Of course I have to rank the cars from the films, the relationship between Bond and cars has been very beneficial to both parties down the years. He even managed to make an AMC Hornet and Citreon 2CV look quite cool. 5. Bentley 4.5 Litre VDP Tourer (From Russia With Love)
This was a hard decision, as much as I love the Mustang, I just feel that it's not really assosciated enough with Bond, despite it's cameo in Diamonds Are Forever. Though this Bentley appeared for an even briefer moment in From Russia With Love, it's the manufacturer's long assosciation with James Bond in the novels that make this one and only appearance in the official franchise even more special. Despite only being the second movie, it has a rather nifty gadget itself in the form of a car phone. 4. BMW 750iL (Tomorrow Never Dies)
Pierce Brosnan had a strong assosciation with BMW throughout his time as Bond including a Z3 and Z8, but it was this 7 series that really was a cut above the rest. Apart from being asthetically pleasing, it was packed with weapons, reinflating tyres and Bond was able to navigate it remotely from his mobile phone. The scene below shows it in action.
3. Aston Martin Volante (The Living Daylights)
After an 18 year absent from the series, the Aston Martin finally returned in Timothy Dalton's first Bond film. It looks superb, espescially towards the end of the film as a hardtop coupe. It's also packed with the usual Bond weaponary as well as tyre cutting lasers, and tyre spikes for those icy conditions in a shed on the frozen lake. The car is involved with some great chase scenes, and I prefer to the "Vanquish" of Die Another Day, which I find over the top.
2. Lotus Espirit S1 (The Spy Who Loved Me) Obviously a car that is able to travel underwater was going to feature on my list. I've always loved the look of the espirit, even when really young and I think they got it right using a white one. It's also well armed too, with surface to air, as well as forward facing missiles, which can operate underwater too. Again it's involved in a superb chase scene, where the cars performance stands out. I personally think it is the best equipped car Bond's ever driven, even if it is a bit outlandish.
1. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger)
Of course, the greatest Bond car of them all is Aston Martin Silver DB5 that first graced the silver screen in Goldfinger. It is possibly the most iconic car in movie history, even beating McQueen's Mustang from Bullit and the Batmobile. The 1964 version was the brainchild of special effects expert John Stears who created the "enhanced" model for the film. It did 0-60 in 7.1 seconds, revolving number plates, a bullet shield and front facing .30 caliber Browning machine guns. There was really always ever going to be one winner, it would be hard to find anyone who would say otherwise. An absolute feat of British engineering for the car itself and a trademark for Bond. The same car was used in Thunderball, and the same model has appeared in subsequent movies, though with different registration. In 2006's Casino Royale it appeared with Bahamian plates, as Bond won it in a poker game, it is set to re-appear with it's 1964 plates in this year's Skyfall. As for Aston Martin, they've benefitted greatly from the franchise, with many of their models being showcased through the films down the years. It would have plausible to just have a top 5 of Aston Martin's as they have all looked fantastic in the films, I didn't even mention the DBS'. The original '64 Goldfinger version was bought by Harry Yeaggy, an American in 2010, for £2.6m, worth every penny.
Although these are mainly based on the Bond theme songs, I classed them as soundtracks, as some of the various instrumentals are simply stunning throughout the franchise. 5. Dr. No (1962) Best Song: The Original James Bond Theme (Orchestral arrangement by John Barry; composed by Monty Norman)
I have to include it, it's synonymous not just with Bond, but film soundtracks in general. Though widely acknowledge as Bond stalwart John Barry's piece it was originally composed by low profile and often forgotten film composer Monty Norman. The Bond motif introduces the first Bond film before breaking into a calypso version of "Three Blind Mice", which I don't much care for. However this film soundtrack was also included for one final iconic musical moment. Ursula Andress walking out of the sea singing "Underneath the Mango Tree", to which Sean Connery joins in and makes his presence known. As for the main theme, it's been used in different variations, in every Bond film since, therefore it has to be on this list.
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Best Song: Nobody Does It Better (performed by Carly Simon; written and composed by Marvin Hamlisch)
This would have probably been my number 1 if based on the theme song alone. However the soundtrack is severely hampered by the rest of Hamlisch's score, which tries to capture the late 70's era of music too much. Therefore it sounds awfully dated and not that good. For instance "Ride To Atlantis", really detracts from the fact Bond is driving a Lotus Espirit underwater, it's far too melancholly and makes one of the coolest Bond cars' ride, quite boring and lame. Plus his approach to the Original Bond theme, whilst quite appreciated amongst Bond fans, I think is a too dated. Having said all of that, Bond soundtracks should primarily be judged on the theme song, and "Nobody Does It Better" maybe the best.
