James Bond Post-Daniel Craig

With Daniel Craig hanging up the tuxedo after his final run as Bond in late 2019, where do you think the 007 franchise should go? Should we reboot the series again? Have it star a women for the first time? Or do you think the 007 films have finally run their course?

As much as I'm a Bond fan, I have to say that with the release of Spectre, I haven't been as enthusiastic with the series since. Similar goes for my reaction to Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Something about these movies kind of left me in the cold with no where to go or even know what more could be done in the future. But, one film can't end a franchise...but can it lead to a change?

According to a December 2017 article from Dailymail.co.uk, EON Productions head Barbara Broccoli has stated that 'These films tend to reflect the times so we always try to push the envelope a little bit,' she replied. 'Anything is possible. 'Right now it's Daniel Craig, and I'm very happy with Daniel Craig, but who knows what the future will bring?' This is coming from the head of EON Productions herself. She seems pretty open and up in the air with possibilities. Let's just hope she makes the right one.

This totally gives me pause because how drastic are things going to change now after we leave Craig? Daniel Craig was a revolution in and of itself. He presented the world not with the tall dark and handsome agent we've all come to expect; but a more stubby, buff and blonde haired agent. This is certainly a change up in the formula. So, I guess Craig was the first step in the door for new and unknown beginnings. Luckily, his reception as the character worked in their favor. It rebooted the Bond series.

Recap with Spectre (2015)

When we last see 007, he's driving off into the sunset with Madylin Swan, daughter of the late Mr. White. I took this as a farewell. Bond got the girl; obtained the head of Spectre; and is off to enjoy a spring afternoon in London. If that doesn't say happy ending, I don't know what does. If the film were indeed to be the final Bond film starring Craig, this would have been it. The culmination of everything the past three films lead up with Spectre. However...for me it just didn't capture the emotion or suspense of Casino Royale or Skyfall. But, it is what it is and hopefully we will continue with one more adventure.

You said it, Brother.

If we have a woman be the new 007, I would honestly have a problem for one simple reason: Is it not true to what Ian Fleming envisioned. Bond should be a male, British presence. Sure, he was played by a Scottish actor (Sean Connery), a Welshman (Timothy Dalton), an Irishman (Pierce Brosnan) and an Australian (George Lazenby), however they all managed to put on the facade of being British. The two exceptions are Roger Moore and Daniel Craig, who are actually British. Having a women step in the shoes of 007 would honestly spit on the grave of Ian Fleming's character. For example, I don't think anyone would want to see a male version of Miss Marple or Ellen Ripley from Alien, it just wouldn't work. But hey, if they do end up going that route, I would still watch it. It just won't be the same.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? SHOULD THE NEXT 007 BE A WOMAN? WHY OR WHAY NOT? 


Sources:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
Next James Bond could be black or a woman, says 007 producer: Barbara Broccoli says 'anything is possible' once Daniel Craig walks away

image of Mr. White: giphy.com

Craig is Back...But What Then?

Okay, good news is we have Daniel Craig back as 007 in 2019. The bad news, there may be a possibility that the franchise will start in a totally new direction afterwards. This I am a tad worried about. Yes, the franchise rebooted in 2006 with the introduction of Craig as Bond; however there were some connections as it still had Judi Dench as M. We finally get Moneypenny and Q after  a two film absence in Skyfall; everything is finally starting. We don't need another reboot. Please just continue the same roles with the same actors and just get a new James Bond. It's what they've done in the past. When Connery left the part, M Q and Moneypenny were the same actors. Why change it around yet again.

That being said, I understand the direction movies are changing and it's more about television shows or live streaming. You can't just have 007 pop up every 2 or 4 years. During the 60s, the spy craze was in. You had shows like Get Smart and I, Spy. It was popular and would keep you entertained while you'd wait to go to the cinema to see the new Bond film. Now, things are so in the now, if something isn't really talked about, then it's just forgotten outside of the fan base.

End of rant.

I did, however realize that the new film is currently looking for a distributor as Sony's contract ended with Spectre in 2015. As of recently, the runners up are Apple, Amazon and Warner Bros. I had read that Warner. Bros is in a closer lead to getting it, but this was a while ago.

DO YOU THINK THE FRANCHISE SHOULD REBOOT AGAIN AFTER CRAIG LEAVES?

Bond and his Aston Martin

There have been several Aston Martins in the James Bond film series, the most notable of course being the one that started it all in Goldfinger, the 1964 DB5. Now, that was a car to do some damage on the road! I loved it!



For today's entry, I'm going to take a moment and look back at all the Aston Martin's driven by 007 and which ones stand out to me and which ones stand out less.


SEAN CONNERY

In Connery's third outing as 007, Q gives 007 his very first Aston Martin which then turns out to be his own personal car in future films. This is a revolutionary car in that we've never seen a car with such amazing gadgets before. In the previous film, Bond's Bentley merely has a phone connected to the car, which for 1963 was never done before, but in today's standards, is hardly outstanding. When Bond asks Q where his Bentley is in Goldfinger, Q responds, "Oh, it's had it's day I'm afraid." Bond replies, "Well it's never let me down before." "M's orders 007. You'll be driving this new Aston Martin DB5 with modifications." This is when Bond meets his match in British automobiles for decades to come.

Aston Martin DB5 with modifications.

The car is not only gorgeous and sleek, but it also comes with a handful of gadgets such as:

Q's modified gadgets

An ejector seat; a rear oil slick; two front end machine guns behind the turn signals; bulletproof glass;  a rear shield to stop gunfire and more. The car for 1964 is a beauty and I'm sure the world over wanted to be like James Bond and get in one of these.

Tire slashing wheels

GPS mounted on dashboard...ingenious!

As mentioned before, the car was so renowned with 007 that in following films we see it yet again. She is featured the most even if she isn't in all the scenes or the main car of the film.

Goldfinger
Thunderball
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
Casino Royale
Skyfall
SPECTRE

Used mainly as Bond's personal car, after it's use on the field Bond has a soft spot for the vehicle and uses it throughout the decades. In Skyfall, although the car is clearly damaged after the events of the film, Q fixes her up to be used by the end of SPECTRE. Mainly a 60's car, this car holds the routes for 007 and his adventures and different incarnations in Connery, Brosnan and Craig.




GEORGE LAZENBY

In 1969, the world saw a new Bond in Australian actor George Lazenby. With a new Bond came a new Aston Martin. This time, as a 1968 DBS. Now, although not as memorable in design or as gadget laden as the DB5, this is certainly a gorgeous looking car and is worth mentioning as it is still a part of the Bond Legacy.

1968 Aston Martin DBS 

When we first see the sleek design in the beginning of the film, Bond is driving down near a beach giving chase to whom we later discover to be his future wife, the fateful Tracey de Vincenzo.

As mentioned before, there were no gadgets in this car, other then a compartment for his telescope built into the head of his gun. It is detachable as you can see. He uses this to take a more...personal look of Tracy come to find out she attempts to commit suicide.

Compartment for Bond's shotgun and telescope built into one of the ends.

If only the car was bulletproof like the DB5 or else Tracy would have survived. Instead she gets killed by Blofeld. At the same time...this car is also memorable for the fact that this is where he loses his wife.

Funny note, but during the following film, Diamonds Are Forever, you can see the same car being repaired in Q's workshop while 007 talks to him on the phone. 

 

Aston Martin DBS spotting in Q's workshop in Diamonds Are Forever

TIMOTHY DALTON

In 1987, James Bond and Aston Martin finally reunite after nearly 20 years. Timothy Dalton makes his debut (my personal favorite 007) and along comes the 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage/Voltane supplied by Q. Why do I list two cars? Well, we get two different types here but I'm going to focus on the hardtop version of the car, which is the Vantage and this is when we see the car most in action.

Bond's Aston Martin V8 Vantage

The model of the car was in service from 1977 to 1989, a great time for Aston Martin and there is a bit of a Ford Mustang flare to the front of the car. You can still see similarities from the DB5 and DBS but there is a major upgrade in terms of sophistication and suspension as well as style. It does retain it's roots but adds more to it.

