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.

Connery Back In A DB5 In New Film

Sir Sean Connery is back behind the wheel of a familiar Silverbirch Aston Martin DB5 in his new film... or rather, a videogame-ish animated approximation of the actor is, in a scene from the computer animated Scottish film Sir Billi, for which Sir Sean emerged from retirement to lend his voice (and likeness).  /Film points the way to a YouTube video of a sizzle reel (not an actual trailer) for the film, which is still a work in progress.  They also have a commentary that's worth reading.  It's certainly an oddball project.  Despite whatever faults Sir Billi may have, it's notable to Bond fans for reuniting three iconic elements of Goldfinger: Connery, an Aston Martin and Shirley Bassey, who provides the theme song, as previously reported.)