The snow here in Seattle has been sucking my will to live so I haven't had the desire to do much of anything at all. The misses reminded me that I wanted to do a "my favorite christmas films" list so here we go.
These films are what I consider quintesential and required films to view during the holidays. There is no "It's a Wonderful life" on this list. No "Miracle on 34th St" Nor even "How the Grinch Stole.." These are just the films that I take great joy in viewing during xmas time.
1. Die Hard
Not only is it one of the finest action films ever crafted, it also happens to be a great xmas movie! Family getting together through adversity! Foiling international Thieves! And jolly christmas tunes! (yes, Run DMC is jolly) Ok, I fully admit this only gets on the list because it takes place during christmas.
Favorite Line: Between the two FBI Agents riding in the gunship helicoptor:
Agent 1: This is just like Saigon eh Slick?
Agent 2: I was in Junior High dickhead.
2. A Christmas Story
Sure, this one is a little cliche and does get overplayed to death on TV but how can you not love this movie.
Favorite Line: oooooooooooh Fudge
3. Hogfather
This is a new addition to the list. A british production of an adaptation of the Terry Pratchett novel. Death himself takes over for the "Hogfather" (pretty much Santa) when he goes dissapearing on Hogswatch night (xmas eve) I can't do it justice here but I highly recommend it.
4. Scrooged
Yes, its just a modern take on "A Christmas Carol" but Bill Murray gives a great performance.
Favorite line: The bitch hit me with a toaster
5. The Ref
One of my all time favorite holiday films. A jewel thief hijacks a dysfunctional family while hiding out from the law. Great performances by Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary.
Favorite line: After eating the baby Jesus from a Ginger Bread Nativity scene: ugh...Jesus.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
As it is the christmas season, it's time to watch films appropriate to the season. Later on I will be posting my list of "must see" christmas movies but for now I would like to focus on one of my favorites:
Die Hard.
Easily it is one of the greatest action films ever made. It spawned its own franchise and a plethora of immitators but still today it still stands up well as great film and isn't really dated all that much....except for a few small details.
I now present: Signs your movie is stuck in the '80s.
Fact 1:
John McClane carries a gun (loaded too no doubt since he never goes for a checked bag) on a plane.
Fact 2:
Smoking... in an airport!
Fact 3:
A supporting "yuppie" character does cocaine:
I will admit this is a stretch since coke never really went away as opposed to other "period" drugs like ludes. Fuckin ludes man.
Fact 4:
Gas is 77 cents a gallon. Regular gas is still sold:
Die Hard.
Easily it is one of the greatest action films ever made. It spawned its own franchise and a plethora of immitators but still today it still stands up well as great film and isn't really dated all that much....except for a few small details.
I now present: Signs your movie is stuck in the '80s.
Fact 1:
John McClane carries a gun (loaded too no doubt since he never goes for a checked bag) on a plane.
Fact 2:
Smoking... in an airport!
Fact 3:
A supporting "yuppie" character does cocaine:
I will admit this is a stretch since coke never really went away as opposed to other "period" drugs like ludes. Fuckin ludes man.
Fact 4:
Gas is 77 cents a gallon. Regular gas is still sold:
Monday, December 1, 2008
What I have been watching lately
Just a random update as to what I have had in my queue lately. Upcoming series of "The 100 Films I think everyone should see" and "I can't believe I have never seen this" will begin soon.
What I have been watching lately:
I have recently began pulling films from my youth to watch. Films I have not seen in forever and want to see if they still hold up today or if they are better left in my memory. This experiment has given us three films so far:
-Cloak and Dagger:
A boy with serious abandonment issues (after losing his mother and having a father who is a workaholic) and lives in a "secret agent" fantasy world stumbles upon a real life encounter of espionage and murder. Not a half bad little film but definitely belongs in my memory. The kid from ET pulls off a decent performance and Dabney Coleman pulls double duty as his father and his make believe Secret Agent friend. The film pulls off the story well enough but it does have a certain '80s quality to it that sets it firmly in its decade.
-Outland:
Sean Connery IN SPACE!!!!! Really that's all I needed to know to see this. Sean Connery plays a new Marshall sent to maintain law and order on a mining colony on one of Jupiter's Moons. A great cast that pulls of some decent performances if one can just ignore a bit of false science in this scifi yarn. One can really tell of the influence laid by Silent Running and Alien in this film that gives us an underrated adult scifi tale. I didn't actually remember much of this film from my youth so it was a treat for me. In the end, it turned out to just be High Noon in Space but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable film.
-The Final Countdown:
Cheesy scifi film from the early 80s. A freak electrical storm sends a modern day aircraft carrier back in time to December 6th 1941 right outside of Pearl Harbor. The crew must wrestle with the decision to use their superior firepower to stop the Japanese from attacking and alter history. A decent "what if" premise but unfortunately not executed very well. What could have been something really interesting turned into a movie length commercial for the US Navy. Only about 30 minutes of this thing was the actual story and the film. The rest was copious amounts of shots of life aboard an aircraft carrier and showing every small detail of what goes on there.
ANIME:
The misses and I have gotten back in to our love of Anime with two interesting series:
Zipang:
While the execution left us a little bored, the concept given to us in "The Final Countdown" was still intriguing. While watching that film I wondered what the same story would be like from the Japanese perspective. Little did I know something like this already existed. Enter this 26 episode series: Zipang. A modern day Aegis Class Cruiser from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force is transported in time back to the day before the battle of Midway. While we are only a quarter of the way through the series right now it looks to be a very interesting take on the concept. Modern day Japanese sailors having to contend with the war around them and the differences between their modern day view of imperialistic ways and their own desire to survive. It definitely looks like this series is going down the "change history" path but it remains an interesting take so far.
Here is the opening to this interesting series:
FLAG
This one really was something unique and interesting. Set in the near future, a south western fictional Asian country (think along the silk road) is in the midst of a civil war. UN forces have come to help stop the civil war and a single flag is used as a rally point for peace. 2 weeks before the final peace negations the flag is stolen by rebels and the UN sends in a special task force to recover the flag. Using a specialized mobile armored vehicle that transforms into a realistic mecha the team struggles to find acceptance in this war torn nation. What is truly interesting about this anime is that the whole show is "shot" from the perspective of a journalist hired to document the teams exploits. Using a modern super DLSR/HD Video combo camera the look of the show is 90% through the viewfinder so it looks like this:
At first the view finder aspect (cross hairs, battery info, etc..) one sees through a camera seemed to bug me, but as the show progressed it became an integral aspect to the show and in someways the lens became a character in itself.
At only 13 episodes the story was short but was very deep and laid out well. Here is the opening that helps convey the feeling of the show:
What I have been watching lately:
I have recently began pulling films from my youth to watch. Films I have not seen in forever and want to see if they still hold up today or if they are better left in my memory. This experiment has given us three films so far:
-Cloak and Dagger:
A boy with serious abandonment issues (after losing his mother and having a father who is a workaholic) and lives in a "secret agent" fantasy world stumbles upon a real life encounter of espionage and murder. Not a half bad little film but definitely belongs in my memory. The kid from ET pulls off a decent performance and Dabney Coleman pulls double duty as his father and his make believe Secret Agent friend. The film pulls off the story well enough but it does have a certain '80s quality to it that sets it firmly in its decade.
-Outland:
Sean Connery IN SPACE!!!!! Really that's all I needed to know to see this. Sean Connery plays a new Marshall sent to maintain law and order on a mining colony on one of Jupiter's Moons. A great cast that pulls of some decent performances if one can just ignore a bit of false science in this scifi yarn. One can really tell of the influence laid by Silent Running and Alien in this film that gives us an underrated adult scifi tale. I didn't actually remember much of this film from my youth so it was a treat for me. In the end, it turned out to just be High Noon in Space but nonetheless, it was an enjoyable film.
-The Final Countdown:
Cheesy scifi film from the early 80s. A freak electrical storm sends a modern day aircraft carrier back in time to December 6th 1941 right outside of Pearl Harbor. The crew must wrestle with the decision to use their superior firepower to stop the Japanese from attacking and alter history. A decent "what if" premise but unfortunately not executed very well. What could have been something really interesting turned into a movie length commercial for the US Navy. Only about 30 minutes of this thing was the actual story and the film. The rest was copious amounts of shots of life aboard an aircraft carrier and showing every small detail of what goes on there.
ANIME:
The misses and I have gotten back in to our love of Anime with two interesting series:
Zipang:
While the execution left us a little bored, the concept given to us in "The Final Countdown" was still intriguing. While watching that film I wondered what the same story would be like from the Japanese perspective. Little did I know something like this already existed. Enter this 26 episode series: Zipang. A modern day Aegis Class Cruiser from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force is transported in time back to the day before the battle of Midway. While we are only a quarter of the way through the series right now it looks to be a very interesting take on the concept. Modern day Japanese sailors having to contend with the war around them and the differences between their modern day view of imperialistic ways and their own desire to survive. It definitely looks like this series is going down the "change history" path but it remains an interesting take so far.
Here is the opening to this interesting series:
FLAG
This one really was something unique and interesting. Set in the near future, a south western fictional Asian country (think along the silk road) is in the midst of a civil war. UN forces have come to help stop the civil war and a single flag is used as a rally point for peace. 2 weeks before the final peace negations the flag is stolen by rebels and the UN sends in a special task force to recover the flag. Using a specialized mobile armored vehicle that transforms into a realistic mecha the team struggles to find acceptance in this war torn nation. What is truly interesting about this anime is that the whole show is "shot" from the perspective of a journalist hired to document the teams exploits. Using a modern super DLSR/HD Video combo camera the look of the show is 90% through the viewfinder so it looks like this:
At first the view finder aspect (cross hairs, battery info, etc..) one sees through a camera seemed to bug me, but as the show progressed it became an integral aspect to the show and in someways the lens became a character in itself.
At only 13 episodes the story was short but was very deep and laid out well. Here is the opening that helps convey the feeling of the show:
Friday, November 21, 2008
Review of Quantum of Solace
This is gonna be hard.
Usually when I review films I spoil them to a massive degree. However, I do want to try to review a film without ruining it.
I am going to start with something that most reviewers save to the end: See it. If you enjoyed Casino Royale and specifically Craig as Bond, then this film is for you.
All across the world I have been reading a large amount of negative reviews of the film. Personally, I think these people just don't get it. So lets start with a few ground rules one should consider when watching this film:
1. Ignore every other Bond film except Casino Royale. The reboot of the character and franchise is so deep that the previous 20 films should be considered their own thing. This Bond is new and different.
2. Quit bitching about the lack of Moneypenny, Q, gadgets, etc... this falls right back to number 1.
3. "All the fast editing and cuts are too quick to understand what is going on" This is a filming technique. You either like it or you don't. I can't change that. However, I want to put this forth: quick action edits are not made for the big screen. Watching films like this on your home screen is the proper medium to view these films. Consider the Jason Bourne series or Batman Begins. All complaints about not being able to see things in the theater are not present when watched at home.
If you keep those things in mind, nothing should stop you from enjoying the film.
This film literally picks up an hour after the end of Casino Royale (CR). This makes it a first for a Bond film to be a direct sequel. However to me, Quantum of Solace (QoS) is just the second chapter of the same book started by CR. Even with the action in CR, it is mostly a cerebral film to me. QoS is the pure action side to that coin. While it was looking like at the end of CR, Bond was fully becoming the "ultimate Bond" QoS offers up a few more steps that Bond must go through before he is the best. The plot gives us more of a glimpse into the mysterious organization (resurrection of SPECTRE as far as I am concerned) as Bond stops one more of their plots for "world domination."
While I find the film very enjoyable, it is not without its faults.
-The aforementioned quick cuts. While I have no problem with them, I feel each "fast action" scene could have been a little beefier.
-The run time. This is the shortest Bond film ever. While I did not walk out of the movie feeling that I didn't get enough, I felt there could have been more. I have a feeling the director (who has done some awesome work) was shut out of the editing process and Ms. Broccoli herself edited the film.
-Bond does a lot of globe hopping in this one and the movie feels the need to throw up text where ever he goes so we know where he is. For the most part I have no problem with it, however each location uses a different font to "localize it" and also they try to hide it in the film (like making it look like it is writing on the street in London or on an old Marquee in Bolivia) while it was a nice idea, it totally pulled me out of the film.
Overall Rating:
8.2 out of 10
(for comparison, I give Casino Royale a 9.5 out of 10)
Usually when I review films I spoil them to a massive degree. However, I do want to try to review a film without ruining it.
I am going to start with something that most reviewers save to the end: See it. If you enjoyed Casino Royale and specifically Craig as Bond, then this film is for you.
All across the world I have been reading a large amount of negative reviews of the film. Personally, I think these people just don't get it. So lets start with a few ground rules one should consider when watching this film:
1. Ignore every other Bond film except Casino Royale. The reboot of the character and franchise is so deep that the previous 20 films should be considered their own thing. This Bond is new and different.
2. Quit bitching about the lack of Moneypenny, Q, gadgets, etc... this falls right back to number 1.
3. "All the fast editing and cuts are too quick to understand what is going on" This is a filming technique. You either like it or you don't. I can't change that. However, I want to put this forth: quick action edits are not made for the big screen. Watching films like this on your home screen is the proper medium to view these films. Consider the Jason Bourne series or Batman Begins. All complaints about not being able to see things in the theater are not present when watched at home.
If you keep those things in mind, nothing should stop you from enjoying the film.
This film literally picks up an hour after the end of Casino Royale (CR). This makes it a first for a Bond film to be a direct sequel. However to me, Quantum of Solace (QoS) is just the second chapter of the same book started by CR. Even with the action in CR, it is mostly a cerebral film to me. QoS is the pure action side to that coin. While it was looking like at the end of CR, Bond was fully becoming the "ultimate Bond" QoS offers up a few more steps that Bond must go through before he is the best. The plot gives us more of a glimpse into the mysterious organization (resurrection of SPECTRE as far as I am concerned) as Bond stops one more of their plots for "world domination."
While I find the film very enjoyable, it is not without its faults.
-The aforementioned quick cuts. While I have no problem with them, I feel each "fast action" scene could have been a little beefier.
-The run time. This is the shortest Bond film ever. While I did not walk out of the movie feeling that I didn't get enough, I felt there could have been more. I have a feeling the director (who has done some awesome work) was shut out of the editing process and Ms. Broccoli herself edited the film.
-Bond does a lot of globe hopping in this one and the movie feels the need to throw up text where ever he goes so we know where he is. For the most part I have no problem with it, however each location uses a different font to "localize it" and also they try to hide it in the film (like making it look like it is writing on the street in London or on an old Marquee in Bolivia) while it was a nice idea, it totally pulled me out of the film.
Overall Rating:
8.2 out of 10
(for comparison, I give Casino Royale a 9.5 out of 10)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Movie Blog poll
I am hosting a poll as to where I want to take my next post for my movie blog.
Please vote!
Click here to vote
I am hosting a poll as to where I want to take my next post for my movie blog.
Please vote!
Click here to vote
On soundtracks and album art
My musical tastes recently have regressed 18 years. In the summer of my 15th year on this spinning rock I listened exclusively to movie scores and soundtracks. I always enjoyed experiencing films I loved on a separate level, enjoying the reminded visuals in my head based off of the music and even having a whole new experience with just the music. All I currently listen to (while working at my job, working out, working in the yard, working in my shop, cleaning the house, etc...) are once again movie scores. Old favorites, new acquisitions and sometimes even scores to films I haven't seen yet (more on this later) all come into play.
My collection has become quite extensive recently and I have gone through the process of tagging and organizing the files I play with data and of course album art.
While doing so, I noticed something rather interesting. I can't say for sure this was intentional, but it is a rather fascinating little thing. Each album seems to carry a connection with each film and a overall theme to the series.
I give you, the album art for each soundtrack to the films of the Jason Bourne series.
1. The Bourne Identity
Jason is on the run, and has no idea who he truly is or his full potential. The art shows us Jason from a distance and not fully confident of himself. With the cross hairs over him we are to feel that he is the prey.
2. The Bourne Supremacy
Jason has taking charge of his new life but the organization still wants him dead. Here he must take command to regain himself. This shot shows us a little closer to Jason (with a close up of him and a sniper rifle showing us he is no longer the prey) but still a distance to his character
3. The Bourne Ultimatum
Jason has been backed into a corner finally and reacts the only way he can. This shot, showing us an extreme close up of Jason emerging from the shadows conveys a foreboding feeling that in any dark place he can lurk ready to take you out.
Again, if this was intentional...bravo! Even if it wasn't, it does give us a unique extra experience to bring the whole thing together more.
My collection has become quite extensive recently and I have gone through the process of tagging and organizing the files I play with data and of course album art.
While doing so, I noticed something rather interesting. I can't say for sure this was intentional, but it is a rather fascinating little thing. Each album seems to carry a connection with each film and a overall theme to the series.
I give you, the album art for each soundtrack to the films of the Jason Bourne series.
1. The Bourne Identity
Jason is on the run, and has no idea who he truly is or his full potential. The art shows us Jason from a distance and not fully confident of himself. With the cross hairs over him we are to feel that he is the prey.
2. The Bourne Supremacy
Jason has taking charge of his new life but the organization still wants him dead. Here he must take command to regain himself. This shot shows us a little closer to Jason (with a close up of him and a sniper rifle showing us he is no longer the prey) but still a distance to his character
3. The Bourne Ultimatum
Jason has been backed into a corner finally and reacts the only way he can. This shot, showing us an extreme close up of Jason emerging from the shadows conveys a foreboding feeling that in any dark place he can lurk ready to take you out.
Again, if this was intentional...bravo! Even if it wasn't, it does give us a unique extra experience to bring the whole thing together more.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Why does this thing piss me off so much?
While seeing the new James Bond last week, I had the displeasure of seeing the trailer for the upcoming JJ Abrams "pre-quel" Star Trek.
see the trailer here (please pardon the ad at the bottom):
I have long held a certain amount of disdain for this thing but I did have a small amount of open mindedness towards it. However after seeing the trailer, my fears seem to be taking root. But in the end, I probably wont see it (I can't stand JJ as a director, Paramount hasn't been able to do anything good with the franchise in a long time) so it shouldn't affect me this much.
But good lord does it piss me off!
My reasons for being pissed:
-Canon. If you are going to call this thing a pre-quel and not a reboot, you shouldn't be ignoring the VOLUMES of information already out there. Let alone the fact that everyone from the crew seems to be there from the beginning, kinda defeats the concept on many levels. Honestly, if they would just come out and say this is a reboot of the franchise I wouldn't be even making this post.
-Plot. Spoiler alert. Apparently Older Spock (yes, they pulled Leonard Nimoy out of retirement for this, yet couldn;t find room for even a cameo for Shatner) travels BACK IN TIME to stop an attack on younger Kirk. Seriously, time travel? Again?
-Who is this movie made for? JJ says this movie is not for fans of Trek, but for fans of movies. Sorry JJ, that doesn't fly. You can't get regular people excited about Star Trek without people thinking about the last 40 years of Star Trek. And Paramount, what are you thinking? Look at your declining ticket numbers for each Trek film. The last one to make the largest amount of money was Star Trek the Motion Picture back in 1979...AND THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE!
-All in all, I think it is this one thing that pisses me off the most.
That is the Enterprise being built....ON EARTH! Someone want to explain how a ship that is designed for space flight, who's design would be ripped apart fleeing a gravity well, can be built on earth?
So all in all, I can't explain my anger over this. Like I said, I have no desire to see it (even if my wife's cousin is in it) but it just rubs me the wrong way.
My prediction, decent opening weekend with falling numbers each week after.
see the trailer here (please pardon the ad at the bottom):
I have long held a certain amount of disdain for this thing but I did have a small amount of open mindedness towards it. However after seeing the trailer, my fears seem to be taking root. But in the end, I probably wont see it (I can't stand JJ as a director, Paramount hasn't been able to do anything good with the franchise in a long time) so it shouldn't affect me this much.
But good lord does it piss me off!
My reasons for being pissed:
-Canon. If you are going to call this thing a pre-quel and not a reboot, you shouldn't be ignoring the VOLUMES of information already out there. Let alone the fact that everyone from the crew seems to be there from the beginning, kinda defeats the concept on many levels. Honestly, if they would just come out and say this is a reboot of the franchise I wouldn't be even making this post.
-Plot. Spoiler alert. Apparently Older Spock (yes, they pulled Leonard Nimoy out of retirement for this, yet couldn;t find room for even a cameo for Shatner) travels BACK IN TIME to stop an attack on younger Kirk. Seriously, time travel? Again?
-Who is this movie made for? JJ says this movie is not for fans of Trek, but for fans of movies. Sorry JJ, that doesn't fly. You can't get regular people excited about Star Trek without people thinking about the last 40 years of Star Trek. And Paramount, what are you thinking? Look at your declining ticket numbers for each Trek film. The last one to make the largest amount of money was Star Trek the Motion Picture back in 1979...AND THAT WAS THE FIRST ONE!
-All in all, I think it is this one thing that pisses me off the most.
That is the Enterprise being built....ON EARTH! Someone want to explain how a ship that is designed for space flight, who's design would be ripped apart fleeing a gravity well, can be built on earth?
So all in all, I can't explain my anger over this. Like I said, I have no desire to see it (even if my wife's cousin is in it) but it just rubs me the wrong way.
My prediction, decent opening weekend with falling numbers each week after.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thank you for enjoying the series "The Only 5 Bond films you need to see."
Please go here for final words on the series and open discussion:
Click here to discss
Please go here for final words on the series and open discussion:
Click here to discss
Friday, November 14, 2008
The final entry for "The Only 5 Bond Films you need to see"
For Your Eyes Only, 1981
Plot: A British encryption device that could trigger WW3 is lost in an accident and Bond must recover it before it falls into enemy hands.
Reason for placement on the list:
At this point in time, Roger Moore was 54 years old. Already too old to play a younger Bond but fits in perfect for my theory. This is the older Bond. He is at the height of experience, but no longer at the height of his physical side. He thinks more than he moves. And when he does move, it is actually played out in the film as an older Bond (unlike the next two Roger Moore did that he should have never done.) There is one scene as he runs after a bad guy fleeing in a car that he is actually huffing and puffing his way through the run. Near the end of his career Bond may be old, but he is still the ultimate agent. I also chose this film for its level of some what realism (especially compared to other Moore films), yet still works in the Bond world. Actual Cold War politics and actions occur in this film and it doesn't revolve around some diabolical mad man holding the world ransom or the what not. Bond also has his final character growth in this film. We open the film with Bond at Teresa's grave.
He has come to terms with his final loss. He knows he will never find love again so he has accepted who he is. A loyalist to his Queen and a soldier in the war against evil.
Gun barrel sequence:
Roger Moore with a strong stance with using both hands to fire.
Opening Number:
Another standard silhouette of naked women Maurice Binder sequce with a song by Sheena Easton. Interestingly enough, Sheena is the only singer to ever be actually in the opening number.
Best Action Sequence:
Bond being chased through the alps by guys on motorcycles. Beautifully shot sequence.
I want my two dollars!
So I think that On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Living Daylights and this film proves that James Bond is one bad ass when it comes to snow. (Thunderball and this film also prove that underwater, Bond also is the master of his domain)
Gadgets used:
The final film completes the majority of my 5 that use little to no gadgets. Bond is responsible for himself without massive assistance from Q branch. Other than a small scene with Q in the lab using a computer to make a composite sketch of a bad guy, we don't even see him much. To keep fans happy, Q was written in to be a field informant later in the film (which even to this day is strange to me)
Felix Leiter count: Zero
Best Line:
While I may have mentioned earlier in the gadget section this scene was strange to me, I do feel it gave us the best line of the film:
While Bond enters a confessional booth to get information from Q:
Bond: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."
Q: That's putting it mildly 007.
Random Points of interest:
-By showing Bond at Teresa's grave, this film is the only Bond film to have any direct connection to others (outside of Bond and his mythos) so it is considered by many to be the only real Bond sequel (not counting of course Quantum of Solace which apparently picks up about 60 minutes after the end of Casino Royale)
-The whole opening sequence is actually kind of a big "screw you" by Albert Broccoli to the co-author of Thunderball, Kevin McClory. McClory had a a lawsuit against the producers over James Bond, SPECTRE and Blofeld. Years of litigation finally reached an agreement that McClory could make his own James Bond film and use SPECTRE and Blofeld but only if he remade Thunderball (to which he did, and it made our 5 you should never see list!) At one point in all of the legal battles McClory told Broccoli that "Bond is nothing without SPECTRE and Blofeld, he will never be succesful without it" Broccoli then mad the opening scene to piss off McClory saying "fine, we will just kill of Blofeld once and for all and end that" I am not doing the whole thing justice but if you really are curious about it do a quick google search and you will find lots of details.
-The actress who played Cassandra (the shill for the casino and Topol's mistress) was in real life married to Pierce Brosnan. It was her role on this film that introduced Pierce to Albert Broccoli and helped put him in place for his later appearances as Bond.
Next time, a review of the overall theory, the 5 Bond films you should NEVER see and discussion!
For Your Eyes Only, 1981
Plot: A British encryption device that could trigger WW3 is lost in an accident and Bond must recover it before it falls into enemy hands.
Reason for placement on the list:
At this point in time, Roger Moore was 54 years old. Already too old to play a younger Bond but fits in perfect for my theory. This is the older Bond. He is at the height of experience, but no longer at the height of his physical side. He thinks more than he moves. And when he does move, it is actually played out in the film as an older Bond (unlike the next two Roger Moore did that he should have never done.) There is one scene as he runs after a bad guy fleeing in a car that he is actually huffing and puffing his way through the run. Near the end of his career Bond may be old, but he is still the ultimate agent. I also chose this film for its level of some what realism (especially compared to other Moore films), yet still works in the Bond world. Actual Cold War politics and actions occur in this film and it doesn't revolve around some diabolical mad man holding the world ransom or the what not. Bond also has his final character growth in this film. We open the film with Bond at Teresa's grave.
He has come to terms with his final loss. He knows he will never find love again so he has accepted who he is. A loyalist to his Queen and a soldier in the war against evil.
Gun barrel sequence:
Roger Moore with a strong stance with using both hands to fire.
Opening Number:
Another standard silhouette of naked women Maurice Binder sequce with a song by Sheena Easton. Interestingly enough, Sheena is the only singer to ever be actually in the opening number.
Best Action Sequence:
Bond being chased through the alps by guys on motorcycles. Beautifully shot sequence.
I want my two dollars!
So I think that On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Living Daylights and this film proves that James Bond is one bad ass when it comes to snow. (Thunderball and this film also prove that underwater, Bond also is the master of his domain)
Gadgets used:
The final film completes the majority of my 5 that use little to no gadgets. Bond is responsible for himself without massive assistance from Q branch. Other than a small scene with Q in the lab using a computer to make a composite sketch of a bad guy, we don't even see him much. To keep fans happy, Q was written in to be a field informant later in the film (which even to this day is strange to me)
Felix Leiter count: Zero
Best Line:
While I may have mentioned earlier in the gadget section this scene was strange to me, I do feel it gave us the best line of the film:
While Bond enters a confessional booth to get information from Q:
Bond: "Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned."
Q: That's putting it mildly 007.
Random Points of interest:
-By showing Bond at Teresa's grave, this film is the only Bond film to have any direct connection to others (outside of Bond and his mythos) so it is considered by many to be the only real Bond sequel (not counting of course Quantum of Solace which apparently picks up about 60 minutes after the end of Casino Royale)
-The whole opening sequence is actually kind of a big "screw you" by Albert Broccoli to the co-author of Thunderball, Kevin McClory. McClory had a a lawsuit against the producers over James Bond, SPECTRE and Blofeld. Years of litigation finally reached an agreement that McClory could make his own James Bond film and use SPECTRE and Blofeld but only if he remade Thunderball (to which he did, and it made our 5 you should never see list!) At one point in all of the legal battles McClory told Broccoli that "Bond is nothing without SPECTRE and Blofeld, he will never be succesful without it" Broccoli then mad the opening scene to piss off McClory saying "fine, we will just kill of Blofeld once and for all and end that" I am not doing the whole thing justice but if you really are curious about it do a quick google search and you will find lots of details.
-The actress who played Cassandra (the shill for the casino and Topol's mistress) was in real life married to Pierce Brosnan. It was her role on this film that introduced Pierce to Albert Broccoli and helped put him in place for his later appearances as Bond.
And we couldn't go away with at least one mention of the awesome Topol:
If I were a rich man... ya da ya ya da ya da yaaaaaaaaaaaa
If I were a rich man... ya da ya ya da ya da yaaaaaaaaaaaa
Next time, a review of the overall theory, the 5 Bond films you should NEVER see and discussion!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Part four in the ongoing series "The Only 5 Bond Films you need to see"
The Living Daylights, 1987
FULL DISCLOSURE: This was the first Bond film I saw in a theater* (and owned an official copy of on VHS which I watched almost as many times as Die Hard i.e. every day after school) so it holds a special place for me. It still however has a valid place on the list, but you will excuse me if I gush a bit in places about it.
*Technically I saw For Your Eyes Only in a theater as well, but I was 6 and didn't appreciate it then, plus I fell asleep pretty quickly.
Plot: James Bond deals with a defecting Russian officer, a plot to kill brutish agents and a girl with a cello.
