Get Smart (1965) – Mr. Big, Diplomat’s Daughter, and School Days

In the 1960s, spies were everywhere! They were in novels, comics, on the big screen, and had spread to television. Created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, Get Smart debuted on 18 September, 1965 and introduced us to CONTROL’s agent 86, Maxwell Smart (Don Adams). Filled with goofy gadgets, like the shoe phone, Smart is…

Condorman (1981) – Charles Jarrott

This week’s spy movie is a film that should have worked, if it had a tighter script, and a better effects budget. Disney delivers a superhero spy movie that feels like a family-friendly version of From Russia With Love. Micheal Crawford stars in this film, and that was the thing that originally caught my attention…

Dr. No (1958) – Ian Fleming

I dig into another classic James Bond novel by Ian Fleming this week. Up this time is the sixth novel in the series, and one that served as the basis for the first film. The story stays fairly close to what has been explored in the film, with a subplot involving bird guano and conservation,…

Chuck (2007) – Versus the Imported Hard Salami, and Versus the Nemesis

Chuck (Zachary Levi) starts a new relationship with Lou (Rachel Bilson) after he and Sarah (Yvonne Strahovski) ‘break-up’ their cover relationship, but love comes into conflict with duty in the first episode up this week. Chuck Versus the Imported Salami was written by Scott Rosenbaum and Matthew Miller and first debuted on 19 November, 2007….

From Russia With Love (1957) – Ian Fleming

This week I dove into Ian Fleming’s fifth James Bond novel, and the one that was most closely adapted for the big screen, though SPECTRE is slipped into the film version, whereas in this tale it is simply east versus west as SMERSH, the Russian spy organisation comes up with a plan to humiliate the…

Shogun (1980) – Disc 2

The epic mini-series adaptation of James Clavell’s novel (he also served as one of the show’s producers), Shogun continues this week, as I dive into disc two, which includes episode two and parts of episode three which originally aired on the 16th and 17th September, 1980, following the airing of the three hour premiere on…

V – The Series (1984) – The Sanction, and Visitor’s Choice

The battle for Earth continues this week, along with a healthy dose of melodrama, as I continue exploring V – The Series. Up first is The Sanction, written by Brian Taggert, who worked on The Final Battle, this story first aired on 16 November, 1984. Mike Donovan’s (Marc Singer) son, Sean (Nicky Katt) is being…