DESIGNING 007 EXHIBIT

An exciting new exhibit running between July 6th and September 5th will celebrate 50 years of designing the James Bond universe. "The Barbican marks the 50th anniversary of the James Bond franchise, from 1962's Dr No to this year's Skyfall, with a unique exhibition showcasing the inside story of the design and style of the world's most influential and iconic movie brand. 

In collaboration with EON Productions and with unprecedented access to their archives, Designing 007 will be a multi-sensory experience, immersing audiences in the creation and development of Bond style over its auspicious 50 year history. It will explore the craft behind the screen icons, the secret service and villains, tailoring and costumes, set and production design, automobiles, gadgets and special effects, graphic design and motion graphics, exotic locations, stunts and props.

Highlights include gadgets and weapons made for Bond and his notorious adversaries by special effects experts John Stears and Chris Corbould, along with artwork for sets and storyboards by production designers Sir Ken Adam, Peter Lamont and Syd Cain, and costume designs by Bumble Dawson, Donfeld, Julie Harris, Lindy Hemming, Ronald Patterson, Emma Porteous, and Jany Temime." More info at the exhibit site at Barbican. Find 007 books and other treasures in Spy Vibe's Amazon Associates Store.

MI6 CONFIDENTIAL

MI6 Confidential (formerly MI6 Declassified) is a beautifully produced magazine from the UK that publishes in-depth articles and rare images from the world of 007. Like Cinema Retro magazine, these issues go out of print quickly and become highly prized collector's items. Most back issues are out of print and very hard to locate, but there are a few still available through the magazine's website that Spy Vibers will want to track down. I recently ordered issue #11, which features some cool stills from the set of From Russia With Love and other articles. More info at MI6 Confidential.

FLUXUS FILM PRODUCTION

Filmmaker Jeffrey Perkins is currently working on a new documentary film about the Fluxus art movement. With twenty days left to fund production of the movie through Kickstarter, he has already conducted interviews with such luminaries as Yoko Ono (who Perkins worked with in the 1960s), Jonas Mekas, Jon Hendricks, Alison Knowles, Nam June Paik, and Peter Frank. Consider becoming a backer at the project's Kickstarter page. Although Fluxus may seem bizarre to the uninitiated, it shares whimsical and conceptual qualities with Dada, the do-it-yourself aesthetic, a political avant-garde, and the philosophies of John Cage. As a rich element in the history of art in the late 1950s and 1960s, Fluxus deserves an in-depth look. Spy Vibe will definitely back production of the film. Read more about Fluxus and Jeffrey Perkins at Art in America. 

YOKO'S INVISIBLE FLOWER

Yoko Ono's work is often whimsical and philosophical, offering ideas of global peace to inspire us and, sometimes, emotional rawness to invite the brave to face tough realities head on. Her work can also offer simple gestures of innocence and magic, as in the new book, An Invisible Flower, coming out this month from Chronicle Books. I had the pleasure to make a re-mix for Yoko Ono a couple of years back, a project that developed into an experimental film, The Sun is Down. Spy Vibe celebrates pioneer artists who worked in unusual areas in the 1960s and who continue to challenge us to 'think different'. I hope readers will check out her current work. See below for two additional books about Yoko scheduled for publication this year.

From Amazon: "Yoko Ono created An Invisible Flower when she was just nineteen years old, at the very start of her artistic career. Recently rediscovered in her archive by her son, Sean Lennon, who also provides a foreword, this jewel of a book tells the heartwarming story of the invisible beauty we all know is there—and of the one man, "Smelty John", who catches sight of it. Written years before Ono met John Lennon, An Invisible Flower offers a glimpse into the early process of a brilliant conceptual artist and, it will transpire, presages the love of her life. Simple pastel drawings complement the book's affirming message, and a new afterword by Ono makes this small treasure even more special."

