Join Dan for our November 26, 2024, edition of Spy Movie News.  We start this episode talking about some news on two existing spy series, some upcoming spy movies and series, some movies that aren’t likely to be getting sequels, and then wrap with a tip of the hat to some industry workers who have passed in the last month. Some of the shows we discuss include: “The Night Agent” “The Day of the Jackal" BONHOEFFER: PASTOR. SPY. ASSASSIN. “The Agency” “Paris Has Fallen” HARBIN BACK IN ACTION...

Johnson and Kevin Hart.  CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE is a comedy/spy movie.  As we’ve talked about in the past, that is a combination that often falls short.  It is rare to get an AUSTIN POWERS, THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO LITTLE, or UNDERCOVER BROTHER and you often end up with a wreck like ARGYLLE or NO 1 OF THE SECRET SERVICE. So take a listen to find out which CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE is.  Does it work? Here’s the intelligence we decode in CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE: ·         A high-level look at the plot...

Can we be defending Denise Richards’ performance in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH? Denise Richard’s performance has garnered a very wide range of opinions.  There are some people who loved her in the role of Dr. Christmas Jones.  Others have problems with her casting and her performance. So, Dan and Tom decode her performance in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and look at what worked and what didn’t. Some of the areas we examine include: Her character’s complexity Was she a...

Amazon recently released the spy movie CANARY BLACK.  This movie stars Kate Beckinsale, Rupert Friend, and Ray Stevenson. Is it worth a watch?  Join Dan and Tom as they decode CANARY BLACK.  It carries an “R” rating here in the U.S., and we think it is earned with the quantity of violence. Dan and Tom disagree with the impact of this violence. For those of you who want to find out what earlier movies may have influenced scenes in this movie, we drill into these scenes. As...

Join Dan for our October 29, 2024, edition of Spy Movie News.  If you prefer to read your news instead of listen, click here to read the article We start this episode talking about spy entertainment in development, then move on to some industry news, and then wrap with a tip of the hat to some industry workers who have passed in the last month. Then we will look at upcoming, yet-to-be-released movies and shows.  Some of the shows we discuss include: THE TRAITOR Two...

ARABESQUE is a 1966 spy movie starring Gregory Peck, Sophia Loren, and Alan Badel. Is it worth a watch? Dan and Tom decode ARABESQUE to enhance your viewing experience – is it worth a watch? There are some very strong positives as well as some negatives to this movie In this episode, we discuss: Why is this movie titled ARABESQUE? Did the cinematography help or hinder the movie? Which role might have been miscast? Was there chemistry between Sophia Loren and her...

What are some of the pet peeves of spy movie fans? Particularly, are there specific things that show up in spy movies that drive fans nuts?  Dan and Tom are joined by fans from their Facebook group to try to find out.  The members of this group are very devoted spy movie fans, and they don’t hold back on their opinions.  And occasionally they don’t agree. We’re joined by Bill Kanas, Morgan Lisney, Pietro Rossi and Eric Seabury.  So, listen to what they have to say about:  ...

Join Dan and Tom as they decode the Netflix spy movie THE UNION. Is this movie starring Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg any good? Listen to find out what we think. THE UNION has an amazing cast, including 2 Oscar winners, 4 Oscar nominations, Tony Award winners, and Primetime Emmy Award nominees and winners. So, with this star-studded cast this has to be a great movie, right? In this episode, we look at: The extremely talented cast The writing The high kill count The...

Does the next James Bond actor matter? Dan and Tom decode the answer to this question: Dan and Tom decode the answer to this question: Why the Next James Bond Actor Doesn't Matter?  The debate over who should be the next James Bond and the future of James Bond often stirs up a lot of excitement and opinions.   But, we don’t think it matters who the next James Bond is because we think James Bond can go on indefinitely – Listen to find out why! What really matters?  Is the character...

James Bond is a Psychopath? Is James Bond a psychopath?   Well, despite the obvious fact that he is a fictional character who has had many authors, actors, and screenwriters involved in defining this character, just . . . maybe! In this episode, Dan and Tom bring in Dr. Stephen McWilliams, author of the book “Psychopath? Why We Are Charmed by the Anti-Hero” to discuss this topic. We’re getting deep into the mind of James Bond and with Stephen’s help, we define what a psychopath...

SPY MOVIE NEWS IS BACK!!! Join Dan for our September 17 2024 edition of Spy Movie News.  We’re bringing the news back due to listener demand.  This is the only place to listen to a breakdown of what’s happening with spy movies, TV shows, and streaming shows. We start this episode by looking at some of the TV and streaming spy movie shows that were released in the recent past but are still available.   We also let you know if a new season is forthcoming or even in process, in some cases. ...

Decoding UNDERCOVER GRANDPA In this episode, Dan and Tom decode the 2017 spy movie, UNDERCOVER GRANDPA.  This is one of our episodes that has Dan and Tom disagreeing as to whether they thought it was a good movie or not.  One of them thought it was ok.  The other didn’t like it at all. The basic plot involves a teenager named Jake Bouchard (Dylan Everett) who is smitten by a girl in his high school class.  His Grandpa (James Caan) has a background in special operations and tells Jake...

