"Permission to leave Sir"

Can't recall there being a reason. Just faded away like most of us when the forum nosedived a few years back.

He still has far more posts than the second most active member. He doesn't have a micro-post count.

What was he posting to rack up such a post count?

bitchcraft wrote:

Why did he leave? Did I tell him he has a micro-penis or something? I can't remember.

Think he went when Ambler left the first time. LS has been popping in more often lately so I won't be surprised if he pops in again closer to NTTD's release.

Guest wrote:

Too few members are posting here: a familiar pattern, but disappointing nonetheless. Anyway, I'm going to take a break and see whether things are any better on my return. For the moment, it looks like this place has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

Have a good summer, all.

Wow! I just discovered this, and it's from 2011! Not much has changed. After I joined I quickly noticed that there are only a few participating members, and even they are selective in their responses. That, and the fact that pretty much every thread, no matter how unrelated, can be twisted into an opportunity to bash Craig/blow Brozz, and I lost a lot of enthusiasm pretty fast. I know another member commented that they hope new members aren't discouraged by the Craig bashing. I'm made of sterner stuff, but the shine was off pretty fast.

Still, I think I'll hang around.

The forum was created in 2010. In 2011, the forum was still working out what it was, as another Bond board imploded and became a Facebook rip off. I think a lot can be said that you peruse our less active threads like this one and are reading back on posts from 2011. Something is obviously keeping you here.

Even if we're a smaller community of Bond fans, the appeal is less censorship. The Broz/Craig bashing is mostly just winding up the opposing supporters because we understand each other rather well. This forum is free for all, and if you want to see a change of conversation from our members, that starts with you.

What Fields said and underlined.

We might never recapture the old forum at MI6 but we're doing all right. Fresh blood has certainly helped us and the new film hopefully will get more people in, old and new users.

We might even get Ambler back under a new username.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

The forum was created in 2010. In 2011, the forum was still working out what it was, as another Bond board imploded and became a Facebook rip off. I think a lot can be said that you peruse our less active threads like this one and are reading back on posts from 2011. Something is obviously keeping you here.

Even if we're a smaller community of Bond fans, the appeal is less censorship. The Broz/Craig bashing is mostly just winding up the opposing supporters because we understand each other rather well. This forum is free for all, and if you want to see a change of conversation from our members, that starts with you.  

I wasn't perusing so much. I stumbled on this thread by accident. I thought I was in the other General thread. Yes, I hang around, but my enthusiasm has been muted.

"The Broz/Craig bashing is mostly just winding up the opposing supporters because we understand each other rather well."
That's part of the problem. You know established members well, not new members. It's stifling.

" if you want to see a change of conversation from our members, that starts with you. "
And I certainly try, but my threads don't seem to be particularly popular, and there was a subtle assertion once that my threads were bizarre and maybe even a little annoying. Sure, they're lightweight and silly, but I quickly learned that I didn't want to get heavy here, and decided to just try and interject some fun.

Hilly wrote:

What Fields said and underlined.

We might never recapture the old forum at MI6 but we're doing all right. Fresh blood has certainly helped us and the new film hopefully will get more people in, old and new users.

We might even get Ambler back under a new username.

Don't misunderstand.  I like this forum.  I did think that there would be more participation, but that's not a problem.  The Craig/Brosnan thing, though, is.  The forum shouldn't feel like a crucible to new members.  I'm new to the forum, not new to Bond, but Craig has brought in tons of new fans, and if a new fan that was brought to Bond by a Craig movie were to join, it could really affect their thoughts and feelings and create animosity.  And let's be serious, the Craig bashing is real.  It's not just having fun.  It is quite clear the certain members despise the whole Craig era and wish it over/never happened.  That's not playful teasing. It's vitriolic.

On a positive note, I am grateful for many things that I have learned or been exposed to here.  In particular, the music.  I'm developing an understanding and appreciation for all things soundtrack.  I've also used the Bond theme on guitar to start introducing my nephew to Bond.

