Last Bond Movie You Watched.

Sarai wrote:

are we talking about Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang?  because reading the board I see the guy is an Aussie and Aussies never get in bad moods or angry....never happens  

Post of the year.

I'll get to CJB's in time. You can't argue with a lot of it but I'll do my best.

Thanks, all. I was just ranting and raving.

Don't know what it was about this last viewing but, once more, I felt like a lad stumbling out of the theatre in the summer of 2002, half-finished bottle of Pepsi Blue in hand, and having just had my innocence irrevocably snatched away by a cross-dressing Kiwi.

As Python alluded to, I also recall those years where DAD was the most recent film and the trauma was fresh. The best we could hope for was that Clive Owen would come save the day in some sort of Goldeneye-lite film.

CJB wrote:

As Python alluded to, I also recall those years where DAD was the most recent film and the trauma was fresh. The best we could hope for was that Clive Owen would come save the day in some sort of Goldeneye-lite film.

I remember a year or two after DAD came out, I finally sat all the way through a DVD rental of FRWL for the first time and was blown away by the lack of PS1 effects and Rick Yune's monotone acting. "Ah, so this is what a Bond film could be", but I suspected then that the series would just delve further in the direction DAD set and we'd get Pierce Brosnan teaming up with Vin Diesel to fight an army of CGI robots.

Instead, Lee Tamahori would go onto direct a XXX sequel, only instead of Vin Diesel it was Ice Cube. So much for that spy series.

The first XXX was kinda fun, but apparently the sequel and the one they tempted Diesel back for a few years back were both pretty terrible.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Sarai wrote:

are we talking about Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang?  because reading the board I see the guy is an Aussie and Aussies never get in bad moods or angry....never happens  

Post of the year.

I'll get to CJB's in time. You can't argue with a lot of it but I'll do my best.

It sounds like such a stereotype but it's been my experience my whole life. If you meet someone in real life or on the net and they are super sweet, easy going and just generally awesome...they always turn out to be Aussies, every single time without fail.I have more Australian friends than Canadian. My dad met a woman from there over 20 years ago and it just couldn't have been anymore obvious she was all over him. She would write to him, call in the middle of the night, wanted to move here the whole deal. My mom finally ended up picking up the phone one night when she called you know to confront this and her and my mom ended up friends in about 5 minutes. lol too funny...that's the Aussie charm.
 and now all these years later we are still very close friends with her and her whole family, she visits, writes to us all and sends me a birthday gift every year...just so awesomely kind and quirky. She lives in Port Macquarie and is always inviting me to come stay there as long as I want. The biggest reason I don't is that I am living with a super amazing girl who I just adore and happens to be Australian too and how that came to be is an even stranger story.  so yeah I have always had the most awesome experiences with Aussies, they are that nice and so many of them just seem to be weird enough to actually fit in with me and my family
that's how I knew you wouldn't chuck a wobbly, mate 

CJB wrote:

Thanks, all. I was just ranting and raving.

Don't know what it was about this last viewing but, once more, I felt like a lad stumbling out of the theatre in the summer of 2002, half-finished bottle of Pepsi Blue in hand, and having just had my innocence irrevocably snatched away by a cross-dressing Kiwi.

As Python alluded to, I also recall those years where DAD was the most recent film and the trauma was fresh. The best we could hope for was that Clive Owen would come save the day in some sort of Goldeneye-lite film.

It was pure gold and I hope the next movie you watch is The Phantom Menace

Diamonds are Forever-written by Hunter S Thompson, nobody is convincing me otherwise

Being here made me realize just how much of DAD's problems-the over the top-ness, weirdness and sheer boneheaded wrong qualities can be laid at the feet of Tamahori. That's really the tipping point where we go from the issues on TWINE being helmed by Apted to the no man's land of WTFness throughout DAD.

There's a good movie in there somewhere. There's good pieces. There's some good Arnold scores that aren't completely overdone. There's some good photography when the sets or color doesn't look weird. Brozzer is working his ass off and getting nowhere.
Hell, I even LIKE the title song. Always have. It actually works in spite of everything I think primarily due to that amazing string section. If you could take out the stupid "Freud analyze this" I think it would work better. Paired with Kleinman's title (which is flat out the best part of the whole FILM) the sequence is pretty bold, daring and made the whole opening night audience know this would be different.

