CUMBERBATCH AS IAN FLEMING

It is rumored that Sherlock star, Benedict Cumberbatch, has been offered the role of Ian Fleming in a new biopic. The project, which is based on Andrew Lycett's biography of the James Bond author, is said to focus on Fleming's experiences with Naval Intelligence during World War II. Duncan Jones (Moon) was originally set to direct, but unfortunately dropped out to make Warcraft. I'm curious to see how this unfolds. Cumberbatch would certainly bring his own gravitas and touch of rogue energy to the role. I was rather disappointed in the recent Fleming mini-series, which seemed mannered and self-conscious. I expect, with Cumberbatch on board, we could finally see a Fleming film with substance. Spy Vibe will post updates on the new movie as development continues. Image from BBC.

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Fleming Jamaica Book, Bond Japanese Editions, Fleming Chinese Edition, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50th, Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, Collecting Fleming, Live and Let Die 60th, new poster announced, 007 Audio Books Update, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Fleming Letters Mystery, The Goldfinger Variations, Double 007 Book Designs,  Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.

Recent Spy Vibe posts: The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, UNCLE Gun, The Saint books return, Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton, DC Fontana Prisoner Video, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Fu Manchu history panel, Mod Tales Interview, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.

FLEMING HEADING TO NETFLIX

The new Sky Atlantic series based on the life of James Bond author Ian Fleming has been picked up by Netflix. According to reports by Broadcast, the four-part Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond will be available as streaming content once it airs on BBC America this fall. Dominic Cooper is seen below as Fleming with Lara Pulver as Ann Charteris. More details at the Daily Mail here. Meanwhile, I eagerly await news about the new feature film about Ian Fleming by director Duncan Jones (Moon). It has been reported that his project is under way and has secured distribution. Both current projects appear to focus on Fleming's early and wartime years, when he experienced the international intrigue that would later inspire his novels. My concern, which I share with my fellow Fleming followers, is that both bio-pics remain grounded in the facts of the author's truly fascinating life. Two earlier attempts to bring Fleming's story to the small screen were fraught with fiction and inaccuracies. Stay tuned for updates as they arrive. Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive here. 

Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address.

IAN FLEMING MOVIES

James Bond creator Ian Fleming is the subject of two new movie projects. Spy Vibers may recall that Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code) announced a while back he was planning his own Fleming biopic. The director is currently balancing the project with his big-budget World of Warcraft feature. I'm hoping to see updates and progress from him sometime soon. 

There is also a mini-series called Fleming gearing up to air from Sky Atlantic HD starring Dominic Cooper (Captain America). Stills have been released (above) of Cooper's Fleming with Ann O'Neill, played by Lara Pulver (True Blood, Sherlock, MI5, Robin Hood). A trailer just came out that, as my sister COBRAS site Double O Section observed, capitalizes on Skyfall imagery and tone. The trailer (see below) shows an armed spy sneaking around the shadows of a sleek industrial complex. My hope is that this sequence illustrates Fleming's imagination as he is writing a Bond adventure. If not, the project is turning down the less-appealing road of fantasy, as former biopics did in the past. Although Fleming was a playboy, gambler, and spy as the trailer depicts, he was not a field agent who shot it out with baddies. Ian Fleming led an exciting life and met so many interesting people. It would be a shame to use his name just to create a Bond-like knock-off. Judge for yourself.

Spy Vibe is having a giant Summer Sale! Items include First Editions of Fleming, Gardner, Deighton, Rare Large-Print 007 editions, Raymond Benson, Gulyashki, Man From UNCLE, Beatles, Corgi, music items and CDs, and More! Save with combined shipping. Head over to eBay for details here. Happy collecting, fellow Spy Vibers!

Get ready to meet MIKI ZERO, a Japanese fashion model and spy from 1965! That's right, I've written a novel inspired by Spy Vibe. More info at my website here.

Check Spy Vibe for recent posts about Batman '66 and Warhol, our fiendish villains archive, Cold War Comics, Sam Mendes back for Bond, Spy Vibe heroes and Wild Things, book design dopplegangers, Christopher Lee, Bettie Page, Dashiell Hammett, Miles Davis, WWII spy Krystyna Skarbek, recycled James Bond covers, interview with Fu Manchu author William Maynard,  Man From UNCLE manga, Orson Welles the Shadow, rare Piero Umiliani Kriminal soundtrack, new Beatles Yellow Submarine game, James Bond audio book re-issues, Mid-Century Modern in Peanuts, my review of SKYFALL and more. Spy Vibe is now on Pinterest! Check out our image archives and follow us here. For Your Shelf Only collecting series links: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman. 

