It was reported today that Sir Sean Connery died at the age of 90. He will forever be remembered as the original James Bond, playing a pivotal role in launching the pop culture phenomenon that is still going strong today. As a lifelong Bond fan, I’m thankful for his immeasurable contributions to the series. Moreover, I appreciate Sean Connery for the countless roles he played outside of 007. He wasn’t a one-trick pony. Rather, this skilled Scottish actor was a chameleon who could embody a wide range of characters that swept us away with wonderful stories for nearly 60 years.
Did you know that Ian Fleming’s James Bond was inspired by a real-life James Bond who was an ornithologist from Philadelphia? As a fellow Philadelphian and a massive Bond fan, I found this to be incredibly interesting. Well, apparently I’m not the only one because there’s an entire book dedicated to this topic. The Real James Bond: A True Story of Identity Theft, Avian Intrigue, and Ian Fleming by Jim Wright is a fascinating and informative book all about the man behind the pop culture icon.
Three years ago I reviewed the original version of The James Bond Archives, which is a gargantuan book filled with terrific photos and behind-the-scenes information about all of the James Bond films. I recently received the new version of this book from Taschen. It’s more compact and affordably priced, and it has been updated for the new 007 film SPECTRE. Below is my video review of The James Bond Archives: SPECTRE Edition. Enjoy!
If you’re a James Bond fan looking to learn about all of the behind-the-scenes details from the latest 007 film, SPECTRE, DK Publishing has a new book out you might be interested in picking up. It’s called Blood, Sweat and Bond: Behind the scenes of SPECTRE. Check out my review of the book below to determine whether or not it’s worth the price of admission:
With newest James Bond film, Spectre, about to hit theaters, several new 007 books are hitting the market, including Bond By Design: The Art of the James Bond Films by DK Publishing. For a look what’s inside this big, beautiful book, check out my video review below:
Wednesday, January 15th at 9 p.m. EST I’m participating in a live tweet about the film, so make sure to stop by and join the discussion by using the hashtag #Bond_age_ on Twitter.
I recently discovered a great James Bond video on YouTube that I had to share with you. Below is the official description and the video. Enjoy!
Approximately five minutes from each of the 22 Eon produced James Bond films have been cut together, in order and in sequence, beginning with the first five minutes of DR. NO (1962) followed by minutes 5-10 of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963), minutes 10-15 of Goldfinger (1964), minutes 15-20 of Thunderball (1965), continuing on through each of the remaining 18 Bond features (accounting for variables in each title’s running time) culminating with the final five minutes of 2008’s Quantum of Solace.
This fresh look at the “James Bond Formula” provides a new exploration of the evolution of the series into a filmmaking genre uniquely its own. With few exceptions, each title’s transition into the picture that follows it is nearly seamless, creating a viewing experience that at first might serve to remind us “if you’ve seen one Bond film, you’ve seen them all,” but looking more closely it is in fact an endearing homage to a character who single-handedly shaped modern cinema’s action/adventure formula and who continues to leave an indelible mark on generations worldwide.
This is my 100th blog post! Can you believe it? I’d like to thank all of you for checking out my content on a regular basis and helping me reach new highs each month. I appreciate your support and look forward to providing you with at least another 100 blog posts.
Speaking of things worth celebrating, it’s the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise. And one of the many ways the owners of the iconic film series decided to pay tribute was through the creation of a massive, 15-pound book: The James Bond Archives. Check out my video review below to learn more.
I saw Skyfall on opening night and it was very good. As expected, it kicked off with a wild chase scene involving motorcycles, trains and, of course, guns. Then the film’s opening sequence, featuring Adele’s great new song, played. The score for this movie, by Thomas Newman, has been getting a lot of flack from Bond fans, and rightfully so. While it featured a good track here and there, it lacked a cohesive feel. It’s serviceable, just not impressive.
The plot surprised me, as it’s very different from previous films in the franchise. It focused on Bond, M and MI6 being “old dogs” that are out of touch with reality. According to the screenplay, today’s villain isn’t threatening the world with nuclear missiles, he or she is systematically taking it down from behind a keyboard. This point is driven home by the main antagonist Raoul Silva, brilliantly acted by Javier Bardem. Anytime he was onscreen, he had my rapt attention.
Judi Dench played a big role in this film and did a fantastic job, as usual. Daniel Craig also deserves recognition for clearly conveying the inner turmoil suffered by James Bond, especially in the beginning of the film. He’s grown into this role and made it his own. I’m glad Craig is sticking around for at least two more films.
Skyfall had the biggest U.S. box office opening for any Bond film, bringing in nearly $88 million. While I don’t consider Skyfall to be as good as Casino Royale, it is superior to Quantum of Solace. It’s a refreshing take on a film franchise that’s running 50 years strong. Here’s to another five decades of 007 reporting for duty.
In anticipation of the new James Bond film, Skyfall, coming to U.S. theaters, I’ve been watching all of the previous films in the series. Last night, during the hurricane, I decided to watch The Man With The Golden Gun. Many Bond fans consider this film a low point in the franchise, but not me. While the title song was obnoxiously bad and certain moments in the movie were too campy, it was still highly entertaining. Roger Moore was both suave and physical in the film, and Christopher Lee was fantastic as the lead villain: Francisco Scaramanga. The film featured exotic locales, beautiful girls, great fight scenes, and an awesome car chase. But, for me, the most fascinating part was seeing a Bond film where, instead of being focused on taking down an entity, 007 was concentrating his efforts on the world’s best hitman – because his life depended on it. While this wasn’t the best film in the franchise, it was hardly the worst. Check out the fan-made trailer below and give it a go; I think you’ll enjoy it.
Michael Cavacini 