Catch the Hawk!
Upcoming Spy Screenings: Hudson Hawk in Los Angeles

I saw Bruce Willis's notorious bomb Hudson Hawk in the theater on opening night when I was in middle school. I liked it. I liked it then, and I still like it now, but given its reputation, I certainly never thought I'd ever see it in a theater again. But it turns out I can, and so can anyone else in the LA area on Thursday, July 14, when it will play at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. At a 20th Anniversary screening, no less! (I can't believe it's been twenty years... but I guess it does seem a long time ago that I remember my friend Jim eloquently explaining the movie to our French teacher the following Monday with a summary so succinct they should use it in the TV guide: "It's the guy from Die Hard, but he's going bald.") Director Michael Lehman and writer Daniel Waters will be on hand for a discussion following the screening. Sadly, there's no mention of Willis in attendance, who co-concocted the story about a cat burglar caught between the mob and the CIA as he goes after incredible inventions of Leonardo DaVinci in a comically unhinged tale of espionage and alchemy. Derek Flint himself, the great James Coburn, out-grins and out-swaggers even Willis as the Panama hat-wearing leader of a team of CIA agents code-named after candy bars. There's even a very direct Flint reference more than half a decade before Austin Powers. Really, what's not to love?  Showtime is 7:30, and tickets are available through Fandango or at the theater box office. As usual with American Cinematheque events, I recommend the box office, because I can never make Fandango work for their movies; it's always saying shows are sold out when they're not.

REMINDER: Bond Screenings Tonight and Sunday in Los Angeles
George Lazenby in Person!

As reported last month, George Lazenby will be appearing tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood as part of a James Bond Weekend at the American Cinematheque. Four 007 movies all told will screen between the Cinematheque's two theaters. Tonight, Friday, June 17, they'll show On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Diamonds Are Forever at the Egyptian Theatre. Best of all, Mr. Bond himself, George Lazenby, will appear in person for a Q&A between the films moderated by Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia author Steven Jay Rubin! If you didn't catch Laz in person at the Aero last year, make every effort to do so this time! As totally candid as only an Australian can be, he was a wildly entertaining (and thoroughly uncensored) storyteller. The Q&A alone should make the night worthwhile, but on top of that you've also got the opportunity to see the best James Bond movie ever in one of the best theaters in the country. (Plus Diamonds Are Forever. Ahem.) Tickets are supposedly available through Fandango here, but I'm never able to make that work for Cinematheque screenings. It will probably say that they aren't available for that showtime, but as far as I know none of these shows are yet sold out. Be sure to arrive early, though, if you plan to get your tickets at the box office, as I wouldn't be surprised if tonight's show, with Lazenby, does sell out.

On Father's Day, Sunday, June 19, you can catch the first two Bond films back-to-back at the Aero in Santa Monica. Dr. No starts at 7:30 followed by From Russia With Love. Once again, tickets are supposedly available through Fandango, but once again it's unlikely to work. Hit up the theater box office sometime in advance, or arrive early the day of the show.

All of these showings are listed as being 35mm presentations, which I'll take any day over even a pristine digital presentation. If I'm going to a cinema, I want to see film!

REMINDER: Octopussy and The Man With the Golden Gun Screening Tonight in L.A.

More Bond on the Big Screen Coming Up

As reported at the beginning of the month, The American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and Aero Theatre in Santa Monica are currently hosting a month-long tribute to the late, great John Barry. Among the films being screened in the retrospective (entitled "Scorekeeper: A Tribute to Composer John Barry") are six Bond movies, the first of which run tonight. Spy fans in the Los Angeles area can celebrate St. Patrick's Day by watching The Man With the Golden Gun and Octopussy at the fantastic Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood (along with "rare John Barry interviews courtesy of EON Productions") at 7:30. From Russia With Love and Diamonds Are Forever follow tomorrow (Friday, March 18); Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice wrap up the Bond weekend on Sunday, March 20.

The Barry retrospective then continues with Midnight Cowboy and the quirky take on Sherlock Holmes They Might Be Giants on Friday, March 25 at the Aero in Santa Monica, Dances With Wolves on Saturday, March 26, a Michael Caine double feature of the Harry Palmer movie The Ipcress File and Deadfall on Sunday, March 27, and finally Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout on Wednesday, March 30.  All screenings begin at 7:30. 

Tickets can supposedly be ordered through Fandango, although I don't think I've ever actually had any luck getting Cinematheque tickets that way.  It always says sold out, even when the movie isn't sold out.  You're probably better off purchasing at the theater box office.  For more information on "Scorekeeper: A Tribute to Composer John Barry," visit the Egyptian's website or the Film Score Monthly boards, which for some reason seem to have more details.

Bondathon!
Plus: In Defense of Never Say Never Again

Here is a truly amazing video that all Bond fans simply must check out chronicling a recent 3-day, 25-film 007 marathon hosted by CommanderBond.net's Athena Stamos to celebrate her birthday. The time-lapse video is edited by her boyfriend and co-host, filmmaker Brad Hansen, and it's much more than just a chronicle of a rotating crew of Bond fans having fun.  It's a remarkable sociological experiment, and truly must-see footage.  Take a look:

I was fortunate enough to be there, but sadly for only two films, as I had an incredibly busy weekend.  But it seems to have been the right two films!  I watched the 1983 Battle of the Bonds duology, Octopussy and Never Say Never Again.  As you no doubt saw in the video, everyone present rated each movie at the end. Some of the results were surprising, to say the least.  Never Say Never Again (or Sag Niemals Nie as I tend to think of it, thanks to the awesome German poster that prominently decorates my living room) was one such surprise. Personally, I've always been a fan of this film. (There's just so much to love in it! That fight with Pat Roach! Douglas Slocombe's photography! Connery! And, most of all, Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush!) But many Bond fans are not.  Indeed, in the audience at Athena's party, a good number of die-hards grumbled about the prospect of sitting through this one and even warned newbies in the crowd that it wasn't a good one. Yet as we watched, those fans kept "waiting for it to start sucking."  And it never did. Sure, it sags a little bit after the wonderful Fatima Blush's untimely death, but even then there's lots of great stuff going on.  By the time Connery winked at the audience and Lani Hall's title song reprised, it had won new fans of old haters.  In fact, its total score even beat Thunderball's. (No, I don't quite agree with that, but I do love the movie.) Why was this?

Brad has posted a very thoughtful analysis of the event and the ratings on CBn, a must-read to supplement the remarkable video.  Among other insights as one of the only two veterans of the whole marathon, he posits that Never Say Never Again held new appeal coming as an oasis of Connery after so much Moore.  (Nothing against Moore, mind you, whose movies went over well with the crowd; just a break in the monotony.) He points out that viewing all the films in order and with a talkative audience including a mixture of die-hard fans, casual fans and first-time viewers can radically alter the way one appreciates these films. All very true, but I think there's another factor at play here, too.  I think too often people tend to watch Never Say Never Again with other Connery movies. Amidst those Sixties films, it's bound to come up short.  Not necessarily because of a great disparity in quality, but simply because of the radically different styles associated with the two decades. Never Say Never Again is very thoroughly an Eighties Bond movie, and I think it greatly benefits from being watched in that context.* I always advise friends who don't like the movie to watch it with the Moores and Daltons of that era and see how it holds up.  The result is quite different.  If you're among those who loathe Never Say Never Again, give it another try in this context. You don't need to do a full 3-day Bondathon to see it in a different light. You might be pleasantly surprised!

Read Brad Hansen's full Bondathon analysis on CommanderBond.net here.

*By the way, I consider the Eighties to be 007's second Golden Age, after the Sixties. Not only did the decade offer the greatest variety of actors playing the part and the second most films; it also offered some of the best, like For Your Eyes Only and The Living Daylights. The former has actually surpassed The Spy Who Loved Me for me in recent years to become my favorite Moore Bond.

