The James Bond Complex: Recent Episodes
Edgar Chaput & Matt Auclair
The James Bond Complex is hosted by Edgar Chaput, Mathieu Auclair, Jason Kim and the Intrepid Emery Cormier. From Fleming to the films and everything in between. Ooh!
Hello dear listeners!
The James Bond Complex is radically changing and things will never be the same!
Well, that's not entirely accurate. This is merely a brief invitation to those 007 aficionados who also like sports to check out Edgar's other podcast, "A Win is a Win."
We all have other interests. One of Edgar's is sports. Football, soccer, basketball and all those other sports balls things.
If you're so inclined, check out A Win is a Win everywhere you can download The James Bond Complex. There's also his YouTube channel which is simply his name, Edgar Chaput.
So sit back, relax, crack open a brewski and cosplay as that athlete you cheer for whenever they play insert sport of choice.
Well, Matthew Vaughn's lastest film didn't set the box office on fire or even please most audiences and critics. But the question remains, what did the co-hosts of "The James Bond Complex" think of this newest big-budget spy epic? Listen (or watch) to find out!
Hello dear listeners!
It's another impromptu release. Some astute listeners may think they've already downloaded a Glass Onion review hosted by Edgar and Jason.
They would be correct.
However, some copyright issues related to the eponymous tune resulted in the episode being taken down shortly after release, to say nothing of Edgar spending 2023 rather lazily and never fixing the issue. But it's a new year, so what better time to give this episode a second lease on life? It's basically the same as 12 months ago, except for a little editing trick at the end.
So sit back, enjoy, and feel no need to buttress your feelings anymore. Edgar, Jason, and Benoit Blanc are here to solve the mystery of the disappearing podcast.
Hello dear listeners!
The long and winding road of the Fleming Second Edition series comes to its conclusion. As January trots along with some of us surviving freezing temperatures and snow, the time has come to return to the greatest place on Earth: Jamaica.
That’s right, it’s time to discuss “The Man with the Golden Gun.” Edgar guides an in-depth conversation with regular co-host Emery and very special guest Simon Drake, whom many will remember from our Editing Bond series and the DN Second Edition episode. Does Fleming go out with a bang or a whimper?
The trio of talking heads have a lot on their minds regarding this novel, such as the completion of the Jamaica trilogy, Fleming’s “greatest hits” and familiarity, who actually wrote the book, public obituaries of super secret agents, sexual deviancy, prank calls, Thomas the Tank Engine, and so much more.
So sit back, relax, forget the cold and enjoy this latest The James Bond Complex episode. The only brainwashing required of you is to download the episode and enjoy it. Download it…love it…download it…love it…
*Apologies to the listeners. Edgar's mic was not properly plugged in during the recording and unfortunately sounds subpar.
Hello dear listeners!
Happy 2024! They say that you only live twice, once when you are born and once when you stare death in the face.
Ooh, what premonitions for the new year... Fear not, we're not trying to be creepy. It's just time to continue the Fleming Second Edition series with "You Only Live Twice". This time Edgar is joined by the authors of "The James Bond Lexicon" Alan J. and Gillian J. Porter.
This three-headed conversation dives into contemplative topics such as Fleming as a man of his time, Dikko being a huge you know what, culture shocks, whether the book is a travelogue or not, effusive praise such as "very readable," and a PLOT TWIST involving one of the guests you'll NEVER PREDICT.
So sit back, open the sake bottle, and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex.
Check out The James Bond Lexicon on X at https://twitter.com/BondLexicon and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jamesbondlexicon/?hl=en
Hello dear listeners!
Long time no see! It has been more than a minute since we dropped an episode. In the spirit of the season of giving, we figured that we'd drop some recordings that have sat on the shelf for a while.
In this particular episode, co-host Edgar and very special guest Mike Reyes of CinemaBlend discuss Ian Fleming's "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." That's right, we're continuing the Fleming Second Edition series.
The hosts try their best not to think about Diana Rigg too much, discuss the Christmassy nature of the story, the sticky topic of Bond continuity, Tom Hanks book recommendations, and more!
So sit back, grab a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy this in-depth conversation.
Check out Mike Reyes' work on CinemaBlend.
Hello listeners,
It's time to hit the books. The comic books, that is. This week co-hosts Matt and Edgar continue their long and winding read through the Dynamite Comics universe of 007 adventures with "Agent of Spectre," written by Christos Gage, art by Luca Casalanguida.
James Bond finds himself on a devilishly complex mission. He must infiltrate SPECTRE by becoming one of them! Thrills, chills, and spills ensure. We hope you enjoy this latest episode of the James Bond Complex podcast.
In order to discuss Ethan Hunt's third adventure we needed our own little IMF team. Not only is Emery co-hosting the show this time, but we have another guest. The one and only Joe Darlington from Being James Bond. Is this J.J. Abrams directed film another great action film or is it like having a bomb shoved in your skulll? Listen in to find out!
Hello, dear listeners!
Are you hoping to gain some podcasting genius or are you just here for a glimmer?
We can tell you already know what's in store this week on the show. Emery and Edgar regale the listeners with the long awaited, much-anticipated film review of "The World is Not Enough", the 1999 James Bond adventure starring Pierce Brosnan and directed by Michael Apted.
This review has been such a long time coming that the co-hosts cannot contain themselves. They tackle and develop a Caspian oil pipeline's worth of brilliant knowledge. Among the unmissable topics are: the Denise Richards pass or fail test, what side of the bed we roll out of, stroking screens, soft Brosnan, Bond driving a secretary car, handling giant rods, villains dying by giant rod penetration, Thomas the Tank Engine, and much more!
So sit back, relax, enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex, and don't worry about those wrist and neck straps. We just want you to be comfortable for one last screw.
Hero dear listeners! This week on the show, Matt and Emery discuss habits taken from the world of 007 and integrated into their everyday lives. From Fleming to Film and everything in between!
Dear listeners, hello. We haven’t changed things up on terms of how we take care of our Fleming 2nd Edition episodes, but Ian did. For The Spy Who Loved Me, he turned the genre on its head and wrote it in the first person perspective of a young French-Canadian by the name of Vivienne Michel. We are joined by Bill Koenig of The Spy Command to dissect and discuss the only novel Ian Fleming disowned but we back it up as being a proper Bond book. In hopes you enjoy the journey through the Adirondacks!
Ethan Hunt must take of Sean Ambrose a rogue IMF agent bent on unleashing the man made supervirus; Chimera! In order to help him against this enemy, Hunt recruits Ambrose's ex, professional thief; Nyah Nordoff-Hall. Things get complicated when Ethan & Nyah fall in love!
This John Woo directed spectacle raises the stakes, adds a ton of action and dangerous stunts. Is this a mission you should accept? Listen in to find out!
Hello dear listeners!
Much like the episode we released a few weeks ago that concentrated on Bond movie scenes with a wintry setting, this week Matt and Edgar look back at those in which 007 is on or under water.
There is a lot to talk about, and the hosts do their best to avoid the slippery slope of getting off topic. Among the topics are: shark corridors, Jaws, the worst way to die underwater, the first underwater stunt in the franchise, comparing Fleming to the films, writing novelizations, and more.
So sit back, relax and let the James Bond Complex quench your thirst for more podcasting fun.
Just a few years after the release of "Diamonds Are Forever", Sean Connery starred in John Boorman's epic Sci-fi film; Zardoz. A bomb at the time of it's release. The film since become a cult classic. Will our hosts agree with the critics or is there something special about this movie worth revisiting. Listen in to find out! Beyond 1984, Beyond 2001, Beyond Love, Beyond Death.It's ZARDOZ!
Hello dear listeners!For a story that the podcast hadn't discussed in such a long time (not since the first year of episodes), you're getting a lot of THUNDERBALL these days. That's right, it's back-to-back weeks of TB, and it wasn't even really planned this way!The original hosts Matt and Edgar sit down in the studio for to reload THUNDERBALL. There's no beat-by-beat discussion this time, but rather a more free-flowing conversation about a variety of topics relating both to the film as is, some behind-the-scenes shenanigans, and personal histories with the movie. Among the genius topics are: awful DVD covers, watching Bond movies on TQS in Québec in the 1990s, messing up the timeline by pretending you didn't record an episode that you actually did, the bigness of Bond, to dub or not to dub, Rick van Nutcracker, and much more!So sit back, relax, put your scuba gear on, and enjoy this latest episode of the James Bond Complex podcast. Would you pass us something to wear? Just the flip-flops will do, thank you.
Hello dear listeners!
We have a confession to make. After unleashing last week’s episode on you, we felt bad about ourselves. After all, it’s the month of March and we’re so close to spring. Some of you may even be living it already, and here we were, spending an hour discussing James Bond movie scenes that occur in wintry settings.
We do our best to make it up this week with the return of Fleming Second Edition. It’s that time again, and we’re discussing THUNDERBALL! There's no snow or ice to be seen in Nassau! As we are want to do with this special book series, we invite guests and have them to share some of their own thoughts and feelings on the men who were Ian Fleming and the literary 007. This time it’s a local Montrealer and friend of the show, Mathieu Nadeau, aka Matt #2! He's a familiar voice for those who listen to the annual Christmas Specials.
Together he, Emery, and Edgar take a deep dive under the Disco Volante to reveal the treasure trove that is Fleming’s eighth novel - ninth book with "For Your Eyes Only". Together they engage in: appreciation fluctuations, uncalled-for OHMSS hatred, making mud pies, a cardboard hero controversy, bro science, the Fleming diet, the boys (Bond and Felix) being back, aqua poetry, and much more!
So sit back, relax and let the James Bond Complex take you away to a beach in the Bahamas. No barracudas were harmed in the making of this episode.
Follow Mathieu Nadeau on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/mathnad.hd/
Well it's still winter for a few more days and since 3 of the hosts happened to visit Québec city's Ice Hotel recently. It sparked a disucssion about James Bond's best winter themed Ice, Snow or just generally cold themed moments. So grab an Ice-cold martini, put on your skis and get ready for winter 007 style!
Hello dear listeners. In our valiant efforts to bring you our opinion of James Bond, from Fleming to film and everything in between, we sometimes need an outside opinion. That's why for this weeks review of the 2008 film Quantum of Solace we invited Daniel Craig to come cat with us. His expletive filled response can't be shared here, so instead we asked David Zaritsky to come have a chat. Hope you enjoy this banter about a film some people don't pay alot of attention to, but should.
Hello dear listeners!
It's been quite some time since we've sat down to discuss Ian Fleming's original creation, the literary James Bond 007. The wait is over! Fleming Second Edition is back in full force with the seventh novel, GOLDFINGER. For the occasion, we required the intelligence and sensibilities of someone steeped in Fleming lore. Who better than Birb, James Birb from Instagram?
Emery and Birb leave no stone unturned in their dissection of GOLDFINGER, offering such salient talking points as: how the film is superior to the book, the relationship between masters and servants, Edgar's note doing the heavy lifting, recurring themes throughout the series, Fleming's moral code and his fantasies, quoting the 80s band Slaquer, and how parrots select which Bond film to watch.
So sit back, relax, and crack open your dusty copy of GOLDFINGER. Emery and Birb have it all sorted out. This is no parrot(dy)!
Follow Birb on Instagram
Your mission should you choose to accept it is to watch the entire Mission: Impossible franchise with Point man/ Team leader / Bond Fan; Agent Matt Auclair.For our first episode, we have the one, the only Bill Koenig of Spy Command!This week we begin the adventure with Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) having to clear his name after being framed for not only the theft of the NOC list, but also the brutal muder of Hunt's team. This 1996 film, directed by Brian De Palma also co-stars Jon Voight, Jean Reno, Emmanuelle Béart & Ving Rhames.
Hello dear listeners!
We have to come clean. All we wanted was a simple distraction for an hour or two. We had no intention of doing the things that we did. And yet, here we are entering the podcast's sixth year.
To mark the occasion, we don't exactly have a very "à propos" episode, although we are reloading a film that also celebrates an anniversary, albeit a more long-standing one. OCTOPUSSY came out 40 years ago in 1983 and two of its fans, Jason and Edgar, sit down together (virtually) for its Reloaded treatment.
As fans of the show know, Reloaded episodes march to a different beat than the typical reviews. Personal connections, behind-the-scenes trivia, the boys come to play with some serious stuff. For example: evangelizing Bond fandom, getting to watch Bond movies when sick at home, Jason re-enacting a scene from DC's PEACEMAKER, the Joe Darlington Detour, using 007 as a role model for catching last minute flights, ranking the "small armies" climaxes, and Edgar and Jason try to explain the movie's plot...We'll let the listeners decide if they made any sense of it.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest episode of the James Bond Complex. Think of it this way: the podcast and the listeners are two of a kind!
Dear listeners, hello. The man behind our dear 007, Ian Fleming, was a man of many adventures. Among them, the Second World War. In his role at the admiralty, he planned and oversaw missions and coordinated strategic clandestine operations. Some of those actions fell under the umbrella of the Special Operations Executive and the British Security Coordination. Meaning Ian Fleming was often side by side with William Stephenson, the quiet Canadian spymaster. Fitting then that this episode is handled by our own Intrepid alongside Edgar to deliver the facts behind your favorite books. Enjoy!
Hello dear listeners!
January is often a month people make use of to turn a page, change their outlook, and start the year with a more positive outlook. This week, the podcast puts that notion into practice with a topic of discussion the hosts fretted about for some time but ultimately found quite rewarding.
It’s finally time to go back to the world of 007 comics. Specifically, the somewhat controversial The Bodyseries. Written by Ales Kot and illustrated by a handful of different artists, it’s an experimental, anthology of tangentially related adventures that put Bond through the wringer in surprising ways.
Matt and Edgar have much to discuss (much to their pleasant surprise) and regale the listeners with a plethora of highly sophisticated talking points, most notably: what’s it like being time lords, decompressed storytelling in comics, incorrect recipes for dirty bombs, casting The Body with people we know, a live reading of a key passage, a synopsis for The Dark Knight Returns, the comic’s distinct lack of Benzedrine, and everybody’s favourite villains to hate: Nazis.
So sit back, relax, and take in this latest episode of The James Bond Complex podcast. We promise that it’s good for The BODY, mind, and soul.
Hello dear listeners! 2023 is upon us and it is the year of many anniversaries. As you know, Octopussy turns 40 (and so do two of our esteemed hosts). But if more importance, From Russia With Love turns 60. The second cinematic instalment of the series sees many refinements of the previously discussed formula that only gets better. Join Emery and Edgar as the discuss the legacy of From Russia With Love.
Hello sports fans! Are you ready for some…. Watches? Yes our dapper gentlemen have some interesting choices for wrist bling. Edgar, Jason and Emery present the Watch Draft. A watch per host in 3 categories: Leading Lady, Villain and of course, 007. Watch (get it?) along via Spotify or log onto YouTube for more!
Hello dear listeners!
First and foremost, happy New Year. We hope that 2023 will bring you joy and happiness. As for ourselves, the calendar year begins with a slight case of... MURDER!
That's right, it's time to continue the adventures of Benoit Blanc, the last of the gentlemen private sleuths. A few weeks ago Emery and Jason delved into the mystery of Ryan Johnson's KNIVES OUT (2019). Jason is back, this time with Edgar tagging along to peel away the layers of GLASS ONION (2022). Recently released on Netflix after a brief spell in theatres, the sequel sees Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) travel to Greece for, suffice it to say, an unexpected adventure.
Jason and Edgar overflow with talking points, among them: spending time in the presence of Daniel Craig (again), feeling as free as a bird post-Bond, more Bond fan community fun, games of one-upmanship, the genius of Edward Norton, and the question everyone's lips...where does Benoit Blanc live???
So sit back, relax, and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. We promise you aren't in any danger unless you consider the podcast dangerously entertaining. In which case beware!
*IMPORTANT INFO: The recording between Edgar and Emery had to be done in two sessions. The second begins at around the 6:45 mark and, sadly, the audio quality dips considerably. Thank you for your understanding.
Hello dear listeners!
2022's chapter is now written. It was a momentous calendar year for fans of the franchise as the film series celebrated its 60th anniversary. The movies and everything about them carries different meanings for different people. As such, this year we asked our listeners to send in audio messages in which they regale us with their favourite James Bond memories.
There are some terrific stories, from visiting Pinewood Studios, being won over by Brosnan's interpretation, to drinking cocktails at the Ocean Club as seen in CASINO ROYALE. So sit back, relax, get yourselves a cup of hot cocoa and enjoy the 2022 Christmas Special!
Please take note that we're taking the week between Christmas and New Year's off. Don't worry, the James Bond Complex Podcast will return the first week of January!
Pierce Brosnan was James Bond through the 1990's and the early 2000's. But musically it's different! In this episode we groove the tunes of Eric Serra & David Arnold baby!
Hello dearest listeners! We go off the beaten James Bond trail once again with a detour but this time, this time it is splendid. We review, in anticipation of the upcoming Netflix sequel, 2019's Knives Out. Starring not one but two pre-No Time To Die alumni (is that how this works?) in Daniel Craig and Ana De Armas, your hosts Emery and Jason revisit Rian Johnson's 2019 dark comedy. When a wealthy crime write dies under mysterious circumstances, his family is left to try and come to terms with the will. Even more strange is the involvement of Benoit Blanc, a private detective, who arrives not knowing who hired him. The cast is rounded out with Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Evans to name a few. So microwave some popcorn and enjoy this review ahead of your next Netflix and Chill date.
Hello dear listeners!
Breaking news! This just in! Finally, the podcast reviews Pierce Brosnan's sophomore effort as 007, 1997's TOMORROW NEVER DIES. It's been a long time coming, especially when considering that we've discussed DIE ANOTHER DAY not once but twice already.
Matt and Edgar are so excited to delve into this jewel of the late 1990s that they cover a large enough variety of topics to make a global media empire blush: Brosnan's breath of fresh air, a Bond movie for simpler times, getting overly excited when firing at computers, BMW blues, sexy spy outfits, how to neutralize a spy when you're a media baron, a little Danish, and much more.
So sit back, relax, and let the James Bond Complex media empire whisk you away with stories and opinions galore. We're your trusted source for Bond film movie reviews.
Let the mayhem begin!
Hello dear listeners! This week on the show, EC squared (name still pending folks) take the time to deconstruct the Bond Sound. Emery and Edgar dig deep into the Doctor No official motion picture soundtrack and discuss Monty Norman's legacy, John Barry's masterful orchestration and of course, everything in between. Who wrote the James Bond theme song? Did John Barry save the film (nobody does it better!)? How many times are we going to hear Underneath the Mango Tree? Tune in to find out friends.
Exploring the James Bond franchise recipe, Emery and Matt dive into the initial adventure of 007: Dr. No. They sample the original cocktail for what turned out to be the modern action-spy adventure series. Join us for a return journey to Crab Key!
Hello dear listeners!
It's been a while, but the time has arrived to return to our best frienemy, John Gardner. When last we discussed one of his continuation novels, hosts Matt and Edgar were slowly but surely starting to warm up to his oeuvre. It was SLOW but it was still happening. Can the upward trend continue???
This week the boys review the eighth novel, WIN, LOSE, or DIE. We shan't spoil whether the discussion takes a positive or negative spin, but we can tease you with some of the topics broached: Hellraiser, torture porn, unintended Star Trek references, other episodes we're currently editing, having real-world heads of state as supporting characters in a novel, how much Jason loves the idea of a British PM being a Bond villain, and one of the longest plot synopses in the show's history (because when you don't know what to say about a book, just regurgitate the plot).
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this latest episode of the show. Enjoy as much as Matt and Edgar enjoyed WIN, LOSE, or DIE. On second thought, maybe that's not a good idea.
Hello dear listeners,
Temps fugit. Despite that over a year has passed since the release of NO TIME TO DIE, it seems as though Daniel Craig keeps coming back into our lives. Sometimes at the movies, sometimes at the theatre, and sometimes for a comfortable chit-chat session. At the most recent Montclair Film Festival in New Jersey, Stephen Colbert graciously hosted former 007 Daniel Craig for a feature-length Q&A.
Our own International Man of Mystery, Jason Kim, was present to appreciate the lively talk. For this week's episode, Edgar puts Jason under the debriefing spotlight to find out more about the Montclair Film Festival's Bondian evening. How drunk did the parties get on stage? How tired is Craig of talking about James Bond? What's the rapport between Craig and KNIVES OUT and GLASS ONION director Rian Johnson? How many members of the fan community attended the evening's event along with Jason?
So sit back, relax, and regale in Jason's stories from the Colbert and Craig Q&A.
Find out more about the Montclair Film Festival
This week's poster image is courtesy of Jason Kim, taken at the event on Friday, October 28th, 2022.
Hello dear friends,
We welcome you to the castle of Count Dracula. Take off your coats and boots. It's a cold, wet night and the fire inside is so inviting. There are women to entertain you and our host will be arriving soon. You may never want to leave!
It's that time of year again. Late October can only mean one thing at The James Bond Complex: the Halloween Special 2022. Matt and Edgar make good on of their earliest Halloween Special ideas from a few years ago. The Hammer film vault is opened up and look who's inside: Christopher Lee as Dracula in THE HORROR OF DRACULA from 1958!
The hosts really sink their fangs into this one. It's such a nourishing, juicy film with so many topics. Among the terrifying sights and sounds in this ghoulish episode: awful Transylvanian accents, trying to remember what Roman Polanski's vampire film is called, trying to remember what Polanski's wife's name was, the defunct horror-sci-fi channel Scream (which became Dusk, which became something else), Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee being great friends in real life, loose adaptations of horror stories, vampirism upping one's libido levels, DRACULA: UNTOLD starring that dude who plays Tanner in Edgar's Bond 26, and much more!
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this horrifyingly great Halloween Special 2022. The leaves have turned yellow, orange, and blood red. Mmmm, blood red. Delicious.
We pay a quick tribute to Riobbie Coltrane before discussing the 60th anniversary celebrations that our friend; Jean Goyette of James Bond Québec.
Hello dear listeners!
While some literary Bond fans are enjoying the new novel Double Or Nothing, we at the James Bond Complex are enjoying the not-quite-as-new With a Mind to Kill. Author Anthony Horowitz completes his Fleming-era trilogy with this late-career adventure for James Bond, 007.
Matt and Edgar sit down, face-to-face for once, to discuss the book in depth. Horowitz being the quality writer that he is, many highly intellectual ideas sprout such as: caring about people as tools, Montreal as a bastion of mind control, Horowitz performing an Auclarification, comparing the writer to John Le Carré, using British expressions to describe stuff in the book, Paul Rudd as Colonel Boris, how to market the film adaptation, and how much it must suck to be a spy.
So sit back, relax, crack open your copy of With a Mind to Kill and let us as we take over your minds with our brilliance.
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October 2022 Debriefing : We're Back! Summer is over. We are back at work and recording new episodes of The James Bond Complex! This week, the hosts discuss the 60th anniversary and what they've been up to during summer 2022.
Hello dear listeners! First of all we want to thank you for your continued support. In 2022, we hit a milestone, 100 000 thousand downloads and that was all because of you. Its obvious, but without you, there would be no show. That being said, it is time for us to take a break. With the weight of a pandemic and the drive to deliver a new exciting episode ever week since 2017, we need to hit pause and recharge. Of course, much like our eponymous hero, The James Bond Complex will return this fall.
Let's just say, we are taking some overdue holiday.
Hello dear listeners! On the Wednesday before the release of his next book, Mind To A Kill, we dig into Anthony Horowitz's first 007 novel, Trigger Mortis. It's not often we get a James Bond novel set in the original Ian Fleming timeline, and its ever better when the book is so well written. Matt and Emery dissect the first of the Horowitz trilogy to extract is Fleming essence, the film influence and his own personal touch, with the help of Commander Fleming himself. Stay tuned because this year we are fortunate enough to have two Bond novel release, with Double or Die coming out later in the fall. So buckle up and kick of your literary Bond year with our Trigger Mortis review!
2002 marks the 20th anniversary of well... The 20th Bond film; Die Another Day. Is this Bombactic, Bond Adventure still as loathed by 007 fans today as it was at the time of it's release? Is the Korean spoken with the proper accent? Do the subtitles match what the actors are actually saying? Well, you'll have to listen in to find out if this film warrants a new evaluation or if it's still is the worst film of the series?...
Hello dear listeners!
Welcome back to the final lap of our Editing Bond series. It's been an extended but always stimulating dissection of how our favourite films are put together. Independent filmmaker Simon Drake returns once more with his experience and expertise as we give you Part 5: The Craig era.
This concluding chapter of the conversation sees our minds rattle off a bevy of intimately related and totally superfluous topics such as: following up on our terrific Irish accents with horrible American accents, good editors don't always make for good directors, the beauty of the whip pan, our interpretation of "bold" editing, editing that has our brains fight with the movie, experiencing a high speed car chase as a vacation activity, doing our best to not pass judgement on Sam Mendes, franchise legacies influencing how stories are told, and much more.
So sit back, relax, don't cut us out of your weekly routine, and enjoy this latest episode of The James Bond Complex.
Hello dear padawans!
This week we’re putting away the Walther PPK and dinner jackets in place of lightsabers and jedi robes.
Why? Search your feelings. You know it to be true!
