James Bond

“Bond, James Bond” – those words will never get old – and whether as a little guy or nowadays, to me that conjures up Sean Connery at his best.

ORIGINS: In 1953 Ian Fleming published a book called Casino Royale – little did he know that his fictional hero would later become as popular as he did.  Fleming who had some underground experience from wartime service had little idea at that time that he’d be writing a number of other books about his fictional hero – or that the hero would be in movies for over 50 years. And I’m sure that he never has any though that James Bond would be still a motion picture hero in 2015. 

FILMS: The first James Bond movie was made in 1962, starring Sean Connery as the legendary hero – now 52 years later, there have been 23 films released (and that’s not counting the parody of Casino Royale with David Niven and Never Say Never – based on Thunderball). There have been six actors playing Bond (Connery left the franchise and then returned for one more movie) countless villains and a bevy of beauties (after all Bond was a ladies man) in the most colourful and exotic locations to tantalize the audience. The movies were liked enough that the parodies existed – that is not to say that they were highly liked – but they occurred. 

VILLAINS: And then there were the villains.  Bond had the best guys – a woman with a knife in her shoe – or a man with a bowler hat that killed.  Who can forget the fluffy kitten hugging villain who sent his secretary to the pool full or piranhas? Later we met suave villains who ate from monkey skulls – or Jaws and his bespectacled girlfriend who went in “two buy two” to fly on a rocket to the moon.  Sadly as the franchise has grown up and the heroes changed the directors needed more realism and recently Craig has almost become as ruthless as his villains.  Craig is actually the exception to the rule in more than one way.  He is blonde (the book hero is dark and tall) and short – far from suave Craig would be better off in a wrestling ring – but this proves that in any franchise – the lead character can change according to the director and producers whims.

THE CHARACTER: Bond is what everyone wants to be – a suave and fashionable hero – who alternates his attractive persona with a hard as tacks secret agent, capable of staring Harry Callaghan (Dirty Harry) down!

THE MUSIC: Throughout the series there have been numerous artists singing the theme tunes for the movies – and these singers have made a fortune in just the themes alone.  Whether Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Nancy Sinatra or Wings, the artists have done well from James Bond.

TOYS: Apart from the music and the videos and books released, at a certain time it was decided that there should be James Bond toys.  These toys took the form of guns, hats and rifles – even Matchbox and Corgi cars; Bond was a hero for young and old.

ACTORS: Once an actor plays Bond they tend to be typecast.  Although it was many years back – when the name Sean Connery is mentioned – James Bond comes to mind (although he’s made countless other movies – none as memorable).  This is true also for Roger Moore (who made numerous other films and TV shows) and Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan also became Bond and recently Daniel Craig has been the “go to” Bond.  Do all these actors really seem alike?  No.  Do they all play Bond as the books depict him?  You’ll have to read the books to tell.

THE BEST MOVIE:  A lot would argue that going back to the beginning is the best option – Connery was the first and the best.  Modern audiences might say that Craig is the best as he is more realistic and the most “with it”.  Then there are some “in betweeners” who would tout Roger Moore, the spy with a smile, to be the best Bond.  Somewhere along the way there is a perfect Bond – George Lazenby looked good and couldn’t act – Timothy Dalton could act but wasn’t a good match… It’s a hard call.  The best thing is for you to watch a few Bonds and then maybe to try to get a Bond book – then you can choose for yourself. Since I personally can’t answer this question with just one movie I’d say that I like two different Bonds – Connery and Moore and their movies, Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice – for Connery and  The Man with the Golden Gun and Live and Let Die for Moore.  Other than that – I appreciate the other actors, but none have lived up to my expectations.

THE FUTURE: In conclusion, sure as anything – Skyfall was not the end. We’ve seen M change from Judy Dench to Ralph Fiennes. Moneypenny and even Q have been portrayed by different people along the way, but it’s always been a good change. Very soon there is going to be a new James Bond movie – Spectre (about the bad guys from the early days perhaps?) and I’m going to be one of the first to see what’s new in the James Bond box of tricks.