When Yoko announced the book on her website, she added this comment: It just made me choke up re-reading “An Invisible Flower.” I thought of the drawing of two people on horseback John made in 1952 (the same year I made “An Invisible Flower”). The two people on horseback look very, very much like John and Yoko. And the date, 18th February, was my 19th birthday. It seems like we both knew in 1952 that we would fall in love with each other in 15 years time… yoko"

In addition, there are two books about Yoko coming out in the next year. Reconsidering Yoko Ono by Lisa Carver is due in October from Backbeat Books. From Amazon: "John Lennon once described her as "the world's most famous unknown artist: everybody knows her name, but nobody knows what she does." Many people are aware of her art, and her music has always split crowds, from her caterwauling earliest work to her later dance numbers, but how many people have looked at Yoko Ono's decades-spanning career and varied work in total and asked the simple question, "Is it any good?" From her earliest work with the Fluxus group and especially her relationship with John Cage, through her enigmatic pop happenings (where she met John Lennon), her experimental films, cryptic books, conceptual art, and her long recording career that has vacillated between avant-garde noise and proto-new wave, earning the admiration of other artists while generally confusing the public at large who often sees her only in the role of the widow Lennon, Reaching Out with No Hands is the first serious, critical, wide-ranging look at Yoko Ono the artist and musician. A must-read for art and music fans interested in going beyond the stereotyped observations of Yoko as a Lennon hanger-on or inconsequential avant noisemaker."

And Yoko Ono: Collector of Skies by Nell Beram and Carolyn Boriss-Krimsky is due in January 2013 from Amulet Books. From Amazon: "This lyrical biography explores the life and art of Yoko Ono, from her childhood haiku to her avant-garde visual art and experimental music. An outcast throughout most of her life, and misunderstood by every group she was supposed to belong to, Yoko always followed her own unique vision to create art that was ahead of its time and would later be celebrated. Her focus remained on being an artist, even when the rest of world saw her only as the wife of John Lennon. Yoko Ono’s moving story will inspire any young adult who has ever felt like an outsider, or who is developing or questioning ideas about being an artist, to follow their dreams and find beauty in all that surrounds them.

In related news, The Beatles Yellow Submarine Blu-ray is available for order in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Associates Store. Also, consider supporting a new documentary film about the Fluxus art movement (includes interviews with Yoko!). Info at our post here.

FRANK LLOYD WRIGHT FILM

Filmmaker Michael Miner will be on hand to present his film, ROMANZA: The California Structures of Frank Lloyd Wright, at the San Rafael Film Center this Sunday. From the Film Center: "From his first California commission in 1909 to his death in 1959, Wright designed more than 80 projects for the Golden State, and more than 25 were built. The buildings were grand and modest, public and private, and came from each era of Wright's seven-decade career. With access to every California Wright building, Romanza journeys around the state, from the Los Angeles textile block houses seen in dozens of Hollywood films, to his only San Francisco commission, a building he described as a "glass of champagne," as well as the Berger House in San Anselmo, for which he also designed an adjacent doghouse. Writer/Director: Michael Miner. (US 2011) 90 min. 4:15pm screening plus discussion." 

YELLOW SUBMARINE LAUNCH

US Theaters announced! The Beatles classic animated film, Yellow Submarine, will launch again this month on big screens around the country. The theatrical debut is scheduled for New York's Ziegfeld Theater on May 8th, followed by a general release on May 10th.  Screenings are now confirmed at theaters all over the United States. Showtimes are listed on the Yellow Submarine website. Check listings for advance tickets.

The digitally remastered Yellow Submarine will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on June 5th in the United States (June 4th internationally), along with the remastered Songtrack album. Check the Dark Hall Mansion store for licensed merchandise, including limited edition Art! Yellow Submarine has been out of print since the late 1990s and fans are eager to celebrate this hi-def upgrade and rare opportunity to see a Beatles film in theatrical release. Follow updates on the Yellow Submarine Facebook page. Blu-ray available in Spy Vibe's secure Amazon Associates Store.

