@Barbel back when I joined the gang all those years ago I liked the fact that you were so active, immediately telling me jokes and explaining the music and encouraging me to overanalyse. much better than taking the trouble to register then nobody acknowledges me, like in some forums. and I'm sure new members all like @Number24 posting as much as he does because they quickly learn he's going to show them some dirty pictures.
I would say dont worry about being the last one in a thread. Its up to the others to add to the thread, and eventually someone will, especially if you pose a good question encouraging new opinions. The other option is to not post at all, and I guarantee the forum will grind to a halt if we do that.
It's pretty quiet in these here parts at the moment😕 Difficult and anxious times we're living in and the post NTTD lull has well and truly kicked in, I feel.
Shame there isn't more going on for the 60th Year Anniversary, other than 'collectibles' released, many of which either miss the mark for collectors for one reason or another, or are ridiculously expensive. Although, fair play to Lock & Co. An interesting and fun collection. It's also great to have Bond back on the big screen at selected cinemas.
Any AJB events planned for October? I think it would be great to have something special to look forward to and a missed opportunity if we didn't do something? Thoughts, welcome.
Anyway, I hope everyone is keeping safe and well. I'm just popping down to the cellar to see if there are any bottles of Château Angélus, Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion, left. Can I bring anyone anything else whilst I'm down there?🍷
The days when Barbel and I would close the SABG down at the end of the evening and stagger towards the door as N24 carefully dried the glasses ready for the next day seem so long ago, but they will return...and I suspect Caractacus Potts may be fighting us to be last out. I do think part of the silence has been down to Barbel having misplaced his tambourine: it's just not the same without his old slap and tinkle on the stretched goat-skin drumhead.
That said, I've been fairly quiet in recent months myself. Between work, life, the ongoing drag of the pandemic, and the downward drag of NTTD, I just haven't found the time or enthusiasm to come here quite as often as I used to. The wind was knocked-out of my Bond sail by NTTD. It changed my view of the entire Craig era, and not in a good way. I can take refuge in Connery and LALD, but that's about it. The rest just isn't what it used to be for me. I suspect/hope my interest will return with a vengeance as it has brought me so much happiness over the years, but it's just not there right now.
I am looking forward to reading Horowitz's new book next week and there are a couple of new books coming out later in the year which I am keen for as well (one on the making of Dr. No and one on From Russia With Love). I'm keeping an eye on the anniversary merchandise, but there's little that's really excited me...other than the excellent prop-work of several members of this board and the Bond Vivant's great videos.
Despite that - and despite the unscrupulous and scurrilous actions of a few on the clothing and memorabilia forums - AJB is still an awesome place filled with humour, fantastic information, great discussions, and some truly lovely people. If things are quiet, it's no reflection on Mods or the quality of the board.
I feel your pain regarding NTTD. It has taken me a while to get over some aspects of the film. The double whammy for me is that there are some truly classic and great scenes and it could have been a fantastic Bond film. If I can offer you any consolation, some people like to imagine that it's a different Bond timeline to soothe their pain. I look at it as if it's the last James Bond adventure ever and everything that comes after will have been before and inbetween in the life of James Bond (skewed thinking I know, but kind of works for me). I hope your love and passion for Bond returns soon.
Couldn't agree more about The Bond Vivant.👍️ These videos along with selected others, always provide fun and enjoyment but even more so, during this little lull.
I'm looking forward to With a Mind To Kill too. I'm not aware of the Making of Dr No and From Russia With Love books. They sound great. Any more details?
Definitely with you too on your last point. AJB is a fantastic place to reside and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!❤️
Thanks @The Red Kind. We should have a game of dominoes next time we're in SABG together...although watch out because Napoleon Plural uses binoculars, a radio and a small ear piece to rig his games. Allegedly.
Dr. No is written by James Chapman and will be published by Columbia University Press on November 8 in a very expensive hardback and a more manageable paperback. It appears to be a scholarly text and reviews the film from the perspective of society and cinema in general.
From Russia With Love is by Llewella Chapman (not sure if she is related to James Chapman but Fleming rarely believed in coincidences!). Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 6.
I should have said above that I still enjoy most Bond films, especially the pure escapism of Pierce's outings, not just the Conneries and LALD as I wrote.
the weather is nice and the days are long, so good reason to step away from the computer when not actually working (and theres too much glare on the screen to take it outside with me)
but just cuz new Bond content stinks and we've said all there is to say about classic Bond content, why not talk about other vintage SpyMania? I've been trying to keep threads bumped on those related topics, and feel Harry Palmer or The Avengers have more in common with what I like about BondFilms anyway. I may start a Mission Impossible TV show thread soon if anybody else likes to discuss that show
domino effect said:
Dr. No is written by James Chapman and will be published by Columbia University Press on November 8 in a very expensive hardback and a more manageable paperback. It appears to be a scholarly text and reviews the film from the perspective of society and cinema in general.
From Russia With Loveis by Llewella Chapman (not sure if she is related to James Chapman but Fleming rarely believed in coincidences!). Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 6.
James Chapman wrote the excellent book of Bond analysis License to Thrill which I highly recommend, as well as Saints and Avengers about the ITV adventure shows of the 60s, supposedly also a book on Hitchcock's spy films I'm still looking for. There's lots of history and context in his books, as well as analysis taking it all apart and putting it back together again. If he's written a book just on Dr No I'm sure it'll be a good one.
One of our fellow forum members once mentioned he knows Chapman in real life, but I havent seen that member round lately.
It's nice to see some life her again, even if it's just to complain of the lack of life here.
Did I mention Le Seydoux will star in a remake of Emmanuelle? If that news doesn't generate some kind of reaction here, preferably inaproporiate, this place is truely dead. 😁 (just imagine what TP would've done with it ...)
Silhouette ManThe last refuge of a scoundrelPosts: 8,865MI6 Agent
Yes, Llewella is the wife of James Chapman and also an academic in her own right. I'm friends with both of them on Facebook and was chatting a while back with Llewella about some new information she'd found out about Red Grant which was in early drafts of the FRWL novel. I believe this new research will be included in her upcoming book on the film.
"The tough man of the world. The Secret Agent. The man who was only a silhouette." - Ian Fleming, Moonraker (1955).
Who's Lea Seydoux? Emmanuelle I know, but not the other. 😎
Thanks for the background information, Silhouette Man. I felt they might be related, but you never know. I intend to get both books so I am very much looking forward to them. Thanks also to you, Caractacus, for the Licence to Thrill recommendation. I have had my eye on it for some time and may just have to splurge now.
Now, back to more important things. Bartender, may I have a Jamaican Negroni, please?
One of the reasons I stopped posting was because I've been sulking over NTTD !! I hadn't seen ti straight away and when I found out how it ended I refused to watch it 😜
Anyway, I watched it tonight for the first time. If it was going to be the last Bond film made, I would have loved it. It had all the right things. Cars, previous M's and continuation etc etc but it isn't. There's going to be a new one. So, ultimately , I'm still seriously miffed that they let DC kill off the character.
So, in short, I came straight to the SABG because I need a large Jack Daniels to process it.
I am, yes. It had all the ingredients of an end of franchise film. Death of Blofeld , Leiter, revisiting Vesper etc etc ...
In the UK the families of the big stately homes describe themselves as custodians of the house until the next generation takes over and that's how I feel about Bond actors. I felt Daniel Craig (I know it's not down to him but he certainly had a massive say) was very arrogant in killing Bond off. How is he the actor that gets his own stand alone story arc? It's not about the actor, it's about the character.
I knew I shouldn't have watched it. I am seriously peed off.
I'll have a large anything, as long as its alcohol content is over 40%. Then I'm going to sit in the corner, take out my teeth, and mutter to no one in particular: "When I was young, James Bond would never have died with a stuffed rabbit stuck down his trousers..."
Comments
bonus marks for iconoclasm !!!
@Barbel back when I joined the gang all those years ago I liked the fact that you were so active, immediately telling me jokes and explaining the music and encouraging me to overanalyse. much better than taking the trouble to register then nobody acknowledges me, like in some forums. and I'm sure new members all like @Number24 posting as much as he does because they quickly learn he's going to show them some dirty pictures.
I would say dont worry about being the last one in a thread. Its up to the others to add to the thread, and eventually someone will, especially if you pose a good question encouraging new opinions. The other option is to not post at all, and I guarantee the forum will grind to a halt if we do that.