The car is laden with a bunch of new gadgets from Q-Branch. They range from bulletproof windows; tire spikes for traction; retractable skies for driving on ice and other terrain; a self-destruct mechanism so as not to fall into enemy hands; target seeking missiles and even a jet engine for fast propulsion. It's everything one could ask for in a Bond car.

Rocket propulsion in motion.

THE END OF PART I. STAY TUNED FOR PART II! I'll get that one done asap.

OUT OF THESE, WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE? THANKS FOR READING AND JAMES BOND WILL RETURN!








SOURCES:

Aston Martin DB5 Gadgets:

• GIF of Aston Martin courtesy of GIPHY.COM

• Images of DB5 gadgets courtesy of dailymail.com

James Bond's 1965 Aston Martin DB5 complete with machine guns and revolving number plates is offered for sale for £3m 

Aston Martin DBS:

• Images of Aston Martin courtesy of IMCDb.org

Aston Martin V8 Vontane/Vontage:

• Image of Aston Martin in Vienna courtesy of IMCDb.org
• Image of rear courtesy of Paste Magazine

Why Blofeld is Weak in SPECTRE

With the recent release of SPECTRE, there have been a total of four major villains in the films featuring Daniel Craig. While some are more memorable than others, the most recent villain is my least favorite due to his lack of originality and malevolence. Here's my look at the villains.

Casino Royale has intrigue, beautiful environments and a very malevolent villain in Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen).  We don't know what his motives are right away and the scar on his eye just keeps you on edge knowing that this guy is in some risky business...and no not the Tom Cruise kind. We do know he has asthma and a bunch of goons working for him. Le Chiffre is the first villain 007 faces in Ian Fleming's debut book of the same name, as well as the first villain Daniel Craig faces as James Bond. Since the films were rebooted in 2006, the producers felt it only smart to introduce a new Bond to the game. With the seriousness of Daniel Craig (thanks to Timothy Dalton) and the plot, this is not just another Bond film entry, but rather something more. Sneaky, and yet vulnerable to the people he borrows money from, makes Le Chiffre someone that is mainly just a lonely, hidden conman in the mask of evil. The chemistry with Bond and Le Chiffre is flawless because you can tell they both want to defeat each other yet both try and restrain their elegance up until the end.

What I love about this villain, is that you really get into his shoes. He comes off as a mastermind who doesn't answer to anyone, but as you see him evolve throughout the film, but as I said earlier, he's really just a conman that gambles in the stocks with clients' money on the line. After losing a game of poker to 007, Le Chiffre gets desperate and kidnaps Bond, torturing him and losing his cool as he is still not given the information he needs. Then, as Le Chiffre meets his fate, he's revealed to be a scared little man with empty promises.

Care to see the read more?

In Quantum of Solace, which is a direct sequel to Casino Royale, Dominic Greene is not bent on taking over the world, but rather something more striped from the headlines of reality. Funding for his "Greene Planet", a way to provide clean water to many countries. It's obviously a personal ploy to make deals with investors to take over governments under the Quantum organization. Lying to corporations and leaving Bolivia depleted of water in order to give power to a horrible dictator is more of a reality check in how important water is to the world around us, and doesn't really sink in with being a Bond villain. Played by Mathew Amalric (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Greene is more of a business conman who tries to keep his cool but utterly fails as Bond gets under his skin more and more.

Dominic Greene: The Mastermind of Preperation

Greene is not a physically threatening villain either, and is not nearly as interesting or entertaining as Le Chiffre. At the same time, there's something about the way Almaric portrays the character that makes you want to "love" to hate him. For example, there's a scene with him in the beginning of the film where he yells at Camilla and says, "Don't talk to me like I'm STUPID!....It's unattractive." The way he yells at her and then adds that little bit of elegance really makes me crack up. But, I find him entertaining nonetheless. He is by far not my favorite villain, but not my least favorite.