SPY TOYS

Spy Vibers interested in vintage toys from the 1960s and 1970s based on classics like 007, Man from U.N.C.L.E., and Secret Agent might get a kick out of this 1998 publication, Spy Toys by Cramer Burks. Although some of the black and white images and outdated values may put some off, the book does appear to bring many rare TV and film tie-in toys to our radar. A "look inside" feature reveals a number of those cherished toy-ad pages from the Sears catalog. Used copies are out there for under $10. More info on Amazon. 

MAY FLOWERS

April Showers bring May flowers! Brigitte Bardot peels down to her flower bra in Mademoiselle Striptease (Plucking the Daisy/1956). Image available from Owen's Archive.

007 PROOF

Gathering images over the last couple of years for a book, I've come across some pieces that really appeal to me as a photographer. I still love the look and feel of the darkroom process, so it's no surprise that something like a proof sheet of images taken on-set would thrill me completely. Here is a proof sheet that reveals the photographer's approach and process as they tried to capture Ursula Andress and Sean Connery filming Dr. No. As I would point out to my students, you can tell how the scenes were edited in the frame at a variety of distances, settings, and how they explored a number of ideas for this particular roll of film. You can imagine them thinking through questions, like what is the story, who are the characters, what are the key elements that can be translated in single images? They didn't get much with 007 here, but they sure succeeded in establishing the iconic image for Ursula's character. 

JUDEX POSTER

Our Man Johnny sent in a heads up to all Spy Vibers that a rare Judex poster is up for auction. Details here.

JEREMY DUNS BOOKS

The thrilling Paul Dark series by author Jeremy Duns is currently being re-published in a variety of volumes. In the United States on My 29th, Penguin will release the full trilogy in one omnibus edition with this fantastic cover art. You can find The Dark Chronicles and other essentials in the Spy Vibe Amazon Store. More details at Jeremy's blog.

DAVID McCALLUM MUSIC

Like many stars in the 1960s, Man From U.N.C.L.E.'s David McCallum recorded a number of albums that crossed between easy listening, pop, and rock. As a classically trained musician, he made arrangements of popular songs for oboe, French horn, strings, guitar, and drums. McCallum conducted and contributed his own compositions. Four LPs were made for Capital Records between 1966-1968. A 2001 compilation CD of his first two records, A part of Me and A Bit More of Me is now out of print, but you can still find it as an MP3 download at Amazon and on iTunes. McCallum's face appeared on many picture sleeves of Man From U.N.C.L.E. singles. Here is a cool Japanese release from one of his "solo" projects listed on eBay.

'Communication' was a minor UK hit in 1966 before his first two LPs were released. Speaking to Record Collector Magazine, McCallum said, : "Well, 'Communication' was just a 50's type novelty record, with me talking over the music.  The follow-up was 'In The Garden, Under The Tree', which came from a film called 'Three Bites Of The Apple.'  It was meant to be a comedy with a lot of funny things in it, but the studio took it upon themselves to recut it and make it into a romantic picture." McCallum was then asked to take on the LP projects. "MGM came to me and said, with the success of 'U.N.C.L.E.', you ought to sing a whole album of songs.  I said, I'm an actor, not a singer.  They said, well, just read the telephone book or something and we'll put music to it.  I found that somewhat reprehensible, and suggested that I could do some orchestral arrangements of contemporary pop songs, using woodwind with four French horns as a back up, and rhythm. The idea was to do it with straight orchestral instruments and no guitar or amplification. They gave the idea to David Axelrod at Capitol, who passed it onto H.P. Barnum, the arranger there, who was involved in Motown and rock. When I arrived at the studio they had the finest musicians sitting there, and you can see it was going to be full rock." Asked if he minded the modern instrumentation, McCallaum said. "No, it was great fun doing it.  My father was touring America with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at the time, and he came along to a couple of those sessions.  The whole period was very exciting. I'm still listening to those [Pop] songs now.  That early '60's music is unique and very expressive of the emergence of the whole rock thing that followed.  The toughest thing was the selection of the music." And speaking of that exciting period, McCallum's father was a noted classical musician who played on some famous tracks from the SGT Pepper sessions with The Beatles!