The 5th (2nd?) Star Wars movie, The Empire Strikes Back has many connections to the world of James Bond, not least of which is a small role played by Julian Glover, who, as some listeners may recall, chatted with Matt and Edgar way back in the summer of 2018 at a comic convention. Then of course there is the film’s director, Irvin Kershner, who also helmed Never Say Never Again. We know, we know, that’s not a real Bond movie…
In celebration of May the 4th, Matt, Edgar, and Jason sit down and meditate about what is widely considered to be the best of the Star Wars epics. Among the Force visions that come to them: finding as many Bond tie ins as possible both real and imagined, watching the original trilogy on VHS, being distressed as a 2nd grader kid, parents noticing ads for Star Wars featuring (if you can believe it) actors that play in Star Wars, samurai/Nazi Darth Vader, Force zoom calls, speaking in tongues no human on Earth will ever use in a normal conversation, and much more.
So sit back, relax, and let us take you to a galaxy far, far away, but right now!
You love the show? We know.
Hello dear listeners,
It's a new week, with new challenges, but you can still count on one podcast.
The James Bond podcast. Were you expecting someone else?
That's right, we're back to observe and dissect the editing of the Pierce Brosnan films, from GoldenEye through Die Another Day. With us on this journey is non other than friend of the show and resident indie filmmaker Simon Drake. These four films are so jam packed with incredible content that we simply couldn't help ourselves bu go off on many brilliant topics: French accents while saying the tittle of books, marvellous Irish accents, Brosnan's Roger Moore outfits, the great Bond art project, C-3PO's golden rod, the last of the Bond dingy endings, finding positive reviews of TWINE "interesting", DAD being the Poochie the Dog of the Bond films, and much more!
So sit back, relax, dab the sweat off your forehead and chin, and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex!
Welcome back to Gotham city! Things have changed since the last time we took a trip to that fictional city. Christian Bale & Ben Affleck are no longer the Batman du jour. They've been replaced by Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader. The director chair once under the responsability of Christopher Nolan & Zack Snyder is now under the control of Matt Reeves who even co-wrote this latest adaptation of the famous DC comics character.
Discussing the film in this episode are Jason & Matt who will give you the nitty-gritty details of "The Batman"!
Hello dear listeners,
For a series of episodes dedicated to editing, one would think that we’d have edited down this elongated conversation to size. Fun fact: we have, even at 5 parts.
This week Mathieu, Edgar, and friend of the show Simon Drake are back at the round table. In this latest instalment, the Bond films under analysis are from the nostalgia decade du jour: the 80s.
Much like with Parts 1 and 2, this time the films of John Glen prove fertile ground for all sorts of enlightened commentary: 2 for 1 shots, seeing shadows at nighttime, women of the night showing up for a job at 5:30am, early risers, a child’s wonderment at seeing Roger Moore fight, fan edits, John Glen vs Ridley Scott, Super Bond fan Rick Moranis, and much more.
So sit back, relax, and bask in the glory of 80s filmmaking with us.
Part 3 begins with another instalment of our mockumentary The Making of Bomb Voyage.
Cast (in order of appearance):
Rodrigo Gonzalez: disclaimer reader
Bud West: narrator
Pierre-Oliver Bernier: making of documentary director
Mathieu Nadeau (aka Matt#2): documentary cameraman
Edgar Chaput: Bomb Voyage director
Mathieu Auclair: Bomb Voyage producer
Hello listeners, patrons of the arts, and theatre lovers,
The people who have played James Bond are more than just movie stars. They're actors! They're respected thespians! One need look no further than the most recently retired 007, Daniel Craig. His first post-Bond assignment: a modern reinterpretation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth" on Broadway, co-starring Ruth Negga. The show is directed by Sam Gold.
Jason Kim was able to make it to a presentation during its first week. He attended the Wednesday March 30th show with a few members of the Bond fan community. You'll hear from Tim Guccione and his significant other Jackie Capone, as well as Boomer and Sarra Spillane.
As for Jason, his keen sense of observation lent itself to a host of topics: Daniel Craig mopping the floor, a theatrical gather all, an obligatory Keri Russell reference, being in the presence of Daniel Craig's piercing blue eyes, a condensed episode of "What's Daniel wearing?", the history of Lady Macbeth performances, and cracking open a brewski after murdering a friend.
So sit back and feel the rush of tension and passion that only a classic tragedy can muster. If you see witches three, run away. Fast.
"Macbeth" is playing at the Longacre Theatre in New York until July 10th.
Tim Guccione co-produces and co-hosts the No Time to Bond podcast.
Hello dear listeners!
It’s a very, very long time since our last Connery Detour. Connery is a name that looms large over the Bond franchise’s history, as well as film history in general. We got the itch to go back to the Connery well of terrific cinema and deliver another thrilling episode.
And so it is with great pride that we release our latest and possibly greatest Connery Detour about the 1967 gem O.K. Connery.
Oh, we’re sorry. Were you expecting someone else? Please. Neil Connery, Sean Connery, they look almost identical. In fact, Neil’s looks and acting skills are so convincing, it fooled even Lois Maxwell, Bernard Lee, Daniela Bianchi, Adolfo Celi, Anthony Dawson, all of whom had worked with Sean!
Since they were convinced they making a new Bond film, don’t blame us!
So sit back, relax, and enjoy American sounding Scots on this latest episode of The James Bond Complex.
…Ah, the alternate title is Operation Kid Brother. Ok, we get it now. Still, he’s so convincing!
Hello dear listeners! Todays episode is all about awareness. Our invites guests talk to the Intrepid 007 about autism, how they perceive it, how they live with it. And of course, we talk about our favorite spy. All this in preparation for Autism Awareness day on April 2nd. Please join us by wearing your favorite blue Bond outfit and using the hashtags #bondinblue and #autismawareness. Also for an added kick, SIS training gear is throwing up a promo code to help you get that blue outfit! Use code BLUE22 at checkout and show your support!
On the one year anniversary of his arrival in our midst, the Intrepid 007 takes the time to sit down with his wife to enjoy a movie. And that film? No Time To Die. Yes friends of the show, she’s back! Giving her opinion for the first time on the show since we forced her to watch Diamonds Are Forever, she’s here to give her take on Bond 25. Enjoy!
Hello dear listeners,
We hope you enjoy discussions about film editing. Like, really REALLY like discussions about film editing, because we’re back this week to analyze more Bond films with a finely toothed comb. That’s right, it’s time to look at how the films of the 70s were stitched together.
Rest assured, we do our best to be as entertaining as we are (mostly) informative. How can we not when good friend of the show Simon Drake is back to accompany us? Consider the impressive topics we touch upon: sausage factories, editing while eating breakfast, Richard Lester style humour, which Bond is Simon’s favourite, Micheline star restaurants and McDonald’s, more UNWARRANTED TMWTGG hate, filming peanuts on the ground, pulling large tubes out of things, the phobia of falling out of a plane without a parachute, and tripping on 7Gs.
So sit back, relax, and let us take you into the editing bay of the Bond films of the 70s.
Part 2 of our radio play The Making of Bomb Voyage, opens the episode. A star-studded cast is featured this time:
Bud West (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBkoFyb-aYj34MLJg662Tkw): narrator
Edgar Chaput: Bomb Voyage’s director
Mathieu Auclair: Bond Voyage’s producer
Simon Drake: the Bond actor
Jocelyn Sia (https://www.instagram.com/ladieswhobond/): the leading lady
Melanie from Birb, James Birb (https://www.instagram.com/birb.jamesbirb/) as M and the costume designer
Mike Reyes (https://twitter.com/MrControversy83) as the Felix Leiter actor
Jason Kim: the special effects engineer (calling in on a Zoom call)
Emery Cormier: voice over dubbing
Rodrigo Gonzalez: the Bond villain actor and disclaimer reader
Pierre Oliver Bernier: the documentary’s director
Mathieu Nadeau aka Matt #2 : the documentary’s cameraman
Heineken might be the only beer for the cinematic 007 . But for us, Canadian James Bond fans, we have decided to sample a few locally brewed beers that we feel might have a Bond connection. Either directly or in some cases very indirectly. We collected 8 beers and sampled them with the virtual help of beer connoisseur Kyle Barbeau of easysmilesandexpensivewatches on Instagram
Hello, dear listeners!
It is often said in filmmaking that the edit, the cut, is a sacred thing. Well, it seems that we at The James Bond Complex believe very deeply in that philosophy because it inspired our longest conversation ever.
But we couldn’t go through the entire series (yes, all 25 films) and dissect its editing on our own. We brought friend of the show and independent filmmaker Simon Drake to talk about the movie making process and how important editing is for all kinds of storytelling elements.
So here is Part 1 of our Editing Bond series with Simon Drake.
Oh, and there is something a little bit different playing the start of the episode.
We got creative and, to help introduce all 5 parts of the Editing Bond series, have put on a little radio play. It’s a mockumentary about the making of a non-existent Bond film titled Bomb Voyage. Some familiar voices are heard, as well as some new ones. We hope you enjoy it. It’s tongue and cheek, nothing to take too seriously.
The players in Part 1:
Edgar: Bomb Voyage’s director
Matt: Bomb Voyage’s producer
Bud West (The Bond Brain podcast): the mockumentary’s narrator
Jocelyn Sia (Ladies Who Bond on Instagram): Bomb Voyage’s leading lady
Simon Drake: the leading man playing Bond
Pierre-Olivier: the mockumentary’s director
Mathieu Nadeau: the mockumentary’s cameraman
Rodrigo Gonzalez: the disclaimer voice
Hello, dear listeners!
As part of the effort to keep No Time to Die in the public conscience and possibly enjoy Oscar glory, a trio of interviews were recently set up between the film's talent and acclaimed directors. They were released online in February of 2022.
South Korean Bong joon-ho (Snowpiercer, Parasite) sat down with Daniel Craig, Cary Fukunaga, Barbara Broccoli, and Linu Sandgren. French Canadian Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Dune) enjoyed some Zoom time one-on-one with NTTD's director. Finally, Mexican Guillermo Del Toro (Hellboy, The Shape of Water) discussed the latest Bond adventure with Fukunaga, Broccoli and Rami Malek.
Edgar and Jason, who admire the 3 internationally celebrated filmmakers, sit down to discuss the careers of these guest interviewers, their perspectives on the the 25th Bond film, and share some more thoughts on the movie itself, because we're clearly not tired of talking about it.
So sit back, relax, put your film snob cap on and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. We don't "chat about movies." We "discuss cinéma!"
Bong joon-ho's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqKWL7Jj14Q&t=56s
Denis Villeneuve's interview: https://vimeo.com/665797813/7489c35d0f?fbclid=IwAR3vOalDB-ZLo0KtPwu6ESINcd5cidKqnbBqjfPz66_nC_0hKCT-V986QO8
Guillermo Del Toro's interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E7aHQVI27Y
Welcome back dear listeners to the conclusion of our February debriefing. While we didn’t have much of a clear topic we touch upon the state of cinema, the future prospects of film franchises and loose projections for Bond 26 and a 7th Bond actor. So join us, the full team, talking about Everything Or Nothing.
Hello dear listeners!
For the first time in 2022, all four of our hosts are together to talk about... The Batman?
Well yes and no. In fact, while The Batman is a hotly anticipated new movie, we do take most of our time discussing the various, and even numerous, anniversaries in this, the 60th year of our savior James Bond. 20 years of Die Another Day, 10 for Skyfall but the main focus this year will be of course, the celebration of 1962's Dr. No. Without, well, we wouldn't be here.
Be sure to stay tuned next week for part two.
Hello dear listeners, Sometimes as podcast producers risks must be taken. Risks can be fun and produce a much needed frisson. So here goes nothing. Matt and Edgar, after several minutes of deliberation, are doing a Lee Tamahori Detour. That’s right listeners, this week the hosts tackle one of the director’s forgotten pre-Die Another Day films, 1997’s The Edge. Tamahari is understandably a controversial figure in Bond lore, but that doesn’t mean that his other cinematic efforts lack quality. The Edge proves to be quite the jumping off pad for a plethora of topics, most notably: the inspirational Ron Burgundy, adventures in the woods, racism against bears, the memory problems that stem from sniffing coke, Jason Voorhees as a bear, guessing music credits before they appear on screen, a capsule review of The Empire Strikes Back, and naturally more DAD thoughts. So sit back, don’t relax because you’ll want to be mindful of a bear creeping up on you, but try to enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. Also, let us know if Matt likes this movie. The episode lasts over an hour and we still can’t tell. His opinion is very unclear.
Dear regular listeners we are doing another episode in French. But be assured next week we'll cover another element from the James Bond in the tongue of Shakespeare. But for now if you can or want to try out an episode in Molière's tongue. régalez-vous!
Cette semaine nous vous présentons la conclusion de cette épique discussion. (L'enregistrement original a durée quatre heures!) . Nous explorons tous les aspect de la dernière aventure de 007; Mourir peut attendre.
Quelle surprise! Cet épisode est en français! Effectivement nous parlons aussi la langue de Madeleine et Mathilde. Raison de plus pour que notre auditoire s'excite: les mêmes amis qui se joignent à l'émission cette semaine étaient avec nous lors de la présentation de "Mourir peut attendre" en d’octobre dernier à Montréal. Nous espérons que nos amateurs francophones apprécieront cet épisode.
Le James Bond Complex sera de retour next week!
*This episode was recorded on November 7th, 2021.
Hello, dear listeners!
Happy New Year to you and your loved ones. But before looking ahead to 2022 and the highly anticipated 60thanniversary of our favourite film franchise, we’ll spend just a couple more weeks looking back at the undisputed highlight of 2021, No Time to Die. Much like last week when Emery and Jason a delightful roundtable, Matt and Edgar do the same with a new trio of guests.
And what a band of Bond aficionados we’ve offered the mics to. Mike Reyes of Cinema Blend and established “Bond expert”, Bill Koenig of the Spy Command blog and pop culture historian, and Alan J Porter, co-author of The James Bond Lexicon and member of the On Her Majesty’s Secret Podcast fleet of shows.
With so many great minds together in one virtual room, it’s no wonder the breath of topics was wide: absentee guests due to hair salon appointments, doing a Naomi Harris double-bill with Venom 2, aunties betraying their nephews, getting biblical (No no, not that! Just listen to the episode…), CGI body parts, parents beating their Bond villain children, shots of pregnant women in 3D, and NEVER, EVER saying you have all the time in the world to a loved one.
So sit back, relax, and begin 2022 with us with our next to last episode reviewing NTTD, until of course Matt and Edgar do the traditional 2-part 4 hour long scene-by-scene review some time down the road. Obviously.
Please follow:
Alan J. Porter on Twitter at @BondLexicon
Bill Koenig on Twitter at @TheSpyCommand
Mike Reyes on Twitter at @MrControversy83
Thank you to Mike and Cinema Blend for allowing us to use a clip of their press junket interview last fall with the cast and crew of NTTD .
With No Time To Die coming to the small screen in but a few weeks, we thought it would be Primo (get it?) to talk to some of our favorite community members and have their take on the film. Jason and Emery welcomed Joe Darlington of Being James Bond, Melanie from Birb, James Birb and celebrated author Roland Hulme to an open discussion on the characters and plot points of the 25th James Bond adventure. Hear our differing points of view and stay tuned as our O.G. hosts will be following up with a second episode later this month.
Hello, ho ho ho, dear listeners!
2021 trickles towards the finish line and, for the first time in the podcast’s near 4-year existence, it was a year during which we witnessed a new Bond movie. It certainly felt great to get one. Regardless of the controversies surrounding “No Time to Die”, from pre-production entanglements, the film’s plot, to real worldwide shaping challenges, it feels safe to say that most fans are breathing a sigh of relief. We now officially have 25 Bond films to talk about.
Speaking of the fans, what better direction for the 2021 Christmas Special than to pass the mic over to them and hear what they have to say about Daniel Craig’s Swann song? This week’s episode features a few listener audio reviews for NTTD. This is but the warm up however, as future weeks will have extended group conversations about the movie, each one with a different pairing of hosts and collection of guests.
As for this week, our friends certainly make several astute comments that have us pause for thought. For instance: Bond jinxing himself with key phrases, getting “the feels” Avenger: Endgame style, knowing the ending before seeing the film the first time, hard hitting journalism questions like “Are you gonna do another Bond???”, the best horror movie never made, and the unanimous consensus: please marry us, Paloma.
So sit back, relax, roast those chestnuts on an open fire with hot cocoa, slurp down a Vesper in one swig, and enjoy the No Time to Die themed 2021 Christmas Special.
Thank you to recurring guests and friends of the show Bill Koenig and Simon Drake, local Montreal friend Mathieu Nadeau aka Matt #2, and first time caller Marcus Petäjä for their NTTD reviews!
Hello dear listeners, It’s been some time since our last graphic novel discussion. As such it felt right to dive once again into the world of comic Bond. So here’s to one step forward, and several decades backwards. Yes, that’s right, it’s time to explore 007’s origin long before he ever held the famous code number. This week Matt and Edgar discover Dynamite Comics’ “James Bond Origin Vol 1” which comprises issues 1-6 as well as a special one-off that was published in a gentlemen’s magazine. The series is written by Jeff Parker with art by Bob Q and Roman Stevens, among others. Taking place during WWII, specifically 1941, “Origin” is certainly a different take on the Bond we know and love. That does not however preclude the hosts from coming up with a bountiful list of topics to broach, among them: the trappings of a prequel story, purchasing Playboy magazine for the articles, Star Trek submarines, Officer Say Less, nichest of niche niches, reviewing every other Bond comic series except Origin, and much more. So sit back, relax, toggle the correct frequency on your art Deco wood radio and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex.
A dead girl carrying a strange credit card and the phone number of James Bond, Secret agent 007 sends the world's most famous spy into a brand new continuation adventure curtesy of John Gardner. Edgar and Matt discuss the seventh adventure from Gardner. Is this new novel good, bad or something in between. Join us to find out.
This week Emery brings back Games Of Chance and challenges co-host Edgar to learn six different games of chance. All of them appear in some form or another in both Fleming and Film. There are three dice games, Backgammon, Sic Bo and Craps, and three card games, Gin Rummy, Canasta and Bridge. Learn and laugh along as both hosts attempt to understand these complex games.
Hello dear listeners,
It comes as no surprise that we absolutely love Pierce Brosnan. A terrific actor and personality, we’re always game to discuss one of his films.
Naturally Matt and Edgar are tickled pink to turn on their mics and record an episode about a Brosnan spy film! Yes, that’s right listeners, this week we analyze a spy caper starring Brosnan as an MI6 agent sent on a covert mission to foreign country! Intrigue, action, sex!
Pierce Brosnan stars as Andy Osnard in The Tailor of Panama.
Were you expecting someone else?
If you think spies and liars can weave good yarns, you should tune in to this episode to check out the stuff we have in store: falling asleep on John LeCarré films, keeping scorecards to understand the author’s plots, being more Bond than actual James Bond, demonstrating behaviour that would make you a jerk in any era, the importance of paying money for facts, Jamie Lee Curtis’ personality, and much more.
So sit back, relax, take a swig of tequila, and enjoy the latest of The James Bond Complex in which we review The Thomas Crown Affair! Hold on..
Welcome back to Jamaica!
With film producer, director and uber James Bond fan Simon Drake, we'll take you through caribbean Island Crab Key. Not only will you get to learn about poisonous caterpillar, giant octopuses and guano production! We discuss fascinating characters such as Honey Ryder, Quarell and of course the title character; the sadistic and lethal Dr. No!
Hello dear listeners,
We’re certain you’ve all been waiting with bated breath for the epic conclusion of our For Your Eyes Only review. Matt, Jason, and Edgar and saved up all the best, brightest, and most insightful comments for last. After all, Part 2 represents the very last time we record an original review for a Roger Moore film.
We’re extremely proud of this one. How could we not be when we cover such profound topics as: the only Bond woman to leave 007 flaccid, kids cursing out movies, FYEO’s influence on determining Olympic host cities, Mission: Impossible being a bunch of cheap copycats, grounding the Fast and Furious franchise, Jason singing (!), concluding the Victor Tourjansky trilogy, and declaring statements that sound like questions?
So sit back, relax, grab yourself an ice cream and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. Brought to you by Seiko Holdings Corporation.
Hello dear listeners,
It seems only fitting that given Sir Roger Moore’s impressively long tenure as James Bond 007, the podcast would take nearly 4 years to discuss every one of his efforts.
That’s right friends, the time has finally arrived to dissect Moore’s 5th outing, 1981’s For Your Eyes Only, the only one of his Bond movies we’ve never reviewed. There is an irony to the fact that FYEO waited last, considering that, by most standards, it’s not a Moore film fans bring up regularly. LALD, TSWLM and even AVTAK generally get mentioned before this slightly more serious entry is considered.
And maybe because Matt, Jason, and Edgar saved it for last is the reason why they have so much to say about it. Topics in Part 1 range from: more of Matt’s singing (no less than 3 times in fact), gender fluid pool side parties, being on a first name basis with Roger, living 2 minutes into the future, the movie that destroys the code name theory, Bond being a time lord, hockey legend Guy Lafleur in a Bond film, a dissertation of Roger Moore as James Bond, and much more.
So sit back, relax, have a place of pasghtetti and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. After all, this one’s for your ears only.
SPOILERS!
Hello dear listeners!
We're you AFRAID we had forgotten this year's Halloween Special?
Of course not. We wouldn't dare since we love a good SCARE!
A last minute and TERRIFYING addition to our ghoulish gallery of episodes: Edgar Wright's latest freakshow: Last Night in Soho.
Matt, Edgar, and Jason bravely discuss this MYSTERIOUS and NIGHTMARISH tale of MURDER and GHOSTS!
Enjoy...if you can stand it!
Mwhahahahahahahah!
COUGH COUGH COUGH...
We all know the car. It's sleek Italian lines, 4.0 litre inline six bubbling away, hiding twin machine guns, a smoke screen, tire thrashing spikes... wait what? Ah yes, it's 007's car! The Aston Martin DB5, having first appeared in 1964s Goldfinger is synonymous with James Bond. So much so that publishing house Hero Collector has come out with a 290 page book on it, penned by Eon publicist, Will Lawrence. HE sat down with our resident gearhead Emery to chat about this recent release. Start your engines!
What's this? More "No Time To Die" chit-chat?!? Yes of course! Come on, the world has waited 6 years for a new Bond Movie. We are going to talk about it more than once. This Week Matt is joined by the intrepid Emery Cormier @intrepid_007 on instagram for a detailed and spoilerific discussion of the 25th Bond film. So if you haven't had the opportunity to watch the film yet. DO NOT listen to this. But if you have. You are welcome to listen in and listen to us unpack the final Daniel Craig James Bond film!
The Intrepid 007 is here to take you to the Cascapedia river to fish wild atlantic salmon. Why? Because James Bond! Duh! No the connection is far from obvious, what do Goldfinger, Ian Fleming's grandfather and Emery's third cousin have to do with 007? More than you think. Tune in now!
Hello dear listeners! Suffice to say that the "NO TIME TO DIE" party is just getting started. After a non-spoiler review, it's time to get into the juicy details the film has to offer. From the action, the sets, the special effects, to the many controversial elements. Scheduling conflicts among the hosts have led to a potentially interesting strategy with which all 4 can have their say. In this first spoiler filled discussion, Jason and Edgar cover hosting duties, whereas Matt and Emery will review NTTD with a finely toothed comb in the next episode. What sort of delightful and delirious topics does NTTD inspire for this week's hosts? Oh my: Chris Corbould the English gentleman, showing military issued government ID to get into the premiere, the technical marvels of SUVs, using Coca-Cola as traction, impromptu interviews while taking the tube, all the Bond fan content creators getting fired, correctly guessing plot points from trailers, a film adaptation of the "Everything or Nothing" video game, and Jason singing if you can believe it. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's episode of The James Bond Complex. Yes, yes, the podcast will return. That much we can promise.
Hello dear listeners, The time has finally come. The very first episodes of the podcast were recorded in the autumn of 2017, before anyone had any clue what form "Bond 25" would take. After rumours of Russian actor casting calls, Danny Boyle being hired, a change of directors due to creative differences, Daniel Craig puttering off to start another franchise (Knives Out) and, well, we don't need to talk about the OTHER reason we've had to wait to so long. That's right, this week Matt and Edgar really, truly, actually sit down to discuss "No Time to Die." It feels a bit surreal! This episode is a non-spoiler review. While most have seen the film, certain territories have not at the time of this episode's release. But dancing around plot details and the excitement of finally talking about a shiny new Bond film didn't stop the lads from coming up with the usual brilliant topics, such as: Fu-gee-la, the hosts not going to bed together, quoting "Spectre" because why not, changing the temperature in a movie theatre auditorium during a film, staying until the end of the credits, finding Matt's future wife, "Highlander: Engame", and apes castrating people. So sit back, relax, and by all means enjoy this latest episode of The James Bond Podcast! this episode has been tested as cruelty free against Australian, New Zealand, China, and Malaysian Bond fans.
Hello dear listeners! To attend a Royal Premiere it takes one negative test, but to be absolutely certain it takes...two! We're back this week with a very special episode of the show. Jason Kim, the International Man of Mystery, reports from London, England! He shares his thoughts and describes the experience of gracing the No Time to Die Royal Premiere on September 28th. The trip and premiere were so exciting they inspire a plentiful array of topics such as: a special Shrublands Session, impressing Chris Corbould, mingling with the stars, the Sir Roger Moore soundstage, rain never souring special events, and above all else the importance of cherishing meetups with fellow Bond fans and enjoying the moment. So sit back, relax, and let Jason take you to the No Time to Die red carpet. A very special thanks to James Davies for inviting Jason to attend the event and Kerim Bey-ing him. James Davies can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/doyouexpectmetotalk/
The finish line is in sight! This week marks the run up to the film premiere we've been waiting months (years even) for! Jason Kim, our man in the field saw the film just yesterday, but Matt, Edgar and Emery are still in their final sprint. Global James Bond day event taking place in Québec City, Jason's report from the red carpet, exclusive photos from London, all culminating with Operation Finish line. Stay tuned for all the action!
