sean has never previously promoted a Scotch whisky, but, in 1991, he courted controversy by appearing in an advertisement for the Japanese whisky, Suntory. Amid accusations that he was jeopardising Scottish jobs, a Labour MP even drafted an early-day motion in the Commons, accusing the actor of hypocrisy. The new advertisement, like its Japanese equivalent, which is parodied in the current Bill Murray film Lost in Translation, cannot be shown in the UK for contractual reasons.
The adverts splice images of a young Connery appearing in the 1964 Hitchcock film Marnie with current footage of the 73-year-old actor, who berates his former self for not drinking Dewar’s 12-year-old. At the same time, there is a knock at the door and the camera pans to a dark-haired girl in a long, split dress, saying: "Sean, Sean, are you in there?" Old Sean looks at young Sean and says: "Shall you get it or I?" Old Sean motions towards the door and says to the camera: "Some age, others mature. Dewar’s 12 Scotch Whisky."
Alan Gray, a whisky analyst with Sutherlands, said the choice of Sir Sean to promote the brand in emerging markets was a good one. "He is such a well-known figure worldwide - James Bond is shown everywhere - so this makes sense," he said.
Dewar’s has used celebrities before: the actor Andy Garcia fronted a previous campaign for its 12-year-old whisky, while in Spain, the label was promoted in a poster campaign by the actors Jamie Lee Curtis, Liam Neeson and Jeremy Irons.
Dewar’s was formerly a major brand in the UK, but was de-listed in 1980 by its former owner, Diageo, which chose to concentrate on Bell’s. The brand was bought for $1.4 billion by Bacardi in 1998 and has re-established itself in the market. But it is abroad that Dewar’s is a major success - it is ranked No1 in the United States, ahead of the likes of Johnnie Walker. About 98 per cent of its business is export, and it sells 48 million bottles annually.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
Sean Connery. Putting the word Scot into Scotch.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
The Art Of Being Bond, James Bond - A Review of Everything Or Nothing
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
January 23, 2004 - by James Temperton for Cubed3.co.uk
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.
EA have certainly used their licence to release endless reams of Bond games onto consoles very well, no fewer than three have rained out of the publishing behemoth onto Nintendo home systems. The World is Not Enough was the best of the bunch and the N64 title is still enjoyable today, on the GameCube things have been far from enjoyable. Agent Under Fire was fun enough, but in the end was like having your eyes bathed in Hydrochloric Acid, Nightfire wasn't much better. But we will give EA the benefit of the doubt. Could it be third time lucky on the GameCube for Mr. Bond or will he finally bite the proverbial bullet as far as gaming prestige goes?
The idea behind Everything or Nothing is to do Bond at its biggest and best without making it so ridiculous it becomes a spoof. Thankfully the perfect balance would seem to have been met. For a game based on a film series, but no particular film in that series, they have still managed to rope in Judy Dench (who plays M), Pierce Brosnan (James Bond) and John Cleese, of Faulty Towers and Monty Python fame. There are various other smaller names dotted about all over the place to bolster up the character list and enable EA to make a plot of some description. The presentation of the characters is truly stunning and you can easily see a likeness between the real person and their videogame counterpart.
The first thing you notice is that EA have preferred a third-person perspective, which to say the least seems like an odd decision. They say it makes it a more cinematic experience, we say it gives EA a higher chance of mucking up this game altogether. Camera angles are the main issue here. We were worried when we first saw this game a little while back, it all looked a bit off centre, but a few months in development and behind the scenes work seems to have got the game back on track. One feature that has caught our eye is the new targeting system, which allows you to switch between enemies and target them individually. Faced with more than one foe, and one is targeted, a simple hit of a button will allow you to toggle between them and pick which one you want to kill first, quite sadistic really. Even more clever is the ability to pick which bit of an enemies body you want to pepper with bullets. Moving about a smaller aimer you are able to use headshots, groin shots, leg shots and indeed any shot anywhere on the body you like. This brings an added depth to shooting, which in the less intelligent shooters can result in you standing there hitting fire and running about like a crazed dervish.