You can find various tracks, including Communication, on Youtube. Here is the often-sampled song, 'The Edge', from A Bit More of Me (1966) cut to Man From U.N.C.L.E. footage (look for Jack Lord). More McCallum info at the Fans From U.N.C.L.E. website.

EERO SAARINEN

Celebrate the design genius of Eero Saarinen with this introduction to the 2007 exhibit at Cranbrook, Shaping the Future.

APRIL SHOWERS

April showers bring May flowers! 1968 swim wear (Getty Images).

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.

CINEMA RETRO 23

CINEMA RETRO issue #23 is now shipping in the UK and Europe and will ship to the US in May. These magazines skyrocket in price when they go out of print, so subscribe and make sure you never miss an issue. 


HIGHLIGHTS OF ISSUE #23 INCLUDE: Coverage of the Bond in Motion exhibition in England- the largest single collection of original 007 vehicles ever displayed. We take you inside the gala press event that opened the exhibit. More at Cinema Retro.

KAYO BOOKS

There is a fantastic book shop in San Francisco where Spy Vibe, Double O Section and Bish's Beat like to shop called Kayo Books. They carry an extensive inventory of vintage paperback books and pulps, from TV and film tie-in to detectives, spies, westerns, and erotic novels. If you are looking for something rare, stop in or contact them for mail order. On my last visit, I saw many hard-to-find Man From Uncle editions. And I picked up this release of Funeral in Berlin.

KRIMINAL HAMMOND INFERNO

Check out Kriminal Hammond Inferno, a band from Brussels that fashions themselves after Spy Vibe characters like Diabolik and Kriminal. Our man Agent Jeremy of the Jhalal Drut blog, found this clip from 2007 of the group covering the Danger Diabolik theme song, Deep Deep Down. Kriminal Hammond Inferno has a Facebook page here and it appears that they still do occasional shows covering groovy soundtracks!

AVENGERS INTERVIEW

A rare interview with Patrick Macnee and Diana Rigg of The Avengers on German TV (1967):

BOND AT CASTRO

As reported, the Castro Theater in San Francisco is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films with a three-day marathon of classics. I went today with a couple of my students to see my favorite in the series, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Although I've watched the film many times in my life- I even made audio cassette recordings off the TV as a kid so I could listen to the film like a radio drama, I had never seen it on the big screen. 

While the world embraces the personal viewing bubble of iPads and streaming content, today was a great reminder of how a shared, cinematic experience can pack a bigger punch. The Castro is screening all eight classics this weekend in glorious 35mm prints and my fave 007 film never looked better. The cinematography was gorgeous! I noticed artful qualities that had never translated onto the small screen. The action seemed hard-hitting, but not gruesome or gratuitous. And the intimate scope of the story really drew us in like an irresistible mystery tale. 

I've always said that the film's pace and soundtrack sets up the viewer for an emotional climax at the end. Bond is not a superman in this story. Rather, he is a talented operative who falls in love and, briefly, imagines that he might grow and redefine his life. It is not to be. The set-piece is his long and desperate escape down a snowy mountain at night. By the time he reaches the bottom, vulnerable and afraid, he is saved by the woman in his life- Diana Rigg (The Avengers). The film ends with a famously down-beat note. I could feel the audience today really sitting with that long and silent tragic ending. I wasn't the only one who choked up. I always felt empathy for the characters in this movie, but the big screen experience brought it to a new level. I was also surprised how moved I was during the wedding scene, where Bond and Moneypenny share an emotional look as he bids her farewell. It's a true moment of friendship and affection that only the big screen can translate effectively.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service was played straight, a choice that makes Bond's eventual revenge during the campy start to For Your Eyes Only ultimately disappointing. I'd love to see more 007 films like OHMSS- beautifully shot, international but intimate, free from empty action and dazzle, and emotionally satisfying. I encourage Spy Vibers to see more of the marathon this weekend if you are in the area. Classic 007 on the big screen is not to be missed! And re-visit On Her Majesty's Secret Service when it comes out on Blu-ray. Castro poster art info here.