Timothy Dalton: The Forgotten 007

For most people, the name Timothy Dalton is foreign to fans of James Bond, or just people in general. Dalton, whom had just made two James Bond film, was sadly short lived between Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan but the mark he left behind was a unique one. In 1987, Tim made his debut as the new James Bond. His immediate predecessor was Sir Roger Moore, who had made a total of seven films as 007 from 1973 through 1985. During Moore's tenure, the Bond character turned into a slapstick, pretty boy, play-it-safe kind of Bond. Gone was the sense of danger, espionage and suspense of what Ian Fleming's original idea of Bond was. James Bond films turned into family entertainment for all. This was a 12 year experience. Now, Timothy Dalton's 1987 film, The Living Daylights took all this away and brought Bond back to his roots as a ruthless British agent with a license to kill. Now, mind you audiences were not expecting such a drastic 360 degree turn after Moore. Gone was the pretty boy style and the jokes and back was the ruthlessness that Connery brought to the role, and more! Timothy Dalton gave the world his own interpretation of Bond and brought the character from the written page of Fleming's books. A Shakespearean trained actor, Dalton took the role of 007 most seriously. His first film didn't show Bond as a ladies man, but rather a "one lady" man. He was badass and you would totally buy him as a killer. He wasn't one to mess around. Even his tagline for a teaser poster for The Living Daylights read, "The most dangerous Bond. Ever." It was true! The Living Daylights was an instant hit and made $191 million at the box office beating the last two previous Roger Moore outings. It also beat out Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Dalton was the new Bond and despite what some of the critics and fans said, he brought Bond back to his roots. Two years later, in 1989, Dalton returned as 007. This time, it was a mission for Her Majesty's Secret Service, but rather, a revenge story. The new movie Licence to Kill really brought out Dalton's strong side as James Bond. Bond was on his own and out to avenge he maiming of his best friend and death of his wife. Bond this time would anything and everything to kill the man responsible. Roger Moore, or any other actor that played Bond would not have been able to sell that film the way Tim did. This was meant for Timothy Dalton in mind. Any weak spots Dalton had in The Living Daylights would be eliminated and all his strength would come to play.

Filming the climax to Licence to Kill

 

 

The reception for Licence to Kill was unfortunately quite poor. The violence factor in this film was so dark it became the first ever James Bond filmed with a PG-13 rating. The Bond series was no longer a family event and the drastic change came too soon for some. Dalton was and is the most badass 007 in terms of how he portrayed the character and his style. I think he even out beats Daniel Craig. Dalton had originally been signed on for three films, but after Licence to Kill, there was a lawsuit between distributor MGM and 007 production company EON which lead to a six year hiatus before there next film would come out. During this long gap (1989 to 1995), Dalton decided to step down from the character and the role was given to Pierce Brosnan who continued on the legacy of 007. The film GoldenEye--which was Brosnan's first role as Bond--previously known as The Propery of a Lady, was written with Timothy in mind since he was still signed onto play Bond at the time. Timothy Dalton stands out as the more ruthless James Bond ever, and he is a precursor to the current James Bond, Daniel Craig. The world today accepts Craig as an action killer and less of a spy, because it is much more accepted...well highly praised for that matter these days; especially after the influence of the Jason Bourne films. Dalton certainly came before his time and if he were James Bond today, odds are he would be far more accepted. Long live 007 #4!

The World Is Not Enough Review/Retrospective

"I could have given you the world."
--"The world is not enough."
"Foolish sentiment."
--"Family motto."
-Elektra King and James Bond

For the 19th James Bond film, Pierce Brosnan had his third turn at bat as the suave and sophisticated agent 007. And now, James is not just on an assignment, but a very personal one at that. I'll be discussion the plot, the characters and the experience I had when watching what is perhaps on of my favorite and most quotable James Bond films in the entire series. This was also the first one that I actually sat down and watched. The first big screen 007 adventure for me would 2002's Die Another Day.

JAMES BOND AIN'T GOT TIME FOR THAT SHIT!

"You seem to have had a small reversal of fortune."

It all starts, as most Bond films do, in a glamorous country and this is no exception: Bilbao, Spain. 007 is on a mission to discover the cause of death of a fellow MI6 agent and find out who killed him. When he enters the Swiss Bank, the manager of the bank seems to skirt the issue and act as if he has no idea what Bond is talking about. He has money ready for 007 that was stolen from Sir Robert King, a multi-millionaire who owns oil pipelines across the globe, for a report that the late-agent was killed for. Bond, however has not only come for the money to be returned, but to discover who in fact killed that agent. Bond being Bond, is stubborn and doesn't let it go resulting in the goons of this "manager" to come and take him out. After an awesome and action-packed shoot out, Bond notices that someone has escaped alive: the secretary of the bank. Brosnan sells the part in this scene and has officially made the part of James Bond his own. It is said that when an actor plays James Bond gets to his third movie, he managers to make the part his own and he is really to get deeper with the character and not just by face value anymore.
He is in that territory for no-nonsense and will stop at nothing to get the job done.

After the shoot-out, one person escapes the office but not before the police are summoned. Bond looks around to find and an exit and once he turns another corner, a gun is aimed right at him. Putting his arms up, there is a shot somewhere out of the window and the man dies instantly freeing Bond to escape. Who the heck was it that shot this person? Was it a fluke? Were they trying to aim for 007? No time to thing, Bond uses his own ingenuity and pulls out the strong for a set of blinds and ties it around his belt, and then goes to one of the bodies on the floor and ties it around his belt. Grabbing the suitcase with the money, Bond jumps out the window and lands perfectly onto the streets of Spain while the police enter into an lifeless room with only once survivor: The man that Bond ties the string to. Quite the getaway!

