The Latch Key Kids

  By the Spring of 1987 it was evident that the tides were shifting all around us - leaders, music, television, and of course motion pictures  Behind us already in ‘87 was Stallone, Freddy Kruger, Woody Allen, The Coen Brothers, Smoke Show Kim Cattrall, John Hughes, and of course Riggs & Murtaugh   The Giants had won Super Bowl XXI - The Chicago Bulls were making back to back playoff runs with their new star Michael Jordan and a little family show was premiering on a new network - the network was FOX, and the show was “Married With Children”   It was all moving very fast, and the Spring run up to the historic Summer of ‘87 was not going to pass quietly Hopper, Nolte, Reynolds, Hoffman, Beaty, Michael J Fox (again), the patron Saint of 1987 Steve Guttenberg (again) would all make appearances   However, it would be an old friend of The Latch Key Kids that would once again steal the show - just like he did in Studio 8H on Saturday Night Live earlier in the decade Eddie Murphy would remind everyone he was one of the funniest and most bankable actor this side of Beverly Hills  So, let's catch up with Axel & Friends because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “My Favorite Year Part III: Secret Of My Success”

They say things happen in threes and in 1987 three of the best Hollywood had to offer joined together to tell a story that even now, 35 years after its release leaves a lasting impact.  John Hughes, Steve Martin, and John Candy were quite literally at the top of their games when they brought to life the Thanksgiving classic Planes, Trains, and AutomobilesThe film would mark a turning point for all three men, who's roots were connected by the likes of Second City, Saturday Night Live, and National Lampoon.  As their careers continued to skyrocket into the 90's, each of them would forge a unique and unforgettable path that helped define a generation.However, despite the countless roles and movies that would identify them.  The Jerk, Stripes, Vacation, Mr. Mom, Roxanne, Summer Rental, The Three Amigos, Splash, Home Alone, The Breakfast Club, Uncle Buck, Parenthood, Ferris Bueller, The Blues Brothers, Father of the Bride – it is the story of Del Griffith and Neal Page's Thanksgiving journey that stands alone. A bona fide cinematic classic that captures and re-captures the heart each and every year around the Thanksgiving table.  The Latch Key Kids are going to tell you why….Because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present This Season Three Special Edition Of My Favorite Year 1987 – Planes, Trains, And Automobiles.

Somewhere in the middle of the 20th century's most eclectic decade one year helped define the world through its movies, music, TV, and sports.  I asked many would say that year was 1984 or 1989 – and while they might not be wrong The Latch Key Kids will make the case in our 3rd season that the year in question is in fact 1987.  A year that would see over 220 movies released, over 100 TV shows premiere, a year that would see one of the highest year over year increases in worldwide box office, and more classics that we could ever do justice too – not to mention the release of Bad / Appetite For Destruction / Strangeways Here We Come / Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me / Bum Rush The Show and Momentary Lapse of ReasonFrom the start of the year with Woody Allen's ‘Radio Days' and winter Brat Pack-esque classics like ‘Mannequin' / ‘Some Kind of Wonderful' and ‘Less Than Zero'– horror sequels like “Nightmare on Elm Street 3' ‘Creepshow 2' – sequel starters ‘Lethal Weapon' and of course one of the biggest sequels of all time the #1 movie of 1987 ‘Beverly Hills Cop II”.  It would have cool customers Jack Nicholson, Arnold Schwarzenegger, hell even Prince.  Spielberg, Stone, Levinson and of course DePalma at his Chicago best with perhaps the greatest '87 had to offer in ‘The Untouchables'So where do we begin?  It's almost inconceivable but we will try because that's The Latch Key Way…but one thing is clear we would never put Baby in a corner!  I guess it's best to start at the very beginning…So, let's kick off Season 3 there….Because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “My Favorite Year Part I: Dead of Winter”

The 1970's had been a time of great upheaval and nowhere was this more apparent than The United States of America the times were so turbulent that even a stuffy, censored, and money hungry industry such as television took a chance on group of irreverent actors and their Canadian leader and rode that rocket ship all the way to a Prime Time Emmy…Well, the 1970's were over and so was that group of irreverent actors and their leader - The 1980's had arrived and by October 1980 everyone was gone and in their place were a group so misguided they didn't even realize the talent that was right in front of them.Saturday Night Live as we know it would have died a slow death at the hands of these individuals had it not been for one young man - a young man from New York, with a love for Peter Sellers, and a wit so quick and lethal that  the walls of Studio 8H could barely contain himThat young man was Eddie Murphy and by 1984 he had not only saved the show he was about to shoot the most successful film of any SNL actor…From 48 hours to Beverly Hills, from Harlem to Zamunda, from racy standup to down home family films one man has done it all and had you been listening to Eddie Murphy had been telling you he was going to do it from the very beginning…Let's take a look at his remarkable story together because it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Ready For Prime Time Players Part XI:  What Is That? Velvet?”

By 1980 the last TV show to have started in the 1960's Hawaii 5-0 was ending its run and shooting had already started in Hawaii on its replacement Magnum P.I.  By 1980 the path was clear for a one time B movie actor to broker his way through a convention and a hostage negotiation to ascend to the Presidency in November.  Meanwhile in New York City the once “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” were actually on in Prime Time almost every Wednesday night with a Best of SNL accompanying the new season 5 shows on Saturday.  The 1970's were ending in more ways than one and the entire cast, writing room, and even the creator Lorne Michaels were looking beyond Season 5 of Saturday Night Live to what was next.  Broadway, Television Series, Movies these were all in the future for Jane Curtain, Garret Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner.  But before these groundbreaking, pioneering, and 100% original performers moved on we would get one last trip around the dial at Studio 8H.  Let's take that trip with them together because it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents: “Ready For Prime Time Players Part X: Tuesday's Gone.”

