James Bond turns 50 today and the longest running film franchise in cinema history shows no sign of relenting to silverscreen upstarts! Even Harry Potter and Star Wars ran out of steam...
My Bond fandom began, like so many, watching the films on TV! An irresistible blend of action and romance - at its zenith in On Her Majesty's Secret Service - translated to innumerable car chases with Corgi tie-ins and Action Man firefights! Even Hasbro's Transformers toy line paid homage to the secret agent: Megatron's alternate mode was a Walther PPK. James Bond nurtured a love of fast cars and an aspiration to own one, myself.
There were the teenage years of apathy towards Ian Fleming's creation (Doctor Who and Star Wars suffered, too). I rediscovered Bond during a rerun of Moonraker in the mid 1990s! Suddenly, I was that wide-eyed child, waiting impatiently in the queue, at the Odeon, Exeter; Bond's going into space and I must have that ticket.
I had serious reservations regarding Adele's theme song for Skyfall (David Arnold isn't onboard due to London Olympics 2012)! But, within seconds of hearing the sweeping orchestrations, recalling John Barry's seminal soundtracks from my childhood, I was sold.
Local lads Muse submitted Supremacy, which interpolates familiar Bond motifs, yet Adele's soulfulness wins! What say you dear reader?
The last two decades delivered two brilliant Bond movies; GoldenEye and Casino Royale. After the nihilistic excesses of Quantum of Solace; Skyfall promises a return to form under the auspices of Sam Mendes (American Beauty).
Imagine a remake of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, directed by Christopher Nolan (Batman trilogy), and starring Daniel Craig?
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