Q-Boat

Meanwhile, back in London, James Bond returns the money and and Sir Robert King is there to pick it up. After having a brief squabble with Moneypenny, Bond is summond into M's office where he meets King himself. It turns out that M and Sir Robert read law in Oxford together and had quite a background. After King leaves and goes to inspect his money, Bond and M have a little drink. When Bond pours himself a drink, he realizes something is not right. He has some kind of chemical reaction taking place and automatically things something is wrong. Bond exclaims, "King! The money!" Rushing through halls and corridors of MI6 HQ, it is too late and the room King is in explodes, along with the money, ripping a gaping whole that is visible outside of HQ! Looking out of the building through the reckage, Bond notices a laser sight on him and then quickly turns out of the way avoiding it. Heading into Q Branch, Bond quickly jumps into a small boat equipped with a ton of weapons and gadgets and goes after the culprit who tried to kill him.

Now, this is perhaps one of the most spectacular stunt chases in the entire series of films! Now only is it a good 14 minutes before the open credits, but it is highly entertaining and non-stop! After chasing her from the River Thames to the streets of London--yes, the boat is able to drive on land as it has boosters on the back--they finally end up at an event featuring hot air balloons. Jumping out of her boat, the secretary holds some of the people at gun point and tell them to release the balloon so she can escape from 007. Bond, managers to ram the boat on the shore and jump and catch one of the ropes hanging from the balloon and is taken mid air. With him trying to avoid bullets from the assassin, he pleads with her to make a deal. "We can make a deal, just tell me who's behind this! Who are you working for?!" As she threatens to blow up the balloon, Bond screams, "Don't do it! Don't blow us up! I can protect you! Do you understand?! I can protect you!" And with them, she simply replies, "Not from him!" She fires the gun at he gas for the balloon and it explodes in a ball of fire, sending Bond falling down only to have his fall broken by the Millennium Dome.

Main Title sequence by Daniel Kleinman in the tradition of the late Maurice Binder

Now, when I first saw this movie, I was totally blown away by the action and suspense used here! This all happens in the course of 14 minutes! It like a mini-movie. But that is what every James Bond pre-title sequence is about. It is a small action-packed set piece used to get the audience intrigued and pulled into the story. Sometimes the pre-titles sequence can have nothing to do with the story that follows, or sometimes, like in this case, it can have a lot to do with it and will just continue where it leaves off. Great film is about to come on with one of my favorite opening themes in the entire series. One of them, meaning I have a lot more, but this is one of them. By the looks of this sequence, you can see that "oil" is the main theme and that this is going to be a far more personal film than some that have come before.

Now, we enter the story in Scotland. There is a major funeral occurring and it is the death of Sir Robert King. Observing the event in a sling, due to his injury with the hot air balloon, James spots the eye of a young women dressed in black whom is mourning the events: Elektra King, the daughter of Sir Robert.

007's new ride: BMW Z8

Since the London branch of MI6 is no longer safe, the team moves into their Scotland location. So, Q and his gadgets are there now and he is in fact seeking retirement. He has appointed a new fellow to follow in his footsteps as the Quartermaster of MI6 and introduces 007 to his new car, a BMW Z8 with special features as always. After a few jokes here and there, Q bids farewell to Bond and his last pieces of advice is to "never let them see you bleed." Bond says, "And the second?" "Always have an escape plan." With that, Q pushes a button which sends him under the floor and that is the last we see of the great Desmond Llewellyn. After 17 films, his days of doing the James Bond films are over and he has had a long run!
Meanwhile, as the story continues,  Bond, who tries to look deeper into the information on Elektra King is unable to due to there needing to be a clearance level. When Bond confronts M about it, she tells him that there is a personal connection with Elektra and herself. You see, Elektra was kidnapped by a terrorist named Renard and Sir Robert tried everything he could to get her back. He even goes to M and is told not to pay the ransom. They all thought they had time on their side and to use her as bait. But it was to no success. Eventually, Elektra is released by killing two of her captors and heads back home. But, you see...after the death of Sir Robert, there still is an investigation that needs to be fulfilled and Bond needs to stop Renard from getting his hands back on Elektra.

Elektra King played by Sophie Marceau

Bond is sent in to visit and tell Elektra that she is of utter importance and that she is required to have Bond's protection to which she says, "I'm going to finish building this pipeline and I don't need your help." Bond doesn't give up and invites himself to check the servey lines with her. After they get to the top of the mountain in Azerbaijan, a crew of parahawks come down and try to kill her. Bond lures them asside and then manages to kill all of them manuverting in the snow. Bond is a major expert at skiing. Bond takes Elektra to a casino where he meets up with an old friend, Valentine Zukovsky. Offering to play a game of cards, Elektra wants to play a high draw and bet against a million dollars. Then, when Bond tells her she doesn't have to do this, she replies: "There's no point in living if you can't feel alive." To this, Bond gives off a look of puzzlement. When she loses the money, James Bond says, "Elektra, this is a game I can't afford to play." Then, later that night, Bond and Elektra have a nice of romance and now it is up to him to leave her while she's sleeping and continue on his mission to stop Renard.

Now, here is where the story gets far fetched. He bumps into a nuclear physicist by the name of Christmas Jones played by Denise Richards...of all people, and then has her lead him to Renard. Under the disguise of a Russian scientist, Bond spots Renard and threatens to kill him, only for him to say, "There's not point living if you can't feel alive." Bond is struck at this, because this is the exact same thing Elektra King tells him in a casino. A fight erupts and Renard gets away. How could he have used her exact words? This doesn't make any sense.