In August 1978 on the shores of beautiful Hurricane Lake in picturesque Ontario Canada sat Camp White Pine.  Also sitting on the shores of beautiful Hurricane Lake in picturesque Ontario Canada at Camp White Pine were Ivan Reitman and Harold Ramis the director and writer of a new film about to begin filming called ‘Meatballs'.  Who wasn't sitting on the shores of beautiful Hurricane Lake in picturesque Ontario Canada at Camp White Pine was the star of ‘Meatballs' - Bill Murray.  Shooting was set to start in 3 days.  We all know how this story ends - Murray shows up, eventually, and so begins one of the most prolific movie careers in Hollywood history.  Across 43 years and 60+ major motion pictures the movie career of this “Ready For Prime Time Player” has come a long way from Howard Cosell's or even Lorne Michael's “Saturday Night Live” in fact Bill Murray is the ultimate pioneer from that first group of SNL stars drawing up the treasure map that so many have tried to follow, and the best part is he still hasn't finished exploring!  So, let's catch up to Tripper, Pete Venkman, Carl Spackler, Phil Connors, Big Ern McCracken, or just plain Bill Murray and together look at how this son of the mid-west and one of nine brothers and sisters was able to avoid all the trials and tribulations many others found leaving SNL and cashing in on that Hollywood dream!Because it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Ready For Prime Time Players Part IX: It's In The Hole!”

By 1978 New York was changing - The city was broke - Billy Martin got fired - Studio 54 was making more money than the mafia. While down at Studio 8H things were changing for our “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” - in fact they weren't even called that anymore, as the show that had started just 3 years earlier was now the launching pad for some of Hollywood's biggest and most bankable stars like Chevy Chase, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. Even superstar acts like The Rolling Stones used Saturday Night Live to reinvent themselves as the 1970's were coming to a close.  Season 4 while not the final year of the golden age of SNL would prove to be our last with most of the cast together - after Season 4 this group would never again work together - no more Tuesday all-nighters, no more after parties, no more Blues Bar, no more living on couches - after Season 4 things would never be the same again.  So, let's take the trip together one last time to the Olympia Cafe, a final visit with the Festrunk Bros, The Bees, one more infomercial from Ron Co, and of course sayonara Samurai Futaba.  The bright lights are calling so it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Ready For Prime Time Players Part VIII - The Pepsi Syndrome” 

From the golden age of SNL one man transcended the writing room, the stage, the silver screen, the recording studio, and the egos.  One man was able to; for the most part not only avoid self-destruction but put his friendship and sanity on the line to help others as they were spiraling out of control.  One man was able to parlay his lizard brain and high intellect into a career that has spanned seven decades and has taken him from the back alleys and speak easy's of Ottawa all the way to the Academy Awards - Of course that man is Fred Garvin Male Prostitute or his more recognizable name Dan Aykroyd.  Did you know Aykroyd played drums for Muddy Waters, starred alongside John Candy in a popular Canadian TV show while simultaneously working on SNL, and started not one but two multi-million dollar businesses that give back to the communities they serve?There is a reason we here at The Latch Key Kids call him “The Real Genius” let's find out why together because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Ready For Prime Time Players Part VII: It Just Popped In There”

By the Fall of 1977 New York City had emerged from the Summer of Sam, Studio 54 was opened wide, and Reggie Jackson was about to become Mr. October.  Meanwhile at Studio 8H the die had been cast after a remarkable first two seasons of what was now officially called Saturday Night Live and what a difference two years makes - the show that couldn't get some affiliates to even carry the show in October of ‘75 was pulling down close to a 40 share in the ratings meaning that in 1977 and 1978 an unprecedented 4 out of 10 TV sets were tuning in to the Not Ready For Prime Time Players every Saturday Night.  From the Check Brothers to Samurai Night Fever to Nick Winters singing Star Wars…even OJ - season 3 would have it all and then some - oh yeah even the return of Chevy Chase…I'm sure that went off without a hitch.  So, grab your bell bottoms and final net hairspray..Because It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom And Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present: “Ready For Prime Time Players Part VI: Cheeseburger Cheeseburger Cheeseburger”

March 5, 2022, marked the 40th anniversary of the death of John Belushi.  In many ways and for many people, especially those who loved him, his death served as a wakeup call to the dangers of a lifestyle where there were no holds barred, no limits too far, and no high to be left behind.  However, when looking back from our perch here in the 21st century, it's clear that what we lost on that morning in the shadow of the Chateau Mormont, was much more than a comedian.  We lost a force of nature - a dynamo - a fearless performer who was just scratching the surface of an immense reservoir of talent that went far beyond the Ray Ban sunglasses of Jake Blues, or the child like antics of John Blutarsky, or even the street wise disposition of Ernie Souchak.  We lost a prime example of America -  where the son of a hard working Albanian restauranteur rose up and conquered the world of Television, Movies, and Music when in 1978 he could claim the most watched Television show in Saturday Night Live, the #1 album with “The Blues Brothers - Briefcase Full Of Blues”, and up until that point the highest grossing comedy movie of all time ‘National Lampoon's Animal House'.  What John Belushi meant to his generation and beyond is hard to quantify, sort of like the Theory of Relativity, most be people can't explain it…all you know is that it's hard to imagine a world without it or without him.  So, let's go on that roller coaster together because…It's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Ready For Prime Time Players Part V: We're On A Mission From God”

On May 17, 1976, in Los Angeles at the 28th Prime Time Emmy Awards hosted by John Denver and Mary Tyler Moore something amazing happened….NBC's Saturday Night took home the Emmy for Outstanding Comedy / Variety or Music Series beating out the legendary Carol Burnett for the award.  This would be the first of their 86 Prime Time Emmys with over 252 nominations as of this recording - a record that will likely never be broken.  Yet storm clouds were on the horizon and not just for our Not Ready For Prime Time Players but for the world.  Yet over the summer some of our players vacationed together at The Joshua Tree Hotel to celebrate their championship season - not knowing that in a short amount of time their #1 star from that first season would be staying out west and they would be in search of a replacement as well as a new name for the show…Yet as one star faded another brighter star would emerge and that star would quickly take Season 2 of the newly titled Saturday Night Live into the stratosphere and all of us would come along for the ride.  The reign of John Belushi was about to begin!So, it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Ready For Prime Time Players Part IV: Feelin' Alright”

July 1976 was a busy month in New York City. The United States was in the midst of not only celebrating its highly marketed bi-centennial, but it was also in the middle of figuring out who was going to run the country in its 201st year.  Was it going to be the man from Plains, Georgia - Governor Jimmy Carter who was just nominated earlier in July at New York City's Madison Square Garden, or was it going to be the up until now unelected 38th President Gerald Ford or perhaps even the one time B movie actor and two time Governor of California Ronald Regan?  On July 31st by the time Kris Kristofferson signed off as the final host for season one of the runaway new hit NBC's Saturday Night one thing was crystal clear - Chevy Chase was leaving it all behind and heading West.  Chase was setting off on a pioneering trail becoming the first in a long line of talented SNL stars to exit Studio 8H for that neighborhood in the heart of Los Angeles - Hollywood.  And what if I told you it was all for a girl?  So, it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Ready For Prime Time Players Part III: It's A Quest….A Quest For Fun” 