Upcoming Spy Screenings: John Barry and James Bond in L.A.
Celebrate St. Patrick's Day With Octopussy

The American Cinematheque's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood and Aero Theatre in Santa Monica will host a nearly month-long tribute to the great John Barry later in March, including (unsurprisingly) many spy films. The retrospective, entitled "Scorekeeper: A Tribute to Composer John Barry," runs from March 3-30 and includes the Bryan Forbes duo Seance on a Wet Afternoon and The Whisperers at the Aero on Thursday, March 3, Out of Africa at the Aero on Friday, March 4, The Man With the Golden Gun and Octopussy at the Egyptian on Thursday, March 17 (along with "rare John Barry interviews courtesy of EON Productions"), From Russia With Love and Diamonds Are Forever on Friday, March 18 (also including rare Barry interviews), Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice on Sunday, March 20, Midnight Cowboy and the quirky take on Sherlock Holmes They Might Be Giants on Friday, March 25, Dances With Wolves on Saturday, March 26, a Michael Caine double feature of The Ipcress File and Deadfall on Sunday, March 27, and finally Nicholas Roeg's Walkabout on Wednesday, March 30.  All screenings begin at 7:30. Wow!  What a line-up! 

Personally, I'm most excited about Octopussy, because it's one of the only three Bonds I've never had the chance to see on the big screen (after this screening, it will only be A View To a Kill and Never Say Never Again), The Ipcress File (because it's the only Harry Palmer I haven't seen on the big screen) and They Might Be Giants.  I'll definitely be attending all of those screenings.  Frankly, I could do without Goldfinger since nobody ever does a Bond festival without it, but I can never pass up You Only Live Twice.  I do wish there were one more Bond night with A View To A Kill and The Living Daylights, since I think Barry's last two Bond scores were also two of his best, but you can't really complain about this line-up.  I'm glad that John Barry is getting proper recognition by the Cinematheque, since the stupid Academy chose to reduce his tribute in the Oscar memorial reel to a little tiny box only visible over Celine Dion's shoulder.  (It makes me so mad! The whole reel should have played out to the five-time Oscar winner's music, with nobody singing. At least the BAFTAs got it right.)

Tickets can supposedly be ordered through Fandango, although I don't think I've ever actually had any luck getting Cinematheque tickets that way.  It always says sold out, even when the movie isn't sold out.  You're probably better off purchasing at the theater box office.  For more information on "Scorekeeper: A Tribute to Composer John Barry," visit the Egyptian's website or the Film Score Monthly boards, which for some reason seem to have more details.

Another spy movie playing at the Egyptian this month, on Saturday, March 12, is 1973's Scorpio starring Burt Lancaster and Alain Delon (paired with The Mechanic—the original version). Director Michael Winner will be on hand in person for the double feature.

Los Angeles Spy Event: "Bond Appetit" This Saturday

Attention Los Angeles Bond fans!  The LA Weekly (via MI6) reports that the the Culinary Historians of Southern California will host the event "Bond Appetit: James Bond, Foodie" this Saturday, December 11th, at 10:30 AM at the Downtown Central Library (Mark Taper Auditorium).  The Weekly describes the event thusly:

With inspiration from the writings of Ian Fleming, author of the James Bond novels, as well as the movie series and period cookbooks, food historian Linda Civitello will guide you through what cuisine the spy could have paired with his famous "shaken, not stirred" martini.

Civitello tells us, "James Bond and his creator, Ian Fleming, were world travelers and enjoyed food. Bond always ate locally -- except that he was in exotic locales. Fleming kept notes on restaurants he ate in when he traveled, including when he came to Los Angeles."

As for what graced Fleming's (and Bond's) plate, she says: "I will do a taste profile of Bond food preferences using sweet, sour, bitter, salty, umami, and other flavors."

That sounds really cool!  I'll definitely be there as long as I can get myself up that early on a Saturday morning...  A reception with refreshments (presumably themed) follows the event.

Event Reminder: Stefanie Powers In Santa Monica Tonight

As previously reported, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. herself, Stefanie Powers, will appear in person tonight (Thursday, December 2) at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica for a screening of her Hammer movie Die! Die! My Darling and Blake Edwards' Experiment in Terror (which also features The Wild Wild West star Ross Martin as a bad guy). Experiment in Terror starts at 7:30 followed by a discussion with Powers; the Hammer film screens after that.  Prior to the event, Powers will sign copies of her new memoir, One From the Heart, at Every Picture Tells A Story across the street from the theater.

