10 Future Games on the General's Radar (2026 edition)

Following on from last year's list, DOOM: The Dark Ages, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater and Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 were all released; so here is a new list of 10 games that caught my intention in alphabetical order. Only the first is actually expected this year with others between 2027 and 2029 if we're lucky.

 

007: First Light (IO Interactive)

Last year, all we knew was that Hitman developers IO Interactive were working on a James Bond game under the working title of Project 007. Now we know everything and have seen it in action. 007 First Light will depict Bond as a rookie agent in third-person action much like Hitman. We'll know if it's any good in May this year.

Blade (Arcane/Bethesda)

 

Returning from last year's post, everyone's favourite daywalking dhampir is getting his own 3rd person action game with lore from the Marvel comics as opposed to Wesley Snipes' movies. I predicted last year that we'd hear something about this game this year after its reveal in late 2023.

The Blood of the Dawnwalker (Rebel Wolves/Bandai Namco)

 

It just so happens that the next game on the list is about another 'daywalker' a Dawnwaker - human by day, vampire by night from former Witcher developers who founded  Rebel Wolves. The Blood of the Dawnwalker will be a dark fantasy action RPG. 

Exodus (Archetype Entertainment)

Still on the list since last year, from Archetype Entertainment who were formed by ex-Bioware personnel, Exodus is being advertised as sci-fi action adventure RPG which looks to the the spiritual successor to the older Mass Effect games with a heavy dose of concepts explored in Christopher's Nolan's Interstellar. They even have Matthew McConneghy on board with some voice work. The promotional work being done here is some of the best I've seen. Release is currently scheduled for early 2027.

 

The Expanse: Osiris Reborn (Owlcat Games)

 

 

A new entry to the list, an upcoming ARPG developed and published by Owlcat Games who have entries in both the Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K franchises. Apparently Osiris Reborn's plot will run parallel to the events of the first two books and first two-and-a-half seasons of the television series The Expanse. 

Iron Man (Motive/EA)

We still know next to nothing about Motive's Iron Man game since the time of last year's post. As a major fan of the armoured avenger, I hope they use lore from the Marvel comics as opposed to the MCU. If there was a side game mechanic to manage Stark Enterprises, prevent your heart stopping and battling alcoholism as well as being a superhero it just might be perfect.

Mass Effect 5 (Bioware/EA)

Again, no news since the post last year but all reports suggest Bioware remain committed to working on the next Mass Effect which will be developed with Unreal Engine 5. If we see this before 2028 I'll be shocked.

Star Wars: Eclipse (Quantic Dream/Lucasfilm Games)

 

PR embattled Quantic Dream's games have always intrigued me by how different from other games they are. I'm fascinated by how this could be applied to Star Wars even though it's set in the High Republic era. 

 

Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic (Arcanaut Studios/Lucasfilm Games)

 

 

The final new entry is another Star Wars game from former Bioware honcho Casey Hudson's new outfit Arcanaut Studios. This will apparently be a game set in the time period at the end of the Old Republic era. Hudson's involvement suggest it's (hopefully) an RPG. This is expected to be on this list through 2029 now.

The Witcher IV (CD Projekt Red/CD Projekt)

Last year I mentioned that the reveal of a Witcher IV trailer reminded me that I need to play The Witcher III before this comes out in - I expect late 2027. I still do!

There's are of course a few other projects that I'm following but not enough is known yet or they could be too far into the future to get hyped for yet. These include Larian Studio's next projects, one of which is Divinity, a CRPG set in one of their own original IPs, likely some time out before it's early access period. Another is a Knights of the Old Republic remake currently with Mad Head Studios and Saber Interactive that's been sooooo long in the development that I fear for it outright. A Cyberpunk 2077 sequel from CD Projekt Red which is barely in pre-production. And Insomniac's Marvel's Wolverine game and GTA VI from Rockstar for which PC versions aren't even announced yet.

10 Future Video Games on the General's Radar

A list of 10 games that caught my intention in alphabetical order. A few are expected this year but the way things are going in the games industry it possible that that only some of these will even be completed.

 

Blade (Arkane/Bethesda)

Everyone's favourite daywalking dhampir is getting his own 3rd person action game with lore from the Marvel comics as opposed to Wesley Snipes movies. It'll be 2026 before we see anything about this game after its reveal in late 2023.

DOOM: The Dark Ages (Id Software/Bethesda)

The third installment of the 2016 rebooted DOOM franchise.This is touted as the "epic cinematic origin story of The Slayer's rage". I get worried when id use the word "story" for a DOOM game but we'll see this year.

Exodus (Archetype Entertainment)

From Archetype Entertainment who were formed by ex-Bioware personnel, Exodus is being advertised as Sci-Fi action adventure RPG which looks to the the spiritual successor to the older Mass Effect games with a heavy dose of concepts explored in Christopher's Nolan's Interstellar, they even have Matthew McConneghy on board with some voice work. The promotional work being done here is some of the best I've seen.