Pierce Brosnan’s final two James Bond movies, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and DIE ANOTHER DAY had some very cool gadgets. How many of the gadgets do you remember from those movies? In this episode, Dan and Tom decode about 30 of them. Are these gadgets believable?  Realistic?  Based on any real science?  If you are a fan of this show, you probably know that DIE ANOTHER DAY is one of Tom’s bottom two James Bond movies. Yet, he liked its pre-title sequence in part due to some of the gadgets...

How many of the gadgets do you remember from Pierce Brosnan’s first two James Bond movies, GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES? In this episode, Dan and Tom decode about 30 of them.  We also let you know if we think a gadget is believable!  So, how many different pitons do we talk about in these two movies?  Do we think they are believable? Do you?  Tom calls out a favorite weapons/gadgets in any movie and how TOMORROW NEVER DIES enhances that!  How realistic is an exploding...

A Salute to George Lazenby Click here to watch the video version of this episode George Lazenby has announced his retirement from public life.  This is a well-earned retirement and we wish him nothing but the best. In this episode, Dan and Tom bring Mike Reyes back for a salute to the second Eon Productions actor to play James Bond.  George had huge shoes to fill in following Sean Connery.  We think he filled them very well. Some of the topics we decode include: How...

  What makes a spy movie great?  Are they built with common elements? Dan and Tom decode the blueprint that most spy movies use in creating their story.  From the protagonist, the villain and a variety of other essential elements we look at how to build a spy movie. What do we need if we want to build a spy movie? Some of the things decoded include: Obviously a spy movie needs a protagonist or spy.  But, what characteristics does that, or those spies have? What does he or...

HOGAN'S HEROES – a comedy spy WW II TV series “Hogan’s Heroes” was a comedy series in the US from 1965 to 1971. But it was a spy, espionage and sabotage show as well – with plenty of violence.   It was based on a group of prisoners of war in World War II who were assigned to Stalag 13.  On this show, spy missions rule!  Decoding this show, we will show you why! Dan and Tom tunnel their way into this series by looking at the characters, the actors who played them, and many of their...

THE HEROES OF TELEMARK – Decoding a movie about real World War II heroes In this episode, Dan and Tom decode a movie about some real World War II heroes, namely, the movie THE HEROES OF TELEMARK.  This movie stars Kirk Douglas, Richard Harris, Ulla Jacobson, and Michael Redgrave.  Plus, many supporting actors in this movie have appeared in other spy movies.  We call some of those out for you THE HEROES OF TELEMARK is a dramatization of some real operations from World War II.  These...

MY SPY: THE ETERNAL CITY - Is it worth your time?  MY SPY: THE ETERNAL CITY is the much-anticipated follow-up to the 2020 action-comedy MY SPY. It reunites a wonderful cast led by Dave Bautista and Chloe Coleman. The movie takes us on a feel-good adventure set in some of Europe’s most storied destinations.  In this episode, Dan and Tom decode this movie, while not revealing any spoilers.  The goal is to enhance your viewing experience when you watch this movie.  Good or bad or...

Build-A-Bond – What Does The Next Bond Need to Be? Dan and Tom look at how to Build-a-Bond.  In other words, what are the key elements of Bond over the decades that should go into the best Bond?  We will help Eon Productions here as we Build-a-Bond!  What were the positive qualities of James Bond for each of the previous six actors that Eon Productions has cast for the role? What are the qualities that they each brought that we think must be included in the next hire? James Bond...

EYE OF THE NEEDLE – A WW II spy thriller  EYE OF THE NEEDLE is a 1981 spy thriller starring Donald Sutherland. In it, one key plot point exposes one of the acts of deception that we discussed in our episode “OPERATION BODYGUARD - Behind the Spies in Movies and Novels”.   In this episode, Dan and Tom decode EYE OF THE NEEDLE, discussing the high-level plot and 10 good reasons to watch it. The deception which is centerfold in this movie has its roots in the real Operation Fortitude –...

OPERATION BODYGUARD AND DECEPTION IN WORLD WAR II  Your field operatives, Dan and Tom, talk with author and historian Rick Beyer about the deception techniques used in the war.  Operation Bodyguard and its sub-operation, Operation Fortitude, which helped win the war, are highlighted.   Operation Bodyguard was an overall deception operation to assist the Allied Forces in World War II.  It is one example of how deception was an important part of the Allied success.  Operation...

3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR – A Fresh Look  The 1975 spy movie, 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR, is a “reluctant spy” movie starring Robert Redford, Faye Dunaway. Cliff Robertson, and Max von Sydow.  Dan and Tom take a fresh look at this movie, decoding the plot, characters, direction, and more.  What are the influences on 3 DAYS OF THE CONDOR as well as what movies/TV shows may CONDOR have influenced?  What about Hercules (the myth, not the movie)?   “Seinfeld?” The James Bond series, Mission:...

SPIONE And Its Influence On Spy Movies  SPIONE And Its Influence On Spy Movies is a look at this 1928 Fritz Lang spy movie. And, Dan and Tom fill you in on just how big an influence SPIONE is in the spy movie genre.    Significantly, SPIONE is the first spy movie we’ve been able to find that isn’t based on a war. Not surprisingly, this movie laid out the blueprint for most non-war-based spy movies to come.  SPIONE was a very influential movie  Even if you don’t watch the...