Podcasts by Bond By Numbers
Bond By Numbers is a celebration of the James Bond world. More an enthusiast
Further podcasts by Bowman & the BFG
Podcast on the topic TV und Film
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What If? - Alternate Endings: Part 2 from 2023-11-12T11:00
The concluding installment of our "What If?" episode on (very) unofficial Alternate Endings. From caviar blockades to Gobinda's betrayal, the remorseless roulette guides us through discussions o...
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Foreign Correspondent (1940) from 2023-10-17T12:00
What happens when you mix a “mad love of country with an equally mad indifference to life”? Well, if Alfred Hitchcock's 1940 thriller is anything to go by, a crackpot peace movement and a nest o...
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What If? - Alternate Endings: Part 1 from 2023-09-28T09:00
In the first "What If" of its final season, BBN explores some (very) unofficial alternate endings. Led by the punishing whimsy of roulette and dice, Part 1 throws canon to the wind in presenting...
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Scorpius (1988) from 2023-09-17T20:30
From a post 9/11 framework, some could read John Gardner's seventh Bond adventure as chilling and prophetic. In the year of its publication, however, Scorpius aimed for and hit a lot of...
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Live and Let Die @ 50 from 2023-08-30T19:00
A half-century ago, Roger Moore sauntered across the screen in his first gunbarrel scene as James Bond. Live and Let Die started for him a highly successful 7-picture, 12-year run. In h...
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No Deals, Mr Bond (1987) from 2023-06-13T18:00
In John Gardner's sixth continuation novel, M has "cream cake" on his face and Bond is brought in to clean up the mess. Ghosts from a former operation have returned to haunt the MI6 chief as his...
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Nobody Lives For Ever (1986) from 2023-04-21T07:00
Gardner's fifth Bond adventure sees 007 forced to jettison his annual leave in Europe when he's made aware of a SPECTRE contract on his head. Some of the bounty hunters hope to lure Bond in by k...
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What If? - 007 Board Games: #3 -"Bonds of War" from 2023-03-28T08:00
In the season finale, 00-Chapman brings our three-part "What If?" to an end by presenting his original idea for a Bond-related board game. Leaning cosily into the short-life starter genre, "Bond...
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What If? - 007 Board Games: #2 -"Thunderball" from 2023-02-28T09:00
Our three-part tabletop extravaganza continues here with Josh's retro proposal: a Thunderball-inspired race to nuclear disarmament! Featuring all the thrills from the film but none of t...
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What If? - 007 Board Games: #1 -"Dicefire" from 2023-02-13T17:00
In this "What If?" episode (the first of three which will end our season), we introduce our fondness for table-top gaming and set the groundwork for our latest project: developing our own 007-in...
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Role of Honour (1984) from 2023-01-12T08:00
Our exploration of John Gardner's Bond continues here as the literary gun-barrel sets its aim upon "Role of Honour" from 1984. Tech-heavy and mired in the world of computer sabotage, this title ...
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Role of Honour (1984) from 2023-01-12T08:00
Our exploration of John Gardner's Bond continues here as the literary gun-barrel sets its aim upon "Role of Honour" from 1984. Tech-heavy and mired in the world of computer sabotage, this title ...
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BBN Holiday Special 3 from 2022-12-24T07:20:10
More Bond-inspired games, trivia and nonsense as you've come to expect from us at this festive time of year. So spike your punch and cozy up by the yule log - our third Holiday Special is reporting...
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The Third Man (1949) from 2022-11-27T08:09:26
The curtain closes on this year's "3 Non Bonds" series with 00-Taylor's choice of Carol Reed's "The Third Man". This influential British noir, set and filmed on location in post-war Austria, stars ...
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60in60for60: A Highlights Show! from 2022-10-21T18:40:51
In celebration of Bond's 60th Anniversary on film, we sat down recently to share some of our favourite moments from 007's six decades of franchise life. The challenge seemed painless enough but the...
