Random Intelligence Dispatches For September 22, 2008

New Saint DVD Release

Our man down under, David Foster (of Permission To Kill) wrote in about another cool new DVD so far exclusive to Australia. The Saint - A Fan's Guide appears to be an unauthorized companion to the TV series. According to the copy on EzyDVD, "The DVD shows how the series began as a straightforward mystery series, but over the years adopted more secret agent and fantasy-style plots... The film focuses on [Roger] Moore's portrayal of [Simon] Templar as it was considered a training ground for his later work as James Bond." It's hard to tell much from the information given, but I'm certainly curious about this one. I wonder who they interview? I wonder if it treads the same ground as Network's documentaries available on the UK Saint sets, or entirely new territory?

Limited Edition Ian Fleming Golf Balls

Chris Wright of FelixLeiter.com sent in a heads-up about a cool Ian Fleming Centenary collectible that I hadn't previously heard of: limited edition Penfold Hearts golf balls, like those used by James Bond in Goldfinger. Penfold Hearts balls (not to be confused with Penfold the hamster)haven't been produced for decades, and this special release is limited to just 500 dozen sets, so golfing Bond fans would be wise to pick them up while they can! Each set comes with a card of authenticity and a commemorative slipcase. Order directly from Penfold for £50. No word on whether Slazenger will produce a villain's edition...

80s Patrick Macnee Movie Coming To DVD

Patrick Macnee hasn't made a whole lot of movies, but with The Avengers in all its incarnations well behind him, the Eighties were definitely his most prolific decade for films. Although spy fans will be most familiar with his turn as the doomed Godfrey Tibbett in A View To A Kill, the majority of that output was horror movies like Waxwork and, most famously, The Howling. While those two are on DVD (MGM's Howling DVD contains some hilarious Macnee outtakes), most of his Eighties film work remains fairly hard to see. Now, DVD Drive-In reports that one of Macnee's best regarded films, Sweet Sixteen (1983), will get a DVD release next month. Macnee plays the father of a promiscuous teenage girl, all of whose male conquests suddenly turn up dead immediately after sleeping with her. Is she to blame? The Code Red director's cut DVD comes out October 14 with ample special features.