The race for No Time To Die is in it's final lap with Operation Finish Line happening October 9th in Montreal. To get us in the mood, The James Bond Complex has arrived fashionably late to the Being James Bond Party with two reviews and a light roasting of the recently released Daniel Craig Documentary. Matt, Jason and Emery discuss the film, its accessibility and its perceived faults (from our resident pessimist, The Intrepid 007). Join us in the final leg of No Time To Die hype!
*First and foremost, we apologize for Edgar's audio. Although reasonable, it's a step down from usual. He's mic was not properly plugged in. He therefore spoke into his computer mic. Oops.
Hello dear listeners! It's September and the kids and teenagers are back at school, hitting the books hard. It felt appropriate that the big kids do the same and continue the Fleming Second Edition series. That's right, Matt and Edgar are back at it. This time it's Fleming's 5th novel, From Russia With Love. Our tradition of having guests on continues with friend of show Melanie, who operates online under the persona of Birb, James Birb. Birb? Birbs? Bird? Forgive us, it's the accent. It is only fitting that Melanie takes us to school with thought provoking, astute commentary on one of her favourite Fleming books. Too intellectual for your tastes? Fear not, Matt and Edgar balance the scale. Among the wide breath of topics: S&M (ooh!), the origin of characters names, blowing your mind about Kerim Bey, the house always winning, the importance of roses, and our favourite hobby: resurrection. So sit back, relax, and pour yourself either a Turkish coffee or some Russian vodka (it's 5pm somewhere) and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. We promise the episode doesn't end on a cliffhanger. Melanie can be found at https://www.instagram.com/birb.jamesbirb/
Do you smeeeelllllll what The Smoke is cooking? That's right, the one and only Eric "The Smoke" Moran joins Emery and Matt to talk about his career as a wrestler, actor, writer, producer and cosplayer. You'll recognize him as being the only person to manhandle David Zaritsky on camera, but he is much more than that. You may not think you can cosplay James Bond but we do it everyday! When we put ourselves in his clothes we become 007, and Eric takes it to the next level with his creativity and his talent. Puppet Rick even makes an apperance!
Hello dear listeners, After years of belittling, besmirching, and bemoaning the official 007 online store, Matt and Edgar have decided to play nice. Naturally it helps a great deal when the kind folks at EON provide each host with a $2,000.00 gift card. That’s not actually true, but it would be fun. This week on the show we take a closer look at the 007 online store and, equipped with (sigh) a fictious gift card, go on a SHHHHHOPING SPREEEEEEEE!!!!!!! In a little game of “spend all your money” the boys explore each category and pick one of two items they would indeed purchase if they had the cash. But that’s not all. Originally the episode was supposed to include Emery, but due to a flub Matt and Edgar went head alone. To make up for the error, they gave the original audio recording to Emery, who tags along in a running commentary of his own. So sit back, relax, pretend you have a few grand to burn on 007 licenced products and join us as we go giddy whilst filling our virtual carts.
Hello dear listeners, Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, especially when you kill said woman's father figure. Martin Campbell understands the concept so well that he opted to make a movie about it. That's right, this week Matt, Edgar, and the International Man of Mystery Jason Kim discuss the Bond alumni's latest effort, "The Protégé", playing in theatres at the time of this episode's release. It stars Maggie Q, Michael Keaton, and Samuel L. Jackson. While no one will argue that Campbell's new picture breaks new ground, it proves to be more than enough to inspire such diverse and high brow topics of conversation such as: running after Edward Furlong, the Mac n' cheese of movie entertainment, free Green Lantern bashing, Jackie CHAIN as The Protégé, audacious standing ovations, Hanna, Anna, and Ana, and much more! So sit back, relax and enjoy the latest episode of The James Bond Complex. Hold on a second. Are you on Maggie Q's good side? Hmm, maybe forget what we said about relaxing!
This week Emery brings us on a Fleming detour. With the recent release of the documentary Roadrunner and the reading of Ian Fleming's Thrilling Cities, The Intrepid 007 began to think of the similarities between the book and Anthony Bourdain's body of television work. Invited along for the ride is British ex-pat, Bond fan and writer Roland Hulme.
Are you ready to take a trip with James Bond? From the busy streets of New York City to the horseraces of Saratoga and the noisy casinos of Las Vegas. 007 follows the action. Wherever it may take him and whomever it may put him in conflict with! Those Spangle Brothers and the pair of Hitman trailing him. No need to worry. Tiffany Case as Bond's back. Join us on this episode as we discuss Ian Fleming's fourth 007 novel. Diamonds Are Forever with Super Bond fan Joey Horist (@joedog93).
Join Matt and Emery on an exciting underwater adventure! We review (sort of) the independent documentary film My Octopus Teacher (On Netflix!) and compare it to the eloquent words of Ian Fleming. How does the real thing compare to the description in the novels? How real is the short story Octopussy? Tune in to find out!
Hello dear listeners! We have a confession to make. Back in 2017 when the opportunity came up to create a James Bond themed podcast our collective thought was: we’re not podcasters, but we want that job! Ahem. That’s enough insider George Lazenby jokes for one week. More seriously (but barely) it seems rather ludicrous that it’s only after 3 ½ years of releasing episodes that Matt, Edgar, and Jason discuss the film about the very actor that brought them together in Québec City back in September 2017. Yes, on this week’s show they review the Lazenby documentary “Becoming Bond.” Just as Josh Greenbaum’s endeavour takes a tongue in cheek look at the former Bond’s life, so to do the trio of hosts. They broach topics as broad as: making a movie within a movie, how to pronounce Lazenby’s name (not an issue when typing it!), the James Bond Complex’s origin story, tennis lessons, restraining orders, meeting the wife of Bond actors, and, most shockingly, Jason’s non-Kerri Russell crush. So sit back, relax, try not to be a larrikin, and enjoy this week’s episode all about the Bond actor who to this day deserves more love than he receives.
Привет! It's no secret that we love our action-spy movies, in any and all shapes and forms. In a cinematic landscape filled with Jurassic Park, Star Wars, and humungous comic book movies, the spy film is akin to a breath of fresh air. But what if the latest spy film IS a humungous comic book movie?!? Suspense! That's right, this week Matt, Edgar, Jason and friend of the show Mike Reyes of Cinema Blend discuss the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe endeavour, "Black Widow", directed by Cate Shortland. Natasha Romanoff is a character fans have long hoped would get her own film after spending a decade as a supporting character (albeit often a very strong one). After 2 years with no Marvel movies, does this one deliver? The quartet of hosts get into the thick of things, leaving no vodka shot glass empty: the film's place in the MCU, the risk of hiring auteur filmmakers for projects such as this, magic red dust, "The Americans" starring Kerri Russell (because of course), buying action figures, Olga Kurylenko's "co-starring" role, human actors passing the baton to their CGI counterparts, and most important of all: directly quoting "Moonraker". So sit back, relax, and enjoy this latest discussion of the James Bond Complex. While you do that we'll see if we still fit into our costumes. Excuse us. Follow Mike Reyes on Twitter at @MrControversy83 Follow Cinema Blend on Twitter at @CinemaBlend and of course read their work at cinemablend.com
Wow! What an episode we have in store for you! We brought back former guest Mike Reyes of Cinema Blend to discuss Fleming's third novel "Moonraker". This episode goes all over the place from Tobey Stephens having played Bond probably more times than any actor to this day to a potential new show where we would cover No Time To Die minute by minute (whenever it comes out). Mike is a fantastic guest with a unique perspective and he really shines in this episode as we cover Hugo Drax, Willy Krebs, Gala Brand, The Moonraker rocket and of course James Bond 007
Birb, James Birb joins Emery for what we can only describe as a quick and insightful read. Based on Ian Fleming's Seven DEADLIER Sins of the 1960s and elaborated as both a religious study of James Bond by Benjamin Pratt (not the hunky cop from NYPD Blue) and a short collection of essays presented by Literary 007.com, this episode focuses on the sinful inspiration for the book Bond. Grab your copy of the bible and follow along!
Hello dear listeners,
What do Sean Bean, Michael Lonsdale, and Jonathan Pryce all have in common? The easy answer is that they've all co-starred in Bond films. Each has played 007's main adversary in fact. Bonus points for these who guessed that each also appeared in the same movie!
That's right, this week we take a another Detour. Well, it isn't a Detour in the traditional sense. No 007 actor features in the movie under review, but rather the aforementioned actors who played the super spy's main adversaries. It is the 1998 action thrill ride "Ronin" directed by the legendary John Frankenheimer.
Resident gear head and International Man of Mystery Jason joins us to discuss some amazing topics like: butchering Irish names, Seamus (no, not that. You're disgusting), the Ronin-Mission: Impossible cinematic universe, ambushing people with coffee, how the apron makes the man, action movie editing, "Ronin" as an adult film, showing off our Gundam collection, and much more.
So sit back, relax- actually, scratch that. Buckle up, kiddos. We're pushing the peddle to the meddle through the streets of Nice and Paris. Hopefully you can keep pace.
Today on the show your hosts Emery an Jason look at the automotive brands that have appeared in the James Bond series, from both Fleming and Film and nothing in between (Emery already had his SAAB rant). Are modern Bentleys as good as their racing past? Can a brand new 7 year old Lotus be bought? Can BMW do anything wrong? Is Aston Martin the Holy Grail of 007 cars? Tune in to find out!
Put your tv to channel 3, dust off your cartridges and plug in your controllers and let's play some James Bond Video Games!
Last January Edgar spent an afternoon at Matt's place to try old Bond video games from the early 90's up to the most recent release.
Listen in to find out how much they enjoyed some of these classic (and not so classic video games!
Give your diet a boost with a supplement to yesterday's Live and Let Die episode! I ramble on for 20 minutes over the colossal amount of food and detail given by Ian Fleming in his second novel. Grab a bottled martini and warm up some frozen lemon curd with cream substitute and enjoy!
Hello dear listeners!
The Fleming Second Edition is in full swing. We return with a riveting conversation about the author's second Bond novel, "Live and Let Die." To help us we invited special guest-...special host? Special guest host? Whatever, we have Emery Cormier, who hosts our other show, the Intrepid 007 Podcast.
Together we tackle some of the more delicate subject matter that might cause some to bristle in this early 21st century, proving that, when we absolutely have to, we are capable of demonstrating some level of maturity. We'd rather be zany, but the occasion and topic called for level-headedness.
Furthermore, we could not contain ourselves with the armada of intellectually stimulating commentary, such as: great deals on second hand books, showing cleavage to pledge allegiance, touching first editions with our bare hands, millennials vs Bond, a "Ghost Dog" drive by review, obligatory book-to-film comparisons, Baron Samedi zombie of whatever, super-sizing octopi, shark roars, and of course, PHRASING!
So sit back, relax, and let us take you to Manhattan, Florida, and the greatest place on the face of the Earth, Jamaica. Just don't forget the limpet mines.
Hello dear listeners!
You might have already heard the news: Amazon just purchased MGM for almost 9 Billion dollars! What does this mean for our beloved 007 franchise? Will affect the release of No Time To DIe? Will the Bond films become Amazon exclusives? What about the 007 store, will it become a part of Amazon one-day shipping offer? If that bit of news wasn't enough, a New Anthony Horowitz 007 novel was announced on Ian Fleming's 113th birthday. This new Bond adventure will be released on May 2022.
News this exciting requires equally exciting guests! International Man Of Mystery Jason Kim & The Spy-Commander himself Bill Koenig! Join us as we speculate and analyze these recent big 007 news!
We owe it all to Ian Lancaster Fleming. He created our beloved James Bond, but who was he? What did he do, and how did it influence 007? Emery tells us a bit more about The Man Who Would Be Bond.
Hello dear listeners, This is a big one.
The Bond Lexicon, this 454 pages behemoth of a book includes every Eon/ Ian Fleming Publication approved/ licensed stories analyzed. Every plot summarized, every character given a short biography. This Spectacular book was published last april and written by the amazing duo of Alan J. Porter and Gillian J. Porter. Join us as we discuss what it took to bring this book to print.
An old stable is back. My darling companion in life, @doubleOwife, has blessed us with her notes on 1971's Diamonds are Forever. Apart from the iconic theme song... what the s#!t? That's what she said.
Hello dear listeners!
We last left you hanging by a thread in our phenomenal conversation about Bond ladies clothing in the 60s with Melanie and Jocelyn.
We’re back this week to weave our way to the end of the conversation. This second part features even more sartorial information from professors Birb and Ladies Who Bond. To be honest, our two guests really did take us to school. But then again, what did you expect from two blokes who think they can talk about clothing styles for the fairer sex?
So many fanciful topics made their way into our perfectly fitted conversation such as timeless blouses, the importance of always remembering Moneypenny, the shift in style when one goes from communism to capitalism, church going wear, the importance of memorable outfits, London setting the world’s fashion trends, and much more!
So sit back, relax, put on your most comfortable caftan and enjoy our latest episode!
Melanie can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/birb.jamesbirb/
Jocelyn can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ladieswhobond/
Because it wasn't enough to do two episodes in 2019 on the subject, we had to go one more. Since it closed in 1969 most of what happened at Special Training School 103, also know as Camp X, remained secret. But thanks to Lynn Philip Hodgson, author and historian, some of those details have come to light. I spoke with him months ago and now its time to share some of that knowledge along with recent developments on Camp X.
Hello dear listeners!
It’s often discussed how dapper James Bond himself looks. Heck, there are blogs, YouTube channels, books, and podcasts dedicated exclusively to that very subject. Our humble little show has even thrown its hat into the ring twice with the Tailored For…series.
This week however it’s time to discuss the costume designs of the fairer sex. Yes, for this 3rd entry in the Tailored For… series of episodes Matt and Edgar discuss the Ladies of the 60s.
Hold on now. Two blokes prattling on about women’s clothing???
Not quite! We invited two delightful members of the fan community to help us out. Melanie of Birb, James Birb and Jocelyn of Ladies Who Bond on Instagram joined us via Zoom to discuss a topic of epic magnitude. So much so that we’re splitting this into two parts.
Among the insightful commentary broached in Part 1: revisiting the tactical tux controversy, deciding what to name the episode whilst recording said episode, not knowing our guests’ social media platform handles, puttering off to Switzerland when weekend plans go awry, United Nations of colours in OHMSS, Zorro outfits, Edgar’s wedding dress, the dark side of corsets, and much more.
So sit back, relax, get into your most comfortable podcast listening attire and enjoy Tailored For Ladies of the 60s Part 1.
Melanie can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/birb.jamesbirb/
Jocelyn can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/ladieswhobond/
After the set up from last week, your history lesson is complete. Move into the present, and the former secret camp has been.. well you'll have to listen to find out.
Welcome back to Crab Key!
Avoid the poisonous spiders, armed guards, mechanical dragon and radioactive waste!
In this episode we rediscover the very first James Bond adventure, recount some of our experience watching the film and the perspective of Matt's sister on Sean Connery's original cinematic outing as 007.
Is the film still a classic ? Could Cary Grant have been a great Bond? Listen to our show to find out!
Back in the summer of 2019, before my face to face meeting with Matt and Edgar at Bar George in downtown Montreal, I had just completed a very personal mission; visiting Camp-X. But before we talk about the site, we have to talk about the history. Here is a brief story of Camp-X.
Hello dear listeners, After much hoopla and anticipation, the time has finally arrived to start our Fleming Second Edition series! We'll we re-reading and discussing each of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels and short story collections along with a guest each time. We begin with, what else, 1953's "Casino Royale." Long time friend of the show Bill Koenig of the Spy Command blog joins us. Talking about Casino Royale got us so excited we just couldn't help ourselves but bounce off a plethora of topics: listening to audio books, Dan Stevens as James Bond and Peter Lorre, a one-off Netflix movie with Bond Leiter Mathis and Tiger Tanaka playing poker, Bond's dubious secret agent IQ, in the incredibly important Mr. Dupont, double origin stories, turning the corner on the "Vesper as an amorphous blob" sentiment, and much more! So sit back, relax, crack open your copy of Casino Royale and join us for the inaugural Fleming Second Edition. Besides, the scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are so nauseating at three in the morning. It's more comfortable here!
You can follow Bill Koenig on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/TheSpyCommand You can read his Spy Command blog here: https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com
**important disclaimer: this week’s episode features significant blue language. Listener discretion is advised. Please tuck the little ones away just this week. Hello dear listeners! As a great genius once said, podcast boredom is the virus and The James Bond Complex is the cure. That’s how the saying goes, isn’t it? Perhaps not, but we’re sure that our latest episode will keep your tips up, be they poison shoe tips or…any others you can think of. Matt and Edgar are back with a Detour of a different sort. It’s not that they won’t be talking about British secret service, just not THE British Secret Service. We do away from MI6 for one week to take a look at how the Kinsgman save the world in Matthew Vaughn’s 2014 action-adventure film “Kingsman: The Secret Service.” And don’t start thinking that just because 007 is absent that there isn’t anything to talk about (the episode flirts with a 2-hour runtime for crying out loud). Quite the contrary in fact. Consider that Kingsman made them extrapolate thoughts on: gender fluidity, comic book to film comparisons, Vince Vaughn directing instead of Matthew, a drive by Kingsman 2 review, breathing in poop air, having rubber for bones, pain face acting even though Brosnan is nowhere to be seen, and so much more. So sit back, relax, don your finest double breasted suit or women’s workwear and enjoy our latest offering. Are we going sit around all day or are we going to press play!?!
This week Emery dives deep into Fleming, explaining how to play baccarat and its relation to blackjack. He even gets help from Très Bond!
We pay our (belated) tribute to Yaphet Kotto, talk Project 007 and dig into the recent offerings of the 007 store with Jason Kim.
The CIA is by far the farthest reaching and most present spy agency in both the real world and in fiction. From Fleming to film and indeed, everything in between. They assist MI6 and their famous agent 007 via the very capable and charming mop of straw colored hair that is Felix Leiter, and in the same breath, hunt down former agent and possible defector Jason Bourne. But who are they?
Hello dear listeners!
The wait is finally over. Ian Fleming returns to the podcast!
Yes, we ask you the listeners to take a round world trip with us this week, from Hong Kong to Honolulu to Berlin. Fleming was a man of the world, and Matt and Edgar would like to think of themselves as such too. However, given the unfortunate situation with the…’’you know what’’ afflicting the world currently, the next best option is to read and discuss Thrilling Cities, a collection of essays written by Fleming himself in 1959 and 1960 for the Sunday Times.
The master spy novelist always had a nose for the unique, the sexy, the exotic, and whatever delivered a good frisson of excitement. This quality shines brightly in Thrilling Cities, so much so that the boys couldn’t contain themselves with topics: living back-to-back Friday the 13ths, thinking of a special SF moment when Fleming woos a geisha, New York the Big Rotten Apple, gangsters actually being really terrific people, marine life conservationism via destroying said marine life, our aim of obtaining official diver licences and surf’s up dude!!!!
So sit back, relax, and discover a marvellous collection of, well, thrilling cities. Circa 1959 and 1960, mind you. So far in April 2021, it’s the safest way to travel!
Back in 2019 Emery of Intrepid fame did his first interview within the Bond community, taking time to talk to Edward Biddulph, author of Licence to Cook. The cookbook is unique in that it breaks down food from the novels and boy does 007 like to eat. Hope you all enjoy this delicious throwback.
Hello dear listeners!
We know you want Moore!
Much, much Moore!
So we'll give you Moore!
It's time for another Roger Moore Detour: Spice World!!!!
Just remember, the paper bag that carries nothing in it cannot be said to useless, unless of course the snowflake of destiny should brush upon it.
Oh, and most importantly, when the duckling begins to bark, then you know it is finally time to put your flute in its sheath.
Welcome dear listeners to the 2021 Autism Awareness Campaign. On April 2nd, join us in raising awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorder and supporting organisations that provide services to those in need. It's as easy as wearing your best blue Bond outfit and using the hashtags #Bondinblue and #autismawareness, as well as tagging us in your posts. Check out https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism for more info and support your local Autism charities. 100% of proceeds from the Intrepid 007 Podcast merchandise will support http://autismequebec.org/. You can find it here https://the-intrepid-007-podcast.creator-spring.com.
Hello dear listeners! James Bond lore is replete with missed opportunities, "what ifs", and close calls. If only someone had the wherewithal to research, investigate, and collect all of those glorious potential stories into a single compendium. There is such a person in fact! This week on the show we welcome filmmaker, documentarian, writer Mark Edlitz, who in late 2020 published "The Lost Adventures of James Bond: Timothy Dalton's Third and Fourth Bond Films, James Bond Jr...& Other Unmade or Forgotten 007 Projects." Whoah, that title is bit of a mouthful but that's only because there is a goldmine of brilliant content from the front cover (courtesy of fan favourite artist Sean Longmore) to the back. Mark was more than generous to spend some time with Matt and Edgar on a Sunday afternoon to discuss the his journey as a writer and Bond fan, the book's genesis, as well as plenty of juicy tidbits. We won't spoil too much for the listeners, nor do we in the episode itself, but among the sensational teases are Dalton's comedically tinged Bond film, Sean Connery vs a Yeti monster, Tobe Stephens' multifaceted vocal interpretations of James Bond, and more James Bond Jr. behind the scenes content than most people would ever guess they could read about. So sit back, relax, and come with us as we imagine how all these forgotten, misplaced, and never made stories play in our heads.
Check out Mark Edlitz online on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MarkEdlitz or at http://www.markedlitz.com Make sure to purchase a copy of "The Lost Adventures of James Bond" on Amazon!
Welcome to the Intrepid 007 Podcast on The James Bond Complex. To start things off, we've got a new, historical series examining the world of espionage. In both the real world and in fiction, MI6 is the United Kingdoms foreign intelligence service. Discover its roots, conncetions to Fleming and its history with 007.
In this 40 minute thriller, the offices of the James Bond Complex are taken over by INTREPID! Well, actually he's just being welcomed with open arms by his friends of the James Bond Complex. Longtime contributor and co-conspirator Emery Cormier joins the host ranks of the podcast! Bringing with him stuff she said and historical knowledge of intrepid quality. Join us in welcoming Emery into the fold!
Hello dear viewers, It's spring time; a moment of rebirth for nature as our days get longer, the weather nice and the snow slowly melts away here in Montreal. The perfect time to get in shape, change your wardrobe, learn new skills. To achieve these new goals, Bond fans of the sixties had "The Book Of Bond". A book written by Bill Tanner himself that gives wannabe secret agents the essential know-how to possibly become the next member of the 00-section.
Yeah... Right! This short tongue-in-cheek book was actually written by one time continuation author Kinglsey Amis and is a humorous look at James Bond, his skills, abilities and personal taste. Is this long out of print book a lost gem or plain ol' claptrap.
Hello dear listeners,
We got our mind on our money and our money and our mind. It's all about that marketing money, baby!
We're back this week with the conclusion to our conversation with David Zaritsky from The Bond Experience about how the 007 brand has been sold to fans and casuals alike over the decades. In Part 2 we cover AVTAK, GE, DAD, SF and NTTD.
Frankly, Matt and Edgar are but pupils when it comes to such a domain, so we suggest that you mostly pay attention to David's keen insights but stay for our pithy remarks. Well, some of them are pithy.
So sit back, relax, pick up a copy of an advertising for dummies book and tag along for another fascinating instalment of the James Bond Complex.
David Zaritsky can be found:
On Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thebondexperience/
On YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBondExperience
Hello dear listeners,
It feels like it's been ages since we've discussed any products on the 007 store, or a new poster or trailer in a Debriefing episode. Those were the days, weren't they? Days when we basked in the glory or saw our tails sag in shame at how the Bond brand was being marketed.
Well those days are back...at least for two weeks. Matt and Edgar are joined by the number one person in the Bond fan community to talk about, among many other things, marketing James Bond. Yes, David Zaritsky from The Bond Experience joins the fray this week for Part 1 of Marketing the Bond Brand.
To be perfectly honest, and as you'll soon discover, David does far more than join the fray. His professional vocation is all about marketing, and coupled with his unshakable love for all things 007, he is a force to be reckoned with!
The entire conversation spanned 3 hours (!) so we split this bad boy into two. This week we discuss the marketing campaigns behind the films Dr. No, Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Sevret Service, and Moonraker.
So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week's enlightening conversation about how 007 sells out-uh sells itself. Remember, there's no such thing as bad publicity!
David Zaritsky can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBondExperience
He can also be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thebondexperience/
Hello dear listeners! What value do novelizations have? How good can they be given that they are, after all, but the book equivalent of their filmic counterpart? Oh, heady stuff on this week’s episode of the show, as Matt and Edgar are back with a return to the world of Christopher Wood’s James Bond. As some listeners may recall last summer we sat down to read and discuss Wood’s Spy Who Loved Me novelization and it generated some rather interesting remarks and commentary. Well, Wood wasn’t done with the universe of Bond just yet, as he was brought back 2 years later to pen the novelization of James Bond – A Star Wars Sto- uh, Moonraker. Was this book as engaging and unique as its predecessor? The boys make their call by getting through all sorts of high brow topics like: Draxites, the return of squeaky and creaky gadgets, the soft reboot of Hugo Drax, squishy floating brain matter making for terrific reading material for 9-year olds, JBR to the rescue, and women who still shake hours after having amazing sex with James Bond. So sit back, relax, pick up your dusty copy of James Bond and Moonraker that’s practically falling apart and join us for a spacewalk.
