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Showing posts from January, 2016

McCallum & Ireland: the couple from UNCLE

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David McCallum was first married to actress  Jill Ireland  on 11 May 1957 in London. The two met during production of the film  Hell Drivers  which provided early roles for both actors. In 1963 McCallum introduced Ireland to  Charles Bronson  when both were filming  The Great Escape . She subsequently left McCallum and married Bronson in 1968 - Wikipedia With her comic skills, Jill Ireland ( 1936 – 1990) was a frequent guest star in the Man From UNCLE series. She was Marion Raven (episodes 3 and 7), Suzanne de Serre (episode 37) and Imogen (episode 87). Ireland wrote two books about her battle with breast cancer. She and David McCallum had three children. Much more about UNCLE: Amazon.com  -  http://goo.gl/OD1XKW   Amazon Australia  -  http://goo.gl/ODQYPY   Amazon Brazil  -  http://goo.gl/qYPYg6   Amazon Canada  -  http://goo.gl/XrC6gc   Amazon France -  http://goo.gl/IGxkLq   Amazon Germany  -  http://goo.gl/Wtz6WB   A mazon India -  http://goo.gl/vtNMYo   Amazon It

Open Channel D: a preview

Dateline 1966: Man From UNCLE feature filme "One Spy Too Many"

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Celebrating Films of the 1960s & 1970s DATELINE 1966: MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. FEATURE FILM "ONE SPY TOO MANY" This is the original review from the movie industry trade magazine Film Bulletin for the 1966 "Man From U.N.C.L.E." feature film "One Spy Too Many" starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, which was comprised of the two-part episode "The Alexander the Greater Affair" with some additional footage shot specifically for the theatrical release. Despite the low production costs of these "U.N.C.L.E." films, they generated huge profits in the international markets. Eight feature films were made from two-part episodes, although only three were released in the United States: "To Trap a Spy", "The Spy With My Face" (the latter two as a double feature) and "One Spy Too Many". To read the original site click here. Much more about UNCLE: Amazon.com  -  http://goo.gl/OD1XKW   Amazon

Interview: Roger Moreira and his new The Man From UNCLE Theme version

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Roger Moreira is a Brazilian musician, creator of the rock pop band Ultraje a Rigor. They recorded a brand new version of The Man From UNCLE Theme , by Jerry Goldsmith. It is a rock and roll version, that would fit perfectly in the 2015 movie directed by Guy Ritchie. This is an exclusive interview with Roger Moreira for this blog: 1) Did you watch The Man From UNCLE on television? What are your best memories about the show? I loved it! But I don't remember much since I was no more than a little child. But I do remember they had those triangular badges, they had secret entrances to their offices and they had to talk to Mr Waverly before their missions. I found them both funny and heroic. Action filled. I vaguely remember they having gadgets. I loved everything.  2) Why did you record the Man From UNCLE Theme ? Because I loved it too!:)  3)  It is a hard song to be played? No, not really. At least the way we did it. It's very well constructed and reminiscent

The Very Important Party Guests Affair

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In "The Giuoco Piano Affair" there is a party at the begining and other at the very end of the episode. Few people knows it, but some of the guests are very important people in The Man From UNCLE series. The man above playing chess is Norman Felton, the MGM/Arena producer that started everything in 1963. The mustachioed writer above is Joseph "Doc" Calvelli, Associated Producer. He is observed by Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum). The scene have a metalinguistic trick hard to explain. On the left is Richard Donner, the episode director. He plays an inconveniently drunk guest. At his side are Illya Kuryakin (David McCallum) and Marion Raven (Jill Ireland). McCallum and Ireland were married in real life. The charming Texan dancing with Jill Ireland is the man who created the whole Man From UNCLE universe: Sam Rolfe. Much more about UNCLE: Amazon.com  -  http://goo.gl/OD1XKW   Amazon Australia  -  http://goo.gl/ODQYPY   Amazon Brazil

Batman 66 Meets the Man From UNCLE #2 review

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BY   JAY YAWS   ON   JANUARY 13TH, 2016   |     @JAYAWS Batman ’66 Meets the Man From U.N.C.L.E. #2:  “The Batman Affair: Villains in a Rush/Bruce Wayne, Agent of T.H.R.U.S.H.” Written by Jeff Parker - Illustrated by David Hahn - Inked by Karl Kesel and David Hahn - Colored by MadPencil - Lettered by Wes Abbott Tone is a tricky thing.  Just as much as the look of a TV show or comic, the way the property carries itself speaks volumes.  That’s part of what made  Batman ’66  so memorable: visually it was bright and colorful, and it had a deadpan tone to match.  Those costumes and that dialogue in, say, Tim Burton’s macabre vision of the dark knight?  That would have been a disaster, but even if it’s not your cup of tea it worked for what it set out to do. The thing is, everything has a tone and feel unique to itself.   The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  has a humorous slant, of course, but it’s more serious in nature and relies on the suave and charming personalities of its leads for i

Open Channel D eBook: # 3 in Canada (Television History & Criticism list)

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Open Channel D is #3 best seller in the (Amazon/Kindle) eBook Television History & Cristicism list in Canada: The Man From UNCLE Affair eBook is doing well too in two other categories: Film History & Criticism (#5) and all books Television History & Criticism (#6). To purchase the book in Amazon Canada, click here . Much more about UNCLE: Amazon.com  -  http://goo.gl/OD1XKW   Amazon Australia  -  http://goo.gl/ODQYPY   Amazon Brazil  -  http://goo.gl/qYPYg6   Amazon Canada  -  http://goo.gl/XrC6gc   Amazon France -  http://goo.gl/IGxkLq   Amazon Germany  -  http://goo.gl/Wtz6WB   A mazon India -  http://goo.gl/vtNMYo   Amazon Italy  -  http://goo.gl/gPOn6X   Amazon Japan -  http://goo.gl/Cwqw1s   Amazon Mexico  -  http://goo.gl/xY6ANr   Amazon Netherlands -  http://goo.gl/y1t4KO   Amazon Spain  -  http://goo.gl/ph9s0Z   Amazon UK -  http://goo.gl/RDkUxB

Flix 66: The Man From UNCLE Blu-ray Review

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Rebeca Surber Swank January 6th, 2016 Director:   Guy Ritchie Starring:   Henry Cavill ,  Armie Hammer ,  Alicia Vikander Taking place in the early 1960’s THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. joins together two unlikely spies, one CIA the other KGB, with a mission that spans from East Berlin to Italy in pursuit of obtaining a formula for enriched uranium. The odd-couple spy team must figure out a way to get along and combine their respective styles and techniques in order to  accomplish  their mission. When seeing the trailers for this film, I was excited. Spies! 1960’s style! A fun mission! Guy Ritchie as the director! Plus talented actors to round it all out! For some reason, I expected this film to be a campy Bond-Bourne-Mission Impossible-esque mash-up. It was none of those things, instead it was a letdown that felt like it should have, and could have been great. (...) This is one of those films where I feel bad for the actors.  They each put in an adequate  performance

Stay Thirsty: a conversation with David McCallum

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David McCallum became internationally famous in the 1960s for his role as the Russian secret agent Illya Kuryakin in the hit television series The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which also earned him two Emmy Award nominations. Born in Scotland to a family of classical musicians, his early years were filled with studying music, military service and working as a young actor in England. Late in life, he repeated his television success by taking on his current role as Medical Examiner Dr. Donald "Duck" Mallard on NCIS, the most popular television series in the world. And now, just a few months after his 82nd birthday, his first novel, Once A Crooked Man, is being released. It was Stay Thirsty Magazine's great pleasure and genuine privilege to visit with David McCallum at his home in California for this Conversation. STAY THIRSTY: Your debut novel, Once A Crooked Man, has been praised as a comic thriller in the vein of Elmore Leonard and Lawrence Block. What motivated you to write a

A rocky version of The Man From UNCLE theme

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This is what an alternative version of The Man From UNCLE theme should sound in the Guy Ritchie 2015 film soundtrack. Old original theme (by Jerry Goldsmith) is remade in a hard-rock style by the Brazilian band Ultraje a Rigor. Maybe we  will   listen to it in The Man From UNCLE 2 ?  Much more about UNCLE: Amazon.com -  http://goo.gl/OD1XKW Amazon Australia -  http://goo.gl/ODQYPY Amazon Brazil -  http://goo.gl/qYPYg6 Amazon Canada -  http://goo.gl/XrC6gc Amazon France -  http://goo.gl/IGxkLq Amazon Germany -  http://goo.gl/Wtz6WB Amazon India -  http://goo.gl/vtNMYo Amazon Italy -  http://goo.gl/gPOn6X Amazon Japan -  http://goo.gl/Cwqw1s Amazon Mexico -  http://goo.gl/xY6ANr Amazon Netherlands -  http://goo.gl/y1t4KO Amazon Spain -  http://goo.gl/ph9s0Z Amazon UK -  http://goo.gl/RDkUxB