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John Morris Russell Talks Shaken Not Stirred

Dan and Tom interview Maestro John Morris Russell (JMR) about his Chicago Symphony Orchestra concert, “Shaken Not Stirred,” musical scores, and James Bond music.  As you might have guessed, the concert’s focus is the music of James Bond.   You may know JMR from his work as the conductor of the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra for the past 13 years. 


Joining JMR in the concert is the amazing vocalist Capathia Jenkins. She possesses the wide vocal range needed to cover the various styles of singers from the James Bond catalog.


We will be attending the concert and we’re sure James Bond fans will enjoy this one.  


In this episode, JMR talks about what to expect in this concert and how they put it together.  He also talks about his career, why he decided to conduct instead of play an instrument, some influential composers, and film scoring in general.  If you’ve ever wanted to know what a composer has to deal with in scoring a movie, JMR gives you a good idea.  It is really amazing how they do it.


One other area we discuss is how technology has made composition more efficient.  Much is the same as it's been for hundreds of years.  But, some of it is streamlined today.


Raymond Benson with an assist

Dan and Tom wanted some expertise for this interview, so they asked Raymond Benson for an assist.  Of course, Raymond graciously agreed. Raymond helped us delve into other composers' works and JMR’s experiences with them.  Plus, Raymond tells of a very scary experience he had with composer John Barry.


What do you think?

So, we’re excited to be going to this concert and see John Morris Russell put what he told us into action.  We think this will be a good one.  Do you have plans to go to this concert?   If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!


You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.


Webpage: https://bit.ly/3UxXUJ2


Credit: John Morris Russell pictures courtesy of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra.

Dan and Tom decode SPY HUNT, a 1950 espionage B movie.  And they don’t agree on this one.


SPY HUNT was based on the book “Panther’s Moon” by Victor Canning. It has espionage, a MacGuffin, a train, a dead drop, escaped black panthers, a budding romance, and quite a few interesting characters.


Dan and Tom call out some interesting plot points that may have been influenced by earlier movies such as THE LADY VANISHES, THE 39 STEPS, and others. 


In addition, you’ll find out what a black panther really is.  We’re sure you’ve lost sleep trying to figure that out.


Above all, they look at some places where SPY HUNT may have influenced spy movies that followed, including one very interesting piece of dialogue.  How much influence did this movie have on the James Bond franchise?


So, if you’ve seen SPY HUNT, do you agree with Dan or Tom on one? What did you think of this episode, SPY HUNT – 1950 Cold War Espionage Classic Decoded?


Overall, if you hadn’t seen SPY HUNT did this episode encourage you to watch it? If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!


You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.


Webpage: https://bit.ly/3JMn8OO

Dan and Tom talk with Matt Sherman about the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Las Vegas and OCTOPUSSY Utah filming locations.


Besides being a James Bond expert, Matt Sherman leads tours to many different James Bond filming locations – check his website https://bondfanevents.com/.


In this episode, we discuss what we experienced on Matt’s tour of two relatively close filming location areas for two movies, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (DAF) and OCTOPUSSY. 


Much of DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was filmed in and around Las Vegas, Nevada in the U.S. For instance, the casinos, the desert, the mortuary, the car chase and more are all there.


Surprisingly, if you take a 2-hour drive from Las Vegas into southwestern Utah, you’ll end up in some key locations from OCTOPUSSY. Much of the OCTOPUSSY pre-title sequence was filmed in this stunningly beautiful part of the U.S. Some of the scenes toward the end of the movie were filmed here as well.


Some of the filming location questions we answer are:


DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER LAS VEGAS

What airport did James Bond arrive in when he came to Las Vegas?

How many locations were used when Plenty O’Toole was tossed from the hotel window?

Where is the location of the parking lot from the car chase?

Why is visiting the Palm Boulder Highway Mortuary & Cemetary not enough to experience the mortuary scenes? 

What game can you still play at the Circus Circus arcade area?


OCTOPUSSY Utah

Where was the gas station that James Bond’s jet pulled up to when Bond said “fill ‘er up”?

How did they film the take-off and landing of Bond’s jet?

Where is the bridge the plane flies under?

Where did James Bond jump from his horse onto Kamal Khan’s plane?

When standing near the bridge, you can see places portraying what countries from what movies?


This is a fun discussion.  The next time you are in Las Vegas, go visit these sites.  You’ll be glad you did.


So, have you been to any of these sites? If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!


You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.


Webpage: https://bit.ly/3wdPJt9


 

SPY x FAMILY CODE: White Review - No Spoilers!


Here’s our NO-SPOILER review of the new spy movie, SPY x FAMILY CODE: White.


This anime movie is the first movie in the SPY x FAMILY franchise.  If you are familiar with the Manga or anime series versions of SPY x FAMILY, you will feel right at home with the movie.


EPISODE GOALS

Provide you with our no-spoiler opinion of the movie

Enhance your viewing experience of the movie We look at your viewing options (subtitles or dubbing)

Why it has a PG-13 rating here in the US

We fill in some of the details from the anime series that aren’t included in the movie.  These are designed to give you more detail if you haven’t seen the Manga or anime series.  We still keep this a no-spoiler review

We talk with a Japanese Culture and Language college student who is part Japanese.  He helps fill in some of the nuances in the language and culture of this movie.

We discuss some of the movie tropes in this movie that we have seen in earlier movies.  We love pointing out the relationships of scenes in movies.




In a nutshell, we like SPY x FAMILY CODE: White.   We think you might too, so take a listen to hear why.


So, had you seen SPY x FAMILY CODE: White before listening to this review? When you see the movie, please let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!
Check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.


Webpage: https://bit.ly/49QWTkK

THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE Review – No-Spoilers!

Here’s the full NO-SPOILER review of the new spy movie, THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE. This movie opens in theaters on April 19, 2024.


Guy Ritchie’s THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is a dramatization of real-world events that helped shape the outcome of World War II.   Of course, it has an excellent cast starring Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Eiza González, Til Schweiger, and many more. 


This review will enhance your viewing experience of the movie.  We keep the spoilers out but give you nuggets of background information. And, given this movie’s historical background there is much to know: real-world characters, places, and vessels behind the movie, and, there is an Ian Fleming tie-in as well. 


What other movies come to mind while watching THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE?    


We liked this movie a lot and think you will too.  Listen to find out why. 


So, had you heard of Operation Postmaster prior to our discussion? When you see THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode! 
 
Check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well. 


Webpage: https://bit.ly/3TYeYaS 

Dan and Tom head out to find the DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Amsterdam filming locations.   There aren’t many and they are easy to find. But it is very cool to see these sites over 50 years after the movie was filmed.


So, join them as they visit Tiffany Case’s house.    Was she home? The Skinny Bridge?   Was that a figment of screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz?  Listen to find out.


What famous drink from Ian Fleming’s novels has an Amsterdam bar named after it? What literarily-named hotel has another bar they mention?  And what tour do they tell you is a must see when visiting Amsterdam? Amsterdam intelligence is on the menu! 


So, have you been to these DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER Amsterdam filming locations?  Have you seen any of these other sites? If so, let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you thought of this episode by dropping us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com.  The more we hear from you, the better the show will be!  We’ll give you a shout-out in a future episode!


You can check out all of our CRACKING THE CODE OF SPY MOVIES podcast episodes on your favorite podcast app or our website. Check out our YouTube channel as well.


Webpage: https://bit.ly/4cIFWvL