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The Train (1964) from 2022-10-17T21:35:58
All aboard! "3 Non-Bonds" Season continues on the show as Scott delivers tickets for a return journey on "John Frankenheimer's The Train", his choice for the annual film festival. This fastidiously...
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Icebreaker (1983) from 2022-09-28T06:22:25
Our survey of John Gardner's continuation novels carries on with a chat over his third effort. If, like many, you buy into the belief that a Bond's third outing is his best ("Goldfinger", "The Spy ...
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The Bourne Identity (2002) from 2022-09-10T20:50:16
Just six weeks before "Die Another Day" hit theatres, a lesser-known commodity was getting its own release. Starring Matt Damon as Robert Ludlum's amnesia-stricken assassin, "The Bourne Identity" w...
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00-Origins: Operation Mincemeat from 2022-08-04T15:45:20
In July of 1943, as Allied forces planned desperately for Mediterranean access into Europe, Britain's Naval Intelligence were spearheading an intrepid operation, a bait-and-switch of colossal conse...
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For Special Services (1982) from 2022-07-13T10:03:25
In his second continuation novel, John Gardner returns Bond to the USA and reunites readers with some canonical staples. Motivated by a recent spate of airline hijackings with potential SPECTRE lin...
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Dr. No @ 60 from 2022-06-28T21:23:48
In recognition of Bond's 60th Anniversary on the big screen we brew up and sit down for a casual chat about "Dr. No", reflecting on the enduring features and legacy of the film that started it all.
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Bond Song Rank-a-thon! from 2022-06-17T06:31:39
So it's time we finally put things right... nearly four years of 007 podcasting have come and gone without a proper ranking of the EON songs and that's just not good enough! Upon discovering this e...
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No Time to Die (2021) from 2022-05-19T20:26:37
So yeah, we know... months have passed since the final chapter in Daniel Craig's 007 sweep premiered worldwide. But, like succulent lamb left to stew in its own juices before being glazed, skewered...
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What If? - Character Spin-Offs from 2022-04-04T07:46
Inspired by Ian Fleming's 14 books and textured further by dozens of collaborators, the 25-film franchise we know and love possesses a wealth of spin-off material for the ambitious story developer....
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Licence Renewed (1981) from 2022-03-11T19:06:48
An ousted nuclear scientist with a Braveheart complex looks for revenge in John Gardner's "Licence Renewed", the first Bond novel of the 1980s and the focus of our first episode this new season! Fr...
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Bond Redux: FYEO Watch Party from 2022-01-30T21:40:15
For our final episode of the series, we combine (and recline) our forces in real-time camaraderie over 1981's "For Your Eyes Only", Sir Roger's fifth outing as 007 and 00-Chapman's selection for Wa...
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BBN Holiday Special 2 from 2021-12-18T09:40:33
Happy Holidays, Bond fans! In this episode, our second seasonal soiree, we serve up more games, discussion and trivia with a festive Bond flavour. Flick on the tree lights and switch off your brain...
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"What Now, Mr Bond?" from 2021-11-21T11:29:37
With the release and revelations of "No Time to Die" finally in the world's rear-view mirror, talk is properly heating up about how and with whom "James Bond Will Return". Here, we prognosticate to...
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No Time To Die: First Impressions from 2021-10-18T13:37:23
At long last, the wait for Bond 25 is over! Now that they've all seen "No Time to Die", Josh, Scott and Jeff bridge the Atlantic gap with conversation and first impressions of Daniel Craig's final ...
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Bond Redux: TSWLM Watch Party from 2021-09-29T16:13:59
In our second watch party of the season, we invite you to synchronize your MGM lions (@21:09) and groove casually with us through the waves and rhythms of 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me". Upheld by m...
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The Music of TWINE w/ Chris Wood from 2021-09-04T10:15:24
The wonderful Chris Wood (@bondonvinyl) returns in this special episode to discuss the music of "The World is Not Enough", arguably David Arnold's most ambitious effort as 007 composer. So come joi...