Hello dear listeners! We fear that the battle for mutant and humankind is far from over. While last week’s discussion of 2000’s X-Men film had Matt, Edgar, and the listeners enter the Xhilirating, Xciting and Xtraordinary world of mutants, it only laid the groundwork for more to come. Yes, we’re back this week with more mutant madness, this time discussing the immediate sequel, X2: X-Men United from 2003, also directed by Bryan Singer. No controversy there! While last week wet our appetite with a buffet of talking points, X2 proves just as efficient at sparking conversations. Among the legion of philosophical nuggets of gold listeners shall regale in: Huge Jacked Man, singing the movie’s main theme, feral roars while attacking: buffoonish or not?, flying the X-Men minivan, the relationship between Kurt Wagner and Orouroramorou, Bryan Singer as Colossus and vice versa, getting stabbed by a blade of lust, and drive-by reviews of two other classics: X-Men Origins Wolverine and Dark Phoenix (which we haven’t seen but who cares). So sit back, grab a bear from the fridge, get Iceman to blow it fresh (ooh!) and check out this latest episode of The James Bond Complex. We swear to god we’ll be talking about 007 again soon!
Hello brothers and sisters!
Today is a great day for the mutant cause. Here on this episode we will discuss the first cinematic adapation of the foolish group of so-called "super-heroes" called The X-men. The director, Bryan Singer and his recent legal troubles, the making of the 2000 film and it's legacy. The nature of the comics, the costumes, make-up tribulations and legacy of this film and it's association to the 007 franchise.
Remember.
Trust a few. Fear the rest.
Hello dear listeners. In this adventure. James Bond teams up with a rogue assassin to take on a madman that assembled all of the world's most powerful leaders secrets in a black box computer. The country that gets this machine could become the dominant power for ecades to come... Plus Bond is being hunted down by a hulking brute with a fetish for death masks.
Hello dear listeners,
We’re back this week to continue our very special Detour mission, a deep dive into the Mission: Impossible 60s tv show with special agent Bill Koenig from the Spy Command blog.
There was simply too much suspense, too much action, too many twists and turns, too many masks for the conversation to be limited to a single episode, and so here we go with Part 2.
And there’s no question that when Bill is on the show, no stone is left unturned. If you thought we couldn’t come up with any more topics to dissect with unfathomable minutia, get ready for: quality directing flourishes, sustaining tension over 2-part episodes (how “meta”!), the spy craze of the 60s being the comic book movie domination of its time, Emmy glory for M:I, Mad Magazine and Get Smart parodies, and a bold new technology by which people rolling in their graves serve as perpetual motion energy sources (just listen to the show).
So sit back, relax, play the tape and make sure to open the window when the message self-destructs and produces that annoying little bit of thick smoke. Really bad for one’s health.
Hello dear listeners,
When we prepare our content, we like to think that our listeners should expect the unexpected. To expect…the impossible!
The debate, perhaps annoyingly so, that has been raging in recent years is which film franchise is serving the masses better: James Bond or Mission: Impossible? The podcast answers: why can’t we love both?
While Matt and Edgar will inevitably go through the adventures of Ethan Hunt soon enough, they figured to go back and start with the franchise’s original incarnation, the 1960s television show. Of course, if they’re talking about a spy show from the 60s, that can only mean one thing: guidance from special agent Bill Koenig from The Spy Command blog!
There’s so much to talk about, this is only Part 1 of the mission. Among the topics: the thrilling subject of actors contract negotiations, being locked out one’s own studio lot as a producer, the links that bond M:I and Star Trek, muscle acting, remaking episodes of the same series, the 80s tv show revival, kitty cat heists, and so much more.
So sit back, relax, mould your mask to perfection while listening to Part 1 of our Mission: Impossible 60s tv show Detour.
Hello dear listeners.
Welcome to the Republic Of Isthmus!
Some of the sights you can expect to see; the beautiful Casino De Isthmus where you can play a high-stakes game of Blackjack , the El Presidente' Hotel and it's beautiful hornate elevator, Professor Joe Butcher's Olympatec Meditation Institute, and the beautiful Paso del Diablo.
Just stay away from the exploding cocaine filled tankers!
We are finishing our discussion of 1989's Licence To Kill!
Hello dear listeners, We begin 2021 with the second and last Timothy Dalton film, 1989's Licence To Kill.
A film that to this day still is controversial and generates passionate discussions in the circle of Bond fans. Is 007's miami vice inspired tale of drugs, revenge and broken loyalties on of the franchise better entries or a uninspired Lethal Weapon rip-off?
You'll have to listen to this episode (and next one) to find out!
And be sure to remember... If you get on his bad side, your number is up.
*This episode was recored in September 2020
Hello dear listeners! Oh boy that week between Christmas and New Year's is always a bit of a challenge, isn't it? A massive holiday in the rear view mirror and another one just days away. We all ate and drank to our hearts content, business won't really resume as normal until after Jan 1st, plus we were editing like mad to get that 2-part Christmas Special done. Oof. We kind of feel like coasting this week, no? What to release, what to release?...Oh, what about that episode we did in September about a French-language comic book from Belgian-American graphic novel writer Stephen Desberg and illustrator Bernard Vrancken? Yeah, the one about a James Bond-esque character named Larry B. Max but is like if 007 worked for the I.R.S. instead of MI6 and uncovered unlawful money dealings committed by heinous people like Nazis? Yeah, that one's been done and ready to go for 2 months but we never knew when to release it. Good enough. So sit back, relax, and enjoy a relatively brief discussion about a special comic book series from Europe with some intense, unmistakable Bond vibes. Think of it as ending 2020 on a discovery...or started 2021 with a discovery, depending on when you listen to this. Just for the love of god remember to pay your taxes!
Hello ho ho ho again dear listeners, We hope you enjoyed last week's Christmas Special 2020 Part 1, which was our 3rd Bond Expansion volume. It was quite entertaining, engaging, thought provoking, and sometimes outright hilarious listening to what the Bond community has in mind if they had control over the 007 intellectual property. As hinted at last week, this year we received so many entries we chose to split the episode into two parts. Clearly the fantasy of making the big decisions for the 007 property stimulated and teased a lot of people. So here is yet another batch of armchair CEOs (including a little bit of local Québec flavour!) offering a plethora of inspired, thorough, and occasionally ludicrous ideas that are still in good fun. Some come in the form of poems, other in the form of a Christmas carol, while others just want to sell off the franchise and live a quiet but very very rich retirement. Just like last week, there is something for everybody in this overflowing Bond Expansion Vol 3. Featured this week: -The boys from the Roger Moore's Cubby Hole podcast -Personal friend Mathieu Nadeau whom we met at Operation Double Bourbon -Personal friend Pierre-Olivier Bernier (who appeared on the Global Bond Day 2019 episode) -Jon Burn from Not Perfected Yet. -The Très Bond dirty devils -Lloyd Nance from The Bond Influence (we have people everywhere!) -Friend of the show and recurring guest Phil Poggiali -Danielle and Korey, the community's power couple, from Another James Bond Podcast -Christopher Morales from That One Bond Guy -Jocelyn Sia from Ladies Who Bond -Joe Darlington aka Head of Section aka Being James Bond -David Zaritsky from The BOND Experience -Melanie Demers from Bird, James Bird. -and...Jason Kim, the International Man of Mystery. He hosts, he contributes, he travels, he can do it all.
So sit back, enjoy the cozy fire while wearing a horrendous Christmas sweater and enjoy Part 2 of the 2020 Christmas Special. Also, it's an episode on a Monday! Merry Christmas!
Hello ho ho ho dear listeners! It’s that time of year again. Just as in 2018 and 2019, the boys from The James Bond Complex have decided to hand over the mics to their friends and listeners for another Christmas Special. After all, they have people everywhere so participants weren’t hard to find. As for the topic, Matt and Edgar were tickled pink with the success of the first two Bond Expansion episodes that it occurred to them to let everybody else take a shot at the game. The set up: You wake up early on Christmas morning and tip toe down the stairs while everyone else is still asleep. Upon approaching the Christmas tree, you notice a beautiful golden envelope with the 007 logo engraved on it. It’s a letter from Barbara and Michael handing over the entire 007 intellectual property. So many people and podcasts sent it audio contributions that for the first time ever, the Christmas Special is a 2-parter! Part 1 features: Jake and Luke from Blunt Instruments Edward Biddulph from Licence to Cook David Lowbridge Ellis from Licence to Queer Emery Cormier of the Intrepid 007 Podcast The lads from The 00 Files The OHMSpod Rogue Agents Tom and the gang from Really, 007! David Leigh from The James Bond Dossier (3rd time contributor!) Jeff Phillips (jeff.5887 on Instagram) Donnie Waldron from Quantum of History and Carmine Ruscitto from Live and Let Drive on Instagram. So sit back, pour the eggnog and enjoy a candy cane and enjoy Part 1 of the Christmas Special 2020: Bond Expansion Vol 3!
Hello dear listeners! Oh the weather outside is frightful but fire is so delightful. What fire you say? The one burning Nakatomi Plaza to the ground! That’s right, in a pre-Christmas special warmup episode we take a look and dissect one of if not the greatest action film ever made, Die Hard from 1988. In fact, one of the hosts even claims it’s one of the best films ever, period. 2 podcasts hosts aren’t enough to tackle all those terrorists, so Jason Kim joins in on the festivities. With so many reviews, analyses, and podcasts having previously discussed John McTiernan’s 80s classic, what is there possibly left to say? Ha! Just leave that to The James Bond Complex. Die Hard spurs a number of joyous topics like: Jason’s pain face, preparing for a podcast with actual notes, Jason’s availabilities for the ladies (ooh!), the cinema of Frank CRAPA, the believability found in incredulity, the OG lens flares, a drive by shooting of the 4 sequels, and a very, very special guest at the very end of the show to establish once and for all whether Die Hard is a Christmas movie. So sit back, grab a cup of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows and enjoy this week’s pre-Christmas special warmup. You had better, because we have a machine gun now HO HO HO!
Hello dear listeners! Like so many people at this time of year, Matt and Edgar get together to compile a ‘’best off’’ list. But with a twist. It’s time to go back to the 80s! That’s right, Matt and Edgar deliver another golden record hit of Bond Beats. This 3rdvolume goes through the entirety of the 1980s, from Bill Conti’s FYEO score, right up to and including Michael Kamen’s work on LTK. As with Volumes 1 and 2, the boys regale listeners not only with snippets of their top 3 favourite tracks from each score, but share the innermost thoughts and feelings those pieces inspire. This one gets a little wild in fact, with topics ranging from: their insistence that no money is earned with the podcast, a meat sandwich with Conti Barry and Kamen, feeling things deep inside them that last all night, dance moves you’ll never get to see because this is audio format only, femalocity, smelling bombs, Grace Jones creeping up from behind Edgar’s couch, Matt’s cozy Sunday mornings, substituting Patti LaBelle for Céline Dion, and a Michael G. Wilson cameo. So sit back, get some hot cocoa, put your earmuffs on and enjoy this latest episode of The James Bond Complex podcast. We promise a healthy dose of Dirty Love.
Hello dear listeners, It's been a little while since our last Debriefing episode, but good things come to those who wait. Heh, and with respect to Bond fans we're very good at waiting! This week we invite a new friend to the show. Mike Reyes is a regular contributor to the Cinema Blend website which covers pop culture in all its shapes and forms, from films to video games and everything in between. Ooh! After establishing that Mike does NOT work for a café called Cinnamon Blend nor that he is a barista, we delve into a plethora of October and November topics that have got Bond fans perplexed, hopeful, and gleefully excited. From No Time to Die's most recent release date change, the possible implications Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO MAX might have on NTTD, and the new video game announcement. Enjoy and stay up to date...about a month late.
Follow Mike Reyes on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MrControversy83 Actually stay up to date with pop culture at Cinema Blend here: https://www.cinemablend.com Mike Reyes' author page: https://www.cinemablend.com/author/mike-reyes/
This week we are back with Emery Cormier of "The Intrepid 007 Podcast" https://anchor.fm/the-intrepid-007-podcast to conclude our discussion/ review of John Gardner's 6th James Bond continuation novel " No Deals Mr. Bond". We analyze Bond Girl: Ebbie Heritage's enthusiasm and characterization and a speculative adaptation. We also explore Bond's violent battle against a four men death squad as well as the importance of ...Semen?
Is this 1987 adventure a deal the panelist recommend? Listen to find out!
M has assigned 007 to an off the books assignment. He's put in charge of saving the lives of the last surviving members of "Operation Creamcake", an honeypot scheme that was aborted 5 years earlier and it's former members are now tracked by a KGB hit team. Worst. It seems that a double agent has infiltrated the operation!
To discuss another Gardner book, our last one of 2020. We felt the ideal way was to bring back one of our oldest friends; Emery Cormier of the 007 Intrepid podcast. This was a long recording where alot of this books elements we're discussed; Bond's salad dressing, Gardner not writing in the same style as Fleming, the history of Blades and strentgh and weaknesses of the author.
Jason Kim (instagram: @jasxon88) joins us as we discuss the passing of legendary actor and original cinematic James Bond Actor; Sir Sean Connery.
Dear listeners... do you enjoy 80's r-rated horror movies ? Hopefully you do as this week we take you on another detour...
Welcome To Crystal Lake!
Yes this year we are taking on another Iconic horror franchise. Last year we took on the Halloween Franchise because of it's connection to the Bond franchise through Donald Pleasance.
For Jason Voorhees and James Bond, well it's a little different...
In this episode you'll discover Matt's love for trashy (or is just trash) 80's movie soundtrack. You'll also dicover his appreciation ofevery film in the series. You'll get some plausible aswers for the enternal question: How does Jason keep coming back? While Edgar enjoyed the original 1980 film, does he enjoy 1986's sixth sequel Jason Lives?
We are truly streching the definition of "From Fleming To Film & Everything In-Between" with this episode. But it's all in good fun.
Happy Halloween!
Hello dear listeners!
Just in time for Halloween (there is an actual Halloween special coming too!) Matt and Edgar are visiting the island of San Monique to dance with the man who cannot die, the spirit from another world, Baron Samedi himself! Yes friends it’s time for Live and Let Die Reloaded. The boys visited a Taro card reader and the voodoo gods themselves ordained it, and who can argue with them?
It’s certainly not because this is the second time the lads discuss Roger Moore’s first outing as Bond that they have nothing to talk about. Heavens no. In fact, they go wild with a plethora of ideas and backstories that all relate to the film, both from a personal level and regarding the movie’s production itself. Among the subjects the Taro cards commanded they broach:
The picture quality of the Google Movies stream of LALD and that from Apple TV, HD projectors, discovering “Vivre et laisser mourir” as younglings, the joy one gets from writing dumb sheriff characters for screenplays, more of Matt’s amazing fanfiction character backstories, the exteeeeeeeended boat chase on the Louisiana bayou, colourful supporting villains (zing!), giant coffee grinders as death traps, and how much Paul McCartney sucks, apparently.
We hope you enjoy this 2nd visit to LALD. So just ease in, listeners. Relaaaaaax. Mr. Big wants to see you
Hello Dear listeners, This week we discuss the best tactical outfits James Bond wore throughout his cinematic career. Is Dalton's tactical tuxedo a costume or a tactical outfit? What about Connery's Thunderball wetsuit? All this is part of very long, messy and funny conversation!
Hello dear listeners! It wasn't that long ago that Mathieu and Edgar took a look at the first graphic novel adaptation of Fleming's work, Casino Royale, published by Dynamite Comics. Well, since there are only 2 adaptations to speak of at the moment, the boys figured they'd complete the duology before heading back to stories about the modern 007 in comics for future reviews. Live and Let Die sees writer Van Jensen return to adapt the script, although this time Fleming's prose is brought to visual life by Kewber Baal. Just as the first graphic novel produced unparalleled intellectual criticism, so too does the sequel. Among the bountiful number of topics broached are comparisons between the two graphic novel styles, too much ready read and not enough looky look, not enough grey colour on a black man (we explain this, trust us), shorts skirts in January in New York, Mathieu and Edgar possibly working on the next adaptation, 3 cheers for Fay Dunaway - uh, we mean Fay Dalton, and Casper Van Dien. Oh, and the return of James Bond Jr. Are you excited yet?!? So sit back, relax, crack open your copies of the Live and Let Die graphic novel and tag along for another thrilling instalment of The James Bond Complex!
Hello dear listeners!
It's the end of the month and it can only mean one thing... Debriefing time! To discuss the most recent happenings we brought our third man Jason KIm to discuss recent offerings of the 007 store, the death of Michael Longsdale and Not Time To Die!
Hello dear listeners, This week we have a new protagonist; Joe Turner. He's not a field agent. He works as a reader for "American Literary Historical Society", a clandestine CIA op. On his way back to his office Joe discovers all of his co-workers have been executed. Turner, under the code-name Condor must now avoid hitman on is trail and discover the secret behind the death of his fellow readers. To discuss this 1975 film directed by Sydney Pollack. Matt (with two Tees) & Edgar have brought back our "Third man"; Jason Kim in order to discuss this tale of suspense and betrayal based on the novel "Six Days Of The Condor" by James Grady.
*Full disclosure, this episode was recorded in early July 2020 at a time when no one knew what was to become of "No Time to Die" November release. Much of the early portion of the conversation was edited for brevity's sake, to say nothing that much of what was speculated on became obsolete n September 1st.
Hello dear listeners!
By now you know friend of the show Phi Poggiali rather well. He ragaled us in the fall of 2018 about what could have been Timothy Dalton's 4TH Bond film. He returned in January of this year to guide us through the Find Your Fate books from the 1980s.
A common theme ran through many of those episodes, that being of authors and screenwriters who at one time had a hand at writing a Bond movie script, only for their efforts to not feature in the final product (not much anyways).. The name Donald E. Westlake came up more than once in fact.
So now we have Phil back on the show for the conclusion of any Bond-themed Westlakian episodes we can muster (although not necessarily the concluding episode to feature Phil!). A couple of years ago a boutique crime fiction publishing house released "Forever and a Death", an adventure novel Westlake wrote in the late 1990s that was heavily inspired by his ideas for Bond 18, which eventually became "Tomorrow Never Dies."
Wriggling with 007 goodness despite not being an official 007 novel, it produced yet another bountiful collection of discussion topics: Donald E. Westlake many pen names, Phil's sleuthing some years ago to learn of the manuscript's existence, the usefulness of the Gottlieb archives, the author's penchant for given characters full development even if he's going to ax them a few chapters later, and of course everybody's favourite game at the podcast: CASTING CALL!
So sit back, relax, and allow a different author to transport you to a world of danger, action, intrigue, and romance. It isn't Fleming, but it's damn well worthy of the 'Everything in Between' saying.
So much has happened in the last few weeks for the Bond Community.... The loss of Diana Rigg. The release of a new trailer. It became evident that to cover these events we needed help, we needed to bring in more operatives. Enter: Emery Cormier of "The Intrepid 007 Podcast" & "International Man Of Mystery" Jason Kim.
Hello dear listeners!
This week Edgar & Matt are going back to Fleming! We are covering Casino Royale (again) ! The book has been adapted as a film, a radio play and even a Tv show. But it had never been adapted as a graphic novel until 2017 when
Dynamite Entertainment published a Graphic Novel Adaptation by Van Jensen & Dennis Calero. Join us as we discuss this fascinating look at Ian Fleming's first James Bond story!
Hello dear listeners! If one thing is sure, we at the James Bond Complex love our singular heroes, especially when directed by Martin Campbell, who presents them so well. Tall, handsome, dashing, well dressed, adept at spycraft, handy with the women, wielding rapiers and engaging in terrific sword fights. Oh, pardon us. Did you forget that Martin Campbell director another iconic adventure hero from Western culture apart from James Bond? That right’s, the man who introduced 2 Bonds to the world also helped reintroduce the legendary Zorro in his 1998 swashbuckler The Mask of Zorro. In fact, the character was so nice he directed him twice (more on that probably never). We even brought in the International Man of Mystery Jason Kim to dive into this 1998 classic. As usual, the trio dissects a wide array of endlessly noteworthy topics such as: Catherine Zeta-Jones being praiseworthy in any decade (for her acting of course!), formative films of 1990s, Anthony Hopkins’ absolutely stunning hair, how the PC police would have a field day with the movie, and comparing the film’s Captain Love villain to the actor who played Red Grant in From Russia With Love. You know, that actor. Uh?... So strap on your mask (the Zorro mask. Well, yes, of course a COVID mask too. Yes it’ll be a little uncomfortable. Look, do you want to tag along with us and Zorro or not ?!?) pick up your rapier, mount your steed and enjoy this week’s episode just we will enjoy spending a lifetime podcasting for you.
Hello dear listeners!
This debriefing is special! How special? Very special. This was the first time since February that We (Matt & Edgar) Reunited at the studio for an in person discussion. Our enthusiasm (and a drought of 007/ No Time To Die news) generated a very lively, but quite chaotic discussion. We cover everything from Vin Diesel's xXx movies, Matt's Transformers and Batman collection. The 007 Funko Pops. The entertainment weekly guide and much more!
Hello dear Listeners!
For a change of pace we bring you a short discussion about the most recent BBC radio adaptation of Ian Fleming's original work. The final Fleming Novel " The Man With The Golden Gun". Is this new version of the novel something to seek out or is it something to forget? Is Toby Stephens better as Bond than as Gustav Graves? Listen to the show to find out!
Hello dear listeners! An actor we haven’t talked about very much on the show is Timothy Dalton. Believe us, it isn’t because we don’t like him, but he only did 2 Bond films. What’s more, we really want to savour Licence to Kill as much as possible (we’ve done TLD) so what could we do instead?... Oh look! it’s a Dalton Detour! I mean, oh look! It’s the Rocketeer! Yes that’s right, this week the boys bring you the very first Dalton Detour with a look at the 1991 Joe Johnston directed action-adventure film, The Rocketeer. Lauded by the people that have seen it, the problem being that not many people have seen it! In fact the film was a bit of a dud back in the summer of ’91, which is quite disheartening considering the picture’s stellar qualities. There are so many things to talk about we had to bring in the International Man of Mystery himself Jason Kim just to cover it all. We fly by as many topics as we can, among them the fact that Billy Campbell and Bruce Campbell should have been brothers, Jennifer Connelly coming out Onatop of things since to do very well career-wise, Dalton’s brilliant facial acting, that it doesn’t matter if the physics of your rocket pack don’t work as long as you look cool, judging men by their beauty, playing armchair quarterback with regards to film release dates, and The Matrix 2 (no, that one. The other one). And dammit when are we getting that Neville Sinclair Laughing Bandit film?!? So get up, put your helmet on, strap on the jetpack and fly with us as we bask in the glory of this oft-forgotten early 90s jewel.
Follow Jason on Instagam at https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
Hello dear listeners!
We at the James Bond Complex love movies. We also love books. Several movies and franchises have books about them, such as behind the scenes encapsulations of a film's production or theoretical books that explore a movie's thematic texture. That said, one of the oft overlooked marriages between movies and books is the novelization. At one time an extremely popular tie-in marketing strategy, the novelization has mostly gone the way of the dodo, notwithstanding a few exceptions here and there.
This week on the show, Matt and Edgar dive into what is surely one of the great curiosities of 007 books in the entire franchise's history: The Spy Who Loved Me novelization, penned by Christopher Wood. Why should a novelization attract so much curiosity you ask? Well, give this week's episode a spin to find out just how dissonant the book is from the film, especially from a tonal perspective. The crazy thing is Christopher Wood worked on the film's screenplay too!
There is unquestionably much to talk about this week, most notably what it would be like to see Roger's Bond get electrocuted in the crown jewels, the glorious prose that describes a woman spreading sunscreen on her voluptuous assets, how many Nazi connections we can spot, the importance of celebrating an anniversary BEFORE dying a horrifying death, and most importantly, does the book make it any clearer if Bond intentionally uses the poor Egyptian as a shield?
So sit back, relax, light up your shisha and prepare some mint tea because Matt and Edgar have a real interesting one on their hands this week. Hooray for R-rated novels about Roger Moore 007 adventures!
Hello dear listeners! It's the end of July!!! Did you watch Operation Freefall? Or Retroblasting's livestream? Did you purchase an Octopussy bathrobe? What about No Time To Die, willever come out?!? Listen to this episode. We may not have all the answers. But one thing we do have is International man of mystery Jason Kim!!!
Operation: FREEFALL | A Live Bond Celebration | The Director's Cut: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaxG40mF1Wo RetroBlasting Livestream XLIII: Bond... James Bond (July 25, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-94zqEluNk&list=PLZIxaT6XsvKq29W_irSIzifb3BO-QqtyX&index=45 Octopussy Silk Robe - Numbered Edition - By MENG: https://007store.com/collections/james-bond-womens-clothing/products/exclusive-octopussy-silk-robe-by-meng
Sterling Malory Archer, International Secret Intelligence Service (ISIS) code-named Duchess. The world's greatest secret agent. Or so he thinks. The star of the Animated FX Tv series "Archer". Yes gentlemen we are finally doing a detour with the crew of Isis!
Hello dear listeners. This is it, the James Bond Complex takes on the very popular subject of clothing inspired by 007. Edgar & Matt discuss their favorite casual outfits from the 1960's.
Hello, dear listeners!
As June morphs into July and the summer heats up ever more, the boys find a Shady Tree to hit the books again for some summer reading with John Gardner's fifth novel, Nobody Lives Forever. Mathieu and Edgar remain undeterred in their journey through the Gardner oeuvre even though the adventure has been a bit rocky up until this point. Surprise, surprise, for the first time since cracking open the Gardners, the podcast witnesses its first (mild) disagreement. Yes, one of the hosts was once again lukewarm whereas the other genuinely enjoyed himself.