Iron Man (Motive/EA)

EA has the license for an Iron Man game and have tasked Motive to develop a game we know little about but expect it to be a single-player action adventure and have an open world judging by some job listings last year. I'm a major fan of Iron Man and I hope they use lore from the Marvel comics as opposed to the MCU. If there was a side game mechanic to manage Stark Enterprises, prevent your heart stopping and battling alchohlism as well as being a superhero it just might be perfect.

Mass Effect 5 (Bioware/EA)

With Dragon Age: The Veilguard not exactly inspiring too much confidence in the studio, Bioware remain committed to working on the next Mass Effect which will be developed with Unreal Engine 5. If we see this before 2028 I'll be shocked.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater (Konami)

An Unreal 5 remake of Metal Gear Solid III for current gen consoles, but more importantly - the PC! It's just a remake so hopefully it's gone smoothly without Hideo Kojima on board. We should find out this year.

 

Project 007 (IO Interactive)

Hitman developers IO Interactive are working on a James Bond game. I'm assuming a third-person action game but I guess we'll see in due course. 

Star Wars: Eclipse (Quantic Dream/Lucasfilm Games)

 

PR embattled Quantic Dream's games have always intrigued me by how different from other games they are. I'm fascinated by how this could be applied to Star Wars even though it's set in the High Republic era. 

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 (The Chinese Room/Paradox Interactive)

 

This is a long, long, long awaited sequel to 2004's Bloodlines. It began development at Hardsuit Labs in 2016 but was halted in 2021. Publishers Paradox decided against cancelling the game and instead unveiled in 2023 that The Chinese Room had picked up development. I'm not holding my breath expecting it this year.

The Witcher IV (CD Projekt Red)

The recent reveal of a Witcher IV trailer reminded me that I need to play The Witcher III. before this comes out in I expect 2027.

First Play Review - James Bond 007: Blood Stone [2010]

While there are more James Bond games than there are movies it's not uncommon for PC gamers to have never played a Bond game. This is mainly due in part to two factors: The majority of James Bond PC games not considered great adaptations of the franchise (as most movie-based tie-ins are not) and the fact that once a publisher loses its publishing rights, the game is withdrawn from distribution so they are difficult to get hold of if you were too late in buying it. Case in point: There are at time of writing no James Bond games available to purchase for the PC.

About a dozen Bond games existed before EA games acquired the license to produce the mediocre Tomorrow Never Dies game in 1999. While they arguably failed to capture the level of success Nintendo had with GoldenEye 007, they still released several Bond games that were well received - Agent Under Fire and James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing (both consoles only) and 007: Nightfire (which sadly had a poor PC port). The Bond license changed hands to Activision in 2007 who released a mixed bag of games over the next 5 years but most natively supported the PC. 

Quality of the games aside, the delisting issue is more problematic as  one that happens there's no advertising for Bond games that are removed from sale so it's much more difficult for casual gamers to get a hold of and enjoy them. That's an issue for this game - James Bond 007: Blood Stone when it and all of Activision's James Bond franchise games were suddenly de-listed in 2013 when Activision chose to end its license with MGM a year ahead of an eventual expiration; likely following the poor performance of its final Bond game 007: Legends. 

Despite its rocky position James Bond 007: Blood Stone is a 3rd-person cover-shooter that got similar praise to EA's efforts for its more original take on a Bond story rather than when a developer just lifted story beats directly from whatever movie the game is named after. Set between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall the game opens with Bond (Daniel Craig) foiling a plot to assassinate the G-20 leaders in Athens. M (Judi Dench) assigns him to recover a researcher from Istanbul where he was believed to be taken after being kidnapped. This puts Bond on his usual globe trotting hunt for the researcher and more importantly, his research, which if weaponised could be used to create a chemical WMD. The by-the-numbers Bond-outing takes him to the casinos of Monaco, a Siberian chemical refinery, the streets of Bangkok and the jungles of Burma.

Blood Stone's gameplay is fairly simplistic once you get used to the somewhat awkward control scheme. You control Bond as he traverses a mostly linear path through the varied environments. As a cover shooter, it's not too much run and gun as opposed to stealth and taking cover behind every obstacle and choosing your time to strike, making it very Splinter Cell like (it even has Conviction's mark & execute mechanic). Weapons include your Walther P99 and practically anything your enemies drop from machine guns to assault rifles when you need them. Getting shot reduces your health (obviously) and it will happen when you're out of cover for too long. Thankfully it regenerates once you're behind cover allowing you to just wait until it's full again before you shoot back.

Developers Bizarre Creations were well known for driving games having developed three Project Gotham Racing games for the Xbox. From this experience it was a given that they would have added some form of vehicular Bond action. They created an incredible boat chase, fast car-chases on the highways of Monaco and a chase involving a mega dump truck in Thailand! These sequences serve to break up the game while offering a different way to experience the action that feels as cinematic as a Bond movie.