Problem is there's a whole lot of stupid. Stupid scenes. Stupid characters. Stupid lines. Stupid effects. Stupid sequences. and on and on and on. It took me eyars to realize the exact moment, but the film truly and completely falls apart the minute Jinx comes out of the water. That's the point of no return. The moment referenced of Bond arriving in Cuba is swift and cute and is energetic but in the incorrect "hey look aren't we clever!" mentality that NEVER belongs in the series. Much as the usage of "London Calling" later on is not correct and detracts from the film just as the removal of Bond's actual entrance did.
The cut scene showed how 007 snuck back into London unnoticed by MI6 by sneaking out of the landing gear as the plane landed. Unseen before, dangerous, brilliant, shows Bond's predicament and mirrors the entry point into Grave's Antonov for the climax but wait this is DAD-NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED!

That said the film still has a great sound mix and I watch it every year with the rest of the series in order the cap it off with CR '67 and NSNA.

I won't fault the string section of the song, Boot, it's just a shame it's overshadowed by techno-noise and those damned lyrics!

I think you're correct about the 'point of no return.' Though Halle Berry was undoubtedly a PR boon for the film, the character of Jinx detracted from the film more-so than just about anyone else.

DAD needs to DIAF! It is irredeemable!

lol it just keeps piling on

I'm going to my safe space until the DAD bashing is over! :)

CJB wrote:

I won't fault the string section of the song, Boot, it's just a shame it's overshadowed by techno-noise and those damned lyrics!

I think you're correct about the 'point of no return.' Though Halle Berry was undoubtedly a PR boon for the film, the character of Jinx detracted from the film more-so than just about anyone else.

That's on the money.

Is it Halle Berry's acting the dialogue or both? serious question as I have never seen her in anything else but the lines they are given are brutal

Magnificent view.

It is, isn`t it?

Too bad it`s lost on everybody else.

Mojito?

You should try it.

Giacinta Johnson.

My friends call me Jinx.

My friends call me James Bond.

Jinx, you say.

Born on Friday the 13th.

Do you believe in bad luck?

Let`s just say

my relationships don`t seem to last.

I know the feeling.

Predators usually appear at sunset.

- And why is that?

- It`s when their prey comes out to drink.

Too strong for you?

I could learn to like it, if I had the time.

How much time have you got?

- Until dawn. What about you?

- Oh, I`m just here for the birds.

Ornithologist.

Ornithologist, huh?

Wow. Now there`s a mouthful.

So you`re gonna be busy tonight

with the owls then, huh?

No owls in Los Organos.

Nothing to see till the morning.

Not out there, anyway.

So what do predators do...

when the sun goes down?

They feast...

like there`s no tomorrow.

Are you always this frisky?

I`ve been missing the touch

of a good woman.

Who says I`m good?

and I know it's Bond but throwing them in bed together right away was a dumb move too

Sarai wrote:

Is it Halle Berry's acting the dialogue or both? serious question as I have never seen her in anything else but the lines they are given are brutal

Here's a thread about that very idea:

https://bondandbeyond.forumotion.com/t3387-the-difference-between-a-poor-performance-and-a-good-performance-of-a-poorly-written-character

I think Berry does well playing a rather obnoxious character. And her physicality makes her a credible 'Bond equal' - more so than Anya, Holly and Aki. She's not a great character or Bond girl but that's the writing, not the performance.

I'd say it's mostly dialogue in Berry's case, though admittedly I've never particularly rated her as an actress. Didn't she win a Razzie for that Cat Lady movie? I dunno, I've never seen Monster's Balls or whatever it was called so can't say if I've ever seen Berry at 'her best.'

CJB wrote:

I'd say it's mostly dialogue in Berry's case, though admittedly I've never particularly rated her as an actress. Didn't she win a Razzie for that Cat Lady movie? I dunno, I've never seen Monster's Balls or whatever it was called so can't say if I've ever seen Berry at 'her best.'

She's very good in MB. She did win a Razzia for Catwoman. She gives a very funny speech, actually.

That's how I see her character and didn't dislike anything about her other than that dialogue. That first scene where they meet is just as much cringe for Brosnan as Berry and never really improves. She looks great, her physicality as you said is a plus and she come across as quite likable esp when he saves her at the end.  In fact that is probably my only complaint about DAD and for the most part just make up my own dialogue in my head as it plays out.
 I just got finished watching The World Is Not Enough and it just get's better each time. You could really make an argument for Elektra King being the best villain in the entire series too in terms of depth. I love her, I hate her, I feel sorry for her, she enrages me...she puts the viewers emotions through the wringer as much as she does Bonds. She is so good I can't even keep a constant feeling or emotions towards her. That whole movie is brilliant, lacks nothing and the plot couldn't be anymore relevant today just like TND. When you really think about those first three movies of Brosnans I can see why people get annoyed he wasn't brought back and it makes it so I can just enjoy DAD  more as a popcorn movie and just go with it.

