Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Hey there readers, I'm back. Sorry for the delay, I was busy creating my Johnny Mnemonic review for my Rotten Reelz Reviews Video Review (Now available on YouTube!) so yeah I was a bit distracted. Yes I am aware of the high grossing MCU Avengers: Infinity War and no I have not seen it yet. Please, no spoilers.

Instead I thought we could enjoy the dethawed 6'2" blond, bohunk of the 1940s after his Avengers debut. This time around he is working with S.H.I.E.L.D dealing with conspiracies, collateral damage and a ton of action. This is Captain America: Winter Soldier.

Captain...going down?  wink wink.

Captain America (Chris Evans of The Losers, Not Another Teen Movie and Fantastic Four) is adapting to modern life, goes for a lengthy run of 20 miles. That would warm up the limbs. He bumps into a vet Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie of Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man) and they bond over being in combat and adjusting to civilian life.

Scooped up for an search and rescue team for a ship in international waters alongside his fellow Avenger, the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansen of Lost in Translation, Iron Man II, The Avengers and Ghost in the Shell) as they assess the situation and drop the terrorists.

Fighting skills by Hydra. Fabulous hair by Vidal Sassoon.

After being a bit pissed at Widow working a different mission on his, Cap grumbles at Director Nick Fury (Samuel Jackson of Pulp Fiction, Rules of Engagement, Iron Man II, The Avengers and The Spirit) about protocol, soldiers needing to have each others back and so on. Head guru spymaster lets Cap in on the new upgraded helicarriers, loaded with rail guns and missile racks, speaking of how wiping out potential threats instead of playing clean up. Both argue their different ideals of how America should respond to threats and Cap is adamant how wrong this rejoinder and stomps off like a diva.

Fury starts investigating how this mass SNAFU to find out who is behind it and is later chased by armed assailants dressed like SWAT. Big question during this firefight...where are the actual cops? Anyone? Fury's poor SHIELD SVU has been blasted something fierce and just when all looks fine, a single armed man blasts his ride, flipping it up and over.

Cap returns home to find a battered Fury hiding out in his apartment and he casually talks to him while passes Cap notes explaining SHIELD isn't the secure, agreeable peace keeping force we are lead to believe when Fury takes a few rounds from a sniper.

Cap's neighbor watches over Fury while Cap gives chase, hurls his mighty shieeeeeeld...and low and behold, our sniper is the same guy that shot at Fury prior, catching Cap's shield in his nifty bionic arm. He hurls it back at Cap and leaps from a rooftop like it's nothing.

Cap and Widow regretting the three bean burritos now.

Head of Council, Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, Three Days of the Condor, Legal Eagles and Captain America: Winter Soldier) wants answers. Cap keeps it close to the vest and heads out. His team decides to jump him and we have a decent smack down and chase.

Widow works with Cap to figure out who took out Fury, what the hell is going on and what seems to be a building to a mass conspiracy to take over the world?!

Not to use existing titles too often but this is The Manchurian Candidate, Three Days of the Condor and good old over-the-top comic book action.

With collusion, cloak and dagger motifs, gun play and plenty of suspense; we have a decent machination story line offering plenty of story, intrigue and managing to keep a riveting fantasy trying to remain grounded in reality.

An awesome cast giving a great performance, excellent SFX and a sequel that surpassed its original.

I highly recommend this film for action fans and comic book fans alike.

Not sure how to say it Ludlow, but you look like a weasel.

Burn Notice Season 6

Howdy readers. Cox is still not on yet so finding alternative means to blog has been a challenge. But enough of that, howzabout the further adventures of everyone's disavowed spy? No? Too bad, we are going over that anyway. This is Burn Notice Season 6.

The Sun!!  It burns us!!!

We we last left Weston and gang, Michael was framed for a murder he did not commit, The CIA wanted answers and his balls were on the chopping block. Michael has been re-instated with the CIA and is trusted to handle missions again all the while still helping the little peoples. That is until Dead Larry (Tim Matheson) makes another appearance after escaping and faking his death in an Albanian prison that Michael set him up for his misdeeds. As Larry has always viewed Michael as a son, you can imagine Poppa's plenty pissed. With a break-in to the British Consulate, Larry is shuffled off to his well-earned demise with a focused detonation courtesy of Fi but additional explosions take the lives of guards working there and Fi blames herself. Enter head shrink/supreme jackass Anson (Jere Burns of Dear John, Good Morning, Miami, Las Vegas, Kim Possible,All of Us, Burn Notice and Love Begins) who blackmails Michael to getting the ceased funds, his personal records expunged and recruiting new agents i.e. Burn them for a new and exciting endeavor or Fi goes to Federal prison.