Now, I'm off to think about more ridiculous topics to post.

you don't know me wrote:

I wasn't perusing so much. I stumbled on this thread by accident. I thought I was in the other General thread. Yes, I hang around, but my enthusiasm has been muted.
...

That's part of the problem. You know established members well, not new members. It's stifling...

And I certainly try, but my threads don't seem to be particularly popular, and there was a subtle assertion once that my threads were bizarre and maybe even a little annoying. Sure, they're lightweight and silly, but I quickly learned that I didn't want to get heavy here, and decided to just try and interject some fun.

Your enjoyment is what you make of it. From your 44 posts here since March, how could we get to know you?  Your threads tend to get lost because they focus on trivial aspects (BMW logo on the rims in the Spectre car chase, for example) and many have been posted in the wrong section which need to be moved. Or they're about things we've all spoken about endlessly for years, for which there are existing threads. If you look at even newer members like T.A. Ferguson and Sarai, their contributions have been varied - interesting and thoughtful to humorous and full of innuendo. Sarai has clocked up over 500 posts in 5 months, making her eligible for Blades Club access, and she likes Craig Bond movies.

We've just had our first trailer released since 2015 and you haven't shared you opinion on it in the relevant thread. How can we get to know "new members" if there's no output from you? Ironically enough, it's your namesake.

You are what you make of it.

you don't know me wrote:

And let's be serious, the Craig bashing is real.  It's not just having fun.  It is quite clear the certain members despise the whole Craig era and wish it over/never happened.  That's not playful teasing. It's vitriolic

Guilty as charged. Though I really like Skyfall, I wish the Craig era was over and never happened. That's my opinion and that's part of fandom. It's not vitriolic. If we all agreed what a boring place this would be.

It's true, my contributions have been lightweight. I was originally very enthusiastic about getting into detailed discussions, but the bashing cooled that rather quickly and telling me that having CR as a personal favourite is "unforgivable" pretty much ended it.

I haven't commented on the trailer because I am actively avoiding it. I realized some time ago that I was getting sucked down the rabbit hole of dissecting every little scrap of info that comes our way, combined with all the anxiety and negativity that seems to surround the new movie. Not exclusive to this site, but it seems like everyone is expecting the worst and are wringing their hands over everything. People are already upset and predicting a terrible fate. I decided to back away from following the production and just wait to see it. That is also part of the reason I backed off from this forum. I have over-saturated myself with Bond in the last couple of years, and need to let it regain some of it's lustre. I don't fault the forum in any way.

You don’t know me wrote:

I have over-saturated myself with Bond in the last couple of years, and need to let it regain some of it's lustre.  I don't fault the forum in any way.

Brilliant. Hope to get to know you better soon.

I feel like I try to give very detailed explanations of how and why I feel so negatively about the new era of films and at least here on BAB I can do so and actually be heard by others. That's why I enjoy it here so much despite our low amount of regulars.
I'm not able to discuss/theorize Bond freely on other boards and on non-Bond forums I'm up a creek when trying to explain.

The Craig films and his Bond have more of an emotional punch than any of the others which makes them unique. Connery is too cool to worry about, Moore too much of a cartoon but Craig has a very ambiguous, emotional and almost vulnerable quality. I am never really sure what or how he feels about anything and that adds a lot to the character for me. The others I love watching, Craig I actually care about on the screen.

I have had a few debates with the guys here about Casino Royale and took both sides but I can see it being someones personal favorite. It's difficult to pick a few top scenes when it all works for me and some of the most hated parts are the ones I like the best. I mean obviously it open's up with a rip roaring action scene so it's off to a great start. The airport/ plane bomb scenes, same thing, the action is there and then some.
But there are those little touches that make it great too like the dinner jacket scene...it almost play's out like a romantic comedy right down to the score but it works. Same with the shower scene, love that. His first question asking Vesper if she is OK after he is poisoned..that's just such a powerful moment emotionally. It fees like wherever the writing might fail a little bit it's more than made up for with Craig's acting and they both sell the love story.

