Creasy47's Behind The Avatar Interview Thread With Agent_99 (Page 22)

Samuel001

Very nice too! I hope it all works out for you Creasy, once again, great interview.

Creasy47

4EverBonded wrote:

Nicely and sensibly said, @Creasy47! :)

Regarding acting - I am not sure about where you live, but many places have amateur acting groups for plays and musicals, things like that. You may try your hand at it and enjoy it. Don't wait until you are 87 years old and can only play the deaf man sitting by the cafe playing chess with his equally old dog by his side. ;)

Haha, very great tips that I heavily take into consideration.

Thank you for the kind words, everyone!

Benny

Well my friends, I think you'll agree this has been a wonderful interview to start this thread with a bang.
I would like to thank @Creasy47 for being such a charming and pleasant guest. You've really set a benchmark here. Many thanks for your time, and depth of answer.
But alas we do have to move on.
My next guest is a well known and regular member of the forum clocking up over 13,000 posts. Now that is dedication.
A big welcome to...@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

AgentJamesBond007

Benny wrote:

Well my friends, I think you'll agree this has been a wonderful interview to start this thread with a bang.
I would like to thank @Creasy47 for being such a charming and pleasant guest. You've really set a benchmark here. Many thanks for your time, and depth of answer.
But alas we do have to move on.
My next guest is a well known and regular member of the forum clocking up over 13,000 posts. Now that is dedication.
A big welcome to...@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Congrats to Brady!

=D>

4EverBonded

Yay! Can't wait to learn more about our prolific member, 0Brady. Bring it on! =D>

Sandy

@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7!

Creasy47

Thank you, @Benny! Much appreciated, and I'm looking forward to hearing more about my good friend Brady.

Benny

And so the time comes for me to get my interview with @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 underway. So make yourselves comfy. Maybe pour yourself a vodka martini....or a nice cuppa, and let's get started.

Benny wrote:

How did you become interested in James Bond?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

The beginning of my Bond love is quite dubious to be honest, but I will try to give the best account that I can. I refer to my Bond origin story as uncertain because like Sherlock Holmes, he is a character so iconic that I have always known him, therefore it is rather hard to pinpoint exactly where we first came into contact. Since I was a 90s kid I am sure I caught Brosnan’s films on the television all throughout my childhood, and by how popular the character himself was I always knew the name of James Bond. It wasn’t until a little later on in life that I became officially acquainted with 007 through a massive period of Bondmania that began the journey that brought me here to this great forum.
So, my Bond story starts one day while I was in my high school history class. A few people including myself were speaking about cinema and famous films and characters in general when my best friend mentioned James Bond. He asked me my thoughts, and I confessed that while I knew of the character, I honestly hadn’t seen that much of the franchise. He himself is a big Connery fan, and looked at me with a “what the hell do you mean” look on his face, astonished at my blasphemy. To boil it down, he told me quite seriously that I needed to see the Bond films, with emphasis on Sean Connery’s Bond films. Now, at that point in my life I knew some of the actors that had played Bond but hadn’t really explored much of their films at all, only catching glimpses of them in passing and nothing beyond casual movie viewing. Then, as fate would have it, just days after my friend told me to watch Connery’s films, I was flicking through some channels one night and on TCM (Turner Classic Movies) a little film by the name of Goldfinger was playing. I knew instantly by the name that it was a Sean Connery James Bond film, and made a decision that forever changed my life. I chose to give it a chance, and sat down to watch the rest of it in excitement. And boy did it deliver. Something about it, namely Connery and his presence attracted me to the film more than anything and after watching it I wanted to see what else there was out there. That summer, as fate would again have it, there was a huge Bond movie marathon from June to August where several Bond films were played over that season, and it was during this time that I saw all the Connery films and officially fell in deep love. I adored his first four to death, loved what Daniel did with the character, and branched out more to other areas of Bondmania and looked anywhere for any kind of Bond knowledge that I could file in my brain because I was so passionate about this character.

