THE AVENGERS: TOO MANY CHRISTMAS TREES

A little holiday fun with The Avengers in "Too Many Christmas Trees" from 1965. More info about this and other episodes at the Avengers Forever website here.

SPY VIBE BEST OF 2010

Exploring the world of 1960s style-in-action is an ongoing adventure here at Spy Vibe. We have our eyes fixed to the radar screen, where we follow curiosity and make connections between the Arts and cultural history of the Cold War and beyond. It’s exciting when there are new releases to celebrate with our Spy Vibe community. Many essential books and movies have been released since late 2009. We saw the release of The Prisoner on Blu-ray, Seductive Espionage by Kevin Dart, and Free Agent by Jeremy Duns. Hermes Press began a great campaign to reprint classic adventure comics and Titan continues to print books about 007 films and comics. We also saw the recent release of Ian Fleming's Blofeld trilogy and volumes of Bond novels by Raymond Benson! And like any on-going process of research and celebration, it’s been an exciting time to discover old material that had not been on our radar before. It's a great period to be looking at stylish spies, classic mystery/adventure, modernist architects, and futuristic designers! Here are some treasures that caught our imagination at Spy Vibe in 2010:

New Releases: 10 Films

Inception (Blu-ray/2010)

Fantomas (DVD/2010)

Metropolis (Blu-ray/2010)

Visual Acoustics (DVD/2010)

Charade (Blu-ray/2010)

Play Time (Blu-ray/2010)

The Bionic Woman: Season 1 (DVD/2010)

Fritz Lang’s M (Blu-ray/2010)

Minority Report (Blu-ray/2010)

Secret Agent/Danger Man: Complete Collection (DVD/2010)

New Releases: 10 Books

50 Years of the Playboy Bunny (Chronicle/2010)

Filmed in Supermarionation (Hermes/2010)

The Avengers: a Celebration (Titan/2010)

Sharp Suits (Pavilion/2010)

Hitchcock Piece by Piece (Abrams/2010)

The Moment of Psycho (Basic Books/2010)

Federico Fellini (Rizzoli/2010)

Astrid Kirchherr Retrospective (Liverpool U Press/2010)

Knoll: A Modernist Universe (Rizzoli/2010)

We Want Miles: Miles Davis VS. Jazz (Rizzoli/2010)

New Discoveries: 8 Books

Fantomas (Kindle edition/1911)

The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse (McFarland/2005)

Swinging Sixties (V&A/2006)

The Sharper Word: A Mod Anthology (Helter Skelter/2009)

Eliot Noyes (Phaidon/2007)

Calder (Taschen/2002)

The Rudi Gernreich Book (Taschen/1999)

Saarinen’s Quest (William Stout/2008)

SPIES STREAMING ON NETFLIX

Our man Simon asked about other spy films that are currently streaming on Netflix. In addition to the two OSS 117 films, here is a brief list of titles that Spy Vibers will enjoy. There is a nice assortment of 60s spies and classic mystery/adventures. Note that some are only streaming until January 1st.

The Avengers '67 and '68 seasons
Crossplot
Casino Roayale (66)
Modesty Blaise
In Like Flint
Thunderbirds Are Go
Testament of Dr Mabuse
Dr Mabuse the Gambler
Fritz Lang's M
The Rat Patrol
Charade
The Third Man
Lady From Shanghai
The Big Sleep
Batman: The Movie
Billion Dollar Brain
The Ambushers
Murderers' Row
Three Days of the Condor
The Lady Vanishes
Marathon Man
The Pink Panther
A Shot in the Dark

POSTER: CASINO ROYALE

Continuing our mini-celebration of great spy-style posters from the 1960s, here is the fantastic Japanese art for Casino Royale (1967). This film has so much going for it in terms of soundtrack and moments of great design, too bad it is ultimately marred by too many collaborators on the project. I think one might be able to re-edit the film into a very cool short. Despite its flaws, however, I really enjoy many sequences in the film. See why Casino Royale made it to fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. writer, Armstrong Sabian's top-five list of best spy movie sets here. Check out Spy Vibe's poster-panel question and tell us your BBC James Bond name here.

