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| by John Mundazio with additional writing
by Bridget Petrella |
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| MGM's ‘The Ultimate James Bond Collection’— It's Shaken Well. | |
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Usually, in each
film, a "damsel in distress" that Bond might encounter is what the
producers call a "Bond girl." The women are gorgeous, first and foremost.
In some movies, more than one "Bond girl" accompanies James during his
adventure. These so-called "Bond girls" are expected in each of the films
now because of the trend that was set by the very first movie in 1962. An
absolute marksman, Bond usually requires nothing more than his Walther
handgun to defend himself. In certain cases, headquarters feels that
leaving him with only a gun in hand would be suicide. In those situations,
the gadget department, affectionately called the "Q" Branch, supplies Bond
with an arsenal of weapons not found anywhere else. Gadgets— like
jetpacks, for a quick getaway; hidden cameras, for capturing proof of
evidence; and custom made cars— are some of the "toys" Bond is given
before his dangerous ventures. |
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John Mundazio works for one of the numerous publishing companies in the
New York metropolitan area which is currently planning a bold takeover
of the parallel universe in which he occasionally resides with several
of his imaginary friends and at least two of the strange voices in his
head. But he is confident it is not the one you're thinking of at this
very moment. Convinced that Susie-Q's are indeed a food group and that
no REAL list of fun toys is ever really complete without mentioning
"Log"— that quintessential Ren and Stimpy Show toy that boldly dared to
go where no toy ever could... "The Dazed-Meister" refuses to partake in
anything which requires him to dress up like Wonder Woman or sing the
theme song from The Partridge Family in its entirety. He also opposes
floatation devices of any sort. |
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For
over 40 years one name has stood for action, adventure and romance,
Bond, James Bond. Now you can get the entire Bond series in one stunning
box set, featuring all 20 official films from 'Dr No' right through to
'Die Another Day'. This limited edition attaché case box set features all
the Ultimate Edition versions of each film, every double disc set is a
Bond fans dream as they all features a huge amount of extra features.
Included are audio commentaries from filmmakers and actors, making of
documentaries, deleted scenes, trailers and much much more. Although James
Bond is certainly not a real person, all of the countless motion pictures
based on his character portray a vivid image for the audience. Bond's
skill at casino gambling and his knowledge of the best wines, exotic
automobiles, and cigarettes make him an example of a man with "class."
From Dom Perignon champagne to Aston Martin sports cars, James Bond has
elegant taste. When ordering vodka at a restaurant, he prefers it to be
"shaken, not stirred" because mixing the drink creates air bubbles which
helps the beverage to taste better. Calling Bond an ordinary man is
certainly an understatement. Deeming him the ideal gentleman suits his
description perfectly. James Bond is nothing short of a "ladies man." He
uses his class and persuasion to lure a woman into bed and in exchange he
sometimes receives useful information about the villain. He doesn't think
of these tactics as taking advantage of the woman, but simply as getting
information and doing his job by any means necessary.
Still
considered by many to be the definitive screen 007— Connery’s
panther-like movement and look of an ever-ready sexual predator, made his
Bond worthy of the title coined by Italian cinemagoers— Mr Kiss Kiss Bang
Bang. After a three-year stint in the British navy, Connery toiled in a
series of odd jobs-milkman, bricklayer, lifeguard-before his
weight-lifting hobby enabled him to represent Scotland in the 1950 Mr.
Universe contest. He eventually approached acting as a lark, an
understandable decision for one of working class origins, and debuted
on-screen in Lilacs in the Spring (1954). Before James Bond, Sean Connery
was a little-known actor at the start of his career. He had some starring
roles but suffered from continual miscasting. By the time he finally left
the EON produced Bond series after Diamonds Are Forever (1971), he was
both a household name and an actor of international repute. Born in
Edinburgh, the son of a truck driver, Connery worked at a variety of odd
jobs— from milkman to bricklayer— before he landed a part in the chorus of
the British stage production of South Pacific, which began his career in
show business. With his leisurely smile, deadpan wit and impassive manner,
Connery epitomized the early Bond to such an extent that it seemed a near
impossible task to replace him. Worried about typecasting, however, he
left the EON series in 1971, after appearing six times in their series of
films [returning to the 007 role in 1983 for the independently produced
Never Say Never Again], and continued in a highly successful screen
career, winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in The Untouchables
(1988).
The
enemies during Connery's years tended to be more ruthless super
villains. Under Roger Moore's subsequent tenure, the bad guys grew rather
silly and had ridiculous plans to kill everyone on the planet, as in
1979's Moonraker. I believe the show Buffy The Vampire Slayer truly
punctuated the ongoing James Bond debate by having members of the "Trio"
refer to Moonraker as being "completely inexcusable" and even suggesting
that Timothy Dalton should win an Oscar for his Bond portrayal and beat
Sean Connery over the head with it [laughing]... Regardless of who's
playing Bond, some things have remained constants— the elaborate sets and
fashionable costumes, the lavish, jet-set lifestyle and of course, the
ongoing aura of seething sexuality...One of the most excellent attributes
of James Bond is his unshakeable coolness under pressure. Whether
suspended above a shark-infested death pit in some evil billionaire
tycoon’s lair, strapped to a table while a laser beam moves to cut him in
half, or single-handedly recovering a stolen nuclear weapon from some
malevolent organization, James Bond is always oh so cool and under
control. Bond is also the epitome of mysterious and alluring, a man most
guys would love to be and most women would love to be with. He lives a
life of adventure, marches to his own drummer, is a leader, and always
comes out of any situation hyper-successful. James Bond is a fictional
icon of our modern age.
