Cool... Thy Name Is Bond
bigzilcho
Toronto, ONPosts: 245MI6 Agent
Greetings, everyone.
On the eve of CR (At last...just a week away! ) I felt the urge to express my view that Mr. James Bond, 007 is still, without question, the single coolest character in the film world.
The word "cool" is, of course, open to interpretation. But if you are even on this site then you are already in agreement that 007 is a name that conjures up the feeling of primal excitement.
(Is it any accident that the two biggest hip-hop moguls in the world, Jay-Z and P.Diddy (both arguably the most influential men in pop culture today) respect and admire 007? A recent video with Jay-Z has him gambling at a casino and it is totally Bond-like in style and attitude. Diddy is on the record saying he actually wants to PLAY Bond.
Make no mistake...Bond is cool to a hip-hop generation, with its appreciation of style and bling. 007 is the ultimate "player" in an era where the "player" is revered.
Is 007 "cool" in the 21st century? Just ask Jay-Z, Diddy and Kanye West).
What is my definition of Bondian "cool"? With your indulgence, a list is in order.
DN- "Sergeant, make sure he doesn't get away."
The first real "one-liner" of the series and the one that sets the tone of humor for a million action flicks. Bond's swagger and non-chalance as he walks away from the dead driver must have been a revelation in 1962. No movie hero had ever been as callous...an attitude was born.
FRWL- The Gypsy-Camp Fight- The first great action scene in the series. Check out Bond in the action. A quick knife throw, a cutting of a rope, tripping an enemy. A dozen or so short, quick bits of business that perfectly convey Bond as one seriously dangerous dude. Terence Young and Peter Hunt were light years ahead of anybody at this moment in 1963.
GF- Bond meets Jill Masterton. An iconic Bond moment that is so damn cool it has probably lodged itself into every Bond fan's memory.
TB- Bond and Largo skeet-shooting. Connery at his absolute swaggering peak as Bond.
YOLT- Bond shot of torpedo tube. Logical? Hardly. Cool? Definitely. Extra bonus points for showing up in Tokyo without any exposition involved.( Bond in diving suit, cut, Bond in Tokyo with suit.)
OHMSS- Bond breaks into Draco's face, knife in hand, ready for anything. An electrifying moment for Lazenby.
DAF- "There is no year for sherry, 007." M tries to correct Bond and realizes...he doesn't stand a a chance. "...1851...unmistakeable." smiles Bond as he corrects the Old Man.
One of the many joys of the Bond/M relationship is Bond's secret relish in topping M. Check out M's reaction in OHMSS when Bond expertly admires M's butterfly collection. Priceless.
Bernard Lee...a tip of the hat to you, sir.
LALD- Bond fries an unwelcome snake with his shaving cream cannister and then taps some after-shave on his face...without a care in the world. A moment that is so effortlessly cool in style and execution...it should enter the Hall-Of-Fame of Bondian Cool.
TMWTGG- The car chase ends with one the great stunts ever (the 360' jump) but IMO a supremely cool moment is Bond going in reverse and suddenly with a 180' swerve is instantly back to forward. Absolutely seamless move.
TSWLM- Where to choose? How about an obvious one: the ski-jump. For anyone old enough to have seen TSWLM in 1977 this was a defining moment of the series.
In 1977 (a million years away from CGI) that plummet felt like forever... and when that parachute (with a Union Jack!) finally opened...trust me...to share that moment the first time with a Bond audience was absolute movie magic.
End of Part One.
Obviously, everyone has their own take on what makes Bond "cool". Any input is welcome.
Movie trends come and go and even Bond has been up and down in popularity over the years but, for my money, 007 is the reigning champion of what it means to be 'cool' in the movies.
Always has been...always will be.
"When do you sleep, 007?"
"Never on the firm's time, sir."
On the eve of CR (At last...just a week away! ) I felt the urge to express my view that Mr. James Bond, 007 is still, without question, the single coolest character in the film world.
The word "cool" is, of course, open to interpretation. But if you are even on this site then you are already in agreement that 007 is a name that conjures up the feeling of primal excitement.
(Is it any accident that the two biggest hip-hop moguls in the world, Jay-Z and P.Diddy (both arguably the most influential men in pop culture today) respect and admire 007? A recent video with Jay-Z has him gambling at a casino and it is totally Bond-like in style and attitude. Diddy is on the record saying he actually wants to PLAY Bond.
Make no mistake...Bond is cool to a hip-hop generation, with its appreciation of style and bling. 007 is the ultimate "player" in an era where the "player" is revered.
Is 007 "cool" in the 21st century? Just ask Jay-Z, Diddy and Kanye West).
What is my definition of Bondian "cool"? With your indulgence, a list is in order.
DN- "Sergeant, make sure he doesn't get away."
The first real "one-liner" of the series and the one that sets the tone of humor for a million action flicks. Bond's swagger and non-chalance as he walks away from the dead driver must have been a revelation in 1962. No movie hero had ever been as callous...an attitude was born.
FRWL- The Gypsy-Camp Fight- The first great action scene in the series. Check out Bond in the action. A quick knife throw, a cutting of a rope, tripping an enemy. A dozen or so short, quick bits of business that perfectly convey Bond as one seriously dangerous dude. Terence Young and Peter Hunt were light years ahead of anybody at this moment in 1963.
GF- Bond meets Jill Masterton. An iconic Bond moment that is so damn cool it has probably lodged itself into every Bond fan's memory.
TB- Bond and Largo skeet-shooting. Connery at his absolute swaggering peak as Bond.
YOLT- Bond shot of torpedo tube. Logical? Hardly. Cool? Definitely. Extra bonus points for showing up in Tokyo without any exposition involved.( Bond in diving suit, cut, Bond in Tokyo with suit.)
OHMSS- Bond breaks into Draco's face, knife in hand, ready for anything. An electrifying moment for Lazenby.
DAF- "There is no year for sherry, 007." M tries to correct Bond and realizes...he doesn't stand a a chance. "...1851...unmistakeable." smiles Bond as he corrects the Old Man.
One of the many joys of the Bond/M relationship is Bond's secret relish in topping M. Check out M's reaction in OHMSS when Bond expertly admires M's butterfly collection. Priceless.
Bernard Lee...a tip of the hat to you, sir.
LALD- Bond fries an unwelcome snake with his shaving cream cannister and then taps some after-shave on his face...without a care in the world. A moment that is so effortlessly cool in style and execution...it should enter the Hall-Of-Fame of Bondian Cool.
TMWTGG- The car chase ends with one the great stunts ever (the 360' jump) but IMO a supremely cool moment is Bond going in reverse and suddenly with a 180' swerve is instantly back to forward. Absolutely seamless move.
TSWLM- Where to choose? How about an obvious one: the ski-jump. For anyone old enough to have seen TSWLM in 1977 this was a defining moment of the series.
In 1977 (a million years away from CGI) that plummet felt like forever... and when that parachute (with a Union Jack!) finally opened...trust me...to share that moment the first time with a Bond audience was absolute movie magic.
End of Part One.
Obviously, everyone has their own take on what makes Bond "cool". Any input is welcome.
Movie trends come and go and even Bond has been up and down in popularity over the years but, for my money, 007 is the reigning champion of what it means to be 'cool' in the movies.
Always has been...always will be.
"When do you sleep, 007?"
"Never on the firm's time, sir."
Comments
TLD: The hotel room with Pushkin. This is Bond at his absolutely most ruthless and dangerous to date. Dalton is completely focused and in the zone, clutching the silenced Walther PPK ready to fire at the utterance of one wrong answer by Pushkin. When Pushkin summons his bodyguard, Bond will have none of the annoyance, and goes into full *******ly mode, giving Pushkin a shot to the stomach, forcing the clothes off Pushkin's wife, and proceeding to entrap the bodyguard in the shock of seeing Pushkin's wife disrobe and proceedingly beat the **** out of him. When Pushkin's wife goes to the bathroom, you are almost certain that Pushkin is a goner.
LTK- The scene in Sanchez's office. Dalton oozes cool in this scene: the sardonic smirk, the slicked hair, the tux, everything works image-wise. He leads Sanchez into thinking he's one of them, and he slips into the pseudo-role of villain effortlessly, manipulating Sanchez to no end. He's in complete control, and Sanchez has no idea what's hitting him. The scene features my favorite exchange in the entire franchise:
Bond: "In my business, you prepare for the unexpected."
Sanchez: "And what business is that?"
Bond: "I help people with problems."
Sanchez: "Hmm. Problem solver."
Bond: "More of a problem eliminator."
"Bond...James Bond." :007)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
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Full agreement.Terence Young wrote that exchange:
007:"I admire your courage, Miss...?"
ST:"Trench...Sylvia Trench.And I admire your luck, Mister...?"
007:"Bond...James Bond."
Quite right. One of his very finest moments; perhaps the defining one. It's always been a favourite of mine.
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Felix's lady friends: "No hard feelings."
Bond: "Not if the party's still on."
Just wonderful, off-the-cuff suaveness, delivered beautifully by Dalton.