While video games are great playgrounds for Bond type gadgets, Blood Stone game sticks to the more realistic interpretation of the Daniel Craig era, so your only gadget is really your mobile phone which admittedly does a little more than your phone does by scanning evidence, opening locks and handily identifying enemies behind walls etc. 

One stand out feature of a Bond movie is of course both the title song and it's musical score. No expense was spared in this department for the game's music. The song, entitled I'll Take It All was co-written and performed by British artist Joss Stone who also leant her likeness and voice to the game's Bond-girl Nicole Hunter. The game's score was composed by Richard Jaques (Mass Effect) who respected the essences of both John Barry and in particular David Arnold to create an original score fitting for the era. Jaques recorded brass with musicians at Abbey Road Studios, many of who played on all of the James Bond film scores over the years.

Final Verdict: Blood Stone was the PC's consolation prize in a year where Wii and DS owners got a new version of Goldeneye. While the unintuitive controls take a bit of practice and it originally averaged a mere 63% in Metacritic, the game has been re-evaluated a lot over time and is worth a look to experience a very cinematic style Daniel Craig Bond adventure.

Technicals: 6 hours approx on Windows 11 with an RTX4070Ti @ 3440x1440 / 60FPS (engine lock).

Bugs: None recorded

Availability:  This game is delisted from sale and cannot be legally obtained digitally.

James Bond Windows PC games :

• James Bond 007: Nightfire [2002]
• James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace [2008]
• James Bond 007: Blood Stone [2010]
• 007 Legends [2012]
• Project 007 [TBC]

Sir Christopher Lee 1922 – 2015

He was Scaramanga - The Man With the Golden Gun, he was Saruman - Head of the White Council & Lord of Isengard, he was Count Dooku/Darth Tyrannus - Sith Lord of the darkside and when one thinks of Dracula himself - it is the rumbling voice and menacing black and white visage of Christopher Lee you should think of.

A former intelligence officer for the RAF during WWII, Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ brought many silver screen characters to life in a career that spanned seven decades and was a favourite baddie of both young and old movie-goers alike. 

Lee died on Sunday 7th June from heart failure, he was 93.

2014 - The Year in Review

We say goodbye to 2014, the 70th Anniversary of D-Day and 75th for Batman, a year of Ebola, ISIS, The Ukraine, Frozen, Ferguson Missouri and where Colbert "won" Television.

Where the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Germany won the World Cup and Luis Suárez was hungry. 

When Boko Harem were prompted to Bring Back Our Girls. Crimea was annexed by Russia. Israel and Palestine fought again and the Syria crisis worsened. 

A year of the Ice-Bucket Challenge, the Pistorious verdict, Irish Water charges, when Scotland is united yet divided, MH370 is lost, MH17 is shot down and QZ8501 crashed.

Kim Kardashian's huge oiled ass didn't break the Internet, but we landed something on a fucking comet [which you can even listen to] - there is hope! 

It is time to remember those we have left behind in 2014...

General Carl E. Mundy Jr, former USMC Commandant, former Taoiseach Albert Reynolds, outspoken Northern Irish Unionist politician Ian Paisley, Shirley Temple the child actress who would grow up to be come a U.S. ambassador, Ralph H. Baer engineer, inventor and pioneer of video gaming, author Maya Angelou, artist H. R. Giger, announcer and movie trailer voiceover artist Hal Douglas, TV producer Glen A. Larson, actors Eli Wallach, Mickey Rooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Garner, Bob Hoskins and Lauren Bacall. Comedians Joan Rivers, Harold Ramis, Rik Mayall and Robin Williams. They changed the world and our lives.

Elaine Stritch and Donald Sinden both starred in the British ITV comedy series Two's Company from 1975-1979, both legends passed away in 2014 only 8 weeks apart

We also lost the following people from the world of entertainment:

Elaine Stritch, 89, American award-winning actress (30 Rock, Two's Company)
Sir Donald Alfred Sinden CBE FRSA, 90, English actor (The Day of the Jackal, Two's Company) Roger Lloyd-Pack, 69, English actor (Trigger in Only Fools and Horses)

Hal Sutherland, 84, American animator (Star Trek: The Animated Series), co-founder of Filmation

Sarah Marshall, 80, British actress (Janet Wallace Star Trek: TOS, "The Deadly Years")

John Cacavas, 83, American television score composer (Kojak, Hawaii 5-O, The Bionic Woman, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century)

Bernard Stanley "Acker" Bilk MBE, 85, English clarinetist ("Stranger on the Shore")

Campbell Lane, 78, Canadian actor (Baron Wolfgang von Strucker in Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.)