Reason for placement on the list:
James Bond has now gone to a dark place. He gave his love to Vesper and she betrayed him. He gave his love to Teresa and she was killed. Bond has realized that he can never ever truly love and all he can be is 007. He resents this. He doesn't care all that much about the job, but he does it out of duty. Could M fire him for what he does? He cares not. He defies orders (even more so than normal,) he takes an extra hour to report in after a fellow OO is killed just so he can bed a random chick, he risks WW3 happening all on a hunch. He has been hurt so much that all he can do now is what he is trained to do and cares not for anyone he hurts along the way. This Bond is fairly depressed but hides it well. He realizes early on that Kara was just a pawn in the defection scheme but he uses her the same way to get what he wants. For an even darker approach to Bond, Dalton's second film the vastly underrated "License to Kill" removed the majority of humor from the film and played it mostly serious.
I know it's just an out of conrtol jeep smashing through a wall and flying off a cliff, but man, I love this shot:
Gun barrel sequence:
Timothy Dalton puts his own flair on the gun barrel. Steady walk with a one handed gun shot with a strong stance and lean.
Opening Number:
After the success of the last Bond theme song (a View to a Kill by Duran Duran) the producers thought they could hit paydirt again by getting a song to hit the charts big. Originally the opening song was to be "Where has everybody gone" by the Pretenders (the song can be heard in the film on the KGB assassin's headphones and in the credits) but they felt going with Norwegian band aha (yes, "take me on" aha) would be better for record sales. A fairly standard and even Binder credit sequence:
This would be Maurice Binders second to last opening credit design.
Best Action Sequence:
Hands down the fight with the KGB assassin hanging out of the airplane on the net full of opium always impresses me.
However, the staging and brilliance of the car chase with the beautiful Aston Martin V8 Vantage in the snow and subsequent Cello Ski chase wins.
Gadgets used:
Gadgets make a come back to the list in a big way. We get:
-Whistle locater key ring with stun gas and small explosive capabilities
-Super Key that can open 90% if the worlds locks
-Tricked out Aston Martin with Laser, ice-driving kit, short term rocket boost, missiles, bullet proof glass and self destruct.
Felix Leiter Count: One
Best Line:
I will have to admit, this one didn't really have a line that stood out. Sure there were some good Bond quips but since this movie was originally scripted thinking that Roger Moore was going to continue (good lord, he would have made Indiana Jones 4 look spry and young at that point!) so some of the lines seemed like a call back to the cheese that unfortunately permeated in Rogers tenure (trust me, 2 of the 5 Bond films you should NEVER see are Roger Moore films) However, in the spirit of my theory I will choose one. Going back the opening of the film in what I consider a dick move (even for James Bond) after finding a fellow agent murdered, attacking and killing an Assassin, driving a jeep off a cliff and parachuting onto a yacht. Instead of reporting in as soon as possible he calls into say "I will be there in an hour"
The lonely bored rich woman offers him champagne with a "won't you join me?"
To which Bond then tells MI6, "Better make it two"
Random points of interest:
-Timothy Dalton was actually asked to be Bond back in 1968 when Sean stepped down the first time. If he had taken the role, it would have been him instead of George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Fortunately, Dalton had the smarts then to realize he was way too young to be Bond and declined. Dalton was originally offered the role in The Living Daylights but had to turn it down due to conflicts. The role was then offered to Pierce Brosnan who had just lost his job when NBC cancelled Remington Steele. News of this got out and interest in Remington Steele shot up causing NBC to bring back the show and keep Pierce to his contract. The role was again offered to Dalton and he accepted.
-The rebels that Bond works with are the Mujahideen which in the real world has lead to some becoming members of the Taliban. Therefore, James Bond supports terrorists :)
-I realized after reviewing this film for this list that the reason I have always been in love with the C-130 Hurcules Military Cargo Plane is because of this film.
-This would be John Barry's last James Bond film that he scored. Micheal Kamen, Eric Serra and finally staying with David Arnold took over composing work.
The Living Daylights, 1987
FULL DISCLOSURE: This was the first Bond film I saw in a theater* (and owned an official copy of on VHS which I watched almost as many times as Die Hard i.e. every day after school) so it holds a special place for me. It still however has a valid place on the list, but you will excuse me if I gush a bit in places about it.
*Technically I saw For Your Eyes Only in a theater as well, but I was 6 and didn't appreciate it then, plus I fell asleep pretty quickly.
Plot: James Bond deals with a defecting Russian officer, a plot to kill brutish agents and a girl with a cello.
Reason for placement on the list:
James Bond has now gone to a dark place. He gave his love to Vesper and she betrayed him. He gave his love to Teresa and she was killed. Bond has realized that he can never ever truly love and all he can be is 007. He resents this. He doesn't care all that much about the job, but he does it out of duty. Could M fire him for what he does? He cares not. He defies orders (even more so than normal,) he takes an extra hour to report in after a fellow OO is killed just so he can bed a random chick, he risks WW3 happening all on a hunch. He has been hurt so much that all he can do now is what he is trained to do and cares not for anyone he hurts along the way. This Bond is fairly depressed but hides it well. He realizes early on that Kara was just a pawn in the defection scheme but he uses her the same way to get what he wants. For an even darker approach to Bond, Dalton's second film the vastly underrated "License to Kill" removed the majority of humor from the film and played it mostly serious.
I know it's just an out of conrtol jeep smashing through a wall and flying off a cliff, but man, I love this shot:
Gun barrel sequence:
Timothy Dalton puts his own flair on the gun barrel. Steady walk with a one handed gun shot with a strong stance and lean.
Opening Number:
After the success of the last Bond theme song (a View to a Kill by Duran Duran) the producers thought they could hit paydirt again by getting a song to hit the charts big. Originally the opening song was to be "Where has everybody gone" by the Pretenders (the song can be heard in the film on the KGB assassin's headphones and in the credits) but they felt going with Norwegian band aha (yes, "take me on" aha) would be better for record sales. A fairly standard and even Binder credit sequence:
This would be Maurice Binders second to last opening credit design.
Best Action Sequence:
Hands down the fight with the KGB assassin hanging out of the airplane on the net full of opium always impresses me.
However, the staging and brilliance of the car chase with the beautiful Aston Martin V8 Vantage in the snow and subsequent Cello Ski chase wins.
I hate the fact that we are becoming a touch screen world. I miss the days of a great push button interface:
BARNS ON ICE!
Time to leave!
I am sure glad I forced you to bring your cello!
BARNS ON ICE!
Time to leave!
I am sure glad I forced you to bring your cello!
Gadgets used:
Gadgets make a come back to the list in a big way. We get:
-Whistle locater key ring with stun gas and small explosive capabilities
-Super Key that can open 90% if the worlds locks
-Tricked out Aston Martin with Laser, ice-driving kit, short term rocket boost, missiles, bullet proof glass and self destruct.
Felix Leiter Count: One
Best Line:
I will have to admit, this one didn't really have a line that stood out. Sure there were some good Bond quips but since this movie was originally scripted thinking that Roger Moore was going to continue (good lord, he would have made Indiana Jones 4 look spry and young at that point!) so some of the lines seemed like a call back to the cheese that unfortunately permeated in Rogers tenure (trust me, 2 of the 5 Bond films you should NEVER see are Roger Moore films) However, in the spirit of my theory I will choose one. Going back the opening of the film in what I consider a dick move (even for James Bond) after finding a fellow agent murdered, attacking and killing an Assassin, driving a jeep off a cliff and parachuting onto a yacht. Instead of reporting in as soon as possible he calls into say "I will be there in an hour"
The lonely bored rich woman offers him champagne with a "won't you join me?"
To which Bond then tells MI6, "Better make it two"
Random points of interest:
-Timothy Dalton was actually asked to be Bond back in 1968 when Sean stepped down the first time. If he had taken the role, it would have been him instead of George Lazenby in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Fortunately, Dalton had the smarts then to realize he was way too young to be Bond and declined. Dalton was originally offered the role in The Living Daylights but had to turn it down due to conflicts. The role was then offered to Pierce Brosnan who had just lost his job when NBC cancelled Remington Steele. News of this got out and interest in Remington Steele shot up causing NBC to bring back the show and keep Pierce to his contract. The role was again offered to Dalton and he accepted.
