Post by Neverending on Oct 4, 2014 17:30:07 GMT -5
FALL 2003
APRIL 19, 2010
WINTER 2005
NOVEMBER 14, 2008
APRIL 3, 2010
APRIL 21, 2010
NOVEMBER 4, 2012
NOVEMBER 9, 2012
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
I did something crazy. I re-watched Die Another Day. It has been on Showtime a lot lately, for whatever reason, so I figured, what the heck.
THINGS I LIKE:
The Pre-Title Sequence
Bond imprisoned and tortured
The North Korean angle to the story
Halle Berry in that bikini
The villain is a lot better than I remembered. The dude that played him is a good actor.
David Arnold's music is a lot different than I remembered. I recall it being more techno-heavy, but I guess I was just thinking of the gunbarrell sequence and a few random cues. In general, it was his usual Brosnan era Bond music. It's really good stuff.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
Everything else.
SUGGEST A FUTURE BOND TITLE
NEVERENDING: How about... Casino Royale?
DRACULA: Quantum of Solace
NEVERENDING: How about... Casino Royale?
DRACULA: Quantum of Solace
APRIL 19, 2010
JBOND: Casino Royale was the last novel not adapted.
NEVERENDING: And yet, I was the only one to suggest it. Dracula still wins though.
JBOND: Yes. I wonder how he did it.
PG COOPER: Well, there was that thread where Dracula said he was from the future and would answer our questions.
NEVERENDING: And yet, I was the only one to suggest it. Dracula still wins though.
JBOND: Yes. I wonder how he did it.
PG COOPER: Well, there was that thread where Dracula said he was from the future and would answer our questions.
WINTER 2005
WHO SHOULD PLAY VESPER?
NEVERENDING: Eva Green! I loved her in The Dreamers.
COMINGSOON!: Eva Green has been cast as Vesper in Casino Royale.
NEVERENDING: Eva Green! I loved her in The Dreamers.
COMINGSOON!: Eva Green has been cast as Vesper in Casino Royale.
NOVEMBER 14, 2008
QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)
If you are a Bond fan, you will like it. If you are only a fan of Casino Royale, then you will hate it. It's that simple. This is your typical Bond movie. There's an action or fight scene every 5 minutes and very little attention is paid to plot and characters.
OBSERVATIONS:
Gunbarrel at the end? wow.
Girl covered in oil? That's a nice tribute to Goldfinger.
Opera scene is AWESOME!
If you are a Bond fan, you will like it. If you are only a fan of Casino Royale, then you will hate it. It's that simple. This is your typical Bond movie. There's an action or fight scene every 5 minutes and very little attention is paid to plot and characters.
OBSERVATIONS:
Gunbarrel at the end? wow.
Girl covered in oil? That's a nice tribute to Goldfinger.
Opera scene is AWESOME!
APRIL 3, 2010
NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN (1983)
I re-watched the movie tonight on G4, and although there's a lot to hate, it also has its charm. Irvin Kershner is a one-hit-wonder in the world of blockbuster movies, but the guy can direct. Even the most ridiculous scenes come out rather well. Remember when Bond is playing video games? Let's face it. That scene did not come out as horribly as it could have. Also, we have Sean Connery as Bond. You can never go wrong with Connery as Bond. He's so awesome that you'll sit through the crappiest Bond movie just to watch him. People badmouth Diamonds Are Forever, but Connery is in it. So it isn't entirely bad. And finally, Kim Basinger as a Bond girl? Come on now. That massage scene with the side boob action is awesome.
I re-watched the movie tonight on G4, and although there's a lot to hate, it also has its charm. Irvin Kershner is a one-hit-wonder in the world of blockbuster movies, but the guy can direct. Even the most ridiculous scenes come out rather well. Remember when Bond is playing video games? Let's face it. That scene did not come out as horribly as it could have. Also, we have Sean Connery as Bond. You can never go wrong with Connery as Bond. He's so awesome that you'll sit through the crappiest Bond movie just to watch him. People badmouth Diamonds Are Forever, but Connery is in it. So it isn't entirely bad. And finally, Kim Basinger as a Bond girl? Come on now. That massage scene with the side boob action is awesome.
APRIL 21, 2010
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (1999)
This is a very underrated Bond movie. I think it's because it's stuck in-between Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day which are the two most over-the-top installments featuring Pierce Brosnan in the role. This movie is actually closer in tone to GoldenEye. Aside from a few scenes, Bond isn't his usual charming self. He's very serious, angry, and emotional. They even make reference to Tracy when Electra asks, "have you ever lost someone you loved?" and he completely ignores the question. As for the gadgets, they're not over-used. Which is great. I love the Bond gadgets but I dislike when they become the center of the movie. I also like how M gets involved in the action. This is the only installment where the character does more than just sit behind a desk. Oh, and let's not forget Q. His last movie and a great exit. "Always have an escape plan." Now, let's talk about Denise Richards. People really over-react to her character. She doesn't even show up till an hour into the movie. The REAL Bond girl here is Sophia Marceau and she's fantastic. One of the best. I had forgotten how awesome she was as Electra. By the way, watching this movie made me realize one thing. Why did they get rid of Bruce Feirstein as the writer? He wrote GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough. Replacing him with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade for Die Another Day was clearly a mistake. Thankfully they brought in Paul Haggis to re-write their work on the two Daniel Craig installments.
