“THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” (1974) Review

What can I say about 1974’s ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”? It is not the worst James Bond movie I have ever seen. I can think of at least two or three of which I have a lower opinion. But I do believe that it is the worst Roger Moore film in the franchise. Apparently screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz believed the same. He made the decision to bow out of the writing assignment before the script could be finished. ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” plot focused upon something called the Solex Agitator – a device which can harness the power of the sun. Before Bond could investigate the death of scientist who was thought to be in possession of information crucial to the creation of the Solex Agitator, he has to find out why hitman Francisco Scaramanga had sent a golden bullet to him. It turns out that Scaramanga’s long-suffering mistress, Andrea Anders, had sent the bullet to Bond, hoping that he would kill the hitman. Eventually, Bond teams up with MI-6 agents Mary Goodnight and Lieutenant Hip against Francisco Scaramanga – The Man with the Golden Gun and his employer, billionaire Hai Fat. Eventually Scaramanga kills Hai Fat and become the sole possessor of the Solex Agitator. He also kills Andrea and kidnaps Goodnight. Bond tracks Scaramanga to an island of mainland China, where the action finally culminates in a duel between the two men – Bond’s Walther PPK against Scaramanga’s Golden Gun.

I must admit that the movie’s plot seemed interesting. It certainly did not seem like the disappointment that ”LIVE AND LET DIE” turned out to be. The problem with”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” is that it was so poorly executed . . . especially by director Guy Hamilton. There seemed to be a lack of style or substance in how the movie was directed. Roger Moore’s performance did not help matters. After his impressive debut in his previous movies, many Bond fans made a fuss over the fact that Moore’s Bond seemed nothing like Connery’s Bond. Which led to Moore being forced to an attempt to recapture Connery’s style. And it did not work. He came off as false and almost wooden. Only two scenes saved Moore’s performance from being a complete bust – his encounter with the Macao gunsmith, Lazar (”Speak now or forever hold your piece.”) and the Bond/Scaramanga confrontation during luncheon on the assassin’s island when Bond expresses his dislike of Scaramanga’s suggestion that the British agent is nothing more than a fellow assassin.

Speaking of Scaramanga, EON Productions had the good fortune to cast Christopher Lee (the future Count Dooku and Sarauman) as the movie’s main villain, expert assassin Francisco Scaramanga. The scene that featured Scaramanga’s recollection of a pet elephant produced a very poignant performance from Lee. In fact, only Lee and South Korean actor, Soon-Tek-Oh (who portrayed MI-6 agent Lieutenant Hip) seemed to be the only two cast members who gave consistently excellent performances throughout the entire film. I certainly cannot say the same about the other supporting cast members. Herve Villachaise (four years before ”FANTASY ISLAND”) simply annoyed me. Maud Adams seemed to be her wooden self. Britt Ekland, although a good actress, had the bad luck to portray the annoyingly clumsly Mary Goodnight. Bernard Lee seemed a bit over-the-top in his constant annoyance toward Bond and Hip. Desmond Llewellyn as Q was as annoying as M seemed to find him. I do not even recall the quality of Lois Maxwell’s brief performance as Moneypenny.

I must admit that cinematographers Ted Moore and Oswald Morris beautifully captured the exotic allure of Southeast Asia. It seemed a pity that John Barry could not produce a memorable score and that Don Black wrote what I consider to be the second worst Bond theme song (performed by Lulu) in the franchise’s history. Oh well. Nothing is perfect. Unfortunately for ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”, it was far from perfect.

“THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” (1974) Review

What can I say about 1974’s ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”? It is not the worst James Bond movie I have ever seen. I can think of at least two or three of which I have a lower opinion. But I do believe that it is the worst Roger Moore film in the franchise. Apparently screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz believed the same. He made the decision to bow out of the writing assignment before the script could be finished. ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”’s plot the Solex Agitator – a device which can harness the power of the sun. Before Bond could investigate the death of scientist who was thought to be in possession of information crucial to the creation of the Solex Agitator, he has to find out why hitman Francisco Scaramanga had sent a golden bullet to him. It turns out that Scaramanga’s long-suffering mistress, Andrea Anders, had sent the bullet to Bond, hoping that he would kill the hitman. Eventually, Bond teams up with MI-6 agents Mary Goodnight and Lieutenant Hip against Francisco Scaramanga - The Man with the Golden Gun and his employer, billionaire Hai Fat. Eventually Scaramanga kills Hai Fat and become the sole possessor of the Solex Agitator. He also kills Andrea and kidnaps Goodnight. Bond tracks Scaramanga to an island of mainland China, where the action finally culminates in a duel between the two men – Bond’s Walther PPK against Scaramanga’s Golden Gun.

I must admit that the movie’s plot seemed interesting. It certainly did not seem like the disappointment that ”LIVE AND LET DIE” turned out to be. The problem with ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN” is that it was so poorly executed . . . especially by director Guy Hamilton. There seemed to be a lack of style or substance in how the movie was directed. Roger Moore’s performance did not help matters. After his impressive debut in his previous movies, many Bond fans made a fuss over the fact that Moore’s Bond seemed nothing like Connery’s Bond. Which led to Moore being forced to an attempt to recapture Connery’s style. And it did not work. He came off as false and almost wooden. Only two scenes saved Moore’s performance from being a complete bust – his encounter with the Macao gunsmith, Lazar (”Speak now or forever hold your piece.”) and the Bond/Scaramanga confrontation during luncheon on the assassin’s island when Bond expresses his dislike of Scaramanga’s suggestion that the British agent is nothing more than a fellow assassin.

Speaking of Scaramanga, EON Productions had the good fortune to cast Christopher Lee (the future Count Dooku and Sarauman) as the movie’s main villain, expert assassin Francisco Scaramanga. The scene that featured Scaramanga’s recollection of a pet elephant produced a very poignant performance from Lee. In fact, only Lee and South Korean actor, Soon-Tek-Oh (who portrayed MI-6 agent Lieutenant Hip) seemed to be the only two cast members who gave consistently excellent performances throughout the entire film. I certainly cannot say the same about the other supporting cast members. Herve Villachaise (four years before ”FANTASY ISLAND”) simply annoyed me. Maud Adams seemed to be her wooden self. Britt Ekland, although a good actress, had the bad luck to portray the annoyingly clumsly Mary Goodnight. Bernard Lee seemed a bit over-the-top in his constant annoyance toward Bond and Hip. Desmond Llewellyn as Q was as annoying as M seemed to find him. I do not even recall the quality of Lois Maxwell’s brief performance as Moneypenny.

I must admit that cinematographers Ted Moore and Oswald Morris beautifully captured the exotic allure of Southeast Asia. It seemed a pity that John Barry could not produce a memorable score and that Don Black wrote what I consider to be the second worst Bond theme song (performed by Lulu) in the franchise’s history. Oh well. Nothing is perfect. Unfortunately for ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”, it was far from perfect.

James Bond, agen 007 merupakan karakter fiksi yang diciptakan tahun 1953 oleh penulis Inggris Ian Fleming, yang kemudian muncul dalam dua belas novel dan dua koleksi cerita pendek versi original. Karakter ini kemudian digunakan dalam waralaba media film terlaris dan tersukses di seluruh dunia sampai saat ini. Mau tahu tampang para pemeran film James Bond dari film pertama (Dr. No)  sampai terakhir (Quantum of Solace)? Inilah tampangnya:bootingskoBlog

Aktor:
Sean Connery

Film:
Dr. No (1962), From Russia With Love  (1963), Goldfinger  (1964), Thunderball You Only Live Twice (1967)

Aktor:
George Lazenby

Film:
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Aktor:
Sean Connery

Film:
Diamonds Are Forever(1971)

Aktor:
Roger Moore

Film:
Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974),
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979),
For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983),
A View to a Kill (1985)

Aktor:
Timothy Dalton

Film:
The Living Daylights (1987), Licence to Kill (1989)

Aktor:
Pierce Brosnan

Film:
GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997),
The World Is Not Enough (1999), Die Another Day (2002)

Aktor:
Daniel Craig

Film:
Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008)

“LIVE AND LET DIE” (1973) Review

Between 1967 and 1972, EON Productions spent a chaotic five years trying to find one man to settle down portray James Bond following Sean Connery’s decision to retire from the role. Nineteen sixty-eight found Australian model, George Lazenby in the role. But after one movie, the excellent ”ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE”, Lazenby decided that he did not want to continue the role. Connery came back for one last movie - ”DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER”, but did not bother to stick around. Then in 1972, Broccoli and Saltzman hired Roger Moore (famous for the TV series,”THE SAINT”) to portray the British agent. And Moore went on to play the role for the next 12 years. But he had to start somewhere and he did with 1973’s ”LIVE AND LET DIE”. This was the very first Bond movie I had ever seen. Although I have a great sentimental attachment to it, I do not really consider it to be amongst the finest in the franchise. Nor is it a personal favorite of mine.

