The New Bond

[poliphilo]

I don't like James Bond. Never have done. He's a psychopath, a hired goon. I've only ever watched one Bond film all the way through and that's because I was dragged to the cinema by children.

The Bond films are infantile. The first two or three had something about them (though they're over-rated) but since then they've been nothing but mindless thrill-rides. Bond initiated the cinema of big bangs and zero imagination. He's to blame for Sly and Arnie.

Bond destroys careers. It took Connery decades to get out of the shadow. Moore never did. And whatever happened to Timothy Dalton?

Daniel Craig is the new Bond. Lucky him. He's a better actor than Piers Brosnan. I just wish they'd chosen someone we could better dispense with.

Comments

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Have you seen the show Alias?

I always joked that Alias's Sidney Bristow was woman's answer to James Bond. Only, you know, instead of nifty cars and gadgets, you have cool costumes and wigs and instead of a random game of musical mattress, you get a full-on emotional roller coaster.

Equally infantile. But. I'm a woman. And I love to see another woman kick ass in a Gaultier.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

grumbles softly from the corner La Femme Nikita did it first, and better, I think.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

At a time when I was interested in nothing more than cartoons, unfortunately.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Boy, do I feel old now...although Alias started the year that LFN ended. :)

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Really? Well, then I have no excuse!

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Since Warner Brothers was involved in LFN and is involved in Alias, there were rumours that they wanted LFN canceled so that they could focus on the more "mainstream" Alias. I actually think there may be something to this. LFN was a Canadian production, so it didn't get the kind of advertising and PR it should have, and thus never became popular enough to satisfy the moneymakers. Thus, they ruined the show in the 4th and ridiculous 8-episode 5th season (there's a long story to that "fifth" season).

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

What's the story?

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

The show was canceled after the fourth season. Knowing this, the writers had time to do a fair job of wrapping things up. Not a great job, but decent. However, a bunch of LFN fans hated the ending, and they began an enormous campaign to try and save LFN (I mean enormous - WB had to shut down certain Email addresses, they were flooded with paper mail, and the fans even started buying cheap TVs and sending them in). The end result was the "8-episode" compromise. However, the actors had already moved on (though they did say they appreciated the loyalty of the LFN fans), and weren't overly thrilled at having to come back for eight episodes, the writers weren't thrilled....you get the picture. So, the last eight episodes were a disaster. They killed characters off, the plot was awful, etc.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Um, whoa. I don't get why they would cancel one show for another if they had such a loyal fanbase. I'm not sure, in fact, how successful Alias has proved to be. Have you any idea? Also, how long did La Femme Nikita run?

PS: by the way, was the show anything at all like the movie? I did see that.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Well, "loyal fan base" doesn't necessarily equate high Nielsen ratings, and that's all that matters. I'm not sure about Alias, but I think it does pretty well in the ratings, and didn't the show get some Emmy nominations or such? LFN ran four full seasons, and then the 8-episode debacle.

The TV show was similar, but not precisely, like the movie.

Incidentally, you can get the first two seasons on DVD, so you might look to your local rental place and see if they have them.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

Yes, Nielsen ratings are all that matters, unfortunately. Somehow I still like to think that loyal fanbase and high ratings correlate in some way. As for the Emmy, I would not know. My television time is extremely limited.

I should like to see some Nikita, but not if only the first two seasons are available! What about the other three--or, rather, the two and the debacle? On VHS only? Unavailable?

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

There are noises saying the third season will be out some time this year, but it all depends on sales. If the second DVD set sells well, they will put out the third, etc. The 3rd thru 5th seasons are, as yet, unavailable unless you can find a kind LFN fan to make copies for you and send them to you (which used to be quite common, actually).

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

It strikes me as absurd that there is no way to get ahold of them. I am going to give my friends in China and Taiwan a call and see whether they are available there. I'd hate to rent any season without being given a conclusion.

That's why I stopped watching Alias, actually. I just can't handle not having it. Like, right this second NOW!

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I quite agree. She had tons more class than Jennifer Garner's character.