Split screen brings the TV show closer to you...I guess.

Watching Michael work with Anson, Fi surrenders to the proper authorities in order to get him out from under Anson's thumb.

The CIA finally on Michael's side believes him about Anson and prepares a manhunt only to watch him die from a sucking chest wound. The questions Michael had just got amplified. If Anson was in charge of this off the books black ops team then who killed him? What will be come of this concept? How many more innocents have to die to keep their secrets safe?

Naturally Michael is not alone in the search for the truth as he is backed up by Sam and Jessie, even his little brother Nate and mom Maddie. Will that be enough to keep his nearest and dearest safe while unraveling the mysteries laying ahead?

For fans of the show and the TV movie: Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe they will be happy to see what happened to the two CIA twits stationed in Columbia both Bailey and Manaro reprise after 5 years from the incident that got Sam an "honorable" discharge. Hey go watch the film if you want to know more or stick around. Maybe I will review it. That's all for now, folks and seriously give these seasons a view. Did I mention stand-up comedian/character actor and now newly added alumni to the rebirth of MST3K Patton Oswalt is in as well? 

Ta dah!  Villain.

 

Agents of SHIELD Season 3

Welcome back to the randomness that is this week. With the crippling effects of the Terrigen Crystals smashed into the ocean of last season and warping the sea life, creating a vapor that alters the very DNA of a person creating terrigenesis (Transmogrification from human to inhuman) as humanity has been modified by ancient race known as the Kree millions of years ago that the very metamorphosis remains in human DNA to this day giving a race of super beings but how many will fight for what is right? This is Agents of SHIELD Season 3.

Sir, are we bonding?

S.H.I.E.L.D.has been busting tail trying to find these new Inhumans with no training of their powers and a general threat them and others. Daisy "Skye" Johnson ( Chloe Bennett of Nashville, The Birthday Boys, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast and Jake and the Never Land Pirates) is to train and lead a team of "Secret Warriors" against the hordes of Hydra as they race collecting Inhumans.

Current director of S.H.I.E.L.D, Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg of The Spanish Prisoner, Magnolia, State and Main, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Lego Marvel's Avengers and Thrilling Adventure Hour Live) has to deal with the repercussions of S.H.I.E.L.D's previous collapse, the Age of Ultron and the beginning of the Inhumans made public to the people; the fear mongering brings a new agency to deal with these Inhumans the ATCU (Advanced Threat Containment Unit) which are abducting folk left and right that S.H.I.E.L.D feels the need to have a pow wow with them and see if they cannot just simply work together. With that in mind and if they didn't have enough to worry about, there are rumors of an Inhuman slaughtering fellow Inhumans because...there can be only one?

Tequila makes the time goes by.

Former S.H.I.E.L.D and current Hydra agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton of Blue Bloods, Army Wives, Killing Lincoln, Until Dawn and The Resurrection of Gavin Stone) finds the organization splintered and near destruction finding the last real seat of power Gideon Malick (Powers Boothe of Red Dawn, Philip Marlowe, Private Eye, Tombstone, Nixon, U Turn, Sin City, Justice League, Deadwood and 24) begins to reveal Hydra's beginnings, purpose and goals which is beyond the dreams of many.

Can Coulson and company stop Hydra once and for all? Can the Inhumans mingle amongst the regulars?

Well there is a few soap opera feels to the series with drama, tragedy and some new characters. The envelope is pushed further and getting more and more challenges tossed in their directions as our powered and non-powered heroes fighting an uneasy alliance against their common enemies. The show keeps the timeline with the other Whedonverse projects of Avengers: Age of Ultron as well as the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War trying to hold to the current MCU as much as possible. 

Yeah this is pretty heavy.

 

The introduction of Lash, the hunter Inhuman (Matthew Willig of Year One, We're the Millers, Concussion, Wild Card, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Happy Birthday) gives a sinister deadline for the team. Make no mistake fans of S.H.I.E.L.D, this is where the story is going to get even bigger.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2

How do gentle readers. We are back reviewing some popular TV series because... not really getting any feedback on what I am to be reviewing so here we are again. Well the fall came and dunking three multi-billion dollar flying aircraft carriers into the Potomac might have shaken the American people, its military and virtually every government on the planet's faith but the work must continue and resources are thin. Hydra funded by shell corporations, multi-conglomerates, satellite and probably even Cox Communications (They seem shady) posing towards world domination (So sorry Cobra, but you missed your window), who can stand up to these threats against the planet? Well I would say the Avengers but TV cannot afford those salaries. This is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 2.

OoOoo...gang plank.

Special Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg of The Spanish Prisoner, Magnolia, State and Main, Iron Man, Thor, The Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Lego Marvel's Avengers and Thrilling Adventure Hour Live) has been promoted to Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division....of course in the sixties it was known as Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage Law-Enforcement Division) which would seem like an worthwhile promotion except, Hydra (Ruthless terrorist organization determined to rule the world...wait that's Cobra. Meh.) took their losses in Captain America: The Winter Soldier but struck a hell of a blow to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s credibility and now the surviving members of S.H.I.E.L.D.must operate under the cover of the shadows with less freedom than they had, jurisdiction and manpower.

 

Remember, this is the Fuhrer's highest order...next to the eugenics, werewolves and aliens..

With ops being ran through Agent May (Ming-An Wen of Street Fighter: The Movie, Spawn: The Animated Series, Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within, Mulan, The Batman, SGU Stargate Universe, Eureka and April Rain) stepping up as second-in-command as well as CO for Agent Skye (Chloe Bennett of Nashville, The Birthday Boys, Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast and Jake and the Never Land Pirates) they have their hands full fixing the mess Hydra created by released super powered beings, stolen tech ranging from extra-terrestrial and super genius level to ensuing mass hysteria. Armed with a handful of tech, contacts and more than a few good men and women, S.H.I.E.L.D. Tries to stay on top of things as best as possible. Dogged on their tails is Brigadier General Talbot (Adrian Pasdar of Near Dark, Top Gun, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Burn Notice, Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United, Ultimate Spider-Man and Marvel's Avengers Assemble) hell bent to put the whole crew behind bars for being associated however indirectly with Hydra and brought up on war crimes. Upon these adventures a mysterious artifact of alien origin leads the team to a hidden city with a race of human/alien hybrids called Inhumans, that have been in seclusion for generations, fearing to live a normal life among the non-powered humans.

Can S.H.I.E.L.D. Bring them to the light and assure them protection? Is humanity ready to accept the existence of alien life? Will Hydra find them first and use them as bio weapons?

First off, this is a huge change up in story, the whole being unable to operate in the light of day, bringing covert ops back to the original source. S.H.I.E.L.D. Has collapsed and been rebuilt in the comics multiple times it is not even funny. Our stunts, practical effects and CGI are an excellent blend to the theme. Several folks are honked off that lesser known villains and heroes of Marvel are being tinkered with to fit the story and again I say, "Tough niblets." The fact these characters are getting screen time finally is a miracle enough as it is.

Hell several of these stories are from the original source material that Stan Lee and the late Jack Kirby did in the sixties. Joss Whedon's writing crew has really been on the ball with developing relationships, back stories and complex opening subplot stories. So if you want some Marvel action that doesn't necessary have folks running around in spandex but you love the whole spy vs spy motif, give it a view. FYI if you are sick of hearing, "Hail Hydra", then you may want to skip the continuing series. Cockroaches don't have this much life span I swear.

So does that leather bind?

007 Week: Casino Royale

Hello again Bond fans and welcome to the final day of 007 week.  Hope that didn't sound too ominious.  As this is the 21st installment to the franchise the team decided to go back to its roots and tap into Ian Fleming's original character as much as possible.  Weapons, timeline and politics are updated of course, but the source material is true to form as a new Bond is on the scene in his first mission.  With being a fresh field agent, learning to shut down his emotions and do the business at hand, Bond has his hands full with this assignment in shutting down a banker to known warlords and terrorist cells.  This is Casino Royale.

Yes, I am a trifle smug.

James Bond: M really doesn't mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She'd just prefer it if it wasn't selling spoilers.




After dispatching a traitorous MI6 section chief and his contact for classified documents, James Bond (Daniel Craig of Our Friends in the North, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Layer Cake, The Golden Compass, Quantum of Solace and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) he makes his double 0 status and has been given the designation of 007.  He must travel to Madagascar to find a bomb maker and ends up chasing him down to an embassy.  Hopelessly outnumbered he shoots the bomb maker, defuses the bomb in his pack and swipes the maker's cell phone.

Tracking down the bomb maker's contact he discovers a Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian of Ararat, Casino Royale, Persepolis and Zero Dark Thirty) a contact and associate of the banker and financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen of Bleeder, Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself, Unit 1, King Arthur, After the Wedding and Hannibal) who plots to destroy a plane company financially with a bomb and causing his shares to sky rocket.  Bond heads to Miami to stop yet another bomber, thwart the impending plane explosion and save the day.

None of your cheek, mister.

Up to his eyeballs in debt, Le Chiffre enters a high stakes poker game to recoop his losses of his client's money.  M (Dame Judi Dench of A Study in Terror, Theatre 625, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Fine Romance, Henry V, As Time Goes By, Casino Royale and J. Edgar) feels if Bond eliminates Le Chiffre in the card game he will have no choice but to come to British Intelligence to spill his contacts and dealing in order to save his own skin.   So Bond is off to Montenegro for the card game meeting HM Treasury agent Vesper Lynd (Eva Green of Kingdom of Heaven, Franklyn, Camelot, Dark Shadows, 300: Rise of an Empire and Penny Dreadful) bankrolling this event with $100 million and another 5 million on standby.   With pressure on, Bond hammers through a card game that holds so much going for it and to slip up here may cost him his life.

A few notations about the film now.
In one afternoon's shooting schedule three Aston Martin DBS were destroyed in the car roll cut scenes, each tallying $300,000 a piece.   The way Craig orders his first vodka martini is lifted completely from the novel Casino Royale.  Daniel Craig had to put on 20 pounds of muscle and quit smoking for the role's cardio driven escapades.  Rather than the standard high-stakes game of Baccarat from the novel they changed it up to a series of Texas Hold' Em poker.  

This is also the first Bond film since Dr. No there were no jiggly girls dancing in the opening title sequence.
Former Bond Roger more was reported to have been so impressed with the movie he went out and bought a DVD copy of it.   Now that is a plug you can count on.

Well that is plenty of eye candy in one shot.

007 Week: Goldeneye

A fine welcome to you fans of MI-6 and their main protagonist to Day 4 of 007 Week.  So far we have gone over 3 Bonds so why not a fourth?  Like the Doctor in Doctor Who, each Bond brings something different to the table.  Better dress, succinct quips and more gadgets that are forever lost to Q branch due to one mishap or another.  Perhaps he is stockpiling toys in the unlikely event he may need them down the road.  Today we move from a gentleman that missed his Bond opportunity clear back in 1987 because of supposed 7 year contract but his show was cancelled after 6 episodes of its fifth season.  The man I rattle on about would be Pierce Brosnan.  This is Goldeneye.

EXTREEEEEEEEEEEEEMMMMMEEEEE!!!!!

Xenia Onatopp: You don't need the gun, Commander.
James Bond: Well, that depends on your definition of safe spoiler.






In 1986, two 00s were assigned to infiltrate and detonate an illegal Soviet biochemical weapons plant.  007- James Bond (Pierce Brosnan of Nomads, Remington Steele, Taffin, Live Wire, Mars Attacks, Tomorrow Never Dies, The Tailor of Panama and The Matador) and 006- Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean of Patriot Games, Airborne, Ronin, Extremely Dangerous, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Troy and National Treasure).  Separated and mining the facility, Trevelyan is captured by the Soviets and shot in the head.  Bond narrowly escapes with assault rifle blazing, a chase to his plane and a massive explosion leveling the facility.

Yes, that was rather foolhardy of him.

Nine years later, Bond receives his evaluation of performance and is assigned to look into a crime syndicate known only as Janus.   Monte Carlo hosting an event showing off a new prototype combat helicopter able to withstand EMPs  Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen of Lord of Illusions, Dead Girl, City of Industry, The Gingerbread Man, House on Haunted Hill, X-Men, Nip/Tuck and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) and now General Ourumov (Gottfried John of Mata Hari, Of Pure Blood, A Case for Two and Space Rangers) claiming a Cold War weapon known as Goldeneye capable emitting an EMP that was destroy a country's electronic records, vehicles, batteries and early warning weapon systems.
Will Bond be able to stop the mastermind's organization, end the world of Goldeneye and get the girl in the end?

And now the fact finding portion of the movie's review.
Inspired by the career of Director-General of MI6, the first woman to ever head up the organization is what the M role was based on for Dame Judi Dench (A Study in Terror, Theatre 625, A Midsummer Night's Dream, A Fine Romance, Henry V, As Time Goes By, Casino Royale and J. Edgar).  Lois Maxwell made famous playing Moneypenny suggested a female M as far back as 1985.  Ten years later, it came to fruition.

