Written by: admin at 5:52 pm on October 28, 2008
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Written by: admin at 5:46 pm on
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Written by: admin at 3:48 pm on
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Written by: admin at 3:39 pm on
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Written by: Dominick at 7:30 am on October 26, 2008
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 Movie Info:
Writer: Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum
Director: Terence Young
Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson, Zena Marshall, John Kitzmiller, Eunice Gayson, Lois Maxwell
Rating: PG
Studio: Fox/MGM
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: May 8, 1963
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $22.95
What is there to say about the very first Bond movie? Dr. No was the start of it all. Without Dr. No and a then, relatively unknown, Sean Connery in the lead role, the vast majority of the world would not know who James Bond or 007 was. With the success of Dr. No, an entire film franchise was born. Much of the success is due to the casting of Sean Connery, who writer, Ian Fleming, initially though was all wrong for the part of his esteemed, spy hero. Boy was he wrong!
After the success of Dr. No, Fleming changed his tune. The world now knew Sean Connery and they loved him. In fact, Connery would go on to start in seven Bond movies, in total. He is often named the “definitive” James Bond, though others believe that Roger Moore was a more archetypal Bond. Either way, his success as Bond is what made the series so popular and created the movie series dynasty that’s now on its sixth actor (Daniel Craig) and its latest film (Quantum of Solace), which is about to be released. Just for reference, this will be the 22nd Bond film produced.
Before Dr. No, James Bond was a little known hero from a set of books by Ian Fleming. Today, Bond is one of the most globally recognizable characters of all time. The films just keep rolling out and the popularity of Bond doesn’t seem to be waning. While it is hard to compare with the earlier films, such as Dr. No, the advances in film, including special effects, have made the series bigger, better and more high tech. Many men dream of being as suave as Bond and nearly every girl wishes to be his Bond girl. That’s just a universal truth. Sure, Bond is a womanizer, but that’s a major part of his charm.
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If you like this post, then buy me a latte!
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities. |
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Written by: Dominick at 6:19 pm on October 25, 2008
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 Movie Info:
Writers: Ian Fleming, Tom Mankiewicz
Director: Guy Hamilton
Cast: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, Clifton James, Julius Harris, Geoffrey Holder, David Hedison, Gloria Hendry, Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell
Rating: PG
Studio: Fox/MGM
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: June 27, 1973
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.95
I find it hard to get into the Bond films that feature Roger Moore. He had huge shoes to fill when Sean Connery vacated the role, and Moore could never completely fill them. That’s not to say that Moore is a bad actor. He was just miscast as Bond. When it comes to best performances by a Bond star, Moore is near the bottom. In order, of my favorites, I would have to say they are Sean Connery, Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan, meaning Moore isn’t even in the top 3.
Of course, this is open to individual interpretation. While most people agree Connery is and always will be the definitive Bond, Moore has a select group of fans who worship him as Bond. I just happen to be one of them that doesn’t. When it comes to the film Live and Let Die, I don’t necessarily think it is a bad film, but I do think that it would have received a much better reception had Connery reprised the role, in this film, as he was asked. This is the first Bond film without Connery in it, and it shows that the writers were trying to shift Bond in a direction Moore could go with the character, thanks to minor changes to the script. Still, I can’t help but wonder what difference Connery would have made in the film.
Moore’s foray into the world of Bond is filled with action. That’s the part of the movie you don’t have to complain about. The film also has a strong plot. If you’ve ever seen a Bond movie you already know it relies on the outstanding action sequences to carry the film. I have no problem with the plot or the action. I do have a problem with Roger Moore. I wasn’t looking for a substandard Bond when watching this film and he truly is second rate to Sean Connery. It’s just impossible to compare the two actors because Connery is leaps and bounds above Moore.
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If you like this post, then buy me a latte!
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities. |
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Written by: Dominick at 8:50 pm on October 24, 2008
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 Movie Info:
Writers: Ian Fleming, Neal Purvis
Director: Lee Tamahori
Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike, Rick Yune Judi Dench, John Cleese, Michael Madsen, Will Yun Lee, Kenneth Tsang
Rating: PG-13
Studio: Fox/MGM
Release Info:
Theatrical Release: November 22, 2002
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $23.95
Ian Fleming’s books about the infamous James Bond were favorites amongst my late father. He was the one who introduced me to 007. I’m certain he’d seen nearly every James Bond film, and he never made it clear exactly who his favorite Bond was, though I’m sure he liked both Connery and Moore. The first Bond film my father never saw was Die Another Day. It was released over a year after his death in May of 2001. I didn’t miss it though, carrying on the tradition of watching Bond films for him.