Skyfall introduces Raul Silva (Javier Bardem, No Country for Old Men) in the mix as a Bond villain. Having previously worked for the British government, Raul Silva is out for personal revenge after the head of the service left him for dead. Coming back to act revenge, Raul sends a virus e-mail that destroys . When Silva sends a bomb to MI6 headquarters and detonates it in the office of M, he makes his presence known and it's up to 007 to stop him. A psychotic with no means of stopping until his "mission" is complete, Silva has a sense of humor one minute and transforms that energy into a psychopathic murder. You can't get enough of his character in this film and it almost steals the show from Craig. This is what a Bond villain should be like, which is why I also enjoy watching Le Chiffre. His introduction is one long pan of him walking over to 007 and it's quite terrifying but once you watch this character, he's awesome!

After capture, Raul is sent to MI6 and finally comes face to face with M. Revealing that he has survived with cyanid behind his molar, a horrid scene occurs in which to prove why he has exacted revenge on M for so long. This isn't about killing Bond, it's not about taking over the world, it's about exacting revenge on the one person that orders the missions.. He is perhaps the most menacing of all villains in the Craig films and will certainly go down in history as one of the best! 

The way he throws that bomb in there...classic! haha

We now come to the "mastermind" behind all of the three previous villains. Ernst Stavro Blofeld played by the great Christoph Waltz. Revealing that all the previous villains out to kill Bond have worked for his organization, there is nothing threatening or memorable about the way he portrays the character. I personally found Raul Silva to be far more threatening and menacing than this guy. It's discovered that the reason for his actions is because he wants to get back at Bond for being neglected as a child. James was adopted into Blofeld's family after his parents died in a climbing accident. When discovering his father paid more attention to Bond, he's always had an agonizing hate for the secret agent.

Bond and Blofeld

Organizing an evil group known as SPECTRE, Blofeld has the ability to topple governments, threaten public officials and even have enough firepower to run a small war. Seeing that Quantum is a subsidiary of SPECTRE, which is why everything is revealed in the film, it just doesn't work to have this man behind "all your pain." I would have rather had this be a direct sequel to Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and to have left Skyfall as a standalone film. But for this to be the ultimate mastermind behind Le Chiffre, Greene and Silva, it's a bit disappointing because I do not feel threatened by this guy in the least.

There seems to be a patter here, the weaker villains are in the weaker films while the better villains are in the better films. 

Which villain is your favorite in the Daniel Craig films? Le Chiffre, Greene, Silva or Blofeld? Let me know in the comments below and as always, thanks for reading!




Sources:

GIF of Le Chiffre courtesy of: rebloggy.com

Image of Dominic Greene courtesy of: Vinnieh.wordpress.com

Images of Raul Silva courtesy of: yourfuckedupotp.tumblr.com

GIF of Blofeld and 007 courtesy of : TUMBLR

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

"Good morning! My name's Bond, James Bond!"

In 1967, during the production of You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery announced his resignation from role of James Bond and wanted to pursue other acting gigs. During the time of filming in Japan, Connery was constantly followed, stalked and bothered by much of the public and enough was enough. In addition, he also wanted to play roles that had much more character development than 007. These were movies that got more and more fantastical in his mind and the plots became more and more grandiose and unrealistic. To each their own. However, this wasn't going to be the end of James Bond. If Connery wasn't willing to return, the films would go on without him. Who was going to replace the ever successful actor as James Bond?

Early publicity photos for the new 007

Enter George Lazenby. Born in Australia in 1939, George had a some-what rocky carer. He started off as a model, a car salesman, and even did a few commercials. He got the attention of James Bond film producer Albert R. Broccoli after seeing him in a commercial sponsoring Fry's Chocolate Cream Eggs. I have no idea what they are either, but apparently they were popular. George was fit, tall, handsome and just the right build to succeed Sean Connery as the new 007. When Lazenby showed up to audition, he boasted and said that he had many other acting gigs in the past. This, according to Lazenby, was a total lie as he had not one film credit featuring him but he was just young and naive and felt that he knew how to manipulate the big shots in Hollywood and it worked out for him. Upon a screening test, he punched Russian wrestler-turned actor Yuri Borienko and broke his nose!

