The Popcorn Box

James Bond Rebuilt

2005-11-25T15:17:00.000-05:00

Craig. Daniel Craig.

The new 007 -- call him James Blonde. I wrote in an earlier post that I was throughly disgusted with the weak Bond actors to stink up the screen since Sean Connery. Actually, I shouldn't say that Roger Moore was weak, but he never stood up to the original. Connery was Bond and Bond was Connery. Everyone since him just hasn't cut it.

But now, I'm excited about shaken martinis, Aston Martins, atomic-blasting ballpoint pens, megalomaniacal villians and hot women with suggestive names like "Ashlee Poundcake." Why the sudden euphoria? Because Bond is starting over. With Brit Daniel Craig (best known in the U.S. for "Layer Cake (2004)", "Road To Perdition" (2002) and "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" (2001), we should get to see a different kind of Bond. Younger, less gimmicky, more energetic.

Craig is talented and I think he'll bring a charisma and toughness that Brosnan and Dalton could not muster with consistency. And yes, I believe Daniel Craig is a more convincing fighter than Roger Moore.

I also like the fact that they are going back to an earlier Ian Fleming work with "Casino Royale." This movie was done as a spoof before, but will be given the royal treatment this time. Also, Martin Campbell directed "The Mask of Zorro" and "Goldeneye" (the best Bond film since early "Roger Moore") so he should know what he is doing.

I know a lot of people are criticizing the Daniel Craig choice, but I would direct them to the fine work that Christian Bale did in "Batman Begins." The Batman movies were below mediocre when they were looking for "stars" to continue the Batman character that Michael Keaton brought into the modern age so well -- Val Kilmer was pretty bad and George Clooney was a disgrace. It was not until they decided to "start over" with younger Bale, was Batman born again. Now they probably have two to three good movies left with Bale in the lead. This is also what I suspect will happen with the new "Superman" series with its new blood.

The Batman and Bond characters are related in many ways. Both are mysterious, lead double-lives, rely on technology, charm, wealth and training to get their jobs done. They also appeal both to men and women at the same time for different reasons. This is why I like this direction and I can't wait till 2006 when "Casino Royale" opens with Daniel Craig in the title role.

Now, if we can just get the President working on that Daniel Craig clone now before it's too late.

Just for fun, here are my top five (printable) new Bond Girl names:
5. Poppy McButtons
4. Nina Jailbait
3. Mary Kate Ashley
2. Serena Sweetback
1. Ari Ola

Movie Babes of the Decades - 1980's

2005-11-01T21:23:00.000-05:00

See this post for rules

Kim Basinger

The Natural (1984)
Nine 1/2 Weeks (1986)
Batman (1989)

Sensational Blonde Goddess
See Any Scene in "Nine 1/2 Weeks"

Phoebe Cates

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
Private School (1983)
Gremlins (1984)

Puberty-Inducing Pool Scene in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"
You MUST *Repeat* MUST See "Private School"

ReBecca DeMornay

Risky Business (1983)
The Slugger's Wife (1985)
Runaway Train (1985)

Unforgettable As Lana in "Risky Business"
Hottest Redhead Ever

Jasmine Guy

School Daze (1988)
Harlem Nights (1989)

Sexy Southern Belle
Great Dancer

Joyce Hyser

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Just One of the Guys (1985)

The great "exposure" scene in "Just One of the Guys."
A top 10 movie moment almost ruined by subsequent Oscar snub.

Honorable Mentions
Irene Cara
Jamie Lee Curtis
Carrie Fisher
Robin Givens
Alyssa Milano
Lea Thompson
Debra Winger
Sean Young

Movie Babes of the Decades - Intro

2005-11-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

I will be posting my list of the top 5 greatest movie babes of each decade starting with the 1950's. (Not neccesarily in order.)

Each list will be in alphabetical order -- there is no need to nitpick over who is number 1 through 5. Who cares anyway?

Here are the rules to get on the list.

Each babe:

must be a girl
must have had a major role in at least 2 significant theatrical movies within the decade in which she appears
may only appear on one list
must not be a guy

I hope you enjoy my lists and invite your comments and personal lists.

Whatever Happened to James Bond?

2005-08-10T20:44:00.000-04:00

James Bond is dead.