Reminder: Pierce Brosnan In Person Tonight In Santa Monica
Also: Upcoming April Dancer Appearance!

Tonight (Saturday, November 20) is the previously reported screening of The Ghost Writer (review here) and The Matador with Pierce Brosnan in person at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica.  The films start at 7:30 and Brosnan speaks between the two movies.  The American Cinematheque, who runs the theater, bills the event as "an in person tribute that includes two of Brosnan's finest performances." This event is positioned to raise Brosnan's profile with Academy voters in hopes of well-deserved Best Supporting Actor consideration for his standout work in The Ghost Writer, but it also provides fans with a great opportunity to see the former James Bond in person. Tickets are sold out through Fandango, but a few were still available at the theater's box office as of yesterday.

The Aero continues its proud tradition of hosting spy stars in person next month when The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. herself, Stefanie Powers, stops by to attend a screening of her Hammer movie Die! Die! My Darling and Blake Edwards' Experiment in Terror on Thursday, December 2.

Upcoming Spy Screenings: Pierce Brosnan In Person In Los Angeles

The Aero Theatre in Santa Monica hosted George Lazenby last month; next month they will play host to another James Bond: Pierce Brosnan.  Brosnan will appear in person to conduct a Q&A between screenings of his two best post-007 films on November 20.  The Ghost Writer (review here) screens at 7:30 followed by Brosnan's Q&A and then a screening of The Matador.  The American Cinematheque, who runs the theater, bills the event as "an in person tribute that includes two of Brosnan's finest performances," and they're certainly not wrong.  Picking his top two, however, I personally would have substituted John Boorman's The Tailor of Panama for Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer, but since the event is probably intended to raise Brosnan's profile with Academy voters for well-deserved Best Supporting Actor consideration for this year's The Ghost Writer, that wouldn't make a lot of sense.  It should be a great night nonetheless. Tickets should be available soon through Fandango if they're not already.

Upcoming Spy Screenings: True Lies In LA

Want the chance to see True Lies again on the big screen before it comes back to life as an ABC TV show next season?  Well, if you're in the greater Los Angeles area, then you're in luck. James Cameron's big-budget 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger spy comedy will screen at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica on Saturday, October 16–and co-star Jamie Lee Curtis will be on hand for a Q&A after the film!  It's a Curtis double-bill with A Fish Called Wanda, which is first on the bill.  That starts at 7:30, so True Lies probably begins around 9:25 or so.  (Though I don't know why you'd want to skip A Fish Called Wanda if you're already heading out to the theater anyway...)  When it came out theatrically, True Lies served as a surrogate for anxious Bond fans during the long wait between Licence To Kill and GoldenEye; maybe it can accomplish the same feat now.

Night & Fog Signing Tonight; Trade Paperback Available For Pre-Order

This is last-minute notice, but I'll be signing copies of my comic book, Night & Fog, at Golden Apple Comics in West Hollywood tonight (Wednesday, September 22) from 6-8.  If you're in the LA area, be sure to stop by and say hi! 

If you've got no idea what I'm talking about, Night & Fog is an action/horror comic book I co-wrote (under my real name, as Matthew Bradford, not Tanner!) a couple of years ago.  Three issues came out in "floppies" (regular comic books), but the series never properly wrapped up.  (That didn't stop it from being optioned for a film, though, at the end of last year; I'm afraid there's no significant movement to report on on that front at the moment.)  While issue 4 has been available on the iPad for a little while now (and 5 should appear soon), the upcoming trade paperback will mark the first time that the complete mini-series has been printed in a traditional, tangible format.  (Personally, I will never surrender my physical books in favor of downloadable content!) 

If you've already pre-ordered the trade paperback on Amazon, you've probably been frustrated by the repeated delays.  However, I'm happy to report that those are all over, and the book will be out for real in November!  (On November 17, in fact, the auspicious 15th anniversary of GoldenEye, which suits me just fine.)  If you haven't pre-ordered it yet, and you're interested in a Hammer Horror meets Aliens tale of monsters and soldiers and dead Nazis and, yes, even a few spies, then I heartily encourage you to either pre-order the book on Amazon (ideally through this link, natch!) or, better still, support your local comic shop by going in and ordering it there.  Tell them it's listed in the current issue of Previews from publisher Studio 407.  And if you happen to work at such a comic shop, then go ahead and order a bunch!  They'll sell like gangbusters!