Famke Janssen stated in an interview with Jay Leno that she did some of the driving stunts and broke a rib during the sauna fight.  47 men were killed in this movie making it one of the highest kill count for James Bond has had in a single Bond movie.   This was also the first completely original  James Bond movie without reference material from any Ian Fleming novel or even short story.

It was said that The Rolling Stones were offer the chance to sing the title song but they took a pass and it fell to Tina Turner.   Definitely could have done worse for herself.

Dalton?  Poor fellow got the boot.

007 Week: The Living Daylights

Welcome back Bond fans for Day 3 of 007 Week.  Today's Bond gets a lot of flack for not having what apparently is deemed the traditional good looks, wit and charm of the character.  I say to these naysayers that they are wrong.  While he is not in the same region as Connery or Moore I felt he met all the requirements of the iconic role and then some but perhaps I am biased given I was a huge fan of the Dino de Laurentis version of Flash Gordon and knew him as the Erron Flynn of Mongo, Prince Barin.  I speak of Timothy Dalton.  Consequently he had to fight tooth and nail for the role as Sam Neil, Pierce Brosnan (still in his Remington Steele contract), Lambert Wilson, Andrew Clarke and Sean Bean were all up for the part.  This is The Living Daylights.

No, I am not Remington Steele.

M: Gentlemen, this may only be an exercise so far as the Ministry of Defence is concerned.  But for me, it is a mater of spoils that the 00 section has been chosen for this test.  Your objective is to penetrate the radar installations of Gibralter. Now, the SAS has been placed on full alert to incept you, but I know you won't let me down.  Good luck, men.

Our movie opens up with what MI-6 consider a routine training exercise for the 00s based on a HALO jump,  5 mile swim and mountain climb.  Consider this the Iron man event for their performance record.  002 was captured and 004 have been slain by a mysterious assassin and is moving in on James Bond (Timothy Dalton of The Lion in Winter, Wuthering Heights, Flash Gordon, License to Kill, The Rocketeer, Hot Fuzz, Doctor Who and Penny Dreadful) as he manages to escape from the mountain face and pull his reserve shoot landing on nearby yacht with a lovely sun bathing beauty.  

Dr. Kimble is gunning for me!

His customary 2 hours late to report in, "M" (Robert Brown of The Newcomers, Wreck Raisers, The Message, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy, A View to a Kill and Merlin of Crystal Cave) explains to Bond about a Russian general Koscov (Jeremy Krabbe of The Little Ark, Slippers, World War III, Jumpin' Jack Flash, A World Apart, The Punisher (1989), Kafka and The Fugitive)  wanting to defect, claiming his higher up is mad to the level of Stalin and plotting multiple assassinations and the possiblity of nuclear war.  A tag was found on 004's body claiming Smiert Spionom (an old KGB policy of assassins for spies or Death to Spies during the Cold War based on Fleming's SMERSH)  Bond is there at the opera to succeed in helping Koskov to flee the country away from KGB's prying eyes.  No sooner he is in MI-6 custody the another assassin bombs the English manor safe-house, guns down several operatives and helicopters the general away.

Dealing with the fallout of this SNAFU, Bond is assigned to find Koskov and take him back from General Puskin (John Rhy Davies of Shogun, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Best Revenge, Firewalker, Waxwork, Sliders, Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring and One Night with the King) who sent his assassin for him and his fellow 00s.  Revenge and professionalism seem to be going hand and hand.

Now some fun filled trivia about the movie.  Surprised?????

Our opening number recorded by A-HA and this is composer John Barry's last composition for the series as he moved on to American projects like  Indecent Proposal, The Specialist, The Scarlett Letter and Mercury Rising.  This is the last James Bond movie to use an original Ian Fleming title until 19 years later with Casino Royale in 2006.

Blast! No fiddling jokes apply here.

007 Week: Live and Let Die

Welcome back Bond fans to Day 2 of 007 Week.  As we acknowledge Connery's success as Bond we need to observe the other fellows that claimed this title as well.  Today I thought we would focus on another kind of Bond.  A dapper gentleman with the same strive and need to serve Queen and country.  Referred as a dandy, I would disagree with that term.   While lacking the rough and tumble standing that Connery had, Roger Moore is no lesser Bond and completely worthy of the title.  This is Live and Let Die.

I really have no desire to work for UNCLE.

Mr. Big: Is THIS the spoiling mother who tailed you uptown?
James Bond: There seems to be some mistake. My name is...
Mr. Big: Names is for tombstones, baby! Y'all take this honky out and WASTE HIM! NOW!

While this is the 8th Bond movie, this is the first Moore film as James Bond.  Three MI-6 agents working in junction with the CIA have been killed within 24 hours of their assignment.  The only comment denominator is was Dr. Kananga (Yaphett Kotto of The Thomas Crown Affair, 5 Card Stud, Bone, The Limit, The Running Man and Homicide: Life on the Street) a dictator of the island San Monique making his way to the UN building in New York.   Deep in Harlem a drug kingpin known only as Mr. Big plans to release no less than two tons of heroin through New York as such a cut rate cost to put all other drug czars completely out of business and making him top dog without firing a shot.  

Carribbean Comcast runs things a little differently.

James Bond (Roger Moore of Ivanhoe, The Miracle, Maverick, No Man's Land, The Saint, The Persuaders!, The Man with the Golden Gun, A View to a Kill and Alias) has arrived in New York and his contact with CIA agent Felix Leiter (David Hedison of A Man About a Dog, Crime Club, Adventures of the Queen, The Power Within, Romance Theatre and Fantasy Island) which personally I feel the role has become nothing more than a straight man for Bond's pithy comments or puns.  Remember when Jack Lord handled this role?  Yeah think on that.

Leiter lets Bond in on the scam in question that Kananga and Mr. Big may been in cahoots with one another given San Monique's tropical climate is ideal for poppy growth. Ensuring his empire Kananga seeks solace in his lovely tarot card expert Solitaire (Jane Seymour of The Only Way, The Strauss Family, Our Mutual Friend, Captains and the Kings, Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, Smallville and Modern Men) and she gauges the course of his journey as one would the course of the river.  Bond must uncover the heroin connection and put Kananaga's plot on hold.

Now a few facts about the movie.  This is deemed a bit of a groaner for puns as many of Bond's comments are that.  This film fell into the Blaxploitation and broke race barriers for the Bond Franchise as his first romantic encounter with a black woman, CIA agent Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry of Hell Up in Harlem, Black Caesar, Black Belt Jones, Savage Sisters, Seeds of Tragedy and Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings).  While the previous films focused on meglomaniacs bent on world domination, this movie fixated with drug trafficking  and organized crime.

With a 7 million dollar budget our film cleared $35 million payoff and an Academy Award for Best Original Song "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCarthy and the Wings.  Not too shabby.

Hmm, lovely view.

007 Week: Thunderball

Hello and welcome to the beginning of 007 Week and we clearly cannot start this off without a Connery Bond film.  Sadly, it will not be Dr. No as I already reviewed that for Sean Connery Week if you will recall.  Mind you, there were other things you could have been doing during that week such as: laundry, hemming a skirt or making a quiche.  Nevertheless, we shall have to carry on and move to a popular title to this very day.  From its disturbing content of nuclear arms easily lifted to Bond having to prevent the impending World War III, this film brings us excitement, memorable villains and of course, the fetching ladies of the film.  This is Thunderball.

So... what are you doing after the funeral?

Madame LaPorte: You sound disappointed you did not kill him yourself.
Bond: I am. Jacques Bouvar spoiled two of my colleagues.





As this is the fourth film in the Bond Series starring Sean Connery (An Age of Kings, Macbeth Dr. No, Marnie, Goldfinger, The Anderson Tapes, Meteor, Outland, Highlander and The Hunt for Red October) Bond has returned from avenging several friends from a risque mission when he learns from his superior "M" (Benard Lee of The Angry Silence, Partners in Crime, Whistle Down the Wind, The Brain and Goldfinger) that an organization calling itself SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) has captured two NATO atomic warheads demanding no less than $100 million in diamonds or an undisclosed major city in England or the States will be destroyed.  Hot on the case, Bond follows leads to the Bahamas where he meets Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi of Pleasant Nights, The Honey Pot, Danger: Diablolik,  Hitler: The Last Ten Days, Ten Little Indians and The Next Man) a eye-patch wearing, card playing gambler that Bond suspects that SPECTRE's man of operations for this caper.

Mr. Peepers reporting as ordered, sir.

Bond's CIA contact Felix Leiter (Rik Van Nutter of Assignment: Outer Space, The Passionate Thief and Romanoff and Juliet) along with Largo's "niece" Domino (Claudine Auger of The Reckless, The Devil in Love, The Killing Game, Anyone Can Play, A Bay of Blood, Equinox and Summertime Killer) both clue Bond into where the warheads are being kept and pointing out the sheer amount of manpower Largo has at his fingertips.  Not for calling in the cavalry, Bond proceeds with his mission at all costs for Queen and country.

