NEVER SAY DIE JAMES BOND FRANCHISE SALUTES ITS PAST AND LOOKS FORWARD WITH 40TH-ANNIVERSARY 'DIE ANOTHER DAY'.Byline: Bob Strauss Film Writer 40 years: 20 movies, two off-franchise features, hundreds (if not thousands) of copycat productions and an impact on pop culture rivaled only by its British contemporaries, the Beatles. That's what the James Bond film cycle has wrought. And with ``Die Another Day,'' the new double anniversary entry in the superspy action series, the suave secret agent Ian Fleming dreamed up shows no indication of stopping for another four decades. After all, if he can survive the opening act of this latest adventure, the fourth in which Pierce Brosnan activates the 007 license to kill, he can surely go on forever. Unlike all but the earliest Sean Connery-starring entries (``Dr. No,'' ``From Russia, With Love'') in the often outlandish franchise, the initial bits of ``Die Another Day'' depict Bond beaten. He's locked for 14 months in a North Korean prison, tortured with fire, water and scorpions the whole time and - most unthinkable! - deprived of the barbering services that have always kept the incomparable lady-killer impeccably well-groomed. The movie, directed by New Zealand's Lee Tamahori (``Once Were Warriors,'' ``Along Came a Spider''), soon enough gets back to the globe-trotting derring-do, bevy bevy a flock of birds. of beautiful babes (including Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry (IPA: /ˈhæliː ˈbɛriː/) (born August 14, 1966[1]) is an American actress. , the first best-actress Oscar winner to don a Bond-issue bikini), gadget- driven stunts and megalomaniacal meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a n. 1. A psychopathological condition characterized by delusional fantasies of wealth, power, or omnipotence. 2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions. efforts to conquer the world that are the formula musts for the most durable series in movie history. But there is also no denying that this is one of the grittier, darker-toned Bond flings ever made. Happy anniversary. ``It was pretty intense,'' admits Brosnan, the fifth actor to turn the keys to the Aston Martin Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, Warwickshire, England. The company name is derived from the Aston Clinton hill climb and one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin. (which is back, in a new invisibility-optional model, for the celebration), following Connery, one-offer George Lazenby, seven-picture record-holder Roger Moore
``Because it was the anniversary of the film - and you have someone like Lee Tamahori, who is a pretty intense, opinionated o·pin·ion·at·ed adj. Holding stubbornly and often unreasonably to one's own opinions. [Probably from obsolete opinionate : opinion + -ate1. director, who's a director who has a style and ferocity of intention, which was very well- suited for me who was coming back for the fourth time - it gives you energy.'' 'A good story' ``I just go all the way back to what I loved about this genre in the '60s, which was that they were thrillers first and spectaculars second,'' Tamahori explains. ``Even though I know the studio and the producers and everybody expect me to make a spectacular, and I will, I always loved these movies when they had a good story. So it was always a matter of getting a cracking good thriller going on this, even though it's a highly implausible and outrageous concept.'' According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the owners of the family business, step-siblings Barbara Broccoli Barbara Dana Broccoli (born June 18, 1960) is the daughter of the famous James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli. She majored in motion picture and television communications at Loyola Marymount University prior to working in the casting and production departments at EON Productions, and Michael G. Wilson Michael G. Wilson (born 1943) is the stepson of the late James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli and half brother to current James Bond co-producer, Barbara Broccoli. Actor Lewis Wilson is his father. Wilson graduated from Harvey Mudd College in 1963 as an electrical engineer. , there was no more active effort than usual to give the 20th Bond outing a different feel. ``I guess we always start out thinking we're going to make a new and different picture; some succeed more than the others,'' says Wilson, who wrote several Bond scripts for his stepfather, series co-founder (with Harry Saltzman) Albert Broccoli, before moving on to producing duties with 1979's ``Moonraker Moon´rak`er n. 1. (Naut.) Same as Moonsail. .'' ``This one, it's probably the pacing of the film and the look that Lee brings to it that gives it a kind of feeling of being different - and, of course, Pierce being captured and tortured is obviously a departure from what we've