But that's not all. In analyzing the book the lads venture into other obviously and intricately related topics such as how cleaning up after squashed poisonous bat prepares one for COVID-19 safety measures, what breakfast at Bond's place would be like with him, Q'ute and May at the same table, opinions of the Gardner titles (fart noise or no fart noise) and the importance of sometimes just ''going along for the ride."
Get excited, for this is our biggest book related podcast ever, with special appearances by Michael Keaton, Anthony Quinn, Steve Irwin, Kevin Conroy, Doctor Who, OK Google, and Dr. Ketchup. Who's Dr. Ketchup? Find out!
So sit back, relax, open a cold one or prepare a nice tonic. Don't miss the opportunity to enjoy the nice weather and another great episode. After all, Nobody Lives Forever.
Summer is here! Edgar & Matt discuss the Orlear Brown section of the Ogilvy store in downtown Montreal and Matt discuss a new theory about the 19th James Bond film; The World Is Not Enough. Tin foil hat NOT required!
Hello dear listeners!
What a whirlwind time we all had last week with our GE Part 1 discussion, featuring so many topics that we barely got through 1/3 of the film! We’d love to continue titillating you some more but-
No, no, no. No more foreplay.
Fair enough. We’re back this week with, naturally, Part 2 of the GoldenEye deep dive analysis, with Mathieu and Edgar forging ahead to bring as detailed a review as possible. The boys consider it a duty to inspect every nook and cranny of the 007 films in service of the listenership, even if it means peering straight at Izabella Scorupco’s…abdomen?
Hang on tight because this week’s episode brings no shortage of fascinating, unforgettable and occasionally self-indulgent topics.
-Is it preferable to be killed heroically or memorably? (spoilers: they aren’t always one and the same!)
-How convincing or not is super intense stare acting?
-Does GoldenEye inspire a brand new Mortal Kombat finishing move?
-How horny can one get by philosophising about life, death, and betrayal? The answer might surprise you.
-How would we decorate David Zaritsky’s basement museum, or possibly his bathroom?*
So sit back, relax, and get ready for more topsy turvy fun than you can have in a sauna. Then again, that depends on your definition of ‘’safe sex.’’
*We don’t come cheap.
Hello dear listeners! You’ll never know how we’ve been watching you from the shadows a child! Oh, surprised? Please don’t be. You’ve known full well for a while now that #wehavepeopleeverwhere. #EVERYWHERE! Now that the creepiness factor has gone up exponentially, we’re certain you can guess what got us in the mood to play peekaboo. That’s right, it’s the return of the cinematic Bond this week for a long-winded conversation about 1995’s GoldenEye, directed by Martin Campbell and starring Pierce Brosnan. As we are want to do, we’ve split the review into 2 parts. Trust us, it has nothing to do with buying us an extra week’s worth of episodes. Maybe a little. But we digress. After all, 2 parts means twice the bountiful ideas and high minded film criticism delivered with unmistakable aplomb by hosts Mathieu and Edgar. For instance, in this week’s Part 1 the lads surgically dissect such diverse topics as: who does the best gunbarrel of the series, Brosnan’s thrilling turn as the rival beau in Mrs. Doubtfire, if Bond caused the Chernobyl catastrophe, how Brosnan’s kill count would make Michael Myers and Jason Voorhees blush, titillating cigar stroking, and if dam bungee jumps would make people puke if filmed in IMAX. And that list is merely to wet your appetites! So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s in depth review of GoldenEye. We love delivering quality content to friends like you, especially since we have 3 things in common: James Bond and podcast listening. We just hope the 3rd is where your REAL talent lies. Ooh!
Hello dear listeners! Shocking development here. James Bond has gone rogue. Fired from Mi6. The former 007 has joined forces with Spectre. Or has he?....
It's a slow news month. But IGN's timeline theory video as well as the James Bond community's Calvin Dyson inspired Matt to dig into his archive and present a new way of watching the Bond series. It doesn't involve code name theory or a mixed-up timeline. It takes alot of careful analysis of the films, some speculation and a bit of fun. The year of Bond watching order. what is it? How does it work?
Listen to find out!
Hello dear listeners!
The "Reloaded" series continues! This time we go back in time to 1985 and take a second look at Roger Moore's swan song as 007! We discuss the good, the bad and the extremly silly! We also bring up a few Bond fans essential reading: A Close Look at 'A View to a Kill' by Andrew McNess & Some Kind of Hero: The Remarkable Story of the James Bond Films by Matthew Field and Ajay Chowdhury. So come with us and dance into the fire!
Hello dear listeners!
We want to talk to you about James Bond’s best friend in the whole wide world: Felix Leiter. What a swell guy, eh? Oh, what’s that now? Which version?
Oh, no no, we’re talking about the Jack Lord version.
Nope, nor the Cec Linder one.
Nor the Norman Burton one either.
Okay, you can stop gues-.
No, not Rick Van Nutter.
It’s alright, we’ll just tel-
Ugh, not the Jeffrey Wright version either.
Alright, that’s it, this week we’re discussing Dynamite Entertainment’s “Felix Leither” comic book that ran from early to mid 2017. Written by James Robinson and drawn by Aaron Campbell, this 6-issue story arc takes the former CIA agent on a solo mission to mission to Japan…where he isn’t working solo since he’s actually partnered with Tiger Tanaka.
Fear not, listeners. It isn’t because 007 himself isn’t around that there isn’t anything to talk about. Have Dynamite Entertainment properly crafted the time line of their comics series? Is it better to have a romantic ending or a cynical one? What are the two things Felix and former flame Alena are good at (hint: one of them involves going undercover)? Can nobody ever really leave the CIA? Does Felix Leiter have Kermit the Frog eyes?
So sit back, relax, and let hosts Mathieu and Edgar take you on a unique detour away from Bond to spend time with an old friend.
No, it’s not the David Hedison version…
Hello dear listeners!
Sir Roger Moore is one of the most fondly remembered actors of the James Bond franchise. So many fondly recall and pay tribute to his generally kind personality and positive outlook on life. His flair for the debonair enabled him to portray several tremendous characters on television and film. Roles that demonstrated bravery, sophistication, terrific wit, unapologetic sexism and misogyny-
Woah, woah, woah, hold on there! Excuse me?
Hosts Mathieu and Edgar are back this week with a Roger Moore Detour, because there’s always time for some more Moore. And boy do we ever get a lot Moore than we bargained for!
In an attempt to think a little bit outside the box, the lads opt to review the long forgotten 1980 action thriller (relatively speaking) A Very British Die Hard. Oh, you don’t recognize the title? How about North Sea Hijack? Still no? Hmmm, Assault Force? Not even? Uh, “ffolkes”???
Whatever. They’ll be talking about that 1980 film in which Roger Moore plays a paramilitary expert and an absolute douche bag to anyone that bothers to lend him their ears for a minute, especially anyone belonging to the fairer sex. Yes, well, thinking outside the box for their film selection led to some, uh, surprising topics of conversation: why are cats superior to women? How did a woman get that job? Why are there even women in the room? And so on and so forth…
Oh, but on a more positive note, the film displays modern, progressive values by featuring a non-binary character. Sort of. Maybe a little. Actually just in ffolkes’ twisted reality it would seem.
Sit back, try your best to get comfortable. Maybe prepare yourself a really stiff drink. Or two or three.
Don’t tell us we didn’t warn you. Ffolkes won’t. Believe us.
Hello Dear listeners. This week we are bringing you back to the comic book store! Yes we are discussing Dynamite Entertainment's James Bond comic book universe! The 007 case files is a collection of one shot stories: SERVICE , a story that has 007 squaring off against a an extremist militia. MONEYPENNY, M's bodyguard/ personal assistant takes center stage during an adventure that focuses on her upbringing. SOLSTICE, James Bond is assigned a personal assignment from M during the holidays. Finally we have M, a message from his past has the head of the secret service going on his own assignment.
Plenty to discuss here; the Goldeneye livestream, the death of Honor Blackman and whatever the 007 store recently added to it,s page!
Hello dear listeners!
The time has come to travel back to a decade when the disco balls reigned supreme, funk was in the air, it was alright to catch some Saturday Night Fever, and the James Bond film franchise began to explore bold new avenues to tell its stories to the world. Oh yeah, let's go back to the 1970s!
Not only did the franchise have to deal with a new era of Bond filmmaking insofar as the Roger Moore tenure got fully into swing (that's another decade altogether!), but so too did the producers have to bring in new composers for some of the scores. In this new chapter of the podcast's Bond Beats series, Volume 2: the 70s, Mathieu and Edgar spin the vinyl of all 5 Bond scores that rocked the decade, from "Diamonds are Forever" through to "Moonraker." John Barry is back in full force, but legends George Martin and Marvin Hamlisch try their hat as well.
Like last time in Volume 1: the 60s, the boys take a slightly different approach to discussing the music. Beyond just stating which cues and tracks they like most, listeners will get a peak into what the music makes then feel and imagine. The conversation takes some delightful twists and turns: What could the lyrics to ''Q's Trick'' be like? How much better and wetter are things under the sea with a Disney swim and dance number? How effective is the Moonraker score at helping one fall asleep? How much lounge music is too much lounge music? Which piece of music is fit for the a picnic under a tree on the perfect summer day?
So sit back, relax, put your ear buds on and enjoy the ride through the scores of the 1970s. Brass, strings, funk and disco. Let's go!
Hello dear listeners!
We may have lost Sir Roger Moore in 2017, but his words and legendary wit still live. In 2012 the third man to play James Bond sat down and wrote a book about his experience with the world of 007 from its inception to his part in it and even after leaving the role. Edgar and Matt share their experience of savouring in the late actor's words in print and audio form.
Hello dear listeners!
Imagine if you could travel back in time to WWII, when spycraft was a far cry from the game it is today. Even as a simple civilian you could be recruited and trained as a spy to perform various tasks and trades to help the Allied forces push the tide of the war. It’s both a frightening and exhilarating proposition.
No, hosts Mathieu and Edgar have not built a time machine. Rather, Netflix and the BBC took care of that for them! This week on the show the boys review the 2018 miniseries Churchill’s Secret Agents: The New Recruits, a reality television show that has ordinary people partake in a WWII era and authentic training regime to become part of the Special Operations Executive.
A relatively brief series with only 5 episodes, the show is explored in great detail by the lads, who take note of some of the more important details that struck their curiosity.
How come it’s always the little mousy ones that would be ready to kill a man?
Could one become a member of the SOE if one was afraid of heights?
Even the grandmothers are hot, so it was exactly like a James Bond movie.
French and German officers spoke impeccable English.
There’s no time to faff around, so get ready for another thrilling instalment of The James Bond Complex, early 1940s style!
SPOILER WARNING!!! This week the hosts delve deeply into No Time to Die plot details.
Hello dear listeners!
It’s now April 2020. In what must be one of the podcast’s most highly anticipated episodes since the show’s launch, the hosts offer you an incredible exclusive. No other 007 themed podcasts were given the glorious privilege that we were.
Finally here is The James Bond Complex’s review of No Time to Die!
And suffice to say that it left the hosts quite surprised from start to finish, including about the general plot outline itself. Oh, those marketing people at EON, MGM and Universal were very clever with this one, throwing the fanbase off the scent with a marketing campaign that had everyone guessing incorrectly. Trust us when we say that this is not the No Time to Die you were probably expecting!
Matt, Edgar, and the International Man of Mystery himself Jason Kim leave no stone unturned in this unexpected review filled with twists and turns. Who would be better to test a tank: Jason or Pierce Brosnan? Would Michael Bay or Christopher Nolan be more suited to make a tank movie? Did Fiona Volpe fake her own death before becoming a member of S.P.E.C.T.R.E.? How cool is it that filmmakers still shoot films in Cinemascope these days? Is the latest Bond film the one that finally lays to rest the codename theory? Does NTTD actually suggest that even Daniel Craig’s version of the character is the same as the 5 previous? Also, where’s Daniel Craig in this movie???
So sit back and- you know what, you won’t be able to sit back this week. This exclusive No Time to Die review will have you on the edge of your seat. The hosts still can’t believe the film they just watched!*
No, really. They genuinely don’t understand which version of No Time to Die this is.*
** Maybe this one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOx0KG0EErI&t=53s
Welcome to the world of "Social distancing". Don't worry loyal listeners. Not only do we have a ton of material already recorded and being edited. The show will go on. This started as a debriefing with fellow Podcaster of the excellent "Intrepid 007 podcast"; Emery Cormier, it qucikly became something of a "Shrubland session" as we discuss the recent changes in our society.
Hello dear listeners! We’re having a bit of an identity crisis. We know how to set up our recording studio, plug in the Tascam recording, toggle the volume adjustments on the mixer, and connect a smart phone so that a third individual and Skype into our podcast conversation. Now why would we know how to do all that and not know who we are?... Psyche! Fear not listeners, we know exactly who we are and there is no identity crisis around theses parts, save perhaps for the subject of this week’s episode. We’ve done Bond actor detours and even a Gotham City Detour, but here is our first ever visit to a wholly different interpretation of the cinematic spy genre. On this week’s show the boys discuss 2002’s The Bourne Identity starring Matt Damon, along with their man in the field, the international man of mystery himself Jason Kim. We love spy movies, even when it comes to franchises that rival Bond, and who can resist Matt Damon? Ooh la la! Does this film truly represent a ‘’hail to the anti-007’’ as quoted in an article brought up in the discussion? How badly can Jason beat people up? How does a film like Bourne Identity stack up against the behemoths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe? What did Edgar do when he visited Pont Neuf back in the day? How upset can one get when being chewed out by Chris Cooper? Motivating male protagonists: to fridge or not to fridge? So sit tight and buckle your seat belts because we’re going down those steps in the narrow ally in our Mini Coop. Enjoy this week’s episode of the… of the uh… uh…Oh god!
Brought to you by UNIVEX. When they're THIS intrepid, no shipment is too complex!
Follow Jason on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
Hello dear listeners!
This is a critical moment for the entire James Bond fan community. As you download this episode on Wednesday March 11th we are exactly 1 week removed from…you know what. Just as we were all so terribly excited about No Time to Die, circumstances beyond almost anybody’s control had the film temporarily pulled away from under our feet, at least until November. Suddenly, Bond is nowhere to be found on the April cinema calendar.
Fitting, therefore, that Bond is nowhere to be found this week on the show either, although his spirit and that of Ian Fleming cast a long shadow over this week’s topic: The Man From U.N.C.L.E., both the 2015 film directed by Guy Ritchie and the television series that exploded onto tv sets in the 1960s.
Heaven forbid hosts Mathieu and Edgar pretend they know U.N.C.L.E. as well as they do Bond. Nay, the lads bring in reinforcements this week to lay the groundwork of what The Man From U.N.C.L.E. franchise is and how it got started. We welcome Bill Koenig, also as the The Spy Command (or, we as like to say, simply the Spy Commander), who runs a fantastic blog about the espionage pop culture phenomenon in all its shapes forms.
Effortless pop and U.N.C.L.E. scholar, Bill regales Matt and Edgar in the history of the entire series before diving into a mini-review of the 2015 motion picture adaptation. The usual hosts, frankly, just bask in the glory that is Bill’s knowledge and insight.
So sit back and enjoy a different spin on the spy pop culture phenomenon, albeit with obvious 007 echoes. Cry U.N.C.L.E.? Bob’s your U.N.C.L.E.? Forget about it. We have you covered this week!
Check out Bill Koenig on Twitter at https://twitter.com/TheSpyCommand
Check out his blog, The Spy Command, at https://hmssweblog.wordpress.com
WARNING: This episode contains audio material that could cause emotional distress, permanent brain damage and high levels of anxiety.
Yes. Matt "Sings".
We talk about Operation Snowfall, The Title song and other bits of info as "No Time To Die" is almost upon us!
Hello dear listeners!
Where you go we go. What you see we see. We know we'd never be us without the security of your lovin- Ahem clears throat Yes, well, we got a little carried away there for a moment, but how could we not?!? Hosts Mathieu and Edgar have returned from a weekend in Station T (Toronto, Ontario) for what will surely go down as one of the highlights of 2020, at least as far as the North American fleet of the James Bond fan community is concerned. The weekend of Feb 21st-23rd was the much hyped "Operation: Snowfall", dubbed such by none-other than Matt and Ed. The delightful city of Toronto played host to 2 screenings of Skyfall in Concert (Friday and Saturday) at the Meridian Hall downtown. "Operation: Snowfall" was a gargantuan gathering of Bond fans and social media platform movers and shakers from around Québec, Ontario, and the northeastern United States. It was without a doubt memorable weekend of chatter, laughs, stories, opinions shared, first time hand shakes...oh right and the concert itself! On Sunday afternoon at a cozy Second Cup coffee shop in Toronto's convention centre Matt, Edgar, and our man in the field, the international man of mystery himself Jason sat down with their smart phones and recorded a conversation about the overall weekend and the show specifically. How stressful is the music in the film? Just how impressive is the screentime Judi Dench gets in SF? Sam Mendes: artistic genius? What instrument can Jason play? To subtitle or not to subtitle? Should there be a version of Thomas Newman's score with heavy synth? Why did it take so long for Amy Adams' career to balloon?!? All this and more on this week's "Operation: Snowfall" Debriefing!
Check out Jason's solo missions on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
Hello dear listeners!
Or rather, listener!
Yes you, the one person apart from the hosts of The James Bond Complex that went to see The Rhythm Section in theatres. It’s hard sometimes rooting for EON Productions, especially when they release Bond films so infrequently these days and when they throw their hat in the ring for projects of a different variety…no one pays attention.
Nevertheless, the hosts are back this week, all three of them in fact what with the international man of mystery himself Jason Kim joining the fray to dissect the film’s psychology, spychology, look, and feel. From the slums of London, the side cafés of Madrid, and the vibrant streets of Marseilles (with plenty of other stops in between), Mathieu, Edgar and Jason complete their training as assassins and venture forth on the journey alongside the spy thriller genre’s new anti-hero: Stephanie Patrick.
Does the film feature one of the best action scenes we might see in 2020 at the movies? What are the risks incurred when a novelist translates their own work to the silver screen? How impressive is the EON Productions studio logo when it appears on screen in front of a film? How bad of a sign is it when the theatre room in which a film plays is in that one room you must walk past the bathrooms to get to?
Sit back, relax, dye your hair black and take a dip in frozen water as we leave no stone unturned. Will we be as ruthless as the box office receipts were? Listen to find out!*
This is a spoiler episode but, like, whatever.
Disclaimer: Good news! At the 12 minute mark of this week's episode, the buzzing sound is gone. Stay tuned until the very end of the episode to find out what happened. What that out of the way, here we go!
Hello dear listeners!
Root root root for the home team! When it comes to our interests, that means the James Bond franchise and its parent companies. Last week you heard part 1 of the 2nd James Bond Expansion Volume. Jason and Rodrigo left no stone unturned in their offerings of ideas to help this legendary property sore to new heights.
Lego sets featuring iconic lairs, a race track where drivers can feel like Bond behind the steering wheel of Astons, Lotus, and tanks, B-side title song albums. Killing James Bond!...Yeah, that part was a little outside the box, shall we say. BUT there was the idea of reinventing 007 for a new generation, quite literally, by sending a 00-DNA enhanced human into the future to fight the criminals James Bond can’t!
Whether it was gender-bending or playing with car gadgets, Jason and Rodrigo left us breathless for all sorts of reasons. Now, it’s time for the regular hosts Mathieu and Edgar to enter the ring and regale the listeners with some of their own ideas. Volume was a cake walk compared to what they have in store this time!
Sit back, relax, and get ready to imagine the world of James Bond reinvigorated, rejiggered, recalibrated, and maybe even re-skinned. Ooh! But we can say no more. You’ll just have to listen!
Brought to you by UNIVEX. When they're THIS intrepid, no shipment is too complex!
Check out Rodrigo Gonzalez at Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/rodrigoandres1/
Check the international man of mystery Jason Kim on Instagram here https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
*Full disclosure, as mentioned on Twitter and Facebook already, while the overall audio quality of this episode is fine, listeners will certainly detect a distinct static noise in the background. We had some technical difficulties that were only fixed in the second hour of our discussion. Part 2 will sound much better!
Hello dear listeners!
(breathes in intensely through nostrils)
Can you smell it? That’s the smell of excitement that comes when we are at the dawn of a new James Bond film. It stands to reason the film will make a lot of money. Further adding to the studios coffers will be tie-in products such as ‘’making of books’’, Orlebar Brown and N. Peal clothing collections, specialty bottles of various alcoholic beverages, etc. But how else can an intellectual property such as 007 earn more bounty? How could one EXPAND the franchise and seduce more fans?
Listeners may remember in the spring of 2018 we released The Bond Expansion Volume 1 in which Mathieu and Edgar offered ideas as to how the franchise can break new ground. Well, out of the ashes of Edgar’s decrepit amusement park and in the aftermath of Mathieu’s cancelled pilot episode of Agents of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. comes another attempt at helping EON, Danjaq and co. reach new heights of glory. Welcome to The Bond Expansion Volume 2!
But this time, they’re not alone!
Our man in the field, the international man of mystery himself Jason Kim joins in on the fun, as does a voice that should be familiar to those that listened to the French version of our “Demain de meurt jamais” episode (that’s TND for those that aren’t fluent in Molière speak), Rodrigo Gonzalez.
In Part 1 of this epic 2-part bonanza, Jason and Rodrigo each take their turn at exploring the infinite possibilities. Creativity, edge of your seat excitement…controversy? The ideas are so clever and at times hilarious, we won’t even bother to spoil them with inside jokes in this synopsis. You’ll just have to listen to the episode!
Sit back, relax, and open your mind to how the James Bond phenomenon can take on even greater shapes and forms!
Find Jason Kim on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
Find Rodrigo Gonzalez on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/rodrigoandres1/
Hello dear listeners!
What do the best spy stories involve? Intrigue, of course. A decent plot as well, that goes without saying. Engaging characters certainly, what would a spy story be without that? Surprising twists and turns seem reasonable to expect as well. After all, spies are often engaged in mysterious missions from which the outcome can unravel in unexpected ways. Now imagine all of these elements coming together in a John Gardner Bond novel.
‘’Ridiculous!’’ we hear you say. ‘’Preposterous!’’ you shout. ‘’Unbelievable!’’ thunders from your mouths.
And yet it’s true.
Co-hosts Mathieu and Edgar return to the Gardner literary 007 this week with an in-depth discussion of the author’s third venture, Icebreaker. Whereas Licence Renewed had us mildly intrigued and entertained and For Special Services left us and friend Emery Cormier flabbergasted and confused, Icebreaker arrives like a fresh new start. Featuring one of the more complicated plots of any of the Bond novels, Fleming or otherwise, the boys have a lot of material to wade through.
In fact, there are so many intricate plot details and twists that Matt and Edgar’s heads might start spinning. Be that as it may, it nevertheless makes for a wonderfully different 00 reading experience. Even Fleming never pulled off what Gardner does here with Icebreaker.
So sit back and grab a hot cup of cocoa. It’s fitting that this episode should be released during a stretch of Montreal January when the temperature has dropped considerably. Rest assured however, for just as the weather outside is frightful, this Bond novel is so delightful!
Hello, dear listeners!
Close your eyes and imagine yourself as James Bond 007, lying in bed, watching as the impressive specimen that is May Day walks slowly towards you, completely nude. She leaps into bed. Just before you attempt a 00-Move on her to get the party under the bed sheets started, she wrestlers herself on top of you, firmly pinning you underneath, animalistic sexual desire and perhaps something else glinting in her eyes. And then…
Oh, sorry, we got carried away there. Where were we?
Ah yes, Mathieu and Edgar are back this week with the back end of their conversation with Phil. This time the trio dive neck deep into the long lost series of Find Your Fate books which served as one of the more intriguing bit of movie tie-in merchandising for 1985’s A View to a Kill. Published by Ballantine Books, the quartet of entries invited readers to live a James Bond adventure by making choices that would determine 007’s fate and that of the world. Think of VR but for book worms.
Phil guides the hosts and the listeners through the publication history of the short lived and hard to find series, revealing some tidbits that are sometimes just as titillating as the book outlines themselves. What would happen if James Bond found himself on the island of Dr. Moreau? Have you ever imagined 007 getting stuffed into an oven? How about being squished into wine? Would you believe it if we told you that R.L. Stine of Goosebumps fame wrote a Bond book? No? Well, have a listen to this week’s episode and let Phil regale you with stuff we’re guessing you probably didn’t know how 007 publication history.
Sit back, relax, and let’s welcome back Phil one more time. This takes being James Bond to a whole new level!*
*Any similarities between this episode’s description and the name of a certain 007 themed podcast is wholly coincidental. The author and hosts will not be held responsible for any confusion on the part of the reader or listeners. We have lawyers everywhere.
Phil can be found on Twitter here. https://twitter.com/paperback_film
Hello, dear listeners!
Happy New Year!
We thank you very much for your patience while waiting for the concluding chapter in our OP film review. After some NTTD trailer chatter and a special Christmas bonanza episode, it’s time to get down to business again. Let’s get cracking! Did you think the egg jokes would be limited to the movie’s plot synopsis from Part 1? Ha! Well, look at you now with egg on your face.
We last left Bond at the backgammon table with Kamal Kahn, the latter whom warned 007 to spend his winnings quickly. With so much of the film left to dissect with a finely toothed comb, Matt and Edgar get right down to it. But first, it’s important to take in some sight seeing of ‘traditional’ Indian culture, like sword swallowers and fire breathers. You know, everyday Indian stuff.
