Edward Biddulph reports from the launch of Assouline’s latest addition to the James Bond canon.
It’s not often one is handed a glass of champagne on arriving at a cinema. But then again, this was no ordinary evening at the pictures, as the Electric Cinema in London’s Portobello Road hosted the launch of James Bond Cars, the latest deluxe Bond volume published by Assouline. The evening promised an exclusive film show, a panel discussion with the experts, and a chance to mingle with the assembled audience over champagne and cocktails.
The moment when the screen curtains open and the lights dim is always a thrill and tonight was no exception. Kicking off the evening, and for the next six minutes, the audience was treated to the highlights of vehicle mayhem from 60 years of Bond films. Only six minutes? It could have been six hours, so integral are cars to 007’s adventures. After what was a breathless ride through Bond history, the behind-the-scenes stars of the films – special effects supremo Chris Corbould and Aston Martin’s Marek Reichman – made their way to the stage for a conversation with professional drift driver, TV presenter, and automotive producer Becky Evans.
Chris spoke about the detailed planning of the car-related action, the training and preparation undertaken by the drivers – Bond actors included – and the ambition to keep the stunts as real as possible. He also talked about some of the challenges encountered when designing sequences (Moonraker’s Bondola, which was a bit of a head-scratcher to get right, sprang to Chris’s mind). Marek spoke about the enduring relationship between James Bond and Aston Martin and the iconic nature of the cars (when people get behind the wheel of an Aston Martin, he said, they become James Bond). He talked about how it was necessary, for No Time to Die, to build new DB5s that could withstand the rigours demanded by the story, and how the DB10 existed only as a picture on the wall when director Sam Mendes suggested including it in SPECTRE.
What about the future? Marek said the door at the Aston Martin factory was always open, which sounds like Denis Villeneuve hasn’t yet come knocking, but the invitation’s there. And in the meantime, there’s plenty of past Bond-car excitement to re-live through the pages of Assouline’s new volume.
Then it was time for cocktails – Vespers, of course – and an opportunity to talk to Chris Corbould, who was signing copies of the book. It was a fantastic evening in a stunning venue. The drinks were most refreshing, and sweets and popcorn in branded bags, placed next to every seat, was a nice touch.
One rather puzzling aspect was that, for some reason, the auditorium was by no means filled to capacity, and it must have been a little dispiriting for the panellists to speak to rows of empty seats. It was a shame more people couldn’t be there to enjoy the event, but it did mean extra champagne and sweets for those present!
James Bond Cars is available direct from Assouline
