Fifty
years after his one remarkable turn as Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, George Lazenby returns to the fertile ground of international
espionage in Passport to Oblivion, a
new audio thriller by the UK’s Spiteful Puppet Company, based on James Leasor‘s highly successful novel
of the same name.
Lazenby
plays Jason Love, a quiet country doctor with a VERY adventurous WWII
past.But when MI6 needs his help, Love
can’t refuse the call in this thriller that’s set in 1964. (David Niven played
Dr. Love on the big screen in the 1966 feature film Where the Spies Are.)
As
Lazenby says, “What’s interesting about this character is he’s a reluctant spy
rather than a Double-O-Agent. Oh, and he’s Australian. I reckon I can play
Australian rather well!â€
The all-star cast also includes Glynis Barber, Nickolas Grace, Michael
Brandon and Terence Stamp
– a lineup that even impressed the former 007, who said, “I’ve been surrounded by a pretty amazing cast, who it will
be a pleasure working with.â€
As
the first actor to take on one of cinema’s
most iconic roles after Sean Connery moved on, Passport to Oblivion marks another Lazenby first – “It will be
interesting to step into the world of audio and declare it another first for
me, making my debut in that discipline.“
And
you can pre-order the limited-edition 2-Disc set, due for release on 29November
2019, here:
Spiteful
Puppet has the option to the 9 other Jason Love novels, so there’s a very good
chance this spy story won’t be a one-off for George Lazenby.Or as the star puts it, “Maybe I’ll do more
than one this time?â€
John
Carpenter’s Halloween was supposed to
be a one-off… a small, disposable horror movie that would give some young
filmmakers a break and its backers a nice hit of cash should it succeed.But a one-off it was not.Instead it became an American classic, which
until a few years ago, was the most successful indie movie of all time.It’s a story that cried out for a book – and
now there is one: Halloween: The Changing Shape Of An Iconic Series by
Ernie Magnotta.
This
deeply researched, 378 page oversize paperback illustrates Magnotta’s
enthusiasm for the films and the genre on every page.He goes through the franchise, film by film,
examining the plots, the key sequences, the cinematography, the music and, of
course, the characters and the actors who portray them. Even the changing face of Michael’s iconic
mask is examined and discussed. Like all fans, Magnotta has strong opinions and
isn’t afraid to share them.For example,
he picks apart the rather confusing ending of Halloween 6, which this writer saw in the theaters and couldn’t
quite get, either. He also looks at the
various plot holes and inconsistencies that crop up over the long course of the
series, which have caused die-hard Halloween
fans no small amount of agida over the years. That said, the book is not a
hatchet job by any means.It praises the
great work done by directors, actors and cinematographers as well as the many inventive
scares – crucial elements that helped make this one of horror’s most successful
and beloved franchises.
The
book contains over 200 color photos, as well as a number of posters and rare
lobby cards. Magnotta also thoughtfully includes film reviews of each title,
giving the reader a taste of how each movie was received during its initial
release.With the, er, monster success of Blumhouse’s 2018 Halloween reboot, this franchise is far
from dead – and Ernie Magnotta’s book is the perfect guide.