POSTER: GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE

One of my favorite posters in my collection is this quad edition of Girl on a Motorcycle (1968). The film was directed by Jack Cardiff (The Liquidator) and starred two iconic figures who helped to define sensuality and individualism in the mid-late 1960s, Marianne Faithfull and Alain Delon. The movie was later released as Naked Under Leather with the tag line: "The title tells a lot, but there's a lot more to see." The poster below came out the same year that Diana Rigg left The Avengers. Although there is no direct connection, I can't help but to see an Emma Peel quality in the slim figure, leather jumpsuit/catsuit, over-sized Mod zipper tag, belt, and hands that express a readiness for action. To learn more about Girl on a Motorcycle, grab a copy of Cinema Retro's excellent issue #14 before they are all gone. Back issues available on their site here. Spy Vibers should also check out Jack Cardiff's historic work as cinematographer in Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, and African Queen. Check out Spy Vibe's poster-panel question and tell us your BBC James Bond name here.

POSTER: AGENT FOR H.A.R.M.

Agent for H.A.R.M. (1966) is not quite essential viewing, though the MST3K version is quite fun! Fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. site, Double O Section, review here. Below is a poster from my collection to share with Spy Vibers on this rainy day. I love how the movie and its promotional materials combine the sensationalism of deadly spores from outer space (!) with spy conventions. In fact, the baddies in the story have a "spore gun" that melts flesh. Eek! 1966 was a great year for weird espionage/sci-fi hybrids. Anyone else a fan of Terror Beneath the Sea (1966) with Sonny Chiba? Check out Spy Vibe's poster-panel question and tell us your BBC James Bond name here.

POSTER: THE 10th VICTIM

One of Spy Vibe's top-ten movies of all time is Elio Petri's The 10th Victim (1965). A rare Belgian poster from my collection. Note the space-age helmet/visor (top right) and Ursula's gun-bra (bottom left). Nuff said! See why The 10th Victim was number #5 in Spy Vibe's top-ten Set Countdown here. Check out Spy Vibe's poster-panel question and tell us your BBC James Bond name here.

MOON CONTEST WINNER

Agent Simon is the official winner in Spy Vibe's holiday moon contest! Simon sent the third transmission and will receive a DVD of the excellent documentary film about NASA's Apollo program, In the Shadow of the Moon. Congrats! Thanks to all who entered. Keep your eyes out for more contests coming up.

OSS 117 STREAMING

Looking for instant spy satisfaction? Spy Vibers who use Netflix will be thrilled to see that both of the recent OSS 117 films from France are now available as streaming content on the web. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2006) really surprised when it eventually came out in the States, and it quickly became one of my top-ten movies of the year. The film does a wonderful (and hilarious) job commenting on mid-1950s attitudes around colonialism. Although the re-launch of the OSS 117 franchise took a comedic route, the film never suffers from the kind of cliched parody we see in many re-makes. The sequel, OSS 117: Lost in Rio (2009) brings the main character into 1967 South America on a hunt for an ex-Nazi. Both films capture the lush, saturated color schemes and design styles of period movies, not to mention the dated attitudes. I love the 'secretary' moment in the first act of Lost in Rio. Priceless! Don't miss these gems!

BOND MARATHON & READER QUESTIONS

Our man Simon has alerted us that BBC America is currently running a James Bond marathon. Nothing like starting the new year with well-dressed adventure! At BBC's 007 site here, you can access the movie schedule, play an amusing "What's my Bond name?" game, and have a go at Trivia Galore. BBC will screen an all-Connery movie line-up, including Dr. No, Diamonds Are Forever, and coming up- From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball. Enjoy!

Now, Spy Vibe has two questions for readers: What is your BBC Bond name? Second, if you could be in one panel in this classic From Russia With Love poster, which would you choose? My Bond name, by the way, is apparently Ivan deHoldem.


Thanks again to Simon for putting this on our radar. Poster image from Movie Goods here.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Happy Holidays to all Spy Vibers!

Thanks for another great year. Have a safe and stylish holiday season and I'll see you in 2011. For a chance to win a great DVD about NASA in the 1960s, see our last post here.

HOLIDAY MOON CONTEST

It's the holiday season and Spy Vibe is giving away a present!

