This Week In Bond (September 13th, 2022)
We should just deal with nice people
‘Quantum of Solace’ is back in UK cinemas this week as part of the 60th Anniversary re-release program. The shortest-ever James Bond film has a mixed record with the fandom, the critical end of the spectrum often denouncing its editing style. But one other major ingredient in the Bond cocktail came under scrutiny back in 2008: Quantum’s evil scheme to privatize the water supply of Bolivia.
That’s exactly what happened back in the 1990s: the World Bank pressured the Bolivian government to privatize their water supply in return for aid, their justification being that a corrupt and inept government can not be trusted to run public utilities, but a corporation can. Said corporation then doubled the price of water for the country’s population. Those steep and sudden price hikes led to citywide protests and eventually to the corporation’s ouster. The Bolivian government declared martial law in an effort to save the corporation’s contract, leaving one teenage boy dead and more than 100 people wounded.
It’s not a story that is that well known in the West, so when writers lifted the real-life history of the country and substituted the World Bank for Quantum, they had an oven-ready plot, although it failed to connect with many viewers.
Fast forward 14 years and Bond fans in the UK may sympathize more with their Bolivian counterparts as the British government privatized the water supply, leading to under-investment, sky-rocketing prices, shortages, and… raw sewage being pumped into rivers and the sea. Britain is now the only country in the world that has 100% of its population at the whim of private water. “Wars will be fought over water,” they exclaimed. Quantum were… ineffective. They would have been better off running an election campaign to become MPs.
This leads us to ponder what devilish schemes the new James Bond could be facing in a few years’ time, and perhaps the writers could look closer to home for plots. ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’ dealt with the energy crisis and solar power, but those stakes seem almost trivial compared to the challenges we face today.
News
James Bond has always worked for the same boss, from Ian Fleming's first novel 'Casino Royale' in 1953 through to the latest film 'No Time To Die' - 007 pledged allegiance and ultimately reported to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. With the sad passing of Britain's longest reigning and greatest monarch, we reflected on her involvement with the franchise over almost 70 years.
It’s finally been confirmed: GoldenEye 007 is coming to Xbox and Nintendo Switch with a 4K remaster and multiplayer. The planned launch was delayed back March due to sensitivities over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
A new James Bond pinball table was supposed to be unveiled at the AAPA Europe trade show being held in London this week, but the company behind the product (Stern Pinball) has delayed the announcement in deference to HM Queen Elizabeth's passing. Photos of the design have leaked showing a Sean Connery-themed table. It could cost anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 and will be made to order.
Listen
It’s the shortest James Bond film in the series but that doesn’t mean there’s less to talk about. We gathered together Bill Koenig, Sean Longmore, and Ben Eslinger to discuss ‘Quantum of Solace’ as it re-enters UK cinemas.
Watch
Mr. White became a pivotal character in the Daniel Craig era, even becoming his defacto father-in-law. But he wouldn’t have appeared in anything after ‘Quantum of Solace’ if Marc Forster had kept the original ending. It was filmed, but will unlikely be seen by fans, except for the videogame adaptation which included the unused sequence where Bond, Guy Haines, and Mr. White have a meeting.
MI6 Archives
‘Quantum of Solace’ shot from 3 January 2008 to 21st June 2008 - an insane turnaround and production schedule, the likes of which the series hadn’t seen since ‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ and hasn’t since. The location work in Italy wrapped in May.
Exit Through The Gift Shop
We are putting the final touches on the annual MI6 Confidential Special Publication. This year it has grown to 120-pages and will ship to subscribers first. If you haven’t subscribed yet, now is a great time to ensure you don’t miss out.
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