James Bond Movie Ranking

Thanksgiving is over and with a new James Bond movie just recently released the timing is perfect for a stay-in movie watching weekend. I’ve decided to watch all 21 original Bond movies all over again to create a personal ranking list. Here is my first shot at a list.

1. Casino Royale (Daniel Craig)
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (George Lazenby)
3. Goldfinger (Sean Connery)
4. Thunderball (Sean Connery)
5. The Spy Who Loved Me (Roger Moore)
6. Moonraker (Roger Moore)
7. You Only Live Twice (Sean Connery)
8. Dr. No (Sean Connery)
9. Diamonds Are Forever (Sean Connery)
10. The Man With The Golden Gun (Roger Moore)
11. Goldeneye (Pierce Brosnan)
12. Live and Let Die (Roger Moore)
13. Die Another Day (Pierce Brosnan)
14. For Your Eyes Only (Roger Moore)
15. Tomorrow Never Dies (Pierce Brosnan)
16. The World is Not Enough (Pierce Brosnan)
17. From Russia With Love (Sean Connery)
18. Octopussy (Roger Moore)
19. A View to A Kill (Roger Moore)
20. The Living Daylights (Timothy Dalton)
21. License to Kill (Timothy Dalton)

Casino Royale – Bond is Back!

Craig Daniel’s interpretation of James Bond finally brought the movie franchise back to it’s origin. The Bond character is a professional, ruthless killer that seduces women to find pleasure and achieve his goals. I believe that was Ian Fleming’s idea when he created the character, very much inspired by his own life and the dreams he had about that life.

“Bartender: Shaken or stirred?
James Bond: Does it look like I give a damn?”

Daniel Craig’s Bond is still cool as ice but adds a drive and a passion that I’ve never seen in any of the other Bond movies. The character has rougher edges and feels much more real. I believe this Bond movie is the first where Bond actually bleeds, have scars and gets his ass kicked.

“Vesper Lynd: Am I going to have a problem with you, Bond?
James Bond: No, dont worry. You’re not my type.
Vesper Lynd: Smart?
James Bond: Single.”

The new Bond will definitely transcend generations of movie-goers and most importantly, speak to the younger audience. This is probably the first Bond that the Generation X and later can identify with. Gone is the poshness and arrogant Playboy style of Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan. Daniel Craig’s performance is up there with Sean Connery’s Dr. No and Goldfinger.

“Vesper Lynd: It doesn’t bother you, killing those people…
James Bond: Well, I wouldn’t be very good at my job if it did.”

This is a classic and I’ll be true to my tradition and watch it a few more times before it arrives on DVD next year!

Why I Think The New Bond Will Work

The Bond releases are few and far between, only 21 official movies in 44 years. But tonight is the US premiere of Casino Royale, Ian Fleming’s first book about Bond from 1953. It’s also the introduction of Daniel Craig as the new Bond. He is actually the youngest Bond since George Lazenby in OHMSS and only the second to be under 40 years old.

When Bond was introduced in 1962 with Dr. No it represented a new era of more edgy, action oriented and worldly movies. Bond was cool but didn’t take himself too serious. He was suave with the ladies, tough with the guys and everyone’s hero. I mean, who doesn’t want to be Bond?

Today a Bond movie is good fun entertainment but very predictable and has gotten competition from franchises like Mission Impossible, The Transporter et cetera. Bond has become something that the older movie-going generation loves to watch but has somewhat failed to grab the younger generations attention.

I think Casino Royale will change that by introducing a younger actor that at first impression is not so Bondesque. People need to be able to identify with the character and eventhough I think Pierce Brosnan did a great job as the 5th Bond there is a need for new fresh blood and a new take on Bond.

At first, as many other Bond aficionados, I was sceptical towards the choice of Daniel Craig over my favorite Clive Owens but once I saw the trailer I realized the choice worked. Owens would have represented the natural and traditional choice but no disruption. I think Craig can bring that to the table with a more edgy, uncut and original interpretation that can speak to a younger audience. His work in Layercake was awesome.

So today at 4pm I’ll be enjoying the new Bond movie with the new Aston Martin DBS, the classic DB5 (5th time) and the soundtrack “You Know My Name” sung by one of my rock favorites – Chris Cornell form Audioslave and previously Soundgarden. Expect a late-night review.