Richard Bull, 89, American actor (Mr. Oleson in Little House on the Prairie, The Doctor in Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea)

Ralph Waite, 85, American marine and actor (The Waltons, NCIS)

Cliff Bole, 76, American television director (MacGyver, T.J. Hooker, Star Trek: The Next Generation)

Christopher Malcolm, 67, Scottish actor (The Empire Strikes Back, Highlander)

Jimmy Murakami, 80, American animator and film director (The Snowman), co-founder of Murakami-Wolf Films

Malcolm Tierney, 75, British actor (Lieutenant Childsen in Star Wars, Braveheart)

Aaron Allston, 53, American game designer (Dungeons & Dragons) and sci-fi author (X-Wing)

James Rebhorn, 65, American actor (Independence Day, Homeland)

David A. Trampier, 59, American fantasy gaming artist (Dungeons & Dragons)

Arthur Smith, 93, American musician and songwriter ("Duelling Banjos" from Deliverance)

Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., 95, American actor (Alfred in Batman: The Animated Series and related shows/video games)

Terry Richards, 81, British actor and stuntman (Arabian Swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, James Bond movies)

Casey Kasem, 82, American radio jockey (American Top 40) and voice actor (Shaggy in Scooby-Doo)

James Shigeta, 85, American actor (Takagi in Die Hard)

Patsy Byrne, 80, English actress (Nursie in Blackadder II)

Bob Hastings, 89, American actor (Commissioner Gordon in Batman: The Animated Series and related shows/video games)

Joe Viskocil, 61, American visual effects artist (Independence Day, Star Wars) Oscar winner (1997)

Cassandra Lynn Hensley, 34, American model (Playboy Miss February 2006)

Arlene Martel, 78, American actress (T'Pring in Star Trek: TOS "Amok Time")

Stephen Lee, 58, American actor (The Negotiator, Chorgan in Star Trek: The Next Generation "The Vengeance Factor")

Brian G. Hutton, 79, American actor and director (Kelly's Heroes, Where Eagles Dare)

The Rt Hon. The Lord Attenborough [Richard Samuel Attenborough], CBE, 90, English award-winning actor, producer and director (Gandhi, The Great Escape, Jurassic Park)

Buster Jones, 71, American voice actor (Blaster in The Transformers, Winston in The Real Ghostbusters and Lothar in Defenders of the Earth)

Polly Bergen, 84, American singer and actress (Rhoda Henry in The Winds of War and War and Remembrance) Emmy Award winner (1958)

Geoffrey Holder, 84, Trinidadian actor (Baron Samedi in Live and Let Die)

Jan Hooks, 57, American comedienne and actress (Saturday Night Live, Batman Returns, 30 Rock)

Carol Ann Susi, 62, American actress (Mrs. Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory)

Richard Kiel, 74, American actor (Jaws in the James Bond movies)

Christine Cavanaugh, 51, American voice actress (The Critic)

John Robert "Joe" Cocker, OBE ("With a little help from my Friends", "Up Where We Belong")

Maximilian Schell, 83, Austrian-Swiss Oscar-winning actor (A Bridge Too Far, Cross of Iron)

Elizabeth Peña, 55, American actress (The Incredibles, Modern Family)

Mike Nichols, 83, German-born American director (Catch-22), Oscar winner (1968)

Don Pardo, 96, American radio and television announcer (Saturday Night Live)

Menahem Golan, 85, Israeli director and producer (Operation Thunderbolt, The Delta Force, Masters of the Universe), founder of Golan-Globus and the Cannon Group

Edward Herrmann, 71, American actor (Nixon, The Lost Boys, The Aviator)

The Ultimate Warrior, 54, American Hall of Fame professional wrestler (WWE)

Warren Clarke, 67, British actor (Firefox, Top Secret!)

Dennis Lipscomb, 72, American actor (Under Siege, Wiseguy, In the Heat of the Night)

Jimi Jamison, 63, American musician (Baywatch theme, Survivor "Burning Heart")

Lee Marshall, 64, American radio personality, professional wrestling announcer and voice actor (Tony The Tiger)

we appreciate the legacy of their talents and creativity.

Jackie Healy-Rae, charismatic former Fianna Fáil politician who left the party to become an Independent TD and founded a political dynasty.

We also acknowledge those who died in 2014 who devoted much of their lives to military, scientific, industrial or public service:

Vicente T. Blaz, 85, American USMC general and politician, delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from Guam (1985–1993)

Captain John J. McGinty III, 73, American Marine Corps officer, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Major-General Patrick Guy Brooking CB CMG MBE DL, 76, former Commandant of the British Sector in Berlin [1985]

John Carty, 63, Irish politician, FF TD for Mayo (2002–2007), Senator (2007–2011)

Captain Dale Gardner, 65, American naval officer and astronaut (STS-8, STS-51-A)

Valeri Kubasov, 79, Russian engineer and cosmonaut (Soyuz 6, Apollo-Soyuz Test Project/Soyuz 19, Soyuz 36)

Lieutenant Walter D. Ehlers, 92, American World War II soldier, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Major Kurt Chew-Een Lee, 88, American military officer, first Asian-American officer in the Marine Corps, recipient of the Navy Cross

Staff Sergeant William Guarnere, 90, American World War II non-commissioned officer and author, key figure in Band of Brothers

Leutnant Hermann Schleinhege, 98, German Luftwaffe ace during World War II [97 aerial victories]

