In John Pearson’s “James Bond: The Authorised Biography of 007,” Nov. 11 is cited as the birthday of Ian Fleming’s fictional British spy. As a lifelong 007 fan, I decided to throw a birthday party for my favorite spy.
Last week, we celebrated Godzilla's birthday. This week, we get to raise a martini (shaken, not stirred) to James Bond as we eagerly await news of who will be the next MI6 agent with a license to kill.
Denis Villeneuve has already been tapped to direct the new Bond film, and names including Nicholas Hoult, Robert Pattinson, Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi and Tom Francis have been circulating as potential candidates. Amazon MGM Studios is looking to reboot the franchise with a younger actor who could stick around for several films.
But the actor who stared it all on screen was Sean Connery. He first played Bond in the 1962 film adaptation of Fleming's novel "Dr. No." Connery went on to appear in four more films through 1967, take a break and then return for "Diamonds Are Forever," his last Bond film for EON Productions.
Connery had essentially retired from playing the MI6 agent in 1971, after his somewhat weary outing in "Diamonds are Forever." But he was lured back in 1983 for the rogue Bond production, "Never Say Never Again." While Albert R. Broccoli and EON Productions controlled the Bond franchise, a legal loophole gave producer Kevin McClory the rights to remake the "Thunderball" story (not the 1965 film) and so "Never Say Never" was born. Connery returned one last time to play the character he had brought to life on screen more than two decades earlier.
In the film, Alec McCowen's Q greets Bond with a tongue-in-cheek: "Now that you’re on this, I hope we’re going to have some gratuitous sex and violence." Bond responds, "I hope so."
And although the film has a great Fatima Blush in Barbara Carrera and great actor Klaus Maria Brandauer as Largo, "Never Say Never Again" is far from the best Bond movie, which is exactly why it is ripe for a "live" commentary by Sir Sean Connery.
"The live commentary for 'Never Say Never Again' will reveal what it was like for me to return to the role of James Bond at age of [unintelligible] and answer all the questions you might have about the making of the film," said Connery. Um, I mean Tom Steward.
In honor of Bond’s birthday, Film Geeks SD, a nonprofit programming group I work with, is hosting the screening. And while we did not raise Sir Sean from the dead, we are channeling him through writer and actor Steward, who created the Fringe show "One Man Bond" back in 2018.
It was exactly 007 years ago that Steward performed a glorious "live" commentary as Roger Moore for "Moonraker." Now he's returning to delight partygoers with an interactive commentary for "Never Say Never Again." Plus, he’ll provide a musical introduction, host Bond trivia and provide a gadget from Q Branch.
The commentary will poke affectionate fun at the film while offering trivia and insights into the spy that Steward obviously loves and knows a lot about.
So pick up your 007 ID badge on Wednesday at 7 p.m. for your license to celebrate Bond at Digital Gym Cinema.
If you want to dive deeper into Bond trivia, nostalgia and discussion, check out my podcasts about 007 and my film reviews.
And if you're looking for food and drinks to pair with a Bond film, check out my Geek Gourmet videos.
Hope to see you Wednesday as we celebrate James Bond 007!