The film continues and eventually it is discovered that Elektra King framed her own kidnapping and began to fall in love with her captor. She wanted the oil and all it's conquest for herself and felt that her father didn't care for the family, but only the money. She is responsible for the death of her father. When Renard said he would not do anything to hurt her, she uses radiation on herself and some of her ear is missing! This woman is truly twisted. She ends up doing the entire staging and all the stress her father and M goes through is for nothing. She is the one that turned Renard, not the other way around. It wasn't Stockholm Syndrome after all. She did this to herself and that is what makes this film stand out on so many levels for me. Eventually, James Bond shoots Elektra at point blank range and says, "I never miss." The true secret agent is back and this time we are getting into the Timothy Dalton territory of focus for the mission and not for the jokes.

I personally consider this to be Pierce Brosnan's best effort as James Bond and would find myself watching it countless times back in the day. It would be a long four years before the next adventure would take place. Since this was the first James Bond film I had seen in it's entirety, this film will always have a special place for me and I highly will enjoy watching it over and over again. A high recommend and GoldenEye is a close second!



James Bond will return...

Die Another Day Review/Retrospective

An invisible car? A ring that can cut through glass? A palace made of ice? These are one of the many aspects that made the James Bond film Die Another Day a disaster for so many fans. Well, I'm going to talk about my personal aspect on this film and how I think there are some good and some bad aspects to the final film starring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

It all started when I was in 10th grade. My fandom for James Bond was at it's peak, and I was finally going to see a Bond film in the theater for the first time! It was going to be with my favorite actor to play the role, and my friend James and I were constantly checking up on what the title was going to be and who was going to sing the main song. Low and behold, it came out and the title for the film was Die Another Day. A pretty straight forward title, catchy, nothing special really. But we were still excited. Since the song was released a few months before the movie came out, I remember hating it with a passion. I have no problem with Madonna, but the song was just full of distortions and pauses and it was a lot of electronica that I couldn't stand. Over time, however, it grew on me and I began to enjoy it.

Now, for those of you who have not seen the movie, I suggest you stop reading now or continue at your own risk. Here we go...

James Bond escaping in a hovercraft in North Korea

James Bond is on a secret mission to North Korea to infiltrate an arms dealer who has enough weapons and tanks to run a small war. It is up to Bond to stop him and complete his mission. When Bond arrives, he captures and steels the identity of a man sent to ship African conflict diamonds to the dealer, Colonel Tan Sun Moon. Bond hijacks the helicopter, puts a package of C4 under the tray of diamonds, and then heads over to make the trade. Hoping that Moon would open the case, Moon's assistant Zao takes the case from 007 and then has someone inspect it. After doing so, Zao get's a message from an unknown sender that has Bond's cover blown and outs his entire mission. With nothing left to do, James Bond then triggers the diamonds to blow with Zao caught the middle of it and a major chase ensues. This is a spectacular chase and how the makers were able to use hovercraft

was amazing! Those things are hard to steer and are exactly made for their ability to float over minefields, rather than escape and getaway. Anyway, by the end of the chase, James Bond manages to fight Colonel Moon and then has him fall to his death...or so we think. After the battle is over, Bond, with his cover blown, is captured and tortured in North Korea for a year and a half! Brilliant story-telling! We've never seen Bond captured let alone tortured brutally ever in the series! He always manages to get away in the skin of his teeth and hurry back to jolly old England. But not this time.

Now, this opening of the movie is utterly entertaining. I loved it! After James Bond is freed in a prisoner exchange with Zao-who was captured in England during Bond's imprisonment-he is taken back to his superiors but not welcomed back. Injected with a sedate he passes out and is then on a ship for an analysis on the condition of his body. M comes in and asks that Bond's status as a secret agent is revoked (nod to Licence to Kill) and that James Bond no longer has his freedom and was only taken out so no more secrets or leaks would be revealed to the Koreans, believing him to have cracked under torture. The way Brosnan portrays the character is so dark and serious and you believe that he is a man who has gone through a lot. This being the forth movie, Pierce has mastered the character and has made it his own. Bond, being Bond of course, managers to slow down his heart rate, which is possible for some people to do, though not entirely sure if that's accurate, and then manages to escape the ship he's on. Not in England, Bond is actually in Hong Kong and he swims to get to the main land. Now, mind you, James Bond has been tortured for quite some time and has a full beard, so when he checks in to his usual Hotel in Hong Kong, he is not recognized at first. But right away, Mr. Chang, the manager of the hotel, knows who he is. Chang comments, "Mr. Bond! It's been a long time!" Now, after this, Bond shaves and is back to his usual self. Now, some say this is when the story begins to slow down, and I can agree with that aspect.

Tracking Zao, Bond discovers he is in a clinic in Havana, Cuba. When he arrives, somehow Zao is undergoing gene therapy to alter his appearance to look like a German. Bond interrupts this procedure and has a fight with him, who still has diamonds stuck to his face after the case exploded back in Korea. Now, Bond meets up with CIA agent Jinx Johnson played by Halle Berry. Her character is very generic and does not bring anything new to this movie. After Zao manages to escape, Jinx then jumps off a cliff in a very poorly done CGI shot to her contact waiting for her on a boat. James Bond then managers to grab one of the diamonds that Zao has onto his face. What was Zao doing in a gene therapy center? Now, there's an awesome character here by the name of Raoul that Bond meets up with and it's a shame we don't see much of him. He tells 007 where those diamonds and upon closer inspection, tells Bond they belong to the Graves Corporation in Iceland.

One of the best fight scenes in the entire series

Bond arrives in England, and eventually tracks down Gustav Graves: a man who has just discovered diamonds in Iceland a year or so ago and has become a major millionaire. Hidden behind the cameras of a press conference at Buckingham Palace, Gustave graves arrives after him in a ridiculous publicity stunt in a parachute and says, "What a wonderful day to be come a knight." Which is quite clever and you can tell that his persona and look upon life is pompous and careless. Now, this is where the story gets me thrown off a little. This man, Gustav Graves, whom nobody's heard of until a year ago, manages to get knighted by the queen? Come on! I can understand he discovered the diamonds in Iceland, but shouldn't 007 be knighted if anyone should be? Let's continue. Now, here we go with the cameo of Madonna as a lesbian fencing instructor. Now, I see how people think her acting is lame, but I didn't have much of a problem with it. She has a student by the name of Miranda Frost (Rosemon Pike), who acts cold, and sometimes rude to 007. There's a line where James meets Gustav and they ask if she wants to place a bet on the winner, to which she replies, "No thanks. I don't like cock fights." Classic Bond. Anyway, this innocent fencing fight begins to escalate to the most memorable and awesome scene again never before seen in a James Bond movie. Bond is having a sword fight! It is so cool! I loved this fight and Bond and Graves literally tare this club apart and then it escalates to outside. Now, this is one of the most overlooked scenes in the entire movie and it should be recognized for that. After Bond wins, naturally, Gustav asks him to join him to Iceland over the weekend for a celebration of something. Something called Icarus...

James Bond's new ride equipped with all the usual refinements

Arriving in Iceland, James Bond is equipped with his new Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, that is invisible...but it is explained and the idea is not all that far fetched. Tiny cameras on all sides of the car act as a reflection that is bounced back on the opposite side rendering the car practically invisible to the casual eye. Long story short, it's a cool car and I love it. But, it does take away some of the realism in this film from earlier. The car is also well-equipped and just like with the previous Aston Martin used by Sean Connery, it has an ejector seat! The car is also gorgeous and probably is my favorite Aston Martin used in the entire series of films. A close second would be the one used by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights.

Gustav Graves' Ice Palace in Iceland

The Ice Palace...yes...a ridiculously spectacular mansion that is made solely for the demonstration. James Bond then meets up again with Jinx, and they both watch together as Gustav Graves enters the podium to demonstrate his new satellite, Icarus. Icarus is made from diamonds and the official reason for this invention is to help solve the world's crop and global warming issues. Why would a man who found a diamond mine all of a sudden get knighted, in addition to having the ability to create his own satellite?

After the demonstration, 007 takes a look around and bumps into Miranda Frost, and discovers that she is an MI6 agent after all. Bond comments, "Ah, that's why you tried so hard not to be interested in me." Ensuring that 007 is not screwing up with the mission at hand, Miranda and James go into a bedroom to "keep up the facade of being lovers." Good one, James! After Bond and Frost get it on, he then gets ready to do some more spying and check out the nuts and bolts of this palace and what Graves really has up his sleeve. Returning to a location he was in earlier, Bond is waiting for Graves and discovers that he is indeed Colonel Moon! Bond says, "So you live to die another day, Colonel?" "At last, I was beginning to think you'd never guess." As 007 is about to alert Miranda that Graves is indeed the man he thought he killed a year and a half ago, a twist of events occur. Miranda is not only working for Graves, she was the one that blew Bond's cover a year ago! Now it all makes sense why Zao was getting a gene change and Moon invited Bond for this demonstration.

Bond escaping in Grave's ice-dragster

CRINGE TIME

Now, sad to say this is probably the worst scene in 007 history. Stealing an ice-dragster, 007 escapes the wrath of the outed Graves and his henchmen. When Graves uses the Icarus satellite to pin point Bond's location, there is a beam of light that melts the ice and nearly reaches 007. When Bond's snow vehicle gets to the end of the cliff and a tsunami is about to hit, what more is James Bond to do? Has he finally met his match? No...he uses the parachutes as sails and the hood of the vehicle as a surf board. The scene is very poorly executed and just is in no way plausible. I remember watching this with my dad and hearing him say, "Oh, come on!" I mean, it's one thing to suspense disbelief...but it's a totally other thing to go too far. The producers did the latter. The James Bond films are known for their stunts being done for-real. This was just a major factor of poor CGI and one of the main reasons why the majority of people hate this film.

When Bond returns to the Ice Palace to get Jinx, an awesome chase ensues with his Aston and Zao's Jaguar XKR. This is a pretty neat sequence and my second-favorite of the movie. Now, the stunts here are done for real and there really is racing on ice. The producers had several models of the Aston Martin just in case it should sink or fall under the ice. In one case, it almost did and they managed to get it out. The ice had to be just right in order for them to have cars driving on it. It worked and the result for the movie good! Christian Wagner, the editor for the film, chopped it up here and there to make it more "hip" and it really didn't need to be. He sped up some parts of the movie and slowed down others. It was a bit distracting like with the Madonna theme song for this film. Anyway, afterward, Bond and Zao enter the palace and a pretty good death scene happens when Bond shoots one of the chandeliers, killing Zao instantly.

Ice Chase!

Then, after leaving Iceland, James and Jinx go to a military bunker to meet up with M and the rest of MI6, while she deals with her superior Damien Falco of the NSA. They infiltrate Grave's plane, and find out that the real reason for Icarus is to clear a mine path for his troops in North Korea. It's a bit convoluted but you get the idea. James Bond then manages to kill Graves and then the plane is destroyed, along with Miranda Frost. The films ends with Jinx and James enjoying some vacation time in Korea until they go back to their lives. The End.

