Spectre Vs Skyfall: Structure And Context In Cinema

Posted: November 17, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Rant-a-palooza | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

bond-spectre-02

Earlier this month we were finally delivered Spectre, the latest James Bond adventure. Featuring many of the principle creatives of 2012’s tremendous Bond entry Skyfall, it would have been a safe assumption that Spectre could at least be a solid movie, if not an all-time franchise great. But instead we got Star Trek Into Darkness 2.0, a film that not only makes major mistakes structurally but seems to completely forget or actively dismiss everything that its immediate predecessor did so successfully. While I wasn’t excited enough for Spectre beforehand for it to match the disappointment of Jurassic World or Jupiter Ascending or Tomorrowland, it was nevertheless a major letdown from 007 and company.

SPOILERS for Spectre and Skyfall follow.

Read the rest of this entry »

Movie of the Week 5/12/14: Goldfinger

Posted: May 19, 2014 | Author: | Filed under: Movie of the Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

goldfinger-tribute-posterSometimes it can be difficult to know how to introduce someone to a franchise as long-running and multi-faceted as James Bond 007. When it’s been around for so long and gone through so many different filmmakers and stars and eras, what’s the best starting point? You could always go with the first film, Dr. No, except it’s not a full representation of what the Bond franchise is capable of. Or you could go with the modern reboot, except Casino Royale is as close to Bourne as it is classic Bond, so it’s not a great representation either. Thankfully, all these considerations are an afterthought anyway, as Goldfinger has always been the clear choice for me. It is the quintessential Bond film, covering every famous beat/trope/cliche that the franchise has lived on for 50+ years, and it still holds up pretty well as a great piece of filmmaking overall.

Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow Never Dies, and Neither Will My Love for This Movie

Posted: December 5, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Rant-a-palooza | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

As of last night, I was going to write a review of Out of the Furnace (a very solid movie in my opinion) and go to a preview screening of 47 Ronin today. Instead, I drank a bit and decided to watch one of my few Black Friday purchases, a Blu-ray of Tomorrow Never Dies. Now I would say that this purchase was partly due to nostalgia; Tomorrow Never Dies was the first Bond movie (and one of the first movies at all) that I saw in theaters, with my dad no less. But I’ve watched the movie more than often enough in my time, not even including tonight, to feel that my passion for it is really justified and earned. I regret nothing, and in exchange I was fully reminded how much I love one of my all-time favorite Bond movies. My (spoiler-filled) reasons why after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »