But, in spite of all this, I *still* enjoyed the movie and would recommend it simply because Daniel Craig is so freaking great to watch. He's this generation's Steve McQueen. He radiates cool.
Hopefully I'll post more thoughts later, because I do want to rant about the "shaky cam" action scenes. But I simply must get back to work now. Before I do so, however, I want to share this one link passed to me by my good friend Dana--who at this very moment may in fact be a new mom! (Sending good vibes about that.) Even in her about-to-deliver state, she still managed this weekend to pass this along to me: Definitive proof that the 1970s were truly the worst decade ever for fashion. Or maybe just for Swedish fashion. For those too lazy to click teh links, here's an exclusive advanced sneak preview:
And:
EDIT: I added one more just because I love the guy on the lower right:
Have a nice day!
22 comments:
Seriously, my favorite part of the movie was when (SPOILER?) Bond is making his escape from the hotel after talking with M, and he hops over the balcony onto a little ledge and just glides across to the other side. It was graceful in such a badass way. That's a weird highlight, but there you have it.
I was born in the 70s and I suppose I should be thankful for my existence. How did anyone reproduce back then, much less tell the gays from the breeders in that eye cauterizing fasion apocalypse? What exactly is a Swedish Dance Team, and have they ever recovered? Would Daniel Craig still be manly dressed like one of those unfortunate souls?
Well, Shawn already put the Swedish bands link on his Twitter. And Dana (I hope you're talking about OPM's Dana; yay, new mother!^_^)might've caught wind of that link. So technically, Shawn sent you that link. It's a chain reation.
Also, where the fuck were you when Layer Cake came out? :(
That was an awesome flick.
We know you lived in the 70's, Jeff. Post young Jeff pics to prove you aren't as ill-fashioned as the Swedes.
I vote the "Thor Erics" most likely to survive a bar brawl; and the "Teddy Boys" least likely to make it out alive.
Jeff, I have not seen Quantum yet but some of the reviews I have read mention a derth of Bond gadgets. One of the great joys I always got from watching the Bond flicks was marveling at all the ridiculous new tech he would employ to solve various action puzzles. Bond was like the anti-McGuyver; whipping out pre-fab gadgets that could instantly overcome any situation. Has the franchise gotten to serious for this kind of gadget whimsy? Does John Cleese even make an appearance as Q?
Oh well, at least you still acknowledge how awesome Craig is. I have no beefs with the movie. I prefer the "Bourne Action" personally...The next film is now getting some ridiculous hype because of it's Bourne ties, and because it's not a stand alone series of films. I was perfectly pleased with QoS...and Casino Royale...the other 20 films...well they're fun to watch on a Friday night when there's nothing else to do...
This isn't so much Bond being a product of his generation as it is the films just hitting so many right notes for me personally. The Bond left has never been a good one in my opinion...until now.
~sLs~
oops...
The Legacy Bond left*
good luck and congrats to Dana, even if i never met her :)
Funny about the 70ies look, sure its craptacular, then again its way more special than the way we look today imho, nowadays everyone looks way more streamlined.
I couldn´t agree more with your short preview of a review on the bond movie, really on all point. Especially glad i´m not the only one who thought such things about the shakey cam scenes.
I feel like 2-3 years ago someone started with those ultra close up, extra shakey cam action scenes and then it become the new en vogue thing. And while it may be ok to have em in there to some degree IT TOTALLY SUCKS AND IS SUPER ANNOYING to have em be like that in every action scene all the time.
Ok, i get it, they´re driving in speed boats, its all a frenzy and there´s water.
Why does the cam have to constantly do ultra closeups, super shakes and weirdo things like always dipping into the water in a way one only sees white for several seconds each time.
That´s no good at all,they totally lost the balance there.
I´d be ok and swallow it if it was just one moviebut its really a general trend and it really gets on my nerves.
And yup, the story was all over the place and the bondgirld, just like the villain were weak just as you said, also as you said: Craig makes up for it all :)
But to anyone making movies: Don´t think you can get away with such things if you don´t have Craig and neither the Bond touch ;)
The 80's weren't much better.
http://tinyurl.com/64w9ox
Oh, that's were I recognized him from. I have to agree with you, but comparing The Diving Bell and the Butterfly to a Bond movie just doesn't seem fair to me :)
P.S. I'm one of those punk teens you you hate on, and I'm STILL gonna say that!
Guy in lower right on last pic = Ryan Scott's dad? ba dum pa!
Lower right dude looks a bit like Woody Allen.
I saw QoS on sat. night with no advance prep (ie no trailers, no story peeks, no reviews... nothing)and was really happy. I think I enjoyed Casino Royale more, but this movie really worked for me, too. I'm no film critic and I didn't even pick up on the "shakey cam" that people are bitchin' about but the gritty pseudo "realism" of the action in the last two movies really works for me. I miss the gadgets, but on the other hand I like that he's just an ice-cold dude getting it done with a hand gun and a fast car :) -- and occasionally a machine gun or plane.
BTW, to whoever recommended "Sons of Anarchy" awhile back on Jeff's blog comments... THANK YOU. Awesome show.
I was a teenager in the early 70's. Bellbottoms, platform shoes and cool pirate shirts. LOL!! Nobody gave a shit if you smoked pot or drank beer. Crazy times. Managed to survive it all in spite of myself. Only thing I regret is not hanging on to the 70 Charger that I had. That was a nice car.
..I thank greater powers that those bands' "fasions" died out over here. :)
Since I wasn't alive back then, my image of that era is not getting any better by viewing these pics Shawn also posted the other day.
If ender seriously wanted to know, Sweden have had this thing we call 'Dance Band music' which's pretty popular here... to dance to. :P Mainly for the older generations, of course.
Don't know when it all started, but I guess around that time of the 70s. Some pretty popular in Germany as well, for what I know.
I'm gonna watch Quantum tonight or tomorrow, depends, but I hope it's better than what you've said Jeff. Some pretty bad points you've brought up. I kind of liked the last, Craig's first Bond movie. For what it is, of course.
So Jeff, whenever the inevitable The Great Escape remake comes, would you want to see Craig in Queen's role in that?
Wait! Before you start your bound-to-be-hilarious rant about shakycam(tm) did you do your homework and watch Blair Witch, Cloverfield, and hell, even Bourne Ultimatum?
Okay, so clearly, public opinion is not in my favor about the quality of this Bond film. However, I do agree with jeffk that the ledge stunt was a highlight of the film for me.
http://d11885738.u33.surftown.nu/images/swedish-dance-bands-016.jpg
Swedish Dance band, or BTO? You decide.
The 70te's was probably awesome in Schweden. It seems, from the pictures that I've seen from my parents. That no one gived a fuck about anything. In those days schweden was behind in adapting the trends so that should be looked at in a mix between the sixties flower power and the plastic of the seventies. And you think that is ugly. I would choose that before anything Focus group and propagande(/pr) created fashion of today. Everybody gave anyone a chance to speak. Have that happend at your preacious kultural expression of the seventies. Oh yeah didn't the segregation laws JUST been removed by an upproar of the majority of the white people
Pretty good post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts.Any way Ill be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.
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