the spy who loved me

007 DAYS OF JAMES BOND: From Worst to First (Part 3)

/ Chris Luckett / Leave a comment
Photo: United Artists

Photo: United Artists

Chris Luckett

As a seven-part feature, I’ll be counting down the final week to Skyfall’s release in North American theatres on Nov. 9 with seven James Bond-related articles. Day 7: From Worst to First (Part 3).

Some critics bash action movies too much. While movies like Transformers and Wanted do give the genre a bad name, there’s a fine art to crafting a really good action movie. The best ones supersede their preposterousness (or, sometimes, winkingly embrace it) and create an exciting experience with every cinematic piston firing in just the right rhythm. Continue reading →

007 DAYS OF JAMES BOND: The Best Henchmen/women

/ Chris Luckett / Leave a comment
Photo: United Artists

Photo: United Artists

Chris Luckett

As a seven-part feature, I’ll be counting down the final week to Skyfall’s release in North American theatres on Nov. 9 with seven James Bond-related articles. Day 3: The Best Henchmen/women.

Villains get all the glory. Le Chiffre, Rosa Klebb, Scaramanga, Max Zorin, Hugo Drax, Blofeld, Alec Trevelyan… They get all the credit, even though they often delegate most of the work. Their henchmen are the ones who are often in the trenches, trying to kill Bond and keep him from reaching their boss. It’s about time they got their dues. Continue reading →

007 DAYS OF JAMES BOND: The Best Stunts

/ Chris Luckett / Leave a comment
Photo: United Artists

Photo: United Artists

Chris Luckett

As a seven-part feature, I’ll be counting down the final week to Skyfall‘s release in North American theatres on Nov. 9 with seven James Bond-related articles. Day 2: The Best Stunts.

The James Bond movies have always had an action element to them, and with action scenes eventually comes outrageous stunts. The 007 series has had some of the craziest of cinema over the years, setting numerous Guinness world records. Continue reading →

007 DAYS OF JAMES BOND: The Best Title Sequences

/ Chris Luckett / Leave a comment
Photo: United Artists

Photo: United Artists

Chris Luckett

As a seven-part feature, I’ll be counting down the final week to Skyfall’s release in North American theatres on Nov. 9 with seven James Bond-related articles. Day 1: The Best Title Sequences.

James Bond films fell into formula rather quickly. Even the Daniel Craig era, which aimed to reinvent the series and its trademarks, has still kept significant concepts signature to the franchise. One of the most beloved aspects of the films from the very beginning has been the stylized and often-psychedelic title sequence that accompanies the opening credits of a Bond film. Continue reading →