A visit to Q’s lab always does the trick to brighten spirits while on a perilous mission, to say nothing of free cleavage shots to keep our spirits up (and keep other things up too). Fake jewelry smuggling between East and West Berlin, the Most Dangerous Game, debating Tarzan’s place in pop culture history, amazing ADR spooky yells, Octopussy Circus: Lethal Assault Unit, clown disguises being no laughing matter and…and… uh…Oh right, Octopussy herself! Who would forget about talking about her?!?
So sit back and relax on this New Year’s Day 2020. It’s a new year, with new challenges, and new threats. But you still count on the brilliance of The James Bond Complex to get you through your mid-weeks.
From The James Bond Complex to you: Happy New Year!
Especially you, Octopussy…Octopussy…
Hello, dear listeners!
Tis the season! Seasons greetings from Matt and Edgar to all of you! Oh, but the hosts have much more to offer their listeners and friends than seasons greetings, even though those are very swell. Nay, they are offering their mics to the community on this very special episode of The James Bond Complex.
Some of you may remember a few months ago when Matt and Edgar unabashedly basked in the glory of their own fantasy Bond 26s, My Enemy’s Enemy and A Picture Worth a Thousand Deaths. Now, in the spirit and season of giving, they have invited a plethora of friends to join in on the fun and share their thoughts on where the franchise might go following No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final film. Even Jason Kim, the International Man of Mystery, joins in on the fun.
There is no shortage of unique visions, ideas, and voices on this episode. From getting all the 00s together in an epic climactic battle, taking the series back to the 1960s, rebooting it altogether, scaling down the scope, counting from 2 to 5 in French, the importance of actor-director reunions, Quantum being a superior organization than Spectre, psychic communications with the current producers, references to Roger and rogers in the poster tag lines, to how incredible the trailer for Carl Weathers’ Action Jackson is (uh…you’ll have to listen to find out). One guest even describes in intricate detail an entire pre-title sequence!
Virtually everyone appears in this episode. Even ghosts of James Bond past!
Pour the eggnog, shake your martinis, chill the Bollinger, and get the caviar ready. We sincerely hope you enjoy this episode of the show, not just because it’s all about fans being fans dreaming about the 00 million possibilities, but because it literally could not have happened without you, friends and listeners. 2019 was an incredibly year for the podcast, in large part thanks to you!
Enjoy the episode, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Love, peace, and health.*
Our special guests this week:
David Zaritsky from The Bond Experience
Bill Koenig from The Spy Command and James Bond and Friends
Emery Cormier from The Intrepid 007 Podcast
Jarrod, Jason, Delvin and Pat from On Her Majesty’s Secret Podcast: MI6 Rookie Agents
David Leigh from The Bond Dossier and James Bond and Friends
Don, Tyler, Martin, and Anthony from The 00 Files
Reuben Wakeman from The Toys of Bond
Peter Brooker from From Tailors With Love
Phil Pogiali, contributor to MI6 Confidential and all around Bond historian.
Joe Darlington from Being James Bond
AND
Jason Kim playing himself as the International Man of Mystery
*A good roger never hurts either.
Agent Jason Kim, International Man of Mystery joins us to chat about the brand spanking new trailer for "No Time To Die"!
Hello dear listeners!
Are you sometimes convinced that Sir Roger’s James Bond and Mr. White from CR, QOS, and SP are the hosts of the James Bond Complex? The familiar, nefarious tone when they proclaim that they have people everywhere. The amusing double-entendres and soothing voices to keep the proceedings light and engaging. The unquestionable professionalism with which they go about the analysis of the Fleming novels, the films, and everything in between. You’d earn top marks, dear listeners.
Except they’re fake.
No, it’s just Mathieu and Edgar entering the recording studio, week and week out, to deliver thorough commentary on the James Bond phenomenon.
As you may have guessed, this week the lads crack open 1983’s Octopussy. A rather important film in the franchise, given the same year’s non-official rival 007 picture starring, oh, what was his name again? Oh right, Sean Connery. As was typical of the 80s Bonds, OP is supported by a fairly complex plot, so Matt and Edgar have a lot to wade through. How decadent is the West? Mirror mirror on the wall, Is Louis Jordain’s Kamal Khan the slimiest of them all? How much can one pack into a horse’s *ss? How easy is it to swap Fabergé eggs at an auction at Sotherby’s (Answer: incredibly)? Is there maximum age for Moore’s Bond at which women left and right stop fantasizing about him?
Sit down, fill your tummies with an egg (hard boiled, scrambled, sunny side up, etc. Your choice!) and get ready for Part 1 of our Octopussy review.
Let the discussion commence!
Hello, dear listeners!
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!
Hosts Mathieu and Edgar being their journey into the world of the James Bond Daily Express newspaper strips!
They start off with a bang with 2 stories: Trouble Spot and Isle of Condors!
(Thinks to self)
…Hmm, we really have to sell this episode hard. People don’t really know much about the old black and white newspaper strips. It could come across as a tepid, antiquated topic for an entire episode. The public needs to be swayed. Alright then..
Extra! Extra! Woman strips to her bear essentials in order to torture whip captive dame!
Extra! Extra! 007 travels to a nude beach!
Extra! Extra! Woman recovers her sight when in the presence of James Bond’s oozing sex appeal!
Extra! Extra! Villain found on small island with an army of voracious condor birds!
Extra! Extra! James Bond finds woman rides naked on horse at night in the middle of the street!
Extra! Extra! Villain uses small army of beautiful dames as brainwashed spies!
Extra! Extra! Man actually has people call him ‘’Sharkface!’’
Sit back, make some coffee, crack open your copies of the Daily Express, and join Mathieu and Edgar as they tackle two efforts by writer Jim Lawrence and artists Yaroslav Horak. They may be in black and white, but don’t let that have you think they are any less colourful than the best of the 007 adventures!
Daniel Craig is done with the tuxedo and the PPK. Dynamite Entertainment to publish a lot more comics. Oh and our buddy Emery's podcast "The Intrepid 007 Podcast" celebrates it's one year anniversary!
Hello dear listeners!
Do you wanna get bugnuts?!? Let’s get bugnuts!!!! Oh, it’s on now. We return to 2002’s Die Another Day for the second and concluding part of the film review. As listeners may recall, co-hosts Mathieu and Edgar were, how shall we put it, uncharacteristically kind towards the picture, at least as far as the general consensus surrounding the film goes (read: it’s the absolute worst Bond film). But then again, as Matt so astutely put it, the film is divided into two parts, the first being a (somewhat) gritty thriller about a spy left out in the cold, on a solo mission to avenge those who wronged him. It’s a section that genuinely has some meat to it, with legitimately interesting ideas thrown into the mix.
Now comes the second part.
This is where the filmmakers pull out all the stops, throwing in everything including the kitchen sink. As they are want to do, Matt and Edgar strive to cover every nook and cranny of this decidedly loony portion of the film. Does Bond just make up espionage tactics on the fly as excuses to sleep with women? How does the film’s final half hour compare to a Michael Bay opus? Why did the series wait so long to give a baddie a super car? How juicy are Gustav Graves’ lines (spoiler: quite). Iceberg surfing, anyone? Are there really parachutes for two people?*
DAD is the film that just keeps on giving reasons to talk about it, as evidenced by this thorough examination this week. So sit back, have some sex for dinner, death for breakfast and…some James Bond Complex as an ‘’amuse bouche?’’ Oh!
*Whoops! Not anymore!
**First and foremost, circumstances forced Edgar to record the plot synopsis at a later date and with a different mic than usual. We apologize for the disparate audio quality that you’ll surely notice for a few minutes when he reads it.
Hello, dear listeners! Let’s wind the clock back to 2002. The Bond film franchise is full swing into its 40th anniversary celebration. Cross-branding, an onslaught of promotional material, and of course the series’ 20th film installment, Die Another Day starring Pierce ‘ooh la la’ Brosnan. Co-host Mathieu is a movie theatre employee, living the high life of being in the thick of Bondmania. Edgar is…missing in action?
Yes friends, it is at long last time to delve into Brosnan’s 007 filmography And what better way to get the ball rolling than by taking care of the film many deem to be the lesser of his entries, much like we did with Connery? But saying a film is not up to par does not insinuate that there isn’t anything to talk about. This week’s Part 1 of the Die Another Day discussion proves just that point. In fact, DAD is replete with noteworthy plot points, albeit not always for the right reasons.
There are so many things to discuss that by the end of Part 1 we aren’t even half way through the film! Do Mathieu and Edgar crack the code to the genius of Madonna’s title song? Do iffy Korean accents mar the pre-title sequence? Is it okay to spout one-liners to nobody but oneself? What’s up with the weird pace to the dialogue exchanges? Do North Korean military prison camps fatten inmates up?
So sit back with a mojito, light up a delectado en enjoy Die Another Day with us, yes and no.
Analyze this! Analyze this! Analyze this, this this!
Hello, dear listeners!
We all remember sitting in theatres in October and November of 2015 for Spectre, basking in the glory of the moment when it was revealed that Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Bond are some related, albeit by proxy. A truly ‘’memorable’’ moment in the film series.
Well, what if we told you that John Gardner, author of plenty of continuation novels (among them the already reviewed Licence Renewed) had a few family plots of his own up his sleeve at a time when SP was but a tinkle in the mind’s eye of the producers? If you thought the half-brother reveal in SP was something special, just wait until you get a load of Gardner’s 2nd continuation novel: For Special Services.
In fact, the twists and turns and ice cream selection are so bountiful that co-hosts Mathieu and Edgar cannot handle the load alone. To the rescue is Emery Cormier, founder and host of the Intrepid 007 Podcast, based in Station QC, Québec City. He joins the boys this week to taste every flavour of sugary goodness to be discovered in the novel: What’s the Fleming connection with the book’s title? Are two boobs always better than one (Are they? ARE THEY?)? Would Bond really have won his race against Walter Luxor with a Saab? Are uncomfortable are ants in your pants? How sexually adventurous is the Leiter family?
So sit back, relax and enjoy this week’s episode with special guest Emery Cormier and adore the book as much as we did.
Honest. We really, really like it.
Yes. We feel perfectly fine. Absolutely normal. Why do you ask?
Go on…have a taste of this ice cream!
Check out Emery Cormier and the Intrepid 007 Podcast on FB here https://www.facebook.com/intrepid007/
Check him out on Instagram as well here https://www.instagram.com/007_intrepid/
We are back from a super secret private screening of "You Only Love Twice" (In glorious 1967 original 35 mm no less). We reflect on our amazing Let's Bond event and briefly touch on the end of "No Time To Die" principal photography.
Hello, dear listeners!
October 31st looms, and with it a chill fills in the air and brushes up your spine that can only mean one thing: the horrors of Halloween! Evil takes many shapes, from witches, to goblins, vampires, werewolves and more. But throughout pop culture history, few characters have represented evil as…purely and simply as the terrifying Shape, the masked killer Michael Myers himself.
The Halloween series a favourite for one of the show’s hosts, and since it’s October, Mathieu and Edgar decided to record another Halloween special, much like they did last year, only this time they concentrate on John Carpenter’s original classic with some brief pit stops along the way for the sequels, spinoff, and reboot.
But why talk for over and hour about the Halloween films? Yes, Jamie Lee Curtis would have been an interesting Bond leading lady, but the real reason is that it serves as a spooky entry in the show’s ongoing Detour series, for none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld himself strives to keep the townsfolk of Haddonfield, Illinois safe. Yes, call this a back door Donald Pleasence Detour.
Carpenter’s classic slasher flick inspires the boys to bask in a number of terrifying topics. How many universe/timelines are there in the franchise? Is Michael Myers’ figure carved into the Jack-O-Lanter that appears in the title sequence or has Edgar gone completely insane? How creepy is the score? Does the film serve the role of being a fable and or morality tale? How many terrible remakes to classic horror films has Mathieu seen without having ever actually watched the originals? Would Michael Myers have stood a chance if Christopher Lee had played Dr. Loomis?
It’s good thing this is an audio only episode, because you wouldn’t want to experience what Matt and Edgar had to go through in order to prep for this episode by into Michael’s. The blackest eyes…the devil’s eyes!
Hello, dear listeners!
We live in a time of terrible political unrest on a global scale. It’s an age of deception, where the enemy lies in the shadows, both real and imagined. East and West have renewed tensions, prompting state leaders to raise the tone of their impassioned speeches and threats. There is danger everywhere.
It’s good to know you can still count on The James Bond Complex.
We’re back to the comic book realm this week, with another in our series of reviews of the Dynamite Entertainment published stories. Coming off the unbelievable high of Hammerhead, writer Andy Diggle and artists Luca Casalanguida return with Kill Chain, a story inspired heavily by the current political climate affecting NATO and Russia for the past few years. As they are want to do, Mathieu and Edgar dive deeply into the plot machinations and highlight where their favourite writer-artist duo hit homeruns and where they may have stumbled.
It should come as no surprise that 007 inspires so much content, and Kill Chain is no exception. There was absolutely no way they were getting through this week’s episode without regaling in topics such how delicious it is when the plots have sexiful vixens that get turned out at the thought of killing Bond, 007’s danger mode (!), casting Roger Moore in certain scenes for proper comedic effect, spies playing games of one-upmanship, missed opportunities to further develop story arcs, perfectly carved French art connoisseurs, and so much more.
So enjoy this week’s episode and discover how politics can influence modern Bond stories. And always remember: when necessary fight dirty.
Hello, dear listeners!
Friends, it’s all about branding and marketability. As avid fans of James Bond and Ian Fleming, you are all undoubtedly aware of how publishing houses and the film studios keep pumping out re-issues of the films or the original Fleming novels. A sexy new cover! A new forward from a celebrated author! A new featurette on the blu-ray disc! This new ‘definitive’ edition comes with a digital copy of the film that you may redeem on the streaming library of your choice (pending deals studios have previously set up with given streaming service platforms, copyright bla bla bla…)! Did someone say ‘‘steelbook?’’ Oooh!
You buy them, as do hosts Mathieu and Edgar. And this got them thinking. How do we squeeze as much juice as possible out the Bond films and get away scott free whilst actually talking about something we’ve already produced an entire episode on?!?
Welcome to the Reloaded series.
The Reloaded series offers Matt and Edgar to take a second look at a movie they reviewed earlier in the show’s history when they hadn’t quite found their stride yet and were limiting themselves as much as possible to single part episodes for the film reviews. The structure might vary slightly from entry to entry. For example this first entry is for Casino Royale, which we not only talked about way back in Feb 2018, but also in October in 2018 for the CR in Concert event, and this past summer on our French-language show. Given that this is the 4th discussion on the film, we’re looking at it from different angles.
What wild theories can Matt’s creative mind concoct to tie the film in with the other Craig movies? How was the film marketed back in the summer and fall of 2006? What were Matt and Edgar’s personal experiences seeing the film in cinemas, long before they knew each other and the podcast was but a twinkle in their mind’s eye? What behind juicy behind the scenes tidbits can they regale the listeners who don’t have books like Some Kind of Hero or The James Bond Archives?
Will every Reloaded entry take this route? Perhaps, perhaps not, but this is what we’re going for CR, to give it it’s due.
You know, the final ‘’definitive’’ review of the movie*
*We’ll see about that.
Hello dear listeners!
Saturday October 5th was Global James Bond Day, so say the official big wigs at EON. But who cares if the whole thing is just a massive corporate ploy to push a brand and make even more money, it feels quite obvious that over the years the fans around the world have slowly taken over the day and truly made it their own. Organized activities such as live streams in which multiple hosts of fan-driven social media platforms got together, communal outings for the Skyfall in Concert premier in London, evenings at casinos, the fans were out in droves to show off their love and dedication to the 007 franchise.
The James Bond Complex was no exception, with hosts Mathieu and Edgar filling in this celebratory episode with as many 00 guests as possible, both in the actual studio and via Skype. Recorded in the afternoon of October 5th, this week’s episode is a free style, free flowing conversation about all things Bond with newcomer guests Carmine Ruscitto from From Montreal With Love, all around cool cat Pierre-Olivier Bernier, and last but certainly not least, the show’s man in the field, the International Man of Mystery himself, Jason Kim.
No Time to Die teaser poster, the lack of a teaser trailer, best gunbarrels, best hats (!), 007 video games, age appropriate drinking restrictions, the connection our guests have with the franchise, and so much more. Even the hosts themselves get royally schooled on a bit of trivia!
Whether you missed out on the fun or were neck deep in Bond goodiness for the big day, we hope this week’s episode provides a peak into how we celebrated as you’re all invited to listen in on a long-winded but all around great conversation featuring 5 dedicated fans.
Enjoy!
Check out Carmine Ruscitto’s platform, From Montreal With Love, at https://www.instagram.com/frommontrealwlove/
Check out Jason Kim’s many globe trotting adventures here: https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/
As principal photography on "No Time To Die" nears it's completion the hosts take the time to talk Global James Bond Day and more!
Hello dear listeners!
Many 00 aficionados consider Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale to be the holy grail of all things 007. It’s the first ever published of the source material that has since branched off into so many different formats in which regale ourselves in Bond goodiness.
But who was James Bond before Casino Royale? Ah, THAT is the question on…probably very few peoples’ lips when it was announced Anthony Horowitz was returning to the world of Fleming for a prequel book. After all, more than one novel has tackled James’ younger days in the aptly titled Young Bond series of books. Then came Dynamite Entertainment’s James Bond Origin series, which recently completed its run. And speaking of holy grail’s, let’s not forget James Bond Jr!
This week Mathieu and Edgar dive into the deep end for a conversation about Forever and a Day, the Casino Royale prequel that, while lauded by some, has been on surprisingly few lips since its release in 2018. Any opportunity to discuss literary Bond is a joyous occasion, a platform ripe for a multitude of sharp, astute commentary the boys are known for, such as:
What makes a good Casino Royale prequel and a good 007 novel? Are they even necessarily the same?
More classic ways of discerning if someone has homosexual tendencies, such as if they don’t speak English and are monstrously obese.
Why aren’t there more nude chicks on the covers of Bond novels these days?
Mocking someone for having a brain tumour and making it sound funny.
Mocking someone for being fat and making it sound funny.
The logistics of producing industrial quantities of heroine without anybody knowing about it.
And so many more riveting topics!
Sit back and join us in the south of France for a relaxing, invigorating, heroine filled episode.
Hello dear listeners!
Phew! That was exciting, wasn’t it? Last week’s episode saw Mathieu and Edgar reveal several details about their super secret Bond 26 plans, following meetings with their friends at EON. Pre-title sequence action stunts, the cast for the MI6 team, title song artist, general plot outlines, and of course the titles: A Picture Worth a Thousand Deaths and My Enemy’s Enemy*. We certainly hope it was enough for the listeners to get a glimpse into the worlds Matt and Edgar dream about.
But as we know, the world is not enough.
The table is set to dive into how Bond saves the day in PWTD and MEE (ha!). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! Who are 007’s allies in these missions? Who are the leading ladies? The henchman? What fantastical climaxes have the lads devised?
Do you want some more titillation? Who have the hosts CAST in their movies?!?
And even when you think all is said and done, there’s still enough time to get their man in the field on the show. International man of mystery Jason Kim calls in to share his wants and desires for a hypothetical James Bond movie too!
This is the big one, listeners!
Hello dear listeners!
Production on No Time to Die has been in full swing for a few months already and fans all over the world anticipate that the film's marketing campaign will rev up in a matter of weeks. Yes, a new James Bond movie looms on the beautiful horizon.
That's all fine and dandy, but in order to keep this multi-billion dollar franchise alive, you gotta think long term. Be two steps ahead of the competition. Keep them thinking you're concentrating on one thing when you're actually multitasking, planning what comes after. That's precisely why Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson got in touch with Mathieu and Edgar to start working on Bond 26*. After some very, very productive meetings, the hosts have returned to the studio to share each of their own versions of what the next James Bond movie could be like.
And lest it be misunderstood, no stone was left unturned. Matt and Edgar dive deep into their meticulous thought process for all kinds of aspects about the projects: writer, director, cast, locations, action scenes, title song and artist, etc. Make no mistake about it listeners, the hosts express their true visionary bravura and how they can keep the film series going with unmistakably stupendous movies.
Failing that, at least they are (relatively) confident their ideas are better than whatever came out of James Bond Jr. Probably.
So get ready to be transported into the world of James Bond as conjured up by Matt and Edgar as they present:
"My Enemy’s Enemy" (Mathieu)
And
"A Picture Worth a Thousand Deaths" (Edgar)
*the hosts are not at liberty of either confirming or denying the veracity of such a statement, although they have been known for tooting their own horn inspired by baseless, factually inaccurate claims before....
Hello dear listeners!
A few weeks ago you listened to Mathieu and Edgar wax about the long forgotten comic book story "Permission to Die" from writer-artist Mike Grell. What you may not have known is that the podcast was able to meet up with the man himself in early July during the Montreal Comic-Con. Grell was offering autographs and original art pieces to fans, and when we found out about his presence at the convention, it was clearly an opportunity not to be missed.
Although Mike Grell was a super swell guy, Edgar was distracted by Wonder Woman and Supergirl cosplayers during the visit to the artist's booth, leaving Matt to handle interviewing duties. That's why this is a 2-man operation, folks!
So enjoy a briefer than usual episode, but no less interesting and engaging. Get ready to enter the mind of a man that birthed one of the most colourful and adored James Bond comic books stories ever published.
Once the download is complete, you have our permission to listen!
Bond twenty fivv...* No. Not anymore!
Yes. After Months of speculations on the title of the next James Bond adventure it was just revealed. "No Time To Die" We also discuss the recent news about Chris Wright leaving JBR- James Bond Radio. Sad but true.
On the positive we called Jason Kim, our third co-host, to have his opinion on the new title.
Hello dear listeners!
Since the fall of 2015, 007 has been back in comic book and graphic novel form thanks to the talented people at Dynamite Entertainment. Just being able to ingest little nuggets of Bond goodness on a monthly basis has been heavenly, so much so that hosts Mathieu and Edgar have more than once spent time on the show reviewing some of the already fully published story arcs. Perhaps because Bond and comics don’t naturally go hand in hand, perhaps because of its dubious history, but it seems that to this day many Bond fans aren’t aware of the long association between 007 and the comic book page, an association that goes much further back than 2015.
This week, Matt and Edgar begin to shed some light on that very history as they delve deep into a forgotten chapter in 00 graphic novel history: writer-artist Mike Grell’s Permission to Die, published from 1989 through 1991. The book is a unique, one-off adventure that sees the world’s greatest secret agent extract a brilliant scientist’s niece from behind the Iron Curtain during the dying days of the Cold War. The boys set up the discussion by alluding to some of the other earlier comic book adventures (podcast foreshadowing for the win!) before digging through Mike Grell’s efforts with a finely toothed comb. Does this story put Roger Moore’s salacious exploits to shame? Does this story take place in the film’s franchise’s universe? Would the film adaptation star a Hoagy Carmichael look-a-like? Ever wonder what the female version of David Bowie would look like?...
So join in on the fun as we return to the world of comic books and Bond. The stakes are high, and the danger is higher, but this is No Time to Die, for only fate can give 007 Permission to Die!
Hello, dear listeners!
Welcome to the first ever official entry of the Detour series in which hosts Mathieu and Edgar spend a little bit of time outside the James Bond phenmnmnon to discuss films starring the 007 actors. This week, we get up close and personal with the one and only Pierce Brosnan. Call it ‘’The Brosnan Detour.’’
Mmm, yes, very up close and personal. We’ll be whisked away to a far off, sweaty central American country Panama, and late at night we’ll found ourselves in a gay club dancing chest to chest with the delightful Geoffrey Rush as the game of seduction…
Hold on, That’s not right. That not the plot of The Thomas Crown Affair, is it?
Just a second, folks.
….
Ok everybody, nothing to worry, we’re back on track. Ah yes, Brosnan plays sophisticated venture capitalist and art lover Thomas Crown, and after having stolen a valuable painting in one of New York’s finest museums, insurance agent bounty hunter Rene Russo tracks him town to a sexy ball where they start dancing, their bodies glued together, the passion in their breaths palpable, sweaty…
Wait, wait wait. Are we sure these are different movies?!?
They are? Are you sure? Final answer? Ok, if you say so…
We hope the listeners enjoy our new Detour series. As an old friend of James once said, this one’s very sexiful. So sexy in fact that doing it on a cold marble floor is smmmmmmoking!
A healthy body requires an healthy mind. This discussion was recorded after a long day of recording after we finished discussing "licence Renewed". We talk about our personal challenges in following the Bond 25 fitness challenge. If you've ever wondered what we are like off mic. This will enlighten you.
We discuss the wave 2 Funko pops, Bond 25 rumours and some purchases made on the 007 store
Hello, dear listeners!
Ah, the 1980s. What a decade! The music, the clothing styles, the cumbersome technology that we all thought was so cool at the time…Oh, speaking of glorious 80s technology, hosts Mathieu and Edgar take the first of many, many steps into the world of John Gardner’s literary 007. Yes friends, the hosts are in it to win it with Mr. Gardner, although they don’t really have choice since he wrote a billion novels and they have self-acquitted themselves with the goal of discussing Fleming, the films, and everything in between. The first book is Licence Renewed.