-The rebels that Bond works with are the Mujahideen which in the real world has lead to some becoming members of the Taliban. Therefore, James Bond supports terrorists :)
-I realized after reviewing this film for this list that the reason I have always been in love with the C-130 Hurcules Military Cargo Plane is because of this film.
-This would be John Barry's last James Bond film that he scored. Micheal Kamen, Eric Serra and finally staying with David Arnold took over composing work.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Part three in the ongoing series "The Only 5 Bond Films you need to see"
On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969
Plot: James Bond woos a mob boss's daughter and goes undercover to stop Blofeld once and for all.
Reason for placement on the list:
So after James Bond gets his start in Casino Royale and has become the fine tuned machine in Thunderball, James Bond as a character once again gets to grow. This time, his obsession almost gets the better of him. Tracking down SPECTER and Blofeld especially has become his lifes work, so much that M is ready to take him off the case. A hasty decision to leave MI6 (thwarted by the smarts of Miss Moneypenny) Bond finds himself taking a small vacation. Upon this vacation he is given a chance to find Blofeld directly, but only by marrying a mob boss' daughter. Naturally Bond sees this as a means to an end, little did he know he would be able to find love again and perhaps even be a normal person again in the arms of Teresa. Thwarting Blofeld's plot, Bond feels he has completed his work that started back in Casino Royale. (Yes, I am officially tying SPECTRE as the organization that employed LeChiffre and the guy Bond kneecapped at the end) Accepting he can move on he once again gives his full love and humanity to another and marries Teresa. Unfortunately, Blofeld gets the final revenge and resorts to a cowardly drive by shooting and Teresa catches a bullet in the head. The film ends with Bond crying over her dead body to pretty much the saddest Bond ending ever.
Gun barrel sequence:
Being a new actor playing Bond, they once again re-shot the gun barrel. This time Bond kneels to shoot. Also when the blood hits the acutal opening, Bond gets erased from the screen.
Opening Number:
One could easily say this was the first rebooting of the franchise. While it did continue the story set by the previous 5 films, many different aspects were made different. The story is a little more serious, virtually no gadgets were used, the plot was a little more down to earth and so on. However the opening credits decided to pay homage to all that had come before by playing random clips from the previous movies with a non-singing instrumental song (an updated James Bond theme by John Barry that was later remixed very beautifully by Propellerheads) but still keeping the bond style to it:
As you saw at the opening of this song, this Bond is the only one to ever break the Fourth Wall and speak directly to the audience. Normally I am against breaking the 4th wall in films such as this but here it works. For one it's an awesome line and secondly this was a great way to let the audience know we were in for a very different Bond film.
Best Action Sequence:
To me, the action is cranked up high in this film. While Sean gave some great sequences, nothing matches the brutality of George's presence in the last 1/3 of the film. To me from when Bond is imprisoned in the gondola shack, to his skiing escape, running into Teresa, the subsequent car chase, the next ski chase (with avalance,) Teresa captured, the assualt on Blofelds lab and finally the bobsled chase are all one huge action sequnce.
Warren Miller ain't got nothing on these guys.
Gadgets used:
As mentioned above, gadgets are barely touched upon in this film. While Bond is mulling over his hasty decision to leave MI6 he pulls out a bunch of gadgets (that were all seen in previous films) and reflects upon his career. I wonder if Q Branch ever got pissed Bond didn't return that stuff. The only gadget that Bond actually uses is a electronic safe cracking machine.
The size of the thing hardly qualifies as a gadget but it works for us. Whats fascinating about it being so large is the movie opens actually with Q bitching to M about how outdated their equipment is and the future is in miniaturization. Guess the safe cracking tech wasn't quite there yet.
Best line:
As a girl writes a message on his inner thigh (under his kilt)
He is then asked "Is anything ze matter, Sir Hilary?"
"Just a slight stiffness coming on... in the shoulder."
Random points of interest:
-This has been the only Bond film to adhere closely to the original text. Pretty much everything you see on screen happens in the book. This also IMO leads to help out that Lazenby was the only actor to be the all around definitve Bond. All other Bonds have their pluses and takes sides of the character, but George fills all the shoes.
-Contray to popular belief, this film did not bomb at the box office. It did quite well actually. So why did George not do more? Unfortunatley, acting on advice from his manager he felt that perhaps the world was drastically changing and Bond would no longer have a place in it. George then pretty much sabotaged himself at press events for the film and got himself out of doing anymore Bond. Later on (and pretty much to this day) he regrets making this decision.
-This girl (one of the girls at the clinic):
would later go onto be this girl:
Next time, Bond goes dark and brooding.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service, 1969
Plot: James Bond woos a mob boss's daughter and goes undercover to stop Blofeld once and for all.
Reason for placement on the list:
So after James Bond gets his start in Casino Royale and has become the fine tuned machine in Thunderball, James Bond as a character once again gets to grow. This time, his obsession almost gets the better of him. Tracking down SPECTER and Blofeld especially has become his lifes work, so much that M is ready to take him off the case. A hasty decision to leave MI6 (thwarted by the smarts of Miss Moneypenny) Bond finds himself taking a small vacation. Upon this vacation he is given a chance to find Blofeld directly, but only by marrying a mob boss' daughter. Naturally Bond sees this as a means to an end, little did he know he would be able to find love again and perhaps even be a normal person again in the arms of Teresa. Thwarting Blofeld's plot, Bond feels he has completed his work that started back in Casino Royale. (Yes, I am officially tying SPECTRE as the organization that employed LeChiffre and the guy Bond kneecapped at the end) Accepting he can move on he once again gives his full love and humanity to another and marries Teresa. Unfortunately, Blofeld gets the final revenge and resorts to a cowardly drive by shooting and Teresa catches a bullet in the head. The film ends with Bond crying over her dead body to pretty much the saddest Bond ending ever.
Gun barrel sequence:
Being a new actor playing Bond, they once again re-shot the gun barrel. This time Bond kneels to shoot. Also when the blood hits the acutal opening, Bond gets erased from the screen.
Opening Number:
One could easily say this was the first rebooting of the franchise. While it did continue the story set by the previous 5 films, many different aspects were made different. The story is a little more serious, virtually no gadgets were used, the plot was a little more down to earth and so on. However the opening credits decided to pay homage to all that had come before by playing random clips from the previous movies with a non-singing instrumental song (an updated James Bond theme by John Barry that was later remixed very beautifully by Propellerheads) but still keeping the bond style to it:
As you saw at the opening of this song, this Bond is the only one to ever break the Fourth Wall and speak directly to the audience. Normally I am against breaking the 4th wall in films such as this but here it works. For one it's an awesome line and secondly this was a great way to let the audience know we were in for a very different Bond film.
Best Action Sequence:
To me, the action is cranked up high in this film. While Sean gave some great sequences, nothing matches the brutality of George's presence in the last 1/3 of the film. To me from when Bond is imprisoned in the gondola shack, to his skiing escape, running into Teresa, the subsequent car chase, the next ski chase (with avalance,) Teresa captured, the assualt on Blofelds lab and finally the bobsled chase are all one huge action sequnce.
Warren Miller ain't got nothing on these guys.
