I have never gone to a movie theatre to see a James Bond Film, ever! But now a tv channel here (free to view) is playing 20 James Bond films over consecutive Saturday Evenings, so I've been popping in to see what I never missed.
I can't remember who played Bond in the first one up, but it did instill an understanding of the formula in my mind. Second (or was it third?) was a Pierce Brosnan Bond - the one where the huge great dish shaped aerial comes up out of the sea next to the "baddies' island, and it was good/okay viewing.
GoldFinger with utterly lovely Sean Connery came next - I agree that it is a classic and a "Top Bond Fillum".
A week later ......... my sense of humour was tickled, thankfully, because there is nowt else to recommend Roger Moore and "For Your Eyes Only" unless you're a student studying the cold war, bad movie stereotypes and beyond. You could tell the "baddies" were Soviet Russians because their characters:
1 - all spoke English with "Hollywood" Russian accents
2 - all wore "those" fur hats
3 - continually referred to each other as "Comrade" (in an almost joyous tone
compared to the delivery of the rest of their lines)
4 - appeared in every outdoor "baddie land" scene with snow laying all about, at
least knee deep
This was followed by a Timothy Dalton Bond. I quite enjoyed his dark broodiness and inability to smile - maybe we saw a glimmer of a smile or was that indigestion? And - No, I can't remember the plot at all - was there a plot?
A couple more have shown. This just past Saturday was "Tomorrow Never Dies", with dear Pierce again. Progress -the English and the Russians had top Military bods together (!Cold war over!) in the very control room where all the "goodies" see it all going belly-up. Now, naturally, the Chinese are blamed, however it seems is all down to a major, nasty baddie - a Media Mogul.!!!!
So far my fav and bestest Bond Actor is, and will ever be Sean Connery - if only they'd let him speak with his natural Scots accent, he'd have been even sexier.
My own No. 2, from what I've seen with my "partial" watching is unsmiling, brooding (or is he desparately trying to remember his lines without it showing on his face) Tim Dalton.
So there is room for Daniel Craig - or is he Craig Daniel??? - to step in, with his 21st century version.
The bestest part of watching Bond films on TV = as the music speeds up in tempo for exciting bits so does my knitting speed up in pace, yet not a wrong stitch from Mickle so far. The dark pink/maroon stole made great progress on Saturday night.
And whatever may happen in the latest Bond ..... Zebbycat snoozles on the beddybize........ and Zebby sends happy snoozles and I wish happy times for the coming week, xxxx and zzzz
11 comments:
I have visions of you knitting faster & faster till all the stitches jump off the end of the needles and all because of the Bond films!
Nuts in May
When we were first married, Playboy magazine, of all places, ran the first 3 J.B. novels. We bought the magazines (they were not at all the vile porno trash they are today) and read them as soon as they were on the newsstand. Then soon after, the first film was made - Dr. No. Then From Russia with Love. Later On Her Majesty's Secret Service came along. It was by far the most authentic, in that it was closest to the book. Timmy was just gorgeous, too.
But all that being said, Sean Connery is/was a god amongst actors. And yes, I hate it when the directors won't let actors use their own accents when it is not essential to the role. Do you get "House"? Hugh Laurie could have easily used his own accent and it would not have made a bit of difference to the role. Also Simon Baker "The Mentalist". He has a natural lovely AZ accent.
But most I think it is embarrassing to hear an American try to do a British accent. We have a chain of restaurants called "Out Back Steak House". The guy who does their commercials tries, but can't get it right.
It's interesting that so many of our TV and radio commercials, these days, have real British accents. Some are posh and some are really working class, and one even has a northern accent - good Yorkshireman! Most Americans wouldn't know the difference, but having lived in England it's pretty obvious to us.
Polly knows more and can use more accents than I can. She can pass for a good Suffolk lass. She also can tell a NZ from a AZ from a South African, which most people here can't. Most people just say, "Oh, you're English." He He He. I can tell a SA from a AZ/NZ/ but not a AZ from a NZ. And that is only because we used to watch "Home and Away" in England! (don't hold that against me) Polly was only 15 and watched it because all her friends did. :-))
Well, Have a great knitting day.
scratch Mr. Z for me.
I have seen a number of Bond movies but, after awhile, they all seemed to run together in my mind. Sean Connery was my favorite of all the Bond's, though...and the women, well, what can I say. They all ran together in my mind...
I just loved Sean connery as Bond. I think Pierce Brosnan was a little young to carry it off when they started him, and I think Daniel Craig has done well. Sadly, they use too much visual gimmickry these days, and it interferes with my enjoyment of the plot. Even if it's not realistic, if you try to deal with it as if it is, and not with flying cars and people coming through fireballs and whatnot, it can actually work. I'm glad you're enjoying them whilst working on the knitting, and glad Zebbycat is enjoying the movies in true kittycat style - snoozling. That's how Thor watches movies with us, too!
Huggles!
Marjie
Sean Connery first and then Daniel Craig is a very close second. I have to say that I don't really remember much about any of the Bond movies.
Always and forever is Sean. I hated to see him replaced. He is one gorgeous hunk!
I went through two embarrassing moments while seeing a Bond in the theatre.
During Never Say Never Again, a friend started giggling in the middle of it (there where Sean Connery jumps into the well) and cried "I don't get it! I don't get it! I don't get it!..."
During the opening scene of the first one with Pierce, a friend stood up (there where Bond climbs from the motorcycle into the air-plane in the middle of air) threw his fist into the air and shouted "A man! He's a man again!"
Aw good choice and taste Mickie....Sean is and was definitely the best Bond ever:)
If you see the one with Telly Savalas (?) as Baddie :) you'll catch a glimpde of my homecountry as well.:)
Oh, you made me laugh at the way you showed the progression of Bond movies...and right on the mark, too, especially about the "Russian" stereotypes..HA!!
Sean could say to me "You're an idiot" and it wouldn't matter, I'd melt under that hypnotic voice anyway :)
Not one stitch dropped with all that quick knitting?? Well then I think you might want to get a "greatest hits" soundtrack from Bond films!
Love and huggles to you and Zebby from me and Gizmo and Kitterz.
Happy week to you, too.
I'm not a great fan of the cinema, but i do enjoy getting films on dvd and watching them in my own peace and quiet.
a while back, a greek newspaper offered every james bond movie (one a week) with its sunday paper; my husband bought them all, and since then, we've watched them all with our young children.
the acting is very typecast, and the plots are highly predictable, but i think they have taught my kids a lot about the different people that make up europe (kind of important when you live in europe yourself)
they are all far away from reality, of course, and these days, you'd have to be a die-hard nostalgic to sit through a whole film from start to finish...
I don't attend the movies anymore. An occasional dvd or one on the tele I sometime watch. All the Bond men are good but Sean Connery is far and away the best.
Post a Comment