Film: Back As Bond

 1 year, and a reported US$150m later, Daniel Craig appears to have found some new love for 007

-GQ.com

During his press tour for Spectre, Daniel Craig went on something of a rampage against his role of James Bond, labeling the character a misogynist and declaring he’d much rather “slash [his] wrists” than ever again don the perfectly tailored tuxedo of 007.

That seems to have changed a year later, though, in the wake of Craig reportedly being offered a cool $150 million for two more 007 films. In a recent interview, Craig hinted at returning, saying he would “miss the role terribly” if he had seen the last of the franchise. What a difference a year makes.

This will come as a blow to everyone who’s jumped the gun and created fan petitions and fantasy-cast their ideal next Bond already. Top candidates include Idris Elba, who’s had to field questions about these rumors for years now, poor guy.

 Whatever the future of the series, we know Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes won’t be returning. Hopefully the next director, whoever they may be, will have the vision and courage to include at least three distinct sex scenes and some shots of cars speeding up winding mountain roads.

Brans: A bond Guy's Rolex hits the (Auction) block

- from Inside Hook

In watch collecting, there are Rolexes, James Bond Rolexes and James Bond Rolexes.

And one of the finest examples of the latter is hitting the auction block on July 18th, when French auction house Articurial plans to unload the exact pre-Daytona chronograph ticker worn by one-time 007 George Lazenby in 1967 Bond flick On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.  

This is huge for three reasons:

First, it’s 6238 reference model predates the now legendary, decidedly more sporty and still in-production Rolex Daytona model, which in itself, while not impossible, has become increasingly rare to come by.

Second, the watch actually plays a role in the movie, and its unique red second hand — per special modification request of Eon Productions — makes it even rarer.

And third, it’s in excellent condition.

This is not the first time this watch has seen the auction block. The watch fetched $41K at an auction at Christie’s London back in 2003. And if there’s one thing we know for certain, it’s that Rolexes, like Bond, only appreciate over time.

Price is available upon request. You can see the li

Movies: In "Spectre" Bond and Company Evolve, in intriguing Ways

Unless you're on a high wire across the Grand Canyon, a misstep need not be a disaster. Considering the flood of negative and even "iffy" press that greeted the newest Bond film, "Spectre" one might have thought the franchise was going down in flames, like mythical Icarus.

No such thing.

Under the capable and stylish hand of Sam Mendes, 'Spectre" shows the franchise as flourishing if not always firing on full cylinders, and still great to watch.

This time, the new M (Ralph Fiennes, really getting into it) finds himself battling a cocky new colleague Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott) who wishes to abolish the 00-programme in favour of a vast new multi-national computer-snooper programme. The code name of this awful new stuffed shirt is C – and Bond does not scruple to make crude innuendo on that score.

Also "getting into it" is Ben Whishaw, whose Q is miles removed from the mere gadget-handing human prop of past Bond films into a kind of film model for Edward Snowden. His repartee with Bond and his won quick asides almost make the film on their own. 

James Bond is cutting loose from duplicitous, bureaucratic authority - in the time-honoured fashion – and plans to track down a certain sinister Austrian kingpin at the heart of something called Spectre, played with gusto by Christoph Waltz. This is the evil organisation whose tentacular reach and extensive personnel may in fact have accounted for all Bond’s woes in Craig’s previous three movies.

Craig as Bond is as unrelenting as ever, both physically and mentally,  dismissing his superiors and taking advantage of his peers, as well as anyone else that can assist him, to make sure that he can get to his man and save the world. Is he getting the former to preserve his ego? Or saving the latter, because it’s the right thing to do? It’s murky, which makes Spectre that extra bit intriguing. 

He does all this while still teasing an emotional depth and fatigue that makes his incarnation glisten with a relatability that sets him apart from previous versions. It’s almost as if John Wayne and Don Draper have merged together, put on a suave suit, and decided to save the world.

If, as is heavily rumoured, he gives up the tux and martinis (and Aston Martin) after this go-round, he can be forgiven, and should still be praised for having modernized the franchise and given the icon a much-needed edge.

While not as satisfying allround as its predecessor, "SkyFall", this latest Bond shows that the character still has all his trademark elements intact - ladies' man, killer, survivor, wit and human being. Here's hoping Daniel Craig will stick around for at least one more.

"Argo" takes Best Picture, but eats some humble "Pi"

So, there it is. Courtesy of a First Lady read-out via Satellite, hostage drama "Argo" became one the rare Best Picture winners without a corresponding nod for Best Director. That award went ot Ang Lee for hsi "Life of Pi" which emerged one of the bigger winners on a weird night, taking three other statuettes.. Aside from the lock on best Actor, a record-breaking third for Daniel Day Lewis "Lincoln" was pretty much asassinated, taking only one other award out of a total 11 nominations. Another controversial film, Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty" only managed one award, for sound editing and even that it had to share with Bond film "Skyfall". Incidentally, the Bond film created hidtory for the franchise when its theme song, delivered by Adele, claimed the first ever best Song oscar for a Bond film. Shirley Bassey and Sheena Easton must be green with envy.

Here's the full list of winners:
Best Picture: "Argo"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "Lincoln"
Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence, "Silver Linings Playbook"
Best Supporting Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Django Unchained"
Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway, "Les Misérables"
Best Director: Ang Lee, "Life of Pi"
Animated Feature Film: "Brave"
Cinematography: "Life of Pi"
Costume Design: "Anna Karenina"
Documentary Feature: "Searching for Sugar Man"
Documentary Short: "Inocente"
Film Editing: "Argo"
Foreign Language Film: "Amour" (Austria)
Makeup: "Les Misérables"
Original Score: "Life of Pi"
Original Song: "Skyfall" from "Skyfall"
Production Design: "Lincoln"
Short Film (Animated): "Paperman"
Short Film (Live Action): "Curfew"
Sound Editing: "Skyfall" & "Zero Dark Thirty" (tie)
Sound Mixing: "Les Misérables"
Visual Effects: "Life of Pi"
Best Adapted Screenplay: "Argo"
Best Original Screenplay: "Django Unchained"

Contents Under Pressure: Skyfall

"You know the whole story"

So says Bond to his mentor/taskmistress M in the climactic stages of this, one of the best in the half-century Bond franchise. It's success lies primarily in credibly showing 007 rising above pressures, both external and internal, rather than cruising coolly through assignments as may have been the case with previous Bond movies (before the Daniel Craig era).

He starts out gasping for air, having been shot by his own fellow operative, with none other than M having given the order. But hold fast, dear Bond fans, things are not quite what they seem. A vengeful rogue agent has taken it upon himself to disparage MI-6 by revealing and eliminating agents in place all over the world, particularly in China and Macau, where much of the action takes place.

We're also introduced to a new headquarters and a new Q, the technology and gadgets expert, only this time he's a mere whelp, with the requisite cynicism and dismissal for the old ways to boot. His "war chest" for Bond this time out consists of a mere miniature radio transmitter and a fingerprint-coded grip on Bond's trusted Walther PK-38 auto pistol.

Of course, this "quasi-reboot" doesn't mean a sweep of the former Bond DNA. There are still high-speed chases (the opener takes place in Istanbul's Grand Market, of all places), there's still the sharp repartee with M, there's still time to make out with gorgeous women in exotic locales (this time on board a sailing yacht), while enjoying his signature shaken-not-stirred martini (which shares screen time with global ad partner Heineken beer) and reflect on his overall usefulness and commitment to Her Majesty's Secret Service.

And, of course, there are still villains. And the Bond rogue's gallery gets a considerable upgrade with the addition of Javier Bardem as the rogue. Slick, sardonic, sinister and charming all at once, Bardem is never better than when he recounts the perceived "injustice" that took him out of the Service and kindled his ire against his old employer.

The denouement takes us to a remote Scottish country estate, whose name informs the title of the film: Skyfall. There, the movie lagely devolves into the standard Hollywood-type climax, with much gunfire and explosions. But before film's end we're introduced to Moneypenny (Jamaican Naomi Harris) and to another character - that person's identity we'll keep to ourselves.
Its still a secret service after all.