Notice how Lezenby's name isn't prominently mentioned.

Now, George is not meant to be another 007. The writers and makers of the film wanted the audience to be sure of this. As mentioned before, he was unheard of and they wanted to make him look in every way similar to Connery's Bond as possible. Just in the last picture, the tagline said: "Sean Connery IS James Bond." Now, this statement was most-likely done to assure people that Connery was the true James Bond as there was a rival picture in that same year starring David Niven. But now, since Connery had stepped down as Bond, this was about to change. All of the poster work on the current movie had it simply titled "James Bond 007" in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. There was no mention of who George was. For the past five films, people were used to seeing his predecessor (Connery) and for them to suddenly replace was not fair to them. James Bond is a character and the actor in the role is not what is important.

Now that they had their new 007, the hunt was on for the leading lady. Diana Rigg, famous for her role as Miss Peal in "The Avengers", starred as Teresa de Vincenzo, or Tracey. She is going to be the wife of 007 in the movie and the one that Bond falls in love with. In the past films, James Bond had never had a woman he fell in love with. He either had to use her for information, or maybe had a feeling of emotion towards her for the time of the mission but never afterwards. This time, Bond actually needs her for information and also builds an attraction for her outside of the mission.

The film starts with 007 away from the office and driving around Portugal in his new Aston Martin DBS. Out of nowhere, this red convertible cuts him off the road and speeds off into the horizon. Curious, Bond accelerates and starts to give chase. Once caught up, 007 notices that the car has stopped and the door is open. Pulling up along side, he takes out what looks to be the butt of a gun but then but transforms into a telescope. The woman is headed towards the shore and looks to be continuously walking. It's as if she is attempting to commit suicide. Bond speeds down the street onto the sand and gets out of the car rushing to safe her life. He knocks her out, then after she comes to, he does the classic greeting: "Good morning, My name's Bond! James Bond!" Before she can answer, a group of thugs come up and hold Bond and the girl hostage. As Bond is about to lay down before getting shot, he sneaks over and lands a punch on the aggressor. Lazenby is full of rage and anger and is far more physical and unstable than most of the times we see Connery. Mind you, as stated before, Lazenby is only 29 years old and has had no prior acting experience so he is essentially being himself.

Once 007 defeats the three killers, he notices that the women has escaped and drove off in her car. Looking towards her, Bond stops to look at the audience breaking the forth wall saying, "This never happened to the other fellow." The "other fellow" being of course Sean Connery. 


 


The film opens with 007 at a place of his calling, a casino. When playing a game of chemin de fir, the same woman pops up that he noticed earlier at the beach. She throws a hand and loses. Unable to pay up for her loss, Bond jumps in and says, "Forgive me, my mind was elsewhere." He pays off the dealer and goes off to grab a wine with the girl. She reveals herself to be Teresa de Vincenzo. Already using his charm. Tracey says, "Why do you insist on rescuing me, Mr. Bond?"  

Blofeld as played this time by Telly Savalas

Then, after a night of the usual fling fling, Bond wakes up by himself in his bed. Hmm...this is odd for 007. Usually he's the one that leaves the girl behind, but not this time. A group of thugs enter the hotel as Bond is about to go golfing and take him to an unknown location outside of the city. Quickly disarming his captors, and even taking a knife from one of them, Bond locks himself in a room while the three thugs start banging on the door. Upon turning around, there's a man in what appears to be quite a fancy office at a desk. Bond throws the weapon right behind the man hitting the date on a wall calendar. "But today's the thirteenth", the man states. "I'm superstitious", Bond quips in return. The man reveals himself to be Draco; a crime boss in the city and who has all ties with the underworld of crime. He's not a bad person, per say, but he does know a lot of things about SPECTRE, the organization run by Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Bond's #1 enemy. Tracey is Draco's daughter, thus the reason for the thugs bringing 007 over to his office. They were not there to kill Bond, but simply there to ensure the safety of his daughter.