This is a very underrated Bond movie. I think it's because it's stuck in-between Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day which are the two most over-the-top installments featuring Pierce Brosnan in the role. This movie is actually closer in tone to GoldenEye. Aside from a few scenes, Bond isn't his usual charming self. He's very serious, angry, and emotional. They even make reference to Tracy when Electra asks, "have you ever lost someone you loved?" and he completely ignores the question. As for the gadgets, they're not over-used. Which is great. I love the Bond gadgets but I dislike when they become the center of the movie. I also like how M gets involved in the action. This is the only installment where the character does more than just sit behind a desk. Oh, and let's not forget Q. His last movie and a great exit. "Always have an escape plan." Now, let's talk about Denise Richards. People really over-react to her character. She doesn't even show up till an hour into the movie. The REAL Bond girl here is Sophia Marceau and she's fantastic. One of the best. I had forgotten how awesome she was as Electra. By the way, watching this movie made me realize one thing. Why did they get rid of Bruce Feirstein as the writer? He wrote GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World Is Not Enough. Replacing him with Neal Purvis and Robert Wade for Die Another Day was clearly a mistake. Thankfully they brought in Paul Haggis to re-write their work on the two Daniel Craig installments.
NOVEMBER 4, 2012
NOVEMBER 9, 2012
SKYFALL (2012)
10 years ago, during Bond's 40th anniversary, Die Another Day was released. It was a big movie with effects-heavy action scenes, lots of gadgets, Halle Berry in a bikini, and as many references to the past films as they could fit. Skyfall, on the other hand, is very low-key. Sure, there's a big chase scene in the beginning, a subway crash, and one Michael Bay style explosion. But for the most part, the action scenes are relatively simple shootouts and fist fights. By the time James Bond drives to his homeland of Scotland and says, "let's get old-fashioned", I realized what Sam Mendes and John Logan had done. They made a modernized 60's Bond movie. And just wait till you watch the last scene. After three installments that played with the formula, we're finally back to where we once belonged.
On a sidenote, Adele's song works beautifully with Daniel Kleinman's opening credits. Thomas Newman's score is amazing. I didn't miss David Arnold at all. Roger Deakins cinematography is spectacular. If he doesn't AT LEAST get an Oscar nomination, I will be pissed. And everything you've heard about Javier Bardem as Silva is true. He's the best Bond villain in over a decade.
Overall, it's a great Bond film and will earn its spot among the best. HOWEVER, I still prefer Casino Royale. It had much better entertainment value. Skyfall has a superior story and characters but I was never in awe of anything except the Deakins cinematography and the final scene. Casino Royale, on the other hand, is an edge of your seat thrill ride. Skyfall is just low-key and simple and an excellent throwback. Both are great but they offer two different things so it's just a matter of preference.
10 years ago, during Bond's 40th anniversary, Die Another Day was released. It was a big movie with effects-heavy action scenes, lots of gadgets, Halle Berry in a bikini, and as many references to the past films as they could fit. Skyfall, on the other hand, is very low-key. Sure, there's a big chase scene in the beginning, a subway crash, and one Michael Bay style explosion. But for the most part, the action scenes are relatively simple shootouts and fist fights. By the time James Bond drives to his homeland of Scotland and says, "let's get old-fashioned", I realized what Sam Mendes and John Logan had done. They made a modernized 60's Bond movie. And just wait till you watch the last scene. After three installments that played with the formula, we're finally back to where we once belonged.
On a sidenote, Adele's song works beautifully with Daniel Kleinman's opening credits. Thomas Newman's score is amazing. I didn't miss David Arnold at all. Roger Deakins cinematography is spectacular. If he doesn't AT LEAST get an Oscar nomination, I will be pissed. And everything you've heard about Javier Bardem as Silva is true. He's the best Bond villain in over a decade.
Overall, it's a great Bond film and will earn its spot among the best. HOWEVER, I still prefer Casino Royale. It had much better entertainment value. Skyfall has a superior story and characters but I was never in awe of anything except the Deakins cinematography and the final scene. Casino Royale, on the other hand, is an edge of your seat thrill ride. Skyfall is just low-key and simple and an excellent throwback. Both are great but they offer two different things so it's just a matter of preference.
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
I did something crazy. I re-watched Die Another Day. It has been on Showtime a lot lately, for whatever reason, so I figured, what the heck.
THINGS I LIKE:
The Pre-Title Sequence
Bond imprisoned and tortured
The North Korean angle to the story
Halle Berry in that bikini
The villain is a lot better than I remembered. The dude that played him is a good actor.
David Arnold's music is a lot different than I remembered. I recall it being more techno-heavy, but I guess I was just thinking of the gunbarrell sequence and a few random cues. In general, it was his usual Brosnan era Bond music. It's really good stuff.
THINGS I DIDN'T LIKE:
Everything else.
