Post-her a poppy

When Quantum Of Solace opened last Friday in UK The Sun had a full page advert using the latest Craig & Kurylenko sandy poster. Now a week on we get a slightly different half page version with close-up of same expression Dan and now behind a sad faced Olga ( she looks to the right in the previous poster ). Has the obligatory review quotes of "THIS IS BOND AS IT SHOULD BE AND NEEDS TO BE IN 2008!" with 4 stars and "SHAKES THE SENSES AND STIRS THE MIND!". Really ? It actually leaves one puzzled as leaving the cinema ( 07/11 ).

Move on another week-end and another half page advert for the movie with Dan loading his gun plus those review quotes ( 2 new ) to entice you to the cinema with "BREATHTAKING STUFF." with 5 stars and "DANIEL CRAIG IS FANTASTIC..." with 4 stars. Let's not carried away shall we ? ( 14/11 ).

Also in the paper is a happier photo of smiling Bond girl Olga Kurylenko taken at the London premiere with photo heading of Bond's Olga is a gem which explains that she was showing "her support for war veterans, wearing a poppy made of Swarovskio crystals. The brooch worn by Olga, 28, is one of a pair and worth up to £2,000. But it will go the lowest unique bid in an auction for the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal." ( 07/11 ).

Keg up for Olga and scented Gemma

The Sun has a full page Quantum Of Solace tie-in advert with Heineken beer. As you see Bond girl Olga Kurylenko is featured on the left with top left caption of Camille - James Bond's Leading Lady and top right the brand name next to the 007 logo. Also seen right is the familiar QOS poster with below ENTER THE WORLD OF BOND next to keg & glass of beer. On the there is an intro by Olga and features trailers & videos accompanied by The James Bond Theme.
Welcome to the world of Bond merchandising with cars, tvs, cameras, mobile phones, perfume ( see below ) etc. but I'm sure that seeing Olga will definitely give you a thirst for this tie-in ( 06/11 ).

A few days later and another full page Quantum Of Solace tie-in advert with Avon. This time featuring Bond girl Gemma Arterton who also appears in the tv commercial opening a safe in a room watched by a shadowed Bond. The header tells us INTRODUCING BOND GIRL 007 underneath THE FIRST FRAGRANCE INSPIRED BY BOND GIRLS. Really which ones ? Imagine asking the wife/girl-friend "What's that lovely perfume darling ?" and she replies ... Yes you know, why didn't they call it Quantum Of Solace ... a perfume for a Bond Girl or just Quantum or Solace ? Hey I'm not paid for this ! Still you get a free gift of a cosmetic bag with 007 tag containing lipstick and gun barrel style mirror, ladies if interested ( 10/11 ).

I wonder if the girls tossed a coin for who gets the best merchandising deal, if they did, I think I know who was the loser of these two, at least Olga got the Ford Ka deal.

James Bond News: Miscellaneous

1. Noticed the following Bond related items in The Sun ...


1. It seems that we need to dig out that real James Bond book of birds as GE baddie & "tough guy actor Sean Bean likes watching birds - hardly a revelation about someone married four times" according to the paper's The Whip column it appears "Beanie", seen in a photo unshaven, has a new interest and explains to ladies' mag Red: "I can spend hours with my binoculars. And I'm looking at feathered birds, not the two-legged kind." Of course Sean blonde or red-headed type ? ( 03/11 )
   Earlier in the paper's TV Mag Sean who "returns for the first time in two years as gallant Richard Sharpe" in Sharpe's Peril ( ITV1, Sun 21:00 ) talks about being "apart from his own daughters, Lorna 21, Molly, 17, and Evie, nine": "I try to get them out to whatever I'm filming. Sadly, hot, dusty India didn't appeal to them !" I wonder why ? ( 01/11 ).


2. It appears that purple dress of Bond girl Gemma Arterton didn't go down well with everyone. In a small bottom section of columnist Jane Moore's weekly page a small full length photo of her accompanies "Double oh, heaven help us. Gemma Arterton is the archetypal English rose, a woman in possession of an exquisite, enviable beauty. Yet she arrived at the Bond premiere in a purple frightmare that looked like it had been caught in the escalator. Proving that while beauty may be God-given, style is a little harder to come by." Lock 'em in a room and claws at the ready ! ( 05/11 ).
3. Blink and you miss paragraph headed UNDER THE HAMMER which tells of "The Lotus Esprit that became a sub in Bond film TSWLM is set to fetch £120,000 at auction in London." Another one for the car museum ( 06/11 ).


4. Once signing autographs as 007 and touted as next Bond before Craig, M's old assistant Robinson played by actor Colin Salmon is seen over page 3 item heading of Colin 'to be black Dr Who' and claims he is "in talks .. to be the first black Doctor Who. They want the James Bond star to take over when David Tennant, 37, leaves in 2009." Having played a character Dr Moon in an earlier episode a BBC source[?] is quoted "He made a good impression when he appeared and bosses think the time is right to have the first black Doctor." Strange this was leaked just after the first black F1 motor-racing champion & US President ? Salmon, 45, also does tv promotion voice-over work for the Beeb. Past mentioned in the running for the prized tv role was TWINE baddie Robert Carlyle ( 07/11 ).


5. A photo item shows Bond star Daniel Craig out on a London dinner date with girlfriend Satsuki Mitchell with heading of LIVE AND LET DRY.. next to another hand holding couple photo. The item suggests he "looks more interested in keeping himself dry than sharing a brolly with his girlfriend in the rain." Never, nice to see smiling Satsuki seeing the funny side of his large umbrella (12/11).


6. Another photo item show a large scorpion over the home of the Bond movies, Pinewood Studios with that first PR photo of Craig as 007 added. The heading of GOLDSTINGER - Scorpion invasion sparks alert at 007 film studios tells of "escaped scorpions are scaring the living daylights out of movie crews at the studios where the new James Bond Blockbuster was filmed." Funny how 007 gets the blame for everything as "the nasties [are being] used in a new fantasy film Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time" with Bond girl Gemma Arterton among the cast (14/11).


7. Two items ...
   1. Blink and you miss a paragraph titled LIVING GAYLIGHTS which tells of Dr Who/Torchwood tv "gay actor John Barrowman, 41, [who] wants to be the next James Bond despite being turned down in 1994 for being too young." Being American, older than Craig are two things that come to mind and being a little too big for his boots is another !
   2. The centre pages are given to a "new book Hollywood Pin Ups, in aid of Oxfam with top page header of HOLLYWOOD BEAUTIES RECREATE NAUGHTY '40s PIN-UPS with main header of War babes. The six ladies seen in these sexy poses include TWINE actress Denise Richards who is captioned "THIGH SPY ... leggy Bond girl ..". The other photos taken by Timothy White are of Susan Saradon, Kate Hudson, Molly Sims, 24's Elisha Cuthbert and my favourite is Law & Order's Angie Harmon looking the rear best ! (15/11).


8. Do you remember my Whatever Happened To .. section ? If still running it would be "former Bond villain Jonathan Pryce [who] stars in this comedy [called Clone BBC3, Mon 20:30] as an inventor who tries to clone the ultimate supersoldier ..[and] ends up with a waste of space who wants to have fun!" Mr Pryce seems to be busy with the Beeb doing drama, comedy and providing his reading voice for that recent Fleming documentary ( 17/11 ).


9. The paper give a page & half centre pages to the revival of The Antiques Roadshow ( BBC1, Sun ) under heading of Antiques VOGUE Show with a large photo of "sexy new presenter Fiona Bruce" there is a montage of "modern collectables" with brief descriptions and their worth including the "CORGI JAMES BOND CAR: More than three million models of the Aston Martin DB5 were sold in 1965. A boxed example sells for £500." I sold mine in my parent's shop window probably in '66 as I didn't like the gold colour and having brought the follow-up silver version with better gadgets ( yes I still have it ! ). Other items mentioned are Daleks, Blue Peter Annual & Buzz Lightyear Toy, so the programme has really moved on with its "rock n' roll makeover" ( 22/11 ).
10. Two related items ...
    1. A serious photo of Craig from QOS over a small page 3 item with heading of Next 007 film gets bedder as Dan "has promised that 007 will be back to his womanising ways in the next movie. .. QOS has been criticised for its lack of steamy action. But the actor, 40, said it was because the spy had fallen in love in.. CR." He explains: "For Bond to jump in bed with ten women would contradict the whole thing. But the next movie - everybody wants it so we're going to have it." Girls start lining up for the two year queue !
    2. A photo of a strange turquoise colored DBS is featured as top page red header of RECESSION HITS BOND CAR MAKER with main header of NO SOLACE FOR ASTON MARTIN as "James Bond car maker Aston Martin will close its factory for two weeks in the New Year. The firm, which builds the DBS that features in QOS is the latest victim of the financial crisis. There are fears jobs may be slashed just weeks after £160,000 200 mph DBS was voted car of the year in a poll and Aston unveiled its £1.2million One-77 supercar." Two weeks break ! Hey guys enjoy, car demand too great to lose jobs me thinks ( 24/11 ).


2. Browsing through a free Xmas toys magazine and spotted one of the Scalextric James Bond car sets. What caught my attention ? The shadow 007 looks more Brosnan than Craig for this QOS tie-in. As aimed at children 4+, perhaps Pierce is less frightening than Dan ( 08/11 ).


3. BIRTHDAYS:
   Nov 05: Bond Girl Famke Janssen ( 44 ),   Nov 14: Bond Girl Olga Kurylenko ( 29 ),   Nov 15:Bond villain Yaphet Kotto ( 71 ),   Nov 17: Bond Girl Sophie Marceau ( 42 ) & Nov 27: Samantha Moneypenny Bond ( 46 ).
4. Bond Cast/Related TV Spots:

Note. Last month was a busy month with different 'special' programmes promoting Quantum Of Solace so please check out the supplement tv page.
1. Quantum Of Solace: Royal World Premiere Special ( ITV1, Sun 02:25 - repeated Nov 04: Tues 00:40 ) - previously shown on ITV2 ( 02/11 ).
2. On the quiz show Mastermind ( BBC2, Fri 20:00 ) computer programmer Chris Gonet choose as his specialist subject The James Bond Novels of Ian Fleming. Last of the the four contestants Chris scored '10' in a 2 minute quick-fire round and ended up joint runner-up on '23' after the general knowledge round. Answering any questions on Bond is difficult especially when under pressure but add the black chair and spotlight, well done to Chris, I would have got probably half his score in the same circumstances despite knowing most of the answers ( 21/11 ).