Tracey is an unstable and spoiled brat according to Draco. She needs a "man to control and dominate her." To this, James Bond tells her that what he is looking for is not for him. He's an agent working for the good of England and is not looking for love nor to marry, especially for crime lord. When Bond asks if Draco has any leads he says that he won't tell the British government but he might tell his future son in law. The things he does for England.

Bond Girl Diana Rigg and Lazenby taking a break during filming

When James reports to M that he has discovered the location of Blofeld, M tells him that he has been relieved of the mission and that he needs to get on other duties. In order to disguise himself as a member of the Code of Arms, James Bond takes on the identity of Sir Hillary Bray. Blofeld is in the Swiss Alps posing as Comte Balthazar de Bleuchamp and it is up to Bond to find out just what he is doing. This movie really gives a great taste of 007 doing some real spying and throughout most of the middle of the film, he puts on an accent to disguise himself. There is a wonderful areal view of the Swiss Alps in this movie and the scenes used during the arrival in helicopter are quite amazing!

The rest of the film is one fun ride after the other and there is a twist at the end that marks this one of the most important stories in the history of 007.

While the film was well underway, George and Diana Rigg had a liking to each other and even started dating. Things were going well for the inexperienced actor. He was James Bond, had one of the most sought after women on British television and now was the household name. His agent, however, felt that the James Bond series was a thing of the past and that no one would want to see movies dealing with spies anymore. He couldn't be any more wrong. In any even, Lazenby took his advice and stepped down from the role. He was also having problems with the story and didn't agree with the director or writers at times. He felt he wasn't being heard and wanted to bring his two cents in. The crew had some things to say in response to his behavior during production. Diana Rigg: "The role made Sean Connery a millionaire. It made Sean Connery ... I truly don't know what's happening in George's mind so I can only speak of my reaction. I think it's a pretty foolish move. I think if he can bear to do an apprenticeship, which everybody in this business has to do – has to do – then he should do it quietly and with humility. Everybody has to do it. There are few instant successes in the film business. And the instant successes one usually associates with somebody who is willing to learn anyway."

I'm sure George wishes he didn't make that decision but I guess it was for the best. At least he did one movie.

The movie didn't make as much as expected due to it not starring Connery, but it did make a fair profit. George did show up at the premiere, but he came with long hair and a beard so that he could further dissociate himself with the James Bond character. George's career was poor after this movie and he did performances here and there where he would play spoofs of 007 but nothing compared to his stance as James Bond.

In conclusion, I wouldn't call this my favorite James Bond movie, but it is certainly one that I would highly recommend for all to see at least once. It gives you a different perspective of the character and even though he's not Sean Connery, the love story in this movie works because Connery's Bond isn't one you could see actually falling in love with a character, maybe except for the end of Never Say Never Again. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you check out this underrated film! 

In 1971, United Artists lured Sean Connery back for one more film and thus Diamonds Are Forever was done. The first James Bond movie to enter the 70s. Since Lazenby had already departed, Albert. R. Broccoli was going to continue the legacy left by George and what better way to bank on a movie than to grab back a star-albeit reluctant-that made the series famous. A fun fact, the only way UA was to get back Connery, was if they paid him a sum of, what was then unheard of at the time for an actor, 1.5 million dollars in which he used to donate to the Scottish Educational Trust.  

SOUNDTRACK:

This is the only James Bond movie not to have a singer for the vocal main theme for the picture. John Barry did the orchestrations as usual, however the producers felt a title called "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" would be too long and decided to just use an instrumental them song, which I feel is quite brilliant. It's a whole new theme and not a Bond theme. This song plays during the opening credits of the film.

For the secondary song, "We Have All The Time In The World" Louie Armstrong did the vocals that was used to capture the bonding with 007 and Tracey. This was to be his final performance before his death in 1973. It's not my favorite theme, but it can get quite catchy. Again, the music used here does not associate itself with Sean Connery. There is no electric guitar theme used by Vic Flick, except for the end of the film during a highly climactic battle. 

Sources:

Movie Logo: http://www.fanart.tv

Poster: http://www.impawards.com 

Image of Louis Armstrong: http://www.lossofsoul.com 

All other images courtesy of Pinterest