Gadgets used:
As mentioned above, gadgets are barely touched upon in this film. While Bond is mulling over his hasty decision to leave MI6 he pulls out a bunch of gadgets (that were all seen in previous films) and reflects upon his career. I wonder if Q Branch ever got pissed Bond didn't return that stuff. The only gadget that Bond actually uses is a electronic safe cracking machine.
The size of the thing hardly qualifies as a gadget but it works for us. Whats fascinating about it being so large is the movie opens actually with Q bitching to M about how outdated their equipment is and the future is in miniaturization. Guess the safe cracking tech wasn't quite there yet.
Best line:
As a girl writes a message on his inner thigh (under his kilt)
He is then asked "Is anything ze matter, Sir Hilary?"
"Just a slight stiffness coming on... in the shoulder."
Random points of interest:
-This has been the only Bond film to adhere closely to the original text. Pretty much everything you see on screen happens in the book. This also IMO leads to help out that Lazenby was the only actor to be the all around definitve Bond. All other Bonds have their pluses and takes sides of the character, but George fills all the shoes.
-Contray to popular belief, this film did not bomb at the box office. It did quite well actually. So why did George not do more? Unfortunatley, acting on advice from his manager he felt that perhaps the world was drastically changing and Bond would no longer have a place in it. George then pretty much sabotaged himself at press events for the film and got himself out of doing anymore Bond. Later on (and pretty much to this day) he regrets making this decision.
-This girl (one of the girls at the clinic):
would later go onto be this girl:
Next time, Bond goes dark and brooding.
And now the second entry in our series on the only 5 Bond films you need to see:
Thunderball, 1965
Plot: The terrorist organization SPECTRE has stolen 2 nuclear weapons and James Bond is the only man who can stop them.
Reason for placement on the list:
James Bond has become the super agent he truly is. His loss of Vesper forces him to bury himself in his work to become the greatest British Agent ever. Here we see Bond in his prime. He is both a man of action and a man of thinking here.
Kick ass with the best of them:
Working all angles possible to find out where the bombs are Bond is a force that can't be stopped. While he does end up using the girl in the film to find things out, he does have some feeling for her. But as mentioned last time, he can no longer love. He tries and tries with multiple women, but he can not feel a thing. He is hoping that one day it may return, but he finds nothing but emptiness. So all he can do is continue to be Bond.
My silence has a price, come snog with me in the steam room:
SPECTRE plays a major part in this film and the hatred for Blofeld and his sinister organization gets it's final roots here.
Gun barrel sequence:
The traditional gunbarrel sequence. Check out the awesome hat on Connery! Trivia: While this film was Sean Connery's 4th time playing Bond, this was his first time being in the actual gunbarrel scene. The previous 3 stuntman Bob Simmons starred in the scene so technically he was the first actor to play Bond in films. Notice how Connery wobbles while turning and adjusts his balance and then bends over and fires. I really wonder why they didn't re-shoot this to show Bond being a little more stable.
Opening Number:
Maurice Binder (who designed the majority of Bond opening sequences before he died in 1991) gives us another great sequence with a wonderful "water ballet" to a Tom Jones power ballad (with lyrics that truly make no sense)
Best Action Sequence:
While the underwater battle at the end of the film is huge and impressive, I rather enjoy both the stealth break in (and subsequent henchman fight/shark tank scare) of Largo's house and the chase in the parade from the bad guys.
Gadgets used:
A great plethora of gadgets used here: a short term pocket sized re-breather, underwater camera with infrared capabilities and a geiger counter, jet pack, Aston Martin bullet shield and water hoses, radioactive emergency locator beacon in pill form, and a watch also with a geiger counter.
SUBSTITUTION: Discussing this theory with my father (for it was he who got me into the world of Bond in the first place) he offered one substitution for my list. Instead of Thunderball, view From Russia With Love instead. It fills many of the same points that Thunderball does so it is an acceptable replacement. I just like Thunderball better.
Random points of interest:
-Dominio at one point goes to change bathing suits to something less distracting to the men from this:
to this:
-James Bond wears pink, and looks hot doing it. What happened to the color pink? Why is it considered so feminine now?
-And for anyone of you who do find Mr. Connery to be a gorgeous man, then this movie is for you. Because honestly, he spends about 70 percent of the movie looking like this:
When speaking with my mother about the amount of time in the film Sean is mostly naked she responded "oh, you mean the best part of the movie?" Gotta love my mom.
Felix Leiter: One
Best Line:
(after dancing with the Femme Fatale and making her take an assassin's bullet Bond quips:
"Would you mind if my date sat here?"
"She's just dead"
As per my wifes request, one final shot of gratuitous Sean porn:
Next in the series, Bond finds humanity again, only to lose it all.
Plot: The terrorist organization SPECTRE has stolen 2 nuclear weapons and James Bond is the only man who can stop them.
Reason for placement on the list:
James Bond has become the super agent he truly is. His loss of Vesper forces him to bury himself in his work to become the greatest British Agent ever. Here we see Bond in his prime. He is both a man of action and a man of thinking here.
Kick ass with the best of them:
Working all angles possible to find out where the bombs are Bond is a force that can't be stopped. While he does end up using the girl in the film to find things out, he does have some feeling for her. But as mentioned last time, he can no longer love. He tries and tries with multiple women, but he can not feel a thing. He is hoping that one day it may return, but he finds nothing but emptiness. So all he can do is continue to be Bond.
My silence has a price, come snog with me in the steam room:
SPECTRE plays a major part in this film and the hatred for Blofeld and his sinister organization gets it's final roots here.
Gun barrel sequence:
The traditional gunbarrel sequence. Check out the awesome hat on Connery! Trivia: While this film was Sean Connery's 4th time playing Bond, this was his first time being in the actual gunbarrel scene. The previous 3 stuntman Bob Simmons starred in the scene so technically he was the first actor to play Bond in films. Notice how Connery wobbles while turning and adjusts his balance and then bends over and fires. I really wonder why they didn't re-shoot this to show Bond being a little more stable.
Opening Number:
Maurice Binder (who designed the majority of Bond opening sequences before he died in 1991) gives us another great sequence with a wonderful "water ballet" to a Tom Jones power ballad (with lyrics that truly make no sense)
Best Action Sequence:
While the underwater battle at the end of the film is huge and impressive, I rather enjoy both the stealth break in (and subsequent henchman fight/shark tank scare) of Largo's house and the chase in the parade from the bad guys.
Gadgets used:
A great plethora of gadgets used here: a short term pocket sized re-breather, underwater camera with infrared capabilities and a geiger counter, jet pack, Aston Martin bullet shield and water hoses, radioactive emergency locator beacon in pill form, and a watch also with a geiger counter.
SUBSTITUTION: Discussing this theory with my father (for it was he who got me into the world of Bond in the first place) he offered one substitution for my list. Instead of Thunderball, view From Russia With Love instead. It fills many of the same points that Thunderball does so it is an acceptable replacement. I just like Thunderball better.
Random points of interest:
-Dominio at one point goes to change bathing suits to something less distracting to the men from this:
to this:
-James Bond wears pink, and looks hot doing it. What happened to the color pink? Why is it considered so feminine now?
-And for anyone of you who do find Mr. Connery to be a gorgeous man, then this movie is for you. Because honestly, he spends about 70 percent of the movie looking like this:
When speaking with my mother about the amount of time in the film Sean is mostly naked she responded "oh, you mean the best part of the movie?" Gotta love my mom.
Felix Leiter: One
Best Line:
(after dancing with the Femme Fatale and making her take an assassin's bullet Bond quips:
"Would you mind if my date sat here?"
"She's just dead"
As per my wifes request, one final shot of gratuitous Sean porn:
Next in the series, Bond finds humanity again, only to lose it all.
Monday, November 10, 2008
In celebration of the new Bond film coming out this week, I am presenting to you my full theory of the 5 Bond films you need to see. I postulate if you accept Bond as a cornerstone of Modern Mythology, there are only 5 films you need to see to get the core essence of the Bond archetype. Any other Bond films can be viewed of course (except for the 5 Bond films you should NEVER see, but thats a different theory) but these 5 are the core 5. These 5 films help define hie overall character throughout his entire life and show us the true side of James Bond.
To accept this theory one must throw a few things out the window. The character has been around on film for over 46 years now and in print longer. So the first thing one must accept is chronological differences. Obviously if the character was real, that 46 years he could not have been working the whole time and technology jumps around. The second thing to accept is any continuity issues with characters. Multiple different persons playing Bond and other characters has to be thrown aside already in the Bond world, for our purposes one must do so as well.
Each presentation will use both video and images to help justify each films placement (and to just generally geek about Bond lore.) Each presentation also contains spoilers for each film. So if you haven't seen any of the films and want to, please skip that entry.
So enough blathering. On with the first film:
Casino Royale-2006
Plot:
James Bond must stop the banker to worldwide terrorists from wining millions of dollars in a high stakes poker game and discover who is really behind it all.
Yes, that at its core doesn't sound all that exciting, but the film is awesome and does a really great job rebooting the franchise. Also, this description may be while I don't write copy for a living.
Reason for placement on the list:
While it may be recent in its release date, it comes first in our sequence. This film starts us out with James Bond. The opening of the film shows us Bond becoming a 00. Not yet is he the super agent we know later. He is rough, he is crude, he is kind of a thug.
Through this film he begins to open his mind to the "big picture" and fine tune his skills. With Vesper he fell in love, was betrayed by that love and lost her completely. This helped root Bond into the womanizing man we know later. Not allowing himself to love helps him feel no emotion towards any woman that he needs to bed for Queen and Country. While this can sometimes be helpful, it has a bad side to it as well, but more of that on the next film. His love for Vesper is so great he is willing to quit the business for her but her betrayal and death led Bond to realize he is who he must be and his life has no place for love. The filmmakers in relaunching Bond with this film gave me a great spring board for this theory to really work. As he builds up the whole film to become the true James Bond, the last scene goes along way. By saving the iconic "Bond, James Bond" for the end followed by the James Bond theme, we are shown that he is truly the man now and well on his way.
Gun barrel sequence/Opening number:
Every Bond film has the gun barrel scene and opening number and each is an entertaining piece in itself.
Usually these scenes are separate for this presentation, but since the film uses them so well together (and gives a justification for the gun barrel existing in the first place) you get them in one. I loved the playing card motif of this intro. While rebooting the franchise the opening was still very much in line with a proper Bond opening number.
I do recommend clicking the HQ button on the player for the best video and audio experience.
Best Action Sequence:
I would have to say the parkour inspired chase through the construction site takes the cake for the best action sequence here.
Gadgets used:
As with any James Bond film, gadgets should be used. A good does of technical do-hickeys are always great for the successful agent in the field.
Unfortunately, Casino Royale (in their effort to modernize the franchise) did away with gadgets for the most part. Here we only get to see a gps locater/bio monitor implanted into Bond.
Random points of interest:
I love seeing the explanation of how Bond got his old school Aston Martin from the poker match. So sad when he destroyed the newer one.
Felix Leiter: One
Best Line: (every bond film has at least one "one-liner" that stands out from the rest.
One of the most painful scenes in any Bond film but it does give us this great quip:
James Bond: I've got a little itch, down there. Would you mind?
Come back tomorrow for our second installment, Bond in his prime!
To accept this theory one must throw a few things out the window. The character has been around on film for over 46 years now and in print longer. So the first thing one must accept is chronological differences. Obviously if the character was real, that 46 years he could not have been working the whole time and technology jumps around. The second thing to accept is any continuity issues with characters. Multiple different persons playing Bond and other characters has to be thrown aside already in the Bond world, for our purposes one must do so as well.
Each presentation will use both video and images to help justify each films placement (and to just generally geek about Bond lore.) Each presentation also contains spoilers for each film. So if you haven't seen any of the films and want to, please skip that entry.
So enough blathering. On with the first film:
Casino Royale-2006
Plot:
James Bond must stop the banker to worldwide terrorists from wining millions of dollars in a high stakes poker game and discover who is really behind it all.
Yes, that at its core doesn't sound all that exciting, but the film is awesome and does a really great job rebooting the franchise. Also, this description may be while I don't write copy for a living.
Reason for placement on the list:
While it may be recent in its release date, it comes first in our sequence. This film starts us out with James Bond. The opening of the film shows us Bond becoming a 00. Not yet is he the super agent we know later. He is rough, he is crude, he is kind of a thug.
BOND SMASH!!
Through this film he begins to open his mind to the "big picture" and fine tune his skills. With Vesper he fell in love, was betrayed by that love and lost her completely. This helped root Bond into the womanizing man we know later. Not allowing himself to love helps him feel no emotion towards any woman that he needs to bed for Queen and Country. While this can sometimes be helpful, it has a bad side to it as well, but more of that on the next film. His love for Vesper is so great he is willing to quit the business for her but her betrayal and death led Bond to realize he is who he must be and his life has no place for love. The filmmakers in relaunching Bond with this film gave me a great spring board for this theory to really work. As he builds up the whole film to become the true James Bond, the last scene goes along way. By saving the iconic "Bond, James Bond" for the end followed by the James Bond theme, we are shown that he is truly the man now and well on his way.
Gun barrel sequence/Opening number:
Every Bond film has the gun barrel scene and opening number and each is an entertaining piece in itself.
Usually these scenes are separate for this presentation, but since the film uses them so well together (and gives a justification for the gun barrel existing in the first place) you get them in one. I loved the playing card motif of this intro. While rebooting the franchise the opening was still very much in line with a proper Bond opening number.
I do recommend clicking the HQ button on the player for the best video and audio experience.
Best Action Sequence:
I would have to say the parkour inspired chase through the construction site takes the cake for the best action sequence here.
Gadgets used:
As with any James Bond film, gadgets should be used. A good does of technical do-hickeys are always great for the successful agent in the field.
Unfortunately, Casino Royale (in their effort to modernize the franchise) did away with gadgets for the most part. Here we only get to see a gps locater/bio monitor implanted into Bond.
Random points of interest:
I love seeing the explanation of how Bond got his old school Aston Martin from the poker match. So sad when he destroyed the newer one.
Felix Leiter: One
Best Line: (every bond film has at least one "one-liner" that stands out from the rest.
One of the most painful scenes in any Bond film but it does give us this great quip:
James Bond: I've got a little itch, down there. Would you mind?
Come back tomorrow for our second installment, Bond in his prime!
Welcome to my new blog
So I have been blogging on my own LJ for many years now but decided to try something new.
This blog will be my primary place for Movie/TV reviews, praise, and general cinema geeking. Of course there are thousands of movie geeks who do the same thing thus my "just another movie geek" moniker for the site.
My goal here is just to add my 2 cents to the whole thing, review mainstream and obscure films/shows (both old and new) and just generally have a place to geek out about films.
So enjoy!
This blog will be my primary place for Movie/TV reviews, praise, and general cinema geeking. Of course there are thousands of movie geeks who do the same thing thus my "just another movie geek" moniker for the site.
My goal here is just to add my 2 cents to the whole thing, review mainstream and obscure films/shows (both old and new) and just generally have a place to geek out about films.
So enjoy!
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