SPECTRE

[Drunk Monk]

I got shut out of SPECTRE twice. Both times, I was with Stacy and we were right up at the box office but no, sold out. I've been binging on Bond films and was really ready to see this. So I caught Spectre on my own, in honor of being such a major bondage fan in high school. It was ok.

The opening scene was great - almost all a single shot that was brilliant, massive and complex. Then it got a little silly. It's a war over surveillance info, and I prefer the good ol' spectre when they were just stealing atomic bombs. IT wars, which has even plagued my fav TV show Homeland this season, just get too silly for me because it's so deus ex machina. Some IT master hacker types a few keys and penetrates firewalls, gets access to street cams all over, does facial recognition matches in seconds. I deal with our IT all the time, and it just doesn't happen like that. And given what happened with the forums over the last few days, well, these cinematic hackers are more like wizards than real IT. The whole 'reveal' of blofeld didn't really work for me (would have worked better if he lost his hair too). Blofeld shouldn't have earlobes either.

I know, I know, picky Bond fan, but what can I say? Connery was the one and only Bond and while I like Craig for his rough edges, he just isn't properly British enough. Plus he falls in love with every Bond girl. That can't happen. Connery used his Bond girls to block assassin's truncheons and even bullets. That's the real Bond. Craig had a good run, but in the end, his Bond films remind me of the Dark Knight films - it's their own little version from beginning to end of the tale over several films. I'm ready to move on.

It's really all about SPECTRE's opening scene. That is literally worth the price of admission on the big screen.

[Greg_phpbb3_import1]

It's really dumb. DUMB. God, was it dumb.

As for the first scene? Dumb. With bad CGI. And yes, saw it on the big screen if Florida. And if there is one thing Florida knows, it's Dumb.

And the Blofeld business. Didn't we just go through that with Khan.

Dumb

[Drunk Monk]

As for the first scene? Dumb. With bad CGI.

Well, it got to some bad CGI at the end for sure. But the initial part was a single shot (stitched together with some careful edits as they panned across walls as such) and I'm a sucker for a good single shot, just like I'm a sucker for blonde supergirls.

[Drunk Monk]

We just watched SPECTRE again and it does tie up all the three previous films in a neat little package...a ticking package...waiting to go off. The opening scene is Mendes showing off his cinematographic skills - a massive precursor to 1917. He had the last two Bond flicks so he's primed Fukunaga to finish it. We shall see. 

The Craig arc is quite entertaining on its own. Stacy and I had a blast watching them, so much so that we're debating going back to the Sean arc and rewatching those in order. CR is by far the best one of Craig's. The rest are in its wake. The level of action is exhilarating and Craig commands as Bond. Stacy liked SPECTRE best because she likes panoramic locals. I did love that opening shot and Waltz is one of my fav villain actors, even if he didn't quite capture Blofeld for me beyond having a white pussy. It's the brother thing that bugs me. They could have done without Bond's childhood backstory. 

I'm down for No Time to Die. That's coming out on our 26th anniversary. But I'm seeing it in 3 days. Yep. I'm been invited to an advanced screener.

[Greg]

From the Graham Norton show interview.

Daniel Craig listed some of the most painful injuries that occurred on the set of his "James Bond" films and revealed that he once broke Dave Bautista's nose during a fight scene and then ran away at the fear of reprisal.
Craig told "The Graham Norton Show" that he and Bautista had to square up for a fight scene on a train in 2015's "Spectre."
"I threw a punch and hit him on the nose," Craig said. "I heard this crack and I was like 'Oh God no' and ran away. I thought he was going to come after me, but he was so sweet."

Daniel Craig broke Dave Bautista's nose. The Graham Norton Show/YouTube/MGM

Craig said that Bautista dismissed his fears and casually fixed his nose back into position.
"He's a lot tougher than I am. I'll give him that," he said.
Craig also revealed that he had previously hurt himself during the fight scene with Bautista. He said that Bautista - who is a professional wrestler turned actor - had to throw him around during the fight sequence, but he was being "gentle" due to their difference in physical size.
One day, however, Craig challenged Bautista to pick up the intensity, which led to a serious knee injury.
"I ended up on the wall, but my knee was over here somewhere," Craig said, gesturing away from him. "I knew and it was horrible because if anyone's had a serious injury, you just know in your head that something is really wrong."

[Drunk Monk]

That was a decent fight scene. Bautista plays his one note in this flick but FWIW, he's the only heavy villain in the Craig arc, in the traditional of Oddjob and Jaws. 

Craig gets the award for the bloodiest Bond. He bleeds a lot. 

Also worthy of note - TENTACLES! 

The opening theme song sequence is tentacular. I still want a SPECTRE ring. I've held several at comic-cons but have yet to buy one.

[Greg]

I am constantly bothered by the fact they sell a poster through FB that shows all the Acting Bonds playing poker together. Read the books people. Or even watch the movies. He played poker in one movie, dammit. Baccarat for life! Yes, I put my pedantic pants on this morning.

Like the Yeti says, I really need a hobby.

[Drunk Monk]

I feel ya, bro. The switch to poker bothered me too.

I would not want said poster. Do they have one of all the Bond girls playing poker? That might work...

Might I suggest spoon collecting?