tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post7688895745819425675..comments2024-03-28T06:14:54.076-04:00Comments on And So It Begins...: James Bond Franchise BreakdownAlex Withrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-1039045580659699512015-11-12T13:23:28.397-05:002015-11-12T13:23:28.397-05:00Ohh I gotcha about the NOC list. I completely agre...Ohh I gotcha about the NOC list. I completely agree with you... it's a means to an end for Silva. It's all in an effort to get closer to M.<br /><br />I've been sooo busy recently, I haven't had time to see Spectre! But I will soon for sure.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-41959496448570652082015-11-09T17:11:57.958-05:002015-11-09T17:11:57.958-05:00Completely agreed. Good point about the age of Bon...Completely agreed. Good point about the age of Bond throughout the series but I fear there's no convincing that friend of mine, but then again I don't need to. I certainly think it's a shame that he reduces Skyfall to that but to each his own.<br /><br />As for the NOC list: That one definitely wasn't left hanging under De Palma. I think the reason why my friend complained about this similar list in Skyfall is mainly that Silva makes it public and one agent is executed and THEN they never mention the list again. I, for one, simply picked it up as Silva's diabolical scheming to lure in M. That's the beautiful cruelty of it all, really. Those agents are expendable in terms of their life as well as in terms of their relevance to the plot. They are just a means to an end for Silva.<br /><br />Do let us know what you think about Spectre, by the way. I saw it on Sunday and I'm dying to hear your thoughts on that one.Ralf Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13372243268861875292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-35094312159472839242015-11-09T13:44:40.932-05:002015-11-09T13:44:40.932-05:00Well hey, although we disagreed on a film, what...Well hey, although we disagreed on a film, what's important is that we were able to talk about our separate views in a constructive way. Many bloggers/commenters base their arguments on "No I'm right!" "No I'M right!" which is so reductive.<br /><br />In terms of logic, it seems very silly to me to pick apart a plot aspect of a film that is contained within a series in which the title character has stayed the same age for 52 years. It is completely illogical that James Bond would have stayed the same age since 1962, you know? These films aren't based in reality, they're pulp fiction made solely for entertainment value. Now, that doesn't mean all action films get a pass for faulty logic, but if the overall story of the film is worthy, then I can forgive logic. So, yeah, I definitely saw NOC list similarities in Skyfall, but so many major movies made today are regurgitations of films that came before (example: Southpaw is, essentially, Rocky III). So to fault one film for that, you have to fault all of them.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-58420226489291370132015-11-09T12:30:34.948-05:002015-11-09T12:30:34.948-05:00You're welcome. I've been reading for a wh...You're welcome. I've been reading for a while now and just had to comment sometime. In the best (read: worst) of internet traditions that one time came when I had something "negative" to say. Funny how the need to disagree with someone can sometimes urge you to register somewhere or post something more than agreeing with someone can.<br /><br />As for Finsterworld: I can definitely recommend it and it feels weird saying it since every film is somehow a product of the country it was made in but Finsterworld feels like a very "German film" although the people involved stressed that it is not just meant to be a representation of Germany, which is why the location is simply "Finsterworld" and not an actual place somewhere.<br /><br />To come back to Bond for a second:<br />Since you liked Skyfall as much as I did: A friend of mine told me that he didn't like the movie because of the updated version of Mission Impossible's NOC list and the way in which that particular aspect of the plot to him seemed to have been introduced early on but left hanging in limbo over the course of the film.<br /><br />I don't usually experience films primarily through that logic aspect and I'm definitely willing to let things slide under "narrative ellipsis" more than most people but I was just curious what you thought of the plot of Skyfall and the logic/illogicality involved. I was very generous in that regard and simply considered the list and how it was treated as the MacGuffin of the story to get Bond and M to Silva and vice versa. My friend, however, had never even heard the term MacGuffin before.Ralf Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13372243268861875292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-85412350640164724272015-11-09T11:40:23.615-05:002015-11-09T11:40:23.615-05:00Hey Ralf, thanks so much for the comment! Yeah man...Hey Ralf, thanks so much for the comment! Yeah man, best to agree that we differ on QoS. It's honestly the only Bond film I could never be forced to watch again. Just not for me. But I'm glad you were able to present your opinion of the film in a respectful and articulate way. Most people who disagree with opinions just say snarky shit, which is lame.<br /><br />SO glad you like Victoria as well. That one rooocked. And now I need to see Finsterworld.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-85232120087555524642015-11-06T17:51:12.709-05:002015-11-06T17:51:12.709-05:00First of all: What an achievement! I love reading ...First of all: What an achievement! I love reading your blog and find that we do share a similar taste in films although, strangely enough, we seem to harshly differ when it comes to Quantum of Solace from the Bond Franchise.