Colonel Ola L. Mize, 82, American army officer, Korean War recipient of the Medal of Honor

James R. Schlesinger, 85, American government official, Director of the CIA (1973), Secretary of Defense (1973–1975), Secretary of Energy (1977–1979)

Rear Admiral Jeremiah Denton, 89, American politician and naval officer, Senator from Alabama (1981–1987), recipient of the Navy Cross

Colonel James H. Kasler, 87, American Air Force officer, three-time recipient of the Air Force Cross

General of the Army Vladimir Popovkin, 56, Russian military officer, General Director of the Russian Federal Space Agency (2011–2013)

Avraham Shalom, 86, Austrian-born Israeli security official, Director of the Shin Bet (1980–1986), commander in the capture of Adolf Eichmann and the Bus 300 affair

PFC Chuck Tatum, 87, American WWII Marine, Iwo Jima combatant, provided source material for The Pacific

Denis Lyons, 78, Irish politician, FF TD for Cork North Central (1981–1992)

Colonel Henry Hartsfield, 80, American air force officer, NASA astronaut and test pilot (Columbia), commander for Discovery and Challenger missions

Major Theodore Van Kirk, 93, American military officer, navigator and last surviving crew member on the Enola Gay

Sergeant Major Jon R. Cavaiani, 70, American NCO and prisoner of war, Army Special Forces, recipient of the Medal of Honor

Yitzhak Hofi, 87, Israeli general, Director of Mossad (1974–1982)

Colonel Anatoly Berezovoy, 72, Soviet cosmonaut (Soyuz T-5)

Lieutenant General Lincoln D. Faurer, 86, American air force officer, Director of the National Security Agency (1981–1985)

Flight Lieutenant Bill Green, 97, English Battle of Britain RAF fighter pilot

General Ramsey Muir Withers, CMM, CD, 84, Canadian army officer, Chief of the Defence Staff (1980–1983)

Jackie Healy-Rae, 83, Irish politician, fmr FF, IND TD for Kerry South (1997–2011)

Ariel Sharon, 85, Israeli politician and general, Minister of Defense (1981–1983), Prime Minister (2001–2006)

Karl Albrecht, 94, German billionaire grocery executive, co-founder of Aldi

Brian Farrell, 85, British-born Irish broadcaster and journalist

we thank them for their service to their respective fields.

I must also mention the passing of Angalifu, a Sudanese-born American rhinoceros, and was one of two remaining male northern white rhinoceros, Julia O’Donnell, “Ireland’s most famous mammy” mother of singer Daniel O’Donnell who died at 94 and O Sang-hon, a 50 year old North Korean deputy security minister in the Ministry of Public Security, who was bizarrely executed by flamethrower in the political purge. May they rest in peace.

And now we look forward to

2015

Happy New Year

81 million views and counting...

Skyfall reviewed

Daniel Craig’s stewardship of the mantle of Bond beginning with 2006’s Casino Royale brought with it a sense of realism that was not a staple of the franchise. However despite dropping the laser watch and exploding pen, Bond is probably the best he’s ever been. Audiences have evolved and there is now so many other “spy-gadget” movies like the Mission: Impossible series that people no longer feel there is anything missing from a Bond movie when our hero’s car doesn’t turn into a submarine. Much to our benefit, Skyfall’s creators have chosen to fill the void vacated by the improbable and infused the series with a… dare I say the over-used word ‘gritty’ realism that modern audiences seem to demand now from their action thrillers.

Craig has already made Bond his own and I think despite another long gap in the series due to legal woes, he’s got a couple more 007 outings left before he should be replaced [with Michael Fassbender if I or an equally competent producer is calling the shots]. In Skyfall Dame Judy Dench returns as M, matriarch of MI6 and Ralph Fiennes made an appearance as Mallory. I cannot fault the performances of Naomie Pirates of the Caribbean Harris as Eve, Ben The International Whishaw as an new Q or Javiar Bardem as Silva, the villain of the piece -  although the latter performance in places left me a little uncomfortable. Even the score from Thomas Newman, one of the most unremarkable composers in Hollywood today, was top notch and despite not being up to the standard of David Arnold it sounds good on screen and off.

Skyfall is still unmistakably a James Bond movie but with an alternative focus on the Bond character not seen since George Lazenby’s sublime performance in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. In that movie, Bond was prepared to end his womanising ways and commit himself to marriage, here in Skyfall we are treated to a significant slice of the character’s history before he became the world’s greatest secret agent. Sam Mendez has done an incredible job with the material and has crafted a movie to rival Casino Royale in perfection as well as correcting the flaws of Quantum of Solace. It does seem like he’s not quite finished with what he wants to do so I hope he gets to continue the tale he started.

Final verdict: Bond as good as he has ever been - and more.

Colonel Creedon Rating:  *****

John Barry 1933 - 2011 R.I.P.

The legendary English film score composer John Barry Prendergast, OBE died on Sunday at age 77, from a heart attack.

