NEW SPY RELEASES

UK distributor Network has a number of titles coming out that might appeal to Spy Vibers, including Blu-ray editions of The Ipcress File and The Quiller Memorandum. Note that the discs listed below are region 2 PAL. US viewers will need an all-region player. 

The Quiller Memorandum (Blu-ray/July 28th): "George Segal gives a bravura performance as an unorthodox secret agent on the run from a neo-Nazi organisation in this stylish 1966 espionage thriller directed in West Berlin by Michael Anderson. Tautly scripted by Harold Pinter, this multiple BAFTA-nominated film also features Alec Guinness, Max von Sydow and Senta Berger. The Quiller Memorandum is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. SPECIAL FEATURES (HD except where indicated): Contemporary interviews recorded on location in Berlin with George Segal, Alec Guinness, Senta Berger, Max von Sydow, director Michael Anderson and producer Ivan Foxwell (Standard Definition); Original theatrical trailer; Four image galleries, including extensive promotional and behind-the-scenes shots; Promotional material PDFs." Network page here.

The Ipcress File (Blu-ray/July 28th): "Featuring a quintessential performance from multiple Oscar-winner Sir Michael Caine and an iconic score from the legendary John Barry, this stylised and compelling 1965 Cold War spy movie won multiple awards on its theatrical release - including three BAFTAs. The Ipcress File is featured here in a High Definition transfer made from original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. Harry Palmer, a stubbornly insolent sergeant working for the Ministry of Defence, is less than thrilled to be transferred to an elite counter-intelligence unit under threat of blackmail. Palmer and the rest of his unit follow the trail of a missing scientist, but when he finds a piece of tape marked "IPCRESS" in an abandoned warehouse he suddenly becomes a marked man. SPECIAL FEATURES: Michael Caine is Harry Palmer - exclusive interview with Sir Michael Caine; Exclusive interview with production designer Sir Ken Adam; Commentary with director Sidney Furie and film editor Peter Hunt; Michael Caine Goes Stella comedy short; 1969 documentary: Candid Caine; Original theatrical trailer and US radio commercials; Stills gallery." Network page here.

Ring of Spies (DVD/July 21st): "There have always been spies men and women who have pried for patriotism, for religion, for love... or for money. This intriguing drama is based on the true story of the Portland spy ring an unlikely Soviet operation active in southern England from the late 1950s until January 1961 when the core members were arrested. Directed by TV drama veteran Robert Tronson in 1964, Ring of Spies stars Bernard Lee (best known as Ian Fleming s M ) William Sylvester, Thorley Walters and BAFTA winners Margaret Tyzack and David Kossoff. It is presented here in a brand-new digital transfer. An antiquarian bookseller and his wife; a disgruntled, hard-drinking naval clerk and the lonely secretary he recruits; a polished Soviet agent who assumes the identity of a dead Canadian citizen: the players in a familiar Cold War story of hidden cameras, dead-letter drops and a long-range radio calling Moscow Central. A duel between Soviet intelligence and British counter-espionage, and a trade in deadly secrets directed from a bungalow in suburban Ruislip, hidden for years from unsuspecting neighbours and British spy catchers." Network page here.

S*P*Y*S (DVD/July 14th): "Before Austin Powers, before Johnny English, there were S*P*Y*S! Capitalising on the huge success of their onscreen pairing in M*A*S*H, in 1974 this highly enjoyable espionage spoof reunited Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould as a couple of bungling Paris-based American agents walking a tightrope in a paranoiac world of peepholes and booby-traps. Filmed largely in Paris and London, co-starring Joss Ackland and featuring the English language debut of French icon Zouzou, S*P*Y*S is presented here in a brand-new digital transfer from original film elements. CIA misfits Douglas Griffin and Eric Brulard are unaware of each other's existence until both turn up at the same pissoir in search of a mysterious hidden package. When the urinal immediately explodes, each is convinced that the other is a KGB assassin!" Network page here. 

Counterspy (DVD/July 7th): "This fast-paced 1953 comedy thriller stars Dermot Walsh as a mild-mannered young accountant forced to go on the run after unwittingly coming into possession of coveted top-secret plans. Also featuring Bill Travers, Oscar-nominated Hermione Baddeley and an early role for horror queen Hazel Court, Counterspy is presented here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. While perusing the books of an engineering company, fastidious auditor Frank Manning encounters rum goings on when he is approached by a woman who claiming she is being blackmailed. She begs him to find certain letters and he eventually agrees. Having obtained the letters, he takes them to a specified address where, to his horror, he finds a man, fully clothed, dead in the bath." Network page here.

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DEAL ALERT: OPERATION KID BROTHER

Amazon is currently running a sale on a number of Mystery Science Theater 3000 box sets. Spy Vibers may be interested in picking up volume XXV, which includes the 1967 Eurospy classic, Operation Kid Brother (a.k.a. OK Connery, Operation Double 007). The film stars many actors from the James Bond series, as well as Sean Connery's own brother, Neil. Familiar faces include Bernard Lee (M), Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny), Daniella Bianchi (From Russia With Love), Adolfo Celi (Thunderball, Danger Diabolik), and Anthony Dawson (Dr. No). It also features a celebrated score by Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai. Plot synopsis from IMDB: The evil crime syndicate Thanatos is bent on taking over the world, using a magnetic wave generator that will cause all metal-based machinery to grind to a halt. However, the well-known British secret agent normally assigned to such tasks isn't available, so they engage his civilian brother, Neil, to help. Neil, played by Neil Connery, is a world-class plastic surgeon, hypnotist, and lip-reader, which turn out to be precisely the skills required for thwarting Thanatos." Although the original film appears to be now available as streaming content on Amazon, the MST3K version still remains the only official DVD release. 

MST3K Vol XXV also includes Kitten With a Whip, Robot Holocaust, Commando Cody serial, and Revenge of the Creature. The sale price is $24.49 (down from $59.97). Sale ends March 30th. Order on Amazon here. Other titles included in the sale: The Corpse Vanishes, Warrior of the Lost World, Santa Clause, Night of the Blood Beast, Code Name: Diamond Head, Castle of Fu Manchu (with Christopher Lee), King Dinosaur, Last of the Wild Horses, Samson vs. the Vampire Women, Fugitive Alien, The Sword and the Dragon, Star Force: Fugitive Alien II. Color still from Movie Goods. Screenshots from Lucid Nightmare blog.  

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OPERATION KID BROTHER

On our recent outing to see James Bond on the big screen with students, I was telling one of them about Operation Kid Brother (1967) starring Sean Connery's brother, Neil. We've posted about this classic before, and MST3K did a fine send-up, but I thought Spy Vibers might get a kick out of revisiting the trailer. The Soundtrack is available on Amazon under its alternate title, OK Connery.

CINEMATOGRAPHY: THE GOOD GERMAN

Spy Vibers shared some great suggestions over the past few days about some of their favorite cinematography. How does color and black and white not only support the story, but also become an element of its era that we savor as viewers? One contemporary film that attempted to capture some essence of vintage black and white imagery was The Good German (2006). I seem to remember seeing Steven Soderbergh in an interview talk about how they hoped to use vintage equipment to match the visual tone of period dramas, and how old-style lighting, cameras, etc would also affect things like composition and scene-blocking. Their effort is apparent in this trailer, though I haven't seen the film recently enough to speak for the whole project. A quick study of clips, however, suggests some inconsistency of success. The still below is quite beautiful and reminds me of those iconic sewer shots of Joesph Cotten and Orson Welles (and Bernard Lee!) in Carol Reed's The Third Man (1949). I'll put together a series of clips from reader suggestions to view over the weekend.