Event alert: Thunderbirds Day! When it comes to 60s Sci-Spy action, nothing can really compare to the ingenuity and style of the classic Gerry Anderson shows. And for many Spy Vibers, Thunderbirds remains a fave for its cocktail of cool vehicles, gadgets, and international scope. Some new Thunderbirds episodes were produced for the 50th anniversary a few years back- a project that reunited many cast/crew members (and puppets!), as well as some documentary projects about Thunderbirds and the Century 21 studios. This September 30th has been officially announced as Thunderbirds Day and fans who didn't get a chance to order the limited DVDs/Blu-rays will get a rare chance to see these new episodes and special content. From the press release: "On September 30th, exclusively on YouTube, fans will be able to watch all three Thunderbirds 1965 stories produced for the series’ 50th Anniversary in 2015. These critically acclaimed episodes have been highly requested since the successful completion of their Kickstarter campaign, so now is the perfect time to watch them if you’ve missed out before. As if that wasn’t enough, fans will also be presented with brand new Supermarionation puppet goodness as Century 21 Films present screen adaptations of the popular 1960’s Mini Albums Trapped in the Sky (AKA Thunderbird 1) narrated by Scott, End of the Road (AKA Thunderbird 2) narrated by Brains and Vault of Death narrated by Lady Penelope. There’s also a plethora of interviews, an opportunity to watch the super Century 21 Slough documentary and more! Tune in to YouTube on September 30th for this amazing line-up and celebrate Thunderbirds Day 2019 in true International Rescue style!" More info at Gerry Anderson. Related post: Thunderbirds Are Pop!, License to Kill Puppets!.
New release: Passport to Oblivion starring George Lazenby. Spiteful Puppet has produced a new audio thriller that sees the return of my favorite Bond actor George Lazenby (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) in the role of an MI6 agent. In his announcement on-line today, Lazenby said "It’s my first foray into audio acting and, although I’m stood behind a microphone, I might suggest we do the fights for real. I’m still pretty active for a just turned 80-year old! What’s interesting about this character is he’s a reluctant spy rather than a Double-O-Agent, recruited by MI6 as a civilian. Oh, and he’s Australian. I reckon I can play Australian rather well!" Congrats, George! Sounds like a fun project. From the press release: "Who was ‘K’ and why was he killed? Who is the mysterious girl in Rome? Why are the Russians basing their covert operations in Iran? And why is the Deputy Head of MI6 sifting through filing cabinets for the name of a man he knew in Burma twenty years ago? None of these questions should concern quick-witted Dr. Jason Love (who made his home in the UK from Australia after seeing action in WWII and now resides in Somerset as a contentedly middle-aged country practitioner) until – with the promise of a rare sports car as his reward (his passion outside of medicine) – he undertakes a seemingly insignificant rendezvous for MI6 that changes his quiet country life forever. Dr. Jason Love is the reluctant hero in a series of internationally bestselling books (published in nineteen languages), which began with Passport to Oblivion. James Leasor’s ten novels have an established fan base worldwide, selling in their millions, yet have never been adapted for audio… until now!" Spy Vibers might recall the 1966 film, Where the Spies Are, based on the same novel and starring David Niven and John Le Mesurier. Other cast members in Passport to Oblivion include Terence Stamp (Modesty Blaise, Spirits of the Dead), Glynis Barber (Blake's 7), Nickolas Grace, and Andrew James Spooner (no relation to Dennis Spooner from The Avengers, Doctor Who, Gerry Anderson and ITC shows; I asked). Nice artwork by Timothy Keable! 2CD set releasing November 29th. More info at Spiteful Puppet.
New release: UFO Soundtrack. Barry Gray's fab score for Gerry Anderson's UFO echoed the swinging, futuristic vibe of the series and featured some very groovy organ! Unless you picked up the soundtrack as a member of Fanderson a while back (I missed it), you've had to rely on bits that have appeared on Youtube. No longer! Silva Screen is releasing some of the music this week in both CD and (wait for it...) purple vinyl (to match those groovy moonbase gals' purple wigs). From the press release: "After a decade of creating pioneering puppet series made for children, Gerry & Sylvia Anderson took their first steps into live-action, with the 1969 feature film Doppelgänger (re-titled outside Britain as Journey To The Far Side Of The Sun). This science-fiction film approached its outer space subject matter with a gritty realism, and would set the tone for what was to be their first live-action television series: UFO. This new series took as a starting point the pioneering work of Dr Christiaan N. Barnard, the surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant operation. In UFO a dying race of aliens travel across vast distances of space to harvest organs from human beings to help ensure their own survival. To combat this threat the United Nations created SHADO, a top-secret organisation utilising the latest technology available to defend the Earth. To complement the series, the Andersons frequent musical collaborator Barry Gray created a multifaceted score that gave the programme its own musical identity. Elegantly crafted and a firm favourite with Barry Gray fans, the sound of UFO, particularly its ethereal “World Music” closing credits is, quite simply, a joy. Includes a bonus track, Trampoline performed by The Spencer Davis Group from the episode Ordeal." More info at Silva Screen and Screen Archives Entertainment. Enjoy!
New release: The 1969 musical, Sweet Charity, features some fantastic and choreography by Bob Fosse and remains a cool time capsule of the period. Kino Lorber will release a Blu-ray edition this week on August 20th! From the press release: "4K Restorations of both the Roadshow Edition and the ‘Happy Ending’ Version! From Bob Fosse, the legendary director of Cabaret, Lenny, All That Jazz and Star 80. Hollywood royalty Shirley MacLaine (Irma La Douce) gives one of her greatest performances in this spectacular musical based on Neil Simon’s (The Odd Couple) Broadway hit inspired by Federico Fellini’s Nights of Cabiria. Director Fosse broke new cinematic ground with this freewheeling, visually stunning story of a lovelorn New York dance hall hostess, Charity Hope Valentine (MacLaine), who dreams of old-fashioned romance but gives her heart to one undeserving guy after another. MacLaine joins all-star cast members Chita Rivera (Chicago), Sammy Davis Jr. (A Man Called Adam), Ricardo Montalban (Madame X, Wrath of Khan), Ben Vereen (Funny Lady) and Stubby Kaye (Guys and Dolls) in belting out thirteen vibrant Cy Coleman-Dorothy Fields numbers including Big Spender, The Rhythm of Life, There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This and the show-stopping If My Friends Could See Me Now. It’s an unforgettable production of an all-time classic." Other notable contributors include Toni Basil, Bud Cort, and costumes by Edith Head. The project may have been inspired by Fellini's Nights of Cabiria, but the film's visual sensibility owes more to the stylized glamor and exotica captured in later Fellini, as well as in Richard Avedon's magazine work, cosmetic styles by Peggy Moffitt, and we can even a little Maurice Binder's Bond. Check out there video clip below. More info at Kino Lorber. Spy Vibers, don't forget the upcoming 007 screening event with the Aston Martin Owners Club on August 25th. Enjoy!
