Très Bond

It's been forever and a day since we last released an episode of the number one podcast in the world but with the 57th episode: EVERYTHING. CHANGES. Well, just that one thing, really. Your favourite dirty devils are back with a review of Anthony Horowitz's prequel to the Fleming novels and the usual nonsense that we stuff this podcast with. Join us, won't you? Review starts at 45:37

It's been a long time since the last James Bond film was released in cinemas. Daniel Craig's tenure is the longest of all six actors to don the tuxedo. No Time To Die has the longest run-time of all 25 Bond films. And we poor Aussie Bond fans had to wait even longer than the rest of the world to watch No Time To Die. We've waited all this time... was it worth it? Does Daniel Craig get the send-off he deserves or is this another final film flop? Three dirty devils from Downunder have decided to go all-in and all-out to send off Craig's Bond. It's a long one... but you have all the time in the world. The review starts at 56:16

James Bond has come across his fair share of baddies but never one as dastardly and potentially copyright-infringing as Redward Roxbury. Join me, Brian Swallenkoch, as I take over Très Bond and take you behind the scenes of one of the most audacious productions in movie history. This special episode spills the cinematic secrets and shines a light on the stars, the stunts, the sets, the sex, and the stars of The Ties That Bind and also includes special exclusive interviews with Pierce Brosnan, Chris Corbould, and many more! You won't want to miss this! INTERNATIONAL FILM RELEASE DATE: 11th November on YouTube Special Thanks to Stu from @SOLTS007

After 6 years between drinks, Bond is back! On the eve of the World Premiere at the Royal Albert Hall, your three favourite dirty devils put their predictions on the line. You've sat through shorter preconceived notions before but now you're gonna have to suffer through our spectacular speculation special. How many do we get right? How extravagantly do we miss? DON'T TELL US! We're in Australia and have to wait another month. So just shut up and enjoy your Bond movie, you ingrates! VIDEO PODCAST LIVE ON YOUTUBE!

Three dirty devils dive into the 007th Fleming novel. Will they like what they find? Will it be the new gold standard of Bond novels in the Très Bond ratings, or will it leave them with a cold finger? Look, that's not my best episode description. These blurbs are hard to write and I've run out of coffee. Does anyone read these? Goldfinger, ladies and gentlemen!

Shaken martinis, dam jumps, and Bondolas! The 007 film franchise is chock-a-block with iconic and distinctly 'Bondian' moments. So which come out on top for the dirty devils at Très Bond HQ? This episode was recorded on the 11th of February, 2021.

They're back*! After taking some overdue holiday, your favourite dirty devils are exactly where they should be: behind the mic talking absolute nonsense. Diving back into Bond via the cool, crystal clear waters of Jamaica, this is the Très Bond Book Club discussion of Ian Fleming's 1958 thriller, Dr. No. Will the boys find this a pulse-pounding pulp spectacular; or is it a more familiar, and fatigued, Fleming affair? *This episode was recorded on the 14th of January, 2021 https://www.youtube.com/c/UnitedStatesofKensington

Just like the Bond franchise, we've gone all out to celebrate our 50th. 2020 has been a hell of a year, so we thought we'd have a bit of fun before Christmas and see just how much Bond knowledge has rubbed off on these three dirty devils. Play along and let us know how you went. Thank you to everyone who has supported us throughout the year. Très Bond will return.

They're Bond's best buddies, always there for him in a pinch and, usually, paying for their loyalty with their lives. In this episode, three best mates from Down Under have their say on who was the bestest of Bond's mates and who needed to be kicked out of the group chat.

The title sequences for the James Bond films are arguably the most iconic moments in each film. Dripping with classic and classy imagery, these titles are quintessentially Bond. That said, they're not all winners, some are absolute turkeys. Sit back, and relax, as we take you through the best and the worst of the Bond title sequences.

Now, pay attention, 007 fans. This episode has been perfected, out of years of patient research, to determine which are the best and worst gadgets to have come from Q branch. And, naturally, all the usual refinements... which is basically just three dirty devils ranting, rambling, and raving. Bring it back in one piece.

"You have betrayed me!" Those were the words Sir Sean Connery shouted at Lois Maxwell when he learned she had signed on for this Italian-made Bond parody, starring his younger brother, Neil. One can only imagine what he must have said when Bernard Lee, Adolfo Celi, Daniella Bianchi, Anthony Dawson, and Yasuko Yama also jumped ship to spoof not only the Bond films but, seemingly, Connery's fame. Was this just a shameless cash-grab exploiting Bond mania and the Connery name, or did this group of Bond alumni craft an absolute banger?