Following the murders of three MI-6 agents (in New York, New Orleans and the fictional island of San Monique), Bond is assigned by M to investigate their deaths. His investigations in New York leads him to a Harlem gangster named Mr. Big. But as it turns out, Mr. Big is also San Monique’s foreign minister. Bond eventually learns that Kanaga/Mr. Big plans to use the heroin grown in the San Monique opium fields to flood the current heroin market and gain complete control of the U.S. drug market. He killed the three British agents, because apparently they were in danger of stumbling upon his scheme.

I am going to be frank. As much as I like ”LIVE AND LET DIE”, I have never been impressed by its screenplay, adapted by Tom Mankiewicz from Ian Fleming’s 1954 novel. It never made any sense to me that the British government would be interested in the activities of a diplomat from an island that had obviously been a former French colony, or an American gangster. If the three agents and Bond had been French, I could see them working with CIA agent Felix Leiter on this case. But there you have it. And Bond’s San Monique showdown with Kanaga had always struck me as being rather disappointing. Another aspect of the movie I found disappointing was the leading lady – namely Jane Seymour as Kanaga’s Tarot card seer, Solitaire. I have nothing against Seymour’s performance. She seemed to be her usual competent self. But other than predicting Bond’s arrival in New York and later, at Kanaga’s San Monique estate, and warning Bond about Rosie Carver (via a Tarot card); I found nothing impressive about Solitaire’s role in the story. Especially since she eventually became nothing more than a moaning damsel-in-distress. And Geoffrey Holder as Baron Semedi did not really do much for me, but his ghostly appearance at the end of the movie was memorable.

Fortunately, ”LIVE AN LET DIE” had its virtues. Roger Moore’s long experience with action roles in television (”MAVERICK”, ”THE SAINT”, and ”THE PERSUADERS”) allowed him to segued into the Bond role with great ease. He already seemed very comfortable in the role and without any problems, managed to establish his own style. Unfortunately, very few people appreciated this. And Yaphet Kotto created an impressive villain in an interesting duel role as the smooth and intelligent Kanaga/the bombastic Mr. Big. To this day, Julius Harris’ TeeHee remains one of my favorite Bond henchmen of all time. All I can say was that the man was perfect – humorous, yet very menacing. David Hedison’s friendship with Moore proved to be very effective in his first outing as CIA agent, Felix Leiter. The warmth and easy between Leiter and Bond seemed more apparent than in any other Bond film. And I rather enjoyed Gloria Hendry’s performance as the amusingly clumsy, yet treacherous Rosie Carver. And let us not forget the hilarious and unforgettable Clifton James as the long-suffering Southern lawman, Sheriff J.W. Pepper. James’ peformance was so impressive that the producers brought him back to reprise his role in 1974’s ”THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN”.

Also among ”LIVE AND LET DIE”’s virtues was its smooth direction by Guy Hamilton, which included a rather fun boat chase through the Louisiana bayou, fine performances and the rich atmosphere of New York’s Harlem and New Orleans. Cinematographer Ted Moore did much to contribute to the film’s atmosphere. But it is the movie’s score by George Martin and theme song by Paul McCartnery and Wings that seemed to be the movie’s most impressive virtue . . . other than Moore, Kotto and James’ performances. Although ”LIVE AND LET DIE”’s story remains unimpressive to me, it still turned out to be a rather entertaining film.

I went to the zoo.  A monkey stole my shoes.  An elephant sat on my aunt.  It was a horrible mess; something I’ll never forget.  My uncle blamed me right away.

‘It’s all your fault,’ he yelled, shaking with rage.  ‘We knew you were trouble from the start.’

I didn’t know what to say; I was only seven at the time.  I poked him in the eye with a stick.

The day went downhill from there.  My uncle flailed about like he was having a fit; a small child was dislodged from a wall.  This scared the bears and they charged for the gate.  There was a stampede; lots of people got killed.

Later that night, as I watched it on the news, I saw the monkey clomp around in my shoes.  A picture of this made the front page.  It remained a big story all week.

When some reporters tracked me down and asked me to speak, I told them that I didn’t much care.  It was just how it goes; I’d miss my aunt, I supposed, and I was never very keen on those shoes.

Being completely honest I don’t read as many books as I should, I would guess about 10 this year, so it’s been tough to put together as lengthy an award list as for the other media.

However, I’ve come up with a few categories and despite only having read one book in a couple of them, those books chosen are ones I would recommend.

As per usual this list is from what I’ve READ this year, not from what’s been released in the calendar year.

Links to reviews in the book titles where possible.

So here we go…

.

BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY

WINNER: My Word Is My Bond – Roger Moore

I’m not a James Bond fan but even I enjoyed this roguish journey through Roger Moore’s career. Moore’s easy listening style means it feels like an intimate evening with the great man, sitting round the fireplace as he tells tale after tale.

RUNNERS UP:

Wonderful Tonight – Patti Boyd

.

BEST FACTUAL

WINNER: World In Six Songs – Daniel Levitin

No runner up here as I’ve been lax on my factual reading this year but World In Six Songs is worthy of high praise nonetheless.

This book explores the link between music and civilisation – how music helped create the world we live in, dating right back to our earliest ancestors. If you’re interested in music then this is one to check out.

.

BEST FICTIONAL UNIVERSE:

WINNER: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith

A really inventive novel that mixes Austen with Zombie mayhem, the universe created by Graeme-Smith (with help from Austen’s original) was fantastic to read through and thoroughly enjoyable.

RUNNERS UP:

World War Z – Max Brooks

The Big Sleep – Raymond Chandler

.

BEST FICTIONAL CHARACTER:

WINNER: Lizzy Bennet (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith)

It’s another award for Seth Graeme-Smith as his version of ‘Lizzy’ Bennet was a brilliant character to read through. With her underlying Austen personality in place, it was Graeme-Smith’s added ninja skills that brought her further to life.

RUNNERS UP:

Death (The Book Thief – Markus Zakai)

Alice Maxwell (Cell – Stephen King)

.

BEST FICTION

WINNER: World War Z – Max Brooks

2009 appears to have been the year of the Zombie as far as my reading habits have gone. Nipping a Seth Graeme-Smith clean sweep in the bud is Max Brooks, with his disturbingly realistic portrayal of how events may go down if there really was a Zombie outbreak. Should be read by everyone.

RUNNERS UP:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Seth Graeme-Smith

The Book Thief – Markus Zukai

.

THE GREGHORRORSHOW ‘COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN’ AWARD FOR GREAT WRITING 2009

WINNER: ‘Cell’ by Stephen King

I read this in three days while on holiday, it completely hooked me. The beginning is one of the most finely crafted openings I’ve ever read. Sadly the latter parts of the book couldn’t maintain the standard, which is why it didn’t get any other nominations.

.

So there we go, that’s the first batch of awards handed out. More media (TV/Film and the big one… Games) to follow.

The SyFy Channel will be airing a total of sixteen James Bond films this Thanksgiving weekend. Below is the full schedule:

Thursday – November 26th 2009

8:00 AM -  Dr. No
10:30 AM – Licence To Kill
1:30 PM -  Live And Let Die
4:00 PM – The Spy Who Loved Me
6:30 PM – Tomorrow Never Dies
9:00 PM – Casino Royale

Friday – November 27th 2009:

12:00 AM – For Your Eyes Only
2:30 AM – The Man With The Golden Gun
08:00 AM – Thunderball
10:30 AM – From Russia With Love
1:00 PM – You Only Live Twice
3:30 PM – Diamonds Are Forever
6:00 PM – Casino Royale
9:00 PM – GoldenEye

Saturday November 28th 2009:

12:00 AM – Goldfinger
2:30 AM – Never Say Never Again

All times are EST.

