Member Interview Series - Loomis

Ah, okay, I've read Sharky's PM.

I'm flattered to have been thought of, but I'm not sure that I'm anywhere near interesting enough to be interviewed. I'd love to read interviews of some other members, though - Harms and Sharky in particular.

By all means PM me some questions, though, Harms, if you wish, and I'll see if I can do justice to them. If not, I'll have to pass.

Go for it! I want to read this.

Loomis wrote:

I'm flattered to have been thought of, but I'm not sure that I'm anywhere near interesting enough to be interviewed. I'd love to read interviews of some other members, though - Harms and Sharky in particular.

By all means PM me some questions, though, Harms, if you wish, and I'll see if I can do justice to them. If not, I'll have to pass.

Well, Loomis, I assure you that you are more than interesting enough. But this kind of "interview" is really more a "get to know you" sort of thing. No pressure. So I'll send you a PM and we'll get a-goin'.

How's the questions coming along, Harms?

Largo's Shark wrote:

How's the questions coming along, Harms?

Slowly, but it is coming along. Loomis has been on vacation lately, so he hasn't been around to respond.

Any news?

Sorry, guys. I'll be sending Harms some more answers very soon.

At long last, I give you the BOND AND BEYOND Member Interview with our very own Loomis. Thanks go to Loomis for being a good sport about all this.

After you've read over the interview, you folks can ask Loomis questions of your own and we'll go from there.

Quote :

Q: What is your favorite Bond film?

A: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, which I used to champion tirelessly on CBn. When I met up with some of the folks from CBn a few years ago for the CASINO ROYALE premiere, I was asked good-humouredly whether I’d been winding people up by claiming an affection for this film, but I’ve always sincerely meant every last word of praise that I’ve ever uttered for THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.

There are so many good things about THE MAN WITH THE GUN that I don’t understand why it isn’t usually cited as one of the best films in the series, let alone why it’s usually held to be pretty much the absolute worst of the whole bunch. Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga is a terrific villain, while Nick Nack is hands down the coolest henchmen ever. I mean, he’s a cordon bleu chef – how cool is that? He may even outrank 007 in the wining and dining stakes.

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is probably the best (and certainly the last) of the great travelogue Bond films. It blends a sense of the exotic with that good old-fashioned Flemingian element of the bizarre (another classic ingredient often missing from the subsequent flicks), and really puts the viewer “there” in Hong Kong and Thailand. For me, the travelogue value of Bond is something we’ve been sorely shortchanged on since the 1970s – the films still trot the globe, of course, but it’s all become rather like the way the MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE franchise takes you to Shanghai or Dubai and basically just gives you a spectacular action sequence before whisking you somewhere else. Of course, no Bond film has ever explored a location in any truly meaningful way, shining a light on a people and a culture – obviously, that’s not the job of these films. That said, there are a couple that seem to linger a little on their journeys and give the viewer a feel of the thrill of travel. As well as THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN, I’d cite YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and DR. NO as examples (two other wonderful Bond films that are strangely underrated by Bond fans in general). Even if locations are simply being mocked up at Pinewood or somewhere, it’s still possible to conjure a sense of place and atmosphere – on DIE ANOTHER DAY, they did a superb job of recreating the Korean DMZ (which I visited a few months before the film came out, so when I saw the film I was especially looking out for how well it was recreated), and of course CASABLANCA was shot on a soundstage in Hollywood. And then there’s Kubrick’s recreation of Vietnam in London of all places. Anyways, there nowadays seems to be a view that audiences have come a long way since the 1960s and 1970s when if you wanted to see far-flung climes your best bet was to visit your local fleapit for a Bond flick. There seems to be an assumption that “everyone” has access to fairly regular overseas travel as a matter of course and that no one’s interested in travelogue in films any more. I don’t think that’s true at all. Besides, travelogue is an essential element of the literary Bond, and of course there’s also Fleming’s THRILLING CITIES, so any Bond film that’s rich in travelogue automatically gets high marks from me. From what we can gather, SKYFALL makes fairly good use of China and London, so that’s one of several reasons to look forward to this year’s outing.

Moore is very good in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. In no other film (well, with the arguable exception of LIVE AND LET DIE) did he ever come closer to being Fleming’s Bond. He seems to be playing a completely different character from THE SPY WHO LOVED ME onwards. Even in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY, the alleged return to Fleming, he’s basically an avuncular joker. Not that he isn’t tremendous fun to watch, mind you. I love all of Moore’s turns as Bond. For sheer entertainment value he probably buries all the others put together. But there’s something intriguingly Flemingian about his performance in THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. A certain cruel streak shows through, coupled with world-weariness and a barely hidden resentment at being “an overworked, underpaid assassin”.

There’s some great dialogue in the film, and a couple of wonderful scenes that I originally assumed must have come from the novel. An example is the dinner with Scaramanga, with all that verbal jousting while downing fine food and wine. Before I read the book, I was convinced that that had to have been written by Fleming. It’s an injection of sophistication of the sort that’s nowadays few and far between in the Bond films.

John Barry’s score is terrific – not one of his very best, perhaps, but then again there’s no such thing as a bad Barry Bond score. If SKYFALL’s score were to be half as good as that of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN we’d be jumping for joy.

Finally, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is a relatively down-to-earth 007 adventure. It does, of course, boast its share of thrills and spills, but it’s driven more by character and story than by action – more so, I’d say, than any of its successors. It’s also witty and unpretentious, and it all adds up to a great big shot of good old escapist hokum of the sort that the series will probably never see again. Ever since THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, the filmmakers have tried to inject a certain amount of seriousness into the Bond films, with decidedly mixed results.


Q: What is your favorite Bond novel?

A: YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, by a country mile (whatever that is). Not to get too precious about it (or to diss the other Flemings by implication), but it’s the only Bond novel that I believe verges on being a work of literature. It’s wonderfully atmospheric and haunting, indeed almost like a ghost story in places. It’s also deeply moving, and the ending closes the series so perfectly so that I’m astounded that Fleming commenced work on THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (although I’m glad he did – like its film adaptation *cough*, Fleming’s final novel is a severely underrated affair). Fleming’s prose has never been better, and there are some excellent observations on Japan at a fascinating point in its history. The characters are drawn extremely well – particularly Tanaka, Kissy and Henderson, and one gets the sense that, perhaps without ever acknowledging it to himself, Bond makes an unusually deep and poignant connection with all three of them. I mean, there’s Tiger’s understated farewell wave to Bond, and also that line at the end about Henderson turning up on the island and being “the most difficult of all for Kissy to shake off” – it’s clear that Henderson is trying hard to discover Bond’s whereabouts because the two men had been on the point of genuine friendship. And, of course, the whole Kissy saga packs quite an emotional wallop.

As with something like LOST IN TRANSLATION, Japan is in many ways the central character in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. Bond is a seasoned traveller, but in YOLT he finds himself in a more exotic and stranger land than ever before, and one in which being British (as opposed to American) doesn't seem to carry any particular clout. As a gaijin (literally: "outside person") he is, as never before, an outsider. My memory may be playing false, but I think it may be in Simon Winder's THE MAN WHO SAVED BRITAIN (a very enjoyable book, by the way) that there's an observation to the effect that one of the rather embarrassing characteristics of the Bond series is that, no matter which country our hero happens to find himself, he tends to swan around as though he owns the place - the colonial mindset refusing to die, sort of thing. In YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, though, even prior to his amnesia and his stay on the island of Kuro after completing his mission, he finds himself re-learning all the rules of behaviour in a land of arcane customs where time has stood still. Fleming's Japan is, to all intents and purposes, feudal Japan.

I find Bond's loss of Kissy Suzuki far more heartbreaking than his loss of Tracy. Tracy comes to Bond as a patient to be cured, whereas Kissy comes to him as a complete person, motivated more by love than need. It is this love that allows her to let Bond go without question, even after she learns she is pregnant with his child. Of course, it is tragic that Bond becomes a father without knowing it, but perhaps an even greater tragedy is the glimpse of the sort of man he could have been and the kind of life he might have led.


Q: What is your favorite film, period?

A: ROCKY.


Q: What is your favorite book?

A: Fiction: perhaps THE DIARY OF A NOBODY by George and Weedon Grossmith. Non-fiction: possibly LOST JAPAN by Alex Kerr. This is, incidentally, a very tough question for me to answer. There are so many books that I've enjoyed or mean something to me, for so many different reasons. Still, I guess one must try to narrow things down for a questionnaire like this one, so it's the Grossmith brothers and Kerr for my desert island.


Q: What is your favorite album?

A: SECOND COMING by The Stone Roses. Of course, it's their first album, THE STONE ROSES, that's generally held to be their best (as indeed it probably is), but their much-maligned second effort is my favourite. It's bolder and more varied, and the musicianship is phenomenal. I was fortunate enough to attend a concert by the reunited Stone Roses earlier this year, with the band's classic lineup playing songs from this album for the first time, almost eighteen years after it was released. To a lesser extent, I'm also fond of ABBEY ROAD by The Beatles (albeit that "Here Comes the Sun" is a bit too sugary for me) and SCREAMADELICA by Primal Scream. Oh, and Augustus Pablo's EAST OF THE RIVER NILE - a beautiful, haunting, ethereal album of instrumentals. As for live recordings, my favourite album would be NOEL COWARD AT LAS VEGAS. In general, though, I'm not really into albums. I prefer individual songs to full LPs. Indeed, I'm not hugely into pop/rock music at all - most of the so-called greats in this field leave me cold. And I don't follow modern stuff at all. I stopped listening to new acts about twenty years ago. I expect that I'm missing out on quite a bit of good stuff, but when I comes to music I'm very much an "I don't like much but what I like I really love" kinda guy. Speaking of music, I do regret that I know pretty much nothing at all about classical music. Or jazz, for that matter.


Q: Your favorite television show?

A: THE SOPRANOS. As with the Bond films, I expect I'll still be watching THE SOPRANOS well into my dotage. As with all great works of art, THE SOPRANOS can be experienced again and again and again, and appreciated on many different levels. I think it'll stand the test of time. I wish they'd do a film spinoff - I don't think it's too late, but it doesn't seem likely to happen.


Q: Your favorite food?

A: Chinese hot and sour soup.


Q: Your favorite beverage?

A: Jasmine tea in conjunction with the above. Now, my favourite beverage is actually strong black coffee (no sugar), but I find Chinese food and Chinese tea to be a pretty unbeatable combination. As far as alcohol goes, I'm not much of a drinker, but I do like sake (hot, although I'm not as fussy about the precise temperature as Bond is).


Q: Your favorite locale?

A: I studied Mandarin in Beijing for a year way back in the 1990s, and it was a fascinating experience that I feel thankful for every day. I've been lucky enough to have done a bit of travelling in my time - I mean, I'm not Alan Whicker or anything, but, still, I reckon I can die with a smile on my face, without feelin' like the good Lord gypped me, to quote THE BIG LEBOWSKI. But in terms of the sheer amount of extraordinary memories that it gave me, the city of Beijing deserves the "geographical location" award from me. I haven't been back, though, although I have gone back to China. I'm told that Beijing has changed beyond recognition since I lived there. Of course, it might well have changed for the better in many respects, but I definitely cherish the experience of being there when I was and at the age I was.


Q: Your favorite hopelessly outdated fashion fad?

A: I've never dared to wear one myself, but I have a strange false nostalgia for the Roger Moore safari suit. I also rather mourn the demise of the cravat. I don't much care for ties, though. Wouldn't bother me if they were to go the way of the Dodo, as I'm sure they eventually will. It's odd how fashions change. I mean, why did men stop wearing hats?


Q: Your favorite catch phrase?

A: I dislike catchphrases and tend not to use them, although I'm told that I have an annoying habit of dropping "basically" into every other sentence.


Q: Your favorite memory?

A: Hmmm.... I'll have to think about this one.


Q: What are your thoughts on SKYFALL and the current state of the Bond franchise?

A: Well, the reviews of SKYFALL have me champing at the bit to see it. I don't think even CASINO ROYALE received such across-the-board raves. I have no complaints about the current state of the Bond franchise, apart from the odd fannish gripe here and there - I don't like Adele's song, for example. As Bond fans, we're extraordinarily fortunate - unlike fans of other characters or franchises, we don't have to wait years on end for new product (fans of the DIE HARD franchise or the celluloid Jack Ryan are lucky to get one new film per decade), and the product is almost always top-drawer. Even THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH and QUANTUM OF SOLACE, while I'd rate them among the worst of all the Bond outings, are still relatively well-made and entertaining when you compare them to most action flicks out there. We're lucky in terms of both quantity and quality, and it's amazing to think that, going by most accounts of SKYFALL, the artistic golden age of Bond (the cinematic Bond, anyway) may well be unfolding right now in 2012.


Q: As you get older, do you view the future (both your individual future and that of the world) with optimism, pessimism, or indifference?

A: I'm essentially an optimist.


Q: Is there a single experience that so far has evaded you but you would desperately want to have before the end of your life?

A: Nothing springs to mind.


Q: The B&B community seems to have a strong political bent (with a lot of vocal members swinging toward more "conservative" opinions). Do you care much for politics? Do you identify yourself with any political groups or movements? Any recent political events of which you strongly approve or disapprove?