<br /><br />I just watched it for the third time since it came out back in 2008 in preparation for Spectre and I still can't believe you gave it an F. Especially in light of all the great "Top X Things I Love About Y (that no one talks about)" posts from you. There are several moments in QoS that would be worthy for a post like that in my opinion, which is probably because, to me, Quantum of Solace is something like a "Bond rage poem" (if that makes sense) that starts exactly where Casino Royale leaves off and there are many beautiful little things in it. Whether it's the completely unscored fight scene in the hotel room, Bond and Camille as a completely displaced picture walking through the desert in a "mirage shot" while in their fancy clothes, a simple line like "Thank you" at the end from the Canadian agent who was just saved on the verge of her life being about to unravel like Vesper's. Things like that.<br /><br />I would suggest you give QoS another go but from what I read above you already did that and nothing changed for you so I guess we simply had to differ at some point and that point is QoS.<br /><br />I mean, it's certainly not on par with either Casino Royale or Skyfall but in my book it's certainly not worse than Die Another Day either.<br /><br />All the best from Germany.<br /><br />P.S. I'm glad to read that you loved Victoria as much as I did. Definitely the best German film I've seen in quite a while apart from maybe Finsterworld.Ralf Paulhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13372243268861875292noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-52671402996002755352015-02-23T12:44:16.404-05:002015-02-23T12:44:16.404-05:00It just does not work for me At. All.It just does not work for me At. All.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-17461999862233216892015-02-21T10:19:38.352-05:002015-02-21T10:19:38.352-05:00I can't believe everybody hates Quantum of Sol...I can't believe everybody hates Quantum of Solace that much. I don't remember it being THAT dull...Eloi Bigashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00866919781841843332noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-31532844546821560692015-02-18T12:38:37.023-05:002015-02-18T12:38:37.023-05:00Thanks dude! So happy you enjoyed checking out the...Thanks dude! So happy you enjoyed checking out the post!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-33646057609995695852015-02-18T12:38:16.302-05:002015-02-18T12:38:16.302-05:00There is no reason to ever see Quantum of Solace.There is no reason to ever see Quantum of Solace.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-20163010289450255032015-02-14T20:04:39.670-05:002015-02-14T20:04:39.670-05:00This is a man-sized post, friend. Loved every seco...This is a man-sized post, friend. Loved every second I spent reading through this. And I agree with you for the most part. There are quite a few I haven't seen, but I will eventually. Kevin Powershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04219017960488448934noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-86685729721775979442015-02-13T15:25:23.366-05:002015-02-13T15:25:23.366-05:00It is possible seeing Skyfall without seeing Quant...It is possible seeing Skyfall without seeing Quantum of Solace?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00059813680559966539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-83140966899035706362015-02-13T11:57:42.450-05:002015-02-13T11:57:42.450-05:00Ohhh I'd love to ask you this: as a poker play...Ohhh I'd love to ask you this: as a poker player, which movies <i>do</i> get poker right? I have some friends who are serious poker players, and they bash every poker film ever made (especially Rounders, which I love). <br /><br />It's the same for me and boxing movies. I boxed for two years and very, very few movies get it right. Urks me so bad!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-18560717436880128352015-02-13T11:56:19.998-05:002015-02-13T11:56:19.998-05:00Thanks man! From what I can gather, the affect of ...Thanks man! From what I can gather, the affect of the strike on Solace was that they couldn't <i>re</i>write anything while they were shooting, which is very, very common on big budget movies. Basically, Paul Haggis finished the shooting script hours before the strike began, so they shot from that script alone. But still, a shooting script is a shooting script, and that script is complete dogshit. And just because you don't have an official WGA writer on set, you can still <i>change</i> things, you know? Also, the editing of that movie is horrendous, so there's a lot going on with that film. Ha.<br /><br />So happy you're a Dalton fan as well. I love Licence to Kill. And GoldenEye, forget about it. So good.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-78370998765421753262015-02-12T11:19:22.353-05:002015-02-12T11:19:22.353-05:00As a poker player, I have a love-relationship with...As a poker player, I have a love-relationship with the best known poker scene in Casino Royale. With the chip stacks of the players, the board texture and many other factors it is simply impossible, with players of that supposed quality, that the hand could have played out like it did. The flop was so draw heavy and wet the shortstacked players would have moved all in rather than each player checking the flop.<br /><br />Sorry....<br /><br />But, yeah. I love the bond Franchise, I feel Timothy Dalton performance is perhaps the closest to the novels, and License to Kill is the most underrated,Myerlahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00772428029534463716noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-75130604043287972015-02-10T15:39:47.695-05:002015-02-10T15:39:47.695-05:00Good lord, man - great recap.