Roger Moore was the James Bond I grew up with. I didn’t like his character at the time because the grown-ups in my life told me that Sean Connery was much better. “Growing up” changed me, though. Roger Moore has gone from my least favorite Bond to being, well, my second favorite. (My favorite is the fifth Bond, Pierce Brosnan.)  I developed a new understanding and appreciation for Sir Roger’s tenure in the role of 007 after enjoying his memoir My Word is My Bond.

Sir Roger takes us through his days as a contract player in the mid-1950s during the dying days of the studio system, all the way to his current role as an ambassador for UNICEF. There are many stops along the way, including his role as Simon Templar in the television show The Saint during the 1960s and perhaps his best known work as James Bond in the 1970s and 1980s.

Sir Roger is too much of a gentleman to indulge in idle gossip, but the book does have some very funny stories about Sean Connery, Rex Harrison, Hal Roach and others.  It is witty and charming reading.

If you want to view Roger Moore in action as James Bond you may want to check out two of his better known films.

Live and Let Die is Roger Moore’s first performance as James Bond and features Jane Seymour in an early “Bond Girl” performance as Solitaire who is a psychic of many talents.

The Spy Who Loved Me is Roger Moore’s favorite Bond film and features the first of two appearances of the seven foot tall henchman, Jaws, with his trademark steel teeth played by actor Richard Kiel.

David

Text About IAN FLEMING

Text About IAN FLEMING:

Terrorism Is Like Nazism, A Bug That we Have to Erase now Definitely. And I can’t do It alone with This novel. So, I’m about to buy tomorrow, Friday, November 28, 2009, One IAN FLEMING james BondNovel, From Russia With Love, and John Le Carre, A MOST WANTED MAN, To learn more About good Writings and Improve My literacy Style, in a short while. Because, I decided to stop the movie industry, as a producer, just now An Adviser and An Actor (with AKA FRED KELLY), I feel FREE to Begin THE NEW STEP: Step-Writing Of a Novel: F-COP: Aftermath. It’s Not anymore the Old Cop, you know and That Hollywood Refused, It’s a Young man, with The same Name, Me? VINCE SAUVAN, My hero, my Character, this Time in a double double, double Crossover, double Spinoff, Story, Joined By VeLvEt EyEs Partner-Wife, VALENtine Douglas, Leather Gloves, One of the Heroes you prefer on My WordPress, right?

F-Cop in a double Combat, In Cyber-Space, Heroic Fantasy World, and On Earth In VeLvEt EyEs Universe, Will Couter=Attacks with Gloves the Terrorism because It’s The evil Chaos organized that stop The progress Of our Civilization, A NOVEL conceived Like a Film, a Feature one, A Story already in progress on my papers At home, It begins Now and I want to Thank FLEMING And LE CARRE For The challenge I have Now To be Not too bad in my Writings, iN front Of These 2 great Masters, Not only of Mine. See you on the Blog, Next time, Soon!

MIKE FULLER,
November Thanksgiving, 26, 2009
Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.

Ian FLEMING, If He Was There, He Would Help Us To Destroy This Al Qaeda that Harass Our Country Since 2001! A Novel Can Change The World, even If Army and Authorities are The Ones who Fight The Evil Organization, On Location!!

 

Music:
CONFIRMATION InDIaN SuMmEr Tour Dates NOW 2 Hours Before Show Open-Mic, Regarding Fact Heavy Work On Blog, Twitter And FV own Agenda COORD!!

5:48pm: Breaking News: The Q&A Regarding The Real Show TWITTER FV (about 2 change tilte) Is DELAYED 2 Tomorrow, Wednesday, Morning Due 2 Priorities!

Fred Has Enough 2 Read In VARIETY: Hollywood kind Of SICK (Biz feeling), LIKE In Lindsay LOHAN Song: DISCONNECTED, So LET’S WritE A NOVEL!!

From The Tweets:
TIMEFRAMES, Hollywood: TOWN, Neighborhood, CONCEPT (?) -we don’t think so – The SIGN Is Now Ready To Partner With Us, I Hope, On AMBITION!!

TIMEFRAMES, Hollywood: In This TOWN Inside The City Of LOS ANGELES, The Audience Is Small But Good To Understand What Works And What Don’t!

TF, h: 2 Partner ON A NOVEL. Fred-VIDAL Is Traumatized By Failure Of His previous Project, The “FRENCH” COP, French Like The Fries, or Kiss!

TIMEFRAMES, Hollywood: TOWN, Neighborhood, CONCEPT (?) -we don’t think so – The SIGN Is Now Ready To Partner With Us, I Hope, On AMBITION!!

SO Trauma Is Good When You Do A Post-TRAUMA Therapy, We heard, I Mean GOOD Experience/Not Memories, It’s BIZ-Therapy, Fred NEVER DEPRESSED!

• Homage-Text to IAN FLEMING By MIKE FULLER,
  Before Midnight, Today, Nov 24!

Yesterday, Monday:
Breaking News (November 23, 6:45am)
From http://twitter.com/fredvidal

F-COP: AfTeRmAtH (The DARKPOL LegacY)  Is AbouT To Be PuBlIsHeD oN WORDPRESS FV In December (F-COP is new name of FRENCH COP). ThE WRIting Will Be A 31 Day One, From DecembeR 1 2 31st. SigneD FV (Mike FULLER).  The LAST Sequel NOVEL Of Series Of FILM-PROJECTS FC-DP Is Also SPINOFF Of THe MaN WiTh ThE VeLvEt EyEs (2 be Explained Tuesday On The BloG). F-COP: AFTERMATH Is Definitive End SAGA FRENCH COP, Writings Began In 2006!! The NOVEL Will be Offered To NY Publishers Jan.!

With F-Cop: Aftermath, Fred VIDAL, PhD Begins The Writing Of An e-Novel Against Terrorism & Evil Organizations Like Al-Qaeda! It’s Daily On This Blog On WordPress Until 2010!

On TWITTER FV: http://twitter.com/fredvidal

This Morning:

BREAKING NEWS: Fred VIDAL, PhD AKA Mike FULLER, & Team, To Begin Today Writing Novel ‘F-Cop: AFTERMATH’, An e-NOVEL Vs Terrorism & Terror!!

In This Unique SpinOff’s Crossover, The F-COP Works With LEATHER GLOVES 4 MORE RESULTS + the NOVEL Franchise 2 Be USEFUL 4 Our Country & Us!

You Can’T ChangE The World, BUT You Can ContributE, When NOVELIST (Fred) To ImprovE It!! We Don’T AccepT Terrorism And F-COP To FiGht 4 USA!

Explanation: This is 2 Technical!! CROSSOVER: 2 Characters Of Different UNiverses MEET, SPINOFF: One Character Of One UNIVERSE Has OWN SHOW!

Fred VIDAL: In The Man With The Velvet Eyes, The Character Of VALENTINE DOUGLAS Isn’t Developed Yet, So it’s Time To write about Her, Right?

Fred VIDAL: F-COP: AfTeRmAtH, It’s About – DON’T SEE IT AS A MOVIE or Possible feature film, It’s A Novel – Vince & VALENTINE (see TMVTVE)!

SAUVAN, In the VELVET EYES Universe (Diplomacy, espionage, Arts, Weird Environment, History) Won’t Be The Same exactly Because He’s + MATURE

No, It’s Fantastic 4 Team, Hurrah (because it’s something important)! IT’S A DOUBLE SPINOFF! We Understood: ONE CHARACTER Of Each Story tgt!

ONE CHARACTER Of Each Story together: VS from F-franchise + Valentine “LEATHER GLOVES” Douglas of TMWTVE, in her UniVeRsE, VELVET EYES 2010!

DOUBLE SPINOFF Done: ONE CHARACTER Of Each FRANCHISE Together in Same Story One Universe Female Character! This Is Not Brilliant, BuT Very!!

Vince Sauvan (I don’t like name, don’t like mine, I like only one, names are not the persons) IS NOT (A) BOND!! He’s Counter-Terrorist Agent

It’s Written in 2006, I Follow The Screenplay / Before The UFOs, not Only On TWITTER! He’s noT A Soldier, even If He Works with Them, Often!

He’s DARKPOL but You already READ about DarkPol. He’s Not Freelance In this (Last? oR 1st?) MISSION, He’s In VELVET EYES Saga’s Network USA!

Picture: Roger MOORE, After Sean CONNERY, 1st % Forever To Have Been BOND For The Big Screen, Is For FRed VIDAL, The Man Who Had The Most Influenced His Life In The CINEMA SHOW, movie Industry Until TIMEFRAMES!! Homage To Him And The JAMES BOND Franchise That The Author Of VELVET EYES Will Keep In Mid As A Good Example To Follow For The NOVEL’s Writing Of F-COP: Aftermath!!!

Roger MOORE, After Sean CONNERY, 1st % Forever To Have Been BOND On The Big Screen, Is For FRed VIDAL, The Man Who Had The Most Influenced His Life In The CINEMA SHOW, movie Industry Until TIMEFRAMES!! Homage To Him And The JAMES BOND Franchise That The Author Of VELVET EYES Will Keep In Mid As A Good Example To Follow For The NOVEL's Writing Of F-COP: Aftermath!!!

AN IMPORTANT FIRST TEXT OF THE WEB-NOVEL F-C:A IN THIS POST THIS AFTERNOON! ThanK You To The FANSHIP And THE FRIENDOM!! Let It Rock!!

Fred-VIDAL, Phd, November 23, 2009
From Los Angeles, California

TF: JAMES BOND, The Latest Movie, It Was Splendid, From The Screenplay 2 Theaters Results With American Moviegoers Who ADORE ACTION Movies!!

TF: So, Beginning January 2006, Fred VIDAL Was Thinking 2 This Great Success 2 Build His Own WITHOUT IMITATION, Just A Motivation/Biz Master

TIMEFRAMES: The JAMES BOND Franchise Is The Best Example Of Successful FRANCHISE, In The Industry (With STAR WARS, probably That is Unique)

Why JAMES BOND COMPARISON? French Cop, NO Sorry F(rederic)-COP, no basically Letter F… 6th Letter Alphabet, F-COP Has Nothing 2 Do With JB

F-COP Has Nothing 2 Do With JB, Maybe More With G-FORCE – team laughs – (Title can Change), Is An UNIVERSE, The same Style, to Some Extend!!

FV Never Read Really JAMES BOND by Ian FLEMING (to Be confirmed, He has SO MANY memories!), Looks like MASTERPIECES, Movies TOO, HeRo Great!

TF synchronicity: Fred’s Not at all Talent Ian FLEMING or Same Literary Objectives, But It means, We will wait For Opportunity A  LONG TIME!

Veteran actor Sir Roger Moore has advised his fans to learn to check their own pulse, as it can be helpful in discerning irregular heartbeat.

The 82-year-old actor collapsed on stage a few years ago because of the medical condition known as arrhythmia.

“People should know their pulse as they would their weight. If I had been checking my pulse I would have realized my heartbeat was slow and sought help,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying.

The former James Bond had fallen on stage in New York in 2003 during a performance of The Play What I Wrote.

Recollecting the event, he said: “I’d just finished a vigorous song and dance routine and I remember trying to say a line but nothing came out. Then I went down.

“I was playing Marie Antionette in a dress with a big wig, which probably helped limit the damage when I fell.

“My wife thought at first I was ad-libbing but when the curtain came down she knew something was terribly wrong and came racing backstage.

“I remember opening my eyes and seeing fellow actor Hamish McColl bending over me and thinking, ‘What are you doing in my bedroom?’ There was a roaring noise in my head but it cleared and I felt okay.

“I was lucky,” he says. “My collapse was a warning. Others may not be so fortunate. Taking your pulse only takes 30 seconds.”

Moore was suffering from bradycardia, an unusually slow heartbeat.

The Batmobile is more than faintly ludicrous, overly flash, gadget-heavy and more than likely to break down in a real-life situation. Additionally, for further minus-points, it’s not a known marque so parts will be a bugger to find. The Saint’s chariot is more like this blog’s idea of a suitable conveyance. Suitably understated and almost certain to be reliable, it must be the only sexy Volvo in history.

Volvo P1800 and pre-face lift Roger Moore

The is seeking authors to write studies and commentaries about James Bond movies and novels. Some of the suggested topics from a Web page by the group:

Quantum of Solace hit the theatres and many criticized it as being too much like the Jason Bourne movies? Is this accurate?

Raymond Benson or James Gardner as Bond Novelist Presumably they mean John Gardner.

How does James Bond novel Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks stand up as a direct sequel to Man with the Golden Gun by Ian Fleming.

The Post Fleming Novels

Time is getting short, however. The submission deadline is Dec. 15. To view all the information (including the contact information and more details about the conference, which will be in New Mexico): just CLICK RIGHT HERE.

Schutt und Asche.

Einen Monat bevor Roland Emmerichs bahnbrechendes Weltuntergangsszenario zum ersten Mal über die Leinwände flackerte und direkt am Startwochenende einen tsunamigleichen Geldstrom in die Kinokassen spülte, hatte Dr. David Morrison vom astrobiologischen Institut der NASA wenig Gutes über die viralen Marketingmaßnahmen zu sagen, mit denen man bei Sony vorab schon mal ein bisschen wohlige Panikstimmung aufkommen ließ.

InstituteforHumanContinuity.com hieß der Stein des Anstoßes, der für den Weltraumforscher eine Lawine ins Rollen brachte, die allerdings im direkten Vergleich mit den herabstürzenden Schneemassen in Emmerichs Film eher mikroskopische Ausmaße annahm. Bekanntlich ist das Internet ja bereits randvoll mit jeder Menge dubioser Sekten, weißgekleideter Gurus oder langhaariger Hobbypropheten, die vom nahen Ende künden und dazu in der Regel auch ziemlich genaue Daten vorlegen können (welche dann nach Ablauf der jeweiligen Frist – irren ist menschlich – eben nochmal nachgebessert werden müssen). Wen also soll da eine weitere pseudowissenschaftliche Organisation aus der Reserve locken, die für den Stichtag 21.12.2012 die immerhin 94-prozentige Chance einer Kollision des blauen Planeten mit einem anderen Himmelskörper vorausberechnet und Tickets für geheimnisvolle Überlebensarchen verlost? Niemanden. Niemanden jedenfalls, der nicht ohnehin schon vom Untergangsvirus infiziert ist und vielleicht bereits heimlich Plakate mit der Aufschrift „Das Ende naht“ in der Hinterhand hält. Konsequenterweise bedauert im Film selber, als schon die halbe Erdoberfläche in Schutt und Asche liegt, eine der Figuren am meisten die Tatsache, dass ausgerechnet „die Idioten mit den Schildern“ Recht behalten hätten. So kann man es natürlich auch sehen.

Doch Dr. Morrison würde hierüber vermutlich nur den Kopf schütteln. Dem „Independent“ berichtet er in einem Beitrag vom 17. Oktober über mehr als eintausend verängstigte Anfragen von Menschen, die befürchteten, die NASA halte Informationen zurück und helfe auf diese Weise, den Weltuntergang im Maya-Jahr zu vertuschen. Teenager gar habee es gegeben, die sich mit Suizid-Gedanken beschäftigten, weil sie nicht miterleben wollten, wie es mit Mutter Erde zuende geht. – Was einen da in erster Linie lehren sollte, seine Plattensammlung nach Alben von Morrissey oder Robert Smith zu durchsuchen und die aufgespürten Exemplare unauffindbar vor dem eigenen Nachwuchs zu verstecken, ist in Wahrheit (und da können sich alle mit der Erziehungsarbeit überforderten Eltern nach kurzem Aufschrecken wieder beruhigt zurücklehnen und weiter zappen) die Schuld der PR-Abteilung eines großen Hollywood-Studios ohne Moral und Gewissen – letzteres übrigens eine Tautologie.

Fake-Websites sind in der Vermarktungsmaschinerie für US-Blockbuster heute Standard und manchmal mindestens so unterhaltsam wie die beworbenen Filme selber. Auf den ersten Blick mag man sich täuschen lassen, doch bei genauerem Hinsehen wird in aller Regel ziemlich schnell klar, dass man es mit einer oftmals ziemlich kostspieligen Fiktion zu tun hat, die vor allem eines will – ein Produkt verkaufen. Was da unter dem Label „Virales Marketing“ verbucht wird, hat längst den Charakter von Online-Spielerei eingenommen. Filmcharaktere bekommen eigene MySpace-Profile und fiktive Firmen eine aufwendige Webpräsenz. Sogar ganze Wahlkampagnen finden mittlerweile im Netz statt, ohne dass der Kandidat, geschweige denn das Amt, für das er antritt, überhaupt existieren (so geschehen mit Harvey Dent aus „The Dark Knight“).