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Colonel Sun (1968) from 2021-08-30T22:00:43
In this episode we look down the literary gunbarrel at "Colonel Sun", written by Robert Markham (Kingsley Amis) and published four years after Ian Fleming's death. Amis's compelling adventure comes...
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What If? - Bond Designs from 2021-08-17T11:01:04
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-...
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Charade (1963) from 2021-07-29T05:45:06
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 ...
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Torn Curtain (1966) from 2021-07-06T06:15:18
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 fame...
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The Quiller Memorandum (1966) from 2021-06-08T06:00:11
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 ...
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What If? - 007 Film Festivals from 2021-05-23T07:40:59
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 seri...
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00-Origins: Sir Francis Walsingham from 2021-04-23T07:01:17
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 pro...
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Diamonds Are Forever @ 50! w/ Chris Wood from 2021-03-30T13:30
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...
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Bond Redux: TND Watch Party from 2021-03-14T10:32:02
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 b...
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John Glen: Captain of the'80s Bond from 2021-02-25T13:38:39
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...
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BBN Holiday Special! from 2020-12-17T09:00
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 joi...
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Farewell, Mr. Connery from 2020-11-03T15:40:02
A short reflection and tribute on the occasion of Sir Thomas Sean Connery's passing.
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007 Music: Eric Serra's Goldeneye from 2020-10-28T07:19:47
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 ...
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No Time To Die - COVID Delays from 2020-10-05T15:55:26
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.
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What If? - 007 in Canada from 2020-09-27T14:02:32
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 the...
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Tom Mankiewicz from 2020-09-06T21:02:28
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 h...
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What If? - Alternate 007 Singers from 2020-08-22T13:49:37
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...
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Never Say Never Again (1983) from 2020-08-04T10:05:12
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 th...
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007 Music: John Barry's OHMSS from 2020-07-20T13:04:48
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,...
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The Eiger Sanction (1975) from 2020-07-06T08:00
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 ...
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Ronin (1998) from 2020-06-22T09:00
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 t...
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Bond @ Blockbuster: The 007 Rental Lists from 2020-06-08T08:30
Six Bonds walk into a Blockbuster Video... this might be the start of a bad joke but it's also the premise of our fanciful discussion for Ep.40! What will they rent? What confectionary is collected...
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Mission Impossible (1996) from 2020-05-26T08:30
Our seasonal survey of "3 Non Bonds" kicks off with Josh's selection, 1996's "Mission Impossible". The teaser poster forewarned audiences to "expect the impossible"... which is another way of sayin...
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What If? - Alternate 007 Ladies from 2020-05-12T06:30
Our first What If? episode renders a range of scenarios spanning from the intriguing to the incredulous. We unleash our roulette and empower it as casting director in charge of the Bond Ladies. Eve...
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Terence Young: Bond's Elemental Executive from 2020-04-27T06:30
"The First James Bond Director"... that's the starting point for most of us in regarding Terence Young. Credited with schooling Sean Connery in the ways of cool, Young was at the helm for three of ...
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"2C or not 2C?": Our Favourite Chases from 2020-04-07T09:00
Kick the mud off your shoes, store your drink and buckle up, friends! Season 2 of BBN enjoys an early launch here with a quarantine-enabled chinwag over some favourite car chases. Join your hosts a...
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Season Finale: The EONours List from 2020-02-26T18:30
Dry-clean the evening wear, Bond fans, it's awards season! Yes, the finale of BBN’s inaugural series sees the panel join forces and butt heads over their evaluations of all things EON. Cars, gadget...
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The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) from 2020-01-29T07:45
With a script tailored to his unique brand of 007, Roger Moore delivered what many feel was his best of seven EON performances. Complemented by outstanding stunts, evocative sets and the world's la...
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Literary Gunbarrel #9: Tie-in Episode from 2020-01-18T18:45
Regarded by its author as a "cautionary tale" (...uh, sure, okay Ian...) Bond's 1962 literary adventure, set in leafy upstate New York, is anything but classic 007. Narrated by a vulnerable female ...
