Surveillance Feeds Become Reality TV & Movie

They may be blocked from watching YouTube, but China’s 751 million internet users can binge on real-time video streams of yoga studios, swimming lessons, alpaca ranches and thousands of other scenes captured by surveillance cameras.

Much of what’s available would be unthinkable in the West...

In China, however, surveillance is both pervasive and widely accepted. And that’s the subject of a new film by one of China’s best-known contemporary artists.

In “Dragonfly Eyes,” director Xu Bing uses real surveillance footage to tell the story of an ill-fated romance between a young woman who works on a dairy farm and a technician who watches her through the farm’s surveillance system. Mr. Xu believes it’s the first full-length fiction film to be made entirely with surveillance footage. 

Creating “Dragonfly Eyes” convinced Mr. Xu of the prescience of “The Truman Show,” the 1998 satire starring Jim Carrey as a man whose every moment is telecast live without his knowledge, the director said.


“The entire world has become a gigantic film studio,” he said. more sing-a-long

The Circle - A Surveillance Movie for Our Time

Our creepy times now have their own creepy movie.

“The Circle”, a film that debuts this week—about a privacy-flouting version of Google, Apple, and Facebook wrapped into one—makes you want to move to the woods. Is surveillance a worthwhile trade-off for any digital service? And is Silicon Valley prepared for the evils its technologies unleash?

In the film, a CEO played by Tom Hanks holds a Steve Jobs-style product launch that fills the globe with tiny constantly broadcasting webcams. His Orwellian mission statement: “If it happens, we’ll know.” (opens today)


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The James Bond Movie Director Who Actually Was A Spy

That James Bond creator Ian Fleming drew literary inspiration from his wartime work in espionage is relatively well known. But the heroic World War Two exploits of the director of Bond films including Goldfinger and Live and Let Die are less well documented. more

Guy Hamilton's daring exploits can be relived on Inside Out South West on BBC One on Monday 6 February at 19:30 BST and on the iPlayer for 30 days thereafter

Reality Spyware Documentary - Find My Phone

What happens to a smartphone after it's stolen? That was the question that a film student in Amsterdam had in mind when he produced a short documentary about a smartphone thief and their stolen goods. On the surface, it might not sound like the most avant-garde idea out there. But here's what made it interesting: the student procured material for his documentary by spying on the thief using a bugged smartphone.

The student, a certain Anthony van der Meer, intentionally had a phone of his stolen – one that he loaded with software called "Cerberus."

As The Next Web reported, the software gave him access to the device location, its features, and its contents – all of which he could retrieve when he wanted. The software also allowed him to make use of the phone's camera and microphone so he could spy on the thief.


For 2 weeks, that's exactly what der Meer did. He spied on the thief, tracking his moves, which resulted in the documentary posted above called Find My Phone – almost the namesake of the Apple app "Find My iPhone" used to find one's phone or disable it after being stolen. more

Excellent work, Anthony! ~Kevin

Robert Vaughn, 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Star, Dies at 83

Robert Vaughn, the debonair, Oscar-nominated actor whose many film roles were eclipsed by his hugely popular turn in television’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E., has died. He was 83.

Vaughn died Friday morning after a brief battle with acute leukemia, according to his manager, Matthew Sullivan.



The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was an immediate hit, particularly with young people, when it debuted on NBC 1964. It was part of an avalanche of secret agent shows (I Spy, Mission: Impossible, Secret Agent), spoofs (Get Smart), books (The Spy Who Came in From the Cold) and even songs (Secret Agent Man) inspired by the James Bond films.

Vaughn’s urbane superspy Napoleon Solo teamed with Scottish actor David McCallum’s Illya Kuryakin, a soft-spoken, Russian-born agent.

The pair, who had put aside Cold War differences for a greater good, worked together each week for the mysterious U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) in combating the international crime syndicate THRUSH. more

A Spy's House with a 007 Connection—For Sale

NY - This Long Island estate at 189 Terrace Lane in Upper Brookville
was once owned by English novelist Ian Fleming’s dear friend Ivar Felix C. Bryce — a real-life British spy and, in Fleming’s James Bond books, 007’s best friend, Felix.

The 6,800-square-foot, five-bedroom brick mansion was built in 1917 as a carriage house for the 90-acre Mill River Farm estate. Fully restored, it’s now on the market for $2.99 million. The Bryces bought the estate in 1936 and renamed it Farlands Estate. more

"Mr. Bond, you're fired."

Here’s some news that could leave James Bond feeling shaken and stirred: The head of Britain’s top spy agency doesn’t want to hire him.

Alex Younger, the real-life head of M16, the British intelligence agency where the fictional super spy works, tells the British website Black History Month that Bond doesn’t have the qualities he wants for his spies.

“In contrast to James Bond, MI6 officers are not for taking moral shortcuts,” Younger told the website. “In fact, a strong ethical core is one of the first qualities we look for in our staff.”

Although Bond has managed to get through scrapes that would kill many real spies, Younger thinks he’d be weeded out early.

“It’s safe to say that James Bond wouldn’t get through our recruitment process and, whilst we share his qualities of patriotism, energy and tenacity, an intelligence officer in the real MI6 has a high degree of emotional intelligence, values teamwork and always has respect for the law… unlike Mr Bond!” more

Talk to Real Secret Agents on New 'Call a Spy' Hotline

If you ever wanted to chat to a spy, now's your chance – a group of German artists have set up the "Call a Spy" hotline.

Ariel Fischer from the art group "Peng!" told Sputnik Deutschland that they can set up the hotline anywhere with a stable internet connection. It looks like an ordinary telephone, but is connected to the "Call a Spy" server.

The server contains a database of spy's numbers, and randomly selects one to connect the caller with. Calls are routed through a private network that masks the original source of the call.


Fischer said that despite the secrecy of intelligence work, the majority of the numbers were freely available on the internet, and come from a range of different countries.  more

The 10 Best Offbeat Spy Movies

You can see all the trailers here.

10. Casino Royale
9. Our Man Flint
8. The Man Who Knew Too Little
7. Burn After Reading
6. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
5. Spies Like Us
4. What’s Up, Tiger Lily?
3. Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
2. Top Secret!
1. Spy

Enjoy the weekend! ~Kevin

Your Weekend Spy Flick—Bourne... again

‘Jason Bourne’: A welcome return for Matt Damon’s spirited spy.

What with all their international adventures through the years, it seems like only a matter of time before Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt cross paths, whether it be in a crowded town square in Greece or a winding boulevard in Paris — or maybe while the two of them happen to be involved in crazy high-speed chases at the same time.

Hey man. What are YOU doing here?

Just as Tom Cruise continues to carry the “Mission: Impossible” action franchise in his 50s, the 45-year-old Matt Damon still kicks butt in serious fashion in his fourth appearance (and first since 2007) as Jason Bourne in the film of the same name. more trailer movie times

Holiday Weekend Filmfest - Watch the 10 Best PI Movies (infographic)

A tip of the magnifying glass to Adam Visnic, 

a licensed private investigator. 

May your next case become a 

classic movie. 

(Enlarge)

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Star Wars: Episode VIII - Drones to Create No-Spy Zone

Disney and Lucasfilm are reportedly utilizing drones to ensure spying doesn't happen during filming of Star Wars: Episode VIII in Croatia.

Artist's conception.

Making Star Wars (via MosCroatia) reports there is a Star Wars team that will go to drone warfare with people using drones to get pictures of the set and cast of Episode VIII. And that's on top of apparently 600 guards.

Star Wars: Episode VIII has already begun filming, with the movie premiering December 15, 2017. more

What if Sacha Baron Cohen was the brother of James Bond?

