Dan and Tom interview Steve Begg, who led the visual effects for CASINO ROYALE, SKYFALL, SPECTRE, KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE, & more! Listen to how his magic transformed these movies!

For those who don’t know the name Steve Begg, you have seen his work, usually without knowing that visual effects were used in a scene. When his work is done well, it becomes invisible.

You have heard our interview with Special Effects wizard Chris Corbould (YouTube or our website) on his work with the James Bond series. Special Effects and Visual Effects combine to give us true movie magic.

In this interview we have two main goals:

· - Tell Steve’s story

· - Learn how some of his amazing effects were done

Some of the Steve’s scenes we discuss include:

· - CASINO ROYALE’s palazzo collapse into the Venice canal

· - What the special effects team had to do in that collapse

· - When James Bond first meets Vesper Lynd on the train in CASINO ROYALE

· - SPECTRE’s mouse

· - CASINO ROYALE’s hangar scene

· - CASINO ROYALE’s parkour chase

· - SKYFALL’s helicopter and DB5 destruction

· - SKYFALL’s opening sequence

· - Steve’s use of miniatures

· - In addition, we find out the answer to the question: How do they replace a person’s face?

· - And, of course, much more!

So, do you want to find out how the sausage is made? Trust us, you’ll learn something in this episode.

Prior to this interview, had you heard how these effects were done? Did you know that the mouse was CG, not real? How much of the additional effects Steve Begg’s team added to these movies did you think was real, or practical, not a visual effect?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/3JBS5Z6

Dan and Tom compare the GOLDFINGER – novel vs movie. How close is the movie to the novel, and how did the novel impact the franchise? Listen to find out!

Many of the early Eon Productions James Bond movies were based on the novels written by Ian Fleming. Ian Fleming’s seventh novel, “Goldfinger,” was used as the basis for the third Eon Productions James Bond movie of the same name.

In this episode, we decode the major differences between the novel and the movie. We also look at some other James Bond movies that were influenced by the “Goldfinger” novel.

· The opening sequence in Miami

· Catching Goldfinger cheating

· Investigating Goldfinger

· The Golf Match

· Tilly Masterton/Masterson

· James Bond’s torture scene

· The differing plots at Fort Knox

· What was the poison GB from the novel?

· Pussy Galore’s role

· What happened on Goldfinger’s plane at the end

· And of course, there are more.

Links to episodes mentioned in this episode:

· Our trip to Indiana University (Ian Fleming’s manuscripts)

· University of Iowa (Richard Maibaum Collection)

Finally, have you read the “Goldfinger” novel? If so, did we miss any major differences? Which of these items were you surprised to see?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: http://bit.ly/45pvdU4

Join Dan and Tom as they decode 20 things you missed in GOLDFINGER! How many of these did you miss? You will be surprised. Listen to find out!

Every movie has questionable sequences and stuff that you miss, especially on your first time viewing the movie. Well, in this episode, we’re going to put a golden hue on this topic and give you 20 things you missed in GOLDFINGER. We’re sure there are more, but these are our favorites.

· The golf outing

· The raid on Fort Knox

· The Aston Martin DB5 – there are a few things with this car to discuss

· James Bond quips

· James Bond spying

· Golf Balls

· A cola promotion – you have to love product placement

· Oddjob’s skills

· Continuity issues

· Disappearing men

· Men appearing out of nowhere

· And of course, there are more.

We find that by looking for these types of things, you watch the movie more closely, especially when watching a movie for the second or third time. And, some of these things you miss are continuity issues, so EON Productions missed them, too.

Finally, this video covers our top 20 things you likely missed. Did you know about any of these already? Are there some we missed? If so, drop us a note and let us know.

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/4fhA4Lq

Join Dan and Tom as they decode some James Bond influences from History and Literature. Hint: Proust, Dostoevsky, and others may have played a part.

Christopher Booker’s “Seven Basic Plots” identifies the seven main plots that literature tends to stick to. So, we look at some classic literature and its effect on the James Bond movies. Consequently, there aren’t very many different plots to contend with, and Eon Productions has retold the same plot multiple times in their movies.

· How do Proust’s works parallel a character in the last two James Bond movies? There are multiple ways this character is paralleled in Proust's writing.

· Can Tom stay awake while reading literature?

· What real-world characters have helped shape the James Bond movies?

· What themes in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’s Tania Romanova do we see carried over in future James Bond movies?

· Who are some of the real-world characters who influence Ian Fleming’s writings?

· Do any of the James Bond movie characters have literary influences?

· Do Purvis and Wade deserve any credit for CASINO ROYALE’s literary influences?

· And of course, much more.

To sum up, there are many characters in literature and history that may have influenced some of the characters we find in the James Bond movies.

Did we get the right influences? Are there other literary references you would make? If so, please let us know.

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/4m2Ymee

Join Dan and Tom for a James Bond Easter Egg Hunt. Throughout the 25 Eon Productions James Bond movies, what are the key Easter eggs? Can you find them?

We know that movies today have Easter eggs in them with callbacks to either the real world or other movies. For James Bond, many of the Easter eggs are for other James Bond items. However, not always.