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Literary Gunbarrel #8: Tie-In Episode from 2020-01-05T08:40
Expectations were high when Fleming's "You Only Live Twice" hit the shelves in 1963. The anticipated follow-up to "OHMSS" did, indeed, return James Bond to the field after tragedy befell him but ho...
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You Only Live Twice (1967) from 2020-01-01T08:15
Given Ian Fleming's fascination with Japan, detailed for readers in his final novel, it was destined that the cinematic Bond would soon delve into the culture's offerings. But with a new director a...
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Literary Gunbarrel #7: Tie-In Episode from 2019-12-16T18:45
If "Casino Royale" marked the cool and understated edge of a careful new spy writer courting the literary scene, then "Live and Let Die" was that writer's caution-to-the-wind stag party. Rowdy and ...
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Live and Let Die (1973) from 2019-12-04T07:30
Roger Moore's first outing as 007 remains, for many fans, his best. Reading Blaxploitation trends of early '70s cinema, Saltzman and Broccoli gambled on there not being a better time to adapt Ian F...
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Licence to Kill (1989) from 2019-11-06T18:45
LTK's deviation from typical Bond formulae remains as much a matter of controversy now as it did 30 years ago. Some welcome its impulsive punches and sing praises for its fresh, revenge-driven plot...
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Literary Gunbarrel #6: Tie-In Episode from 2019-10-24T13:45
If you like your spy adventures with a taste of the sea then "Dr No" is the novel for you! Aside from its Caribbean setting, complete with coastal breeze and moonlight sailing, Fleming's 6th effort...
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Dr. No (1962) from 2019-10-16T07:00
Apart from early adaptations for broadcast radio and television, 1962 marked the true event horizon for James Bond. It was here, with Dr. No, that 007's genetic code was written. Iconic on screen, ...
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Die Another Day (2002) from 2019-10-02T18:45
Adored by few, reviled by most, "Die Another Day" offered audiences and Bond fans alike a ticket to 007 crazy town. But just how troubled is this reputed stinker? Are there enough "slivers of maybe...
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Literary Gunbarrel #5: Tie-In Episode from 2019-09-21T07:00
With the exception of the villain's name and the implication of rockets, EON's 1979 production of "Moonraker" shares little in common with its literary antecedent from 1955. Ian Fleming's cold-war ...
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Literary Gunbarrel #4: Tie-In Episode from 2019-09-14T09:20
Encouraged by listener request, this latest tie-in episode changes the literary menu from piecemeal-tapas to full-flavoured stew! Scott & Josh's deep-dive discussion of Fleming's "From Russia With ...
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Moonraker (1979) from 2019-09-08T19:25
It was only a matter of time before Roger Moore's trend-jumping Bond wound up on a spaceship. Hoping to cash in on the sci-fi craze of the late 1970s, "Moonraker" remains, to many fans, one giant l...
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Spectre (2015) from 2019-08-21T17:15
When retcon rides sidecar to fan-service along the poached narrative road of a surveillance empire's sinister takeover, you know you're in for a bumpy journey as a Bond fan. Critics called it crap ...
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From Russia With Love (1963) from 2019-07-16T09:15
Revered by many fans and critics alike, 1963's From Russia With Love ushered in a retinue of slick canonical tropes and features without compromising its cold-war storytelling. Sean Connery reprise...
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Literary Gunbarrel #3: Tie-In Episode from 2019-07-08T20:30
In this third companion episode, Scott and Josh share their thoughts on three more Fleming texts. First up, and markedly different from the film, is short story "From A View to a Kill" where Bond r...
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A View to a Kill (1985) from 2019-07-01T08:30
Wise to the last, Roger Moore couldn't leave 007 until his bond baked a quiche, stole a fire truck and hung perilously from a blimp. Enter 1985 and "A View to a Kill", EON's canonical answer to the...
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Thunderball (1965) from 2019-06-16T08:00
"...Water, water everywhere, Nor any drop to drink." When Coleridge revised his Ancient Mariner in 1834 he couldn't have known he was forecasting Thunderball's controversial "production-bloat to au...