Pink Panther – A Shot in the Dark

The Pink Panther movies are among my favorites. I especially appreciate them after my time living in London. The Brits have this love-hate relationship with the French which is one of the key themes of the movie. Peter Sellers, often regarded as one of the best British comedians, is superb in the role of the French police detective Jacques Clouseau. Well, without him you wouldn’t have a movie. In addition you the soundtrack is made by Henri Mancini, a musical genius that together with Burt Bacharach invented lounge.

There are only five original Pink Panther movies: The Pink Panther (1963), A Shot in the Dark (1964), Return of the Pink Panther (1975), The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976) and The Revenge of the Pink Panther (1978). There are a few more movies made, including Steve Martin’s awful try in 2006, but none of them real Pink Panthers. I’m a fan of Steve Martin’s earlier work but his try to to revive Clouseau is painful, pathetic and very unconvincing.

But back to A Shot in the Dark. It’s the second movie and Clouseau’s special character is starting to take shape. The movie also introduces Dreyfus and Cato as the Commissioner and as the servant. The humor is daring and hilarious, very often what we be considered rascist in today’s blockbuster world. It’s silly, repetitive but utterly charming.

"Bike Messengers Are on Crack”

This video reminds me of when I worked in Stockholm at a few different startups and we spent the evenings bar hopping with our mountain bikes. I had a classic Scott which I later upgraded to a red Klein.

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Cultural Relevance – Hollywood's New Survival Strategy

The meaning of the word world is expanding for many North Americans. It’s no longer only about what you see is what you get, i.e. our World Series, our world-class people or our ‘Best-in-the-world’. People are starting to realize that there is a world outside of the Bush empire. It’s something more than that quick trip to Europe back in ‘95, looking for castles and eating mozzarella. It’s a world that is truly changing the whole world (i.e. earth).

Hollywood is starting to figure this out. The domestic movie market has been in a downturn for a decade while production prices have been increasing fairly rapidly. To survive, Hollywood needs a wider audience and along comes the international markets with fast economic growth and a growing middle class, eager to be associated with everything success. And with more time and money to spend on entertainment.

But everything that flies in the US might not fly abroad. And abroad is more than one market, it’s 200+ countries with different cultures. What works in Germany might not work in India. Movies, as an artform, needs to be culturally relevant. People wants to see their own actors perform in a context that matters to them. Movies needs to address and solve problems that matters to people in South Africa, Vietnam and Brazil.

So how can Hollywood create a successful global strategy?

- Work with general themes that connects with all people.

- Use actors from all over the world. Talent is everywhere.

- Film the movie in ‘foreign locations’ within a cultural context.

- Ease up on the viewing restrictions. Uncensored versions a must.

But it’s also about opening up the US market to foreign films to expose people to a new world and to increase competition. That will increase the overall quality and maybe the domestic interest will return.

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Movie Downloads on iTunes?

Well, it has been talked about Apple offering movies on iTunes since the beginnng of the year. It is, as most peope agree, just a matter of time. Maybe at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on August 7? The big question though is which business model. Jobs has been pushing the a-la-carte model and the movie industry the rental model. It looks like, from the rumor mill, that the movie industry won this round.

It’s not clear exactly how the movie download service will work but it’s either offering a time limitation on the rentals or a cap on number of viewings. I have no problem with that. Most movies I only watch ones anyway and this will enable me to watch more movies for a hopefully cheaper price. The key benefit will be that you can choose, pending inventory, any movie you like when you like it. No ordering in advance or waiting for the mailman.

So how will this effect Netflix? The DVD is still the most popular way of watching movies and will be for a forseeable future. Most households don’t have their TV-screens connected to the Internet via a computer yet eventhough it’s becoming both easier (AV-cable, iPod, FrontRow et cetera) and cheaper. Netflix has also talked about movie downloads for a few years now and I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some offering before Christmas.

The big question mark is how the rentals would work on the video iPod. A new DRM system is needed, an iPod with bigger screen (maybe horizontal) and more storage. The 60GB is far from enough if you want to travel with your favorite music, photos, TV-shows and movies.

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