I have been wondering about something: Has president Zelensky's voice become deeper since, say ......late February? 😁
@caractacus potts Thank you!
I will have to post the thread about Barbel I've been meaning to do... perhaps this week. Friday perhaps.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
It's pretty quiet in these here parts at the moment😕 Difficult and anxious times we're living in and the post NTTD lull has well and truly kicked in, I feel.
Shame there isn't more going on for the 60th Year Anniversary, other than 'collectibles' released, many of which either miss the mark for collectors for one reason or another, or are ridiculously expensive. Although, fair play to Lock & Co. An interesting and fun collection. It's also great to have Bond back on the big screen at selected cinemas.
Any AJB events planned for October? I think it would be great to have something special to look forward to and a missed opportunity if we didn't do something? Thoughts, welcome.
Anyway, I hope everyone is keeping safe and well. I'm just popping down to the cellar to see if there are any bottles of Château Angélus, Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Émilion, left. Can I bring anyone anything else whilst I'm down there?🍷
The days when Barbel and I would close the SABG down at the end of the evening and stagger towards the door as N24 carefully dried the glasses ready for the next day seem so long ago, but they will return...and I suspect Caractacus Potts may be fighting us to be last out. I do think part of the silence has been down to Barbel having misplaced his tambourine: it's just not the same without his old slap and tinkle on the stretched goat-skin drumhead.
That said, I've been fairly quiet in recent months myself. Between work, life, the ongoing drag of the pandemic, and the downward drag of NTTD, I just haven't found the time or enthusiasm to come here quite as often as I used to. The wind was knocked-out of my Bond sail by NTTD. It changed my view of the entire Craig era, and not in a good way. I can take refuge in Connery and LALD, but that's about it. The rest just isn't what it used to be for me. I suspect/hope my interest will return with a vengeance as it has brought me so much happiness over the years, but it's just not there right now.
I am looking forward to reading Horowitz's new book next week and there are a couple of new books coming out later in the year which I am keen for as well (one on the making of Dr. No and one on From Russia With Love). I'm keeping an eye on the anniversary merchandise, but there's little that's really excited me...other than the excellent prop-work of several members of this board and the Bond Vivant's great videos.
Despite that - and despite the unscrupulous and scurrilous actions of a few on the clothing and memorabilia forums - AJB is still an awesome place filled with humour, fantastic information, great discussions, and some truly lovely people. If things are quiet, it's no reflection on Mods or the quality of the board.
Thanks for your candid words @The Domino Effect
I feel your pain regarding NTTD. It has taken me a while to get over some aspects of the film. The double whammy for me is that there are some truly classic and great scenes and it could have been a fantastic Bond film. If I can offer you any consolation, some people like to imagine that it's a different Bond timeline to soothe their pain. I look at it as if it's the last James Bond adventure ever and everything that comes after will have been before and inbetween in the life of James Bond (skewed thinking I know, but kind of works for me). I hope your love and passion for Bond returns soon.
Couldn't agree more about The Bond Vivant.👍️ These videos along with selected others, always provide fun and enjoyment but even more so, during this little lull.
I'm looking forward to With a Mind To Kill too. I'm not aware of the Making of Dr No and From Russia With Love books. They sound great. Any more details?
Definitely with you too on your last point. AJB is a fantastic place to reside and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!❤️
Thanks @The Red Kind. We should have a game of dominoes next time we're in SABG together...although watch out because Napoleon Plural uses binoculars, a radio and a small ear piece to rig his games. Allegedly.
Dr. No is written by James Chapman and will be published by Columbia University Press on November 8 in a very expensive hardback and a more manageable paperback. It appears to be a scholarly text and reviews the film from the perspective of society and cinema in general.
From Russia With Love is by Llewella Chapman (not sure if she is related to James Chapman but Fleming rarely believed in coincidences!). Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 6.
I should have said above that I still enjoy most Bond films, especially the pure escapism of Pierce's outings, not just the Conneries and LALD as I wrote.
I'm missing those days, TDE, but keep patient 🙂.