Barry began playing the piano at age 9 and later trained as a classical pianist. He was however more drawn to jazz and loved playing the trumpet. He began composing as a bandsman in Cyprus and Egypt and began arranging music for his band, The John Barry Seven before debuting as score composer/conductor in 1960 for Beat Girl.

Over his 50 year career John Barry received 5 Oscars [with 2 additional nominations], a BAFTA award [with 2 additional nominations], a Golden Globe [with 10 additional nominations] and a Grammy [with 2 additional nominations] for composing the scores to Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Midnight Cowboy, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves, Chaplin and Mary, Queen of Scots.

John Barry also composed the scores for Zulu, The Ipcress File, The Deep, Game Of Death, Starcrash, The Black Hole, Jagged Edge, Indecent Proposal, The Specialist, Mercury Rising and Enigma to name but a few of his some 100 movie scores. Among his many TV themes were of course the Born Free TV series and the Roger Moore & Tony Curtis action show, The Persuaders!

Barry was best known however, as the man who composed most of the scores for the James Bond series of movies. The producers of Dr. No in 1962 were so dissatisfied with Monty Norman's James Bond theme that they had Barry re-arrange it. Authorship of the theme would later be called into question following a Sunday Times article crediting Barry with the theme and it even went to court in 2001. The courts subsequently granted sole compositional credit and royalties to Norman, but Barry has publicly defended his authorship of the theme in subsequent years but never challenged the registration of the songwriting credit with the Performing Right Society.

When the Bond producers discovered their choice to score From Russia with Love, Lionel Bart could not read music; they again turned to Barry to help them out and thus began his tenure with 007 scoring 11 of the first 14 James Bond adventures. In From Russia With Love he introduced us to "007" an alternate Bond theme which is as memorable as Norman's own and appears in four other movies in the series. He excelled at bringing "big band" brassy music to Bond highlighting his own jazz roots especially in Goldfinger, but as he matured he became both more melodic for Moonraker and contemporary in A View to a Kill, before embracing a remarkably more modern effort for his final Bond score, The Living Daylights. In 1997 he gave his blessing to his successor whom he so obviously influenced, David Arnold who has since composed the music for the 5 most recent Bond movies using a highly stylised form of many of Barry's themes and motifs.

Barry is survived by his fourth wife Laurie, son Jonpatrick, and three daughters; Susie, Sian and Kate and grandchildren.

Born Free and Diamonds Are Forever lyricist Don Black said: "When he played you a melody it was like an unveiling. You didn't question it because you knew he had been up all night working on it and getting it right."

"As long as the Collars and cuff match!" - Tom Mankiewicz RIP

I regret to announce the passing of screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz known for adapting [and in many cases ignoring] Ian Fleming's James Bond for the silver screen.

Mankiewicz first came to prominence in the '70's and became involved with the James Bond franchise when asked to write Diamonds are Forever. He then followed with the screenplays for Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun. He also took an uncredited script doctoring position on The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.

Mankiewicz also adapted Jack Higgins novel The Eagle has Landed and among his other work after leaving the Bond franchise was Superman and even Superman 2 despite having what he himself called "a hate/hate relationship" with it's producers.

Mankiewicz was no stranger to television as he helped Sidney Sheldon create the smarmiest detectives in the history of Television - Jennifer and Jonathan Hart for Hart to Hart in 1979 and stayed with the show several years writing two but directing more than a dozen episodes.

He died Saturday, July 31, at his Los Angeles home aged 68 from cancer.

Source: Vaughan / IMDB

Is This Bond!? Where's the fun?

Quantum Of Solace, unlike any previous Bond movie is a direct sequel to Casino Royale. The story continues on from not long after the previous movie ends and the action never stops... ...not even to quip.

Casino delivered us a very different Bond movie from what we were used to; a gritty hard-ass Bond without the wealth of experience or improbable far-fetched gadgets of his "predecessors". And it worked. Quantum however, takes that up a notch and turned Bond into a vengeful bastard with a giant chip on his shoulder. Make no mistake Bond is so far removed from the character you know it's like watching Daniel Craig play an older Jason Bourne. Craig's Bond reverts from the Walther P99 to using the Walther PPK not used since Tomorrow Never Dies, but other than this more Bond-esque weapon, he's almost unrecognisable as the character and I'm sorry to say the movie suffers for it.

Now it works on a modern level, to remove Moneypenny and the associated flirting as well as Q with the unrealistic gadgets but in Quantum they piratically lose Bond's devilish smile and almost all semblance of humour - they went a bit to far! Seriously, there are little or no quips, one liners or sexual innuendo from him in this movie and it's a notable absence. It appears they were attempting to recreate the James Bond from Fleming's books than re-energising the movie franchise. If I wanted to experience the book version then I'd read the goddamn book, it's not what I want or expect from a Bond movie.