Pierce Brosnan's forth and final outing as Agent 007

Now, I enjoyed this film for the most part. It is in no way my favorite James Bond film, nor my favorite film starring Pierce Brosnan. I don't despise it as much as other people do, but I can see their reasoning as to why they dislike it. I'd watch it over Octopussy or For Your Eyes Only, but that is just my opinion and I'm sure many of you will disagree with me on that. It is, just as worthy of being a Bond film as any other and even though it could have been better, it certainly could have been a lot worse. The first half of the film was brilliant, as I said countless times. It just took a turn for the worst and got very far fetched in the end. The movie was made in 2002 and was in the #1 spot in America for quite some time. It was also a hit financially, if not critically. After this film was released, James Bond was out of the picture until 2006 when Daniel Craig stepped in and started making his mark on the series. After the first Jason Bourne film came out in 2002, the producers wanted to take a more realistic approach and bring James Bond back to his routes as a spy. Daniel Craig is certainly a good actor to play the part, however not so much as a spy. But that's a whole other discussion for another time. Thanks for reading!!!

JINX WAS GOING TO HAVE HER OWN SPIN-OFF SERIES BUT LUCKILY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN...

 

SPECTRE SPOILED?

 SPECTRE

SPECTRE © 2015 Danjaq, LLC, United Artists Corporation, Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. 007 Gun Logo and related James Bond Trademarks © 1962-2015 Danjaq, LLC and United Artists Corporation. SPECTRE, 007 and related James Bond Trademarks are trademarks of Danjaq, LLC All Rights Reserved.

Well...this certainly bites. The script to the new James Bond has been leaked as a result to the major leakage from Sony Pictures. I was so pissed when I heard this, but I guess I shouldn't really be all that surprised. This was after all, bound to happen. I really hope it was worth Sony to push forward with the release and making of the new mess starring James Franco and Seth Rogen. For those of you not in the know..as I'm sure is quite impossible considering how much information has been released world-wide, Sony Pictures Entertainment had their entire computer system hacked which resulted in the outing of a ton of e-mails, social security numbers, accounts and movie scripts. There's a movie that is set to release on Christmas day called "The Interview" which is about these two American producers that are sent to North Korea to "take out" the leader Kim Jung Un by simply shaking his hand. This is meant to be a comedy. Oh, wow...a duo comedy. My, my...how original is that? Anyway, this blog isn't about The Interview, it's about the new James Bond film being leaked. 

I'm not going to go into much detail about the script, but I did in fact read most of it and from what I have read, I'm not digging it at all. The third act of the movie was noted to be quite lame according to the producers and filming has already begun as of December 8th. Even before the script has been leaked, the third act was a problem for some of the producers and the only difference now is that it is known to the public. So, even if it was a great ending, I'm sure they would have to change it anyway since it was outed, so that might be a good thing after all.

Here's what we do know about the new film that everyone knows about: The movie is called SPECTRE, starring our man Daniel Craig as James Bond for the forth time. Since his last film, Skyfall, which became the highest grossing film in England, the highest grossing Bond film and garnering over $1,000 million worldwide, this new movie has a budget of $300 million and according to Daniel Craig, the script is even expected to be better. Well, from what I have read, I am not all that impressed. I hate to say it. But, in the end, it is the film and the execution that will be what counts. Of course, there are going to be a large share of action, car chases, girls, gadgets, including the debut of the new Aston Martin DB10, made specifically for this film.

James Bond's partner in crime. Aston Martin DB10. The car was made specifically for this film and only 10 have been produced. Unlike the BMW Z3 for GoldenEye, which was also made for that film, it will not be available to the public. I can't wait to see what she can do!

Sony Pictures bailed MGM out of bankruptcy in 2005 and has since been in charge of distributing the James Bond films since Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall. Now...who will help bail out Sony? Well, considering that filming is still underway with SPECTRE, Bond is in good hands. This will be the fourth 007 film since the producers worked with Sony, and thus the first one with an outed script. As of the date this blog is written, December 17th, 2014, the James Bond team is well into filming in England with Daniel Craig (007) and Rory Kinnear (Tanner) filming on the River Thames. Check it out!

No matter what happens, I'm going to see this film. I don't care if anything is leaked or not, this IS a James Bond film and even though this is the first time in the films history of 50+ years where the script has been leaked, this is going to be a great addition to the fabulous collection of James Bond movies. There is always a setback and I'm just going to remain positive and happy about the release of this new film. Once a Bond fan, always a Bond fan. With the amount of money put into these movies, I doubt a group of hackers that compromised Sony will make the Bond producers bring their precious franchise to a close. Yes, everything must close, but we are far, far from the end of Bond movies. 

*Thanks goes out to Daily Videos on YouTube for the video!

The Sean Connery Era

"Bond, James Bond." One of the most famous lines in cinematic history. The first man to utter these words? Sir Sean Connery! Yes, folks! In case you didn't know, this man was the first actor to portray James Bond on the big screen! Starring in seven films over the course of 20 years, Connery himself, a household name known throughout the world, was the man everyone wanted to be.

Now, Sean wasn't always destined to be James Bond. Born in Edinburgh, Scottland in 1930, Sean left school at age 15, Connery did many oddjobs...no pun intended. Starting off as a coffin polisher, Connery later joined Manchester United. After a few years, Connery was a Mr. Universe winning at second place!

After doing a few early film, his first recognized role in the Disney film Darby O'Gill and the a Little People. From here, future James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli saw his man to play the British agent. When the first movie was a go, Mr. Broccoli had Connery on board to the resentment of James Bond author and creator, Ian Fleming. Fleming didn't want a big, rugged, burly man playing the part of his sophisticated British agent;  he was Scottish!