3. Goldfinger (1964) Best Song: Goldfinger (performed by Shirley Bassey; written and composed by John Barry)
The most iconic Bond theme song only makes it to number 3 on my list. Whilst I agree with consensus, that Shirley Bassey's piece is the best song in the Bond franchise, there are better musical pieces, plus whilst the rest of the soundtrack is solid, there are slight let downs. On the plus side some of the more dramatic parts of the film are appropriately scored, even though it sounds dated, it such iconic music, that it's forgivable. It is also the film where Bond really starts to begin variations on James Bond signature theme, and this is brought to the fore throughout the movie. Which is one of the many reasons that this is probably the most loved film of the franchise.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Best Song: Surrender (performed by K.D. Lang; written by Don Black and David Arnold)
It would be impossible to talk about the James Bond soundtracks and not mention the man who has successfully brought the Bond music into the present day. David Arnold has made an indelible mark on the franchise, and all the high points in the recent outings tend to involve an Arnold piece in some way. Tomorrow Never Dies was his first Bond film, and despite a mediocre Bond film, as well as slightly disappointing title track, Arnold's high octane contemporary score, helps make the film feel more energised and entertaining. As for K.D. Lang's Surrender, it probably should have been the title track for the film, it's up there with Goldeneye in terms of quality, and maybe could be mentioned in the same breath as Goldfinger. Moby's mix of the original Bond theme, although of it's time, is still synonymous with modern Bond and is probably the best electronic foray into Bond soundtracks.
1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1968) Best Song: We Have All The Time In The World - Instrumental (written and composed by John Barry)
John Barry's work throughout the Bond films is well received and rightly so, he is probably the benchmark for other composers. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is, I think, his best score. The title track holds up very well, even by today's standard and is very Bond-centric. It is however his composition and arrangement on his song written for Louis Armstrong that steals the movie, and in my opinion the greatest piece of music throughout the Bond franchise. It's a piece that is reprised throughout the film, but you can never get sick of hearing it, it's one of the most luscious pieces ever put to film. Though the rest of the soundtrack tries to push the boundaries a bit to far with synthesisers, it is still for me the greatest soundtrack of the series.
It's now 50 years since the release of Dr. No, while I would love a joint interview with all six Bonds together, that ain't happening. Instead I've decided to write about my favourite things concerning, in my opinion, the greatest film franchise of them all. I will say now I'm not going to rank my favourite James Bonds in order, as they are all good in their own way, yes even Lazenby. First, I'm going to kick off with my favourite Bond soundtracks, before going into favourite Bond girls, cars, villains, henchman as well as my 5 favourite films. For the record there are 22 Official James Bond movies, not including Never Say Never Again and Casino Royale (1967), as these were primarily spoofs of the franchise.
I kicked off March with a film I had wanted to see for a while, as it was made by one of my favourite directors William Wyler (Wuthering Heights, The Best Years of Our Lives and Ben-Hur). I also have a slight passing interest in Barbra Streisand who played the title role of Funny Girl, based on the life of Fanny Brice. Streisand had made the role her own in the broadway play and this was her debut film that made her a household name as she won the Best Actress Oscar. Although she was good in the film, I couldn't help but feel that her performance was pandered to by the supporting cast (including Omar Shariff and Walter Pidgeon), who would often seem second best when opposite Streisand. Steisand was an inspired choice for Brice, both of whom had a mix of comedy and acting ability (as well as great voices), suited to their respective audiences at the time. Having said this I was never really blown away, in what was admittedly an impressive debut, in which she does strike a good balance between the comedy and raw emotion. I found the film itself a bit neither here nor there, it started of well, but started to get a bit laboured towards the end of the movie. The songs were a bit plaintive throughout and I was a bit nonplussed, though they did pick up towards the intermission and end. It was good, and will probably watch it again one day along with the sequel; but I couldn't help but feel the broadway musical was probably better.