· What's an Easter egg.

· What is the Easter egg on the shelf in DIE ANOTHER DAY that Tom mistakenly thought came from CASINO ROYALE (1967)?

· In how many James Bond movies did Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli have a cameo?

· Similarly, who has had the most cameos in a James Bond movie?

· What is the first James Bond movie Easter Egg?

· In how many James Bond movies did Albert R. (Cubby) Broccoli have a cameo

· Similarly, who has had the most cameos in a James Bond movie?

· What scene in a James Bond movie had a treasure trove of Easter eggs?

· On what television show did we see the same Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond got in GOLDFINGER? Additionally, what color was it in that show?

· What non-James Bond Ian Fleming work may have influenced THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN?

· Who was the actor who became an Easter egg for his appearance in three James Bond movies?

· What FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE character originally wore the exact same knife shoe that we see in DIE ANOTHER DAY?

· And of course, a whole basket more of Easter eggs are discussed.

Finally, did you enjoy our hunt? We couldn’t cover every Easter egg. What did we miss? What is your favorite James Bond Easter egg?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/4kHiHFa

Dan and Tom are joined by Vicky as they try to answer the question: DIE ANOTHER DAY - Can this James Bond movie be defended? Listen to find out!

DIE ANOTHER DAY is one of the most divisive movies in the James Bond catalogue. Why is that? What about it make some people like it while many others despise it?

We brought Pierce Brosnan fan, Vicky back to help us with this decoding. Vicky is a huge James Bond fan and has a YouTube channel, Facebook, and Instagram called THE BOND ROOM UNLOCKED.

We look at the following to answer the question: DIE ANOTHER DAY - Can this James Bond movie be defended?

· What is it about those reporters in front of Buckingham Palace?

· The scenes we like

· The scenes we don’t like

· What’s in the trunk of Zao’s Jaguar?

· Easter Eggs, Easter Eggs, and more Easter Eggs

· Is Madonna a positive or a negative for the movie?

· Does the title song work?

· Um, what’s up with the CGI?

· The actors – was this movie Jinxed?

· Zao’s problems with a diamond-studded

· And of course, there is more!

So, these are our thoughts. Are we on track? What is your most favorite part of this movie? Additionally, what parts to you dislike?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: http://bit.ly/44CiBZp

Dan and Tom look at the pluses and minuses of Amazon controlling James Bond. Is it the best thing for the franchise? It just may be! On the other hand, what are the roadblocks they may encounter in making this a success? Listen to find out!

We’ve had a bit of time to digest the news of Eon Productions’ selling creative control of the James Bond franchise to Amazon. At the time, we released a fan reaction episode.

But now, producers and directors are being announced, so it is time to reexamine this dramatic change to this 63-year-old powerhouse. Furthermore, might this just be the best thing for the franchise in a long time?

We look at the following to answer the question: Is Amazon taking complete control of James Bond a good thing or a bad thing?

· Was Eon Productions tired of James Bond?

· The size of the bet for Amazon

· In addition to the initial costs, can Amazon use its industry power to succeed?

· What are our biggest fears about this takeover?

· Should the recent hiring announcements quell our fears?

· In what ways might Amazon expand the franchise?

· Should Amazon expand into TV, spin-offs, and the like?

· The need to get good content fast. Therefore, is there a role for the novels of the James Bond continuation authors here?

· How does Amazon’s global reach impact its potential expansion of the franchise?

· Does Amazon’s money allow it to expand the quality of what we see in James Bond movies?

· What can Amazon learn from Disney and its purchase of STAR WARS?

· And of course, there is more!

So, these are our thoughts. Are we on track? Additionally, what do you think about expanding into different media?

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/4l7yj5C

Click here to go to Nathan Heller's article in The New Yorker.

Join us as Dan and Tom decode the 1967 movie THE DOUBLE MAN. This movie starring Yul Brynner has a great plot twist. But is it any good? Listen to find out!

This movie is set in the Austrian Alps, where we join CIA officer Dan Slater as he investigates his son's suspicious skiing death. Meanwhile, as he digs deeper, he uncovers a Soviet plot to infiltrate the CIA. The film blends Cold War paranoia with identity deception in a tense alpine setting.

To sum up, this is an interesting example of a mid-1960s spy movie. Specifically, it is dark and tense with a lack of high action scenes.

These are the things we decode in this episode. As a result, we answer the question: is THE DOUBLE MAN worth a watch?

· The plot – does it work?

· Yul Brynner’s performance as Dan Slater

· The supporting cast

· What works in the movie?

· What doesn’t work? There is one big miss for us.

· Why did we think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at one point?

· How the Austrian Alps setting enhances the movie

· Finally, did we like it?

· And of course, there is more!

So, take a listen and let us know what you think. Have you seen this movie? If you have, do you agree with our analysis?

If not, let us know if you watch it after listening.

Let us know your thoughts, ideas for future episodes, and what you think of this episode. Just drop us a note at info@spymovienavigator.com. The more we hear from you, the better the show will surely 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. In addition, you can check out our YouTube channel as well.

Episode Webpage: https://bit.ly/the-double-man