Im Fall von „2012“ rührten die virale Werbetrommel neben dem anstößigen „Institute for Human Continuity“ (wobei der Name selber ersichtlicherweise bereits der erste Witz der absurden Hoemepage ist) auch die Webpräsenz von „Farewell Atlantis“, dem erfolglosen Weltuntergangsroman von Hauptfigur Jackson Curtis (John Cusack), sowie der offizielle Blog von Charlie Frost (sehr lustig und vollkommen irre: Woody Harrelson), einem Verschwörungstheoretiker, der so ziemlich alles über die letzten Tage der Menschheit weiß und dies mithilfe von selbstgebastelten Flash-Animationen (quasi der dilettantische Gegenpol zu den perfekten CGI-Wundern des Films) an seine Leser weitergibt.

Farewellatlantis.com stellt mit einem downloadbaren Probekapitel und einem Original-Vorwort von Science-Fiction-Autor Nick Sagan (schrieb u.a. einige Episoden von „Star Trek Voyager“) dabei fast eine noch bessere Illusion dar als die umstrittene Instituts-Homepage. Ein Blog hingegen, wie ihn Charlie Frost führt (thisistheend.com), ist tatsächlich nur einer von vielen seiner Art – und bei den meisten weiß man viel weniger über deren Realitätsgehalt als in diesem unübersehbar fiktiven Fall. Dass alle drei Webpräsenzen übrigens deutlich als „Part of the 2012 Movie Experience“ gekennzeichnet sind, hebt sie deutlich von vergleichbaren früheren Maßnahmen im Umfeld von „Blair Witch Project“ bis „Cloverfield“ ab. Dr. Morrision darf sich also wieder beruhigen – sofern er nicht selber Bestandteil der Kampagne ist. Man weiß ja nie.

Im Hinblick auf Emmerichs Untergangsszenario hat das Spiel mit Fiktion und Realität natürlich seinen ganz eigenen Reiz. Während die Marketing-Abteilung bei Sony alles dransetzt, Elemente des Films in der virtuellen Umgebung des Internets mit möglichst vielen Realwerten aufzuladen, macht sich das Geschehen auf der Leinwand einen Spaß daraus, die Sache von der anderen Seite anzugehen. „2012“ spielt in gewissem Sinne in einer Art alternativer Gegenwart, komplett mit einem farbigen US-Präsidenten und einem Gouverneur aus Kalifornien, dessen Englisch mit unüberhörbar steierischem Akzent durchsetzt ist (und dessen Worten man selbstredend keinen Glauben schenken kann, denn, so stellt Jackson Curtis glasklar fest, der Mann ist Schauspieler, und was er sagt, liest er von Karten ab). Doch echte Originale gibt es praktisch keine, auch wenn Deutschland zum Zeitpunkt des Weltuntergangs von einer Frau regiert wird und der italienische Ministerpräsident zu borniert ist, um sich in Sicherheit zu bringen. Einzig die englische Queen hat es in Emmerichs Parallelwelt unbeschadet hinübergeschafft.

So sehr der Film aber auf allzu genaue Imitationen realer Vorbilder verzichtet, so präzise bildet er all das nach, was er in der Folge dann mit den aufwendigsten Zerstörungsmaßnahmen, die es je auf der Leinwand zu sehen gegeben hat, gnadenlos einreißt, umstürzt, dem Erdboden gleichmacht oder überflutet. Und das geschieht nicht nur überaus gründlich, sondern vor allem mit einem derart entfesselten Willen zur visuellen Überwältigung, dass es einen als Zuschauer vollkommen paralysiert. Nie zuvor hat irgendein menschliches Auge Vergleichbares wahrgenommen, und alles, was Emmerich bis dato gemacht hat, wirkt angesichts von „2012“ wie eine bloße Ansammlung von Fingerübungen. Kein Zweifel, der Mann aus Sindelfingen, der hierzulande ebenso gerne wie lange als bemühter aber untertalentierter Spielberg-Klon verlacht wurde, ist auf der Höhe seines Könnens angekommen.

Und das betrifft nicht nur die grandiosen CGIs. Gegen Ende der ersten Stunde nimmt der Film in einem Maße Fahrt auf, dass man es mit der Angst zu tun bekommen kann. Und wenn man sich von den unglaublichen Zerstörungsorgien erholt hat, muss man fast befürchten, dass alles Pulver, das Emmerich zur Verfügung steht, schon verschossen ist – so gewaltig erscheint das, was man da gerade zu sehen bekommen hat. Der erste Angriff der Aliens in „War of the Worlds“ verkommt zum Sandkastenspiel gegen das, was hier geboten wird. Und doch leiht sich der Film den entscheidenden dramaturgischen Trick ausgerechnet genau dort aus. Denn die Tatsache, dass die unfasslichen Bilder vom völligen Zusammenbruch aller Zivilisation (zunächst Los Angeles) nicht selbstzweckhaft abgebildet werden und zur reinen Show verkommen, wie es bei früheren Emmerich-Produktionen verstärkt der Fall war, sondern zumeist den Rahmen einer halsbrecherischen Flucht bilden, sorgt erst dafür, dass man dem Geschehen unabhängig von den Schauwerten folgt und „2012“ ganz nebenbei einige der atemberaubendsten und spannendsten Action-Sequenzen der letzten Kinojahre erhält.

Aber auch sonst sind einige Parallelen zu Spielbergs Apokalypse-Variante nicht von der Hand zu weisen und klar intendiert. Am deutlichsten wird dies in der Konstellation, mit der die Hauptfigur in Gang gesetzt wird. Denn die Zerstörung der Menschheit soll für den durchschnittlichen US-Zuschauer vor allem lesbar sein als Makrokosmos-Variante zerrütteter Familienverhältnisse. Und so bildet folgerichtig die Keimzelle der Gesellschaft denjenigen Ort, der gerettet werden muss, wenn die ganze Rasse überleben soll. John Cusack übernimmt den Part von Tom Cruise und dekliniert ihn nach allen Regeln der Kunst durch. Warum machen Emmerich und sein erneuter Co-Autor Harald Kloser das? Weil es funktioniert.

Doch das Ensemble an Figuren hat noch weitaus mehr zu bieten, und auch hier ist ein entscheidender Unterschied zu früheren Filmen des erfolgreichsten deutschen Kinomachers in Hollywood spürbar. Wo sonst oft eine gewisse Eindimensionalität der Charaktere vorherrschte, entfaltet sich hier eine ganze Handvoll sehenswerter Sympathieträger, die aber immer noch so nah am Rande der gewohnten Klischees entlang balancieren, dass sie für das breite Publikum, wie es ein fast 300 Millionen Dollar teurer Spielfilm braucht, problemlos konsumierbar bleiben. Das ist Emmerich zuvor nur selten, und wenn, dann nur in Ansätzen so trefflich gelungen wie hier. Besonders bemerkenswert ist dabei, dass selbst Figuren, die zunächst nur Abziehbilder zu sein scheinen, nach und nach mehr Tiefe offenbaren dürfen, als man auf den ersten Anschein vermuten würde, und die Darsteller tragen das Ihre dazu bei.

„2012“ ist selbstverständlich nicht frei von gnadenlosen Übertreibungen, unglaublichen Zufällen und hier und da einer gehörigen Portion Pathos. Dagegen ist nichts einzuwenden, denn an anderer Stelle gelingen dem Film dafür auch einige ungewöhnlich stille Momente, die der ganzen Sache zu einem bemerkenswert breiten emotionalen Spektrum verhelfen. Dass im letzten Drittel einiges an Zugeständnissen notwendig wird, um die Spannung aufrecht zu erhalten, ist das Ergebnis einer dramaturgischen Technik, die bereits die meisten Bond-Filme mit Roger Moore vorangetrieben hat – nur dass Emmerich und Kloser noch gehörig eins draufsetzen. Aber wer will ihnen das vorwerfen, wenn man sich schweißgebadet am Sitz festkrallt angesichts der ständigen Knappheit, mit der die Figuren immer wieder so gerade noch dem sicheren Tod von der Klinge springen?

Genau 12.012 Jahre früher reichte dem Urzeitkriegers D´Leh noch ein einziger Speer, um einer fehlgeleiteten Kultur ein Ende zu bereiten, zwölf Jahrtausende später müssen sich schon die Erdplatten verschieben, um die Dinge wieder zurecht zu rücken. Und das ist alleine optisch schon die bessere Variante. The End of the World is a helluva ride.

Artikel © 2009 Thomas Lenz. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.
Filmplakat / Fotos: Sony Pictures Releasing GmbH

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Every town
Has its ups and down
Sometime ups
Outnumber the downs
But not in Nottingham

I’m inclined to believe
If we were so down
We’d up and leave
We’d up and fly if we had wings for flyin’
Can’t you see the tears we’re cryin’?
Can’t there be some happiness for me?
Not in Nottingham

Actor Roger Moore recently teamed up with PETA to convince Selfridges to stop selling Foie Gras. As many already know, Foie Gras is raised by force-feeding ducks and geese until their livers become enlarged. Moore even sent a private letter to Selfridges’ owner, offering to buy the company’s entire remaining stock if Weston agreed never to restock it again.

In a recent article for the Daily Mail, Sir Roger writes about the horrors of the foie gras.

He said: “I refuse to speak to old friends who, even when they know how it is produced, are prepared to overlook the suffering for self-gratification. My wife, Christina, feels just the same. No creature deserves to be treated as these birds are for our delectation.”

Want to know what else Sir Roger Moore is doing in support of PETA’s campaign to get foie gras eliminated from menus across the globe?

Check out the rest of the article here.

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Sir Roger Moore has paid for and appears in a new PETA bus stop ad appealing to Selfridges to stop selling foie gras, a “fancy food” that the revered British actor calls “tasteless”. Sir Roger, a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is fighting against foie gras sales because of the cruel methods that foie gras producers use to fatten birds’ livers. The ad – which is placed on Orchard Street directly outside Selfridges’ Foodhall – is designed to catch the eye of Christmas shoppers. The ad shows Sir Roger holding a protest sign and features the tagline “Force-Feeding Birds Is Cruel, Not Yule”. Sir Roger’s plan to pay for the placement of a different image showing the force-feeding of birds for foie gras was rejected by Clear Channel on the grounds that it “would be offensive to the general public”.

“The ad agency deemed the image of the force-feeding of birds for foie gras offensive because it is offensive, but as foie gras production is
too violent to show on an ad, surely this ‘torture in a tin’ is too violently produced for Selfridges to sell”, says Moore, who will not patronise Selfridges as long as it sells foie gras. “What I’m sure the public will find far more offensive is Selfridges’ refusal to stop selling foie gras, the production of which is so incredibly cruel that it is prohibited in Britain.”

To create foie gras – French for “fatty liver” – up to 2 kilograms of mash are pumped into the stomachs of ducks and geese through a pipe two or three times a day. As the birds’ livers expand to up to 10 times their normal size, the animals become too sick to move. The pipes sometimes puncture the birds’ throats, causing the animals to bleed to death.

Moore – who narrates PETA’s graphic video about foie gras production – is joined by the Duke and Duchess of Hamilton, who will not shop at Selfridges if the company fails to end foie gras sales. In addition, Prince Charles has banned foie gras from all royal menus. A recent RSPCA poll shows that a majority of Britons want foie gras sales outlawed.

Moore sent his first letter to Selfridges in 2008 and never received a reply. He wrote again this year offering to buy all the foie gras the store had in stock if they would agree to then permanently stop selling the product but Selfridges did not take him up on the offer.

Eventually Selfridges Chief Executive Paul Kelly wrote to Sir Roger attempting to justify the company’s sale of foie gras to which Moore responded writing, “Respected veterinary experts from around the world agree that foie gras production is extremely inhumane. I mean no disrespect, but it is preposterous for a department store executive to hold out his own uninformed opinions in defiance of these findings.”

And no, not because of the yellow ski suit!

It’s not unheard of; Maud Adams played both Andrea Anders and Octopussy in the Roger Moore era of Bond flicks, and for good reason. I don’t think Eon Productions should abandon this concept, as there were a handful of Bond girls from previous Bond films who could still fill the role of a credible Bond girl today.

The Top 5 Girls Who Should Return

1. Sophie Marceau (Elektra King, The World Is Not Enough, 1999)
What a waste of talent. In my opinion, The World Is Not Enough was trash, despite being one of Brosnan’s better Bond flicks.  It’s a shame that Sophie Marceau’s wonderful acting abilities were wasted in this film. Though she played the part of Elektra King extremely well, I’d love to see her come back to the series in the form of a better-written, and more primary character. Perhaps the main Bond girl, instead of being over-shadowed by the bad acting and bouncing jugs of Denise Richards.

2. Izabella Scorupco (Natalya Simonova, GoldenEye, 1995)
Though her talent wasn’t quite as wasted as Marceau’s in Brosnan’s debut film, GoldenEye, I’d still like to see her return in a stronger role. GoldenEye worked pretty well as a post-Cold War, 90’s action thriller, and so did the character of Natalya; if you’ll recall, she was basically a computer technician caught in the middle of all of the action. I wouldn’t mind seeing her return as a primary Bond girl who is more involved with the film’s plot, rather than just being a pretty face on the side. Scorupco’s a good actress, and it’d be nice to see her get a role that she deserves — seems like she’s been signing onto a lot of trash lately.

3. Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost, Die Another Day, 2002)
As many will agree, Die Another Day was an absolute atrocity of a Bond film. Rosamund Pike seems like she had lots of potential in Brosnan’s final Bond outing, but it seems like the dynamic duo, Purvis and Wade, seemed to under-write the character. To me, there wasn’t much to Miranda Frost. Yeah, she betrays Bond … just like the Bond girl in the film before Die Another Day. And she sleeps with the villain … just like the Bond girl in the film before Die Another Day, also. That’s about all there is to her. Plus, her death allows Halle Berry to mutter the brilliant line, “Bitch.”

4. Jane Seymour (Solitaire, Live and Let Die, 1973)
Not much to say here, other than she’s a great actress, and she’s looking as good as ever.
I guarantee that this wouldn’t disappoint fans at all.

5.  Olga Kurylenko (Camille, Quantum of Solace, 2008)
Quantum of Solace was given some mixed reviews after its release. Whichever side of the fence you’re on, I’m sure you can say that Olga Kurylenko’s performance was neither outstanding or horrific. Certainly, she did much better than some of the more recent, past Bond girls. The only problem was that it seemed she wasn’t written very well — a recurring theme with Purvis and Wade… hmm. Anyhow, I’d like to see her play a character with more depth. She’s certainly got the looks, also.

I went to Hither Green Cinema the other day. Now, for those of you who don’t know Hither Green (and unless you live here you’re unlikely to) you may be thinking what’s the big deal; we all go to the cinema.

Except Hither Green Cinema doesn’t really exist anymore. The building does, but now it sells lots of things for 99p. Before it became a 99p shop it was Kids Korner Nursery. It used to look like this (picture courtesy of This Is Local London- you can find their piece on the cinema here).

Hither Green Cinema, built in 1913

I’m guessing this photo was taken in 1930 or just after. I’ve guessed that because hey! they’re showing Talkies; Canaries Sometimes Sing and True to The Navy starring Clara Bow. And both made in 1930. And look! There’s a man too cowardly to walk under a ladder.

Here’s Clara having a whale of a time with 42 sailors.

The building stopped being a cinema in 1957. Here’s how the cinema looked a short while ago- post Kids Korner- pre 99p shop.

And now, looking at this picture, I am confused. is it Kids Korner or Kid’s Corner? No wonder they went out of business. Anyways, you’re getting bored of this history lesson, let’s get to the races. A local group calling themselves Hither Green Hall have already been instrumental in saving the building from demolition and now they plan to reclaim the building and turn it into an arts centre. Good luck.

To highlight their campaign, and also to have some film fun, they had a Hither Green Cinema day on the 18th October. Sadly not at the cinema (it’s a 99p shop don’t you know) but just round the corner at the disused Firemasters warehouse. Firemasters, who used to sell fire extinguishers; useful when you choose to show some golden oldies (I knew I’d learn something from seeing Inglourious Basterds).

You can see the cinema at the top of this post. It might not look like much, but the film hasn’t started yet.

In the “foyer”- a loose term, this was a cold and derelict fire extinguisher warehouse don’t forget -they had some lovely ladies looking like refugees from an unpublished “upbeat” Patrick Hamilton novel serving tea and cakes. Delightful.

So I settled down with my tea and cake to watch a film I’d never seen before. My Fair Lady. Yes, ok, so I’ve never seen it. Big deal. Someone’s got to not have seen it. And I’ve seen it now.