In October 1975 Muhammad Ali was finishing his trilogy of battles in the ring with Joe Frazier winning by TKO in the 14th round in the ‘Thrilla In Manila'…The Boston Red Sox were making World Series history in Game 6 with Carlton Fisk's “Good Will Hunting” game winning Home Run only to come back the very next day and lose Game 7 to Cincinnati's “Big Red Machine”…Queen released a little ditty called “Bohemian Rhapsody”….and even Dr. No the first of what is now 25 or 26 James Bond movies was making its UK TV debut…in Iowa a little known sort a former peanut farmer and one term Georgia Governor James Earl “Jimmy” Carter was pulling away in the suddenly important Iowa Caucus….and deep in the heart of Long Island's Suffolk Co. the former actor and retired 2 term 33rd Governor of California, Ronald Regan, was saying he wasn't actively seeking the 1976 Republican nomination for President, then gave that signature Reagan wink and smile…and several miles away in the heart of Manhattan at the famed 30 Rock in studio 8H…seven young actor/performers and one visionary creator lit the lamp on the first of 920 (and counting) shows when writer/performer Michael O' Donoghue attempted to teach a 26 year old actor named John Belushi how to speak English in what would be called NBC's Saturday Night….later changed to “Saturday Night Live…within that cast was a 32 year old native New Yorker named Cornelius Crane “Chevy” Chase who when the lights went down on the first season 9 months later was poised to become Americas next big thing…Saturday Nights would never be the same again….and neither would comedy as we know it.So it's time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Ready For Prime Time Players Part II: Goodnight And Have A Pleasant Tomorrow”

Between Christmas 1983 and Christmas 1989 three movies would be released staring four of our original five “Ready For Prime Time” actors, all five of these actors came from the “Not Ready For Prime Time Players” lineup over the first five seasons of the groundbreaking show Saturday Night Live.  Chevy Chase, John Belushi, Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, and Eddie Murphy would come to define not only the comedy of a generation, but a certain level of consciousness.  An entire generation has identified with their tag lines, one liners, and impressions for the better part of 50 years.  Over the course of this season The Latch Key Kids will explore just how much these five actors have meant to the generation that remembers staying up really late on Saturday Nights and to the generations that have now grown up in a pop culture world these actors helped create.  We will discuss the show that simultaneously brought them all together and helped break them all apart.  Yet over the many years that followed SNL many of these actors would find themselves in each other's orbits, some quite frequently, and for one actor in particular his orbit would be so large that even now close to 40 years after his death we are still starstruck.  Three movies – 1983's ‘Trading Places', 1988's ‘Scrooged', and 1989's ‘National Lampoon's: Christmas Vacation' combined four of our principal five players and in so doing changed Christmas forever.  And while John Belushi is not in any of these movies his influence and impact are crystal clear.  So, we will kick off our season by coming home for the holidays….       Because it's time to sit back and relax….Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Ready For Prime Time Players Part I: Home For The Holidays”.

With The Latch Key Kids 1st season in the books and the holidays upon us it's time to sit back by the fire, enjoying perhaps a glass of Bollinger or a bottle of Heineken, checking our Omega or Rolex watches, while staring out at our BMW or Aston Martin, while checking in on our emails on our very own Sony VIAO or any number of Erickson cell phones.  All the while, thinking about what a great deal we got on our James Bond shower jacket.  No, you will find no product placements on this podcast – well not yet.  However, this is the perfect time of year to go ahead and run down the famous “Breaking Bond” Q Checklist one more time to determine the best of the best.  Over the course of 26 Bond movie podcasts, we saw the Q checklist change many times over….yet after ‘No Time To Die' we can now agree, for the time being, who were the best villains, the best girls, the best locations, the best cars and yes even who may have been the best Bond ever.So, it's time to recap and relax….Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXIX: We Have All The Time In The World”

1040 days….that was the amount of time between December 3, 2018, when the cameras started rolling at Pinewood Studios for EON Production's 25th James Bond film ‘No Time To Die', and October 8, 2021, when a COVID weary world was finally allowed to see the Bond film that nobody saw coming.  Back in April 2021 this was the movie that launched our podcast with the story of its tumultuous beginnings with multiple directors, multiple writers, and even multiple composers.  Enter COVID and four separate attempts to release the film and just like everybody else there were absolutely no guarantees on anything – not even for Bond.  As we come to the end of our first season, and we see ‘No Time To Die' surpass all others at the box office in 2021 – all the way from Crab Key to Poison Island – it leaves us with just one question – what could possibly be next?     So, it's time to board the Bond train one more time, for now, and sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XVIII: No Time To Die”

On October 26, 2015, an old friend was finally able to come home again.  It had been 34 years since he had been dropped down a smokestack by Roger Moore and 44 years since he slinked away from Sean Connery in a midget submarine.  Yet after all these years Ernst Stavro Blofeld had returned and with Kevin McCleary's passing in 2006 and his family's lawsuits settled the path was now clear for EON Production's 24th James Bond film ‘SPECTRE'.  Once a bad word it was now the title of Daniel Craig's fourth and possibly last go as 007.  Did you know that before Sam Mendes agreed to return The Dark Knight was in serious consideration?  Did you know Sirius Black, and Keyser Soze almost became Blofeld?  And did you also know that the Bond competitor Mission Impossible opted to move from their release date as not to compete with 007?So, let's take the trip that marks the beginning of the end and sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XVII: SPECTRE”