Craig does deliver an incredible performance and I can't fault it for what it is. Judy Dench as M provides an life-raft for Bond's descent into darkness. But the babes Olga Kurylenko as Camille and Gemma Arterton as Strawberry Fields (and they don't use her full name on screen in a further siphoning of Bond humour), while hot, don't have the star power of any the Bond Girls of the past 10 years. Even the antagonist Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) has no quirk that has been a staple of Bond Villains since Dr. No, unless you count a smarmy arrogance? The Jack White & Alica Keys title song is brilliant when heard against the somewhat muted opening titles with regard to the unimpressive graphics and David Arnold returns with a score to rival his Casino Royale masterwork.

What we do get however, is one of the best action movies of the year hands down. We open with a spectacular break-neck (and unfortunately break-car) Italian highway chase with shooting, crashes and explosions. Then there's a running chase through the sewers and rooftops of Sienna, Italy, an incredible boat-chase in Haiti and then in Bolivia, an aircraft chase! I think you get the picture.

This in an incredible adrenaline rush of a movie with frenetic chases, whiplash inducing fight scenes and glorious explosions but it almost bereft of what is truly Bond; so eager were they to cut away the chaff, they removed too much wheat.

Colonel Creedon Rating: ****

Bond's newest song

The delectable Alicia (Smokin' Aces) Keys and some scruffy yobbo called Jack White took over from the self destructive wreck of Amy Winehouse to record Another Way To Die, the theme song for the newest James Bond adventure: Quantum Of Solace.

White wrote, produced, plays the drums and sings with Keys in the first duet as Bond title song.

I don't think it's as good as Chris Cornell's effort for Casino Royale, but I'll wait to see it in the context of the movie before passing final judgment.

You can listen to it yourself here: http://www.thirdmanrecords.com/

Quantum Of Solace Teaser

Could this be even better than Casino Royale? Quantum Of Solace, Bond #22, opens Oct 31st in this part of the world. The US a week later....

Source: Darth Harrington

October Date for Quantum

Despite there being massive press coverage that 07 November 2008 was to be the release date for Quantum of Solace, it appears that the UK date at least had been pushed forward as it was with Casino Royale in 2006!

The new date for the 22nd outing for Commander James Bond, the 2nd for Daniel Craig in the role of the British superspy is now October 31st; a week earlier!

A new (possibly titled Quantum Of Solace) James Bond video game was scheduled to appear in May for all platforms, the original release date for the movie but Activision, the new James Bond video game licence holders have pushed back the new game to coinside with the movie's release. Undoubtedly as with all games I'm sure it would benefit from some extra months in the "oven".

Other Quantum snippets:
Peter Lamont the production designer who worked on 18 previous Bond movies had retired and his position has been filled by Dennis Gassner.
Gadgets will be more plentiful than in Casino Royale but will be somewhat more realistic than the gadgets of old.
Amy Winehouse is currently the hottest tipped to sing the theme song.

Source: Mr. Harrington

Bond 22: Quantum of Solace

Details of the new James Bond adventure were revealed today at Pinewood studios in London. Quantum of Solace sees 007 out for revenge on a mission that takes him to Austria, Italy and South America. Blonde Bond Daniel Craig will return after both harsh critics and indifferent cinema-goers hailed Casino Royale in 2006.

Craig said the cryptic title referenced how Bond's heart had been broken at the end of Casino Royale. "Ian Fleming had written about relationships," he explained. "When they go wrong, when there's nothing left, when the spark has gone, when the fire's gone out, there's no quantum of solace. And at the end of the last movie, Bond has the love of his life taken away from him and he never got that quantum of solace. So he's looking for revenge, you know, to make himself happy with the world again."

Michael G Wilson Bond Co-producer said the title was taken from a short story by Ian Fleming. "We thought it was an intriguing title and referenced what is happening to Bond and what happens in the film. But it the title also alludes to something else in the film," he added.

According to the synopsis, Bond girl Camille, played by Hitman's hot piece of ass Olga Kurylenko, leads the secret agent to Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), member of a mysterious organization and a ruthless businessman, seeking to control huge natural resources. The plot follows on directly from Casino Royale, as Bond aims to uncover the truth about Vesper, the beauty who betrayed him. "James Bond is after revenge, and Camille is after revenge & They have slightly different goals, but in the end they are going to have to collaborate," Kurylenko told reporters.

Wilson said Quantum contained about twice as many action sequences as Casino Royale which was praised for relying less on gadgets and special effects and making Bond more realistic and vulnerable.

Quantum of Solace is due for release in theatres on November 7 this year.

Source: Yahoo, BBC News and my bud Barry!

2IGTV Episode 52

In our first Mega-Monthly episode we've got so much stuff that we'll never fit it all into this post... ...but we'll try:

Bad news for Brett Ratner fans, good news for sane people. God is assembling Star Wars writers to bring his religion to Television. AT&T attempt daylight robbery. Tara Reid ain't stupid like Hilton and Lohan. A release date is set for Wolverine but Bubba Nosferatu falls off our radar. Turok to returns and both the Green Lantern and Max Payne are coming to Hollywood. Stallone to butcher a sacred franchise and more news on the WGA strike and it's bleak future.