It’s time to get ready and embrace new allies, new villains, new adventures, and most critically, a new writing style. True enough, not everyone can be as wonderfully florid as the great Ian Fleming, but that doesn’t mean other authors can’t conjure up some thrilling missions for everybody’s favourite super spy to embark on. While we won’t reveal just yet what the hosts thought of the book, suffice to say that Licence Reneweddefinitely inspired a laundry list of hot topics: Who do the hosts imagine as James Bond when reading? Do we have another amorphous blob on our hands? Why would Licence Renewedmake anybody think of the film She’s All That? Could there be another, albeit tenuous literary Bond link our Belle Province? Did we just witness the greatest gun-c*ck analogy ever? And what is up with all the tech talk?
We hope you like John Gardner. Heh, we really, really, really hope you like John Gardner because he’ll be hanging around for a while! Rest assured, even if you much prefer the efforts of Ian Fleming, Matt and Edgar will keep you enthralled. They’re ready and pumped to discover Gardner. Time to go nuclear!
Hello, dear listeners!
A year removed from the Montreal Comic Con, Mathieu and Edgar returned to the scene of the crime, but this time they didn’t go in alone. Another significant distinction from their 2018 convention experience, they actually came prepared to deliver both audio and video versions of the presentation itself! Q branch came through this time! This week, we begin with the audio version for your wonderfully receptive ears. So Blofeld’s cat is finally out of the bag. In case you were not present on the morning of July 007th 2019, Mathieu, Edgar, special agent Jeff Wybo from James Bond Canada faced a keen audience to highlight 4 films celebrating anniversaries in 2019: OHMSS, MR, LKT, and TWINE, all of which are notorious for some controversy…at least that’s what the layman believes. Nay, with a dose of 00 confidence, the trio of panellists take the criticisms of each movie and give them a positive spin. What’s more, a 4th, secret panelist operating in the shadows came aboard for the Q&A afterwards: friend of the show Jean Goyette from Club James Bond France. So sit back, close your eyes and imagine yourself at the Palais des Congrès in downtown Montreal, cooling off from a sweltering summer morning as the quartet of lads regale you in the delights of OHMSS, MR, LTK, TWINE and more little tidbits and opinions through the post-panel Q&A with the audience.
- Think of this as the audio book of the novelization of the video that will soon be released. That makes sense, right?
* Fair warning: while presentation is in English, some of the post-panel Q&A was done in French. After all, the Comic Con was held in Station MC, Montreal Canada.
**Who cares. We still need more time to deliver a good video version of the presentation.
Enjoy-okay-bye!
We just finished our 2019 Montreal Comic-con panel. We took a few minutes of our busy day to have a cup of coffee and talk about this fantastic week-end. Our meet-up with Jeff Wybo of james Bond Canada and Jean Goyette of Club James Bond France. Our meeting with Michael Madsen (Damian Falco in Die Another Day) and James Bond comic book creator Mike Grell (Permission To Die) as well as encounters with other fans and fellow influencers.
Hello, dear listeners!
Alright, alright. So we spent the better part of an hour waxing poetic about the mental toughness required to become a fighter, as well as the various styles combatants adopt given their disciplines. Talk is nice, but it’s action that defines who a person is.
Chit chat time is over. There are heavies to vanquish left and right! Friend of the show Simon Traversy of course returns this week to indulge hosts Mathieu and Edgar is some proper Bond talk, and boy does it get interesting. Connery, Lazenby, Craig and the like are all actors whereas Simon actually participates in and teaches combat, prompting very astute, informative, and honest comments on each actor’s style. Some fights that fans widely recognize as being among the best in the entire series might not be so perfect after all, at least if the filmmakers had gone for some extra realism points.
Last week was all about theory and philosophy. This week things get bloody and bruised.
When is the best moment to gouge someone’s eyes out? How essential is speed when engaged in fisticuffs whilst the world’s fate is at stake? Does Brosnan only take seriously the fights with a personal history involved? How helpful is thinking on one’s feet to use one’s environment, like, say, a handy nearby decorative swordfish? Finally, Simon answers what is surely the most pressing query: how would he tackle the proverbial ‘’line’’, assuming each 007 lined up to challenge him (aka: how insanely difficult would it be to overthrow Roger Moore?!?).
No time to sit back this week, listeners! On your feet and get ready for the fight of your lives!
If anybody in the Montreal area is interested in receiving real punches from Simon, check out the Angry Monkey gym!
http://www.angrymonkeymma.com
Hello, dear listeners!
We’ve all watched action movies featuring characters that get involved in some amazing fisticuffs, displaying high-octane combat moves that have us on the edge of our seats, even taking our collective breath away. Who hasn’t walked away from such movies thinking “Wouldn’t it be cool to be as well trained as that hero and kick butt as fantastically as they did in the movie?” We all want to be like Daniel Craig in the SPECTRE train fight scene.
Mathieu and Edgar have certainly fantasized about being the heroes of such adventures, but this week they’ll get a dose of reality about what it is to be a fighter. You might even say they’ll get some sense knocked into them. New friend of the show Simon Traversy (and personal friend to Mathieu), an actual fighter and teacher of various defence skills, steps into the studio to talk about 007 and so much more. In fact, the conversation regarding martial arts, boxing and the like was so widespread that the hosts decided to split the episode into 2 parts, with this week’s first instalment essentially functioning as an introduction to the idea of being a fighter and getting mentally involved in a fight per say. We didn’t even start talking about the individual Bonds until the 2ndhour!
Simon regales Matt and Edgar with a plethora of personal experience, some of it coming with killer punch lines, as well as some theoretical basics about various fighting concepts. Rather than rambunctious and testosterone filled, the conversation turns rather philosophical. After all, as everybody knows, a real life fight is nothing like fighting in the movies. Well, as we soon discovered early in the episode, almost everyone knows that…
The bell has rung to commence the first of this 2-round special, The Fists of Bond. 007 awaits his turn next week. For now, we cover as much of the dojo mat as we can with an introduction to kicking *ss.
For anyone interested in receiving further wisdom from Simon, check out the Angry Monkey gym in Montreal!
http://www.angrymonkeymma.com
Hello dear listeners!
What do you hear when playing the various cues of the James Bond film scores? More importantly, what do you feel? Are you transported back to the movies and the very scenes those cues evoke, or do the magical musical notes take you elsewhere in your imagination and have your heart rattle to a different beat?
Yes, fresh off of their Masters degrees in musicology from the John Barry School of Wa-Wa (a name change to the once Monty Norman Academy of Calypso), Mathieu and Edgar bask in the glory of the 007 music that characterized the films of the 1960s. The boys go through each film, from DN to OHMSS, chitchat a little bit about the albums in general, before diving into their personal favourite 3 cues from each.
But what the hosts offer this week is more than just a random list of favourite cues and why the music is so good. Nay, Matt and Edgar get personal, revealing their innermost opinions on the musical movements, sharing what each makes them think of and feel. Which cue makes Edgar think of himself as a badass mother f*cker when leaving an airport? Which makes them think of a good time in the summer, or relaxing on the beach for that matter? And, above all else, which transports them to a wonderful, stimulating evening with a very special person?
Sit back, dust off your copies of John Burlingame’s book, and let the hosts take you on a musical and personal journey through the Bond sounds of the 60s. It’ll be music to your ears.
News from the Bond 25 front : broken ankles and explosive mishaps. But we also discuss our recent trip to New York aka "Live And Eat Apple Pie":
Bond Film location hunt Our Spyscape / Driven by 007 experience Fleming's Bond location Some of Fleming's haunts Meet-ups with fellow Bond community members Joe Darlington of Being James Bond & Matt Spaiser of The Suits of James Bond. And Ghostbusters locations
Hello, dear listeners!
Ah, BBC America. Kind of like the BBC, but also not. A production company respected the world over for its quality radio plays, news reporting, documentaries, and television broadcasts. What’s that you say? In 2014 they released a 4-part miniseries based on the wartime experiences of Ian Fleming? Oh, how delightful! What could possibly go wrong?!?
That’s what hosts Mathieu and Edgar finnd out on this week’s show. Seeing as they are unequivocal experts on all things Fleming, they sniff out some of the less than accurate plot machinations, as well as sniff out some of the production’s more stinky aspects. There is much ground to cover, what with four 45-50 minute long episodes, but that doesn’t mean they rush to the finish line without analyzing the essential talking points.
Is Dominic Cooper playing the role of Fleming too seriously? What was that other television show Lara Pulver is famous for appearing nude in and no other particular reason? Edgar admits to actually doing occasional research when the subject matter stimulates him, like Annabelle Wallis. How important is it that the show drops little hints of the creation Fleming would later give birth to? When is it useful to claim you’re a super major fan of Mein Kampf? Is it really that bad to be into BDSM? What happens when two secret agents on the run opt to take refuge inside a female elephant’s privates? What does Ian Fleming think of social media?
Yes, it’s another week of endlessly fascinating, engaging, and… juicy chatter at The James Bond Complex. *
*This week’s episode of The James Bond Complex is X rated. Have your martinis at the ready.
Hello, dear listeners!
The time has come for a major announcement. This will come as a surprise to many, possibly a shock to some. Mathieu and Edgar have been doing this show for well over a year now. On a weekly basis, they’ve delved into the fictional life of James Bond 007 in all its shapes and forms, from Fleming to the films and everything in between.
But this week will be different. Very much so in fact.
Now is the moment to peel back the onion layers and reveal details of life and times of the real James Bond! Yes, the hosts found a book by John Pearson titled James Bond: The Authorized Biography, in which its author relates many juicy details of 007’s early life and career as a secret agent directly from the man himself. His family, his loves, his world travels at an early age, his WWII service, his trials and tribulations while working for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, as well as how another author, Ian Fleming, who knew Bond, made use of the agent’s exciting life to publish a series of novels, fictionalizing his adventures.
What’s that now? You don’t believe this to be true? Well, come now, it’s perfectly normal to scoff at the notion that James Bond was an actual person who existed because of what we know of the Fleming novels and films. You see, that’s the brilliance of this book. By publishing this “biography”, the world gets to know Bond’s real life whilst not believing that any of it is actually real. Very cloak and dagger, just like the real man himself. Art imitates life imitating art inspired by life. It’s really quite clear when you stop and think about it for a moment. By posing this as a piece of fiction, the reality is therefore concealed by the fiction therein, itself inspired by reality.
So let us begin the summer reading season with something a little different, a not real book about a real person whose not real life was written by a real person who created a not real version of the real person this not real book is examining.
Sheer brilliance.
Ersnt Stavro Blofeld, 007's arch-nemesis. the Joker to James Bond's Batman. Is this villain that memorable ? Edgar & Matt discuss the man who has been a thorn in Bond's life for decades.
Hello dear, listeners!
Oh look. Two parts. Lucky you.
Welcome back for another, yawn, thrilling hour of our "Spectre" film review. We know that our listenership awaits with bated breath whenever there is a week between, yawn, our two part reviews.
Geez Louise, are we the only ones getting a little sleepy?
If you thought that Mathieu and Edgar were done talking about Mr. White with Part 1, think again. He's so much fun to quote and analyze that he ends up appearing in the review, well, a little bit EVERYWHERE! Speaking of things going everywhere, that's the direction some of our opinions do as well, which is a given when it comes to the Bond films that fail to reach spectacular heights. Fair is fair however, and all topics must be broached, regardless of how light or heavy they may be. Is "I hate you!" acting more convincing that love bird acting? Is Thomas Newman's score music to our ears? yawn.
Out of horror comes beauty, such as the beautiful explosions in this movie. Even more beautiful are the concepts Mathieu and Edgar conjure up for their alternate version of the film. They really do work well together with terrific synchronicity, almost like brothers from different mothers. Hmm, that sounds like some people we know...
yawn
Anways, stick around, get a coffee, try to stay awake, and find out our final thoughts on Sp-zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Hello, dear listeners!
The show is often diving into the 007 franchise's past, relishing in the previous classics from decades ago, reliving cherished memories from previous eras. But hold on, hosts Mathieu and Edgar can be hip and modern just like the new kids on the block. Just you wait and see.
That's right, the time has come to discuss "Spectre", the latest James Bond film adventure!....from over 3 years ago, soon to be 4 years ago. Ugh.
It's one thing to bemoan the hiatuses between the modern film productions, but what of the movie itself? This review ends up being quite a strange beast at times. While remaining mostly on topic, as the hosts are want to do anyways, they do curiously diverge for some rather odd allusions to other film franchises. Well, we already know that the producers wanted to tie in this film with the earlier Daniel Craig instalments, so what harm is there in a little bit of creative liberty, especially when answering burning questions like how come there are no bystanders in Rome but Mexico City is overcrowded? We come up with a rather Marvellous answer! Among other topics are how delightful it is to get to a little bit of "Oh, James!" kissy action, how Drax the Destroyer fairs in his 007 debut, and how much fun it is to immitate Mr. White.
So sit back, get yourself some cervezas, put your skeleton makeup on, and join us for a wild ride. Stick with us listeners, and we'll make sure you avoid the Xander Zone.
Hello, dear listeners!
This a new dawn that commences here at The James Bond Complex. The sun rises to shed light on less familiar territory as hosts Mathieu and Edgar embark on the post-Fleming era of the 007 novels, beginning with 1968’s Colonel Sun, written by Kingsley Amis, who went under the pen name Robert Markham at the time of publication.
After spending over a year relishing in Fleming’s prose and fantastical imagination, the boys could be a little bit nervous when engaging with their first non-Fleming 007 adventure, but rest assured, they are in the very capable hands of Colonel Sun. You see, any publication not penned by the original creator can be viewed as an experiment, and the Colonel is more than happy to use the hosts as subjects for a little project he’s been itching to get off the ground for some time already. He just required the perfect specimens.
Oh, what amazing sensations he has in store for them. Feelings so extraordinary, so extra-sensorial, that by the end of the episode they might attain a higher level of existence, a state of being that operates on a completely different level than anything humans have ever known. Romantic entanglements with a politically audacious young Greek beauty, dangerous boat rides in the Mediterranean amongst the many Greek isles, a desperate mission to save Bond’s father figure M, delightful backstories about former Nazis that specialize in mass murder, Russian officials that swing the other way and might be looking at them with unabashed lust, lively Greek myth storytelling, and, just in case they start feeling a little bit gassed by the end, some good whores to keep them properly stimulated.
In fact, the experiment promises to be so enrapturing, that all the listeners are invited to join. Come here, have a seat in this darkly lit room in Sun’s basement. Get yourself comfortable and prepare to have, well, your minds opened.
Now where did we put our favourite skewer?
No more delays, no more director changes. Bond 25 is happening.
We discuss the upcoming line Olear Brown of Bond inspired clothing and our upcoming trip to NYC.
Hello, dear listeners!
It's no secret that Sean Connery will long live in movie history as the original cinematic James Bond, the version that many consider to be the best for that matter. However much fans adore the actors for having played the iconic part, the fact of the matter is they all, well, most of them have had impressive film and television careers outside of the world of 007.
Given that, hosts Mathieu and Edgar return this week for a little bit more Connery lovin', one more taste of the great Scotsman's impressive persona, only this time in a non-Bond movie. Now, Connery's cinematic career outside of Bond is pretty legendary, so it was hard to choose from his oeuvre, but when the dust settled, "The Hunt for Red October" seemed like the perfect fit. Having played a character that represented the West so sexifully (and actually fought the East in the original novels), how ironic is it that he plays a Soviet submarine commander, albeit one with dreams of fleeing to the West?
Yes, once more the Russians will play the game with the Americans, this time in a quality film directed by forgotten but supremely talented director John McTiernan, starring a beautifully bearded Sean Connery, a delightful Sam Neil, and an Alec Baldwin who's giving one of his best performances.
DIVE! DIVE! DIVE!
Hello, dear listeners!
Welcome back to Part 2 of our Connery Debriefing. Mathieu and Edgar love talking about the big man so much, they just kept on yapping and yapping away! So much so that they have another hour devoted to counting down a plethora of Connery-isms.
Some of the ranking topics are expected (although no less obligatory), while other might catch the listeners off guard, at least the hosts hope so. You see, Sean was such an inspiring figure and actor, the boys just couldn’t help themselves and went a little wacky with the list ideas. So be it. Connery himself was a man that marched at the beat of his own drum, something the podcast has always striven for.
Come to think of it, there are a lot of similarities between Connery and the hosts. Their charm, their love of money, their character, their love of money, their cunning, their dedication, their love of money. Really, when one thinks about it seriously for a moment, Sean Connery and these couple of podcasters are practically the same person. The resemblance is uncanny, honestly. Barely tell them apart.
Thanksh to Sean Connery for his shinematic contributions to Bond. We Shalute thee!
Hold the Aston Martins! What just happened?
Uh, hello dear listeners....assuming there are any of you left.
Mathieu and Edgar aren't sure what happened a couple of days ago on April 1st. Our memories are a bit hazy. All we can remember is sitting down to record a balanced, honest review of "Casino Royale" 1967 in our studio at restaurant Chez Edgar, and then maybe noticing some funny pills in our drinks. Before it was too late, we were both hiccupping strange, cartoon animated and multicoloured puffs of smoke before blacking out.
But we've returned from wherever we were! Yes, we figured it was high time we give the 60s spoof version of Casino Royale a fair shake. In fact, there is a lot of shaking and rattling in this episode. Alas, the film has become something of a punching bag within the Bond fan community, but is the dubious reputation warranted? Tune in this week to find out!
And just in case any of you are hesitant to listen to a review of this much maligned movie, we'd like to point out that "the double taking pigeon is never attentive to the passerby that chooses not to commute with an inflatable gondola in the street, but rather, must always look twice at the passerby that drives such a vehicle."
Don't understand the connection? Ah, you will. You will!
This is a transmission from SMERSH. Results of Operation "New Dawn."
After months of trial and error, we have finally captured the enemy two agents, Mathieu Auclair and Edgar Chaput. While they proved nimble and slippery for a while eventually our efforts bore fruit.
Their propaganda for James Bond 007 had gone on long enough. In this day and age, with social media platforms and the democratization of platforms to voice opinions, their nefarious efforts to laud the most vile and sickening of our enemies, James Bond, had to come to an immediate halt. In order to sway public opinion away from 007 of the British Secret Service, it was imperative that SMERSH take over their podcast, The James Bond Complex, and use its hosts to serve our own needs.
The brainwashing process was long and arduous, with both hosts fighting back as best they could. Ultimately, they succumbed. Success! And now, with Mathieu and Edgar under our control, we begin a new dawn, one in which the podcast will begin to instruct its listeners of new information and opinions to hold about 007. What better way than to have the legion of listeners come to appreciate the codename theory, best exemplified by the brilliant "Casino Royale" from 1967?
Yes, soon SMERSH will have everyone turned against James Bond 007, and we'll have our "friends" Mathieu and Edgar to thank...and so will the listeners!
MWAHAHAHAHHA! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
MWAHAHAHAHAH cough cough cough
*takes a gulp of cough sirup. *
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
Hello, dear listeners!
Many James Bond fans believe that Sean Connery is the best cinematic interpretation of Ian Fleming’s iconic literary character. Since Mathieu and Edgar have run the gamut of Connery 007 adventures, including 1983’s unofficial Never Say Never Again, they figured it was time to give the big man his due with an extremely thorough Connery Debriefing. Connery’s Bond is the stuff of legend, and with 7 total films to look back on, small wonder that the hosts have so much to discuss.
Following the template of the Fleming Debriefing, the lads share a mind numbing collection of top 3s, top 5s, top 7s, (consistency, like with the franchise itself, it not the host’s strong point…). Who can forget such important, iconic moments in Connery’s tenure: shooing Dink away for ‘’man talk’’ by slapping her on the toosh, the classic barnyard scene in GF with Pussy, telling Quarrel to fetch his shoes in DN, not caring one iota when Aki is killed in and then boning Kissy in YOLT, sending Tilly to certain death at the hands of Oddjob in GF? *
Connery, you’re the man and we shine the spotlight on you!
*examples of iconic Connery moments are for marketing purposes of this episode only and may or may not feature in our actual rankings. People that put those moments into practice in real life do so at their own risk. The James Bond Complex will not be held responsible for any sexual or race related controversies listeners may themselves in by using those scenes as examples for real world behaviour.
We have lawyers everywhere!
(The James Bond Complex TM, 2019)
There are a lot of Bond 25 rumors around these days. For a change of pace we have a review of "L'orchestre à vents de musique de film" 's James Bond themed concert. https://www.ovmf.qc.ca/ ANd our interaction with the Montreal X-men that attended the event, trading their adamtium claws for Walther Ppk's https://www.facebook.com/montrealxmen/
Hello, dear listeners!
Oh, the suspense is killing us!!!
What is Matt’s number 1 literary Bond Girl?!? You’ve had a week to figure it out. How many of you believe to have the right answer?
Well, for that and so much more you’ll just have to download and listen to this week’s episode as Mathieu and Edgar conclude, like for real this time, their discussion about Ian Fleming’s James Bond. More categories, more unique answers, more twists and turns, more suspense, always more. When it comes to talking about James Bond, just like Fleming, the hosts are more than happy to oblige and deliver.
More crucial still, the many discussions all lead up to the biggest, most important category of them all: their personal rankings of all 14 books. Which is the wet noodle of the bunch? Which are ranked unexpectedly low? Unexpectedly high? And, which book is each host’s ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE novel?
How’s THAT to wet your appetite?
**The audio clips in this episode are from a 1963 interview with the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and another conversation from ’63 in a programme called Desert Island Discs, courtesy of the BBC.
Hello, dear listeners!
Like a long-winded film that offers multiple endings before you can finally relieve yourselves in the washroom, we simply can’t say ‘’au revoir’’ to Ian Fleming just yet. After 14 books, 2 of which became 2-part episodes (FYEO and OHMSS), hosts Mathieu and Edgar knew they had to provide the Commander with the send off he justly deserves. After all, the very basis of the show is “From FLEMING, to the films, and everything in between!”
In that light, here is Part 1 of a very special debriefing, one for which we go through the Fleming cannon with a finely toothed comb, starting with an overview of the literary 007 timeline before embarking on a audacious number of categories by which we rank our favourite elements from all the books. In some cases we thought a little bit outside the box for our categories, whereas in other instances we got creative with our answers!
Here we go for one last serving of scrambled eggs and one final early morning swim on the Goldeneye beach.
*The audio clips in this episode are from a 1963 interview with the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) and another conversation from ’63 in a programme called Desert Island Discs, courtesy of the BBC.
Hello dear listeners!
We’d like to take a moment of your time and speak to you seriously.
Are you tired of wondering why you’ve not been upgraded to 00 status yet?
Are you growing frustrated of always striking out when at bat…or when attempting “other things?”
Are you fed up of work colleagues always bringing you down by telling you to stop talking about or showing off your “sordid escapades” or “adolescent antics?”
Has your patience run its limits with the unfinished, untested DB10s you steal?
Well, don’t worry anymore because there’s hope. Hope in the form of inspiration. This week on the show, Mathieu and Edgar reveal what keeps them alive (it’s not loneliness!) by sharing the aspects of the James Bond films they take inspiration from and apply in their daily lives. How many doors have to be held until someone finally pities them and begrudgingly agrees to sleep with them? How good does it feel to finally let go of your former friend-turned-enemy’s foot, sending them to certain death from the top of a ginormous satellite? How important is it to quit your job to help a friend in need? How much better does it feel to launch insults at a cripple about their handicap? All this and more on this week’s episode of The James Bond Complex!
Don’t have time to listen to the show just yet? Well, life’s full of small challenges.
Hello, dear listeners!
One of the driving philosophies that Mathieu and Edgar hung onto when birthing The James Bond Complex was to “make podcasting great again.” We wanted 007 podcasting to be a force to be reckoned with, a leader in quality debating. That powerful inspiration came from none other than the bold Victoria Hunt, CEO in waiting of Hunt Engineering from “Hammerhead.”* Yes, after a prolonged absence the show returns to the Dynamite Entertainment comics. A new writer-artist team is on board (Andy Diggle and Luca Casalanguida) and we cannot wait to see how they deliver the goods. So many questions abound. Will they go out all guns blazing or will the fuse fizzle? Does one have to read between the tea leaves to understand the fall of the British empire or just blame the Charlie Browns of the world? How soon is too soon to plug a grieving woman after she’s lost her father?
Release the KRAKEN!!!!
*Any similarities between what appears in this synopsis or the actual episode and real world personalities and events are purely coincidental and not the responsibility of The James Bond Podcast or its affiliates. No egos were bruised during this recording. The hosts may in fact be winking and having a laugh behind the mic…but they’ll never tell.
We take a moment to celebrate our one year anniversary and talk about all things Bond as production of Bond 25 is just on the horizon!
Hello dear listeners!
We knew we could understand what happens in this movie! CLAPS We told you! Claps Weeeee told you!
Ahem.
Yes, this week Mathieu and Edgar conclude their review of 1987’s film adaptation The Living Daylights. With the same brimming confidence Koskov demonstrates when assuming that 007 will assassinate Pushkin, the hosts make heads and tails of this movie’s plot. Hold on, Bond doesn’t actually end up killing Pushkin…Umm, anyways, with virtually the film’s entire second half to discuss, there is plenty of material to wade through. We try on our best Goofy imitations, rejoice in watching a film from the good old days when the Ruskies were clearly the bad guys, appreciate a solid, manly bromance, and learn that live organs can hide just about anything provided its sufficiently vomit-inducing.
Sit back, opium pipes at the ready, relax and enjoy the conclusion to our TLD film review. You won’t want to miss this performance!
Hello dear listeners!
Whatever The James Bond Complex chats about, excitement follows.
Whenever it’s time to talk Bond, there’s always adventure.
Podcasting on the edge.