"For example, I think Britt Ekland, for most part, sells that Hamilton's Goodnight is a smitten ditz. I can't really fault Elkand for the shortcomings of the character."

I don't see any shortcomings in her character. I see just see her there to be simply delightful,wonderful and make the heart swoon which she is perfect at. That laugh when she first pulls up after he get's snarky about the Green Rolls Royce is heavenly. I've never seen a more charming performance and while I know I am in a serious minority she is still my favorite Bond girl.

One of the best scenes in TWINE is when he confronts Elektra because he ends up sounding crazy himself and that's exactly what a manipulative crazy person will do to you. anyone that's been in that situation will understand and the scene is actually very funny and very uncomfortable at the same time all achieved by both of their acting abilities.



Are you crazy?

Maybe.

Maybe I should ask you.

After all...

...''There's no point in living

if you can't feel alive.''

Isn't that right, Elektra?

Isn't that your motto?

What do you mean?

Or did you steal it

from your old friend Renard?

He and I had a chat.

Knew all about us. Knew about my shoulder.

Knew exactly where to hurt me.

Berry is indeed very good in Monster's Ball (CJB's re-titling makes it sound like a porno Godzilla remake, lol) and fine in the most recent John Wick flick.

It's just stuff like the 'Yo momma!' in DAD ... there is something 100% more cringeworthy about that attempt to insert 'street' dialogue whilst in the middle of a perilous situation in an Icelandian ice palace than there is about any of the 'jive talk' in LALD's Harlem scenes.

When I read reviews online like at IMDB for example I find most people's criticisms to be superficial and they don't really back it up with anything. And from there you get a lot of parroting by individuals and the media trying to tell us who is a good and who is a bad actor. It's not an easy thing to define in general I find and I rarely see an actor that is so bad they ruin the movie or my mind just compensates for it, I dunno.
 An example of that would be Sofia Coppola in the Godfather 3 and while it's known as one of the worst performances ever put on screen it never bothered me. My mind just assumed she talked in a strange tone for some reason unknown and there are people like that in real life. This seems to come up often if the girl is good looking too like Denise Richards for example. I keep reading how it's ridiculous she could be a nuclear scientist but no explanation as to why that is the case.And the more reviews I read about her it seems to come down to superficial judgment as if a girl can't be that good looking and intelligent at the same time. There are all kinds of doctors, lawyers, scientist, you name it who are both so the argument is silly at best. I could buy her role in real life never mind a James Bond film. 
Stallone is almost the male version of that in some ways as it's common to hear him referred to the worst actor who ever lived. He is ridiculed all the time but why? I have only seen a couple of his movies, Rocky and First Blood and both of them made me cry at the end so he must be doing something right. I thought he did some great emotional acting and Rocky was a one man show. And those two roles were nothing alike for all the media that say's he always plays the same character.. Then you get over hyped actors like Robert de Niro and I'm not saying he isn't good or Stallone is better but there are many other factors at play here. de Niro has never gotten to me emotionally like Stallone did so maybe the gap isn't all that big, or it's that subjective. Screen presence is a huge factor too and some actors just seem to click with some people and not others. Like for whatever reason I just can't click with Dalton and I know he is a well respected Shakespearean actor and I feel the same way about Laurence Olivier...2 minutes of that guy on the screen and I am asleep. So when it comes to acting I have a really difficult time saying who is good and who is bad or splitting hairs over average actors.

 one of my favorite performances ever is Klaus Kinski in Aguirre the Wrath of God but I'm not sure I could ever really explain why that is so.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Berry is indeed very good in Monster's Ball (CJB's re-titling makes it sound like a porno Godzilla remake, lol) and fine in the most recent John Wick flick.

It's just stuff like the 'Yo momma!' in DAD ... there is something 100% more cringeworthy about that attempt to insert 'street' dialogue whilst in the middle of a perilous situation in an Icelandian ice palace than there is about any of the 'jive talk' in LALD's Harlem scenes.

Ku Klux Klan cookout.....You got a honky on your tail......It's like following a cue ball.


agree, I find that dialogue not only funny but realistic

Yep, in terms of time and place it rings true to me all right.

Spectre


1/10   The one is for Monica Bellucci who is one of the most beautiful seductive women I have ever laid eyes on. The rest of the movie made me want to take a bath with the toaster. I might try to write a review at another time but honestly I am so exhausted from watching it I can barely keep my eyes open or type.