The Harry Potter Series

Harry Potter as a movie and novel hero has been there ever since I can remember. The first Harry Potter novels were created before I could read – but as I grew up the franchise grew too. This is true for so many children. The movies were also something that I awaited eagerly – when would there be another trip to the cinema to see the Boy Who Lived?  The students at Hogwarts will also be there for many other children to read, and other generations after that. This is because Harry Potter in all shapes and forms has become an immortal character, and the world in which he belongs is just as well-known as J.R.R. Tolkien’s middle earth. 

But I shall not really get into too much detail about the books, what I'm going to discuss is what made the books and movies sky rocket, and how everyone in the world heard about the Potter Universe.  I’m not going to elaborate about the fact that J.K. Rowling would not allow McDonalds to use her heroes as toys for their celebrated “Happy Meals” – she was a business-woman who chose who she would franchise to.  Or the fact that people might have worried about the famous witches and wizards – sending children off the rails.  Neither am I going to go on a rant about how countless children started to read so they could find out what was going on in the wizard world – I will stick to the generalities about the franchise.

Harry Potter is one of the highest grossing movie franchises, even more successful than the long running James Bond franchise, and along with the highly grossing movies; there have been spin-off merchandise for years following the birth of our hero.

WRITER: J.K. Rowling, a writer who was completely down on her luck created “the boy who lived”. Fourteen years, seven books and blockbuster films later, the Harry Potter brand, valued at over $15 billion, is still going strong. There have been over 400 million copies of the Harry Potter books sold worldwide and it is translated into 67 languages!  Now J.K. Rowling is known as the first billionaire author, wealthier than the Queen of England!

Toys: Although J.K. Rowling was very careful who she handed franchises to, she has allowed us to have toys of the boy hero.  These popular toys have lasted even after the films have ceased – but they are still favourites – and if you’ve been created by Lego – you’ve really arrived.

BOOKS: Numerous copies of the Harry Potter novels were produced.  They have been, and are still being, published in many languages and forms (ebook, soft cover, book sets and hard cover novels) across the world.  Furthermore, to add excitement to the launch of her books, J.K. Rowling started novel idea of releasing each new story at midnight – giving rise to book parties as people counted down to the unveiling of a new Potter adventure.

MOVIES: Altogether there have been eight Potter movies, from the original Sorcerer’s Stone to the last Deathly Hallows, each movie portrays another novel. The Deathly Hallows was split into two parts, each depicting a part of the story.

MY FAVORITE MOVIE:  The Sorcerer’s Stone was my childhood favourite and is still my favourite.  I can see it as many times as I want and say the lines of my favourite characters and not lose anything.  That is the sign of a classic - and I have to say this is probably my favourite film of all time – and I have seen a great number of films.  The book is an introduction – in we meet the Dursleys – the bad guys, and Hagrid Harry’s friend.  We also meet Professor Dumbledore, and the Hogwarts teachers good and bad – and are transported by an old steam train to a land beyond reality – where your imagination soars.  This totally magical movie is something special and a warm fuzzy that you can’t dismiss. 

DIRECTOR: Christopher Columbus was the original director and he brought the magic to the screen. Later the reins were handed to three other directors – Alfonso Cuaron, Mike Newell, and David Yates (who made the darkest films of the franchise.)

THE MUSIC FACTOR: John Williams was the genius who brought us Hedwig’s theme – the quintessential, Potter music.   Although the music was handed to new hands during the run of Harry Potter – the initial magical music was owed to the seasoned veteran.

ACTORS: If it was not for the choice of three “no name” actors, who literally grew up on the set, the film would not have the same chemistry. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, were taught their formal schooling and their acting skills on set during the filming of the movies. Excluding the child actors one must mention the adult cast - Maggie Smith is amazing, Richard Harris plays (in my estimation) the best role of his career (sadly to be replaced by Gambon on Harris’ death), Alan Rickman is totally villainous and Robbie Coultrane is a “giant” in his role.

SPIN OFF: Harry Potter in book and film form pretty well saturated the market for the longest time.  Furthermore, there have been Harry Potter theme parks built around the world – something I’d like to take a look at. Soon the magical world will be looking for Rowlings new magical movie, Newt Scamander will star in the new movie, which it is rumoured, will continue as another trilogy.

IN CONCLUSION: In conclusion Harry Potter has been a part of children’s culture for the last few years.  The books and films have brought the character to life and many of us will think back fondly on our time at Hogwarts – even if it is just in our imaginations.  As far as a film franchise, this is a small miracle – the right recipe at the right time – and voila.  The franchise ran roughly to the length of the books (the last book was split in two even if the previous book was longer).  And there does not seem to be any talk about resurrecting the story – so now we wait to see if Newt Scamander can command as big an audience as the boy wizard.

Indianna Jones Legacy

“I hate snakes!” is a famous line from our intrepid hero… Indiana Jones.  Indy to his friends was introduced to the film going public in 1981. Harrison Ford, late of the Star Wars franchise arrived on the scene sporting a traditional archaeological hero’s outfit, a slouch hat and a whip for a weapon and from that day on, never looked back.

ORIGINS and TIMELINE: Going back to the adventures in King Solomon’s mines, Professor Challenger, and that ilk, people have always longed for adventure, and the archaeological genius/adventurer appeals to everyone, young and old.  So, with the introduction to our hero, the saga of Indiana Jones began. To me, this series is really about movie magic.  It draws so much from the old films of the 30s and 40s but is still a “modern” series.  There have been 4 movies produced – an original trilogy which was then followed by a sequel which introduced “Indie’s” father – Sean Connery, late of James Bond fame.  Following the movie trilogy, there were 28 TV episodes of a series called Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and another 4 TV movies Young Indiana Jones. More recently the franchise was revived with another blockbuster movie which may, or may not close the series.  Actor Shia LeBoeuf (Indiana’s fictional son) is on record saying that after Star Wars, there will be more Indiana Jones.  

DIRECTOR:  It takes movie magic to produce a series like Indiana Jones.  The director of this series is Steven Spielberg.  Spielberg has created many different movies from Jaws to ET, Close Encounters to Jurassic Park – and of course Indiana Jones.  Spielberg can weave a story from the most basic plot to the more complex – and he has never let the film going public down.  His take on the Indiana Jones adventure series has been so successful that others have copied his model – and done very well from their takes on the show. If it were not for the success of Indiana Jones there would hardly have been a point to bringing out the Lara Croft and Jack Hunter series of movies – but that’s for another time.

PLOT: The Indiana Jones follow the adventures of our intrepid hero (as if you didn’t know), who is a professor of archaeology in pre-war USA.  Professor Jones travels around the world, thwarting villainous enemies in search of lost treasures.  The unconventional professor gets himself into many different “situations” but the films always have a satisfying end – like a children’s book.

MUSIC: The Williams factor!  As with many other movies that this man has had a hand in, the music is exemplary.   Spielberg and Williams have an understanding – and together they can’t be beaten.  Williams’s music is magical – and very descriptive.  Give a Spielberg spell and embroider it will Williams music and you have a definite winner.  It doesn’t matter whether or not they bring back the franchise, Indiana Jones music is instantly recognizable – as is the music of Harry Potter and Jurassic Park – you can’t miss it.

FAVOURITE MOVIE: Like usual, I think this is a tough decision.  Personally I grew up watching the films.  Even as a child, I can recall the action sequences of the Indiana Jones movies.  Each one was good – but I have to say that Temple of Doom was not really my most favourite (I at least can say what I don’t like!) Although there was a lot of work in the last film – and the television stuff is good too, even though the first film introduced me to Indiana – I’d say that the Last Crusade was a lot of fun.  It was interesting to see Sean Connery as Harrison Ford’s father (I don’t believe there’s that much of an age gap between the men).  And the story line was entertaining – but then so was the first movie.  I think it may have been more of a send up – but I can’t say, however this movie gets my vote.

ACCESSORIES: This series of films has spawned many toys, games and other things.  There are books, and comics – and other valuable goods.  Furthermore, Jack Hunter, Lara Croft, The Librarian and even Ben Stiller’s Night in the Museum all can trace their roots to Indiana Jones.  (Especially Jack Hunter and Lara Croft).

CONCLUSION: This franchise was part of my “growing up”.  I always admired the intrepid hero, I’d liked the actor in Star Wars and so it was not hard to like his professor character.  Everyone enjoys a good romp, and adventure and spy films are very popular. Therefore I would say that there is a market for Indiana Jones even yet.  And if the rumours are correct, as long as I’m patient, I will be rewarded again.

Halloween and Other Slasher Horror's

Everyone likes a good horror film, there's just something about fear that makes them enjoyable to the viewer. Whether you like to be scared, or find that type of movie exciting, usually the average guy or gal enjoys the “spooky” genre.

However, more recently, many would argue that the horror genre has gone too far in trying to impress it's audiences by “pushing the envelope”. I think when people define "going too far" they usually mean that there is excess use of gore (blood and guts) and sometimes gratuitous nudity and that doesn't normally advance the plot of any story (unless you’re into that scene).

I am a firm believer in sub-genres, and I feel that the “slasher” movie belongs in its own section of the terror hierarchy. Why? Well, I believe the title speaks for itself – it’s not horror as in ghostly, or vampire – but slasher as in extreme violence, physical injury, etc.

Stereotypically, these films start with a group of teens who are attacked (for whatever reason) by a killer in a mask. (Sometimes living, but often undead, giving the opportunity to bring them back in the next movie of the franchise). The most famous hook to these movies is the fact that there will be a girl who usually survives to tell the tale. This female character has a terrible time avoiding the baddie – and then finally gets an opportunity to kill the psychotic murderer and escape the carnage.

There are many different versions of these movies. One may say, they are “no brainers” and are predictable, but I definitely would argue the opposite. In fact the “slasher” films have the longest running franchises and some of them are still in production today after being rebooted by film studios.

Famous killers: People who are notable “slasher” stars from way back that keep returning – Leather Face from Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, Jason from Friday the 13^th, Michael Myers from Halloween, Chuckie from Childs Play and many, many more.

I am going to focus on one of the early “slasher” horror films. Halloween was directed by John Carpenter in 1978. Carpenter would go on to be considered of the more influential horror director of all time. 

Halloween Plot: Like many other “slasher” films it focuses on teens celebrating Halloween. The character Myers is psychotic who murders his older sister (while wearing a mask), which results in a life sentence at a sanatorium where he is being treated. Jump forward 20 years and Myers has grown up in the “home” but somehow manages to escape from the hospital on Halloween, to “get” his little sister!  At this point in time, his current psychiatrist (the notable actor, Donald Pleasance) joins in the search to find him.  As the film progresses, Myers obtains a “Captain Kirk” mask which he dyes white to hide his identity and sets off to kills his sister and her friends.

Jaimie Lee Curtis is Myers younger sister, a high school pupil, who, with her friends, is about to enjoy a “scary” Halloween (little knowing that her brother is homicidal – and on the loose). Curtis is unaware that she has a brother – let alone one who wants to kill her – and anybody she knows in the process…  This makes for a good set up to start slashing.   

MY OPINION: The first and second stories of this franchise are quite good because they follow the same plot line and are written by the same man. In fact, the second film has a good conclusion. However, if something is successful, the movie going public wants you to bring it back. Michael Myers continued to show up the big screen movie after movie. After the second movie, when they determined that this was a box office winner, they brought back Myers as an immortal, very much like Dracula. But as least Dracula has always had an excuse, he’s a vampire and not meant to be mortal. Myers, on the other hand, was originally introduced as a psychotic killer and not supposed to have any mystical powers.

NOWADAYS:  But the film going public still wanted more – and the producers continued to churn out movies. The franchise continued, and has even been rebooted by musician Rob Zombie.

In conclusion, this is really a money spinning franchise and has served the studios well.  The spin off costumes and toys at Halloween season make back their money year after year.  When all is said and done, I would say if you have the opportunity to watch the original two John Carpenter films, go for it. If you are offered to see the later films, you may just want to think twice.

Halloween Films

Halloween (1978)

Halloween II (1981)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)

Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)

Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)

Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)

Halloween H20: 20 Years Later (1998)

Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

Halloween (2007)

Halloween II (2009)