It’s time to break out the Martini, give it a shake, don a sharp suit and conceal a weapon – it’s global James Bond day!
Everybody’s favourite secret agent has been gracing the silver screen for a whopping 50 years, with 24 films under his belt.
With the latest Bond instalment, Skyfall, due out in a couple of weeks, everybody is getting into the 007 spirit.
Numerous events are taking place around the world to mark the golden anniversary of Bond’s transition from Ian Fleming’s novels to the big screen.
Dr No was released way back in 1962 with Sean Connery given the licence to kill, kicking of a film phenomenon that has spanned five decades, six actors and more gun-toting, car-chasing, martini-drinking action than you can shake a stick at.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be celebrating James Bond’s golden anniversary on film with this special day of events for Bond fans around the world,” said Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of Skyfall.
It’s been a great half-century, and here’s to another 50 years. So, what events are taking place around the world to celebrate the longest film franchise in cinema history?
Jamaica
Jamaica isn’t exactly the first place that springs to mind when we think of James Bond, but the Caribbean country played a very important role in the secret agent’s creation.
It was there that Ian Fleming wrote many of his 14 James Bond novels, and the author’s Goldeneye estate – as you can guess – was the inspiration for the 1995 film GoldenEye.
Jamaica is celebrating its integral part in the James Bond success story today, with events in bars and club around the country, and by encouraging people to wear bow ties for the day.
New York
Bond’s appeal is truly global, and nowhere is this more obvious than in the US. American movie-goers love their action, so it’s no surprise that Britain’s most deadly weapon is so popular stateside.
There are several events taking place across The Pond today and over the weekend, with an exhibition in New York being one particular highlight.
The Museum of Modern Art in New York is holding a Bond film retrospective, showing every film between now and the end of the month.
Toronto
What with all his guns, flirting and fighting, it’s easy to forget that Bond is also a very suave dresser. He’s either half-naked or dressed up to the nines – there are no jogging bottoms and old T-shirts to be found in Bond’s wardrobe.
Bond’s timeless style is being celebrated in the Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style exhibition at the TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto, Canada.
Following on from its unveiling at London’s Barbican this summer, the exhibition is dedicated to the franchise’s costumes, props, gadgets and models in what is the largest display of Bond film artefacts ever assembled.
(Images: ClaraDon, Banjoman1, hibino, photostoronto)