Bond has also got a rather stealthy for his latest outing. You can sneak, crouch and stick to corners. The latter allows you to take aim whilst still around a corner before spinning out and taking down anyone who is unfortunate enough to be standing about admiring the view. Like in other games in the Bond catalogue this one doesn't just focus on the shooting, there are driving sections put together by a special and totally separate development team. There are certain sections where you have to chase people down on motorbikes or in classy cars, its all very cool and it is certainly very James Bond.
There are three modes of difficulty included, Operative (easy), Agent (medium) and 00 Agent (hard). Thankfully EA's idea of difficult isn't enemies that can take a disturbing amount of bullets before actually keeling over, this time things are far more satisfying. Your foes will try and outthink you; more objectives will be set up, taking the gamer deeper and deeper into the levels. Essentially the better you are the more game you get to see.
A problem with shoot-'em-ups nowadays is that they are too linear, Everything or Nothing looks to change all this. At points you choose to go one way or the other and this changes ever so slightly how you see the game. There are more side-quests and a lot more areas to explore making it feel more like you are playing the game rather than you simply being pushed through it from start to finish. This is something we have never seem before from EA in a bond title, this is innovation from Electronic Arts, an oxymoron if ever we heard one.
Just like in the films (and just about every Bond game ever), Everything or Nothing is stuffed full of gadgets. None is more impressive than the Spider-Bot. This is a nippy 'cute' little device that can locate hidden areas and or enemies and blow itself up; inspired fun and surely something to bring a smile to even the most serious of gamer. Yes it has been done before, in Perfect Dark on the N64 there was something similar, and it has been in numerous other titles, but that still doesn't make it any less fun! One thing we can't quite get to grips with is the 'Bond Sense'. This stupidly odd inclusion works thus: the game goes all dark and spooky, now you can select weapons in the midst of an ongoing gun battle along with being able to see all sorts of other things such as hidden foes. It all sounds stupid to us, Bond just uses his cunning and good looks to win the day in all the films, so why does he need to have a demented superhero power to beat puny enemies in Everything or Nothing.
When you take everything into consideration James Bond: Everything or Nothing is looking pretty damn good. The graphical presentation is top draw, there is a load of new features and ideas included along with some very solid looking driving sections to spice it all up. All the real names from the films are adding their talents to the script and that you can use a mass of weapons and gadgets to dispose of enemies with very good AI. This is a very promising game, and one that could continue to show an improvement in the way that EA make their games.
Let the mayhem begin.
James Bond Cars On Show
January 23, 2004 - Carkeys.com
Cars driven on film by various manifestations of 007 will feature in Classic Cars Live! This is the renamed London Classic Motor Show, with its now almost obligatory use of the word "Live" and the similarly all but ubiquitous exclamation mark.
A replica of Sean Connery’s Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 - complete with bullet-proof screen, revolving number plates, oil and water sprays, ejector seat and front-mounted machine guns - will take pride of place. Although the original Goldfinger car has long since disappeared, the replica has had its own screen career in somewhat lesser films.
Roger Moore’s Lotus Esprit Turbo (with a non-turbo engine, as it happened) used in For Your Eyes Only will also be at the show. So will Pierce Brosnan’s Aston Martin Vanquish from Die Another Day, in company with the baddie Zao’s Jaguar XK8 Convertible.
Classic Cars Live - now where did we put that exclamation mark? - will be at Alexandra Palace, London, on March 20 and 21.
For those of you who have a 'licence to drive'.
Dinner With Halle Berry or Sean Connery Top Valentine List
January 28, 2004 - Sur La Table
If you could choose a celebrity to dine with on Valentine's Day, who would it be? According to a recent survey* commissioned by the national kitchenware retailer Sur La Table, 27% of American males surveyed said they would prefer to dine with Academy Award winner Halle Berry and 40% of American females prefer to dine with the "ultimate 007" Sean Connery. When asked which celebrity chef they would choose to prepare their meal, Chef Emeril Lagasse kicked it up a notch and was declared a favorite by 36%. The survey also revealed that strawberries are the aphrodisiac of choice and the majority of those surveyed admitted to using a pet name for a loved one.
If only a chance of dining with a high-profile celebrity was as easy as baking a batch of homemade cookies! For males, Jennifer Anniston (20%) was chosen second to Ms. Berry, while Jennifer Lopez (19%) won a tasty third place. Unfortunately for the material girl, Madonna was considered least appetizing (5%).