Some interesting facts about this film now.  This is the first of the Bond Franchise to have multiple alternative titles due to the translation gap.  These are: Operation: Thunderball, Ian Fleming's Thunderball, Agente 007- Thunderball, James Bond 007- Feuerball, Atomic Ball, Agent 007 Into The Fire, Thunderball Fighting, Operation Thunder, James Bond, Secret Agent, Operation Thunder and Longitude 78 West.

The "Golden Grotto" in the Bahamas does in fact exist and is now to this day been rechristened as "Thunderball Reef".  Sadly, the villa was torn down in 1990 for a hotel resort.   This is the first time we see all the double o's in one room as "M" has called them all to the carpet for a debriefing.  This is also the first of the Bond films to be shot entirely in Panavision (Anamorphic lens for widescreen shooting).  I really wanted to nick the 1965 Thunderbird Largo was driving around in Paris at the start of the film but I seemed to have misplaced my blue police box.

I think a grip left a tack on my chair!

007 Week

Yes, I have seen Jolie in the buff.  Impressive.

Good day and hello to my readers of my tripe.  I appreciate each and everyone of you for comments, complaints and overall suggestions.  That being said I am bringing us a few cinematic collections based on one suave, sophisticated and lethal fellow in service of the Queen.  Based on internationally known novelist Ian Fleming we will be checking out a man in more states of undress than Courtney Love "sober".   I speak of none other than James Bond.   This week we will be going over the various incarnations of this iconic character with the minor exception I will NOT sit through On Her Majesty's Secret Service.  I would rather have my eye lids taped back with needles threatening to gouge them if I blink or look away from one of Andy Dick's sexual soirees.

Lazenby?  Don't make me laugh.

The basis of the character was created as a Royal Naval Reserve Commander during World War II, where he went on to being an intelligence analyst and finally an field agent for the fictitious MI-6 receiving his double o status of license to kill.  A blunt instrument with a certain sophistication, charm and grace and remain out of the spotlight...  and yet they kept casting faces and builds that we recognized.  Go figure.  Officially 7 men have portrayed this character, Sean Connery against Ian Fleming's wishes being the first.  Bring a sense of humor and a mildly repressed Scottish accent, Dr. No managed to gross more than $16 million from the US in 1962 on a $1.1 million dollar budget.  Not too shabby, eh?    So grab a dame, a vodka martini, shaken not stirred and keep the Walther PPK at the ready.

Not upset, just holding in a sneeze.

Random Picks Week: Burn Notice Season 3

Welcome to Day 2 of Random Picks Week.  I have not touched base on this particular TV series in some time and it clearly it needs addressing.  We will be reviewing the continuation of the USA series Burn Notice.   Bringing back Michael Westen and his unusual team with Sam Axe, a former Navy SEAL and now a booze hound and skirt chaser and Fiona Glenanne, a former IRA commando and Michael's ex girlfriend.   This is Burn Notice Season 3.

Ohh, no more Charlie Sheen parties... ever.

Fiona: Should we spoil them?
Michael: I have enough to worry about than killing three FBI agents.





Michael Westen (Jeffery Donovan of The Pretender, Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2, Touching Evil, Crossing Jordan and Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe) had just gotten out from under the thumb of his handler Karla only to meet the head man running the operations, simply known as Management.  Westen demands these people out of his life and gets his wish and tells him they will stay out of his way until he realizes how much he needs them as much as they need him.  With former colleagues selling him out, potential cake wake missions turning into disasters barely escaped, Michael tries to figure a way to take down this shadow organization that has been haunting him for three years.

Hops, hotties and humidity Mikey.  Miami has been good to me.

Aiding him begrudgingly is of course his oldest buddy Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell of Evil Dead,  Army of Darkness, Escape From L.A., Ellen, Icebreaker and Jack of All Trades) and Fiona (Gabrielle Anwar of Scent of a Woman, For Love or Money, The Three Musketeers, The Grave, Sherlock, Water Under the Bridge and The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines)  diving into more and more danger as it takes its toll on their friendship.  Michael has an admirer this time around and is finding out if Westen's burn notice is true and that he is the naughty boy it claims him to be.   Mason Gilroy (Chris Vance of Stingers, Macbeth, All Saints, Prison Break, Mental and Rizzoli & Isles) a freelance sociopath has a lucrative business opportunity for He and Michael but he has to see Michael in action as it were before he commits.  Can Westen and gang get him out of this hot water or will they boil after being burnt?

