16 - Never Say Never Again

In episode 20, the hosts welcome guest Jacob and take a break from discussing Bond films for the long-awaited discussion of the IO Interactive game 007 First Light, which came out in May 2026. 007 First Light serves as an origin story for how James Bond (Patrick Gibson) came to work for MI6. When young Navy aircrewman Bond is the only survivor of a retrieval mission in Iceland, he is recruited by M (Priyanga Burford) to train for the newly reopened 00 program, shuttered years ago by an intelligence scandal. But when a former 00 offers to come in from the cold, Bond must untangle a conspiracy that could jeopardize the future of intelligence gathering–and world governance. The game features Anthony Howell as Sir Nicholas Webb, Bart Edwards as Damien Webb, Noémie Nakai as Isola, Kiera Lester as Eve Moneypenny, Alastair Mackenzie as Q, Lennie James as John Greenway, and Lenny Kravitz as Bawma.

Ryan and Tessa are joined for this special episode–available exclusively on the MovieJawn Patreon–by MovieJawn staff writer, freelance critic, and fashion devotee Fiona Underhill to discuss ‘60s fashion and its impact on the first six Bond films. From the sexual revolution to the emergence of youth culture to the international Space Race, the 1960s was a time of enormous upheaval in social and cultural norms, which had a huge impact on fashion globally. Fiona teaches the hosts about the ethos of ‘60s style, and they all discuss their favorite outfits in the Bond films from Honey Ryder’s bikini in Dr. No to Tracy di Vicenzo’s bullfighting attire in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

For this exclusive bonus episode, the hosts discuss the proliferation of Bond imitators and spoofs in the 1960s, discussing three such films in detail. Up first is the 1966 spy-fi film Our Man Flint, directed by Daniel Mann and starring James Coburn as Derek Flint, an ex-intelligence agent who must return to active duty to investigate an insidious organization holding the world’s weather hostage. Next, the hosts discuss 1966’s The Silencers, a farce directed by Phil Karlson and starring Dean Martin as Matt Helm, a gadget savvy womanizer trying to stop a nuclear war. Finally, the hosts discuss the most blatant Bond cash-in of all: 1967’s O.K. Connery aka Operation Kid Brother, a Eurospy thriller that stars none other than Neil Connery, Sean Connery’s younger brother, as Neil Connery, a plastic surgeon turned spy who must pick up his big brother’s slack to find a missing piece of intelligence with world destroying implications, with the help of none other than Miss Maxwell (Lois Maxwell) and Commander Cunningham (Bernard Lee).

In episode 17, the hosts discuss 1985’s A View to a Kill, with Roger Moore’s final appearance as 007. When a Soviet copy of a microchip of British design turns up on the body of 003, Bond must investigate a possible leak in the chip’s manufacturer, Zorin Industries. Will Bond be able to stop the psychopathic Max Zorin (Christopher Walkin) from destroying Silicon Valley? The film features Grace Jones as May Day, Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton, Patrick Macnee as Sir Godfrey Tibbett, Fiona Fullerton as Pola Ivanova, Willoughby Gray as Dr. Karl Mortner (aka Hans Glaub), Patrick Bauchau as Scarpine, and Alison Doody in her first even film role as Jenny Flex.

In episode 16, the hosts discuss the first NON-Eon production of the podcast: 1983’s Never Say Never Again, featuring the return of Sean Connery in the role that made him famous. A reimagining of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again features an ingenious plan by Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Max von Sydow) and SPECTRE number two Maximillian Largo (Klaus Maria Brandauer) to heist two nuclear devices and hold the world hostage. Will an aging 007 unravel the plot and outwit the psychotic hench Fatima Blush (the scene-stealing Barbara Carrera) before it’s too late? The film features Kim Basinger as Domino Petachi, Bernie Casey as Felix Leiter, Edward Fox as M, Pamela Salem as Moneypenny, Alec McCowen as Algy—aka Q–Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett, Gavan O'Herlihy as Captain Jack Petachi, and Pat Roach as Lippe.

Pay Attention, 007 is a MovieJawn podcast: Movies are life. Movies are all that matter. MovieJawn is the future. Read or listen to more MovieJawn content at moviejawn.com and subscribe to the quarterly print zine on the website or on the MovieJawn Patreon.

Pay Attention, 007 is a MovieJawn podcast: Movies are life. Movies are all that matter. MovieJawn is the future. Read or listen to more MovieJawn content at moviejawn.com and subscribe to the quarterly print zine on the website or on the MovieJawn Patreon.

Pay Attention, 007 is a MovieJawn podcast: Movies are life. Movies are all that matter. MovieJawn is the future. Read or listen to more MovieJawn content at moviejawn.com and subscribe to the quarterly print zine on the website or on the MovieJawn Patreon.

Pay Attention, 007 is a MovieJawn podcast: Movies are life. Movies are all that matter. MovieJawn is the future. Read or listen to more MovieJawn content at moviejawn.com and subscribe to the quarterly print zine on the website or on the MovieJawn Patreon.

Pay Attention, 007 is a MovieJawn podcast: Movies are life. Movies are all that matter. MovieJawn is the future. Read or listen to more MovieJawn content at moviejawn.com and subscribe to the quarterly print zine on the website or on the MovieJawn Patreon.