That may be an overstatement, but the way I see it, he is at least on life-support. I don't see any actor in Hollywood being able to play the role the right way. Not the way Sean Connery did it. Roger Moore was OK, but since he retired in 1985 after his romp with Tanya Roberts in "A View to a Kill", we've been stuck with a nobody (Timothy Dalton) and a lightweight (Pierce Brosnan). Yes I intentionally skipped over the "George Lazenby Era." Maybe the character itself is outdated, but I still believe that if Sean was still The Man Behind The Martini, 007 would still be the coolest guy around.

Every time someone talks about the next 007, you hear the same boring names: Colin Farrel, Jude Law, etc - I'm sorry, but guys like that just won't get it done. Oh, and forget about Vin Diesel and Marky Mark -- those guys are even bigger jokes. Now, don't get me wrong: all of those actors are talented - but none of them are Bond-worthy.

The more I think about it, the more I believe Connery is the only guy that ever got this role right and the only one who ever will. He was suave, cool, smart and tough. He made it believable that a guy could go from charming socialites at a party to fighting to the death with someone who outweighed him by 200 pounds. (I mean really, can you imagine Pierce Brosnan in a fight to the death? Neither can I.)

This Connery-Bond Dynamic is the single-greatest argument ever for cloning. We should have cloned Connery in 1962, frozen the clone, then in the 1980's when the world really needed him, President Reagan could have ordered the clone thawed (Austin Powers style) and the clone could have made "For Your Eyes Only", "Octopussy" and all of the other Bond movies for the next 15 years. At which point, Clone #2 would take over. Plus, we never would have been subjected to "Never Say Never Again" which, sadly is the single-greatest argument for forced retirement.

See this is the kind of stuff our government should be working on.

Take Me Back Tuesday

2005-08-09T17:26:00.000-04:00

Here is my answer to the thought-provoking meme from Music Memoirs

Name your three favourite R & B / Soul songs

#1 - Let's Get It On -- Marvin Gaye

#2 - Higher Ground -- Stevie Wonder

#3 - SuperFly -- Curtis Mayfield

Name your three favourite R & B / Soul artists

#1 - Stevie Wonder

#2 - Prince

#3 - Gladys Knight

Name your three favourite R & B / Soul albums

#1 - Greatest Hits -- Earth, Wind and Fire

#2 - Musiquarium -- Stevie Wonder

#3 - Star Time -- James Brown

What makes a Guy Movie?

2005-08-09T14:37:00.000-04:00

As I have in my intro, this journal will serve as a sounding board on whatever crosses my devious little mind (I'm paraphrasing.) and what's on my mind now is Guy Movies. Why? Well, three reasons:

#1 -- because I'm a guy.
#2 -- because I am trying to build the ultimate Guy Movie DVD Library in my home
#3 -- I have decided that I want to open the world's first Guy Movie Theater.

Yes my very own theater. I don't have a name for it yet, (suggestions??) but it will be a real movie house showing only Guy Movies.

I got this idea from frequenting 2 now-defunct movie houses near my home in Delaware. The first was called Cinema 141. It showed 2nd-Run movies. In other words, movies that were about to leave theaters and go to HBO and movies that had already left theaters. Movie tickets were $2.

This allowed people who didn't care about seeing new movies right away to see them on the cheap. It also catered to the people who insisted on seeing the same movie 3 or 4 times. Many moviegoers do not know this, but theaters must pay the studios to show their movies. 2nd-run (old) movies cost a lot less to show then 1st-run (new) ones. That allowed Cinema 141 to sell cheap tickets. That and the fact that they never cleaned the damn place. I'm not even kidding.

The 2nd source of my inspiration was something called "The Movie Cafe" not only did they show 2nd-run films, but they also served beer. 'nuff said.

Anyway, back to the point. What makes a Guy Movie? I don't agree that it is just about "things blowing up." There's something more to it. It's probably about a dozen things that converge perfectly. Some small, some big. Just like the 49er offense in the '80s and '90s, a great steak or Alyssa Milano. In upcoming posts, I'll try to put my finger on it. As well as share my all-time Guy Movie list. In the meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Later.

Ahh...The Little Dragon. Now, he knew how to make a Guy Movie.