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Octopussy (1983) from 2019-05-23T20:00
The title won't be the only thing about this 007 adventure that jumps out to grab you. Running against Sean Connery's controversial remake of Thunderball, "Octopussy" offered audiences a lot of out...
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Literary Gunbarrel #2: Tie-In Episode from 2019-05-11T08:30
Okay, so a caveat: the recordings here aren't ideal. Sorry about that. In addition to occasional skype signal drops with FYEO, the BFG's then-sinus infection did feature uniquely to antagonise h...
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The World is Not Enough (1999) from 2019-04-28T17:00
Patricide, boat chasing, parahawks, caviar farming, oil pipelines, buzz-sawed BMWs, revenge-napping and a nuclear sub out to destroy Istanbul: is that your idea of explosive fun or a 00-plot headac...
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For Your Eyes Only (1981) from 2019-04-15T08:00
Don your snowsuits and wax your skis, Bond fans, it's time to cut edges around the slopes of "For Your Eyes Only"! A new decade brings in a new director as veteran Bond craftsman John Glen is hande...
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The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) from 2019-03-31T21:00
So this exited the wash as our longest episode to date. Cubby's corner and critical reception for TMWTGG offered a lot of discussion in leadup to the main event. Jeff's context on the energy cri...
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Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) from 2019-03-17T20:00
What do you get when you combine a stealth ship, the world's fastest no-look typing megalomaniac, shameless product placement, endless rounds of ammo and more techno-buzz than even Q can handle ...
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Skyfall (2012) from 2019-03-04T12:00
For Bond's 50th Anniversary in 2012, Sam Mendes was brought on board to help Craig & Co. deep dive into the complex relations of MI6 and the vengeful nerds it leaves behind. Join your hosts as they...
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Literary Gunbarrel #1: Tie-In Episode from 2019-02-20T17:00
Sifting through the archives of our Ian Fleming series from 2016-17, we have pieced together a sample of our conversations based on the literary source material for the movies being discussed throu...
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Casino Royale (2006) from 2019-02-10T20:00
Now heralded as one of the best 007 actors, Daniel Craig was much maligned by the public and press when news of his replacing Pierce Brosnan was announced in 2005. "Casino Royale" ushered in a newl...
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Diamonds are Forever (1971) from 2019-01-31T21:00
With 1971's "Diamonds are Forever", Bond producers encouraged moviegoers to forget the recent past of OHMSS's character arc and tragic love by resurrecting earlier moves and establishing a zanier t...
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Quantum of Solace (2008) from 2019-01-12T20:00
The fifth film to fall under BBN scrutiny, Quantum of Solace is a fast and angry action film. It may have withstood the Hollywood writer's strike and its lukewarm audience reception but can it s...
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Goldfinger (1964) from 2018-12-28T20:00
"Do you expect me to talk...?"
I sure hope so... and for over three hours, please, because Goldfinger is regarded by many fans as the top Bond film of the franchise! Aware of their responsib...
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) from 2018-12-15T20:00
Just in time for the holidays, the trio ponder the mysteries of Christmas trees, Swiss locales and, of course, George Lazenby's sole and controversial outing as James Bond. Scott, Josh and Jeff ...
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The Living Daylights (1987) from 2018-11-25T20:00
Josh and Scott welcome back Jeff the Roommate and scare the living daylights out of each other in a discussion that tips its hat to one of Ian Fleming's best (short stories) and Felix Leiter's w...
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Goldeneye (1995) from 2018-11-10T20:00
Josh and Scott measure steps through their first discussion, focusing on 1995's Goldeneye. It's a new Bond, a new decade and a new world post-USSR. Joining our hosts to share some insight is Jef...
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Welcome to BBN: Introduction&Parameters from 2018-10-27T20:00
Having previously explored the literary and musical landscapes of the 007 world, Bowman & the BFG here lay out plans for their mightiest (if inevitable) James Bond adventure yet - the films themsel...
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