NowPlayingPodcast's James Bond series (SKYFALL!!!!)

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  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited August 2012 Posts: 24,256
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    They are fast? I thought it was just one per week, then at the begining of the week there were two review, now another film and book? I'll be checking them right away.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    Sandy wrote:
    They are fast? I thought it was just one per week, then at the begining of the week there were two review, now another film and book? I'll be checking them right away.

    And they keep being interesting, I'd say.
  • As entertaining as these Podcasts are, I can't help but get pretty damn annoyed. They didn't like Dr No, Goldfinger or Thunderball, they gave From Russia With Love a weak reccomend, and loved You Only Live Twice. I just.. I dunno. It feels like these people don't 'get' Bond.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    DamnCoffee wrote:
    As entertaining as these Podcasts are, I can't help but get pretty damn annoyed. They didn't like Dr No, Goldfinger or Thunderball, they gave From Russia With Love a weak reccomend, and loved You Only Live Twice. I just.. I dunno. It feels like these people don't 'get' Bond.

    'They' is mostly one host, friend. To be be fair, FRWL was highly recommended. Also, you are correct that they don't get Bond. But then unlike most of us, they haven't watched the Bond films in the double digits or with the same passion.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited August 2012 Posts: 12,480
    They probably don't get coffee, either. ;)
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    I'm of the opinion that Stuart is very fair in his comments, trying to spy the best in the films, but also pointing out possible flaws and at least stating, with arguments, the reasons why. I've always liked Stuart, ever since they started their Friday 13th retrospective series aeons ago.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
  • KronsteenKronsteen Stockholm
    Posts: 783
    I really like this podcast, highy entertaining! It's very interesting hearing different peoples views, Brock seems to be a Bond fan (of some sort) while the other two are not... it leads to nice discussions and I am always hooked to get to know what the non-Bond fans think.

    I really can't say who's Arnie and who's Stuart, but it's interesting that one of them want logic and realism and therefore can't enjoy some of the Bonds while the other wants the outlandishness and gadgets. This is what, probably, reflects the typical movie-goer. For a change its nice to hear reviews/discussions among people who don't know Bond.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    Kronsteen wrote:
    I really like this podcast, highy entertaining! It's very interesting hearing different peoples views, Brock seems to be a Bond fan (of some sort) while the other two are not... it leads to nice discussions and I am always hooked to get to know what the non-Bond fans think.

    I really can't say who's Arnie and who's Stuart, but it's interesting that one of them want logic and realism and therefore can't enjoy some of the Bonds while the other wants the outlandishness and gadgets. This is what, probably, reflects the typical movie-goer. For a change its nice to hear reviews/discussions among people who don't know Bond.

    Glad you enjoy them, @Kronsteen, although over the years I've come to expect lengthier and more complete podcasts from NPP - that said, as the films get closer to now, that's what usually happens so I have hopes ;-).

    Brock is indeed the Bond fan in that he seems to enjoy them more or less regularly. However, I wouldn't call him too big a connoisseur for in that case we here at the forums would all be almost academic experts. :)

    I believe Arnie's the one you credit with looking for logic, which is actually funny since he's quite the apologetic member of the team in many other retrospectives, mostly the ones including superhero and horror stuff. Can't blame him though, we all have our beloved series. :P

  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    I've been having a good time listening to these podcasts. I'm so used to discussing the films with people who love them and have watched them dozens of times, both in this forum as outside, that I find this refreshing! Looking forward to the rest of the episodes, as well as next Books and Nachos reviews which so far have also been great entertainment.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    From Russia With Love out on Books and Nachos and Live and Let Die up on Now Playing.
    http://www.booksandnachos.com/episode.htm?id=78
    http://www.nowplayingpodcast.com/Podcasts/NPPBOND098.MP3
  • edited August 2012 Posts: 127
    Great show once again. I feel like the episodes have had a great standard overall and this was one of the most interesting up to this point. Definitely curious to hear what they think of the rest of Moore's Bonds.
  • Just to add my recommendation of Now Playing to the mix. I have been a fan since I found them covering the Star Trek films in the lead up to the 2009 film. Their tastes are always fairly consistent, in so far as I am not at all surprised Arnie is not enjoying the 60s Bond films. He is difficult to categorise, but is a huge Star Wars fan, and likes horror and modern action. Stuart is probably the most academic in the way he analyses films. The third presenter is usually Brock or Jakob (Jakob is the comic book specialist and so was heavily involved when covering the Marvel, Spider-Man and Batman films). Occasionally Marjorie (Arnie's wife) or Jerry (last used in covering the Transformers films I believe) will be the third presenter. Sometimes there will be a different combination as both Arnie and Stuart have sat out reviews, but it is rare for them to do so.