That is essentially the plot of The Brothers Grimsby. Seems harmless enough. But, if we've learned anything from past Cohen comedies (Ali G, Borat, Bruno), it will be anything but wholesome.

The Brothers Grimsby will be in theaters March 11.

Every James Bond Gadget. Ever.

Get Ready for Spectre - Battle of the Bonds Infographic

Battle of the Bonds: Kisses, Cocktails, Kills, Cars & Cash – An infographic by the team at GB Show Plates

New FBI Blockbuster Movie on Economic Espionage (2 Thumbs Up)

The Company Man: Protecting America's Secrets run-time is 36 minutes. Watch it when you have the time. I promise you, it is as suspenseful and entertaining as anything on TV or in the movies. Plus, it is a true story. Be sure to visit the 'movie FAQ' link after the movie ends.



Industries in the United States spend more on research and development than any other country in the world. The amount of effort and resources put into developing a unique product or process that can provide an edge in the business world is not unsubstantial. But what happens if someone comes in and steals that edge—a company’s trade secrets—for the benefit of a foreign country? The damages could severely undermine the victim company and include lost revenue, lost employment, damaged reputation, lost investment for research and development, interruption in production—it could even result in the company going out of business. more movie FAQ

Great On-Line Movie - Dr Megavolt: from Geek to Superhero - Pay What You Want to See It

For 30 days, pay what you want is on!
Buy Dr Megavolt: From Geek to Superhero the feature documentary for as little as...

But, please, don't be too cheap. It cost him a lot of money to give you these visual thrills.

Run time 72 minutes.

The Dr. MegaVolt Documentary is Coming

Five years in the making!  Mega volts spewed into the atmosphere! The Dr. MegaVolt documentary is about to zap out. The world premier screening... (drum roll)

"Dr Megavolt: From Geek to Superhero"
Comic-Con International Independent Film Festival 
Saturday July 11, 2015 2:35pm - 4:05pm,
Grand Ballroom D, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego

Meet Dr. Austin Richards, aka Dr MegaVolt, a Ph.D. in physics who has been performing in a metal Faraday suit with Tesla coils since March 1997. This documentary chronicles Dr MegaVolt's high-voltage adventures.

This is a new 71 minute long feature film from writer/producer/director Victoria Charters. The film is currently being submitted to various film festivals. It will be commercially available soon.

I received my advance copy of the movie and watched it last night. Not only is it technically interesting (all things Tesla are cool), but there is a surprising amount of human interest, drama and intrigue.

Disclaimer: So why am I hyping something that has nothing to do with spying? #1 this is a great flick. #2 they mentioned me in the credits.

Spy - The Movie

In the mood for a spy movie this weekend?

"Melissa McCarthy made her bones as a scene-stealing supporting player, but her starring vehicles have only occasionally made the most of her comic gifts. Until now, that is: critics say Spy is an inspired, uproarious spoof of espionage thrillers loaded with self-effacing performances and sharp jabs at workplace sexism." more

Free Espionage Movies Near Washington, DC

VA - The Crystal City Business Improvement District has revealed the lineup for its annual outdoor summer movie festival. The theme this year: espionage.

The movies are shown weekly on Monday at sunset — around 8:30 p.m. — and are held rain or shine, except in the event of dangerous weather.

Families are encouraged to bring a blanket to the free event. The outdoor “theater” is located in the courtyard of an office building at 1851 S. Bell Street.

The lineup is:
June 1 — Mission: Impossible
June 8 — Mission: Impossible II
June 15 — Mission: Impossible III
June 22 — Mission: Impossible- Ghost Protocol
June 29 — Charlie Wilson’s War
July 6 — RED
July 13 — Argo
July 20 — Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
July 27 — Body of Lies
Aug. 3 — Enemy of the State
Aug. 10 — The Bourne Identity
Aug. 17 — The Bourne Supremacy
Aug. 24 — The Bourne Ultimatum
Aug. 31 — The Bourne Legacy



MIA - "The Conversation"