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Explosive James Bond film 'Spectre' earns Guinness World Record

James Bond has always been known for doing things big. Now, a new stunt lands the film franchise in the record books thanks to one potent cocktail of a bomb.

Michael Franco
Freelancer Michael Franco writes about the serious and silly sides of science and technology for CNET and other pixel and paper pubs. He's kept his fingers on the keyboard while owning a B&B in Amish country, managing an eco-resort in the Caribbean, sweating in Singapore, and rehydrating (with beer, of course) in Prague. E-mail Michael.
Michael Franco
2 min read
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"All one shot. Come up the stairs, some dialogue, largest explosion in the history of movies, exit frame, cut." -- Director Sam Mendes

Video screenshot by Michael Franco/CNET

In addition to kisses, kills and cocktails, James Bond films are filled with another trademark feature: explosions. Now, an enormous fiery blast in the latest Bond film, "Spectre," has outdone them all. The big boom has claimed a Guinness World Record as the largest film stunt explosion ever.

The explosion (see below) took 8,418 liters (2,224 gallons) of fuel and 33 kilograms (73 pounds) of explosives. The scene was filmed in Erfoud, Morocco, and takes place in the film right after Bond (Daniel Craig) and his love interest Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) escape from a Spectre lair located in a meteorite crater. They watch the baddies' abode burst into fiery ruin from a safe distance away.

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The award was given out Tuesday and belongs to Chris Corbould, who served as special effects and miniature-effects supervisor on the film. He won an Oscar for his work on 2010's "Inception," and he's also special-effects supervisor for the upcoming " Star Wars: The Force Awakens." Craig, Seydoux and producer Barbara Broccoli accepted the honor in his behalf. Unless it's unseated, the film's designation will be included in the "Guinness World Records 2017" book, as the 2016 edition is already on sale.

The previous Guinness record-holder for the largest film explosion category was 1994's "Blown Away" starring Jeff Bridges and Tommy Lee Jones.

While you might not immediately think of films when you think of Guinness World Records (I tend to think of things like the most-pierced man and the largest playing card structure), the organization does have a history of giving nods to the silver screen.

For example, it's designated 2011's "The Summer of Massacre" as having the highest body count in a slasher film and 2010's "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time" as the most expensive film inspired by a video game. And it's given the award for most expensive movie poster to one of only four that exist for the 1927 Fritz Lang film "Metropolis." The poster was sold by the Reel Poster Gallery in London to a US collector for $690,000 (about £456,407, AU$979,140) in November 2005.

"Spectre" debuted in the UK on October 26 and in the United States on November 6. It debuts in Australia on November 12. Its opening brought in $73 million (about £48 million, AU$104 million), second only to its predecessor, "Skyfall."