Bond By Numbers

If budgets, engineering and the many laws of physics were not factors to consider, how might you build your 007 dream home from the franchise's fabled sets, locations and interiors? An Atlantis En-Suite? How about an Octopussy boudoir? Throwing logic and planning to the wind, in this "What If?" we revive our trusty roulette and share blueprints for our Grand (Bond) Designs! So clear that empty lot in your imagination and come building with us!

Stanley Donen's cinematic kitchen was working hard in 1963: start with a pair of stars, thicken their stock with an ensemble cast, add a wallop of visual style, toss in a heavy helping of romantic comedy then add a pinch of international intrigue before finishing with a half-cup of irony. What's that make? A difficult film to categorize! Or, if you prefer, the "whoopie-cushion thriller" better known as "Charade"! We discuss all the ingredients here as Josh's selection brings our annual "3 Non Bonds" review festival to a close in simmering style. We also go inside the new book from Pete Brooker and Matt Spaiser, "From Tailor's With Love" (11:35) and celebrate the fascinating war-time career of young Audrey Hepburn (40:40).

For our second selection in the annual "3 Non Bonds" festival, we go behind the Iron Curtain with Paul Newman and Julie Andrews in Alfred Hitchcock's "Torn Curtain". Often pegged as one of the famed director's more conflicted works, this thriller possesses enough moments of intriguing espionage, quirky potpourri and technical chutzpah to nevertheless make a case for itself. So grab your passport and get ready to infiltrate - BBN's flight to defection is now boarding!

This season's "3 Non Bonds" Festival gets off to a great start with 00-Chapman's selection of "The Quiller Memorandum" from 1966. Directed by Michael Anderson, "Quiller" was penned by the renowned Harold Pinter and features a dynamic cast including George Segal, Senta Berger, Max von Sydow and the impeccable Alec Guinness. Looking for an understated neo-Nazi spy thriller set in divided Berlin? Then look no further as we launch our annual fest with this worthy conversation piece!

Who doesn't like a good film festival? Our six cinematic Bonds sure do! From inspired screenings to banquet dinners, celebrity speakers to questionable pop-up bars, our first "What If?" of the series pulls out nearly all the stops and runs wild with this imaginative theme. So polish your shoes and grab your VIP passes - BBN proudly invites YOU to this red-carpet event!

Our "00-Origins" series officially gets off the ground here as Josh introduces the fascinating life and work of Sir Francis Walsingham. Queen Elizabeth I's "spymaster" is widely regarded as the progenitor of British espionage and without his involvements in such matters as the St. Bartholomew's Massacre, The Babington Plot and The Spanish Armada, the course of world history would have run much differently! But one nation's spymaster is another nation's antagonist and Walsingham wasn't everyone's hero. From spoiled thrones to sunken ships, this history-heavy feature is full of Tudoriffic highlights!

In this special episode, the multi-talented Chris Wood (Instagram's @bondonvinyl) joins BBN for a fun and furnished survey of John Barry's score to "Diamonds Are Forever". From Wint & Kidd killings to Moon Buggy misdemeanours, we put Barry's versatile efforts under the microscope here and celebrate the film's 50th anniversary in style! Jackpot!

In our first watch party of the season, we synchronize our MGM lions (@8:08 in) and saunter through the strokes of "Tomorrow Never Dies", Pierce Brosnan's sophomore outing and Josh's pick for the best Bond flick of the '90s. No need for social distancing here so grab your refreshments from the lobby and meet us inside! For our full review of the movie, check out S1:E11 from March 2019.

BBN marks the start of its third series with an overdue exploration into the style and many contributions of John Glen to the Bond franchise. His tenure as director encompassed the entire decade of the 1980s and his straight-ahead approach to action and storytelling left its impressive mark on several influential features. Join Josh, Jeff and Scott as they survey the legacy of Glen's career with 007.

Our season finale proudly presents a festive assortment of trivia, games and discussion as we try to send the ugliness of 2020 packing like a Max Zorin megabomb! So, Ho-Ho-Holster your PPKs and join us by the hearth for our marathon Holiday Special!

A short reflection and tribute on the occasion of Sir Thomas Sean Connery's passing.

Eric Serra's music for "Goldeneye" still manages to elicit grumps, frumps and outrage among Bond fans a quarter-century after its arrival on the scene. However, the soundtrack for Pierce Brosnan's 007 premiere isn't short on creativity and is staunchly defended by some for its tradition-breaking novelty. From guttural beats to "hammer and sickle synth", BBN investigates the story, tracks and controversy of this unorthodox volume in the Bond music library.

Josh and Scott weigh in on the recent announcement of a further six-month delay to NTTD and related issues facing the franchise, its distribution and of cinemagoing more generally.

Long overlooked by 007 location scouts and producers, Canada remains an untapped well of potential for the adventures of James Bond. In this special "What If?" episode, Josh, Jeff and Scott put their fandom to creative work and share their ideas for original James Bond missions featuring the true north, strong and free!

Tom Mankiewicz wrote three James Bond films. He also came from Hollywood royalty and developed for himself a reputation as script doctor extraordinaire. A creative talent and raconteur beloved by his friends and collaborators, "Mank" never won an Academy Award like his father or uncle did but succeeded where they failed in "playing the game" by his own rules. In this special episode, BBN digs deep on the life and times of the man and writer lovingly dubbed "Wanky Mits" by Sir Roger Moore and considers his legacy within the 007 universe and beyond.

In our second "What If?" of the series we throw caution to the wind and let our roulette wheel guide us through the reimagined world of 007 title singers. Some hit the musical wall softly and stick, while some other selections miss horribly and fall heavy to the ground. In any case, we welcome you behind the glass and inside the BBN (re)production booth as movie music history falls victim to whimsy. Luckily, at least one of us knows something about music... even if our toy wheel is clueless!

After years of false-starts, Kevin McClory's remake of "Thunderball" finally got green-lit in 1982. Sean Connery's involvement in the project stretched far beyond his reprisal of 007 and ensured that Cubby Broccoli and EON were kept guessing as production on their own feature evolved simultaneously. Despite its origins in bad blood, "NSNA" nevertheless has its devotees and defenders and holds a firm place within the Bond universe. From foie gras to smoking heels, BBN is delighted to offer its own take on this unofficial installment!

John Barry's creative ambitions for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" played innovatively off the electronic landscape of the late '60s and brought James Bond music to new heights. Revered by fans, Barry's work for George Lazenby's lone outing also pushed the envelope for film music in general, opening up new doors of perception and possibility for composers to come. In its first soundtrack deep-dive, BBN tells the story of this landmark achievement from 1969.

Clint Eastwood politely turned down the role of 007 when it was offered to him after Connery's departure, which probably leaves "The Eiger Sanction" as the closest fans ever got to seeing him play the secret agent. Like Bond, Jonathan Hemlock also has henchmen, villains and a speckled past to contend with. This controversial film from 1975 is part spy thriller, part mountaineering adventure and marks the end of our "3 Non Bonds" review miniseries. Grab your pitons, crampons and pemmican and join BBN for a trip up the Eigerwand... Eastwood style!

More than twenty years after its release, John Frankenheimer's "Ronin" still delivers to audiences some of the best car chases ever manufactured for cinema. But the film's impact isn't restricted to its 150 stunt drivers tearing up French highways and locales. "Ronin" also offers the promise of Robert DeNiro in full action mode and an ensemble cast featuring no less than three 007 villain actors. Join BBN for a ride behind the wheel of Jeff's inspired selection as its review miniseries of "3-Non Bonds" continues!