Yes, my best friend had officially created a monster, and over time I became the Bond expert that he would come to for questions and had become an even more enthusiastic Connery Bond lover than he was. I soon discovered that there were books before the films in the 50s written by some Ian Fleming bloke and began a search for those as well, and didn’t locate them until just recently in a Barnes and Noble bookstore, a summer or two back. So to sum it up, from the moment I saw Goldfinger and became introduced to Sean Connery’s James Bond in my early teens I began to get interested in Bond officially. Since then I have grown to cherish the character and the franchise in general more than ever before, and that love brought me here to this forum to share it with the rest of you, a decision I am so happy I made.

Nothing wrong with that. The good thing is that you remain a Bond fan, and your interest in the character grew. I'm sure that would be true of many of us.

Benny

Benny wrote:

What are your thoughts on each of the actors to play Bond? And who is your favourite?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

What are my opinions on the Bond actors? Okay, here we go then, time to write a novel. As I stated, Connery was the Bond that got me into the films in a big bad way in the first place. He was the perfect mix of coldness, brutality, suave, attractiveness, charm and supreme confidence that I instantly latched on to. He was everything to me and made looking cool so effortless, the supreme blueprint of the character in every way, shape and form. I loved that he maintained all these amazing qualities of the spy yet he also made the character compelling and layered because we got to see a man who could kill you without a thought but would become vengeful for the death of those he held dear. His first few films, which I call the golden four are my go to Bond films for iconic Bondian content. He was at the top of his game in DN, FRWL, GF and TB and gave us so many fantastic performances that helped make the 60s the best decade for James Bond films to this day and is part of the reason we are still here today watching them 50 years on. To put it simply, for me, whenever I hear the name James Bond, I picture Sean Connery with a PPK in his best suit and pose, staring magnetically into my eyes.

Now, on to George. While I am not a fan of him off-screen, overall I think he handled the role of James Bond quite well. He didn’t completely blow me out of the water, but he wasn’t a damning failure either. He is no Connery, but helped bring us back to a deep Bond who had vulnerability and problems. He had a commanding presence, the charm and brutality, and handled all the lovey-dovey scenes with Tracy surprisingly well for a man who wasn’t a trained actor. While there are some things I hate, like his dubbed voice (which was not his fault), overall I think he was good in OHMSS and definitely wasn’t as bad as many will make out.

Ah, Sir Roger Moore. To be frank, when I first got into Bond and tried to watch his films I was such a Connery purist that I despised him. We had a James Bond that would crack one-liners continuously, behaved oh so outlandishly and at times made it quite apparent to everyone around him that he was a secret agent from the British government. I hated the celebrity like character he had become, especially in the early films most prominently. It was as if everyone on the face of the earth knew that he was an agent named James Bond. That kind of makes the whole title of “secret” agent meaningless, doesn’t it? Anyway, while I used to hate his Bond things have gotten much better with time. I do have to thank many on this site for helping me to see the good in all the interpretations, though they may not fit the vision I have of James Bond. So, in going back and giving the Moore era another try, I did manage to enjoy them greatly, and while they are not my go to Bond films and Roger isn’t my preferred James Bond, I respect his role in the films and his service to the series. The things I loved most about Roger playing Bond was just how much fun you could tell he was having. Even if the film’s plot or villain wasn’t doing it for you, one look at Roger and you were just fine because he made the films fun to watch and enjoy with his charm. I also loved how Roger’s Bond had such a wide breath of knowledge in everything from language and technology to politics and even miscellaneous factoids and much, much more. I appreciate how much they really showed Bond’s intelligence in his era.

