Pressing day for Dan

The Sun gave most of page 17 to the Bond Press Day at Pinewood Studios with a heading of THE NAME'S SOLACE.. QUANTUM OF SOLACE - Bizarre title unveiled for latest Bond movie. A photo of Craig standing with Bond girls Gemma Arterton and Olga Kurylenko, one of Dame Judi Dench who graced the press table and a bottom one of Dan captioned WORLD IN SHOCK: AS CRAIG SMILES!
The item opens "The name of the next James Bond sex 'n' spying blockbuster was revealed yesterday as, er, Quantum of Solace." Explaining the title Craig is quoted:

"We could have gone for a snappier title. But we wanted to suggest where Bond was at the end of the last movie. He doesn't know who killed his girlfriend. Fleming says if there is no quantum of solace left in your relationship, then it's over. Bond misbehaves more in this one and has some romance.
[Reason for smile when asked if wearing the CR hugging trunks ?] I'm not putting them on ever again."

Less clothing .. more exposure

New Bond 22 actress Gemma Arterton got a poor deal compared to Olga Kurylenko who will play a character called Camille in the next outing for 007. Ms Arterton got a small page 3 mention whereas Ms Kurylenko is given a front page top right section with small photo of serious Craig and heading of Smile Craig..Olga wants to Bond and inside on The Sun's entertainment pages there are "seven great pictures of the babe" covering a page & half titled 007 pictures of sexy new Bond Girl - OGLE OLGA showing her in different revealing underwear. The editor's head is superimposed over Brosnan's gun hugging photo and he opens "POTATO-faced DANIEL CRAIG is one lucky, lucky man." Suggest Dan takes note for that future 'exclusive' in November.
The item mentions Ukranian Olga's character will mend "Bond's broken heart" and Gemma's will be "a supporting role". I've read elsewhere she will be a MI6 agent called Fields - I wonder if her first name is STRAWBERRY .. Berry for short ? ( 10/01 ).

The following day the paper was running WHO'S BEST BOND BABE? poll on their website using photos of a dressed Olga and Halle in her DAD bikini. Also a paragraph item titled BOND STREET tells that "New Bond girl Olga Kurylenko, 28, is to have a street named after her in her home town of Berdyansk, Ukraine" ( 11/01 ).

Better late ...

After Teri Hatcher's late item last month another one even later, back in August former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan was promoting his Western movie Seraphim Falls in my local paper News Shopper under heading of Pierce's GoldenEye for meatier roles. During his ( probably syndicated ) interview he talked Bond:

"I thought I'd do a fifth Bond. I wanted to do a fifth Bond. But I got a call from my agents saying the producers had changed their minds, which is their preogative, but it was very disappointing and I was in shock for about 24 hours. It's shocking to be told that you're too old; you're past your sell-by-date. But you know, you have to let these things go.
[Love to have starred in] Casino Royale formed the blueprint of Bond's character. It's the one Fleming really painted in the details of what Bond was about, so I was disappointed it didn't happen, but you win some, you lose some.
Towards the end, I did want to break out of the mould. I was always aware when I took the role if I got it right I would be labelled as Bond. I had a glorious time as Bond and now it's time to experiment and try things out."

James Bond News: Miscellaneous

1. Noticed the following Bond related items in The Sun ...
1. A sleepy-eyed b&w photo of former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan appears near a travel item titled STARS ON THE SLIDE opening "Hollywood's finest will be on the piste in the Canadian resort of Banff this week for the Celebrity Sports Invitational. But you don't need to be rich to join Pierce Brosnan, Alec Baldwin and Christine Brinkley in Alberta's Rocky Mountain resort." Of course not just good on skis or holding up the bar ! ( 12/01 ).

2. A photo from the Press Day is used on the paper's City page with heading of Bond has landed another model advising "Hornby has signed a deal to make a James Bond Scalextric set. It will be based on movie Quantum of Solace .. the set will include a model of Bond's Aston Martin [ and an Alfa Romeo ]." I can remember getting the Goldfinger version with the DB5 chased by a white Mercedes as in Connery's movie. Alas it didn't last long, it packed up and was returned to the shop .. think how much its worth now ?
   Earlier on page 3 is a small item titled It's Bond, Mrs Bond suggesting "James Bond may MARRY in the next movie. .. Gemma Arterton let slip that she and star Daniel Craig had been filming scenes for Quantum Of Solace in a honeymoon suite." She answered to a US TV reporter "I think I've said too much." Of course luv, but didn't 007 use honeymoon suites before ? In FRWL & DAF and that didn't result in marriage for James ( 29/01 ).


2. BIRTHDAYS: Jan 08: Bond singer Dame Shirley Bassey ( 71 ).


3. Bond Cast TV Spots:
4. Press Day for Bond 22: I woke up to hear on the radio that "at a secret location" a press conference will held for the new Bond movie. Never been or invited but I always get excited on Press Day, so I channel hopped the news reports from lunch-time. Instead to discover before hand on the radio that the movie had a title of Quantum of Solace.
   No live broadcast like last time with Craig's entrance down The Thames so I waited to see first five's early evening news report ( via Sky News ) and showing the press table and no Craig ! Dench was left to answer the questions ? The secret location ... Pinewood Studios ! HOW can you have the star not on the table ? No Bond girl in sight, no disrepect to Dench dispite "her bigger part with gadgets" - her appearance will probably be over in 5 minutes. The area where the title was unveiled to an excited audience had empty rows of chairs which was puzzling.
   BBC got the star treatment with access to a hotel set and interview with Craig, later another entertainment correspondent was shown filming to see a relaxed and laughing Craig. Strange that the BBC News24 caption writer couldn't get the title right Quantam Solace !
   ITV got the empty press stage and interview with Craig and asked about the November Bond v Potter box office battle. Strange that the channel that pays for terrestrial tv rights for the Bond movies gets the short end of the stick and gets the distributor wrong showing clip of Casino Royale released by Warner Bros who distribute the Potter franchise.
   Sky News report had interview with Craig, same filming clips of Craig using wire to jump and advising lady receptionist that he was going to Cairo.
   Most asked question: What's the meaning of the title ? - I bet Dan hated that one by the end of the day.
   No interview with the Bond Girls, Bond villain or Director - how friendly ! Just walking Craig around to selected interviews was wrong, Brosnan would have been on the stage rallying the troops and fans. Very disappointing and uninspiring ! At least the title ( decided 48 hours earlier ) will give composer Arnold some late nights - a love song perhaps with .."a drowning but not forgotten love" ?
   Am I excited with a new Bond movie "with twice the action of Casino Royale" and the new story starting an hour later ? At the moment .. sorry no ( 24/01 ).
5. Presenter Vicki Butler-Henderson & her stunt buddies tried the barrel roll stunt from Casino Royale for the motoring programe fifth gear ( five, Mon 20:00 ). In the papers it mentioned the Bond movie for the programme details but not during it and no clip was shown either. Gary & the boys can rest easy they didn't break the DBS's World Record, I think they managed 4 ! The programme's weekly question to win a car ( this time a Porsche - Broz drives one ) had a Bond theme with .. Q. Which Aston Martin did James Bond drive in Goldfinger ? Choice of A) DB5, B) DB6 & C) DB9. Now don't all rush ( 28/01 ).