Remember when the whole world looked up? I was lucky to see an advanced screening of a documentary film that was produced on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. In The Shadow of the Moon (2007) tells the story of NASA's exploration of space in the 1960s through the words of the astronauts themselves. Blending rare and remastered archival footage with intimate, reflective conversations with most of the surviving Apollo astronauts, the film brings us closer than ever to their historic experience of space travel. Back on earth, of course, the world was going through turmoil. Norman Mailer criticized the space program in Of a Fire on the Moon, saying: "The astronauts were the core of some magnetic human force called Americanism, Protestantism, or WASPitude... They were the knights of the Silent Majority, the WASP emerging from human history in order to take us to the stars." There was certainly a political imperative in Kennedy's challenge to be the first nation to put a man on the moon- a big-budget continuation of Nixon's "kitchen" debate with Khrushchev? For an interesting look at the space program, nationalism, and the times, check out Atomic Cafe (1982), For All Mankind (1989), Double Take (2009- includes a Hitchcock impersonator!), and Spike Magazine Mailer article here. What save's David Sington's In the Shadow of the Moon is its great sincerity and focus on the experiences of the astronauts. Although the movie might be less philosophical than the documentary For All Mankind, one gets swept away by these elderly pioneers and the telling of their profound adventure- one that was ultimately, in my mind, beyond borders and ideologies. Not to mention that the space r&d of the era spawned all those advancements in new materials and made space-age fashion possible! See our articles: Mods to Moongirls and Fear and Fashion, and recent Space Camp week.


Spy Vibe is giving away a region 1/NTSC dvd copy of In the Shadow of the Moon (trailer below). To enter, just send an e-mail to me at jason@spyvibe.com with the word "space" in the subject line. The third Spy Viber to e-mail will win the movie. We will resume transmissions after the New Year. Until then, keep looking up in wonder. Happy Holidays from Spy Vibe!

MINOX CAMERAS

Looking at Hi-def video SLRs and camcorders during the holiday rush got me thinking about Minox cameras. Spy Vibers know them as those sleek, little cameras often seen in spy adventures. Even James Bond used a Minox A/III camera in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969/below). In our era of mega-pixels, is there still a market for such a gadget? Good news for you secret agents out there- Minox is indeed still around! Not only do they have a digital version of their classic design (see below), they also have an image-sharing forum on-line, aptly named "License To Shoot". If you're looking for a film camera, Minox still produces a number of exquisite models, including an anniversary CLX.


Here's an idea: Next time you need to copy some files, don't just drag and drop. Why not sneak into your own office and use a spy camera? Bring stylish adventure to your life! I suggest playing a classic soundtrack on your iPod dock to provide intrigue and suspense. Maybe something by John Barry or Lalo Schifrin? Visit the Minox website here. Read about Minox history at the Minox Historical Society here. 007 image from James Bond Lifestyle website here.

NIEMEYER MUSEUM

Brazilian designer, Oscar Niemeyer, is known for creating buildings with free-flowing, sensual curves, which he finds, “in the mountains of my country, in the winding course of its rivers, in the waves of the ocean and on the body of the beloved woman.” Niemeyer just turned 103 and has opened a new museum and cultural center. Read more at the Design Within Reach blog here.

CINEMA RETRO SUBSCRIPTIONS

A reminder to Spy Vibers that Cinema Retro's series #7 is about to start. If you have not updated your subscriptions, or you are new to Cinema Retro, don't miss out on this essential resource. Cinema Retro is a magazine run by film historians Lee Pfeiffer and Dave Worrall. Each issue is packed with interesting articles about the production history of movies and television programs, soundtracks, and media releases -often with a focus on genre classics like James Bond, Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Hammer Horror. Magazine contributors include 007 author Raymond Benson, Richard "Jaws" Kiel, Tom Lisanti, Sir Christopher Lee, and other entertainment insiders. Spy Vibers can look for back issues on their website. Some particular faves feature articles about the Flint films, Girl On a Motorcycle, Deadlier Than the Male, and Psycho. Some issues become quite rare, so subscribing is the best way to guarantee you won't miss anything. Cinema Retro has also produced some special editions about Leone's Dollars trilogy and the Clint Eastwood/Igrid Pitt war/espionage film, Where Eagles dare. Cinema Retro subscription page here. Image below from the next issue, where Dave Worrall takes us behind the scenes at the James Bond Aston Martin DB5 auction in London.

JAMES BOND: BLOFELD TRIOLOGY

A hero is defined by the trials they endure, how they act and react to reconcile the circumstances of their journey, and by how they measure up against what every adventure needs- a great villain. James Bond faced all manner of baddies in Ian Fleming's original novels. But no villain represented a greater, personal challenge to 007 within his Cold War context than Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Immortalized and parodied on-screen, viewers only saw the menacing hand with Spectre ring, stroking his cat and dealing out death and duty to his cowering minions. This September, all three of Fleming's Blofeld novels that make up the "Spectre Trilogy" were published in one collection by Penguin.