seen before.'' Nostalgic Bond But it is a 40-year commemorative, too, and a determined effort to reference Bond bits of the past permeates the first franchise entry of the 21st century. For instance Berry, who plays a rival assassin named Jinx jinx n. 1. A person or thing that is believed to bring bad luck. 2. A condition or period of bad luck that appears to have been caused by a specific person or thing. tr.v. in the new film, is first glimpsed strutting out of the water onto a Caribbean beach wearing a swimsuit-and-dagger affair that's all very reminiscent of the introduction of the first Bond Girl, Ursula Andress, in ``Dr. No.'' Later, the villains strap Jinx onto a high-tech slab while ``Goldfinger''- like laser beams inch their burning way toward her lovely flesh (fun fact: this was the first scene Berry shot on England's historic Pinewood pine·wood n. 1. The wood of the pine tree. 2. A forest of pines. Often used in the plural. Studios Bond Stage after winning her ``Monster's Ball'' Oscar). Also nostalgic, in a more melancholy way, is a brief tour of gadget-maker Q's warehouse, where actual props from ``Thunderball,'' ``From Russia, With Love'' and other 007 classics are displayed. The wistfulness comes from the fact that Q is now played by John Cleese “Cleese” redirects here. For the actress and daughter of John Cleese, see Cynthia Cleese. John Marwood Cleese (IPA: /ˈkliːz/ , since the original actor who appeared in more Bond films than anybody else, Desmond Llewelyn, died in an auto accident shortly after the last feature, ``The World Is Not Enough,'' was released. ``I wanted to do a lot of that, you know,'' Tamahori admits, ``make this a fun Bond movie for all the fans out there. Let's put in as many touches as we can for the 40th anniversary and see if you can spot them all. Some people will never be able to get them all; some are so subtle, sometimes to a musical cue A musical cue is where another instrument's music is shown on a piece of music. It is up to the performer or the conductor on whether the section should play it. A cue may also function as a guideline for another instrument for improvisation. from another movie. ``The whole roomful of gadgets was my idea - just to play the Q scene in a different location and give fans a cheap thrill with these much-beloved gadgets. But you have to be very careful. You can't have Bond pick up the 'Thunderball' jet pack and say. 'I remember this,' because then Bond was Connery.'' 007 No. 1 Ah, Connery. For Bond connoisseurs - or perhaps just fans of a certain age - no actor has ever equaled the original 007's mastery of the role. Even Brosnan admits Connery is his favorite. ``Sean was brilliant, dead on the money,'' the 49-year-old Irishman says of his Scottish forebear fore·bear also for·bear n. A person from whom one is descended; an ancestor. See Synonyms at ancestor. [Middle English forbear : fore-, fore- + beer, , who is now 72 (and still open to playing a Bond villain for the right price, although reports that he shot an unused cameo for ``Die Another Day'' were Internet fantasies). ``And Roger went out there and made it his own - and played it for the laughs. But ultimately, you've got to play it dead-real, with some respect.'' Tamahori is among the legion of Bond enthusiasts who feel that Moore's self-satirizing tenure almost ruined the series. ``That's where they lost me, in the '80s,'' the director admits. ``I started with Connery and I was disappointed with Lazenby even though that movie (``On Her Majesty's Secret Service'') is a lot of people's favorite. Then Roger came along, and I thought at first that they were interesting but small-scale. But then they did 'Moonraker,' and I thought, 'This is a bit silly.' Great special effects special effects, in motion pictures, cinematographic techniques that create illusions in the audience's minds as well as the illusions created using these techniques. , but things started to go off the rails.'' For most people's money, Brosnan has re-righted the series better than anyone since Connery. And though he's been known to complain about the movies' formulaic nature and commercial consideration to remain PG-13 rated at the expense of Bond's violent and erotic potential, he recently agreed to come back for a fifth installment. ``They've asked me back and I said yes,'' Brosnan cautiously confirms. ``For just one.'' James and Jinx Barbara Broccoli, who began moving into her now-departed father's producing chair with 1987's ``The Living Daylights,'' declines to answer the inevitable post-Pierce possibilities question. ``I always say it's like asking a bride, when she's going up the aisle, who her next husband is going to be,'' she says. ``Pierce is James Bond, and we like it that way. When he's not anymore, then we'll think about who can replace him.'' But a light does come to Broccoli's eyes when the