On February 24, 2013, after three tries over 50 years – the fourth time proved to be the charm as Adele took home the Academy Award for Best Song.  In fact, ‘Skyfall', EON Productions 23rd James Bond film, would take home two Oscars that evening confirming what Bond audiences already knew – 50 years after Dr. No nobody had ever seen anything quite like this film.  With echoes of  ‘The Last Samurai', ‘Penny Dreadful', and even ‘The Crown'…‘Skyfall' stands alone, not only in the Daniel Craig Bond films but across the entire franchise.  Did you know that Academy Award director Sam Mendes had to be recruited and convinced by Bond himself, Danial Craig?  Did you know Javier Bardem learned the entire script in his native language Spanish to insure he could give the performance he wanted?  And did you also know that before Albert Finney signed on to play Kincade, Skyfall's Scottish gamekeeper, another familiar Scotsman, A Man From Edinburgh almost got the role?So, let's say hello to some old friends Ms. Moneypenny and Q as well as some new one's – Is that Tom Riddle?  Because its time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXVI: Skyfall” 

They say your sophomore year is always the hardest - you're no longer the new kid in town and you're now expected to know what to do - so after what many believe was the biggest Bond entrance of all time in 2006's ‘Casino Royale', all eyes were on Daniel Craig to see how he would do in his very own sophomore effort EON Productions 22nd James Bond film 2008's ‘Quantum of Solace'.  This time around EON would be taking Bond to more locations than ever before and Bond would be dealing with oil, the environment, and the CIA in ways we had never seen before.  Did you know Roman Polanski's 1971 new Hollywood classic ‘Chinatown' played a significant role in the writing of ‘Quantum of Solace'?  Did you also know that same writing at times was done by none other than Bond himself - Daniel Craig?So, grab your Blackberry, slip on your UGS, because what else is there to do in Bolivia in 2008 when you are just some teachers on sabbatical who just won the lottery and who is Barack Obama?  Because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXV: Quantum of Solace”.

           “Breaking Bond Part Twenty-Four: Casino Royale” They say you can do anything if you put your mind to it.  For proof of this all one would have to do is look at Lieutenant Commander Ian Fleming.  At the age of 44 years old after what could have constituted a lifetime of service during WW2, he had settled into the life of a reporter - yet something was burning inside of him.  What came next was something remarkable.  Casino Royale.  What served as Fleming's first novel introducing the world to Commander James Bond ended up being a comic strip, a TV show, a 1967 spy spoof movie, and of course 54 years later EON Productions 21st Bond picture in 2006.  Yes, It was the 21st or 22nd Bond picture yet somehow ‘Casino Royale' starring Daniel Craig would turn into something so much more.  In a decade that had already seen the rise of CGI, the creation of the iPhone, and something called social media there was no way anyone could expect what Fleming's “blunt instrument” from the 1950's had in store for us all.So go ahead and send your first tweet and take a long last look at the planet Pluto because it's time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXIV: Casino Royale”

2002 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of Dr. No - the very first EON produced James Bond film.  So, to mark that 40th anniversary the 20th EON produced Bond film ‘Die Another Day' would be released.  This would be the first Bond of the new millennium so how would the action hero icon of the 20th century welcome in the 21st century?  Bigger than ever before of course with estimated budgets of $140 - $190 million and competition that year from ‘Spider-Man', Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings, and a newcomer…some kid named Harry Potter.  Even Austin Powers was back.  So, by the time November 22, 2002, rolled around the audience was primed for the film that would be packed with more than just ice but with Oscar winners, Pop Culture icons, and more homages to Ian, Cubby, Roger, and Sean than one could count.  And by the end of it all Pierce Brosnan would put us right back where we started - picking yet another actor to shoulder the iconic  holster of James Bond 007.So, turn up the Eminem and grab your low-rise jeans, sell you Enron stock NOW, and start cashing your Euros because it's time to sit back and relax…Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXIII: Die Another Day”.

Who Wants To Be A Millionaire was on three nights a week, Robbie Williams was singing about the Millennium, and everyone was preparing for Y2K it must have been 1999.  Prince did warn us that this was going to be a pretty wild year!  So, by the time the 19th EON produced James Bond film ‘The World Is Not Enough' premiered in November 1999 the world was ready for the year 2000 and they were eager to welcome it in with 007 by their side.  By now Pierce Bronson had settled into the role and for his third time out he would be surrounded by new girls, new gadgets, and a new writing team that would go on to write every Bond film of the new millennium.  Did you know that both directors of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter were almost signed on to the project?  Did you also know that we heard this title used somewhere before…does anyone know what Sir Hilary Bray is up to?  So, fire up your Compaq tower PC and jump on Napster because it time to sit back and relax Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and welcome to The Latch Key Kids presents “Breaking Bond Part XXII: The World Is Not Enough”.

1995's ‘Goldeneye' made Cubby Broccoli proud as it not only reintroduced James Bond to the world after a 6-year absence, but it also introduced Pierce Brosnan as the new 007…'Goldeneye' was not only the biggest Bond debut ever it was the biggest Bond ever supplanting 1979's ‘Moonraker'.  So, by the winter of 1997 the world was ready for the biggest movie ever made….and it would get it…James Cameron's ‘Titanic'.  That is right EON Productions 18th Bond movie ‘Tomorrow Never Dies' released the same day as the movie that, for a time, would make more money than any movie ever made.  So ‘Tomorrow Never Dies' may have picked the wrong weekend to release yet looking back on Pierce Brosnan's sophomore effort as 007 one can only think just how forward thinking both the plot and the villain would be - media taking over a world now obsessed with being online - who could have seen it coming?  Did you know, although you could not tell on screen,  Pierce Brosnan and Bond girl Terri Hatcher were not on the best of terms at times during the shoot?  Did you know that once again Hannibal Lecter was offered the top spot to play a Bond villain and he declined?  And did you also know that little movie about the big boat would earn an Oscar for a long time Bond master who also declined to work on ‘Tomorrow Never Dies'?  And what does Peter Parker have to do with all of this?Let's learn about these things and more as it is time to sit back and relax - Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XXI: Tomorrow Never Dies “.

Holly Gennaro once said to John McClane he needed to wake up and smell the 90's.  By June the 8th 1994 EON Productions was ready to tell the world they had in fact woken up and Bond was back.  While Pierce Bronson was far from a surprise choice, the path that led him to that London hotel conference room on that early day in June was a long and winding one.  Since the last scenes of ‘License To Kill', shot 6 years previously, Bond had frequented court rooms far more than M's office or Q's gallery.  Timothy Dalton, who had stepped in classically as Bond and who was a friend of Brosnan's had bowed out.  So much had changed in such a short amount of time - there was no more Soviet Union, no more wall, no more cold war and with the premier of ‘Goldeneye' EON Productions 17th James Bond picture there was no Cubby Broccoli as sole producer having turned over all production duties to his children daughter Barbara Broccoli and stepson Michael G. Wilson.  What would become of the largest and most profitable movie franchise ever?  Would yet another Bond be able to breakthrough into the digital age?  The answer would lie not just in the theaters but in the game consoles of millions of kids who would be introduced to 007 in a whole new way and pave the way for Bond's fourth decade!So, grab your 64 and can of Jolt cola because it's about that time to sit back and relax Mom & Dad won't be back for at least an hour and Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XX: Goldeneye”

The summer of 1989 was a summer unlike any other in Hollywood history.  Sequels from mega hits ‘Lethal Weapon' and Ghostbusters', and even Star Trek joined the summer of the Bat as Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson were about to change movie history with Tim Burton's franchise building ‘Batman'.  Even Sean Connery, as he did in 1987, decided to get into the act joining Harrison Ford to play Dr. Henry Jones in that franchise's third installment ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'.  So, there was only one player missing - the original - the one that started them all…Bond…James Bond.  And 1989's ‘License To Kill' EON Productions 16th Bond outing would be that movie - While it may not have been the top grossing movie of 1989 the ramifications of this film reverberate to this day in the Bond universe.  Did you know that scenes from ‘License To Kill' were so violent they had to be shortened to avoid censorship?  Did you know plot elements of two film legends Sergio Leone and Akira Kurosawa were weaved into the story?  And did you also know that ‘License To Kill' would mark the end of an era as Cubby Broccoli's final time leading a James Bond production? So, grab your shark repellent and slip on your Cavaricci's and let's take a trip and revisit this historic movie and summer together as it is time to sit back and relax, Mom and Dad won't be back for at least an hour and welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part XIX: License To Kill”

Since the beginning of the 1980's Cubby Broccoli and the rest of the EON Productions team have dodged double agents, maniacal Soviet generals, a blond-haired Christopher Walken, the return of Sean Connery in ‘Never Say Never Again' and now perhaps their biggest challenge…convincing the world that a Welsh born Shakespearean actor, best known as Prince Barin in Flash Gordon, was the new James Bond.  In 1986 Timothy Dalton signed on for the role of a lifetime when he agreed to become the fourth actor to play Bond for Cubby Broccoli in the 15th or 16th Bond movie 1987's ‘The Living Daylights'.  This film would have everything a new Money Penny, an exploding Aston Martin, Ferris wheels, and even Sallah on loan from Dr. Jones.  Yet, would it be enough to keep the most successful franchise in movie history competing with the likes of ‘Robo Cop', Beverly Hills Cop 2, Superman IV, The Lost Boys, Jaws The Revenge, or even an old friend's latest movie ‘The Untouchables'?  Did you know Timothy Dalton had been on Cubby and Harry's radar as far back as 1968?  Did you also know that looking back on ‘The Living Daylights' 34 years after its release many consider the movie to not only be a Bond classic, but the first in a more aggressive and conflicted portrayal of 007?          So, grab your cello but don't declare it…Because It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour….And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XVIII: The Living Daylights”. 

"Dance into the fire to fatal sounds of broken dreams…The choice for you is the view to a kill”  Those are the lyrics from the 1985 title song from Duran Duran and the only James Bond theme song to go #1 in the US.  While the song was one of the highpoints of ‘A View To A Kill' the fourteenth EON Produced James Bond film the lyrics would prove to be prophetic as more than one fire would have to be danced through to get this historic production to the theater.  It had now been 13 years since Roger Moore first holstered the Walther PPK and it had been 19 years since the historic 007 Stage was built at Pinewood studio by the time ‘A View To Kill' was finished both would be gone from Bond forever.  Did you know before Christopher Walken agreed to be Zorin – we almost had Ziggy Stardust?  And did you also know that even Duran Duran wouldn't make it out of this movie intact?         Grab your Walkman and your Vuarnets because the only way to get out of the 80's is to go straight through them…So It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour….And Welcome  To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XVII: A View To A Kill”. 

On an all time high…We'll take on the world and win”….Those were Rita Coolidge's lyrics for the opening song of 1983's ‘Octopussy', Eon Productions 13th James Bond movie.  However, thirteen would prove to be quite treacherous for our intrepid duo of Cubby Broccoli and Roger Moore.  Not only were they dealing with Cobras, Crocodiles, and Clowns but they were dealing with competition from none other than their old friends Sean Connery and Kevin McClory – ‘Never Say Never Again' had been greenlit for production and for the first time in over a decade EON Productions had a lethal crisis on their hands – one that could possibly kill what was now the most successful franchise in movie history.  How would they respond?  Well, how do you think?  They made a call to the bullpen for the Empire's most feared bounty hunter,  Beverly Hill's most famous art dealer, the Dread Pirate Wesley, and of course Maud Adams.  Did you know 1983 was such a popular year for Bond that all three Bonds: Sean Connery, Roger Moore and our ‘Dude From Down Under' George Lazenby would reprise the role?  Did you also know that another American born Bond hopeful was packing up his bags to live in London just to be close to Cubby?  Quite a Summer and Fall season that 1983 had in store for us all!Let's revisit it together because…Not only is it time for our sweet sixteen…It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour….And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XVI: Octopussy”. 

What does Orson Wells, Richard Burton, and Donald Trump all have in common?  No, they didn't all date Elizabeth Taylor…at least I don't think they did…but they ALL did have a connection to the one and only ‘Never Say Never Again'.  The problem child is now all grown up and having problem children of its own and that spells real trouble not just for the United States nuclear weapons arsenal but none other than Cubby Broccoli himself.  For the screenplay that just will not go away, in this round its aiming right for EON and both their productions of 1983's ‘Octopussy' and 1985's ‘A View To A Kill'.  In fact, this problem child is going to keep causing problems into the next century – but today we are going to go back to 1983 and tell the unbelievable story behind Sean Connery's heralded return to the 007 role he made famous.  Did you know that this movie caused no less than 3 EON legends to decline participation to remain loyal to Cubby?  Did you also know that shortly after this movie was made Big Tam himself would make SPECTRE proud by going after a quarter billion dollars, he felt was owed to him by his old pal Cubby?So, It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!  And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XV: Never Say Never Again”.