Sean made his first appearance as James Bond in Dr. No. Now this film was void of the cars and gadgets we all came to know and love. It was really more of a detective story. James Bond is sent to Jamaica when a fellow British agent is killed when investigating a mysterious island run by Dr. No off of Crab Key. Bond is nearly killed himself numerous times when getting closer to the source of the danger. Arriving off the coast, Bond teams up with Honey Rider (Ursula Andress) to stop and infiltrate the evil Dr. No from disrupting the U.S. space program in Cape Canaveral by sending it's rockets off course. Bond defeats the Doctor and rescues Honey as credits roll. This was the end of the beginning for Sean Connery. More films are yet to come!

Sean Connery's debut as James Bond in Dr. No (1962).

In Connery's second outing, we finally see the first Bond film with the pre-titles sequence. For those unaware of what the pre-titles sequence is, it's a Bond tradition to have a small action sequence that sometimes is a standalone mini-movie before the actual main story line begins. After the credits, we then get started on our movie. Sometimes a pre-title sequence can have something to do with the rest of the story, and sometimes it can have nothing to do with it. Either way, it is a way to get the audience pulled-in to the movie and tell us, we are in for a wild ride and it will only get better as we watch the entire movie. Dealing with SPECTRE, the Special Executive for Counterintelligence Revenge and Extortion, James Bond is sent to Istanbul to uncover a Lektor decoding machine in order for it not to fall into the hands of SPECTRE.

Connery's return as 007 in From Russia With Love (1963).

Now, we get to what is probably the most popular James Bond film in cinema history. This is the one that made James Bond a household name. I'm talking about Goldfinger! Now that Sean Connery is settled in as the infamous James Bond, you know this is going to be a wild ride! While on a vacation in Miami Beach, James Bond is sent to investigate Auric Goldfinger, a millionaire who has a soft spot for gold and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His ultimate goal is to raid Fort Knox, Kentucky and contaminate the gold there for the next 50 years. As Bond and Goldfinger first meet during a game of golf, Bond wins the game to the chagrin of Goldfinger. Warning him to stay away and leave it be, Goldfinger has a edge on 007. Before Bond's assignment, he is sent to Q-Branch-the military and equipment division of MI6-where he is given the most famous car in movie history: the Aston Martin DB5. Now, this car is equipped with the coolest of gadgets for his mission. Who wouldn't want a car with bullet proof windows, an ejector seat, revolving license plates and left and right machine guns hidden behind the turn signals? I certainly would! In any event, this movie also featured probably the most famous henchman in cinema history: Oddjob. Oddjob was played by Hawaiian actor Harold Sakata, who intern was playing a North Korean. Having a the ability to kill with a hat was a ridiculous and unique way for being a henchman. The end fight with Sean Connery and Harold in the Fort Knox gold vault is one for the ages.

What made James Bond a household name: Goldfinger (1964).

Sean's forth outing as James Bond, Thunderball, was meant to be the first Bond film, but due to a legal dispute between co-author Kevin McClory and Ian Fleming, the film wasn't made until 1965. In 1958, Fleming, McClory and a fellow by the name of Jack Whittingham, created a screenplay which was intended to be a movie. All of a sudden, in 1960, Ian Fleming decided to pull the idea of making a screenplay and turn it into a book taking all the credit as author. This, obviously, infuriated McClory. How on Earth could a good friend ask me for help on a movie only to disband the idea and take all the credit? When Kevin McClory sent out to sue Mr. Fleming, he was offered 2 million pounds to pay him off. This did not end well. Now, Fleming had an issue on his hands. So, by the time Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman created the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962, Mr. Fleming was dealing with the High Courts in England to get this situation settled. In the end, Fleming lost the case and Kevin McClory was given the rights to SPECTRE and the Blofeld character. In 10 years time, he could then make his own 007 movie with the character. By 1965, the only way for the Bond producers to make the film Thunderball, was if they could somehow get Kevin McClory involved. After making a deal, McClory was the sole producer of the film. Now, to clear the water, Ian Fleming was indeed the creater of James Bond. Kevin McClory was the creater of his arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. So, after the success of Thunderball on the big screen, Kevin McClory could then have the ultimate revenge on Ian Fleming and have his own James Bond film. But, this movie could only be based on the Thunderball screenplay and nothing else.

The Bond film with the most controversy: Thunderball (1965).

Now, by the time of Sean Connery's fifth outing as James Bond, You Only Live Twice, in 1967, you can see the actor is the only one not having the best time in the performance. Filming in Japan, which was a drastic change of the norm for the James Bond producers, was found to be quite a bit of a pain for Mr. Connery. At one point, Connery was taking a break from shooting and was in the bathroom when a crazed fan came up to him and started harassing him. This, along with other incidents during the filming, drove him mad. He was unable to enjoy his time on set when there were so many onlookers and crazed fans and photographers around. At one point, Connery was seen a big haggard and not looking as spiffy as Mr. Bond would look with baggy shorts and flip flops when someone came up to him questioning him if he was really James Bond. Connery replied, "Fuck off." This upset several of the people in Japan. While filming was in production, Sean said that it was time to move on from James Bond. The stories have become to fantastical with a lack of "character development." Announcing his departure from the role, EON Productions was now in search for a new 007.

Connery goes to Japan in You Only Live Twice (1967).

