THE MONKEES DVD

The Monkees (1966-1968) television show spawned a media phenomenon and encapsulated a 1960s cocktail of Richard Lester/Beatles surrealism, Marx Brothers humor, improvisation, and catchy pop songs. After years of being out of print, the original series will be released on September 27th by Eagle Rock. Pre-order info at Amazon here. Spy Vibers in the States can still rent the original Rhino DVDs from Netflix. Three of the band members reunited recently for a tour, but the last nine dates were cancelled due to business conflicts. Here is a clip from one of my fave episodes, The Spy Who Came in From the Cool (covered at Spy Vibe here).

IT TAKES A THIEF

Welcome back Spy Vibers! We just had a great series of poster contests, followed by the recent move of all operations to a cool 1966 pad! Yup, we're now located in a northern California lair with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, Hi-Fi, and the Spy Vibe library! Speaking of libraries, one of the last major spy shows from the 1960s waiting for release is finally coming out- It Takes a Thief- starring Robert Wagner as cat burger-turned-spy! The complete series will be released in a box set on October 11th by Entertainment One, and will include all three seasons, interviews with cast/crew, pilot episode, a collectible photo book, and more. The current price on Amazon is a bit high at $179.99, but we'll keep keep our eye out for deals. Amazon has often made The Man From U.N.C.L.E. box set, also a high-ticket item, available at a discount. Congrats to Entertainment One and to all of my fellow It Takes a Thief fans!

POSTER 3 WINNER!

Thank you to the many Spy Vibers from around the world who entered to win the Goldfinger movie poster! One winner was drawn at random- congratulations to Thomas Tucker. Your prize will be mailed soon.

CRITERION DEALS TODAY

Amazon is offering lightning deals on a number of Criterion Collection titles today, including the stylish and funny Mystery classic, Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (Charade sale ends 10am pacific). Other titles include the Maysles brothers' The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter and David Cronenberg's Videodrome. Details here. Spy Vibe's look at the Peter Stone penned films Charade, Arabesque, and Mirage here.

AMAZON SALE

Amazon is holding its annual anniversary sale on Blu-ray discs. You can pick up James Bond collections for as low as $25, as well as other classic sets including the Bourne Trilogy, Oceans 11-13, Austin Powers, and The Twilight Zone. Sale ends August 20th. Details here.

POSTER 2 WINNER!

Thank you to the many Spy Vibers from around the world who entered to win the Danger Diabolik movie poster! One winner was drawn at random- congratulations to Brad Wrolstad! Your prize will be mailed soon. Everyone still has a chance to win the Goldfinger poster. Details here.

SERGE GAINSBOURG TRIBUTE CONCERT

Sean Lennon and Beck will headline a special tribute concert to the maestro of hip musique, Serge Gainsbourg, at 7pm on August 28th at the Hollywood Bowl. Lennon and his partner, Charlotte Kemp Muhl, recently released a limited blue-vinyl album, La Carotte Bleue, that featured Gainsbourg's classic Comic Strip (see Spy Vibe's announcement here). The tribute concert will also include Ed Droste (Grizzly Bear), Victoria Legrand (Beach House), Mike Patton (Faith No More), Zola Jesus, Lulu Gainsbourg, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and Jean Claude Vannier. Check out Amoeba records here for a chance to win free tickets!


Below is the whimsical lo-fi film for Lennon and Muhl's groovy version. It reminds me of William Klein's 1969 film, Mr Freedom. Serge Gainsbourg official website here. Gainsbourg was married to Jane Birkin from 1968-1980, following her three-year marriage to James Bond composer, John Barry. Check out the original 1968 promo film for Comic Strip with B Bardot here.

POSTER 1 WINNER!

Thank you to the many Spy Vibers from around the world who entered to win the Barbarella movie poster. One winner was drawn at random, congratulations to Katrina Kelly! Your prize will be mailed soon. Everyone still has a chance to win the Danger Diabolik and Goldfinger posters. Details here.