A: I'm fascinated by politics, even though it increasingly seems impossible to put a cigarette paper between the major parties. I'm not a member of any party and truth be told have faith in none of them. Since all elections appear to be fought on what's known as the centre ground, ideology appears increasingly irrelevant. As for where I myself stand on the political spectrum, well, broadly speaking, I suppose I'm fairly left-wing. I enjoy reading about politics and following the political discussions here on B&B. Of course, I'm gripped by the current presidential election. As for recent political events of which I strongly approve or disapprove, I'd certainly support an "in or out" referendum on Europe (no idea whether we'll ever get such a thing, though, and I don't know which way I'd vote), and I was disgusted by the recent scandal concerning MPs' expenses.

A bit of context and background might've been nice, Harms - I've learnt what Loomis consumes and where he's been, but I've still no idea who he is. Oh well. Maybe this thread will gain a bit of traction now.

Incidentally, I found Beijing a very unimpressive city. Can't accept a global capital without a major river.

I'm nosy and love to find out all about people but as you know only too well, Erica, not everyone likes to share their private details with internet weirdos.

Please don't publish anymore of the pictures, Santa. I'll do whatever you want.

Seeing as the last two interviews took a year of my life, I thought I'd take Harm's questions and do a 60 second interview.

Q: What is your favourite Bond film?

Wint and Kidd in Dis the Girls and Make Them Die

Q: What is your favourite film, period?

The opening scene in Carrie.

Q: What is your favourite book?

Well, it’s little and it’s black.

Q: What is your favourite album?.

Disco Fever Vol. 1

Q: Your favourite television show?

Camille Paglia’s Femmebot Frenzy (HBO)

Q: Your favourite food?

Undigested.

Q: Your favourite beverage?

Lagavullin, the Ambler of alcohol

Q: Your favourite locale?

Baker St. c.1977.

Q: Your favourite hopelessly outdated fashion fad?

Air stewardesses in miniskirts.

Q: Your favourite catch phrase?

I walked into a door.

Q: Your favourite memory?

A shared bath when I was seven.

Q: What are your thoughts on SKYFALL and the current state of the Bond franchise?

Embarrassing, but euthanasia is illegal.

Q: As you get older, do you view the future (both your individual future and that of the world) with optimism, pessimism, or indifference?

With a large army.

Q: Is there a single experience that so far has evaded you but you would desperately want to have before the end of your life?

Santa and Rave doing naked news and weather on the BBC: 'Here's your tits. And that's yer weather.'

Q: The B&B community seems to have a strong political bent (with a lot of vocal members swinging toward more "conservative" opinions). Do you care much for politics?

Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges even when there are no rivers.


Next!

Erica Ambler wrote:

A bit of context and background might've been nice, Harms - I've learnt what Loomis consumes and where he's been, but I've still no idea who he is. Oh well. Maybe this thread will gain a bit of traction now.

Sharky put the pressure on, and so Loomis and I gave you all that we had at this time. This originally wasn't intended to be the full extent of the interview. I apologize if the questions aren't up to snuff.

But yes, hopefully this thread will gain a bit of traction. And feel free to ask those basic, contextual questions of Loomis yourself.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Incidentally, I found Beijing a very unimpressive city. Can't accept a global capital without a major river.

Oh, I loved Beijing. But I was a very impressionable youngster at the time, and was being shepherded around the city by the government so that we could only see the nice, very touristy bits. Still, I'll never forget the Forbidden City.

Those answers were so Ambler.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Santa and Rave doing naked news and weather on the BBC: 'Here's your tits. And that's yer weather.'

Video's in the post, Amblers ;)

I expect to see it on You Tube by the end of next week. Remember my 40% cut.

Is this still alive?

*kicks it*

Well, I'm not giving it mouth-to-mouth, that's for sure.

Salomé wrote:

Is this still alive?

Perhaps you could give it the kiss of life. Would you like to be interviewed? Vigorously?

Multiple questions?

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Salomé wrote:

Is this still alive?

Perhaps you could give it the kiss of life. Would you like to be interviewed? Vigorously?

Define "vigorously".

Ravenstone wrote:

*kicks it*

Well, I'm not giving it mouth-to-mouth, that's for sure.

Loomis tells me he's up for negotiations. Mouth-to-mouth is just one option.

Mouth-to-whisky I can live with.

Ravenstone wrote:

Mouth-to-whisky I can live with.

How 'bout mouth-to-anisette?

You drive a hard bargain

Is this dead?