Although Mr. Connery received the majority of votes for women surveyed, Denzel Washington (19%) proved to be an utterly delicious choice, with Brad Pitt (16%) and Ben Affleck (11%) trailing not far behind.
Unfortunately for British culinary sensation Jamie Oliver (7%), most Americans prefer cuisine prepared by Emeril Lagasse (36%). Wolfgang Puck tempted palates at (19%), leaving culinary cutie Rachael Ray with only a small percentage of votes (9%).
One might think oysters to be the preferred aphrodisiac, however, 49% of the people surveyed said strawberries were the superior choice. Oysters (19%) finished only slightly higher than truffles (12%) leaving caviar in the dust (5%).
When asked what term of endearment Americans found most palatable, honey topped the list with 64%. Sweetie was considered less appetizing, with only (34%) respondents having used it. Most considered the term peaches inedible with only (6%) respondents having used the expression. Even fewer respondents admitted to calling a loved one cookie (4%).
For kitchenware perfectly suited to cook, entertain and romance, Sur La Table offers several items** for the Valentine's holiday. For products and gift suggestions visit www.surlatable.com .
Sur La Table, the premier store, mail order and e-commerce kitchenware company, currently operates retail locations across the United States, many with culinary programs; an in-store and on-line gift registry system; a mail order catalog and an e-commerce site. For the nearest store and to request a free catalog, call 800.243.0852 or shop online at www.surlatable.com .
What? No mention of Dom Pérignon. I prefer the '53 myself.
'James Bond-Like' Truck Found Smuggling Drugs
January 28, 2004 - The New Mexico Channel
Drug smugglers are getting more creative in using technology to move contraband through New Mexico, but a truck customized for smuggling didn't get past a drug-sniffing dog and border patrol agents in Alamogordo.
The agents said the truck they found Monday was like nothing they had seen before. The pickup was stopped at the traffic checkpoint on Highway 70, south of Alamogordo. Agents said the driver, Larry Green Jr., was acting suspicious and then the border patrol dog sniffed something out in the truck bed. Under the truck's speakers, the agents said they found a false compartment operated by hydraulics, with a built-in trigger switch. Inside, they found 200 pounds of marijuana.
U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Doug Moiser said there was a similar system inside the cab hiding a loaded gun. "It was James Bond-like," Moiser said. "There was a lot of good work done by the agents." Moiser said that the agents also found 68 Ecstasy pills, a stun gun, cash and cell phones. The truck -- and Green -- were turned over to the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Obviously a former employee of Franz Sanchez. He should have had the invisibility device installed as well.
OO7 Goes Incognito
February 2, 2004 - The Daily Telegraph
JAMES BOND couldn't have done a better job of hiding in a crowd. Or maybe we've all just forgotten about Australia's only Agent 007, George Lazenby. All week, he's been photographed next to big-name celebs such as Greg Norman, Lleyton Hewitt, Kim Clijsters and Mark Philippoussis at the Australian Open, yet the former James Bond has gone largely unnoticed by the media. Yet the Queanbeyan-bred actor may be one of the bigger stories of the Open.
At 64, Lazenby is an expectant father: his wife, US tennis legend Pam Shriver, 41, is expecting in July. Lazenby shot to fame in 1969 when he played James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. He later had TV roles including a part in General Hospital.
Lazenby and Shriver met several years ago at a tennis tournament in Australia. They were reunited at Wimbledon in 2000 and launched a whirlwind romance, becoming engaged on Valentine's Day 2001 and married in June, 2002. Such is the former secret agent and the 22-time grand slam winner's love of tennis that the couple have just sold their $4 million home in Pacific Palisades, California - because it doesn't have a tennis court.
The pregnancy was announced on the eve of the Australian Open, during which Shriver spent most of her time in the commentary box, leaving Lazenby to watch the games with Australia's tennis greats.
"I love being incognito. I'm not a shy person, but I don't like being on show," Lazenby said.
He said he was relishing the thought of fatherhood and the age difference between him and Shriver was not a concern.
"Life goes on; you know the bullets are still red-hot."
The couple plan on having the baby in the US, where they will return after a short holiday in Australia.