Next we have Timothy. When I first saw Tim I was blown away. He was probably the one I hadn’t heard much of at all yet he impressed me greatly. I love Bond interpretations that bring depth to the character, and he did that in spades. Some of his scenes are acted so powerfully, like when he finds Felix and Della in LTK that you connect so significantly to Bond as a character, and I love that. He played the drama with finesse, the action quite expertly and though some of his one-liners felt out of place for his interpretation, I stick with them because of how believable he is in the role. Much like how we missed out on George in DAF, we didn’t get to see more from Tim beyond his two films, something that I find to be saddening. Still, we have two spectacular performances to watch, and for that I am excited to revisit them again and again.

As for Pierce, he is one Bond that I just can’t pin down. There are some moments where you can see his inspirations, but other moments it is foggy. While he will never be one of my leading favorites, he does have some magnificent moments. Unfortunately, he got some bad scripts along the way and didn’t get to perform as his version of Bond, but still kept the series going after the big hiatus and got legions of people back into Bond again. For that, I thank him. I need to desperately revisit his films, and maybe I will finally be able to give a final opinion on his Bond with much fresher eyes.

And now we have Daniel. I have always had a soft spot for him and his Bond, so much so that I could write an essay and more on him and his interpretation as I could with Sean’s Bond. The first time I saw Casino Royale I was completely blown away by how amazing he was. He brought back the Bond I loved, with the perfect mix of brutality, coldness, calm cool that Sean and Tim had into the 21st century. He is the Bond that has kept me interested in where the franchise is going at the present time because his Bond is in many areas deeper than we have ever seen, and for that I love him. He has helped make Bond go beyond just an action hero, and his first three films have become character studies on the character of James Bond. We see him bleed, cry, and fall, but he always gets back up and continues fighting. I have become so proud of Dan and what his immense talent has brought to the role. His Bond exemplifies the character’s reverence to M, England and his duty to protect the realm, and he relentlessly pursues threats against it no matter what obstacles face him. Dan’s acting prowess and startling dedication to the character and the franchise speaks volume of his character, and he has done the vast majority of his own very dangerous stunts, helped get big name directors and actors involved in the franchise and even helped scripting QoS when all hope seemed lost. For all this and more Dan is not only a fantastic man but a phenomenal Bond actor, and I can’t wait to see what else he has to bring us. With Skyfall he sealed the deal, sharing the number 1 spot with Sean Connery for my favorite James Bond, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They are the two interpretations that I hold most dear and I will be enjoying them for many years to come.

Sorry for the length of this answer, but I felt obligated to go into great detail for this particular question.

Could you elaborate on that perhaps? ;)
Never be afraid to give as much depth to your answers as you like.
I think it's possibly true of many fans, that we all have a favourite, but along the way all the Bond actors have done something that has put a smile on our face.

Benny

Benny wrote:

The obligatory favourite Bond film and of course a reason why? Followed by your least favourite and why it ranks at the bottom?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

My favorite Bond film, which many are probably tired of hearing me gush about, is Casino Royale. For so many reasons it claims the top spot in my ranking. It is the film that introduced me to Daniel’s Bond, an interpretation that I adore. We meet Vesper Lynd, my favorite Bond girl of all time and quite truly she likely can’t be topped. She is the perfect mix of mystery, eloquence, sexiness, class, intelligence, confidence, independence and more, and played oh so perfectly by the lovely Ms. Eva Green. She has great chemistry with Dan as seen in their first meeting on the train, which made their relationship all the more real. Every time I look at Eva/Vesper on screen I fall more and more in love, just like Bond does and seriously can’t imagine anyone else in the role. Vesper is also one of the most interesting of the Bond girls, because though she does a bad thing to Bond, you sympathize with her situation and care for her when she basically gives her life to save Bond. Top class all around, and played perfectly by Eva. The film also has my favorite opening titles, where Kleinman creates a spectacular design all built around the theme of a casino. It is so creatively constructed with such clever sequences and pieces that is endlessly enhanced by Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” that it instantly becomes my favorite. Also, Mathis is a top three favorite ally for me, and I simply adore his character and how he acts off Bond; there is great chemistry between Dan and Giancarlo, and so well acted by both sides. Finally, The film makes a simple game of cards look like the most dramatic and exciting activity in the world, with great suspense and wonderful acting by Dan and Mads, who gives us a great villain. I could go on and on, but many of you know just why this film is tops for me and why I am so enamored by it.