That’s right, it’s time once again to talk about a movie. This week and for the first ever on the show, we review a (real) Timothy Dalton adventure, 1987’s The Living Daylights. No more funny business, enough with the winks and the pastiche. Even so, Mathieu and Edgar still manage to have a pretty good time reviewing the film, so much in fact that in the post-recording editing process they deemed to better make it a two parter. With a piercing, killer gaze they go through the picture like a finely toothed comb, delving into its bountiful qualities. Just how lovely is that girl with the cello? Can an anal-retentive, pencil pushing MI6 contact really be a cool dude? How many accents can a villainous assassin impersonate? There’s a lot to discuss before this film is, how to say, “put away.”
Grab some cake and pig flavoured borscht (yum!), wash it down with high-calcium milk, and enjoy the ride.*
*Not all features are automatically included. Extras optional (JBC ltd. 2019).
Hello dear listeners!
A tremendously important, teardrop worthy chapter in the podcast’s history comes to an end. That’s right, this week we hit the books to discuss, for the very last time, an Ian Fleming written James Bond volume, Octopussy and The Living Daylights, published posthumously. There are several reasons why this episode proves bittersweet. First, and most obviously, the hosts won’t be reviewing anymore Fleming Bond! Second, this new collection of short stories, the second Fleming wrote after For Your Eyes Only, is comparatively short, forcing the hosts to spend as much time as they can on it, which isn’t that much ultimately. Third, hmm, third…is it really that good at all? Might Fleming has possibly left us with a wet noodle?
Get some scrambled eggs ready, some black coffee, and tag along one more time as we delve into the OG’s version of James Bond 007!
Hello dear listeners!
Who exactly would be interested in yet another weekly episode of The James Bond Podcast you ask? Why, adoring listeners, personal friends, desperate 007 fans trying to get through the doldrums of January! Yes, it’s back to the silver screen this week with a review of 1974’s The Man With the Golden Gun. What happens when the filmmakers pit Christopher Lee, one of the most legendary screen villain actors, against the suave and impeccably cool James Bond 007? Well, the hosts don’t quite agree on the results in fact. A little bit too much cheekiness? Too much clumsiness on the part of Mary Goodnight? Too much J.W. Pepper? Wait, what’s he doing here anyways?!
In any event, a new episode of The James Bond Complex is always a joyous occasion, so bottom’s up!
Happy New Year, dear listeners!
Since our last recording in early December, the temperature has continued to drop here at Station MC, giving 2019 a cold reception. This prompted us to ask WWFD (What Would Fleming Do?)? Well, he’d go to Jamaica for the winter season and spend time writing new Bond story. Great idea! That’s right, it’s back to the books this week with the oft-maligned Man With the Golden Gun, the penultimate Fleming adventure. More poignantly, it’s a return to the greatest place on Earth, Jamaica, our 3rd visit in 13 books. This time the eclectic subjects concern the table manners of crows, sexy women with poor dental hygiene, the many ways to tell whether you’re gay or straight, how to best dine on snake, and so much more.
The novel might require a bit more polish, but The James Bond Complex is best consumed au naturel.Latest episode of The James Bond Complex
Start 2019 with us at the James Bond Complex as we discuss the gorgeous (and sometimes not so gorgeous) poster artwork used to promote the 24 James Bond films. Happy New Year!
Check out our latest Bond Debriefing in which Mathieu and Edgar discuss the recent "Bond 25" news, Casino Royale Secret Cinema, Skyfall in Concert, and other nuggets of 00 news.
Merry Christmas, dear listeners!
Yes, that most wonderful time of year is upon us once again, when the families get together, the office Christmas parties are bustling, the gift shopping leaves us with no more Moneypenny, and yet still all we can think is James Bond. The holiday season is a time for reflection and sharing, and this week on the show Mathieu and Edgar do a little bit of both. For reflection, a trio of questions are asked: what gifts do we want under the tree for the 25th, what do we wish 2019 has in store for the world of 007, and what we hope happens in Bond 25. For sharing, the hosts invited other podcasters suffering from the James Bond Complex to answer those questions too. Many responded with audio messages: Podcasters Royale, The Bond Experience, Don Zuiderman from The 00 Files, our man in the field Jason Kim, and more! It’s like the greatest greatest hits compilation. From The James Bond Complex to the listeners, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
*Please donate a portion of your time to these other stellar podcasts and platforms that dedicate themselves to 007…just remember to come back to us! And tell them who sent you!
The Oddjob Pod (https://twitter.com/OddjobPod)
Don Zuiderman (https://twitter.com/donzuiderman) and The 00 Files (https://twitter.com/the00files)
The Words Are Not Enough (https://twitter.com/TWANEpod)
The James Bond Dossier (https://twitter.com/007dossier)
Podcasters Royale (https://twitter.com/podroyale007)
David Zaritsky at The Bond Experience (https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBondExperience)
Jarrod Alberich (https://twitter.com/yardsaleartist) from OHMS Podcast: MI6 Rookie Agents (https://twitter.com/OHMSPod)
Jason Kim, international man of mystery (https://www.instagram.com/jasxon88/)
Hello dear listeners! This week’s episode has been teased more than once over the past couple of months. We kept a tight lid on things, but the time has finally come to cut the seal and open a very confidential dossier. We are joined with MI6 Confidential Magazine contributor @paperback_film (on Twitter, whom you met during Bond Debriefing # 4) to discuss the secrets of what would have been Timothy Dalton’s 4th 007 adventure. Yes, his FOURTH! If you want to find out more, then it’s best to listen to this week’s episode as our contact from America spills the beans on tons, and we mean tons of information on an alternate history of James Bond and Timothy Dalton’s place within the franchise. Call it a reunion with what could have been…a Reunion With Death!
Hello dear listeners. What do you get when you mix together a film star that no longer wants to be on set, a character split into two different characters because an actress threatened to commit suicide, a haphazard script penned by a writer that works on children’s stories, and a plot influenced by the 1960s space race? The result probably looks a lot like this week’s subject matter. Mathieu and Edgar return to the silver screen for a discussion about 1967’s You Only Live Twice film “adaptation.’ As M warns 007 at the start “This is the big one!” In fact, the movie is so big and vast it almost blows up in its own face, but the hosts, with their undying love for Bond, found quite enough they enjoyed about it just the same. So get your sake ready (at the current temperature of 98.4F) and join in on the fun.
***This episode requires a special passcode to be downloaded. Just tell The James Bond Complex how you feel about them: I. Love. You.
Hello dear listeners! For centuries people have endeavoured to build public attractions for almost every possible human interest like music, visual arts, architecture, parades, food, Disney…EXCEPT DEATH! Yes, that’s right, it’s back to books this week as Mathieu and Edgar bask in the glory of Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, featuring what must be Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s zaniest plot yet, the Garden of Death. Of course, the novel offers so much more than just that. Over the course of the discussion we cover how awesome it is to be a kamikaze pilot, the respectability of whore houses, the usefulness of getting your business partners as drunk as humanly possible, and the delicacy that is kobe beef. So get your tea leaves ready and discover early 1960s Japan with us.
Haiku: You only live twice. Once when you are born, and once when you discover The James Bond Complex.
Hello, dear listeners! We're back this week with Part 2 of our OHMSS film review. We woke up here in Montreal just a few days ago, and would you imagine that there are already a few snowflakes falling during the cold, early mornings. How fitting, therefore, that we should discuss the portion of the film involving the ultimate ski chase, an avalanche, and a cozy 'pop pop' session at the farm during a snow storm. Christmas is on the way, and OHMSS is the film that keeps on giving, so sit tight, grab a martini, and enjoy the show! You'll love our podcast FOREVER...FOREVER...forever...
Hello, listeners! It's getting cold here in Montreal, and Mathieu and Edgar have just returned from a specialized allergy clinic the Swiss Alps where they hoped the Count de Bleauchamp would cure them of their aversion to winter. Alas, it was not meant to be...That's right, it's back to the silver screen this week with a discussion of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Part 1 that is! The movie is so big and holds such an important place in the franchise's lore that the two hosts just couldn't stop talking about it. Controversy abounds when it comes to this film, but Matt and Edgar hope to make it through unscathed. So snuggle up by the fireplace where the ladies look twice as beautiful and the bezants can stay warm. They' re convinced you'll love the episode. They know it. They feel it in their blood!
BOO! Did we scare when you saw your podcast feed this morning? Here's our freakishly fantastic Halloween special!
Hello, dear listeners!
This week, Mathieu and Edgar take the locomotive to a far off, exotic destination, fend off Spectre assassins, knife throwing twins, steel-jawed assailants, and make sure to order white wine with our fish. Yes, we have a bit of a different episode this week, as we recorded in the train on our way to Toronto for the Casino Royale in concert event from a couple weeks ago. We discuss all the sequences that happen in, on top of, and underneath locomotives throughout the series. Get comfortable with a little night cap (on the company) and enjoy the ride. Just make sure to check if anybody’s hiding in the closet first!
Hello, dear listeners! We’re back this week in more ways than one. First, we’re back with a new episode. Second, we’re back from a weekend in Toronto, Canada where we attended the (at the moment) only North American stop for Casino Royale in Concert. Third, friend of the show and world traveller Jason Kim returns to the show, as he spent a few days in ‘The 6’ with us. On Saturday Oct 13th we sat down in a busy café to record our thoughts about the show we had witnessed the night before. Although we can’t play the concert for you, we hope the episode will be like music to your ears.
Hello dear listeners. Do you know your family history like the back of your own hand? Do you at least know the family history of your mortal enemy? Well, it’s time start flexing those genealogist muscles because Mathieu and Edgar head up the Swiss Alps to catch Blofeld. That’s right, it’s back to the books with a discussion about Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. More importantly, this is the book in which our dear Bond falls in love with the woman of his dreams! We also get to revisit Ernst Stavro Blofeld face to face, only he looks and sounds nothing like Blofeld, but trust Fleming, it’s definitely Blofeld, but also not at all. Wedding bells, Christmas time stories with M, Manchurian candidates, avalanches, and yet another old toad of a woman, this one’s a belter, so get you ski gear ready!
Hello, dear listeners! In this very special episode of Bond Debriefing, we welcome a new friend of the show, Phil Poggiali from the MI6 Confidential magazine. After getting to know Phil's history with the 007 franchise, we tackle the latest news: Cary Funukaga directing Bond 25, the film's new release date, and the Bond vehicles expansion pack for XBox's Forza 4 video game. Will get all get back into gaming suddenly??? (spoilers: no).
Hello dear listeners! Mathieu, Edgar, and special guest Jason Kim (whom you heard on the Secret Origins episode) are back at it this week with the cinematic Bond and a discussion of 1977’s The Spy Who Loved Me. This is indeed a big one, and keeping the Canadian end up was no easy task, but somehow we managed to get through a plethora of topics, from Roger Moore’s sheer class, Barbara Bach’s multiple assets, the stunning cinematography, and the tricked out Lotus Esprit, among many others. Come to think of it, the timing of this release is rather appropriate. The sun is setting a bit earlier and there’s freshness in the air. It’s time to put Major Amasova’s wisdom into practice: strong mental attitude, plenty of food, and of course shared bodily warmth…and you’re all invited.
Hello, dear listeners! This week Mathieu and Edgar get in touch with their feminine side with a little bit of help from Ian Fleming. Just like the kids at school, it's back to the books with The Spy Who Loved Me, a story told exclusively from the 1st person perspective of a young twenty-something woman. Can there be a Bond novel in which a character other than 007 is the most interesting? How much of La Belle Province did Fleming know about? How cold and methodical are Germans at sex? Get cozy and join us; we left the vacancy light on.
Hello dear listeners. We’re back at Shrublands for the 3rd week in a row, although we promise it’s the last time! Mathieu and Edgar go non-canonical for the first time since the podcast began with a discussion about 1983’s Never Say Never Again. Sean Connery returns as James Bond, looking quite dapper and actually happy to be on set. Speaking of happy, SPECTRE has never looked chirpier when doing its dastardly business, with Blofeld and especially Maximilan Largo leading the charge of smiles and wit. And of course there’s Fatima Blush, who made us blush to say the least. Talking about the same story for the 3rd week in a row was a bit of a challenge, but on the flip side we did lose a few pounds and eliminated all free radicals.
Our file showed no hosts, and to start up a 00 podcast it takes…3.
Hello dear listeners! In a very special episode of The James Bond Complex, Mathieu and Edgar welcome the show’s symbolic 3rd host. Who might that be? The name’s Kim, Jason Kim. Yes, a true Bond fan, world traveler, and all around swell fellow, Jason is in many ways one of the podcast’s most important figures. Way back in our initial podcast, the hosts revealed how they met, but the truth of the matter, the secret origin if you will, is that there was a third 00 aficionado chatting away along with them in line to meet good old Lazenby. Thus a friendship was forged, one steeped in Bond goodness. Now, we get to learn more about Jason and his opinions on the franchise. Enjoy!
Danny Boyle leaves the director chair of Bond 25 leaving fans confused. Has 007 met his match? Who will take on the directing duties of Daniel Craig's final James Bond performance? Edgar & Mathieu Speculate! It's another recording day debriefing!
Hello dear listeners. You know, Mathieu and Edgar have grown accustomed to your faces. Or ears. That’s right, if you can hear the bongos playing in the background at the Kiss Kiss Club, that’s because the hosts return to the 007 of the movies with a review of 1965’s Thunderball! This was one of our more challenging episodes, especially when discussing the quality of the female leads and their…notable qualities. Oh, and forgive the odd dialogue at times during the episode, we tried putting our ADR skills to the test. Which is silly, because podcasts are aural, not visual, so what would it even matter? Well, we might not know much about podcasting, but we know a little about Bond!
Hello, dear listeners! A healthy body means a healthy mind, and we at the James Bond Complex take physical health very seriously, which is why we decided to spend a few weeks at the Shrublands health clinic near London. That’s right, it’s back to Fleming’s world for a discussion about Thunderball. Mathieu and Edgar felt so refreshed and enlivened following their stay at Shrublands that they left no stone unturned in their review. Does the novel take too much of a roundabout way to get to the point? Did Bond sleep with Patricia Fearing after all? How awesome is Felix Leiter when talking about alcohol measures in olive martinis? Many topics are discussed and many lessons are learned along the way, most importantly that you should never toy with nuclear arms; it isn’t good for your sex life.
Hello, dear listeners! You’d be surprised by the amount of wear and tear that goes out in the field. For our final 2018 Montreal Comic Con retrospective episode, Mathieu and Edgar required a little bit of help from Q Branch in order to bring you an approximation of what the James Bond Complex Comic Con presentation was like. While the original recording can sadly not be used due to its dubious quality, we offer the 2nd best option: a recording of our practice runs. Not quite what the final product ended up being, but as Bond admits to himself when Fiona Volpe turns him down in TB, you can’t win them all.
Hello, dear listeners! 37 years after facing 007 and Columbo in battle in For Your Eyes Only, Kristatos lives! That is to say, he lives on as real-life actor Julian Glover. Famous for his roles in a multitude of properties that have their own legions of fans, such as Indiana Jones and Game of Thrones, for Bond fans Julian Glover will always be remembered as Aristotle Kristatos. The lauded actor visited Montreal in early July during the 2018 Montreal Comic Con, and was gracious enough to spend a few minutes with your hosts to reminisce about Roger Moore and reveal his favourite Bond film.
It's another Bond recording day. we discuss the Lego Aston Martin, Casting calls and Edgar's idea for the next 007 actor.
Hello, dear listeners! This week, hosts Mathieu and Edgar take a leave of absence from the bowels of MI6 for a little detour to Gotham City to meet with the Caped Crusader. After dropping countless little Bat-nuggets throughout the show since our launch, we felt it was finally time to record an episode on Batman, another great interest of ours. Where did our love for the character and his world begin? Why do we like him so much? Which Batmobile is the coolest (pointless question; it’s the one from the 1960s television series)? Plus, a mini-marathon of reviews and personal memories from each of the Batman films since Tim Burton’s 1989 classic. It’s not who we were are underneath, but what we do that defines us, and this week we do Batman hard!
Hello dear listeners! Sound the alarm: May Day, May Day, May Day! That’s right, this week it’s back to the glorious silver screen for a discussion about Sir Roger Moore’s 1985 swan song, A View To a Kill. Sporting a disreputable reputation, the hosts try to fathom if said unenviable image is actually warranted or not. Does Roger’s pure charm and wit suffice to keep the iceberg sub afloat? Can Grace Jones’ style and panache make the film interesting enough? Does Christopher Walken’s intuitive improvisation help the story at all? Has The James Bond Complex finally met its match?!? Well, suffice to say we were a little restless but got off eventually.
We went on a local assignment at the Palais des Congrès for the 2018 Montreal comic-con. We discuss our experience at this pop-culture event!
Including "From a View to a Kill", "For Your Eyes Only", "Quantum of Solace", "Risico" and "The Hildebrand Rarity", this short story collection was based on scripts written for a proposed James Bond tv show.
Hello dear listeners. There was a time, long before many of us were even born, when James Bond was the Star Wars of its day, with tie-in products galore for the men, the women, and the children. There was something for everyone. Well, Mathieu and Edgar are bringing those days back, at least for one week, with a spin-off of Monopoly called Monopoquote, the basis of which is, what else, quotes from the movies (we figured we should go easy on ourselves and go for probably the only thing we’re consistent with) How does one play Monopoquote? Listen to the episode and find out!
Welcome back, dear listeners! Things get very serious this week as Mathieu and Edgar tackle what many perceive to be the single most iconic film in the entire franchise, 1964’s Goldfinger! No matter, for the hosts are not the least bit intimidated by the task at hand. How could they with so many extraordinary things to talk about: how to hack golf, what accent Bond’s caddie speaks with, Pussy Galore’s symbolic wardrobe, why Goldfinger’s gold had to extracted from the late Mr. Solo at all, and who each host would rather date: Tilly or Jill? There’s no funny business here at the James Bond Complex because we never joke about our work.
Bond 25 is on it's way. Mark Strong is rumored to be involved. Lego James Bond sets ?!? Oh and also Olear Brown James Bond swimming shorts!
Hello dear listeners! The temperature has gone up, the sun is out, and school is out. That means it’s time for a little bit of summer reading. Mathieu and Edgar oblige this week by delving into Ian Fleming’s Goldfinger from 1959. The hosts really, really hope you like long winded descriptions of the intricacies of golf more than they do. Like, really hope a lot. No? Hmm, then perhaps some fine feline cuisine, a little bit of Korean BBQ? Yes, that should hit the spot, as should a drive through the French countryside, a couple of frisky lesbians, and the most ludicrous heist scheme ever concocted. Enjoy the sun’s Midas touch!
Hello dear listeners. A few months ago we reviewed the first comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment, Vargr (we’re still not sure how to pronounce it). Now we’re back for what we hope will be more than just sloppy seconds, Eidolon (I-dough-lon? Aïe-do-lon? Eye-do-lon?...). Bond is back in action and heads to America (briefly) to extract one Cadence Birdwhistle, with whom he makes wonderful music. A secretive plot to infiltrate MI5, corrupt officials left and right, the return of SPECTRE, all led by a villain with a face only a mother would love, and even that’s debatable.
Welcome back dear listeners! The time has finally come to rejoice in the very first official James Bond film, Dr. No from 1962! Discover the film that started the 007 phenomena, with a young, often shirtless Sean Connery, a goddess-like Ursula Andress, wonderful cinematography that captures the beauty of Jamaica, one of the best Felix Leiter’s in the entire series, most of the cast being dubbed, and bunch of Caucasian actors playing Chinese characters. Ah, yes, the innocent times of early 1960s filmmaking. The good old days, one might say.
Hello dear listeners. Oof, that last book From Russia With Love, it nearly killed us. Thankfully, this week, Ian Fleming treats us to some fun under the sun with a trip to Jamaica, the greatest piece of land in the world. Join us as we meet the locals like Quarrel, be delivered delicious looking fruit baskets (that need to be analyzed for poison), sleep in comfortable, relaxing hotel rooms (but watch out for giant centipedes that might nibble pointy ends), and discover the exotic underwater species, like gigantic man-eating octopi. Wait, what sort of holiday is this, anyways?!?
Big news! It's official Bond 25 is going to be directed by Danny Boyle. Production starts in December. Universal Pictures is distributing!
Time to take your Vinyls, 8-track, tape casette and/or cd's out of storage we are back to finish our list of favorite opening themes
24 films. 24 Opening themes. Our hosts discuss the James Bond opening themes. Their favorites and least favorite.
Hello, dear listeners! Have you ever been to Istanbul? Well, sadly, neither of Mathieu or Edgar, but according the Bond, the Bosphorus in the moonlight is irresistible. Hopefully, a viewing of 1963’s From Russia With Love can serve as the next best thing. Long considered to be among the best entries in the film franchise, the hosts leave no stone unturned: Robert Shaw’s sexiness, sweaty and glistening female gypsy fighters, the cute mistress resting on the sofa that wants sexy time with Kerim Bey, etc. Basically this film is very, very sexy. You’ll all find out that our mouths are just the right size…for your ears that is.
Hello dear listeners! It’s back to Fleming’s literary world this week with From Russia With Love. Many of us would like to think ourselves brave enough to face anything, but that just isn’t true. Who is brave enough to face the odds on a Friday the 13th? Who among us is actually brave enough to face off against a powerful enemy who gets “the crazies” on a full moon, just like a lycan? Who would risk their life against an entire enemy espionage apparatus whose sole objective is to kill them? Thankfully our man is James Bond. He can do it. He’ll make it out alive, right? RIGHT?!?
Bond 25 hasn't been cast. It seems a script hasn't even been completed. All we know for certain is that James Bond will return on November 8, 2019. This didn't stop Edgar & Matt from discussing the next mission for 007!
Making mud pies, dear listeners? Good! That means you’re all set and ready for this week’s film review of 1971’s Diamonds are Forever. In this direct followup to On Her Maje-oh, that’s not accurate? Okay. Let’s try again. Mathieu and Edgar have a gay old time discussing Sean Connery’s official 007 swan song. Las Vegas in the early 1970s isn’t what it is today, mind you, but you can still find some cool stuff, like cross dressing men, elephants playing slot machines, and the live action version of Bambi and Thumper. It’s all good, provided the collars and cuffs match of course.
How many comically named gangsters does it take to smuggle diamonds from Sierra Leone to Las Vegas? According to Ian Fleming’s Diamonds are Forever novel, a whole army’s worth, some of whom have names less funny than others. Yes, listeners, it’s back to the world of the literary 007 this week. Mathieu and Edgar relax as they cleanse their skin in a steamy mud bath (separate tubs, please), the debate the merits of spending 3 pages describing an auction in which steamship passengers guess how many miles they’ll travel the next day, try to make a case for Tiffany Case, and learn a new meaning to ending a book on a wet noodle.
You’ve seen Bond in the jungle. You’ve seen Bond underwater You’ve seen Bond in outer space. Now, prepare to see Bond and his world like you never have before! Prepare to live in his world! Behold the two most audacious, daring projects to help EON rake in the dough while giving the fanbase as much 00-goodness as they can handle. Want to Netflix and chill with 00-class? Want to take a ride in an Aston Martin and gamble a high stakes poker game at Blades? Welcome to The James Bond Expansion.
It's April first and you know what this means: the laws of time and space have been rewritten!!! Edgar & Mathieu enter a different universe, The James Bond Jr. Universe! Will it be a fun nostalgic trip or a journey into hell? Listen and find out!
Mathieu and Edgar are back and this week they follow 007 into outer space! That’s right, it’s a review of 1979’s Moonraker and there’s so much to talk about. What are the benefits of being recruited by MI6 to row gondolas in Venice? What’s up with the film’s discombobulated tones? How does one stay classy while sexual turned on by Corinne Dufour? Holly Goodhead provides some food for thought as well. And of course, space travel, space stations, and space battles! Listener disclaimer: the hosts are dealing in science-fact, not science-fiction.
Mathieu and Edgar return to Fleming's literary Bond for the author's 3rd adventure: Moonraker. Rather than explore exotic locales, 007 must face an unspeakable evil in the own backyard: England! Featuring the best leading lady to date, a magnificent gambling sequence, and super rocket. And nazis. James Bond hates those guys.
This week, Mathieu and Edgar venture into a platform that has not featured 007 for many years: the comic book. In the first of an ongoing series of published stories, Vargr is a modern day interpretation of Ian Fleming’s James Bond. The hosts give their due diligence in discussing a plethora of colourful traits, such as a massive henchman with no feelings, an assassin with bionic arms, a dastardly drug, and as much blood gushing as ink used to actually produce the book!
Well helloooo, Jim! What’s shaking, baby?! Mathieu and Edgar are back with another episode. The year is 1973. Roger Moore stars in his first Bond film, Live and Let Die, and what a film it is: a funk-infused score, the swinging sounds and sights of New Orleans, pimpmobiles, sassy African-American cab drivers, voodoo cults, and more. It can only mean one thing: Blaxploitation Bond!
In February 1952, to distract himself from his forthcoming wedding, Ian Fleming began writing Casino Royale. Edgar & Matt discuss the initial James Bond book.
Mathieu and Edgar return to the world of Fleming with a review of the novel Live and Let Die. A visit to Harlem, a terrifying villain,stomach churning violence, and pirate's gold! Shiver me timbers!
On this week’s episode, Mathieu and Edgar bask the glory of Casino Royale (2006), long considered to be among the best entries in the film series. Along the way they learn many valuable lessons: how Bond acquires his double-oh licence, how to make a Vesper, and, most importantly, trust no one!
Edgar & Matt introduce The James Bond Complex, preview the elements of the 007 they will tackle in each episode, and reveal how they discovered the world's greatest secret agent!