My next film was just as anticipated, albeit for the wrong reasons. Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000, was the 2000 blockbuster funded by the Church of Scientology and starring one of it's most high profile members, John Travolta. Widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, I had always wanted to see it. I wasn't disappointed, after minutes I was quite surprised at how much I had underestimated it's poorness, infact I wasn't sure I would survive the full movie. However, wheter it was because I had been nullified into accepting what I was watching or the film began to pick up, I did start enjoying it a little. The first time we see John Travolta's alien character Terl, is a true laugh out loud moment, added by the fact we see a slightly bemused Forrest Whitakker next to him, as his dimwitted sidekick. Travolta's performance is equally hilarious as he enunciates every syllabal of dialogue throughout the movie. Even the "man-animals" played by experienced professionals Barry Pepper and Kim Coates, give performances that are usually assosciated with sub-standard film school students. Even Travolta's wife, the gorgeous Kelly Preston, has a cringeworthy cameo, but again very amusing.
On a technical level it is shocking to think that this movie had a $75m budget, as it comes across as a film that wouldn't be confused with the equally lampooned output of movies that feature on the 'sci-fy' channel. Having said that the film did have a couple of things that I thought were worthy of the term 'artistic merit'. For instance the way the dialogue is briefly spoken in the alien form before turning into English for the benefit of the audience, I felt was clever and the tinting of certain scenes to coincide with their setting was an equally good idea, although this was poorly executed. The most questionable thing was the films insistance at filming every scene at a 45 degree tilt, as well as using slow-mo for every action sequence, which must have only served to double the movie's relatively short run time. Then again, this is part of the small entertainment value this movie has, it's sheer badness is actually quite entertaining, and even as a film it's quite fun, it often flirts with "so bad it's good". Another thing going for it is it's unpretentiousness, even with it's weird camera angles and constant slow-mo, you don't get the sense it's trying to be edgy and clever, but this may just due to be because it's so bad you don't detect any pretention. The climax of the film is utterly ludicrous, that it challenges the basic foundations of logic and principles of physics. In fact the ending of the movie is so awful that I wouldn't be surprised if some viewers exited the film with a lower IQ.
Ultimately, yes it's a very bad film, but when compared to other high-profile films of recent years I prefered it to things such as Spiderman 3, Pirates of the Carribean: At The Worlds End and the plain banal Epic Movie. Those films made me a bit angry, whereas Battlefield Earth is a bit fun, I find it quite similar to The Postman, though the latter has significantly better production values. I've seen worse movies, just about.
17 Again, a body swap comedy in the fashion of Big and 13 going on 30 (i.e not in the bodyswap fashion of Freaky Friday and Vice Versa), was a more recent film I watched this month. Starring Matthew Perry as a 40 year old questioning where his life's gone wrong, he's given the chance to do it all again by morphing into his younger self (the much more beautiful Zac Efron). The casting of Zac Efron as a young Matthew Perry, was just one of the many logic defying scenarios portrayed, in a film that is possible contender for Battlefield Earth in that sense. For instance Matthew Perry isn't a neglectful father, yet his estranged family never question his total absence from their lives for a period of at least 2 weeks. The fact that his estranged wife even says how much he looks like her husband when he was younger. I accept their's suspension of disbelief, but this was just plain stupidity. Anyway the film meanders through the trademarks of a movie that is akin with body swapping. Which is of course another problem, as it offers nothing new, it has a slight modicum of comedy about it. The funniest bit is the perverse moment where his daughter (played by the eternally youthful Michelle Trachtenberg) falls for her "young" father. The rest of the comedy is rather tired, for instance every scene featuring the proficiently unfunny Thomas Lennon, and it offers nothing new. It's ultimately a film that passes a couple of hours, it's inoffensive enough and run of the mill to get through, but I spent most of the time highlighting it's faults rather than letting go.
How To Marry A Millionaire saw me return to my Marilyn Monroe viewing, where she starred opposite Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. I found it very similar in style to the film made around the same time Gentleman Prefer Blondes, sadly this wasn't quite as good as that. It was mildly entertaining as these 3 women set out to find themselves some millionaires to marry, but it didn't have the same sense of comic panache that Howard Hawks' classic had. As for the performances, each did their required job, but they came of as pretty standard espescially by Monroe and Bacall, Grable came off as the most impressive, portraying the ditzy blonde caught up in a whirlwind true romance. There were a few moments of genuine comedy, espescially the scene with Monroe on a plane, but as I've said it wasn't quite as witty as other offerings around that period. Of course, you know exactly how the film will end, but it's a nice enough journey along the way.