From Amazon: Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond's arch-nemesis: a deranged criminal mastermind with ambitions to bring the world to its knees in his pursuit of power. This collection brings together three novels featuring the ultimate Bond villain. First introduced in Thunderball, Blofeld's plan to steal atomic bombs and hold the whole world to ransom leads to a thrilling chase in the Bahamas. On Her Majesty's Secret Service sees Blofeld developing terrifying weapons- and destroying the one thing Bond holds most dear- and in You Only Live Twice, the shattered secret agent must get his revenge in one last, deadly encounter. Available now on Amazon here.

MID-CENTURY MODERNIST: WES ANDERSON & ROMAN COPPOLA

What happens when two directors with a great sense of retro design team up to make an advertisement film? Spy Vibers have a special mission this week to spend time at our sister site, Mid-Century Modernist. Dedicated to Mid-Century Modern design, this gorgeous website has recently posted some features that I know you won't want to miss, including a new Stella Artois commercial by Wes Anderson (Rushmore, Royal Tenenbaums) and Roman Coppola (CQ) that plays with bachelor pad conventions -think of a wealthier/minimalist Matt Helm or Derek Flint pad with gadgets-gone-wrong! Maybe my favorite room ever! They have also posted an article about the production designs for Don Draper's office (Mad Men). It's a great site, itself a loving tribute to Mid-Century Modern design.

RADAR 2010: SPY VIBE'S PICKS

Exploring the world of 1960s style-in-action is an ongoing adventure here at Spy Vibe. We have our eyes fixed to the radar screen, where we follow curiosity and make connections between the Arts and cultural history of the Cold War and beyond. It’s exciting when there are new releases to celebrate with our Spy Vibe community. Many essential books and movies have been released since late 2009. We saw the release of The Prisoner on Blu-ray, Seductive Espionage by Kevin Dart, and Free Agent by Jeremy Duns. Hermes Press began a great campaign to reprint classic adventure comics and Titan continues to print books about 007 films and comics. We also saw the recent release of Ian Fleming's Blofeld trilogy and volumes of Bond novels by Raymond Benson! And like any on-going process of research and celebration, it’s been an exciting time to discover old material that had not been on our radar before. It's a great period to be looking at stylish spies, mystery/adventure, modernist architects, and futuristic designers! Here are some treasures that caught our imagination at Spy Vibe in 2010:

New Releases: 10 Films

Inception (Blu-ray/2010)

Fantomas (DVD/2010)

Metropolis (Blu-ray/2010)

Visual Acoustics (DVD/2010)

Charade (Blu-ray/2010)

Play Time (Blu-ray/2010)

The Bionic Woman: Season 1 (DVD/2010)

Fritz Lang’s M (Blu-ray/2010)

Minority Report (Blu-ray/2010)

Secret Agent/Danger Man: Complete Collection (DVD/2010)

New Releases: 10 Books

50 Years of the Playboy Bunny (Chronicle/2010)

Filmed in Supermarionation (Hermes/2010)

The Avengers: a Celebration (Titan/2010)

Sharp Suits (Pavilion/2010)

Hitchcock Piece by Piece (Abrams/2010)

The Moment of Psycho (Basic Books/2010)

Federico Fellini (Rizzoli/2010)

Astrid Kirchherr Retrospective (Liverpool U Press/2010)

Knoll: A Modernist Universe (Rizzoli/2010)

We Want Miles: Miles Davis VS. Jazz (Rizzoli/2010)

New Discoveries: 8 Books

Fantomas (Kindle edition/1911)

The Strange Case of Dr. Mabuse (McFarland/2005)

Swinging Sixties (V&A/2006)

The Sharper Word: A Mod Anthology (Helter Skelter/2009)

Eliot Noyes (Phaidon/2007)

Calder (Taschen/2002)

The Rudi Gernreich Book (Taschen/1999)

Saarinen’s Quest (William Stout/2008)

JOHN STEED & VAUXHALL

My thoughts of Space Camp last week reminded me of the conclusion to The Avengers TV show ("Bizarre"), a surprising final sequence with John Steed and Tara King trapped in a rocket as it blasts off toward the stars. What will happen to them? How will they get back to earth? The Tara King episodes were wonderfully playful, and this was a fun, over-the-top way to say farewell to a long-running program. You can see The Avengers streaming on Netflix. While I searched to find a clip, I came across these cool adverts that Patrick Macnee did for the Vauxhall auto line in the UK. I hadn't seen these before, and Vauxhall itself has never been on my radar. I guess a GM-owned line resembling Opel could never outpace Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Volvo for stylish television entertainment. I think Spy Vibers will enjoy seeing Macnee in "Steed" mode with nice footage of autos, helicopters, and his usual flare. Keep watch for a great quip, "I'll drive, George." Happy Sunday!

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.