    In short, though they are always entertaining whatever they cover and I would recommend subscribing to their main thread in iTunes (rather than just the Bond feed). Their Bond reviews are about to slow to one a week for the next few weeks as they are about to cover the Romero 'Dead' films for their donation drive - a twice yearly event they have to do to cover their costs. They really do go out of their way to entertain though - for example, they will have done 85 shows of up to nearly three hours in length by the end of this year, often recording and editing in 24 hours where it is a new release.
  • Unfortunately their donate series this fall don't interest me at all which is a pity cause I had planned to donate this time. Maybe I'll do it anyway as a thanks for all the regular shows they give us every week!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    Unfortunately their donate series this fall don't interest me at all which is a pity cause I had planned to donate this time. Maybe I'll do it anyway as a thanks for all the regular shows they give us every week!

    I think they would be grateful for that, @The007Swede! And the bonus podcasts are usually more than worth it. I've learned that even if I haven't seen the film they discuss and wouldn't otherwise consider doing that (*cough*I Know Who Killed Me*cough*), watching said film and then listening to the podcast pays off.
  • DarthDimi wrote:
    Unfortunately their donate series this fall don't interest me at all which is a pity cause I had planned to donate this time. Maybe I'll do it anyway as a thanks for all the regular shows they give us every week!

    I think they would be grateful for that, @The007Swede! And the bonus podcasts are usually more than worth it. I've learned that even if I haven't seen the film they discuss and wouldn't otherwise consider doing that (*cough*I Know Who Killed Me*cough*), watching said film and then listening to the podcast pays off.

    That is very true @DarthDimi! Some movies that I had no initial desire to see turned out to be a very pleasant experience together with their podcast (for exemple, the X-Men series, Mask of the Phantasm, Spider-man 77). A few dollars is a price I'm more than willing to pay to help them keep the good work up in the future and continue Now Playing!
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    It's a cool podcast! I think they're spot-on this time. Most of how I perceive TMWTGG is expressed well in this podcast.
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Same with me @DarthDimi, spot on.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    @Sandy

    I was intrigued by Stuart's suggestion to have Charles Bronson play Scaramanga. :)
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Funny enough I also found that intriguing @DarthDimi. TMWTGG is far down on my list but one of the things I like in it is Christopher Lee's Scaramanga. I tried to play in my mind Charles Bronson opposite Roger Moore and I don't think it would have worked, I think it would have been very odd.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    edited September 2012 Posts: 24,256
    Sandy wrote:
    Funny enough I also found that intriguing @DarthDimi. TMWTGG is far down on my list but one of the things I like in it is Christopher Lee's Scaramanga. I tried to play in my mind Charles Bronson opposite Roger Moore and I don't think it would have worked, I think it would have been very odd.

    Good point, @Sandy, however I'd say that an extra 'oddness' in TMWTGG might actually have helped the film. The way I see it now it's a film trying to strike a balance between being funny and being sometimes deadly serious. IMO, the only way this film could have come out great is if they had abandoned every logic and seriousness and had amped up the oddness to the extreme. At least then one could just fly with it like a sugar rush. Maybe Bronson's Scaramanga would have been so 'out there', it would have been a point of dirty attraction. I have to admit that one reason why I keep returning to CR67 is that I find all the confusion, messy incoherence and downright silliness fascinating. Of course I switch off my mind before going in and consider myself like Alice in Acidland when watching. That said, I prefer CR67 over TMWTGG because the latter is neither one nor the other, whereas CR67 has everything leaning to absurd extremes, which actually makes it enjoyable IMO.

    I know, a highly controversial opinion. ;-)

  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    CR67 is just too much for me @-) makes me dizzy with confusion. I always get lost when Sir James arrives in Scotland and never get together again. Haven't watched it for years. I have to admire the fact that they assumed the absurdity of what they were doing and that is dignifying, a lot more than to make an absurd film and taking it serious (TMWTGG, DAD).
    There is however something I love in the middle of all that mess: the soundtrack! The Look of Love has got to be the greatest Bond theme never to have been. I bet Bacharach and David (RIP) wrote it with the book in mind and not the bloody film. One of my favourite songs.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Bacharach wrote The Look of Love with Ursula in mind, right? I am pretty sure of that.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    Back to one podcast per week. The Romero zombie donation drive, however, is worth every penny!!
  • SandySandy Somewhere in Europe
    Posts: 4,012
    Bacharach wrote The Look of Love with Ursula in mind, right? I am pretty sure of that.

    I didn't know that! Thanks for the information. When I first read Casino Royale, many years ago, the music playing constantly in my mind was The Look of Live, especially in the final part, when Bond and Vesper go to that small hotel near the sea, so I always associate the two things. When I watch Casino Royale the same thing happens, that song is sheer perfection :)

    Just noticed Dr. No review is up in Books and Nachos! Probably my favourite Bond book, starting to listen now.

    http://www.booksandnachos.com/episode.htm?id=79
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,256
    DN, the novel is up:

    http://www.booksandnachos.com/episode.htm?id=79

    I like Stuart's view here. Totally agreeing with mine.
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