It’s January, and that means one thing in movie world – Oscar nomination day. Always an exciting day in the industry, its the time when journalists around the glove list their predictions before questioning the incoming nominations. There are always certain dead-sets – this year, probably The Grand Budapest Hotel, Gone Girl, Birdman – and sometimes, … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: January 2015
James Bond Retrospective: You Only Live Twice
Thunderball was a huge commercial success, but suffered from its formulaic plot. Fearing that the rot was starting to set in, producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman sought to make On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as the 5th franchise film, but weather conditions meant production was shifted to You Only Live Twice instead. Released … Continue reading
James Bond Retrospective: Thunderball
By 1965, Bond was unstoppable. Goldfinger had made EON a lot of money and solidified the Bond formula; at this point, the series was well established as a franchise, and audiences wanted more. What they got was Thunderball. On paper, Thunderball could have been perfect. Ian Fleming wrote the book with the movie in mind, … Continue reading
James Bond Retrospective: Die Another Day
And here we reach the complete nadir of the franchise. Yes, there’s been bad Bonds before – Diamonds are Forever, A View to a Kill, Octopussy – but none that have been quite as insulting as Die Another Day. Most of the bad Bonds have at least one redeeming feature – a great location, a … Continue reading