I favor Connery in the role he originated more than any other Bond, but I can’t say I dislike Pierce Brosnan. He brings a sophistication and suaveness to the role that I believe was lost with Timothy Dalton. Don’t get me wrong. Dalton isn’t horrendous, but he’s hardly the definitive Bond. Brosnan brought experience to the role having successfully portrayed a similar, secret agent (though he was secretly a swindler initially) in his five year television run as the infamous Remington Steele. Steele had a Bond air about him and perhaps this is why it was so easy for Brosnan to slip on the Bond shoes.
Die Another Day was Brosnan’s last film as Bond. This was his fourth go around as the character before the franchise moved on to a younger, blonder Daniel Craig. This film was Brosnan’s last hurrah as Bond and he plays the part well. Of course, the controversial nature of the film didn’t make for good foreign relations with the North Koreans (already sour at the western world), but this film was made all in the name of art, wasn’t it? Whether there was any truth in the portrayal of North Korea is irrelevant, since it’s just a movie. Perhaps the entire James Bond cultural movement is what made the North Koreans tense about Die Another Day, but ultimately, this movie is a work of fiction and quite fanciful at that.
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If you like this post, then buy me a latte!
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Written by Dominick - Visit Website
Dominick Evans is in his late 20's. He spends his days working as a full time writer/editor and a part time musician/composer. His passions in life include music, directing films, watching movies, reading books, watching sports, wheelchair football, politics, his religion (Hellenic Reconstructionism) and spending time with his family (fiancée Ashtyn, son Robert, and shih-tzu Oliver). Other interests include being an advocate for the disability and GLBT communities. |
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Written by: Ashtyn at 12:01 pm on October 23, 2008
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 Movie Info:
Writer: Ian Fleming, Johanna Harwood
Director: Terence Young
Cast: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee, Eunice Gayson, Walter Gotell, Francis De Wolff, George Pastell, Nadja Regin, Lois Maxwell
Rating: R
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Release Info:
Original Air Dates: May 27, 1964
DVD Release Date: October 21, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.95
After Dr. No it was no surprise that From Russia with Love would be offered double the budget and double the plot. In all actuality, if it wasn’t for former president John F. Kennedy, Russia might not have been the second Bond flick to be made. It was the former president that listed the novel as one of his top ten favorites of all time. I imagine it was also a bittersweet honor to know that this was one of the last (possibly the very last) movie that the president saw before he was assassinated.
The popularity of the Bond series was never questioned after the success of the first movie. When Russia finally made it to theaters, Goldfinger was already being worked on for future release. These were films that people knew would be legendary even from the beginning. Prior to the horrid box office ratings for Vertigo, Hitchcock was slated to potentially direct Russia. Rumor has it that if he would have, Grace Kelly would have come out of retirement to play the role of the Bond girl, Tatiana Romanova, and Bond would have been the notorious Cary Grant.
While I am not a fan of rats in any form, there is one behind the scenes tidbit that cracks me up. There is a scene involving some sewer rats in the film. The original plan was to use lab rats, but since they needed them to look like they were from the sewer they decided to coat them in chocolate. The rats refused to do anything but lick themselves though, so they needed new rats. The new rats didn’t want to run, so that was a no go, too. It would take a production move to Spain to get the rats to do their job.
Despite being new to these movies, the legendary hype allowed me to know a thing or two about Bond, even if this was the very first Bond film I’ve seen. One of the biggest debates in Bond fandom is who the best Bond is. It always seems to be a race between Connery and Moore. Moore fans tend to scoff at the idea that Connery is better and vice versa. I haven’t seen all of the films yet, but I can say that Connery certainly has the Bond charm down and does a magnificent job of keeping you entertained.
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If you like this post, then buy me a latte!
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Written by Ashtyn - Visit Website
Ashtyn Evans is a writer, advocate, free thinker, and all around cynical person. Always quick to find the negative in anything pop culture, she loves being a part of that which she despises.
Ashtyn and Dominick own numerous blogs together, as well as a full-time writing business. In her spare time she is a full-time college student studying History and Psychology. She plans to one day give up her freelance career and be a full-time blogger, novelist, and domestic goddess.
She can be contacted for writing projects, fan mail, or just to say hi. She really is friendlier than we make her look. |
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