As for my least favorite, it is probably Die Another Day. There are other films that I find to be just average, but DAD is much worse because of all the potential that was there and was ultimately wasted. Throw in Tamahori and his plan to use the codename theory and we have a real stinker. We get a Bond who is wrecked from torture yet in seconds he is back to super Bond with no real depth and it is almost like he was never tortured at all by the time the film gets going. It would have been great if Bond had to deal with sharing the British government’s secrets under duress and face distrust from M and all of MI6, but all that is squashed and things really go downhill when Jinx arrives on the scene. Needless to say, DAD caused actual physical pain to me several times, and for that I have to give it the title of the worst Bond film.

For many Bond fans the over the top story, poor CGI and bad dialogue was a real downer to end the Brosnan era. Thankfully four years later Bond fans were treated to a real re-birth of the character in the form of Daniel Craig.
I know not all Bond fans feel that way, but I think there are a few who would feel the same.

Benny

Benny wrote:

What are some of your thoughts on the other areas of Bond. Favourite novel? Favourite games? Favourite song and soundtrack?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

As for the areas of Bond content that are separate from the films, I have indulged in some of the novels, play some of the games and enjoy the music. I haven’t read that much Fleming, but have finished Casino Royale, Live and Let Die and Moonraker, and for the most part I really love them, especially Royale. Fleming was such a skilled writer, whose syntax matched and exceeded that of some classic writers in its eloquence and descriptive power. He composed such beautiful scenes and dialogue, as if he was performing magic with text on a page. I have all the Fleming books but Goldfinger and the short story collections, and have made a promise to myself to read them all the rest at some time in the future. They are the basis for the character and I know I will learn so much more about the character that I love so much by reading them all. To put it simply, Fleming was a genius who gets too commonly overlooked for his literary contributions.

As for the games, I have dabbled. Quantum of Solace was an okay game, but I hate first person shooters. However, the third person shooter Bond game Blood Stone struck my fancy, and while there are definite issues with it I ultimately have a grand time every time I replay it.

The music/scores of the films, much like @Creasy47 before me is an area that I lack in knowledge. While I know all the composers and some scores, I probably couldn’t name the film a certain track appears for a majority of cases or what is going on in the scene judging by the score playing just yet. I have made a promise to myself to study the music much more, and have begun to listen to a lot more of John Barry. His 60s scores are just magic to the ears, and eternal hats must come off to him for making the quintessential Bond music. The Bond themes and scores of the early Connery films are the ones I have always loved, with the big orchestras making such amazing sounds it is impossible not to get into the music and feel like Bond yourself. There really is no disputing that Barry will always be the King of Bond music, because he was the one that created the iconic Bond sound in the first place and set the standard for all that Bond scores can and should be.

As for my favorite song, some of my favorites are “You Know My Name”, “Goldfinger”, “From Russia With Love”, “Thunderball” and “Nobody Does it Better”, just to name off a few. I think the 60s are the most iconic musically, and the Moore era really got lucky with a great amount of catchy songs that are always a joy to listen to again and again.

Fine taste in Bond novels there. I'd add FRWL, OHMSS and YOLT to that...infact all Fleming is a great read.
YKMN is a Bond song that has really grown on me. I wasn't a huge fan in '06, but over the years it's become a member of my favourites in the Bond canon. Of course the Moore era got some catchy songs. It was an 'All Time High'
Sorry couldn't resist. ;)

Benny

Benny wrote:

What are your favourite aspects of the Bond film series? And if you were able to bring something to the films/ character what would you add to the series if you could?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