Quick review and verdict: Audrey Hepburn, awful. She made Dick van Dyke sound like a cockney. And when she went posh she sounded like, well, Audrey hepburn, with that odd clipped European accent. Her singing was good though. She’s got a great voice. What?! It wasn’t her? Stanley Holloway, excellent. Rex Harrison, genius. I wasn’t prepared for Professor Higgins to be such an unlikeable and foul man. And yet, I grew accustomed to him. To play such a monster, and for us somehow to sort of like him… it’s a performance ten thousand times better than that of De Niro in Branagh’s Shelley’s Frankenstein thing. Well done Rex. So, great, I enjoyed it.

Next up, The Balloonatic, a 1923 Buster Keaton short with live piano accompaniment from Costas Fotopoulus. I loved watching the parents with their kids, nudging them with their elbows, looking down into their faces, encouraging them to find this film funny.

And then not quite knowing how to react when Buster bonks a bear on the head with the butt of his gun and accidentally shoots the other bear dead. It’s great, watching Buster crawl around, a real bear behind him, practically sniffing his arse. I think they might be moon bears. Here’s the bear business,  minus the great piano playing of Costas:

The last film was Pool of London, described in this summary taken from the Hither Green Hall website:

‘Basil Dearden’s paean to London docklands in the 1950s is as enchanting and as murky as the river: a noir-ish heist tale, liberally suffused with a fable of forbidden love and unrestrained passion. The heist element of Pool of London (1951) is well crafted and suspenseful, but the most striking aspect is Dearden’s tentative venture into racial politics, with the first interracial relationship in a British film’ Carl Daniels (screenonline.org)

Basil Dearden’s last film was one I have always loved, even though I have only seen it once, and that would have been when I was 13. He made The Man Who Haunted Himself. Roger Moore plays Mr. Pelham, who crashes his car and ends up on the operating table. Later, once recuperated, it seems as if there are two of him. Imagine that! Two Roger Moore’s, one haunting the other. Both with moustaches. It’s the alternative taking of Pelham. And shortly after the film’s release Basil Dearden died in an horrific car crash on the A40, close to where Moore/Pelham crashes his car in the opening scenes. How can this not be a great film.

Thank you to all involved with making the Hither Green Cinema such a success. I look forward to the next one.

Here is my personal list, one at a time, of the top ten movie characters ever. However, feel free to agree or offer better choices and argument. SPOILER CAUTION! The content below may give away some of the plot of the film(s) concerned.

<<< No.2 – Indiana Jones

#1 – JAMES BOND

“The name’s Bond, James Bond”

The ultimate movie character is, of course, the legend that is James Bond. What other character continues to enthral and fascinate nearly 50 years after his original showing (1962’s Dr. No) through an astonishing record-breaking 22 ‘official’ movies and with 6 different actors. We simply cannot get enough of Ian Fleming’s licensed to kill British secret agent, ‘007’, who risks his life for Queen and country to often save the whole world. Men want to be him; women want to be with him.

No matter how big the problem, no matter how bad and powerful the villain, no matter how dangerous, James Bond is your man. He somehow manages to be suave, charming and sophisticated as well as being tough, cold and brutal. On the one hand he is an English gentleman who will happily discuss the sherry or wine he is drinking and meet you to play a round of golf, but will not even blink if he needs to put a bullet between your eyes.

He is seemingly the classic ‘lone wolf’ character who does not seek out relationships but somehow makes meaningful but fleeting friendships wherever he goes. The only people we see him being friendly with consistently are people he knows through work, Moneypenny (played by Lois Maxwell initially and then by Samantha Bond) and CIA agent Felix Leiter (played by actors Jack Lord (Dr.No), Cec Linder (Goldfinger), Rick Van Nutter (Thunderball), John Terry (Living Daylights), David Hedison (Licence to Kill) and most recently Jeffrey Wright (Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace).

His profession, as England’s No.1 secret agent, suits being a loner but he very much maximises any opportunity to seduce a lady as he knows that he or she may not be alive for very much longer. Over the films we see that he has made a couple of attempts at meaningful relationships but they have always ended very badly indeed. In the recent Casino Royale (2006) we see a younger James Bond (Daniel Craig) who has just got his licence to kill and then proceeds to fall head over heels in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and even resigns so to be with her. However, she double crosses him and she ends up dying.

In 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, James Bond (played by George Lazenby) not only falls in love again, but actually marries Tracy Di Cicenzo (Diana Rigg) only for her to be shot dead at the end of the movie. At the beginning of For Your Eyes Only (1981) we see him lay flowers at her grave. James Bond is so deeply hurt by the tragic end to these relationships that he has clearly decided that he is not going to allow himself to become emotionally attached like that again to anyone.

Natalya: How can you be so cold?

James Bond: It’s what keeps me alive

Natalya: No, it’s what keeps you alone

(1995’s Goldeneye)

Vesper: You can switch off so easily, can’t you? It doesn’t bother you, killing those people?
Bond: Well, I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did.

(2006’s Casino Royale)

Ironically, James Bond’s most interesting relationships tend to be with people who don’t seem to like him very much. His relationship with M (played originally by Bernard Lee and then by Robert Brown, land most recently by Judi Dench) has evolved over the years and began with M generally treating James Bond in the same manner a strict schoolmaster does with a naughty pupil, but by 2002’s Die Another Day we see the relationship has grown much stronger and there is genuine care and respect for each other. However, with Casino Royale going back to Bond’s beginning we are seeing an M who seems to really not like or trust Bond at all, not until he proves himself.

His relationship with Q (originally called Major Boothroyd) is also very amusing and has developed over the 22 films. Played superbly by the much-loved Desmond Llewelyn (although Peter Burton was the original Major Boothroyd in Dr.No) their relationship is first revealed in Goldfinger where Q is clearly quite annoyed by the cavalier Bond who has no respect for the equipment he and his department spend long hours creating. By 1999’s The World is Not Enough (Desmond Llewelyn’s last film) Q is much more of a loving uncle figure to Bond.

Q: I’ve always tried to teach you two things. First, never let them see you bleed.
James Bond: And the second?
Q: Always have an escape plan.

Each Bond film sees 007 take on a new villain and they normally end up with some sort of encounter where the villain, although wanting to kill Bond, shows respect for what Bond has done. Dr.No has a mostly civilised dinner with James Bond and one gets the feeling he is trying to see if he can recruit him, but realises his unwavering loyalty to his mission and England.

Dr. No: [to Bond] Unfortunately I overestimated you, you are just a stupid police man…
(metal door opens and guards enter)
Dr. No: …whose luck has run out.

However, Dr.No, like all the other villains that follow, actually underestimates James Bond who always manages to foil whatever world-domination plan they happen to have. He has several interesting encounters with Auric Goldfinger, with the most memorable one being the infamous scene with Bond strapped to a table with an industrial laser pointing right at him.

James Bond: You expect me to talk?

Goldfinger: No, I expect you to die

(1964’s Goldfinger)

In 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun, Bond is admired and respected by the villain, the 3-titted expert hitman Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), who believes he and Bond are very similar in character. He lures James Bond to his secluded island in Phuket which has now proved so popular with tourists it is actually called James Bond Island. Scaramanga and Bond dine together as gentleman before they get down to their business.

Francisco Scaramanga: You get as much pleasure out of killing as I do, so why don’t you admit it?
James Bond: I admit killing you would be a pleasure.
Francisco Scaramanga: Then you should have done that when you first saw me. On the other hand, the English don’t consider it sporting to kill in cold blood, do they?
James Bond: Don’t count on that.

As they eat, Scaramanga outlines a proposition for him.

Francisco Scaramanga: A duel between titans… my golden gun against your Walther PPK. 

James Bond: Pistols at dawn; it’s a little old-fashioned, isn’t it?
Francisco Scaramanga: That it is. But it remains the only true test for gentlemen.
James Bond: On that score, I doubt you qualify. However, I accept.

James Bond always wins out in the end but not before frustrating his foe who keep failing in their attempts to kill him.

“Mr.Bond, you persist in defying my efforts to provide an amusing death for you”, Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), Moonraker (1979)

“Why can’t you just be a good boy and die?” Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), Goldeneye

James Bond also had a curious relationship with the most famous henchman of all the films, Jaws (played by Richard Kiel), who appeared in just two films and although Jaws is committed to his task of killing Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me they both give each other a nod of respect in Moonraker and when Jaws falls in love, he actually ends up helping Bond.