The month also saw me finally catch Sean Penn's Into the Wild, based on the true events of Christopher McCandless (Emile Hirsch). He was a student, who after graduating, decided to donate all of his savings to charity, up and leave his family and travel America. It was my third Hirsch film, and I've also enjoyed his other roles, but this was such an impressive performance from someone so young as he completely immerses himself in the role. Along his adventure we meet all types of people that both help his character, shape him, as well as learning a little off him.
I think it's a film that a lot of males aged between 16 and 30 can identify with. That point in life, when the world is at your mercy and you're without responsibilities. It's just about taking that one brave step and taking a chance on life. He lives of the land pretty much entirely, travelling America with practically anything. Of course we also experience the pain and anguish of his family through the narration of his sister (Jena Malone). It's hard to not go into too much detail as to not reveal too much, but one of the most striking relationship he forms is with an elderly man in the Mohajve desert, played superbly by veteran Hal Holbrook. It was a very good film, and though it was a bit long, it really gave a sense of adventure and wilderness. As I say Hirsch was superb, even the famous support provided interesting portrayels with limited screen time. I suppose what helped was being able to connect to the main character so well, it might not be one for everyone, but I found it heartfelt and enjoyed it.
Bubba Ho-Tep was a low-budget comedy-cum horror that sees Bruce Campbell take the role of an aging Elvis opposite a black John F. Kennedy (Ossie Davis) together they must fight off a Mummy terrorising their nursing home. Of course the plot is ludicrous, but I came in expecting something that was naff, but enjoyable. Sadly this wasn't the case, the film is pretty awful, where little actually happens in the movie. It's fans will suggest that it's a great commentary of modern culture's effect on the elderly, but I'd rather just watch Umberto D, which portrays the same scenario in a far more provocative and accomplished manner. I can't believe this is held in moderately high regard by critics, because even the horror element to it is pretty awful, the comedy is weak throughout. Campbell provides a couple of chuckles alá Evil Dead mode and his portrayel of an aging king is alright, but seriously? Is this what passes for a good movie these days? I'm left totally confused as to what exactly I didn't get about the movie. Even Campbell's moderate, but disappointing follow up My Name is Bruce was an improvement. I think I've given Campbell enough attention to just stick to his Evil Dead work, the rest goes over my head.
I also manage to get to the cinema this month and wath 21 Jump Street, based on the US tv series starring Johnny Depp of the same name. It was another film I went in seeing with baited breath, on paper it seems like the same old type of comedy movie that seems to be rehashed every 6 months. Well yes, it was pretty unoriginal in terms of plot, but it more than made up for it in terms of comedy value. Again, the comedy was low brow, but it really seemed worked, it was stupid and infantile, but in a good way. It really appealed to my silly side of humour, where seeing moronic, juvenile things can be funny when performed well. This is where Jonah Hill comes in, again it's more of the same from this comic actor, who plays pretty much an identical role to his other films (I haven't seen Moneyball yet). However, if it ain't broke don't fix it, I enjoyed Hill in the rather overhyped Superbad and even the smaller roles of his early career. Here he again excels as the undercover cop, who enjoys his second chance at high school. He is well supported by Channing Tatum, who plays his role appropriatley, so that it balances the comedy with the more dramatic elements. I had never seen a Tatum picture before this, as the majority of his films look like romcom tripe, so I wasn't expecting much. But the chemistry really worked between the two and the results are a thoroughly enjoyable comedy. It is a film that is very similar to last year's The Other Guys, but where that was somewhat laboured in laughs, this is not and although it occasionally goes too far, is still one the better comedy films to be released in recent years. It should also be noted that Hill co-wrote this picture, which again makes me look forward to seeing more of his work, as well as the highly probably sequel to this venture.
I ended the month with a viewing of Hot Rod, which was a comedy in the style of Napoleon Dynamite meets Old School. Stupid, irreverent and at times off-beat, this story of self-proclaimed stuntman Rod Kimble (Andy Samberg), was my type of comedy. It was pretty funny and should definetly be considered amongst one of the better recent comedies of that ilk. Whilst, like 21 Jump Street, the story felt like a rehash of many other comedies of the genre, at least it did it well and remember to include the comedy. The SNL-centric main cast are supported by against types Ian McShane and Sissy Spacek. Also featured are Will Arnett (in familiar Arrested Development mode) and the incredibly gorgeous Isla Fisher, who is similar in looks to Amy Adams, but possibly more cute. The film was entertaining and enjoyable and it's one worthy of repeated viewings.