From Australia with Love-30.
Britney Spears Mad About Bond
February 3, 2004 - The Mirror
DIAMONDS are forever but a pop career sure isn't - which could explain why Britney Spears has set her sights on becoming a Bond girl. And what a surprise... it just so happens that her mentor, Madonna, played a small part in the last Bond flick, Die Another Day.
According to our sources, Britney fancies herself as a lithe-limbed lovely opposite Pierce Brosnan in the next 007 movie, due out in 2005. The 22-year-old copycat is in talks with film-makers after instigating a meeting with Bond producer Barbara Brocolli.
"Britney's desperate to carve out a name for herself as an actress and loves the idea of being a Bond girl," reveals our insider. "She's in great shape and thinks she'd be brilliant.
"Britney has seen what it's done profile-wise for Halle Berry and she wants a slice of the action." But we can understand why they may be reluctant to sign her. Britney was widely panned for her starring role in Crossroads, a sickly-sweet teen road-trip movie.
And since then her acting experience has only extended to a new Pepsi advert, where she appears alongside Pink, Enrique Iglesias and Beyonce Knowles. In an exclusive interview she told us: "I want to take my acting very seriously because that's what I'm going to be concentrating on over the next few years."
Sources close to Britney say they hope she will get the part as she needs to have something worthwhile to focus on. The gum-chewing singer has had friends and family pulling their hair out in despair over the past couple of years at her partying lifestyle. The last straw came when she married childhood friend Jason Alexander in a tacky Las Vegas chapel after going on a massive New Year's Eve booze bender. Her mum Lynne went crackers and made her daughter get the marriage annulled after 55 hours. Insiders say furious Lynne has told Britney in no uncertain terms to sort herself out or her career could be irreparably damaged.
Our source continues: "Britney knows she's got to buck up her ideas.
"Her music career's going nowhere and she knows that to succeed in films she's got to go for the jugular - that's why she decided to go directly to Barbara.
"Ideally Britney wants to have a main role as a beautiful villain but nothing has been signed yet." Let's just hope that if she does managed to land her dream role, Britney doesn't take acting lessons from Madonna, too.
Although this is news from a well know tabloid newspaper. The thought of Britney being a Bond girl makes my stomach turn. In the pass, Bond girls were more mature and sexy. Britney looks like a bubble gum chewing teenager on speed.
Brosnan May Have To Say 'Never Again!'
February 9, 2004 - The Times Of India
The buzz doing the rounds is that Pierce Brosnan may be axed from the next James Bond flick. The reason is that producers think he is too old to play the suave spy at 50! According to a report in Rate the music.com, the Irish actor who has donned the garb of the sleuth in four films, has been optioned to return for a fifth.
However, sources claim that studio bosses want a new face and a fresh look for the 22nd Bond movie, which is slated to go on the floors next year. Other faces being considered for the role of Bond include Jude Law, Colin Farrell, Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale and Orlando Bloom.
"We have the opportunity to re-energise the franchise and take it to even greater heights. We will go back to the first days of Bond – maybe even his first mission. We want to attract more young fans and we think that having a younger Bond will help," a source at Bond makers Eon Productions revealed to British newspaper the Daily Mail. But The Tailor of Panama is hung up on stirring martini and cruising along in his trademark Aston Martin.
"Pierce felt Roger Moore did one too many Bond movies and he wants to move on while he is still considered alongside Sean Connery," a source said.
Although Eon is yet to officially announce the move, a spokesperson hinted that the hunt is on for younger audiences.
Gives a whole new meaning to 'you're only as good as your last job!'
Welcome To Miami, Mr. Bond
February 9, 2004 - BCW Productions
BCW Productions is organizing their seventh Bond Collectors' Weekend. The
BCWs are variety events drawing fans from as far as Europe and Asia to
the US to visit James Bond locations and movie vehicles and to meet
celebrities in an intimate setting limited to 50 fans.
The seventh annual Bond Collectors' Weekend is set for Miami,
Florida! Six previous BCWs in Las Vegas, California, Florida, New Orleans and
Chicago have drawn notice in the LA Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, on
television and on hundreds of websites.
Weekend 007 features an overnight Key West stay and theme tours of 40
book and film points of interest from "Goldfinger", "Licence To Kill",
"Nobody Lives Forever", "The Man From Barbarossa" and "Thunderball".