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IAN FLEMING BIOPIC ANNOUNCED

News emerged during Cannes that director Duncan Jones (Moon, Source Code and son of David Bowie), will helm a biopic based on the life of Ian Fleming. According to the announcement by Deadline, the film will be based on the biography Ian Fleming: The Man Behind James Bond by Andrew Lycett. The project, which is said to have the support of the Ian Fleming estate, will go into production later this year. Fleming had an interesting and rich life leading up to the creation of James Bond in his mid-40s, including his own experiences in intelligence during WWII. From what I've seen of Jones' work, he seems able to craft narratives that stay at the heart of well-developed characters. Hopefully he will retain his knack for pacing and intimate portraits in this project, rather than pushing into the realm of possible Bondian gloss and big stars. According to Playlist, he has turned down various big-budget offers in lieu of Ian Fleming- a very good sign. I'm excited to see this one! As for actors, I agree with Ain't it Cool that Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) would be interesting. Who do you think would make a good Ian Fleming?

SPACE CAMP: IN LIKE FLINT

It's Space Camp week on Spy Vibe! As I busy myself with end-of-term grading and holiday plans, I thought it would be fun to look at quick and campy snapshots of some of the classic space-age moments in 1960s entertainment. A brief nod this rainy Saturday to In Like Flint (1967), starring James Coburn. In this sequel to Our Man Flint (1966), Flint discovers a plot involving two lady cosmonauts. How does he know they are ladies? He read the cardiographs from the Space Station, of course. From the script:

Eighty heartbeats per minute.
Must be Russian cosmonauts.

It would appear that male cosmonauts have a different heart rate-
you have know these things when you're a super spy! In like Flint,
like most space films, had the obligatory weightless scenes aboard
a rocket- scored beautifully with early electronic and keyboard sounds
by Jerry Goldsmith. This added to an already stylish send-up of James
Bond makes it a must-see, iconic film from the space age- available
on DVD with commentary by Cinema Retro's Lee Pfeiffer here. Spy Vibe
began Space Camp week with David Bowie, and a brief mention of his
son's (Duncan Jones) recent feature Sci Fi film, Moon (2009). Duncan
was actually born Duncan "Zowie" Jones in 1971, making an interesting
link to today's post- Coburn's Flint character worked for ZOWIE
(Zonal Organization World Intelligence Espionage). David Bowie was
recording the Deram songs, including Laughing Gnome, Rubber Band, and 
Love You Till Tuesday, when the Flint films came out. Maybe if Flint had
blasted into the early 70s with a third film, his silver style spacesuit
of the Mercury and Gemini era would have been replaced with designs by
Kansai Yamamoto? See the evolution of the space suit here. Review of the
upcoming archive-book about Bowie's early years, Any Day Now, here.

SPACE CAMP: DAVID BOWIE

It's Space Camp week on Spy Vibe! As I busy myself with end-of-term grading and holiday plans, I thought it would be fun to look at quick and campy snapshots of some of the classic space-age moments in 1960s entertainment. It's been a David Bowie fest here at the Spy Vibe lair over the past month. As you might expect, the go-to albums were the Berlin Wall trilogy that he made in the mid-late 1970s with Brian Eno (Heroes, Low, Lodger). But I found myself really enjoying his early recordings this weekend. Bowie started out in a few modish blues bands inspired by Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. But the first recordings (see David Bowie, Deram Anthology), were pure pop cabaret. His 1967 recording Love You Till Tuesday became the title track for a 1969 TV special. The show would also see the serendipitous release performance of Space Oddity close to the Apollo 11 moon landing. This first video/mix for the song (a rather low-budget bit of space-age camp that biographer Marc Spitz rightly links to "Barbarella over Kubrick") was followed with a revised video/mix during his Ziggy era.


Bowie's space connection would continue, of course, with his Ziggy alter-ego, songs like Starman and Moonage Daydream, and his lead role-as-alien in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976/movie still above). Space Oddity's 'Major Tom' would re-appear in the songs Ashes to Ashes and Hallo Spaceboy. Bowie's son, Duncan Jones, has continued the family motif with his excellent feature film debut, Moon (2009). It's time to re-explore David Bowie. Suggested listening: David Bowie, *Hunky Dory, Low, Heroes, Lodger, Storytellers, Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane, Outside. Spy Vibers can also re-mix Bowie's Space Oddity, which you can find as an app in the iTunes app store.

Recommended reading: Bowie, a Biography by music journalist, Marc Spitz. I'm reading the kindle edition now! Marc's website here. Review of the upcoming archive-book about Bowie's early years, Any Day Now, here.