BondCast : James Bond 007 News and Commentary

New Bond, new era, new sounds! With the debut of Pierce Brosnan's 007 came with a seismic shift in the approach to James Bond soundtrack music. Laird Malamed returns to FOR YOUR EARS ONLY with a ton of info about contributions from composer Eric Serra, singer Tina Turner, and U2's Bono and The Edge. Plus, we listen to some critical comments about Tina's performance from Dame Shirley Bassey and hear what Laird thinks about it. 

A new year! A new actor! A new era! BondCast is back with our latest review of James Bond's 007 in "Goldeneye". We look at the debut of Pierce Brosnan in the role of London's most famous secret agent. We talk about our initial reactions to Pierce along with how he made the role his own. We also discuss the Bond Girls: Natalya Simonova and Xenia Onatopp, the villainous 006 - Akec Trevelyan, and the debut of a new M, Judi Dench.  Plus, the music, stunts, vehicles, gadgets and more! 

We're back to review the soundtrack to the sixteenth film in EON's James Bond series and the final to feature Timothy Dalton. John Barry is no longer the composer for the series making this the one and only time Michael Kamen assumed the role. Laird Malamed returns to BondCast to guide us through the soundtrack with trivia, behind-the-scenes info and more. 

Timothy Dalton returned to the role of 007 for his second and final time in 1989's LICENCE TO KILL. The film is non-stop action from beginning to end as James Bond attempts to foil a drug cartel who uses gasoline tankers, casinos and Wayne Newton as covers. Featuring 2 Bond girls, great villains, action for Q in the field, and some of the most brutal violence ever depicted in the franchise, this film gives us a lot to talk about!

Exciting. Unpredictable. Controversial. These are just a few terms to describe NO TIME TO DIE. We still have much to say about Daniel Craig's final outing as 007 and this time, we are unleashing all of our agents. For the first time ever, all 4 of the BondCast hosts, including Laird, have gathered at the roundtable for wide-ranging discussion. We talk about the whole film and whether or not "James Bond Will Return".

Since he couldn't join us for our first review of NO TIME TO DIE, our man in London Jonathan Wilkins is here to give us his in-depth review of the final Daniel Craig film. We also look towards the future for James Bond and the 007 franchise.

Hans Zimmer's first-ever James Bond soundtrack is here and BondCast is back to provide a full review. We listen to tracks and break down all the action, including the Billie Eilish title track. Plus, we reveal the all the audio easter eggs that tie this soundtrack back to On Her Majesty's Secret Service and more.

We review the final film of the Daniel Craig era including the characters, cars, plot and Bond girls. Plus, all the twists and surprises, including the shocking conclusion. Expect strong opinions and debate as we share our first impressions of No Time To Die. Brought to you by Bond In Motion at the Petersen Auto Museum, the largest official Bond vehicle exhibit in the United States.

Timothy Dalton's first film as James Bond was also the final 007 soundtrack by legendary composer John Barry. We review the soundtrack, including contributions by pop group A-Ha and The Pretenders. We listen closely to the fusion of synth with a traditional orchestra and the classical influences Barry incorporated in this action-packed score. Look for our review of the NO TIME TO DIE soundtrack coming soon!

Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond in the 15th 007 film from EON Productions in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS. BondCast is back to review the entire film. We breakdown Dalton's first film and discuss all the elements that make a Bond film a "Bond Film": The mission, the villains, the scenery, the women and more. 

Welcome back to Bondcast for the musical investigation of 1985's A View to a Kill. From the Duran Duran rockin' tune to the classic Barry sound, Laird Malamed and Jimmy Mac bring you all the classified info. As always, For Your Ears Only! (And listen a little past the last tune for a throwback audio clip.)

BondCast is back to talk about Roger Moore’s final outing as 007 in 1985’s A VIEW TO A KILL. At age 57, was it one film too many for Sir Roger? We talk about the whole movie, including Christopher Walken’s bad guy Max Zorin, Grace Jones as the exotic May Day, and Bond Girl Tanya Roberts. We share some varied takes about the overall quality of this flick, along with a little debate. Plus, we go over the plot, stunts, mechanical icebergs and horse steroids.

Laird is back to take us through the soundtrack to NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. This non-EON Productions film features some music similar to your typical 007 soundtrack, and some vastly different. You won't find any twangy surf guitar music here! But does that help or hurt? You can decide for yourself as we present our review of composer Michael Legrand's Never Say Never Again soundtrack.

Sean Connery returned to the role of Bond in 1983's NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN. Directed by Irvin Kershner, director of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, this film was produced by Kevin McClory, outside the Cubby Broccoli/EON Productions franchise. We talk about the return of Sir Sean, Bond girl Kim Basinger, the villian Largo, and the femme fatale Fatima Blush. From Largo's video game "Domination" to the fountain pen gun, we talk about it all!

