In honor of SKYFALL and the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond franchise…I’m sporting my 007 movie posters tie that I haven’t word since Goldeneye!
I’m obsessed with James Bond! I’ve read all the books (from Fleming to Deaver to comic strips) and see the movies over and over!
I’m going to a sneak peek in IMAX tonight and will have a review soon and more news!
By Editor
James Bond journeys to Scotland in Skyfall. Bond’s father was Scottish. Sean Connery is Scottish. You see where I’m going?
A Sean Connery appearance in the latest 007 film for Bond’s 50th Annivesary?
Director Sam Mendes tells Huffington Post that there was a possibility of a Connery cameo.
“There was a definite discussion about that — way, way early on. But I think that’s problematic. Because, to me, it becomes too … it would take you out of the movie. Connery is Bond and he’s not going to come back as another character. It’s like, he’s been there. So, it was a very brief flirtation with that thought, but it was never going to happen, because I thought it would distract.”
Did Mendes and the producers make the right call?
A Bond fan confession: My first 007 film was Moonraker. I grew up on Roger Moore and one night while waiting for the ABC Sunday Night Movie with my dad – up comes the pre-credit sequence then title sequence for From Russia, With Love. I turned to my dad and asked “Who is Sean Connery?”
From Russia, With Love is now my all-time favorite 007 film. I love all the Bonds for what they are and what meant then and now.
I hope the franchise continues for decades and a kid may one day turn and ask “Who is Daniel Craig?”
Skyfall opens November 9th in the U.S.
By Editor
Could Skyfall mark the beginning of a new run within the James Bond franchise? Sam Mendes is winning rave reviews for the latest 007 adventure and there’s talk he may return. Co-writer John Logan is slated to return as the sole writer for the next adventure. As we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond movies I wanted to look back at the stellar runs of some key directors.
The James Bond franchise is known for a director helming several 007 films. Terence Young directed Dr. No and From Russia, With Love (my all-time favorite) took a break and was back for Thunderball.
Guy Hamilton directed Goldfinger, the film that is best known for setting the formula for 007’s adventures that followed it. Hamilton didn’t return until Sean Connery’s final (yes, I’m not including Never Say Never Again) film, Diamonds Are Forever and ushered in the Roger Moore era with Live and Let Die then The Man With the Golden Gun.
Lewis Gilbert directed Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice and Roger Moore in The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker.
John Glen has the longest run directing 007 with For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. Glen closed out the Roger Moore era and helmed Timothy Dalton’s two 007 films.
Martin Campbell directed the James Bond relaunches Goldeneye (Pierce Brosnan’s first) and Casino Royale (Daniel Craig’s first.)
I was immediately excited and surprised when it was announced Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Revolutionary Road, Jarhead) would direct Skyfall. Mendes and Daniel Craig share a love of James Bond films saying they discussed Live and Let Die and From Russia, With Love before starting work on Skyfall. It was a huge surprise when the Oscar-winner was named director of Skyfall. Indications are he will not return.
“It’s been a fantastic experience, but it’s been completely exhausting,” he told AceShowbix , “Do I want to do another one? I’m a shadow of my former self. [laughs] No, I don’t know. I felt like everything I wanted to do with a Bond movie, I put into this film.”
I would have to be convinced that I could do something that I loved and cared about as much if I was to do it again. I think the great risk of repeating oneself is that one doesn’t have the great store of ideas that you have when you first tackle a subject.”
Here’s hoping the producers can entire Mendes to renew his license to thrill.
Here’s a follow-up as we wait for the next film: SPECTRE and Directing 007 – the sequel.
By Editor
John Logan (Gladiator, Hugo) rewrote the script for Skyfall. Last week we learned Logan will be the sole writer of the next James Bond film but it could be the next two Daniel Craig 007 adventures. We know now more of Logan’s mission!
Logan is working on a two-part original James Bond story which are not based on the works of 007 creator Ian Fleming according to The Hollywood Reporter Heat Vision.
Quantum of Solace was a continuation of Casino Royale in which Bond pursued the organization responsible for killing Vesper (Eva Green.)
Could Logan be setting up a S.P.E.C.T.R.E. and Blofeld (frequent villains of the Sean Connery era) scenario for Daniel Craig’s James Bond? Connery’s Bond fought several agents of SPECTRE in Doctor No, From Russia, With Love, and Thunderball before finally coming face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld in You Only Live Twice.
Skyfall introduces Q, delves into the inner workings of MI6 and explores the tragedy of Bond’s parents. I really enjoyed Geoffrey Wright at CIA operative Felix Leiter and would love to have him back. Logan could rediscover many Bond elements (Moneypenny, May, his service in the Royal Navy) in future films.