All this and much more, PLUS an announcement you've all been waiting for: we've given into your incessant demands.

Grab it here.

2IGTV Episode 51

TONIGHT - ON 2IGTV:

Knight Rider, G-Force, Bionic Woman, Star Trek, Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins, Justice League, Escape From New York, EverQuest, Halo, Manhunt 2, Steven Spielberg and Donald Sutherland.

We also discuss the impending movie and TV industry strikes, Blu-Ray encryption and of course we have the results of our Episode 50 Competition.

Grab it here.

Obituary: Lois Maxwell

Actress Lois Maxwell, most known to millions of fans for her role as Second Officer Jane Moneypenny or simply Miss Moneypenny in most of the James Bond movies, has died in Australia aged 80.

"She passed away on 29th September at 11:40 pm," said a spokeswoman for Fremantle Hospital in western Australia. The Canadian-born actress had been living in Australia for several years because her son and his family are based there. She first played the character, with whom the ever-charming 007 constantly flirted, alongside Sean Connery in Dr. No in 1962. She continued to play the role for more than two decades, starring in her final Bond movie, the 1985 A View To A Kill, with Roger Moore.

"She was my lucky token," Moore said today. "People who remember the Bond films with Moneypenny will remember her with great affection. She certainly will be missed by me and I'm sure by millions of fans around the world."

Already an experienced actor before she took on Bond, Maxwell said in 2005 that she accepted the Miss Moneypenny role at a difficult time in her life. "I had a husband who was desperately ill, with two small children and no money, so I called producers I had worked with before and said 'help me,'" she said. Bond director Terence Young offered Maxwell two Bond roles and she chose Moneypenny, insisting that the director not "put my hair in a bun and horn-rimmed glasses on me."

Asked which was her favourite Bond movie, Maxwell nominated On Her Majesty's Secret Service, the only one in which Australian George Lazenby played 007. "I think it's the best film, I mean I think it's an excellent film," she said in the 2005 interview. "Had it not been a Bond film, had it just been a film, it would've been a fabulous film."

Source: Yahoo

2IGTV Episode 43

Mark opens this 43rd episode for a change, with the latest technology news but we do not neglect the entertainment world with news about celebrities, Rose McGowen, Paris Hilton, Tom Sizemore , Wesley Snipes and The Hoff.
In television land: Fantastic news for "fans" of Jericho plus discover when your most anticipated games are released.
We also have some hot news from Hollywood for the movies, Ghost Rider 2, Die Hard 4.0, Thundercats, Wolverine and Bond 22.
Bonus: In this episode you'll get to hear The Colonel's own impersonation of Sean Connery that he's been working for 20 years to perfect.

All this and much more here.

2IGTV Episode 42

In this Duracell-powered Episode 42. Major Indiana Jones IV news and fantastic Nicholas Cage shocker! Script-doctor Paul Haggis returns to Bond 22 and Chow Yun Fat wants more US lead roles. He-Man to return to the silver screen but Mark pulls the plug on The Colonel's Aliens vs. Predator 2 report. The Clone Wars returns and we reveal the next of Frank Miller’s works to be filmed.

In the world of tech: Why not order and pay for your food via Microsoft's new interactive dining table.

Oh yeah, we also give our final verdict on Heroes and talk about Pirates. It and much more is all here.

2IGTV Episode 41

In this Duracell-powered Episode 41. Mark fascinates us with a tale of terror at 200ft "When Theme Park Rides Go Bad!!"
Major Indiana Jones IV news and fantastic Nicholas Cage shocker! Script-doctor Paul Haggis returns to Bond 22 and Chow Yun Fat wants more US lead roles. He-Man to return to the silver screen but Mark pulls the plug on The Colonel's Aliens vs. Predator 2 report. The Clone Wars returns and we reveal the next of Frank Miller’s works to be filmed.
In the world of tech: Why not order and pay for your food via Microsoft's new interactive dining table.

Oh yeah, we also give our final verdict on Heroes and talk about Pirates. It and much more is all here.

Complete Twat is Biggest Bond Fan

A James Bond fanatic has changed his name by deed poll to match his hero's - and has ridiculously used the title of all 21 films as his middle names. David Fearn is now known as:

James Dr No From Russia With Love Goldfinger Thunderball You Only Live Twice On Her Majesty's Secret Service Diamonds Are Forever Live And Let Die The Man With The Golden Gun The Spy Who Loved Me Moonraker For Your Eyes Only Octopussy A View To A Kill The Living Daylights Licence To Kill Golden Eye Tomorrow Never Dies The World Is Not Enough Die Another Day Casino Royale Bond.

The 23-year-old council worker told The Daily Mirror he wanted to prove he was one of the world's biggest Bond fans, but in my opinion, has only proved he's one of the world's biggest tossers.

"I can't wait for the first time somebody asks what my name is," he said. Well I wish I was around him for the 515th time someone asks him his name and he looses the plot or simply gets fed up and shortens it to James Octopussy Bond or maybe just Pussy.