possibility of a new franchise built around Berry's Jinx is suggested. ``We loved working with Halle,'' the producer said. ``We'd love to do a movie with her.'' Berry's affection for the Bond producers was mutual. But after nearly choking to death during a love scene with Brosnan (don't try eating figs in bed at home, folks) and having to see an eye doctor in Spain when dust from a stunt got lodged beneath her lid, second thoughts about headlining an action series would be understandable. ``None of it really scared me,'' Berry says of Jinx's very physical stunt work. ``I just felt inadequate a lot. Like I was supposed to run alongside the moving airplane with Pierce, and I saw him do it in rehearsal and I thought, 'Well, the plane is just barely rolling, I can do that.' Uh uh.'' License to imitate Speaking of competition: What with Vin Diesel, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and seemingly every other young actor attempting to jump-start their own Bond-influenced espionage franchises this year, are the keepers of the original flame worried about the competition? ``You know there are the Mike Myers Mike Myers may refer to:
one one's coattails ,'' Brosnan admits. ``There's nothing wrong with it, I think it's a compliment, and I think there are enough people in the world to see all these films.'' ``To be honest, you can't really worry about it,'' adds Broccoli, who was in kindergarten when her father faced the first tidal wave tidal wave, term properly applied to the crest of a tide as it moves around the earth. The wavelike upstream rush of water caused by the incoming tide in some locations is known as a tidal bore. of Matt Helm Matt Helm, a fictional character created by author Donald Hamilton, is a U.S. government counteragent—a man whose primary job is to kill or nullify enemy agents—not a spy or secret agent in the ordinary sense of the term as used in spy thrillers. , ``Our Man Flint'' and ``Man From U.N.C.L.E.'' knockoffs. The Bond team speaks with the confidence of an operation that has survived it all. To get some inkling of why, we asked 23-year-old Rosamund Pike Rosamund Pike (born 27 January 1979) is an English actress, best known for her portrayals of Bond villainess Miranda Frost in Die Another Day and Jane Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. , who plays another ``Another Day'' femme femme adj. Slang Exhibiting stereotypical or exaggerated feminine traits. Used especially of lesbians and gay men. n. 1. Slang One who is femme. 2. Informal A woman or girl. fatale, Miranda Frost, exactly what made each new Bond film a must-see for her generation as well as her parents'. ``Perhaps because it's safe and surprising at the same time,'' the Oxford-educated actress says. ``It's a guaranteed night of fun. It's not challenging in a way that you know you're not going to get shocked by anything. It's like watching a tennis player you know is on top of his game, or it's like a fantastic singer or concert pianist who isn't going to muck up.'' The faces of Bond SEAN CONNERY: Dr. No (1962) Bond pursues the villainous Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman). The girl: Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder. No title song, but Monty Norman's classic ``James Bond Theme'' debuts. From Russia With Love (1963) Agent 007 faces off against bad guys played by Robert Shaw Robert Shaw may refer to:
Goldfinger (1964) Bond, with the help of Pussy pus·sy adj. Containing or resembling pus. puss, pussy term of endearment addressed to a cat. Called also moggy. Galore (Honor Blackman Honor Blackman (born 22 August 1925[1]) is an English actress, who is best known for the roles of Cathy Gale on The Avengers and as Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. ), is out to stop bad guy Auric auric /au·ric/ (aw´rik) pertaining to or containing gold. au·ric adj. Of, relating to, derived from, or containing gold, especially with valence 3. auric pertaining to gold. Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) and his henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata). Shirley Eaton is a golden girl and Shirley Bassey sings the title song. Thunderball (1965) When SPECTRE steals two nuclear bombs, Bond gets them back from bad guy Largo (Adolfo Celi). The girl is Domino (Claudine Auger) and the title song is sung by Tom Jones. You Only Live Twice (1967) Agent 007 stops nuclear war with the aid of a sexy Japanese agent, Kissy Suzuki (Mie Hama). Donald Pleasence is bad guy Blofeld and Nancy Sinatra sings the title song. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) It's viva Las Vegas after the Lazenby hiccup hiccup or hiccough, involuntary spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm followed by a sharp intake of air, which is abruptly stopped by a sudden, involuntary closing of the glottis (opening between the vocal cords); the consequent blocking of air (see below). Connery returns as Bond, Jill St. John is Tiffany Case, and Blofeld is played by Charles Gray this time. Bassey sings title song. GEORGE LAZENBY: On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) He's the Bond no one liked much, though some people like the film. The girl: Diana Rigg as Tracy Vicenzo. Blofeld played by Telly Savalas. Title song composed by John Barry. ROGER MOORE: Live and Let Die (1973) The first of seven for this 007 who takes on Kananga/Mr. Big (Yaphet Kotto). The eye candy is Jane Seymour as Solitaire solitaire or patience, any card game that can be played by one person. Solitaire is the American name; in England it is known as patience. There are probably more kinds of solitaire than all other card games together. . ``Live and Let Die'' by Paul McCartney and Wings. The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) Bond takes on the world's top assassin (Christopher Lee). Britt Ekland plays Mary Goodnight and Lulu sings the title song. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Bond teams with female Soviet counterpart (Barbara Bach) to save the world from bad guy played by Curt Jurgens. Richard Kiel is Jaws, and Carly Simon tells us musically that ``Nobody Does It Better.'' Moonraker (1979) 007 in space with American scientist Dr. Holly Goodhead (Lois Chiles). The bad guy is Michael Lonsdale as Hugo Drax. Jaws is back and so is Bassey to sing the title song. For Your Eyes Only (1981) Bond races baddies for a lost British encryption device. The bad guy is played by Julian Glover, while Carole Bouquet is the lovely Malina Havlock. Title song by Sheena Easton. Octopussy (1983) Maud Adams is the title character. Louis Jordan plays the villain. The plot involves a Faberge Egg, and Rita Coolidge sings ``All Time High.'' A View to a Kill (1985) Bond saves the Silicon Valley. Christopher Walken plays super-wacko Max Zorin. Tanya Roberts and Grace Jones beautifully aid 007, and Duran Duran sings the title song. TIMOTHY DALTON: The Living Daylights (1987) Bond gets edgier as he stops an evil arms dealer (Joe Don Baker) and Soviet general (Jeroen Krabbe) from starting another world war. Maryam d'Abo fiddles around as a cellist. Music includes ``The Living Daylights'' by a-ha and ``Where Has Everybody Gone?'' and ``If There Was a Man'' by the Pretenders. Licence to Kill (1989) Bond goes rogue to avenge his best friend's death. Robert Davi is the bad guy, and Carey Lowell plays a lovely CIA CIA: see Central Intelligence Agency. (1) (Confidentiality Integrity Authentication) The three important concerns with regards to information security. Encryption is used to provide confidentiality (privacy, secrecy). agent. Gladys Knight sings title song. PIERCE BROSNAN: GoldenEye goldeneye or whistler Either of two species of small, yellow-eyed diving ducks that produce a whistling sound with their rapidly beating wings. The common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula) breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere; Barrow's goldeneye (B. (1995) Now that the Cold War is over, Bond has a new enemy, played by Sean Bean. Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova is the good lovely - Famke Janssen as Xenia Xenia (zē`nēə), city (1990 pop. 24,664), seat of Greene co., SW Ohio; inc. 1814. It is a trade and industrial center in a farm area. Rope and twine, plastics, potato chips, valves, and hydraulic lifts are among its manufactures. Onatopp, the bad. Tina Turner sings title tune (written by Bono and The Edge). Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) A mad media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) wants war to win ratings. Michelle Yeoh kicks butt as a Chinese secret agent. Teri Hatcher sacrifices herself for James. Music includes: title song by Sheryl Crow, ``Surrender'' by k.d. lang and ``James Bond Theme'' by Moby. The World Is Not Enough (1999) 007 becomes the bodyguard of a slain oil tycoon's daughter (Sophie Marceau). Denise Richards plays a nuclear scientist in a wet T-shirt, and Robert Carlyle is the villain with the headache. Garbage sings title track. Die Another Day (2002) See accompanying story. - Compiled by Eric Wolfe CAPTION(S): 10 photos, box Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) Halle Barry and Pierce Brosnan in ``Die Another Day'' (2 -- 5) Action, babes, villains: the Bond formula remains potent in ``Die Another Day.'' Pierce Brosnan, top, commands a surface-craft and a speedster speed·ster n. 1. One who drives very fast. 2. A fast car. , above, and finds time to romance Halle Berry, left. Rick Yune, as the evil Zao, below, can only soak it all in. (6) SEAN CONNERY (7) GEORGE LAZENBY (8) ROGER MOORE (9) TIMOTHY DALTON (10) PIERCE BROSNAN Box: The faces of Bond (see text) |
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