“The Chinese Have A Saying; Before Setting Out For Revenge, You First Dig Two Graves.”  This is where we will start our journey into the 1980's with our favorite 00.  After 1981's ‘For Your Eyes Only' it would mark a full ten years since Sean Connery left the iconic character and over the course of 4 years and three films EON Productions made close to $600 Million dollars (give or take) with Roger Moore at the helm.  Never in movie history had an actor stepped in so gracefully to redefine the undefinable and make it his own.  Gone were the days of Guy Hamilton, Terry Young, Lewis Gilbert, and Ken Adam.  In were the days of John Glen, Peter Lamont, and Michael G. Wilson.  Over the years many will draw a line from this film through the decades to Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan (who would make an appearance on set), and eventually Daniel Craig.  Did you know that despite Roger Moore's epic run through the 1970's his return as 007 in ‘For Your Eyes Only' would be in doubt?  Did you also know that Cubby Broccoli would use this film as the ultimate opportunity to settle a legal score and to once and for all flush an iconic character down the drain or down the smokestack?  Alright, keep your hair on!  Because It's Time, To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!  And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XIV: For Your Eyes Only”. 

“Aren't you a little short to be a storm trooper?”  After the Earth-shattering success of the Summer of 1977 starting on Memorial Day with the release of ‘Star Wars' followed up by the 4th of July release of ‘The Spy Who Loved Me' the race was on for round two…or in Bond's case round 11 and while George Lucas toiled away on the planet Hoth aiming for a 1980 release – Cubby Broccoli and company got to work on what would prove to be the Bond to top them all 1979's Moonraker.  Did you know Moonraker would cost more to make than the past 6 Bond movies combined?  Did you also know it would mark the final time many of the 1960's Bond team would work together?  Making this picture both a sendoff to the turbulent Bonds of 70's and a springboard of what was to come next….the Bond of the 80's!  But before we get there it's time to take off in our yellow space suits and practice re-entry!   So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!  And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XIII: Moonraker”

“Nobody Does It Better….Makes Me Feel Sad For The Rest”….That's how Carley Simon sang it in the Oscar nominated song that would accompany one of the biggest Bond movies of them all.  The song's title may have been different from the movie, yet it would go on to reach #2 on the Billboard charts and be nominated for a Grammy for song of the year in 1977.  One could say the song was about Bond, yet one could also say the song was about Cubby…Cubby Broccoli was about to prove just that – Nobody Does Bond Better as he, along with his stepson Michael Wilson, were about to embark on a meteoric moment in the Bond franchise and just when they needed it most.  To quote another popular song of the time “Send Lawyers, Guns, And Money…Dad Get Me Out Of This” because ghosts from the present and the past were coming after Cubby, Bond, and the film everyone was talking about….1977's ‘The Spy Who Loved Me'!  Did you know that we almost got the creators of ‘Animal House' and ‘Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' to both work on this picture together?  Did you also know that to help the Lotus learn to swim we would be going to back in time like a Thunderball to none other than Big Tam's back yard?          So, It's About That Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!  And Welcome To The Latch Key Kids Presents “Breaking Bond Part XII: The Spy Who Loved Me”.

Carole King once sang “It's Too Late, Baby It's Too Late, But We Really Did Try To Make It…One Of Us Is Changing Or Maybe We Just Stopped Trying.”  Since 1960 Albert R “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman reluctantly formed a partnership that would grow into one of the most profitable and powerful Hollywood would ever see and after 13 years the lights were turning off.  1974's ‘The Man With The Golden Gun' would prove to be their swan song together as outside forces and inside struggles would finally lead to the breakup of Bond's two Dads.  Did you know that Harry Saltzman produced at least 13 other pictures while also producing Bond pictures?  Did you know Cubby Broccoli produced just 2?  Did you know on top of being related to Ian Fleming Christopher Lee was a real-life James Bond during WWII?  And how does Bruce Lee fit into all of this and does anyone know where Nick Nack is?  Let's find out all these things and more as The Latch Key Kids present their latest episode “Breaking Bond Part XI: The Man With The Golden Gun”.So, It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour! 

The new boss…Same as the old boss…While many things have changed over the past 12 years since the premiere of Dr. No in 1961…One thing has remained the same…well two things Cubby & Harry.  With the success of ‘Diamonds Are Forever' Cubby & Harry are once again calling the shots and with the 70's now in full swing they are bringing in their ringer….the one that got away….twice….none other than “The Saint” himself Roger Moore…The 70's demand a new Bond….suave….handsome…and as quick with his wit as he is with his Walther….What if I told you that Roger Moore was actually older than Sean Connery…What if I also told you that Moore was so focused on making the part his own he ditched the martini for bourbon and Bonds cigarettes for cigars.  And how does the surrealist master Salvador Dali have anything to do with all of this?  Let's find out together on our latest podcast The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part X: Live & Let Die”.  And All Trespassers Will Be Eaten!    So, It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!

Get ready for the next James Bond - ‘Diamonds Are Forever' staring George Lazenby as 007…wait a minute…strike that…reverse it…Get ready for the next James Bond - ‘Diamonds Are Forever' starring Sean Connery as 007…that's right…guess who's back…Big Tam himself…the Bret Favre of Bond…ready to take one more ride (at least for now) and cash in big for doing it…what if I told you before Connery signed on 2 major American Superstars, 1 Caped Crusader, and 1 headmaster from Hogwarts all turned down the role…Go Ahead Make My Day!  And what if I also told you that while in Vegas Mr. Connery was getting plenty of Plenty O'Toole!So, It's Time To Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour! The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part IX: Diamonds Are Forever”

Turn on, tune in, drop out…and that's exactly what our man from Edinburg did…after 1967's ‘You Only Live Twice' Sean Connery said sayonara Bond Son and left Cubby and Harry to hold the bag…but Cubby and Harry had been here before and they weren't going to let anyone ruin their 007 trip…so out with the old and in with the new…new car…new Blofeld…and of course a new Bond…this time the dude from down under George Lazenby would be tasked with replacing Big Tam Tommy Connery…what if I told you George Lazenby was so focused on getting the role he stole one of Big Tams Bond suits to look the part?  And what if I also told you Tele Savalas was so pissed at Lazenby he stole his suitcase full of money?  This never happened to the other fellow!  Man, what a long, strange trip this has been.So Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour And Let's Take A Trip Back To 1969 In The Latch Ley Kids Latest Episode “Breaking Bond Part VIII: On Her Majesty's Secret Service”.

