007’s Japanese adventure was back on the big screen in the UK this weekend… The one where Sean Connery spent longer in hair and make-up than any other Bond actor for his transition to an unconvincing local fisherman. The film has gone through its ups and downs in fandom, more recently dropping down the rankings (even IMBD). Was it, perhaps, the first example of turning everything up to ‘11’ and somehow the whole was no longer greater than the sum of its parts?
Regardless of how the film has waxed and waned with audiences, it flourishes with some of the most striking iconography of the series: from the hollowed-out volcano to Blofeld’s Nehru suit. Often imitated (even by the Bond series itself), but never bettered. How does ‘You Only Live Twice’ rank for you now? What are the stand out qualities, and what elements missed the mark? We are also publishing a weekly ‘Bond Debrief’ episode of the James Bond & Friends podcast to tie-in with the UK big screen re-releases. Do you agree with our panelists on the key ingredients of the Bond formula? You can join in the comments below.
News
Happy 90th birthday to John Glen - the five-times James Bond director, who helmed the franchise from ‘For Your Eyes Only’ to ‘Licence To Kill.’ We have been lucky enough to work with John on a number of projects in recent years, and his enthusiasm for Bond is still as strong as it was through the 1980s.
Two of the leading women of ‘No Time To Die’ have interesting projects in the works. Ana de Armas is in talks to headline her own action spin-off, but rather than Paloma, it’ll be the Ballerina character from the John Wick universe. Meanwhile, fans of Lea Seydoux may be seeing a lot more of the actress in the future as she’s signed for a new big-screen adaptation of the erotic novel ‘Emmanuelle.’
‘Thunderball’ was on the big screen in the UK last weekend but the Biggest Bond Of All dipped to the lowest box-office for the 60th anniversary re-releases following ‘Goldfinger’s populist bump the week prior. The running totals for UK & Ireland are:
Dr. No: £8,349 (89 screens)
From Russia With Love: £8,806 (104 screens)
Goldfinger: £13,960 (118 screens)
Thunderball: £7,907 (98 screens)
Listen
This week we are joined by author Llewella Chapman, host of the James Bond A-Z podcast Tom Butler, and James Bond artist extraordinaire Sean Longmore to discuss the essential elements of ‘You Only Live Twice.’
Watch
Four years before he would appear as Dikko Henderson in the 1967 adventure 'You Only Live Twice,' actor Charles Gray provides the voice-over for this 007-themed lipstick commercial. He would later go on to play Blofeld in 'Diamonds Are Forever.'
MI6 Archives
The October 1967 issue of Showtime Magazine had a feature interview with Lewis Gilbert talking about his work directing ‘You Only Live Twice.’
Exit Through The Gift Shop
We are about to launch the first issue of the 2022 season of MI6 Confidential magazine. It’s the only regularly published full-colour James Bond magazine on sale around the world. Not a subscriber yet? There’s still time before issue #64 ships out this month.
More Bond
In need of some daily 007? Check out our other outlets: