Info

Bond & Beyond

A new podcast dedicated to the world's favourite secret agent. Every fortnight, Alex Boucher and James Batchelor delve into the world of Bond - not just the films that made him famous, but the original novels, video games and the many, many other characters inspired by him.
RSS Feed
Bond & Beyond
2023
December
November
October


2022
December
October
September
August
July
June
May


2021
November
October
August
July
April
January


2020
December
November
October
September
August
May
March


2019
December
November
September
August
July
May
April


2018
September
August
June
May
March
February


2017
December
November
October
September
July
June
May
April
March
January


2016
December
November
October
September
August
June
April
March
February
January


2015
December
November
October
September
August


All Episodes
Archives
Now displaying: Page 2
May 20, 2020

Following our look at Bond elements appearing in animated and family films, James and Alex turn their attention towards TV.

Once again, we're not discussing straight up Bond parodies or homages such as Archer, Chuck or Alias. Instead, we're looking at specific moments that pay tribute to film's most famous spy and unpack the elements of the Bond formula that people most instantly recognise.

Join us for a journey that takes us from Friends and Frasier, through Alan Partridge and The Muppets, via THAT Simpsons epiosde, and even a long-lost sketch where Roger Moore performed as 007 almost a decade before Live and Let Die.

Think of one we've missed? Email via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

May 1, 2020

Alex and James look beyond Bond to see how 007 is honoured, referenced and even mocked in animated family films. 

Given the series' history of 50-plus years, it's no surprise that hallmarks of the Bond films appear in other movies but which key ingredients of 007's outings do people draw from?

Our rambling discussion takes us from The Incredibles to Spies In Disguise, through Avengers and Bolt, and even to films as random as Monty Python's The Life Of Brian.

Think of one we've missed? Email via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. Or you can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Mar 23, 2020

Hello, remember us?

James and Alex are back with a short announcement: we're hosting a watch party, where we all gather on Facebook to share comments and thoughts on a classic James Bond film as we watch at the same time.

We are starting (as Cubby's Law dictates) with Dr No, the 1962 big screen debut of Ian Fleming's superspy. We'll be pressing 'play' at 9pm GMT on Wednesday, March 25, 2020, and you can join in the fun right here: https://www.facebook.com/events/852079118641361/

And, since it's been a while, we fill the rest of the episode by just chatting about Bond, including a few more thoughts on the now-delayed No Time To Die. 

Looking forward to watching where it all began with you all on Wednesday.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Dec 6, 2019

Alex and James share their thoughts on the first trailer for Daniel Craig's upcoming finale, No Time To Die.

Was it everything we wanted for a trailer? Were we wrong about our previous predictions, and how many potentially new wrong predictions can we make from just two minutes of footage?

Listen in to hear our first impressions of the trailer - and why not share yours with us, too? Email bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com, or find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond') or Twitter (@BondBeyondPod). 

You can find all previous episodes at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com. 

Nov 21, 2019

Earlier this year, Alex and friend of the show/semi-regular guest Gez attended a Secret Cinema showing of Casino Royale. Shortly after, we recorded this episode… and now we can finally release it.

For those not in the know, Secret Cinema is an event where attendees engage in a roleplaying experience before watching a special presentation of the film on which it’s themed.

Everyone who attends is sworn to secrecy - you even have your phone locked away - so this episode has been locked in the Bond & Beyond vault. With the event now over, it’s safe to declassify our discussion and reveal what really happened at Secret Cinema’s Casino Royale.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Sep 27, 2019

Seven James Bonds went to Casino Royale...

Alex and James review what is quite possibly the worst film ever to feature James Bond (albeit in an unofficial, parodical capacity). We discuss the absolute mess that is 1967's Casino Royale, a comedy film in which the real 007 (apparently) and a bunch of fellow agents sharing his name and number try to save the world.

'Save the world' sounds vague, we grant you, but that's because it's honestly difficult to work out what this film is even about. Listen in to enjoy our thoughts on unconvincing Scottish accents, remote control ice cream vans and robot grouse drones, Ronnie Corbett's pacemaker, cartoon radiation burbs and a UFO invading London. Yes, really.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Aug 29, 2019

We're back with our latest episode full of your message. This time, it's all centred around our (semi)recent Desert Island Bond episode.

We asked you to choose the 007 film, novel, soundtrack, song, video game, gadget, vehicle, girl and Felix/Not Felix you would want if you were trapped on a desert island - and boy, did you deliver!

(Please not this episode was recorded *before* EON announced the new title for Bond 25. We'll be discussing that and more on our next episode)

If you haven't already sent in your Desert Island Bond choices, please do: the email is bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com.

You can also find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Jul 17, 2019

Picture, if you will, being stranded on an island -- like Crab Key without the Dragon tank/luxury villain's lair. To sustain you in our loneliness, you have a few items and characters from the history of Bond. Which do you choose?

Alex and James discuss their desert island picks when it comes to film, novel, game, soundtrack, song, vehicle, gadget, Bond girls, Felix/Not Felix and more.

We'd love to know your choices, and perhaps suggestions of other categories. Drop us an email via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com and we'll read out as many as we can on the next episode.

You can also find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Jul 4, 2019

We're back (again!). Alex and James are joined by long-time friend of the show and semi-regular guest Gez to dig through our inbox and share your thoughts on that awkward Bond 25 reveal. 

Given our lengthy absence (sorry again!), new information has come to light about Daniel Craig's final outing, including film locations and the director's choice of composer (much to James' composer).

We also talk about Killing Eve, the possible directions from Rami Malek's villain and the return of Madelaine Swann, the potential for a Felix (or perhaps Felicia) Leiter spin-off, plus thoughts on whether Bond will ever be a woman. 

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

May 2, 2019

Following last week's much hyped 'reveal' of Bond 25, James and Alex dust of their mics and discuss how the whole affair, er, left them wanting.

With no title and only minor plot details revealed, much of Bond 25's production seems up in the air. Does this worry us? Who do we think each of the new cast members will play? And why, oh why did it take EON Productions a full 20 minutes to say very little?

We discuss all this and more, including (yet again) the debate as to whether the next James Bond should be a woman.

We'd love to know your thoughts on the reveal and your hopes/fears for Bond 25. Drop us an email via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com and we'll read out as many as we can on the next episode.

You can also find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Apr 6, 2019

Bond & Beyond is back, with a very special, slightly experimental episode. Bookending our break nicely, we return to A View To A Kill - but this time we're on location in San Francisco.

Having flown out for a work trip, Alex and James met up to visit some of the most iconic locations from the film (well, two of them with a good view of a third).

We start at City Hall, scene of the great fire and beginning of the city-wide car chase, and end up at Fisherman's Wharf, where anyone with a hankering for soft shell crabs might get some top secret info on mad scientists thrown into the bargain.

We discuss how the locations have changed and how well EON Productions made use of this famous city.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Sep 1, 2018

And so we finally come to the last Bond & Beyond review for 007's cinematic adventures (until they make more of them).

James and Alex go through every detail of Roger Moore's final outing as the iconic British spy, from the questionable use of the Beach Boys to Max Zorin's on-brand choice of explosives and his eye for a bargain when it comes to Plot Tables.

We waste an hour in France with horses, meet an Avenger (not the Marvel kind), pick holes in the geography of the San Francisco car chase, and spend far too much time thinking about that iceberg submarine. We also struggle to contain our fear of Grace Jones and our love for John Barry's penultimate Bond score.

As you'll hear at the start of the episode, the review unfortunately also contains an audio glitch, for which we apologise. We promise it shan't happen again.

And as you'll hear at the end of the show, this will be the last Bond & Beyond for some considerable time - but fear not, for like Bond himself, we will return.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Aug 22, 2018

As we prepare to take a break from the podcast - panic not, Bond & Beyond will return - James and Alex dust off the last few emails and messages we've received.

These address hard-hitting questions, like the ones posed to Mythbuster Matt about Never Say Never Again's urine fight, or whether we actually do any research for this show.

APOLOGY: There seems to be a slight audio problem with this episode where our voices suddenly drop an octave for a few minutes at a time. It only happens twice before 17m23, and after that it's our normal voices. We tried to address this but our efforts just made things sounds worse!

The audio is improved for View To A Kill, which was recorded immediately after this episode.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Oh, and be sure to check out Maarten Vande Wiele's excellent Octopussy comics here: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/octopussyinstagramstory/

Aug 4, 2018

Alex and James take a look at the unofficial Bond film and Sean Connery's final silver screen outing as 007. Borne out of a legal dispute between Thunderball director Kevin McClory and everyone who actually made Bond film, Never Say Never Again is a beat-for-beat repeat of Connery's fourth adventure - in some way better, in other much worse.

Listen in as we discuss Bond's challenging mission of... er... going on a diet, two of the nuttiest villains he's ever faced, the wonderful Pat Roach, a Blofeld who enjoys his job too much, a forgettable soundtrack, and the completely unjustified appearance of Mr Bean.

Jun 2, 2018

With EON Productions finally announcing both a distributor and a director, it's time to start speculating about Bond 25 (again).

Trainspotting and 127 Hours director Danny Boyle takes the helm, meaning we can expect a very different Bond film compared to 007's previous outings, but that's just the beginning of our questions.

How will Craig end his era of reinvention for the franchise? Will Christoph Waltz's Blofeld turn up? Will Boyle push for a jukebox-style soundtrack? Will there be time-hops? Will James Bond be revealed as a codename? Will Bond die? How upset will Alex and James be if that happens?

And once all that madness calms down, we have the latest messages from our incredible listeners - including the latest scientific insight from Mythbuster Matt.

May 16, 2018

With apologies to Gobinda.

Bond & Beyond finally gets round to reviewing one of Alex's favourites, and perhaps a hidden gem among Moore's various outings as 007 - and no, that's not a jewellery smuggling pun.

Alex and James discuss the strangely perfect mix of camp and complex, where a film that is ultimately about James Bond disarming a nuclear bomb while disguised as a circus clown somehow manages to marry excellent villains, surprisingly strong female characters and a lot of cheesy gags together.

Listen on as they discuss a plot that's so convoluted the villain can't keep up, the remarkable nature of sari stunts, questionable child-targeting merchandise and crocodile submarine logistics. Oh, and somehow forget the henchman's name all the way through (sorry, Gobinda).

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Mar 22, 2018

Alex and James are joined by British composer Richard Jacques – best known for his work on countless video games, including 007: Blood Stone.

Recorded in his own studio, this episode discusses what gives soundtracks that Bond-like quality, Jacques' own experiences (and various direct connections) to the franchise, and the art of making music for video games.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Feb 22, 2018

Alex and James are once again joined by author and Bond fan Mark O'Connell to discuss Sean Connery's (sort of) swansong as Ian Fleming's 007.

Once again recording in a secret (and absurdly professional) location, we discuss Diamonds Are Forever - perhaps the campest, definitely the Vegasest Bond outing to date.

Listen in as we celebrate Tiffany Case, argue about Plenty O'Toole, groan over the Moon Buggy chase, delight in the laser-in-space plot and generally delve deeply into this all-time classic. 

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Feb 7, 2018

Alex and James are joined by very special guest Mark O'Connell, author of Catching Bullets: Memoirs of a Bond Fan.

Recording in a top secret location (hence the much better sound quality), we grill Mark about his earliest experiences with 007, his thoughts on the Craig films and where they might be heading, changing attitudes towards the series and his fascinating family connection to the filmmakers themselves.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Dec 19, 2017

Alex and James wrap up 2017 with a few of the emails that have been piling up in the Bond & Beyond inbox. Listen in as we answer your questions about what makes a great callback to earlier Bond films, and which of 007's ladies we'd like to settle down with. We also share our listeners' insight into burning questions like whether you can parasail with an umbrella, if you're allowed to drop bodies into Hong Kong harbour and why we're completely wrong on every level.

If you want to email us, you can do so via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com. You can find us on Facebook (just search 'Bond & Beyond'), Twitter (@bondbeyondpod) and all our episodes are at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Dec 6, 2017

Having vowed to keep this reviews a little shorter, Alex and James rattle through Roger Moore's fifth outing as 007: For Your Eyes Only.

Join them as they attempt to make sense of the seemingly endless and random string of incidents in which people try to kill Bond - all the while trying to avoid being distracted by that annoying ice skating teen, the so-bad-it's-brilliant soundtrack and Game of Thrones cameos.

As always, our episodes can be found at bondbeyodpod.tumblr.com. You can chat to us on Twitter, @BondBeyondPod, or share you views at our new Facebook page - just search "Bond and Beyond". You can also email us via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com.

Nov 4, 2017

James and Alex share their thoughts on what is perhaps Sean Connery's grandest outing. You Only Live Twice has everything: a sinister plot that threatens world dominations, great music, great locations, great action scenes, and plenty of insignificant holes for us to pick at.

Tune in to find out more about the secret Golf Ball meeting room that we the British use to police the world, the true identity of Connery's foe in the Osato office fight, the horrifying lines that came from the mind of children's writer, and poor old Ling.

You can find all out episodes at bondbeyondpod.tumblr.com.

Oct 13, 2017

Alex reports back from Casino Royale Live at the Albert Hall, which gives James another excuse to geek about how good James Bond soundtracks - particularly David Arnold's - are. 

The duo also touch on other Bond concerts they've been too and discuss which classic films they'd like to see get the Albert Hall treatment.

As always, our episodes can be found at bondbeyodpod.tumblr.com. You can chat to us on Twitter, @BondBeyondPod, or share you views at our new Facebook page - just search "Bond and Beyond". You can also email us via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com.

Sep 24, 2017

We finally attempt to review Spectre properly, two years after our initial impressions - plenty of time for the hype to die down. Listen as we discuss Blofeld's lack of socks, the finale's lack of tension, and the soundtrack's lack of effort. We also nail down where exactly we feel the film begins to to fall down in terms of quality - for James, it's  a lot later than you might think.

Naturally given the recent news of Craig's confirmed return and the two-year wait for Bond 25, there is no small amount of speculation as to how Spectre will stand up compared to the next film and where EON will take the series from here.

As always, our episodes can be found at bondbeyodpod.tumblr.com. You can chat to us on Twitter, @BondBeyondPod, or share you views at our new Facebook page - just search "Bond and Beyond". You can also email us via bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com.

Sep 16, 2017

We're back after another apologetically but unavoidably long absence. Having finally been drip-fed the first details on the next James Bond film and Daniel Craig's confirmed return, we ponder what we can expect from the future of the series.

We also read out the latest letters that have made it to our inbox - an impressive feat, given that we've been giving you the wrong email address. If you do want to contact us, it's bondandbeyondpod@gmail.com.

As always, our episodes can be found at bondbeyodpod.tumblr.com. You can chat to us on Twitter, @BondBeyondPod, or share you views at our new Facebook page - just search "Bond and Beyond".

« Previous 1 2 3 4 Next »