Spy Vibers in Germany can look forward to a Hi-Def edition of Stanley Donen's Bedazzled (1967) coming to Blu-ray this March. A classic Faust tale set in Swinging London, the original Bedazzled starred Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Eleanor Bron, and Rachel Welch (as Lust). Cook and Moore were at their peak, capturing the style of the times and slinging satirical observations about contemporary society. In the film, Dudley Moore makes a series of wishes to win the heart of his co-worker, only to be outdone at every turn by the Devil (Cook). A great example is the b&w sequence below, where Moore wishes to become a pop star. Cook follows Dudley's "Love Me" tune with this bad-boy performance. A true classic and Spy Vibe favorite (not to be judge by the 2000 remake). Bedazzled was released in Germany as Teuflisch (previous DVD cover below). Behind-the-scenes footage of the film here. Announcement on Blu-ray here. Hopefully the new transfer will see a North American release soon. Related: Spy Vibe posts about the satire boom in England in the 1960s UK Satire Boom, UK Satire/Surrealism Peter Sellers to John Lennon, The Prisoner Fallout, Wonderwall Blu-ray.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, 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, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Open Channel D: Actor David McCallum, who portrayed agent Illya Kuryakin in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968), will appear in an upcoming animated film called Son of Batman. McCallum will reprise his role as Batman's butler Alfred- his first work in the role was for the 2008 animated Bat-Anime anthology Gotham Knight. Most Spy Vibers remember David McCallum for The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Great Escape, The Outer Limits, Sapphire & Steel, The Invisible Man, JAG, and NCIS. In recent years, he has also lent his voice to a number of projects, including Ben 10, The Replacements, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold (as Merlin). Music was a large part of David McCallum's upbringing and education. Spy Vibe covered some of his record releases from the 1960s here. More below.
Son of Batman: The film is based on Grant Morrison's Batman
& Son arc. Batman is shocked to learn that not only does he have a son, but that the boy's mother is Talia, the daughter of the
international overlord Ra's Al Ghul. The Dark Knight
and his willful boy- as the new Robin- become uneasy allies when Talia
enlists a team of ninja man-bats on a criminal enterprise with international
consequences." Release date is May 6th. Amazon page here. I usually love these DC animated films, though I do wish Kevin Conroy (Batman Animated Series) was in the lead as the Caped Crusader. Past Alfreds: Efrim Zimbalist Jr. played Batman's butler in most of DC's productions of Batman, Superman and Justice League projects between 1992-2004. Alan Napier defined the character for the 1966 Batman TV series, and Michael Caine recently played Alfred in the Dark Knight trilogy. I look forward to hearing David McCallum again in the role.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, 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, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Ian Fleming bibliographer Jon Gilbert sat down to chat with BBC London today. Starting in the program at the 8:35 mark, Gilbert discussed his mission to track down rare Fleming editions. Working with Adrian Harrington Books, Gilbert finds himself more and more engaged with Bond-related manuscripts, letters, and the business of helping book collectors. Interest in Fleming and 007 is ever-increasing and Gilbert's Ian Fleming: The Bibliography has quickly become the essential reference for identifying and cataloging editions. I was able to contribute some magazine syndications to the volume, and maybe we'll see Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare newspaper syndication listed in the future. Among the Holy Grails discussed, Gilbert mentions a limited-edition collection of Fleming's poetry written while at Eton called The Black Daffodil. Fleming destroyed the run and no copies are thought to exist. More below.
A number of special items have crossed Jon Gilbert's desk at Adrian Harrington, including the original typescript manuscripts for Diamonds Are Forever, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and two short stories. He talks about the movie adaptations and their relationship to the novels, as well as the enjoyment of the films on their own terms. It was no surprise that Gilbert and I share a favorite movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service- in fact, voted number-one among Bond fans by 007 Magazine. What is his favorite Bond song? Listen to the streaming broadcast on BBC London here. The show continues on the Bond-track with guests discussing favorite theme songs and movie scenes and then returns to Gilbert at the 30:00 mark with more details about the Bibliography and the movies. The interview wraps up at 35:00 to focus on caller-picks for fave Bond music and films. Spy Vibe interview with Jon Gilbert here. Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive on Pinterest here. Ian Fleming: The Bibliography available here. Ian Fleming: A Catalogue here. Congrats to Jon for his Breslauer Prize! Ian Fleming collages by Spy Vibe. More below.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, 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, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Deadline reported today that Gaumont International's Barbarella television series has landed at Amazon Studios. The project is being produced by Nicolas Refn and Martha De Laurentiis (widow of original producer Dino). Skyfall scribes Neal Purvis and Robert Wade have written the pilot. Apparently the producers are currently looking for a show-runner. The news comes after years of development; even Drew Barrymore was mentioned at one point as a possible star for a big-screen project. Barbarella is based on a sexy sci-spy character created by Jean-Claude Forest in 1962, which was later adapted into a cult-film in 1968 by Roger Vadim and starring Jane Fonda (below), John Phillip Law (Danger Diabolik), David Hemmings (Blow-Up), and Anita Pallenberg (Performance). Like most modern remakes of 1960s properties, I hope the show doesn't become too self-conscious, or worse, a parody. Too often, retro-styled films go out of their way to capture some of the style and sexuality of an old show, but none of the intelligence. In this case, however, the original Barbarella film played like a poor remake and could actually use a little more intelligent writing and direction. If they bring any inspiration from the 1968 movie, I hope it's the playful approach to the costume designs- maybe Paco Rabanne is available. I have great trust in the writers and remain optimistic. To my mind, these guys wrote the smartest Bond screenplay in 50 years (and I'm a die-hard Classic 007/Connery fan). See my review of Skyfall here. Good luck to Gaumont, Amazon, and the creative team! More news as it comes.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, 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, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Meet The Beatles was released 50 years ago today! With the single I Want To Hold Your Hand rising to number one in the US charts, Capital put out this album of songs from With The Beatles (UK) and sporting Robert Freeman's stylish photography. The band arrived in the United States on February 7th, 1964, to promote the record with press conferences, TV appearances and a short tour. Their famous Ed Sullivan debut was broadcast on February 9th, followed by their first gig at Washington Coliseum on February 11th. I became a massive fan and collector when I was about six or seven. My dad and I moved away from the family home when I was starting first grade. Spending a lot of time alone, I expect I was primed to cultivate a new hobby and my first non-childrens record paved the way. Somewhere in those early years, I have vivid memories of playing Help on my portable turntable (a blue and white plastic model w mono speaker). Thanks to a family friend, I was soon spinning a complete collection of original US albums and filling a special box with Beatles cards, magazines, toys, and other memorabilia. All these years later, that still describes how I spend some of my time. Like many others, I remember feeling like the band opened a door into a new world. The sound of the music and message of the lyrics, wrapped in that Captial-reverb glory, were a kind of coming-of-age ritual. Even though I was listening in the early 1970s, the albums transported me back to a more stylish time. I could close my eyes and imagine my room was the Cavern Club or Swinging London (in black and white), populated by intelligent young people from the world of music, fashion, cinema, and design. I've collected multiple copies of the records since then, but my first Meet The Beatles (below) bridges the time and takes me back to my room with that little portable turntable. I posted more about record collecting with images of vintage shops here. Thanks to Barbara L for passing along your collection and fostering a young Beatles fan! Beatlemania comes again during this anniversary with the release of the complete remastered Capital Albums. The box set is on sale today on PopMarket. Amazon page here.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger nominated for Grammy,Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, 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, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