I absolutely love ...Good lord, man - great recap. <br /><br />I absolutely love Bond, but there's a ton of movies I haven't seen. In fact, I don't think I've actually seen a Connery Bond all the way through (despite the fact I have a framed Goldfinger poster in my house).<br /><br />I really don't mind Dalton, in fact, I think he's underrated. I couldn't agree more on License to Kill - I love that flick and would have enjoyed one more Dalton movie.<br /><br />However, Goldeneye will always be THE Bond movie for me and Brosnan is hard to beat as Bond (in that flick, anyway).<br /><br />Didn't that writer's strike have a lot to do with the subpar quality of QoS? I want to say I don't mind that film but, then again, I haven't watched it in forever.Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10394045103473759585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-75664095200997806972015-02-10T14:42:27.414-05:002015-02-10T14:42:27.414-05:00Hey Chip, thanks for this comment. I'll check ...Hey Chip, thanks for this comment. I'll check out Bond Girls Are Forever, sounds really interesting.<br /><br />I think you make a very good argument concerning Casino Royale. Not exactly a Bond film for Bond purists. But I do love it. And I agree that Mikkelson is a weak villain, but that makes his eventual payoff that much better.<br /><br />So glad to find other Licence to Kill fans. I loved that one.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-26159101545181315322015-02-09T20:30:04.438-05:002015-02-09T20:30:04.438-05:00Way too many things to comment on. Congrats on ge...Way too many things to comment on. Congrats on getting through all those films in that short an amount of time. There's also a Bond Girls Are Forever movie that goes through the various women to star alongside the Bond character.<br /><br />I agree with you that License to Kill is a damn good Bond film. Pretty much everything that was praised about Daniel Craig as Bond was first said about Dalton, except it was said as a criticism back then.<br /><br />Of the ones you hated I probably disagree with you the most on Moonraker. For me it falls into the so goofy it's good category. And it's got Jaws again - my favorite villain.<br /><br />Of the ones you loved I probably disagree with you the most on Casino Royale (the Craig version). I never got the love for this film. I felt Mikkelson was the most boring villain I've seen in any Bond film (and I've seen them all). You've got to have a great antagonist to bring out the best in Bond. And I wasn't thrilled with the "slug first, think later" Bond presented to us in this movie. Sure, parkour was trendy when the movie was made, but what makes Bond great is that he outhinks his opponents, not outslugs them or outparkours them. Yes, I understand this is a movie about Bond before he became Bond, but that's not what I want to see. I want to see Bond.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-29291248971341931052015-02-09T19:24:09.136-05:002015-02-09T19:24:09.136-05:00Great stuff man, just made my way through your pos...Great stuff man, just made my way through your posts. There really is never a bad time to tackle Bond.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37691185517560148462015-02-09T19:23:12.976-05:002015-02-09T19:23:12.976-05:00Thanks man! I do think you'd like On Her Majes...Thanks man! I do think you'd like On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It's a very smart film, and has a lot of interesting things to say visually. There's a great moment when Bond breaks into an office, and <i>slowly</i> draws back a knife to throw it. As he draws back, the camera pushes in on him. It's fucking awesome. A real cinema moment. My favorite shot from any Bond film.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-28752143489318567632015-02-09T19:21:34.852-05:002015-02-09T19:21:34.852-05:00Thanks dude! I'm surprised The World is Not En...Thanks dude! I'm surprised The World is Not Enough and Quantum get such high marks from you, but hey, it's hard to argue Bond! Octopussy is stupid fun, but definitely on par with Moonraker. Never Say Never Again is just bad.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-7593711092180984862015-02-09T19:20:05.891-05:002015-02-09T19:20:05.891-05:00Ha, well, I think I had seen all of them when I wa...Ha, well, I think I had seen all of them when I was 14 too. Or at least <i>some</i> of all of them. Bond films have that weird way of always appealing to men, no matter the age. 14, 30, or 57 - we always love Bond.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-86718781521650893262015-02-09T19:18:55.821-05:002015-02-09T19:18:55.821-05:00Thanks Dan! FYEO seems to be the one that people d...Thanks Dan! FYEO seems to be the one that people disagree with me on the most. Maybe I need to give it another go, but I could just not get into it. But still, I'm really glad you like the list, and thanks so much for tweeting about it!Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-37324617051311731462015-02-09T19:17:08.733-05:002015-02-09T19:17:08.733-05:00I was so happy I decided to rewatch OHMSS. It'...I was so happy I decided to rewatch OHMSS. It's just a really good <i>movie</i>, you know? And a GREAT Bond film. Nice rankings, seems like we're pretty much in line here.Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4784665635104956142.post-90975196250745438062015-02-09T19:16:13.144-05:002015-02-09T19:16:13.144-05:00I said it's hard. Not impossible. But... thank...I said it's hard. Not impossible. But... thanks?Alex Withrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15887018476048271594noreply@blogger.com