Sean Connery's Penis

We look at the "Banned Bond" commentaries from the Laserdisc Era of Criterion, using clips from the Dr. No track as context for why they're important and unique. Listen to them on their own or synced up with the movies.

The long-out-of-print and never-to-be-reissued commentaries for Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger were posted on 21 December 2014 alongside this blog post.

Goldfinger (1964) Commentary

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for Goldfinger so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on Dr. No and From Russia With Love that were released both a few months before Goldfinger.

Reference Links

• Editor Peter Hunt makes mention near the end what Sean Connery can walk into "virtually any room" and do to "anybody". Guess. Just guess.

• This commentary also features a lesbian slur.

• The 007 Dossier first liberated these tracks from out-of-print obscurity back in 2011.

• The HMSS Weblog goes into great detail and context, though it spoils some of the best bits in all three tracks, like the word that is broadly considered a slur director Guy Hamilton used to describe Pussy Galore.

From Russia With Love (1963) Commentary

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for From Russia With Love so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on Dr. No and Goldfinger that were released both a few months before and a few months after From Russia With Love, respectively.

Reference Links

• This one was notably hosted by "Steve Rubin", or Steven Jay Rubin, the author of 1981's unapproved-by-Eon book The James Bond Films. He does not appear in the supplements of future Eon-approved DVDs and Blu-rays.

• Director Terence Young makes particularly pointed reference to how the success of Dr. No led the production to spend money like it was going out of style.

• The 007 Dossier first liberated these tracks from out-of-print obscurity back in 2011.

• The HMSS Weblog goes into great detail and context, though it spoils some of the best bits in all three tracks, like the word that is broadly considered a slur director Guy Hamilton used to describe Pussy Galore.

Dr. No (1962) Commentary

The commentary track on Criterion's 1991 laserdisc for Dr. No so angered producer Albert Broccoli that he had it recalled from sale and reissued, without the offending track. The same went for the commentaries on From Russia With Love and Goldfinger that were released in the months following Dr. No.

Reference Links

• Word has it that what set Cubby Broccoli off was a passing reference to Ian Fleming having been an alcoholic.

• You'll hear in this one about how Sean Connery met a foreign dignitary wearing absolutely nothing from the waist down, as detailed in Criterion Collected #4.

• The 007 Dossier first liberated these tracks from out-of-print obscurity back in 2011.

• The HMSS Weblog goes into great detail and context, though it spoils some of the best bits in all three tracks, like the word that is broadly considered a slur director Guy Hamilton used to describe Pussy Galore.

Back to 1984

A look at Criterion Designs, Criterion's first standalone "book" project, which looks at the evolution of their art and design choices and sensibilities over the last 30 years.

Don't assume you'll buy it and it'll just sit on a shelf, like an unwrapped DVD or Blu-ray.

Show Notes and Links

• If you order from Amazon or B&N and use these links, it supports the show. All things being equal, we'd prefer you support any local bookshop that carries beautiful things like this book by buying from them.

• Make sure to subscribe to the Criterion Collected feed (or the Electric Shadow, Electric Shadow Channel, or Master Feed) to make sure you don't miss a holiday gift....something(s). They might be digital items thought lost to time that are more than merely worth having. There's absolutely No telling how long it'll be there, like Russia leaving Gold laying around on the street.

Significant and Important

Our inaugural episode addresses the first question that generally comes out of people's mouths about Criterion: why Armageddon and The Rock? The short answer is that they belong there. Both more than fit the definition of "important" in a very specific way.

Support the show in its trial run by shopping Barnes & Noble's "50% off Criterion" Sale, running through 1 December 2014.

About Criterion Collected

Moisés Chiullan introduces a new show that examines The Criterion Collection, stretching from the present all the way back to the beginning of Criterion in 1984.

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When you see it hit iTunes, drop a review and rating if you please. If you have feedback, questions, or requests, send it through the contact form.

Shop the B&N 50% off Criterion sale to support this show and its continuation beyond a test run.