Three years later, in 1971, Sean Connery was lured back to play Agent 007 in Diamonds Are Forever. The only way to get him to come back and resume playing James Bond, was for the then-unheard of sum of 1.25 millions dollars specifically for the Scottish Educational Trust. Connery was given a deal by United Artists for a two-picture deal. One for the 007 film and the other for any film of his choice, whether it be 007 or something else. Even though Connery was onkly 41 years old, he looked quite a bit out of shape, even more so than he did three years earlier in You Only Live Twice. After his final film as James Bond, Sean Connery publicly announced that he would "never again" play James Bond. Or would he?

Sean enters the 70s in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Come 12 years later, during the years of Sir Roger Moore as James Bond, Sean Connery came back for one more go around as 007. In 1983, the co-author of the novel Thunderball finally was able to use the rights to his character Blofeld and SPECTRE and come back with a remake of Thunderball. This rival 007 film could not use any of the Bond elements that made James Bond famous. Under no circumstances could he use the iconic James Bond theme, gun barrel or the 007 logo. The only real selling point for the film was that they got Sean Connery to return in a tuxedo. Kevin McClory was finally about to make his rival James Bond film, and this was also Sean Connery's final turn at playing James Bond. James Bond swore he would never again play James Bond after filming wrapped in Diamonds Are Forever. Now, credit must be due to his wife Micheline for coming up with the title. Even though Connery is about 53 in this movie, he looks in the best of shape, especially compared to how he looked in his previous two outings. This is a Bond who is in shape. As I had mentioned before, Kevin McClory was not allowed to make a totally original film. It had to be one that followed the Thunderball scipt he wrote. Yet, in all honesty, this movie paces better than Thunderball and it has it's own touches that make it stand our from it. This is why I consider this to be as worth of a Bond film as any other.

Sean Connery's seventh and final shot as James Bond in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Well, there you have it folks! All seven films starring the one and only Sean Connery as James Bond 007! Indeed, Sean Connery would return once more as the voice of 007 in the 2005 PlayStation 2 game From Russia With Love. I've never played it myself, but you know as they say...never say never again.

THE MAN...THE LEGEND...THE UNDERRATED...TIMOTHY DALTON as 007

For most people, the name Timothy Dalton is foreign to fans of James Bond, or just people in general. Dalton, whom had just made two James Bond film, was sadly short lived between Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan but the mark he left behind was a unique one. In 1987, Tim made his debut as the new James Bond. His immediate predecessor was Sir Roger Moore, who had made a total of seven films as 007 from 1973 through 1985. During Moore's tenure, the Bond character turned into a slapstick, pretty boy, play-it-safe kind of Bond. Gone was the sense of danger, espionage and suspense of what Ian Fleming's original idea of Bond was. James Bond films turned into family entertainment for all. This was a 12 year experience. Now, Timothy Dalton's 1987 film, The Living Daylights took all this away and brought Bond back to his roots as a ruthless British agent with a license to kill. Now, mind you audiences were not expecting such a drastic 360 degree turn after Moore. Gone was the pretty boy style and the jokes and back was the ruthlessness that Connery brought to the role, and more! Timothy Dalton gave the world his own interpretation of Bond and brought the character from the written page of Fleming's books. A Shakespearean trained actor, Dalton took the role of 007 most seriously. His first film didn't show Bond as a ladies man, but rather a "one lady" man. He was badass and you would totally buy him as a killer. He wasn't one to mess around. Even his tagline for a teaser poster for The Living Daylights read, "The most dangerous Bond. Ever." It was true! Daylights was an instant hit and made $191 million at the box office beating the last two previous Roger Moore outings. It also beat out Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. Dalton was the new Bond and despite what some of the critics and fans said, he brought Bond back to his roots.

Dalton as James Bond in his motion picture debut The Living Daylights (1987).

TWO FILMS STARRING TIMOTHY DALTON AS JAMES BOND AGENT 007

The Living Daylights (1987) saw the awaited return of James Bond's darker side after 12 years and seven years of slapstick humor and silliness with Roger Moore. Timothy Dalton brought the seriousness and toughness that Sean had 25 years earlier.

And the return of our Aston Martin in the form of a Voltane and Vantage.

Timothy Dalton's second and final turn as James Bond in Licence to Kill (1989). This film not only marked the final appearance of Tim as Bond, but also of Robert Brown as M, Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny, John Glen as director (after five films in a row), Richard Maibaum, Maurice Binder (title designer) and Albert R. Broccoli as producer. Albert Broccoli was a consultant producer for GoldenEye, however, before his death. It will be 6 years until the next Bond was to hit theaters starring Pierce Brosnan.

Two years later, in 1989, Dalton returned as 007. This time, it was a mission for Her Majesty's Secret Service, but rather, a revenge story. The new movie Licence to Kill really brought out Dalton's strong side as James Bond. Bond was on his own and out to avenge he maiming of his best friend and death of his wife. Bond this time would anything and everything to kill the man responsible. Roger Moore, or any other actor that played Bond would not have been able to sell that film the way Tim did. This was meant for Timothy Dalton in mind. Any weak spots Dalton had in The Living Daylights would be eliminated and all his strength would come to play. The reception for Licence to Kill was unfortunately quite poor. The violence factor in this film was so dark it became the first ever James Bond filmed with a PG-13 rating. The Bond series was no longer a family event and the drastic change came too soon for some. Dalton was and is the most badass 007 in terms of how he portrayed the character and his style. I think he even out beats Daniel Craig. Dalton had originally been signed on for three films, but after Licence to Kill, there was a lawsuit between distributor MGM and 007 production company EON which lead to a six year hiatus before there next film would come out. During this long gap (1989 to 1995), Dalton decided to step down from the character and the role was given to Pierce Brosnan who continued on the legacy of 007. The film GoldenEye--which was Brosnan's first role as Bond--previously known as The Propery of a Lady, was written with Timothy in mind since he was still signed onto play Bond at the time. Timothy Dalton stands out as the more ruthless James Bond ever, and he is a precursor to the current James Bond, Daniel Craig. The world today accepts Craig as an action killer and less of a spy, because it is much more accepted...well highly praised for that matter these days; especially after the influence of the Jason Bourne films. Dalton certainly came before his time and if he were James Bond today, odds are he would be far more accepted. Long live 007 #4! 

I hope you enjoyed reading this blog, and please join my blog on Facebook dedicated to Timothy Dalton's portrayal of James Bond, aptly named, Timothy Dalton 007 Appreciation Group. It's an open group and as of now we have 400+ members! Join great discussions, posted pictures, and a fun time! New pictures are posted by me everyday! Please join! 

"I thought I saw a SPECTRE on your shoulder."

The next James Bond has finally been announced a few days ago! The forth film starring Daniel Craig is to be called SPECTRE. Starring as the main baddie will be Christophe Waltz, whom, like Javier Bardem did before him, is sure to blow us all away in his performance. Joining the cast will of course be the regulars from the previous films: Naomi Harris as Miss Moneypenny; Rory Kinnear as Tanner; Ralph Fiennes as M and Ben Wishaw as Q. The new Bond Girls will be Monica Bellucci--who has been trying to be a Bond Girl as far back as 1997--and Lea Seydoux. This will be the first James Bond in a few years to start production exactly two years after the last one. Skyfall, came out four years after Quantum of Solace due to a legal issues with MGM. Director Sam Mendes will be returning to direct the film after Skyfall.

LETS TAKE A LITTLE TURN NOW DEALING WITH WHY THIS IS CALLED SPECTRE...

Now, for all of those Bond fans out there, you guys know the whole controversy with the name SPECTRE and Ernst Stavro Blofeld and the character. Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, wrote a screenplay by the name of Thunderball with Kevin McClory and Jack Whittingham in around 1958. Now, a few years later, Ian Fleming decided to turn the screenplay into a novel and when he did, he published it without the permission of his two co-writers. In other words, he took the credit for himself. Now, this naturally upset McClory, who sued Fleming after what he did. McClory won the case, and what was originally to be the first James Bond film, became the forth James Bond film with McClory as producer. The aftermath of these events still allowed Kevin to make his own James Bond movie 10 years later. The only setback was that it had to be based off of Thunderball and nothing else. During those 10 years, the Bond producers were able to use the character and organization of Blofeld for the next three movies. By the end of Sean Connery's run as James Bond, SPECTRE and Blofeld were not to be seen again, as the rights to the character were still owned and controlled by Kevin McClory.

Finally, in 1983, McClory was able to make his rival 007 movie by the name of Never Say Never Again. The title was in recognition to Sean Connery swearing he would "never again" play James Bond after filming Diamonds Are Forever in 1971. Now, the film Never Say Never Again was not allowed to use any elements already established by Eon Productions/MGM. In other words, this film would not be able to have the opening gun barrel scene, the James Bond theme, or any other element. The fact that Sean Connery returned to the role that made him big was really the only selling factor that they had. And boy...did they take it! The film was a massive success.

1983 marked the return of Sean Connery as James Bond.

It would not be until 2013, that James Bond producers (MGM, Eon Productions, Danjaq L.L.C.) would be allowed to use SPECTRE or Blofeld again. But now that they now have the rights to the chracter, they are now able to use the character. In all honesty, I hope they modernize the chracter. You shouldn't have a villain from the 60s that was parodied in the 90s with those Austin Power movies. They should make him dark, contemporary and please...no bald head with a white cat. Maybe have a...I dunno....pet tiger? Haha!  He are all the actors that played Blofeld in the past.

 The Many Faces of Blofeld

Anthony Dawson played Blofeld in From Russia with Love (1963) and Thunderball (1965). Both appearances of the character did not have their face seen. The voice of the character was performed by Eric Pohlmann.

Donald Pleasence played Blofeld in You Only Live Twice (1967). This film features the first time his face is revealed.

Telly Savalas played our favorite Bond villian here in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). Blofeld is bald, but what happened to the scar?

Blofeld in the form of Charles Grey in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). This would be his last appearance in the role until 1983.

Max von Sydow played Blofeld in Sean Connery's last outing as 007 in Never Say Never Again (1983). As you can see, there's the kitty and his portrayal of the role was back to the days of Blofeld in his first appearance.

 And there you have it folks! Here are all the Blofelds throughout the years. Oh, I almost forgot...Roger Moore had his brief ordeal with "bald man with cat" in For Your Eyes Only. Since it was past the 10 year mark and Eon Productions were unable to use the Blofeld character, this appearance was a final "f*ck you" to Kevin McClory telling the audience that the James Bond films would go forward with or without his character that he deprived for so long.

John Hollis played Bl--"man with white cat" villain in For Your Eyes Only (1981) alongside Roger Moore. Voiced by Robert Rietty. 

So, there you have it. All of the Blofelds in the series. Now that we have SPECTRE set to hit theaters next year, we can only guess if he will indeed be Christoph or not. We will just have to wait and see. 

                                                                               Blofeld 2015?

Daniel Craig (James Bond) and new baddy Christoph Waltz star in next year's SPECTRE. I highly doubt they will be this close in the film. Only the total opposite.

During an interview for the film, Daniel Craig said, "I think we've got a better script this time around." We will just have to wait and find out next year! SPECTRE, the forth film starring Daniel Craig, is set to hit movie screens next November next year! Are you excited?!!!