"You Can't Go Home Again” those are the words Thomas Wolfe used for his posthumously titled 1938 novel, and for our beloved cast of Bond characters Cubby Broccoli, Harry Saltzman, and most of all Sean Connery those words could never have been more appropriate for by the time filming began in 1966 in Japan on EON Productions 5th Bond film ‘You Only Live Twice' it was clear that much had changed.  Money had been pouring in, egos had reached heights never before seen, Ian Fleming was gone and so to was the fraternal atmosphere that had permeated the sets at Pinewood and the exotic locations around the world.  What laid in store for the crew in Japan both before and during production would spell the end to the most prolific era of Bond movie making ever seen that not even Willy Wonka could put it back together again.  What if I told you that ‘You Only Live Twice' almost ended the lives of several members of the film crew before filming even began?  And what if I also told you that things got so bad not even the chairman of the board Frank Sinatra himself wanted anything to do with it!  And what in the world does The Rock Dwayne Johnson have to do with all of this?  Let's find out why in our latest edition of The Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part VII: You Only Live Twice"So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!

They say every family has at least one and for Ian Fleming, Cubby Broccoli, and Harry Saltzman their problem child was most definitely Thunderball.  From EON Productions very first days Thunderball was going to be the first, no...the second, how about the third film...nope.  Each time the problem child proved too difficult that is until 1965 and once it was all said and done the fourth time proved to be the charm and, over time, Thunderball proved to be about as good as it would get for our original group of Bond founding fathers both on set and in the theater.  What if I told you Bond himself loved the location so much, he would move there?  What if I also told you that if you try to visit the shark house at Rock Point in the Bahamas today you better watch out for the dogs!  And why do all these lead singers keep passing out?  Tom Jones it's your turn!        So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour! Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part VI: Thunderball.

I love gold….anyone who has been listening knows I am not talking about Matthew McConaughey, Eddie Murphy, Mike Myers, or even Mikey from the Goonies.  Of course, I am talking about Ian Fleming, Albert Saltzman, and Cubby Broccoli because that just what they hit with 1963's ‘From Russia With Love' the breakout hit that followed Dr No.  As we all know things come in threes and for James Bond, number three would prove to be the one everyone remembers.  The car, the gadgets, the girls, the villain - Goldfinger would prove the rule…just give the audience what it wants and audiences in 1964 got all they wanted and more.  What audiences did not know at the time was in order to give them what they wanted the producers had to pay up big to keep their star, lie to the US government about what they were doing in Kentucky and try to keep their star singer from passing out.  And what in the world does Led Zeppelin have to do with all of this?  Let us take a trip over the hills and far away where we may not be going to California, but we are definitely going to be rambling on in our latest edition of the Latch Key Kids Present “Breaking Bond Part V: Goldfinger.So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!

          After years of writing, wrangling, convincing, and in some cases conniving the three wise men of Ian Fleming, Cubby Broccoli, and Albert Saltzman officially hit it out of the park with almost every choice they collectively made for Dr. No.  Did they agree on the story…no….the actor…nope…the script…not a chance.  It made no difference, from the first introduction at the baccarat table to the explosion of Crab Key; Dr. No was an undeniable international hit beyond even their own lofty expectations.  Which leads us to that all important and treacherous sophomore effort.  ‘From Russia With Love', it would have to live up to all the hype of the first movie and more….bigger budget…bigger locations…bigger story…bigger expectations…bigger egos.  From the Bosphorus to Belgrade, ‘From Russia With Love' continues to deliver almost 60 years after its release.  Did you know the movie is tied to JFK in more ways than one?  Did you also know Howard Hughes, a friend of “Cubby” Broccoli and someone who has made more than one appearance in our podcasts appears yet again?  Sadly this will be the final film for all our principle players and for many fans who were there to see it in 1964 it would remain their favorite James Bond movie ever.  Let us find out why!      So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour….and welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present Breaking Bond Part Four: From Russia With Love!

        Well, we have finally made it after meeting both Dads Ian Fleming and Cubby Broccoli and even stepfather Albert Saltzman; breaking through the haze of book options, financing, and most importantly casting…stop telling me about the labor and just show me the baby – well here he is….Dr No.  Three years after publication and after more than one screen rewrite (including one with a pet monkey) the sixth Ian Fleming Bond novel would become the first James Bond movie!  What if I told you that when asked about the film Ian Fleming's response was “Dreadful…Simply Dreadful?”  What if I also told you that on the same day that Dr. No premiered October 5th, 1962, at the London Pavilion in Piccadilly Circus down the street at Parlaphone Records the first single called “Love Me Do” from a little-known band out of Liverpool formerly known as ‘The Quarrymen' and now renamed ‘The Beatles' was released?  That's right the two biggest cultural phenomenons of the 1960's and arguably the 20th century hit the streets on the same exact day just a few miles apart from one another – but if you been listening to this podcast series that should come as no surprise, as we have seen, if there is one thing predictable about the story of 007 its that the story is completely unpredictable.  So, buckle up because we are going to London, Jamaica, and back to London to revisit the one that started them all…albeit without his pet monkey!           So, Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour….and welcome to The Latch Key Kids Present Breaking Bond Part Three: DR. NO!

             What a difference a day makes…or maybe a year. Just twelve months ago we were legitimately bunkered down in our man caves, she sheds, and rumpus rooms (what exactly is a rumpus room anyway?) awaiting the worst from the COVID-19 pandemic. Today drive by a movie theater complex and it kind of feels like maybe we were all in a nightmare horror movie that seems to have begun to let out – unfortunately, many people did not make it out alive or unscathed. With the hopes of a somewhat normal summer in front of us let us take a moment and look back at what got us through “Those Difficult Times” from a streaming perspective as we dive into a very unscientific Latch Key survey. Was it Action, Thrillers, Comedy, Tragedy, or even Documentaries? From small kids all the way up to Boomers and beyond we dive into what we were watching during the plague.                                                            Next up…Several weeks ago, we talked about ‘No Time To Die' – the trials and tribulations of getting Bond's 26th film out of the gate and into the theaters. Let us revisit the progress made on both the Bond front (paging Jeff Bezos you are needed on set in your Blofeld costume) as well as the progress on the reopening of the theaters. From ‘Mortal Kombat' to ‘A Quiet Place' from ‘Demon Slayer' to ‘Cruella' the race back to the movies is happening faster than many expected. How is this impacting the studios, exhibitors, and most importantly the fans? What is next and how will the traditional Summer Blockbuster look after ‘The Year The World Went Away'? We will discuss all these things and more on our next episode of The Latch Key Kids. So Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour! 