John Barry returns to the podium to take Bond from England to India to Germany, as we bring you the music of OCTOPUSSY. We take on the John Barry/Tim Rice hit "All Time High" performed by Rita Coolidge along with all the orchestral 007 tunes from the 1983 film. Plus: Our initial thoughts on "No Time to Die" by Billie Eilish.

BondCast is back with our look at the thirteenth film in the EON 007 series, 1983's Octopussy. Roger Moore is back for more as the Cold War reigns and the Russians are up to some specious activitiy involving a Fabrege Egg. We discuss Roger's continuing involvement with the franchise, as well as the plot, the women, the gadgets, and the laughs.

Laird Malamed returns to BondCast with Jimmy Mac for an in-depth review of the music from "For Your Eyes Only". We review the whole soundtrack from Sheena Easton's hit theme song, through all of composer Bill Conti's soundtrack. We talk about what works, what didn't, what sounds dated, and what is timeless.

The second part of our “For Your Eyes Only” discussion focuses on the cast of characters that surround 007 including the women, especially Carole Bouquet’s Bond Girl Melina Havelock. And who could forget Lynn Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl! Plus, we look at Bond’s MI6 support staff, and, of course, the villains. Bad Guy Kristatos was played by Julian Glover, famous for playing other evil roles in The Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Jason once spoke to Julian Glover about his work on the film and we feature highlights from that conversation. 

We begin our look at the fifth Roger Moore 007 film "For Your Eyes Only". This episode focuses on the overall vibe of the film including Roger Moore's ability to make the role more his own and the impact of 80's style on the movie. And of course, we dive deep into the "Blofeld" cameo at the beginning of the film, along with the significance of Bond visiting his murdered wife's grave and more.

Laird Malamed brings us an amazing discussion with musician Warren Ringham from the 007 inspired UK band Q THE MUSIC. On this special edition of For Your Ears Only, Laird and Warren talk about the evolution of the band and the music itself, along with several tracks of Q THE MUSIC doing what they do best, the music of James Bond!

The "Moonraker" soundtrack gets the "For Your Ears Only" treatment in the final part of our look back at Roger Moore's fourth outing as 007. We go through the most important John Barry compositions from the film including Shirley Bassey's return as vocalist on the Main Theme and more. Plus, we review some tracks that didn't make it to the official release along with Shirley Bassey's performance at the Academy Awards a few years ago to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Bond.

In the second of our two-part review of "Moonraker", we talk about the antagonist Drax and his motivational drive to kill 007 and create a master race in space. We also review the Bond Girls of "Moonraker", including the lovely scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead. We also discuss the special effects, the fights, the gadgets, the space station hideout, and an odd cameo by the theme to "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". Sound strange? Welcome to "Moonraker!" 

BondCast is back for 2018 with our breakdown of 1979’s “Moonraker”, Roger Moore’s fourth outing as 007. It’s Bond in space! Cashing in on the space craze of the seventies fueled by Star Wars, “Moonraker” sends James Bond to the stars. From the excitement of the opening sky jump without a parachute sequence, to the wacky slapstick moments featuring the villainous Jaws, we talk about it all. Plus gadgets! Boat chases! Assassins in caskets! Even a double-taking pigeon! Our discussion about “Moonraker” is sometimes as wacky as the film itself!

We review the music from the tenth film in the James Bond series, "The Spy Who Loved Me", including the popular title track by Carly Simon and the upbeat and funky "Bond '77". Plus, we take a deep dive into Marvin Hamlish's official movie soundtrack and even review the incidental music from from the film itself. Plus, Laird always has a few surprises up his sleeve for the end of the show. Celebrate 40 years of "The Spy Who Loved Me" with BondCast!  Visit Run Laird Run on Kickstarter to learn about Laird's charity fundraisers and to donate!  

It’s part 2 of our look at THE SPY WHO LOVED ME and this time around, we dive deeper into the plot and the character that puts everything in motion, the villain Stromberg. We get critical talking about the web-fingered bad guy, from his dialog to his motivations. Plus, the evil henchmen, especially Richard Keil’s iconic character Jaws. We replay an interview we had with Darth Vader actor David Prowse who reveals he was almost cast as Jaws in “Spy”. Plus, the Bond Girls, most notably Barbara Bach’s “Triple X” and some humorous trivia and plot holes big enough to drive a Lotus Esprit through. 

BondCast is back with our review of 1977's "The Spy Who Loved Me", a film many consider to be Sir Roger Moore's best Bond film. We talk about the Moore's passing and discuss some of the things that made him such a great Bond. Jonathan recently saw "Spy" on the silver screen and he shares his experiences seeing it again for the first time. Then we take a deep dive into the film itself. From the villainous Stromberg to Ken Adam's set design to even the fashion seen in the film, we talk about it all. We also discuss all of the Star Wars actors who made cameos and appeared as extras in the film and more.