Sarai wrote:

I have had a few debates with the guys here about Casino Royale and took both sides but I can see it being someones personal favorite. It's difficult to pick a few top scenes when it all works for me and some of the most hated parts are the ones I like the best. I mean obviously it open's up with a rip roaring action scene so it's off to a great start. The airport/ plane bomb scenes, same thing, the action is there and then some.
But there are those little touches that make it great too like the dinner jacket scene...it almost play's out like a romantic comedy right down to the score but it works. Same with the shower scene, love that. His first question asking Vesper if she is OK after he is poisoned..that's just such a powerful moment emotionally.  It fees like wherever the writing might fail a little bit it's more than made up for with Craig's acting and they both sell the love story.

I love CR and consider it an undisputed classic. The only major weakness in the film is the screenwriting during Bond's convalescence after the torture. Sappy and unrealistic in the extreme. Other than that, no complaints and much praise.

I've probably said this elsewhere but the problem with that 'dirty martini' sequence is there's no consequence to Bond's heart stopping. So it's a diversion from the main story with no repercussions. It's not an obstacle that affects what happens next. I'd extend PK's comments about the writing in the recovery scenes to the soapy shower scene, Bond's emotional journey, and the entire structure of the film, including the polarizing, self indulgent Venice segment.

Sarai wrote:

The Craig films and his Bond have more of an emotional punch than any of the others which makes them unique. Connery is too cool to worry about, Moore too much of a cartoon but Craig has a very ambiguous, emotional and almost vulnerable quality. I am never really sure what or how he feels about anything and that adds a lot to the character for me. The others I love watching, Craig I actually care about on the screen.

Bond cradling his dead wife, or even trying to outrun Bunt and her goons is more emotionally engaging than anything to come out of Craig's era including Skyfall. Bond learning of Janus' real identity and the fallout of that packs a punch. I still stand by the Bond/Paris dynamic as being one of the most beautifully realised in the series. And Dalton in LTK?

Craig certainly is very emotional. Very far removed from as 'cool as a surgeon in the face of death' notion Fleming implemented in his books.

The end of OHMSS is a devastating moment for sure and my favorite Bond movie.

LTK is to me what CR is to you and try as hard as I might I can never find one good thing to say about that movie. It's the only Bond film in the series I don't like.

LTK is in the second half of my ranking so I'm not its biggest proponent but there's so much to enjoy: the array of villains, Lupe's cleavage, a visceral and energetic performance from Dalton, Kamen's score, the barefoot water skiing, the excellent tanker chase, the fantastic casino scenes, Bond using his wits...

Those things sound OK on paper but the overall production of the movie is what kills it for me. It feels like a cheap generic TV show. I have tried too, I watched it 3 times and it just got worse every viewing no matter how high I was.
The second problem and I know it's not a popular opinion but I really don't like Dalton. and same thing, I try but that actor just doesn't click with me for whatever reason

I'd say a 'tanker chase' on paper sounds boring but the execution - Remy Julienne's involvement is a huge help - combined with Kamen's perfect score seals the deal for me. The first half certainly feels made-for-TV, but I've come to realise its more the setting of certain scenes than anything else. Budget hospitals, interrogation rooms, etc. don't scream James Bond to me, but the moment they hit Isthmus, it regains that unmistakable Bondian feeling.

I could try just try watching the second half. be an interesting experiment

Morland_Specials disappeared too. that was another member I was really enjoying his posts and his love of Herzog

With LTK it needs to be seen on a big screen with the sound cranked up. It is much like Lethal Weapon 2 or Die Hard with Miami Vice in tonality but as I always say it fits with the story of going rogue. If you can accept the gritty low rent 80's vibe it works much better.

Off in a few days to NY...

I'll be away for the better part of a fortnight, see y'all in 2020.