James Bond’s world is a lonely one full of danger and he is someone who definitely has a dark side. However, our enjoyment of this character is the seemingly effortless and fearless way he conducts himself. In particular, his laconic and pithy remarks in the most lethal and precarious moments help define his approach to life.

(Bond has just been discovered in bed with KGB agent Anya Amasova in 1977’s Spy Who Loved Me)

M: Bond! What on earth do you think you’re doing?

James Bond: Keeping the British end up, sir

Tracy: Suppose I were to kill you for a thrill?
Bond: I can think of something more sociable to do.

Bond: I tend to notice little things like that–whether a girl is a blonde or a brunette…
Tiffany: And which do you prefer?
Bond: Well, as long as the collars and cuffs match

Bond: [in bed with Jones] I was wrong about you.
Dr. Christmas Jones: Yeah, how so?
Bond: I thought Christmas only comes once a year.

There will always be the argument about who is the best Bond with Sean Connery most often winning as the original James Bond. George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton seem to be the least popular Bonds, whereas Daniel Craig’s reputation seems to be growing. I felt Pierce Brosnan was a most excellent and worthy 007, but my favourite has to be Roger Moore. He wasn’t as tough as Sean, but there is something about how he played him, the charm, and the humour and he was somehow more refined and matured than the early Bond.

James Bond simply is the best movie character ever. Carly Simon seems to have found the perfect lyrics in her song from The Spy Who Loved Me:

“Nobody does it better
Makes me feel sad for the rest
Nobody does it half as good as you
Baby, you’re the best”

Related sites:

www.jamesbondwiki.com

www.007.com

*********************

<<< No.2 – Indiana Jones

Biting the hand that feeds the oxygen of publicity is a bloodsport among celebrities.

Kabir Bedi, who found his niche in the American TV series Sandokan and later starred in the James Bond film Octopussy, thankfully bucks the trend, in an interview in The Pioneer, Delhi:

Question: Being an ardent follower of news, how do you view media in today’s times?

Kabir Bedi: Media is the fourth pillar of our society. I have great respect for journalists. I myself want to become a journalist but as destiny would have it, I got busy with films, theatre and television and never had time for journalism. In fact, I believe that the content disseminated through print and electronic media in India is far better than what is shown on foreign channels. I am appreciative of the work they do and the important role they play in society.

Photograph: Kabir Bedi as the black corsair in Sergio Solima’s Il corsaro nero (courtesy rohpress)

Also read: ‘Good journalists, poor journalism, zero standards’

Inspirado por el deseo del rey Alfonso XIII de construir un hotel de lujo que estuviera a la altura del Ritz de París, el Hotel Ritz de Madrid, inaugurado en 1910, comparte con sus homónimos de París y Londres la reputación de ser uno de los hoteles más majestuosos de Europa. El hotel se diseñó y construyó bajo la supervisión personal del legendario hotelero Cesar Ritz, de quien adoptó el nombre.El Ritz ha desempeñado un papel esencial en la vida de Madrid durante el último siglo. Aún hoy, el hotel persiste como un punto de atracción clave para muchos visitantes de esta capital europea.

A principios del siglo pasado, el rey Alfonso XIII volvía de sus viajes por Europa con el recuerdo de los palacios que había visitado impreso en la memoria. Madrid era una ciudad de intensa vitalidad, con edificios soberbios y hermosos jardines. Sin embargo, de un modo u otro le faltaba algo. El Rey fue el primero en ser consciente de cuánto ganaría la ciudad si contara con un gran hotel de lujo de la misma categoría del Ritz de París o Londres.

Se puso manos a la obra y no perdió tiempo en poner estas ideas en práctica. Madrid debía ofrecer a sus visitantes algo realmente extraordinario: un hotel que pudiera satisfacer el gusto más refinado de un nuevo tipo de viajero, que sólo por aquel entonces empezaba a conocerse como “turista”.

El sueño del monarca comenzó a hacerse realidad. La edificación del Ritz -grandioso, luminoso y confortable- había comenzado con el respaldo de la Compañía de Desarrollo Ritz. Charles Mewes, de París, y Luis de Landecho, de Madrid, fueron los arquitectos responsables. En poco tiempo, las paredes del futuro hotel sobrepasaban ya las magnolias, los cedros y las acacias del Prado.

Lo último en comodidad y lujo en aquella época era contar con cuatro o cinco cuartos de baño en cada planta del hotel. Con instalaciones como éstas, el Ritz se convirtió de inmediato en uno de los hoteles más lujosos del mundo. Había un teléfono por piso junto al ascensor, el cual también estaba considerado como un ejemplo sublime del lujo moderno.

Actualmente, el Hotel Ritz mantiene estas tradiciones, aunque los baños y teléfonos son estándar en todas las habitaciones, las cuales cuentan además con conexiones Wireless de alta velocidad a Internet.

A su vez el  Restaurante Goya es cita obligada para los paladares más exigentes, el té de media tarde en el Lobby Bar, un almuerzo o cena en La Terraza disfrutando de los increíbles jardines unido a un discreto pero atento servicio, hacen de los Restaurantes y Bar del Ritz los lugares más exclusivos de Madrid. 

Para terminar, destacar la fabulosa ubicación del Hotel,  un auténtico lujo por si misma. El Hotel Ritz está situado entre el Parque del Retiro, el Teatro de la Zarzuela y los tres museos más importantes de Madrid: el Prado, el Thyssen Bornemisza y el Centro de Arte Moderno Reina Sofía.

El hotel se encuentra situado en pleno centro financiero de la capital, a escasos metros de la Bolsa de Madrid, y a 5 minutos a pie del casco histórico.

Sin lugar a duda, el deseo del rey Alfonso XIII de crear un hotel majestuoso se vió cumplido.

Durante casi cien años, el Hotel Ritz Madrid ha dado la bienvenida a las personalidades más representativas de todos los ámbitos: cultura, arte, política, ciencia, moda… El Libro de Oro del Hotel se ha convertido en testigo y testimonio importante de ello.

Esta es una pequeña muestra de algunos de los clientes ilustres del pasado y del presente que han firmado en nuestro Libro de Oro: Rey Alfonso XIII y la Reina Victoria Eugenia ,El Emperador Haile Selassie de Etiopía ,El Rey Jaled de Arabia Saudí , La Reina Sonia de Noruega , El Príncipe de Gales y la Princesa Diana , El Príncipe Raniero y la Princesa Gracia de Mónaco , El Príncipe Naruhito de Japón , El Rey Mohammed VI , El Maharaja de Kapurthala , El Príncipe Ernst August de Hannover , Margaret Thatcher , Fidel Castro , Mijail Gorbachov , Eva Peron , President Jaques Chirac , Kofi Annan , Vladimir Putin , Matta Hari , Romano Prodi , Yaser Arafat , Helmut Kohl , Tony Blair , President Bill Clinton , Nelson Mandela, Herbert von Karajan, Sir George Solti , Cher, Placido Domingo, Marc Anthony , Ana Belen , Madonna , Julio Iglesias , Frank Sinatra, Sting , Arthur Rubinstein , Jennifer Lopez , Elton John , Tina Turner , Brian Ferry , Lorin Maazel , Paul McCartney, Salvador Dali , Alberto Maravia , Fernando Botero, Catherine Deneuve , Sofia Loren , Michael Caine , Pierce Brosnan , Mel Gibson , George Clooney , Milos Forman , Salma Hayek , Nicole Kidman , Ridley Scott , Brad Pitt , Jerry Lewis , Tom Cruise , Monica Bellucci , Dennis Quaid , Sylvester Stallone , Jeremy Irons , Penelope Cruz , Morgan Freeman , Will Smith , Emma Thompson , Harrison Ford , Mel Brooks, Laurence Olivier ,Lesley Howard , Richard Burton , Ava Gardner , Woody Allen , Richard Gere , Roger Moore , Melanie Griffith , Zsa Zsa Gabor ,  Antonio Banderas , Julia Roberts , Henry Fonda , Ben Stiller , Jennifer Connelly , James Stewart , Holly Hunter , Dustin Hoffman , Michelle Pfeiffer , Jodie Foster , Burt Lancaster ,Anthony Hopkins , Marcello Mastroianni , Orson Welles, Alexander Fleming , Christina Onassis , Ivan Trump, David Delfin , Dolce & Gabana , Salvatore Ferraga , Manolo Blanhik , John Galiano.

Más información: http://www.ritz.es/web/orit_es/hotel_ritz_madrid.jsp