Laird and Jimmy Mac return to BondCast to review the score for "The Man With The Golden Gun". From the new take on the gun barrel sequence, to Lulu's title track, to Alice Cooper's scrapped opening number and more, we dig deep into the score for the ninth 007 film.  UPDATE: The original upload of this episode was missing some music at the beginning and end of the show. This is the corrected file. Thanks for your patience!

We continue our discussion about THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. In this episode, we talk about Herve Villechaize's evil Nick Nack and the other henchmen. We also talk about the Bond Girls from GOLDEN GUN including Maud Adams and Britt Ecklund, the plot, and the action sequences, including the amazing twisting boat jump.

The Moore-era continues as we take a deep look at 1974's THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. We discuss Roger Moore's evolution as 007 and the similarities and differences to Sean Connery. Plus, Bond's motivations in this story, Christopher Lee as the sophisticated, triple-nippled villain Scaramanga, Bond girl Maud Adams, the differences between Fleming's novel and the film, and more. Plus, we talk about the future of the Bond franchise and the possibility of Daniel Craig returning to the role. 

Paul McCartney's main theme for "Live and Let Die" has become a staple on Classic Rock radio, but that is just scratching the surface of this amazing 007 soundtrack. With music arranged by the legendary Beatles producer George Martin, the score for "Live and Let Die" provides an amazing atmosphere for Roger Moore's first outing as the world's most famous spy.  Join us as we take you track-by-track through "Live and Let Die". 

We continue our review of LIVE AND LET DIE with more analysis from the first 007 film of the Roger Moore era. We talk about the lovely Solitaire, Jane Seymour, and how she ranks amongst the best of the Bond girls. Plus, conversation about the evil Kananga, his henchman Whisper, and the goofy Sheriff J.W.Pepper. While LIVE AND LET DIE will never be considered the greatest Bond film of all-time, we find plenty to talk (and laugh) about this time around on BondCast. 

BondCast is back from special assignment with our top field agents reporting for duty.  Serving Queen and Country once again are BondCast hosts Jason Swank, Jimmy Mac and Jonathan Wilkins and the topic of conversation is the 8th 007 film from EON Productions and the first for Roger Moore, LIVE AND LET DIE.  We talk about Moore's debut and the difficulty of picking up where Sean Connery left off. Plus, we get down and dirty with discussion about the antagonist Kananga and his henchman Whisper, along with Bond allies Rosie Carver, Harold Strutter and David Hedison's first stab at Felix Leiter.  And who could forget the lovely Jane Seymour as Solitare?  Ramp up to the release of SPECTRE and get your 007 fix now with BondCast's review of 1973's LIVE AND LET DIE.

We wrap up our deep dive into Diamonds Are Forever by shining the spotlight on the soundtrack composed by John Barry and the memorable title track sung by Shirley Bassey. Join Laird Malamed and Jimmy Mac for a close examination of the music from the 7th Bond film from EON Productions and the final for Sean Connery. 

BondCast is back with the second part of our "Diamonds Are Forever" discussion. This time, we talk about the henchmen Mr. Wint & Mr. Kidd, the alluring Tiffany Case and the big Blofeld himself. Plus, SPECTRE talk and more. 

1971's Diamonds Are Forever takes James Bond and the action to Las Vegas in an attempt to foil a jewel smuggling ring.  The first 007 film of the seventies features Sean Connery's return to the role of Bond and yet another actor as Blofeld (Charles Gray). And who could forget Diamond's Bond Girls Jill St. John and Lana Wood. Join Jason Swank, Jimmy Mac, and Jonathan Wilkins as they discuss what makes Diamonds dull and what makes it sparkle. 

We've analyzed the film, now it's time to get into the music as BondCast bring you the latest edition of For Your Ears Only.  Blofeld is back as Bond hits the slopes in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and Laird Malamed joins Jimmy Mac to discuss the accompanying soundtrack. From Louis Armstrong to Nina to John Barry, we discuss the talent behind this memorable 007  soundtrack in one of our most in-depth shows yet!

BondCast is back for more discussion about George Lazenby's take on 007 in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service".  We are talking about some of the major plot points from the film including the romance between James and Tracy, Bloifeld's evil plot, and the growing influence of SPECTRE.  And of course, we nitpick just about everything about the movie that you can think of, including music, production, acting and action sequences. Join us for our unique brand of James Bond Commentary and conversation this month on BondCast.