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

Ooooo, another LFN fan, I presume?

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

have you ever seen the cartoon 'Kim Possible'?

Fabulous stuff. Better storylines than Bond too.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I am a born-again fan of popular culture. I am atrociously behind in everything. Or am I forward. Or... sideways? OK. I'm not well-versed at all. Do enlighten!

[dakegra.livejournal.com]

http://psc.disney.go.com/disneychannel/kimpossible/

and she's cute!

Is that wrong?
:-)

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

She is quite charming! I want to see this movie now.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen Alias. I'm not even sure it's been shown over here. Maybe it's on Sky.

I always rather liked the Avengers- ineffably British John Steed with his succession of high-kicking, leather-clad, female companions.

And more recently I was a prostrate fan of Xena Warrior Princess.

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

The Avengers were great and Xena is not too bad, either! You should check out Alias sometime and tell us what you think!

[arielstarshadow.livejournal.com]

This is bizarre, because just a few days ago, I had heard that Brosnan agreed to do two more Bond movies. Bond movies can be fun to watch, but they aren't good for much else. They are just "popcorn" - meaning that there is no nutritional (read: intellectual, emotional, spiritual) value to them whatsoever.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

My understanding is that Brosnan was given the heave-ho and is bitter about it. He's not an actor I like very much.

Thoough I enjoyed his sleazy deconstruction of the Bond character in The Tailor of Panama.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Okay, I"m stepping in here to defend Pierce. When he first had a chance to play Bond - James Bond - he was tied to "Remington Steele". They wouldn't let him out of his contract. He REALLY wanted to play Bond, and he was bitter about that. That's why Timothy Dalton stepped in.

I hadn't heard that handsome Pierce was bitter about not being Bond any more, but I believe it because you said it, Tony.

And, in my experience, you're usually right.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's something I read in a newspaper or magazine. Brosnan prefers not to talk about how he came to leave the Bond franchise. Perhaps he's under contract not to.

Craig is very handsome. He played Ted Hughes in the Sylvia Plath movie.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Eh. He doesn't fit *my* idea of what Bond should look like...he sort of reminds me of...I can't figure out who, but he looks sort of anemic.

But then there are the wonders of makeup.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think he's kinda rugged.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I read (some) of the Bond books. YOu know, of course, that the Bond movies they're making now are *based on a character created by* Ian Fleming.

But speaking from a strictly female viewpoint, it has never mattered whether Pierce Brosnan can act or not. Of course, he CAN...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I wish they'd wind up the franchise, but I don't suppose they will while they're still making money with it.

Did you know that there's a new range of spin-off books featuring the teen-age Bond aimed at young adults? Implausibly the first in the series has been getting good reviews. They are being written by Charlie Higson who, until now, has been best known as a comedian.

Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

YOu know, a long time ago, someone said there is nothing new under the sun.

There still isn't, that must be why people keep inventing 'pre-quels'.


I saw Thunderball when it was released, years ago when Sean Connery was James Bond. I remember because it was the first time I got to do something 'grown up' with my friends - we took the bus and went downtown, and we had lunch at the Cherry Valley TeaRoom afterward. But I've never watched the endless replay of Bond movies on SPIKE TV here. Never liked Roger Moore...

And, well, Sean Connery can complain all he likes about the Bond Franchise, it got him established.

And I'm glad for that. I can't imagine a world without him...

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Bond is so 1950s. Time to move on, in my opinion.

My favourite Connery movie is Robin and Marian- where he gets to play an ageing Robin Hood opposite Audrey Hepburn. They're charming together.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I have to admit, that's one of my favorite Connery movies. They were charming. I also liked the oft-panned "Medicine Man".

but by far...the most surprising appearance was when he showed up in Kevin Costner's "Robin Hood" as King Richard. My friends told me there was "a surprise" but not what to look for...it was so cool, in the theatre, when Richard got off his horse and they panned to his face, the people in the theatre burst into applause.

Oh...and I loved him as Henry Jones. How could you not?