“I've Always Hated That Damned James Bond.  I'd Like To Kill Him” Sounds like something every evil villain has said since the beginning of Bond, yet what if I told you that the line was spoken by none other than 007 himself.   What if I also told you that Bond creator Ian Fleming did not even appear on set for the filming of Dr. No until halfway through production – the reason the man playing his beloved Bond.The space between these two anecdotes is vast as was the career of the actor chosen to bring Bond to the silver screen first, Sir Sean Connery.  Sean Connery was among the many things 2020 took from humanity that year.  The remembrances, including this one, harken back to a character that as you can see Connery disliked in a way only, he could understand.  Connery disliked this character in ways that went beyond the outlandish stories or the backstage feuding – Connery did not like the person James Bond.  Why did Fleming not like the Connery selection?How did we go from the green fields of Walt Disney's Ireland to the Vegas strip in “Diamonds are Forever”?The answers will in many ways mirror the decade of the 1960's – Connery's portrayal identified with a certain segment of society in a way that helped them define themselves in a decade where so many would clash on almost every major issue.   Connery had no control over this and no control over how it would impact both his professional and personal life.  The quote above shows just how deep the resentment went for the role.   Connery as an actor demands a much larger scope, much larger than the iconic Bond gun barrel – Connery would go on to unquestionable success after Bond including winning an Academy Award.  That post Bond success would span 40+ years and even include one more pay day as 007 in the 80's.  Yet it would cost him the relationships that were the catalyst to his early success.     It can be argued that Connery is the only actor of the six that has successfully shaken the Bond tuxedo and found success in more varied, dramatic, and noteworthy roles.  “No Time To Die” will provide Daniel Craig the springboard out of Bond and into the next phase of his career and there is no doubt that he will be looking at how Connery did just that – Escape Bond!Let Us Discuss These Things And More....So Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!

How is it that a character created over 70 years ago in the aftermath of WW2 is still impacting the world in 2021? Is this Holmes, Poirot, or even Hamlet? Much like the characters mentioned Bond is a classic study of his time – in his case the mid-20 th century. Yet much like the more classical characters there is something about the Ian Fleming creation that pushes beyond the world in which he was created in. Beyond the Cold War, the Space Race, international terrorism, computer hacking – you name it. Bond transcends but WHY?Much like the more literary accomplished Doyle, Christie, and Shakespeare; Fleming wasperfectly suited for his subject and his audience, yet he had a secret weapon that none of those giants mentioned before him had – he had the silver screen and he had one man that would come to dominate the tradition of Bond even more than the creator himself – Cubby.Cubby Broccoli and Albert Saltzman (for several years) were the catalysts in the early daystransforming the character from the pages of Fleming's novels, which were far more traditional in their storytelling style, to the blockbuster industry changing movies we have been watching for almost six decades. Yet as both Fleming and Saltzman exited the Bond landscape through death and business it left one man – Cubby.Cubby was the perfect steward to the Bond legacy and its future – it became a family affair with both his wife and children taking active roles in the execution of each movie….including and especially “No Time To Die'”. So, without Fleming and now without Cubby, who passed over twenty-five years ago in '96, the Broccoli family has been more adept than ever at not just keeping Bond relevant and fresh but somewhat groundbreaking. Seamless transitions from lead actors six times in as many decades, keeping up with the fickle tastes of fans trough “The New Hollywood” of the 60's, the blockbuster model of the 70's & 80's (a model one could argue was born of Bond), and now through the CGI and jump cuts of the 2000's.And yet here we are in 2021 and the movie industry is facing its biggest challenge since the rise of the VCR add in COVID and you have a truly unprecedented challenge that could turn the marquee lights off for good.Fleming, Cubby, Moore, even Connery are all gone in 2021. Gone also are the devastating sexist and somewhat racist troupes that filled the cinematic landscape of the 20 th century – we are embarking on so many new roads one might struggle to find a place for the likes of Bond. Why did Bond matter? Does he matter now? Can THE most iconic womanizer, smoker, drinker, driver, fighter, patriot, and man make it in the woke world we live in? Is Bond going to get canceled by the culture he helped create?Let Us Discuss These Things And More....So Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least

What year is it? 2020…2021? Once we figure out what year it is will going over to a friend's house for dinner or to a convention center for a work conference be the same or even preferred? Because right now neither feel remotely the same as they did just a short time ago. Will going to the movies matter – I mean will going to an actual movie theater matter? Will Bond….James Bond…matter?As interesting a subject as James Bond is there was no way of knowing just how precinct the release of the latest Bond movie “No Time To Die” would become for not only the franchise but the entire movie industry. In the over 120-year history of film this release may very well be its most important playing out in front of a backdrop already cluttered with smart phones, ear buds, bright screens, and attention spans lasting shorter than Bond's marriage – throw in COVID and all the legitimate anxiety, frustration, and quite frankly exhaustion that has come with it and one must look at the release of this film, the 27 the Bond film in the franchise, as THE most important.Wait – one question….When is it coming out?March 2020…No…November 2020…Nope…April 2021…No Mr. Bond!!!As of now…which will soon be then…its October 2021.OK…let us be fair and balanced or honest or whatever you are supposed to be these days there is no criticizing what is going on here there is no need to explain to anyone how much money and how many livelihoods depend on this movie's release and its successful distribution in MOVIE THEATERS around the world. Theaters in the UK were already stressed with restrictions and COVID concerns and when the latest release date fell through in late 2020 it spelled the end for some. Those theaters that closed will likely shutter for good.Any latch key kid worth their salt can tell you that there were no better places in the 70's, 80's, and 90's to spend good quality latch key time than in movie theaters. Mom and Dad wanted to go out with their friends for dinner and drinks, but they either could not or did not find a sitter – no problem!Let Us Discuss These Things And More....So Sit Back And Relax Mom & Dad Won't Be Back For At Least An Hour!