 BondCast is back for a close-up look at the sixth 007 film On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's a time of transition for Bond fans as Sean Connery relinquishes his signature role to unknown Australian model George Lazenby. We share our thoughts, appreciation and trepidation for Lazenby as he has huge shoes to fill and we discuss his impact on the franchise in his one-and-done appearance.  It's opinions, theories, and a few laughs along the way as we open the dossier for On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Laird Malamed and Jimmy Mac are back with BondCast's latest edition of For Your Ears Only. This time around Laird and Jimmy are talking about the fifth entry into the EON Productions 007 canon, 1967's You Only Live Twice. Hear highlights from the John Barry composed soundtrack along with analysis of Tina Sinatra's memorable title track. And of course, we can count on Laird to provide us with Top Secret information & trivia about the production of the soundtrack and much more!

BondCast is back with our second part of our discussion about Sean Connery's You Only Live Twice. We discuss the iconic villain Blofeld, his amazing volcano headquarters, and more! Join Jason, Jimmy and Jonathon for this look back at the fifth 007 film, 1967s You Only Live Twice here on BondCast!

James Bond travels to Japan as Sean Connery returns as the famous 007 in You Only Live Twice. Released in 1967, this is the fifth Bond film produced by EON Productions. Join us as we discuss the impact of Japanese culture on the series as well as the history, plot, and characters of the film. From it's exotic locales, place in Bond "continuity", and even sumo wrestlers, we give you the "best duck".  So, kick back and enjoy your first civilized bath as BondCast presents our take on You Only Live Twice.

Laird Malamed and Jimmy Mac are back for a close listen to the amazing and epic soundtrack to "Thunderball".  We listen and provide analysis for the music from the fourth 007 film. From the bombastic title track by Tom Jones to an incredible unused track by Johnny Cash, and more from the John Barry composed soundtrack, we go thru it all.  Listen now...For king and country!

Join us for the second part of our conversation about 1965's 007 epic Thunderball.  We continue to discuss our theories and opinions on Domino, Largo, and James Bond himself.  Plus, background on the messy court battles surrounding the making and release of Thunderball and producer Kevin McClory, and who is Kutzy anyway?  All this and more with Jason, Jimmy & Jonathan this month on BondCast! 

BondCast is back with our close-up look at the epic 1965 007 film Thunderball.  Join Jason, Jimmy Mac, and Jonathan Wilkins for an in-depth discussion of this monster hit.  We talk about the early reviews, the women, and even discover a plot hole or two along the way. And of course, we critique yet another version of Felix Leiter!  You are under strict orders from the MI6 to drop everything your are doing and listen to this first part of our analysis of Sean Connery's biggest Bond to date, Thunderball.

Join Laird Malamed & Jimmy Mac for an in-depth discussion about the music of Goldfinger, including highlights from the soundtrack itself. From John Barry's instrumentals to Shirley Bassey's unforgettable vocals on the main title track, Goldfinger set the standards not only for the music of future Bond films, but for spy movie music in general.  Listen to For Your Ears Only to find out more!

BondCast is back with more discussion about the 1964 007 classic "Goldfinger". Join Jason, Jimmy and Jonathon for fun analysis about "Bond Moments", The Aston Martin DB, Odd Job, "Granny Machine Gun", and more.  Plus, Sam Mendes will return for Bond 24, and we found some cool 007 collectibles at Wizard World Chicago.

BondCast is back with the first part of our discussion and analysis of Goldfinger.  Sean Connery's third outing as 007 is considered by some to be the greatest Bond film of all time.  But what do we think of it?  Join us as we discuss all things Goldfinger - From the women, plot, and characters in this franchise classic.

It's our special BondCast exploration into the music of From Russia With Love!  From the sweeping strings of the lush opening track, to the gypsy-infused music of Istambul, to the power packed punch of the James Bond Theme itself, we examine the best the soundtrack has to offer.  Join hosts Laird Malamed and Jimmy Mac for an in-depth appreciation of the music from the second 007 film, From Russia With Love.

BondCast is back for the second part of our From Russia with Love Part Two discussion. Join us as we dig deep into the second 007 film, with our take on the villans, girls, gadgets, and the proper way to chill champagne.  Plus, talk about Skyfall on Blu Ray and Ali Kerim Bey.  Listen and you will never look at the film the same way again.

BondCast is back with an in-depth look at From Russia With Love. Join Jason Swank, Jimmy Mac and Jonathon Wilkins as they dig deep beneath the surface of Sean Connery's second 007 film. It's the first of our analysis and discussion about the plot, villians, and women of From Russia With Love, brought to you by BondCast!

BondCast introduces For Your Ears Only - A look and listen to the music of 007 film-by-film.  Joining Jimmy Mac for this new series is videogame and entertainment industry veteran Laird Malamed (Skywalker Sound/Activision).  For our premiere episode, we are showcasing the music of Dr. No, a soundtrack which launched the famous James Bond Theme and many more iconic tracks.  So pour yourself a martini and join us For Your Ears Only with a close look at the soundtrack to Dr. No.