Dossier #83: Discussing Denis Villeneuve

As Amazon-MGM continue to drip feed us details of the next Bond film, Alex and James discuss what we could expect now that Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve has been given the helm for 007's 26th adventure. If you want to email us your thoughts on Villeneuve and what he'll bring to the series, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Alex and James are back to discuss the next 007 outing - not a film, but a video game. Hitman developer IO Interactive has finally revealed 007 First Light, an action stealth adventure game that reimagines the story of how James Bond became a Double-O agent. We discuss how the studio's success with Hitman and the agent fantasy it portrays sets them up perfectly for this game, as well as our hopes and initial reactions to the trailer. If you want to email us, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Alex and James emerge from semi-retirement to discuss the latest big Bond news (and first major development in the series since No Time To Die released).  With Amazon taking both ownership and full creative control of the 007 franchise, what does this mean for the future of James Bond? We discuss our hopes, our concerns, our best guesses and our worst fears as the series enters a whole new chapter - the first Broccoli-less era and the biggest change in leadership since the films began. If you want to email us, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

James and Alex return with something a little different. In this episode, we compete to see who can draft the Ultimate James Bond film by drawing from elements of all the previous films. We each choose our favourite Bond actor, villain, girl, henchman, vehicle, gadgets, locations, actions scenes and more in the hopes of creating a new Bond adventure that would be a worthy addition to the series. And here's the crucial bit: You decide who wins. Head to our Twitter and Facebook profiles to find the poll and vote for your favourite. You have 007 days, and we'll reveal the winner at a later date. So listen through, and choose your Ultimate James Bond Film. If you want to email us, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Alex and James review Anthony Horowitz's third and final Bond novel, With A Mind To Kill. Set after the events of The Man With The Golden Gun (the original Ian Fleming novel, not the slide-whistle stunt film), the story sees Bond sent back into the heart of Russia to face the people who brainwashed him to kill M - while pretending that mission was successful. The stakes are raised as they evaluate him for another mission with dire consequences. Will he succeed? Will he be discovered? And how does this compare to Horowitz's Trigger Mortis and Forever And A Day? Spoilers abound, as we review With A Mind To Kill. If you want to email us (we are reading them, we promise!), you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Alex and James are back after a shamefully long absence, and the topic of this episode is all things Bond. We catch up on what we've been up to Bond-wise (and non-Bond-wise) for the past almost-year, including revisiting classic 007 video games, introducing the next generation of Bond fan to the original films, reading various Bond books, and weighing up the ongoing rumours as to who will be donning that tuxedo for Bond 26. It's good to be back.

In October 2021, you sent us your thoughts on No Time To Die. In June 2022, we recorded our responses. Now, in December 2022, we finally share them with you. We're very, very sorry. If you want to email us (we are reading them, we promise!), you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Alex and James are joined by long-time friend of the show Rick Van Beem to discuss the Sound of 007 concert at the Royal Albert Hall, part of the 60th anniversary celebrations for James Bond's cinematic outings. James and Rick were able to go and see the concert live, and you can watch highlights on Amazon Prime Video (or via this sneaky YouTube playlist. The trio discuss their favourite moments, the quality of performances by an impressive roster of singers (including Dame Shirely Bassey herself), and a few surprises from the line-up. WARNING: Naturally, this being a soundtrack-centric episode, James gets a little too enthusiastic. If you want to email us, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Continuing our celebration of James Bond's 60th Anniversary in cinemas, we gather another 20 facts from the history of the franchise and attempt to out-fact each other with the trivia we have uncovered. (Why not play along, see how many you already know? And if you haven't done so, be sure to go back and listen to the first episode. Oh, and here's that Diet Coke ad you absolutely need to watch) Challenge us by sending in your own facts to  [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Earlier this year (actually, the same week we recorded this episode - so sorry for the delay), Bond overseers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson hinted that the next 007 film would be something of a reinvention. Which leaves us with a LOT of questions. On this episode, we discuss the various implications of reinventing Bond - especially in light of how dramatically Daniel Craig modernised the character - and the delicate balance EON Productions faces in trying to find a new direction for 007 after the most recent era of films. If you want to email us, you can do so via [email protected]. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.