The aspects of the Bond films that I like most are when we get to really connect with the character. As I said previously, I always return to Sean, Tim and Dan’s films because they have Bond interpretations that are very deep and compelling to study. Dan has brought back what I loved from Sean and Tim and also given Bond his own flare, and made him a character that you could actually analyze. For the first time in a while you can look at Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall and ask yourself why Bond did what he did or said what he said, and in Dan’s films there is a great sense of character development. We see his Bond go from a reckless rookie to a fantastically loyal agent, another thing I love about Dan’s interpretation of the character and something I would love to see continue in his era and beyond into the far future. I simply think the films are more interesting when we get to see depth in Bond, and are able to feel for him and care about what he is risking and being faced with in each adventure. As for what I would like to see brought to the films, I would love to see more opportunities to delve into Bond’s past like Skyfall dabbled in. It would also be great to see shots of Bond simply exercising to keep fit, hitting the shooting range at MI6, doing some paperwork and see his house and morning routine he has to get ready every day. Hopefully since John Logan is going back to Fleming and taking inspiration from the original source we will continue to see more and more about Bond and who he is at his core, something I immensely look forward to with Dan in the role.

It's also an aspect of the Daniel Craig films that I appreciate, and feel that Tim Dalton was also edging the character in that direction in the 80's. Exploring who Bond was, and why he does what he does. It's a fascinating side to the character, that makes him more appealing and less cartoonish.

Well there we go folks. That's all from @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 and myself for now, I'm sure I've worn him out with this initial set of questions. But we will of course be back to ask some more Bondian questions later in the week, and then onto the more personal stuff after that.
Hope you enjoyed the show...goodnight.

Mod Edit - I am aware that this interview takes place over several consecutive posts or could be considered a 'multi post'
However due to the depth and content of @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 answers it was not possible to fit them into one or two posts.
Thanks

Sandy

Great job with the interviews @Benny! It was a pleasure reading your answers @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7. DAD also makes me feel physically sick :-& only thinking about it and I feel slightly feverish.

Sir_James_Moloney

Just to repeat what others have said more eloquently, this is a really great thread @Benny. Really interesting answers from @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7.

Creasy47

Very, very unique read, Brady! Looking forward to the rest of your answers.

CommanderRoss

Fascinating read again, keep it up @Benny 'n @OBrady!

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Thank you for the kind words, all. It is quite fun to answer these. :)

Creasy47

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

Thank you for the kind words, all. It is quite fun to answer these. :)

That it was. I had a very enjoyable time doing this.

thelivingroyale

Great interview

Benny

Please forgive the lack of progress with this interview.
I have an unforseen work issue that is taking up alot of my time. However we will continue with @0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 interview as soon as I get some spare time.
Thanks for your understanding and patience.

CommanderRoss

I'm calm! I'm CALM!!!!! I'm telling you I can handle the waiting !!! I CAN!!!! Now hurry up!!!! ;-)

Dragonpol

You have all of my understanding and patience, kind sir.

DCisared

Any movement on the interviews folks?

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

DCisared wrote:

Any movement on the interviews folks?

I was wondering the same. I guess @Benny still has his hands full at his workplace.

DCisared

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 wrote:

DCisared wrote:

Any movement on the interviews folks?

I was wondering the same. I guess @Benny still has his hands full at his workplace.

Yea I haven't been around for a little while so finding my feet around these parts again but I guess that's the case.
:-/

StirredNotShaken

Do I let you know here? I'm totally down for being interviewed, whenever you want.

Creasy47

This really disappeared. Been about a month and a half now, isn't it? Looking forward to hearing more about you, Brady!

Benny

You will be happy to know that I have just sent Brady the next set of questions, and hopefully get this interview underway once again. After a very lengthy delay.
Thank you for you patience....the show will go on!

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Great! I will have a busy two days ahead of me and then I am leaving on a vacation of sorts to visit family, so I will get the questions to you as soon as I can, @Benny.

CommanderRoss

Can't wait for the answers!