It was Kennedy's favourite, a critical hit, and its popularity secured the film franchise's birth but many things that were de rigueur for the 1950s have fallen out of fashion since. What of Fleming's 1957 Cold War thriller? Is it a certified banger, or will this whole thing end in a whimper?

Bloodstone had the misfortune to be released at the same time as the hotly anticipated remake of Goldeneye. With that being the case, it fell through the cracks of both the gaming world and the Bond community. What little attention it received was lukewarm, at best. A decade on, we revisit Bloodstone to determine whether it's a diamond-in-the-rough or a cheap knockoff.

The oft used phrase is 'that more men have walked on the moon than have donned James Bond's dinner jacket' and debates have raged for decades as to which of the six wore it best. Now it falls to three best mates in Sydney, Australia to compile their most controversial and divisive list; who stood tall and faced it all & who fell short.

Leslie Nielsen was the undisputed king of the spoof film and Bond had escaped his withering deadpan style until this 1996 effort. Spy Hard gathered a plethora of comedy stars & pop-culture cameos and featured a theme-tune by the king of parody songs. So why does no-one talk about this film anymore? It's lesser-known, even within the Bond fan community, and copies of the film are hard to find. Is this a lost gem or a steaming pile? I think you know.

Sean, George, Roger, Timothy, Pierce, Daniel and... who's next? Or should one of those names be scrubbed from the record and replaced with another?These are the questions we're answering this week in an episode full of judgment and speculation as three dirty devils from Australia take on the unenviable task of casting James Bond.

For this, the 40th episode of our James Bond podcast, we have decided to celebrate such an auspicious anniversary by reviewing something non-Bond. That's right! We're putting the podcast on Cruise control this week and watching the film that kickstarted a rival action franchise... Mission: Impossible. Just accept it.

Upon completion of his fourth James Bond novel, Ian Fleming wrote: "I baked a fresh cake in Jamaica this year which I think has finally exhausted my inventiveness as it contains every single method of escape and every variety of suspenseful action that I had omitted from my previous books." Well, slow down there, Mr Fleming! We three dirty devils might have something to say about that. We also might not. I don't know. Just listen to our review.

The original Goldeneye for the Nintendo 64 is often credited as the game that started the first-person shooter genre but what about this one? Released in 2010 as a Wii exclusive, this remaster of a classic 007 story was subsequently re-released on the PS3 and XBOX 360 in 2011. Is it a serious contender or a flabby pretender?

The distance between insanity and genius is measured only by success; the distance between being a Top 5 Villain and a dishonourable mention is the whim and fancy of three dirty devils in Australia. This week we are taking on 007's job and tackling the villains of the Bond canon. Delicious!

The importance of a film's opening sequence can not be understated. It is the introduction of a movie to its audience. It establishes the tone, the style, and the energy of the images to follow. The James Bond pre-title sequences are some of the most famous in cinematic history and have become an integral part of the Bond formula. So, which one's the best? Well, you dirty devils, we'll let you know.

Spite is never lonely; envy always tags along. So said Mignon McLaughlin who passed away the same year as Kevin McClory's second attempt at a Bond film was released. It's hard to say how this film is rated within the Bond community. Some say it's an admirable effort and a return to Connery's wonder years. Others deride it as a project driven by the two green monsters; envy and money. One thing, however, is certain: Très Bond are gonna let you know what they think!

This novel and its film adaptation couldn't be more dissimilar. The latter being decidedly camp and full of Star Wars envy; the former hailed as one of the defining pieces in the Bond literary canon. But what say three young lads from down under? How does Fleming's third adventure stack up against its predecessors? Is it still, like it's villain, a 'nail-biter' or will it fail to launch?

James Bond video games have a hallowed legacy. In 1997, a James Bond game took the world by storm and, subsequently, changed the first-person shooter genre. Fifteen years later, were the 007 games still pioneering new ways of playing or had the world moved on? 007 Legends was the last video game to be made based on the Bond franchise and is, partially, blamed for the collapse of a storied studio... could it really be that bad?

If music be the food of love then the Bond franchise is well-fed. Norman, Barry, Martin, Hamlisch, Conti, Kamen, Serra, Arnold, Newman, and Zimmer. More men have scored Bond's films than have played the secret agent himself but which of them is the composer king? Which soundtrack sits atop this mountain of magnum opuses?

