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

[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?