By Editor
How did Batman influence the latest James Bond adventure?
Skyfall is already scoring great reviews. Director Sam Mendes tells IndieWire he was “directly inspired” by Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy.
“In terms of what [Nolan] achieved, specifically ‘The Dark Knight,’ the second movie, what it achieved, which is something exceptional. It was a game changer for everybody,” he explained about how it influenced his approach.
“We’re now in an industry where movies are very small or very big and there’s almost nothing in the middle,” he continued. “And it would be a tragedy if all the serious movies were very small and all the popcorn movies were very big and have nothing to say. And what Nolan proved was that you can make a huge movie that is thrilling and entertaining and has a lot to say about the world we live in, even if, in the case with ‘The Dark Knight,’ it’s not even set in our world. If felt like a movie that was about our world post-9/11 and played on our fears and discussed our fears and why they existed and I thought that was incredibly brave and interesting. That did help give me the confidence to take this movie in directions that, without ‘The Dark Knight,’ might not have been possible. Because also, people go, ‘Wow, that’s pretty dark,’ but then you can point to ‘Dark Knight’ and go ‘Look at that – that’s a darker movie, and it took in a gazillion dollars!’ That’s very helpful. There’s also that thing – it’s clearly possible to make a dark movie that people want to see.”
Skyfall hits U.S. theaters November 9th.
Christopher Nolan has expressed how a classic 007 film influenced Inception and his potential involvement with the Bond franchise. You can read that here.
By Editor
Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Skyfall this November. Craig’s third film as 007 is part of the 50th Anniversary of the James Bond film franchise. While you wait for the newest adventure of Ian Fleming’s super spy consider enjoying a blast from the past. 007 has starred in movies, novels, comic books and daily comic strips.
The James Bond Omnibus collects nine original daily comic strips by writer Jim Lawrence and artist Yaroslav Horak from Titan Books. My favorite Bond novel and movie is From Russia, With Love so I really enjoyed these retro tales of 007. These strips were published by British newspapers in the early 1970’s.
Horak’s stark black and white art reminds me of Klaus Janson (Daredevil.) This James Bond is chiseled with visual elements of Sean Connery and Roger Moore.
In the first story Trouble Spot James Bond encounters a trio of femme fatales and sharkfaced KGB spymaster and goes undercover in a nudist colony?
The collection also includes titles like Die With My Boots On, The Girl Machine, and The Nevsky Nude. filled with dangerous Bond girls, sinister villains, exotic locales and some surprising plot twists. I think Ian Fleming would raise his martini to this omnibus.
The James Bond Omnibus 004 from Titan Books is perfect for the 007 fanatic but for all lovers of classic adventure comic strips and graphic storytelling.
By Editor
James Bond shares the new poster for Skyfall with his two leading ladies (Severine, Eve) and the villain (Silva.) Daniel Craig, Berenice Marlohe, Javier Bardem and Naomie Harris are featued in the poster for UK theatres. Each character will receive their own poster too. Bardem’s creepy blonde character has been in my head since seeing the trailer. He reminds me so much of Red Grant (played by the brilliant Robert Shaw) in From Russia, With Love. Who is Silva? I suspect he may be one of the deep cover MI6 agents exposed by M’s misteps as seen in the trailer. I have this idea in my head that perhaps Silva has gone blonde to model himself after Bond?
Thanks to 007.com.
By Editor
James Bond is dead….long live James Bond. Daniel Craig returns as 007 in Skyfall. The trailer for the new 007 film is live. Bond is assassinated by one of his own under orders from M but as Ian Fleming wrote “you only live twice.”
Here’s what we know: M (Dame Judi Dench) loses a drive containing covert agents in terrorist organizations. Eve (Naomie Harris) is ordered to “take the shot” killing Bond. Ralph Fiennes is a government agent cleaning up the mess made by M. Javier Bardem plays the villain Silva who says “mommy was very bad.” Both men appear to want to make M pay for her sins.
Berenice Marlohe’s Severine works for Silva. And we met Q (Ben Wishaw) and he’s just a kid but what a cool delivery, “less of a random killing machine…more of a personal statement.”
Director Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig have said Skyfall echoes the Sean Connery 1960’s Bond films. I definitely get a From Russia, With Love vibe but with a modern, faster pace from this trailer. Silva reminds me of a Red Grant (Robert Shaw) but much more powerful and crazier with a touch of Hannibal Lecter. Bardem kills it and steals the show!
What was your favorite moment?
Thanks to 007.com. By Editor