Casino Royale '67 lays claim to an impressive troupe of talent both on and off the screen. It also had a larger budget than the official Bond film that opened in the same year. So our one question is: what the hell happened? Strap in for a psychedelic, eclectic and baffling experience as three best mates from down under try to make sense of the sensory overload that is Casino Royale '67.

Live and Let Die has some of the more controversial passages from Fleming's oeuvre but also some of the most thrilling. This week we're discussing Fleming's action-packed, second novel. How does it hold up after all these years? Is it still an exhilarating, swashbuckling adventure or has time been less than kind?

Assassins, rivals, minions, thugs, hackers, dealers, femme fatales; henchmen, all of them. The Bond films have a rogues gallery that is, nearly, peerless. In this episode, three dirty devils from down under rank the best of the worst. Which charismatic killer will take the top spot?

It's the battle of the brassy Basseys and the shy Sheryls in the first of our Top 5 rankings specials! This week we're going through our favourite title songs from the official James Bond films. There's plenty of spirited debate and dirty devilishness in this ranking of, arguably, the most iconic feature of the Bond films: The Title Songs.

It's the first of the unofficial Bond film reviews and, technically, the first-ever Bond story committed to celluloid. Lost for decades after its initial broadcast in 1954, this one-hour TV special is now being watched and dissected by three Bond fans living through the golden age of television. Yes, that seems fair. At least it'll be a be bit of a laugh.

Having exhausted the list of official James Bond films, the boys at Très Bond are starting a 'new chapter'. It's time to investigate the place where it all began, Ian Fleming's novels, and what better place to start than the story that launched a worldwide phenomenon?

'To us, Mr Bond. We are the best!' To celebrate our 25th episode of Très Bond, we've decided to do a definitive ranking of all twenty-four official James Bond films. Join us as we reminisce, recollect, and re-examine our ratings for this greatest of film franchises. Can we justify our previous 'shaken' ratings, or has time left us more 'stirred' when it comes to our previous assessments?

Following the most financially successful Bond film of all time, Spectre saw the long-awaited return of an iconic villain and his dastardly network, the classic coterie of MI6 regulars, and the return of an Oscar-winning director. Bond fans were keenly anticipating a classic, all-time 007 adventure but, upon release, reception was mixed. Some praised it as a return to the winning Moore-era formula whereas others derided the relationship between Blofeld and Bond as being almost unforgivable. Half a decade on, Très Bond are here to give their take on this most recent and most divisive of 007 adventures.

Fifty years of James Bond on the silver screen was celebrated with a massive cultural and financial hit: the first Bond film (and only to date) to cross the one billion dollar mark at the box office. It had also been ten years since the appearance of Q, Moneypenny & gadgets; Skyfall promised to bring the Bond of old storming into this new century. Sometimes the old ways are the best but there's also no shame in saying you've lost the stuff. Nearly a decade on, Très Bond is here to give the film the retrospective analysis it deserves. Everyone needs a hobby...

The notoriously difficult second album, or the sophomore slump, seems to be the consensus regarding the 22nd Bond film. Director Marc Forster described wanting his Bond film to feel like a bullet - a feat that he can claim to have achieved. This is the shortest run-time for a 007 film and, most definitely, the fastest paced. We are now more than a decade on from the first-ever direct sequel in the franchise, so how does it stack up? Is it an adrenaline-fuelled revenge thriller or is it running on empty?

It's the reboot that had to happen. After the CGI-drenched & over stuffed Die Another Day, the producers at EON productions decided to reinvigorate the franchise by taking it back to its Fleming roots. Back to the start, back to basics, back to Bond. The conventionally handsome Brosnan was replaced with the unconventional choice of Craig. It was a massive gamble, pun intended, and one that has been hailed by critics and a majority of fans alike as the bet that paid off. Bond had not only been resurrected but brought roaring into the new century. So, after all these years, how does the first of the Craig era stack up? Is Casino Royale a triumphant royal flush, or an over-hyped two-pair bluff?

And finally, here we are... the last film of the original saga. Let's not beat around the bush here, it's a much-maligned movie. It's loved and hated in fairly equal measure due to it's purported campy tone, geriatric Bond, bat-shit wild Walken, menacing May Day, and screeching Stacey Sutton... but when has consensus ever gotten in the way of a good time? OHMSS was widely panned at time of release and later became a standard bearer for the franchise; DAF was praised as a return to form by the wider cinema-going public and we all know how that turned out. Maybe it's time to give A View to a Kill the love and attention it deserves? Or maybe it's just an overblown, overstuffed mess. We'll see.

After the astronautic high jinks of Moonraker, the producers of the Bond franchise decided to take a more grounded approach with the 12th film. Bond alumnus, John Glen, was handed the directorial reins after more than a decade behind the scenes, Bill Conti was brought in to fill-in for long-time composer John Barry, and Roger Moore was convinced to extend his contract to return as Agent 007. The first film of the 80s was an attempt to harden the Bond franchise and refresh it... but was it successful? Was it a Flemingesque revenge thriller or a Nyquil-like, yawnfest?

Whilst it is the highest grossing film (adjusted for inflation, of course) in the James Bond franchise, Thunderball often sits in the shadow of its immediate, golden predecessor... but should it instead loom over the franchise as a towering triumph? It is seen by some as being waterlogged by prolonged underwater sequences; by others it's a rip-roaring, exhilarating thrill ride. Très Bond always acts while others talk, so we strike... and give you our unfiltered opinion on the fourth Bond film.

Space, as they say, is the final frontier... and it very well could have been the last we saw of Mr Bond. The most expensive James Bond adventure made (at the time) was a gamble that paid off handsomely at the box office... but just because it made money doesn't mean it's watchable. Just like the Moonraker knows, we're here to sort the gold from the space debris and give you our unfiltered take on this most divisive of Bond films.

From Russia with Love was picked by John F. Kennedy as one of his favourite novels, which gave the producers the signal to go all in with the greatest film franchise of all time. It is jam-packed with iconic images, luxurious locations, a furious fistfight, and red wine with fish. The novel was good enough to be considered a personal favourite of the President... but is the film good enough for the boys at Très Bond?

The consensus regarding Roger Moore's second outing is that he suffers from a rushed sophomore slump. TMWTGG is considered both too lean on substance and too bloated by nonsense. Is that really fair? Is this much maligned Moore movie really a rollicking, rough-diamond Roger romp? You've heard from the rest, now listen to the best: the boys at Très Bond have got you covered.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a Bond actor in possession of a third film, must be in want of their best 007 adventure. Connery had Goldfinger, Moore had The Spy Who Loved Me and Brosnan had The World Is Not Enough. History is made in the 19th entry into the Bond franchise: the first female villain, the last Bond film of the 20th century, the longest pre-title sequence to date... but is it's Brosnan's crowning glory? Is this the film that defines the Brosnan tenure or is it a limping, lacklustre chore?

After the runaway success of Goldeneye, Bond mania was back on track... but would Brosnan be able to avoid the sophomore slump? A film with a somewhat troubled production and a bigger than expected budget, this film also promised to be bigger & better. With a Titanic rival at the box office, the competition was fierce and the expectations high. More than twenty years later, how does it stack up? We'll let you know.

Nobody does it better... or so the saying goes. The first of the Bond films produced by Albert R. Broccoli, without long time producing partner Harry Saltzman, had a lot riding on it. It had been three years since the last film (considered by many to be a financial flop) and this was the everything or nothing shot Cubby had to make. History tells us that this film is a triumph in every respect; that this is the biggest and best Bond film. Critically and commercially successful at the time, how does this giant of the franchise hold up more than forty years on?

In 1983, it was the Battle of the Bonds. Moore returned for his sixth James Bond film and he was up against Connery's unofficial rival film 'Never Say Never Again'. Naturally, EON had to pull out all the stops and make this a Bond film for the ages to assure their place as the one, true Bond franchise. Did they succeed? Financially, yes, but they did create an all time high 007 adventure or a clownish, goofy cartoon?

Dalton's final film is considered by some to be a pure, Fleming-style revenge thriller; a dull, lifeless, 80s action snoozefest by others. Dalton's tenure is often said to be the dark reboot the franchise needed but delivered at the wrong time. Join us as we take a deep dive into the darkest film of the original 007 saga.

The roll of our dice has treated us to another Connery Bond film; the second of his farewells from the role. This curious entry into the franchise is heiled by some as a triumphant return of the franchise's prodigal son; by others it is seen as an ill-fated, unmitigated disaster of mismatched tones and underwhelming performances. Three mates in Sydney are here to figure this out.

After five films of build up, James Bond is finally face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his Japanese mono-rail featuring volcano lair. Is this the franchise-defining, ultimate showdown or a campy sleepwalk for Mr Connery? Two narratives prevail in the Bond fandom... one podcast is brave enough to take a stand. It's the first of Connery's many farewell performances but You Only Live Twice!

It's the gold standard of Bond films; the grandfather of the formula. Nearly every moment of this film is iconic and memorable. Surely, this is a Shaken 10. Right?