A limited number of advance copies of the trade will be available at the signing event tonight, and we will also be giving away some free sampler issues.  I'll be there, at Golden Apple, from 6-8PM.  Find more details on the signing on Golden Apple's website, and more on the comic at the Studio 407 website.

Reminder: George Lazenby In LA Tonight!

As reported last week, George Lazenby will appear for an in-person discussion in Santa Monica tonight (Wednesday, September 8) following a screening of On Her Majesty's Secret Service at the Aero Theatre. The fun begins at 7:30. You can try to purchase tickets through Fandango, but you might end up with a message saying the show is sold out.  Don't be deterred, though, because I don't believe that's actually the case. You might have more luck tonight at the box office (get there early) or by calling Fandango.

More LA Spy Screenings
George Lazenby In Person!

Hot on the heels of last month's You Only Live Twice/Billion Dollar Brain double feature, Angelenos have another chance to see spies on the big screen... the most famous spy of all, in fact: Bond, James Bond.  The American Cinematheque's Aero Theatre in Santa Monica (which surely holds the revival theater record for showing Roger Moore Bonds!) will screen Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun on Wednesday, September 2 at 7:30 p.m.  (Yes, that's tonight!) This pairing makes complete sense since it is billed as a memorial tribute to the late, great screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (whose obituary I sadly never got around to writing last month, though not for lack of respect). However, I do wish that the Aero would delve into Moore's later filmography at some point and show Octopussy and A View To A Kill, since they've actually shown the first two Moore outings quite a few times over the last several years. Oh well; this is a great pairing anyway - and still a refreshing change of pace from the umpteenth screening of Goldfinger! Tickets are available through Fandango.

Then, next Wednesday, September 8, the Aero offers an even more exciting night of Bondian entertainment: the best Bond movie of all, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, followed by a rare in-person discussion with that film's 007 himself, George Lazenby!  Again, the fun begins at 7:30, and tickets can be purchased through Fandango.

Reminder: Last Night To See Bond And Palmer On The Big Screen In Los Angeles!

As reported a few weeks ago, Los Angeles' awesome New Beverly Cinema (recently purchased by Quentin Tarantino) is screening You Only Live Twice and Billion Dollar Brain this week.  The double bill played last night, and will again tonight (Thursday). 

You Only Live Twice starts at 7:30; Billion Dollar Brain follows at 9:50. You can purchase tickets online here.

For more details, see the original story here.

Read my review of Billion Dollar Brain here.

Upcoming Spy Screenings: Fantastic Harry Saltzman Double Feature In Los Angeles

Attention LA spy fans!  Here is an event you will not want to miss!  It's one film short of being the ultimate 1967 spy triple feature, but it is the ultimate Harry Saltzman 1967 spy double feature.  Los Angeles' awesome New Beverly Cinema (recently purchased by Quentin Tarantino) will screen You Only Live Twice and Billion Dollar Brain on Wednesday and Thursday, August 18 and 19.  Really, that's one of the best double features I can imagine.  It's the LA spy event of the year!  We're lucky enough to see James Bond double features fairly regularly in this city, between the New Bev and the Egyptian and the Aero.  But the idea of pairing Bond with Harry Palmer was truly inspired... particularly those two titles from the same year.  I love all three Sixties Harry Palmer movies, but Ken Russell's phantasmagorical third film has become my favorite over the years (as I've written about extensively in the past).  And, honestly, you've never seen it if you haven't seen it on the big screen.  This will be a fantastic evening at the cinema with Sean Connery and Michael Caine.  Personally, I plan on attending the Thursday night show.  Shoot me an email if you're in the area and want to meet up.

You Only Live Twice starts at 7:30; Billion Dollar Brain follows at 9:50. You can purchase tickets online here.

Read my review of Billion Dollar Brain here.