I'm sure that tambourine is here somewhere....
the weather is nice and the days are long, so good reason to step away from the computer when not actually working (and theres too much glare on the screen to take it outside with me)
but just cuz new Bond content stinks and we've said all there is to say about classic Bond content, why not talk about other vintage SpyMania? I've been trying to keep threads bumped on those related topics, and feel Harry Palmer or The Avengers have more in common with what I like about BondFilms anyway. I may start a Mission Impossible TV show thread soon if anybody else likes to discuss that show
domino effect said:
Dr. No is written by James Chapman and will be published by Columbia University Press on November 8 in a very expensive hardback and a more manageable paperback. It appears to be a scholarly text and reviews the film from the perspective of society and cinema in general.
From Russia With Love is by Llewella Chapman (not sure if she is related to James Chapman but Fleming rarely believed in coincidences!). Published by Bloomsbury Publishing on October 6.
James Chapman wrote the excellent book of Bond analysis License to Thrill which I highly recommend, as well as Saints and Avengers about the ITV adventure shows of the 60s, supposedly also a book on Hitchcock's spy films I'm still looking for. There's lots of history and context in his books, as well as analysis taking it all apart and putting it back together again. If he's written a book just on Dr No I'm sure it'll be a good one.
One of our fellow forum members once mentioned he knows Chapman in real life, but I havent seen that member round lately.
It's nice to see some life her again, even if it's just to complain of the lack of life here.
Did I mention Le Seydoux will star in a remake of Emmanuelle? If that news doesn't generate some kind of reaction here, preferably inaproporiate, this place is truely dead. 😁 (just imagine what TP would've done with it ...)
Yes, Llewella is the wife of James Chapman and also an academic in her own right. I'm friends with both of them on Facebook and was chatting a while back with Llewella about some new information she'd found out about Red Grant which was in early drafts of the FRWL novel. I believe this new research will be included in her upcoming book on the film.
Really looking forward to these books.
This place isn't what it used to be .... 😂
Who's Lea Seydoux? Emmanuelle I know, but not the other. 😎
Thanks for the background information, Silhouette Man. I felt they might be related, but you never know. I intend to get both books so I am very much looking forward to them. Thanks also to you, Caractacus, for the Licence to Thrill recommendation. I have had my eye on it for some time and may just have to splurge now.
Now, back to more important things. Bartender, may I have a Jamaican Negroni, please?
Happy May Two Four weekend, beverage enthusiasts!
One of the reasons I stopped posting was because I've been sulking over NTTD !! I hadn't seen ti straight away and when I found out how it ended I refused to watch it 😜
Anyway, I watched it tonight for the first time. If it was going to be the last Bond film made, I would have loved it. It had all the right things. Cars, previous M's and continuation etc etc but it isn't. There's going to be a new one. So, ultimately , I'm still seriously miffed that they let DC kill off the character.
So, in short, I came straight to the SABG because I need a large Jack Daniels to process it.
welcome back @Lady Rose !
are you saying you'd like the new film better if James Bond did not return? thats a bold and iconoclastic take, and therefor I approve
Large Jack Daniels for the lady, and welcome to the Seriously Miffed Club.
I am, yes. It had all the ingredients of an end of franchise film. Death of Blofeld , Leiter, revisiting Vesper etc etc ...
In the UK the families of the big stately homes describe themselves as custodians of the house until the next generation takes over and that's how I feel about Bond actors. I felt Daniel Craig (I know it's not down to him but he certainly had a massive say) was very arrogant in killing Bond off. How is he the actor that gets his own stand alone story arc? It's not about the actor, it's about the character.
I knew I shouldn't have watched it. I am seriously peed off.
Amendment- the Seriously Miffed Club is now the Seriously Peed Off Club.
Lady Rose made me think of the ending of NTTD and this made me sad. But on the other hand she returned, Bond style, and that makes me happy. 😀
Welcome to the SM/SPO Club @Lady Rose You're not alone.
Good to have you back!🥃
I'm going to have a read through the NTTD thread later. See what everyones thoughts are.
You might need a whole bottle of Jackie D. for that....
I'll have a large anything, as long as its alcohol content is over 40%. Then I'm going to sit in the corner, take out my teeth, and mutter to no one in particular: "When I was young, James Bond would never have died with a stuffed rabbit stuck down his trousers..."
😁😁😁
Don't get me started ..... 🤬
Welcome back, @Lady Rose. I'm sorry you had a bad experience with NTTD but hopefully you'll like the next Bond film better! 🙂