On election day I watched a James Bond movie, one of my planned distractions for that day because I did NOT want to get all worked up listening to the pundits yackyackyack about who was winning. Do I need that kind of stress in my life? No I do not.
The film I watched, Live and Let Die from 1977, was pure camp. James Bond in a leisure suit? It boggles the mind. I adore Roger Moore's classy, ironic way of playing Bond, in spite of his sideburns. He couldn't help it - it was a very unfortunate era in style.
I love James Bond movies, all of them for different reasons. I love all the actors who have played the role, too. Last night I watched Die Another Day, with Pierce Brosnan as Bond. What a difference from the late 70s films - the Bond "girls" are suddenly three dimensional characters with talent, courage and passion (as opposed to the blow up sex dolls of earlier films). Halle Berry is fantastic in that movie. Wow. And Pierce is an excellent Bond. He plays it straight - and it works!
In so many ways those films function as societal barometers of the moment in time when they were filmed. In 1994, it was Halle Berry coming up out of the sea in slow-mo, revealing every curve. Fast forward to a few years ago - hmmm - in the remake of Casino Royale, it's Daniel Craig emerging from the sea, all glistening and beautiful. Wow.
Watching these James Bond movies has made me a little wistful for the heroine of last year's NaNoWriMo spy novel. Her name is Vega and she's a genius but unfortunately she can not tell a lie because everyone can read her expressive face. She was a great protagonist and I loved my book title.
But I remember too clearly how addictive it was, writing like that. I am backing slowly away from the keyboard even now, lest I get sucked back into whatever it was that happened to me last November. Though fun, it wasn't good for me and the results were horrendous. End of story.
Shalom.
5 comments:
I wanted to read your novel so much.
And now I'd like to watch James Bond movies, especially the Pierce Brosnan one. I'm not sure I've ever seen one all the way through.
I fast forward through the chase scenes, also fight scenes, so I guess I don't really watch the whole thing either. In Die Another Day, Bond is tortured in a North Korean prison throughout the opening titles. Well worth skipping! It is so brutal.
Um...I've never seen a James Bond movie. Am I still allowed to comment?
Well, all I really have to say is that the late 70s weren't as unfortunate of a style era as the entire 80s.
I agree the 80s were worse.
I remember Vega!
As for Mr. Bond, I saw one of the earliest ones with my cousin - I think we were pre-teens, featuring Sean Connery and haven't seen one since!!
Action guns and blow-up films aren't usually my thing, but I may make an exception for the latest Bond offering. I saw a preview yesterday at Seven Psychopaths - now there's a film that catapulted me into the world of all the pulled triggers I'd missed in the past decades!!
Post a Comment