Itinerary
FRIDAY
8:00 AM: (For those arriving early) Meet fellow fans and collectors
from around the US and Canada. Your stay includes complimentary breakfast
each day, poolside.
9:30 AM: Guided tour of downtown Miami, Virginia Key, Cape Florida
Lighthouse and Biscayne National Park.
Noon: Group luncheon on Key Biscayne, on location from Clive Cussler's
CYCLOPS. Take a dip with us in the Atlantic after lunch.
2:00 PM: Miami tour including fashion and entertainment centers Coral
Gables ("Midnight Cowboy"), Coconut Grove ("Wild Things") and Bal Harbour
("Analyze This").
5:00 PM: Dine at Joe's Stone Crab, the "Bill's On The Beach" of Ian
Fleming's GOLDFINGER. (Nominal charge for those in early/able to attend.)
8:00 PM - 2:00 AM: Nonstop TUXEDO/COSTUME/COME AS YOU ARE, 007 PARTY
with games, prizes and themed food and drink at hotel. Sip martinis and
dance the night away with couple and single Bond fans and friends.
SATURDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast at hotel
8:00 AM: Visit beautiful Marathon and the Seven Mile Bridge (Sanchez
escapes!) and more than 25 points of interest from the 007 books and
films! Enjoy historic Key West's Lighthouse, Old Town, Southernmost Point and
more on our guided tour plus Bond, Bond, Bond!
8:12 PM: Catch Sunset Celebration (as Bond did in NOBODY LIVES FOREVER)
on the Gulf of Mexico at Mallory Square before heading for local
nightlife. Shop world famous Duval Street. Your overnight stay is at the Key
Ambassador on seven resort acres overlooking the Atlantic.
SUNDAY
7:00 AM: Breakfast together at Key Ambassador Resort.
8:00 AM: Tour the Florida Keys, South Beach and Miami's Art Deco
district including more movie and book locations from GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL
and LICENCE TO KILL.
3:00 PM: Depart Sunday for home or stay late for shopping, Bonding with
the gang and dinner at Bayside Marketplace.
This year's tours feature 40 Bond locations and exclusives as
always. Points of interest are also on tap from Speed 2, Miami Vice,
True Lies, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ace Ventura, Scarface, There's Something About
Mary, The Specialist, Cocoon, Bad Boys.
Your BCW package includes: HOTEL STAY of three days/two nights single
or double occupancy in Miami and Key West; breakfast each morning; all
guided tour admissions; dinner Friday night at our party; all ground
transportation and gratuities; 007th Weekend commemorative gifts and themed prizes and more!
Bond Collectors' Weekend 007: Friday - Sunday, June 4-6, 2004
*Single Occupancy (One 007): $389.50
**Double Occupancy (Two 007s, ask about roommate matching): $565.50 per
couple
*Extra child staying in room/on tours (Junior 007s 13 and under):
$160.00, space permitting (one child and one adult in one room are charged
couples'price)
BCW packages for locals (without hotel stay) are available for $200 per
person. Call or write for more. Late and early hotel nights are
available through BCW Productions, including upgrades to a suite on Friday night for only $25 more or stay in a suite with Jacuzzi for just $65 more (single or double occupancy)!
Please make checks or money order payable to AllSpies Productions at:
ALLSPIES PRODUCTIONS
2711 NW 42 PL
GAINESVILLE FL 32605
Note on your check: "007th Weekend Registration". Space is limited. For more information contact 007Forever.com
Gold painted dead ladies are always free of charge.
Sideshow Collectibles Giving Away OHMSS
February 9, 2004 - SideShow
Sideshow Collectibles will be debuting their new products for the
upcoming 2004 year at Toy Fair, February 15 - 18. Press and reporters are
welcome to stop by our booth #2573. Stay tuned to their newsletter as they will
start releasing advanced pictures for new items from James Bond. Also EA Bond gamers and Sideshow newsletter members can now compete to win a set of Bond figures from the movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." This set includes George Lazenby as James Bond and the bald-headed Telly Savalas as evil Blofeld.
You can link to the website by clicking on the Sideshow banner on the main page.