A few observations about this season.  The dynamic between Madeline Westen (Sharon Glass of The Miracle of Kathy Miller, House Calls, The Sky's No Limit, Cagney & Lacey, Honor Thy Mother and The Trials of Rosie O' Neill) and Michael flushes out problems of the past that they both must come to terms with.  Each show the other they have more warmth and depth than they normally exhibit. Michael and his estrained brother Nate (Seth Peterson of Godzilla, Can't Hardly Wait, Providence, Hard Ground and Unlucky Charms) start to mend fences and come to terms that they will never be the best of friends but they can be family.

Hmm, three more seasons, please.

300th Blog!!!!! Tom Clancy Week: Patriot Games

Hello you wild and wacky kids to Day 2 of Tom Clancy Week and my 300^th blog!!!!  Yeah I am shocked too but there it is.  So let’s make this a good one for the late great Clancy and your reading attention span.  What say we follow the Ryan clan as for as England for a vacation…or is it?  Who would have predicted an assassination attempt on one of the Royals via a splinter radical group of the IRA?  Well about anyone that has read some Clancy knows that actions and consequences are always going down around the world so grab your fish and chips, mind the traffic and dodge some submachine gun fire.  This is Patriot Games.

 

O' Paddy Wagon. hehe.

Paddy O’Neil: The day that I sell out my countrymen, will be the day that I put a bullet through my own spoiler.

Now a professor of Naval Academy tactics and military history Doctor Jack Ryan (Harrison Ford of American Graffiti, Star Wars, Force 10 from Navarone, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Blade Runner and Witness), his surgeon wife Doctor Cathy Ryan (Anne Archer of Falcon Crest, Fatal Attraction, Narrow Margin, Body of Evidence and The Art of War) and daughter Sally (Thora Birch of Parenthood, Hocus Pocus, Now and Then, American Beauty, Dungeons & Dragons and Ghost World) have made their way to Buckingham Palace to see the sights when a cadre of armed men shoot at the cousin of the Queen, Lord Holmes.  Moving his wife and daughter to safety; Jack then takes on the armed gunmen with guts and determination ending up killing one of the gunmen a boy of 15.  Jack is wounded and the local authorities come in to secure the scene.  

Football disagreement English and Irish.

Jack after released from the hospital testifies to what he saw and did in court seeing the man was hosing a car down with lead, Sean Miller (Sean Bean of Black Beauty, GoldenEye, Ronin, Don’t Say a Word, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Hitcher and Silent Hill) sentenced to rot on Albany Prison when his prison convoy is ambushed by his team, springing him.  His commanding officer Kevin O’Donnell (Patrick Bergin of Robin Hood, Highway to Hell, Love Crimes, The Island on Bird Street and One Man’s Hero) tells them they are off to hide out in North Africa to plot the next attack on Lord Holmes. 

Soon after arriving at home Cathy and Sally are attacked on the way back after school in Maryland.  With his wife and daughter surviving the assault Jack takes back his old office with the CIA under his mentor Admiral Greer (James Earl Jones of Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, Star Wars, Conan the Barbarian, The Flight of Dragons and Clear and Present Danger) O’ Donnell’s crew gets wind of this schedule change and they plan to wipe them all out.  Miller consumed by grief wants Ryan and his family dead for the life of his brother and O’ Donnell gives him his blessing to get him back in the game afterwards.   Jack is knighted on behalf of the realm and saving Lord Holmes is treated to dinner with him and the Ryan family invites him to visit their home and enjoy dinner with them.  

Thinking coming to work in a fedora and a whip, fellas.

What will happen next???   Well go watch the film already. ;)  Thank you all for giving this blog a look over and as always I appreciate the comments, compliments and suggestions!

Tom Clancy Week

Howdy folks.  As most of you are already aware that on October 1st of this year Best-Selling author Tom Clancy passed away.  Being an avid fan of his work and enjoying several of his novels as well as the video game adaptations of his novels I thought it only fair to honor a man that has entertained many of us with clever characters and bizarre scenarios.

 Hey I love Jack Ryan but an analyst should not be getting a fraction of the trouble that he did. A desk jockey should not be right in the middle of firefights and international incidents.  Sam Fisher on the other hand, total hard ass.  I love the idea of a man in his 50's in peak physical condition that was battered over the years still doing counter intelligence and field work taking out men 20 to 30 years younger than him.

Look I don't care wither Greedo shot first or not!

So this week we observe several film adaptations of his novels and hope you all enjoy the action packed adventures.