#Bernard Wiseman

[notelectrictigerart]

a happy time

[diurnaldaysart]

Have a very 0080 Christmas! Chris and Bernie are waiting for you!

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[a-bunboy]

I've come back from the dead! Here to drop the patreon doodles for June! Also here to say I'll be doing comms soon! Will be posted to the patreon discord server first, so slots will be a bit first come first serve! More info sometime this week!

[lordsmaf]

The fact that Zeons sound like Aussies haunt me. Imagining Char Aznable running around sounding like Steve Irwin.

[dangus-doo]

I draw a pen doodle every day until I forget

Day 314: MS-06FZ Zaku 2 Kai (Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket)

I painted again! This time it’s of the Zaku 2 Kai! I bought the blu ray of Gundam 0080 with my tax return, and saw it for the first time! Oh god, it’s sad. The whole thing is beautiful, and I recommend it to anyone, whether you like mecha or not.

I tried my hand at redrawing the one scene where the Zaku 2 Kai is scraping along the glass of the colony, trying to draw the Gundam towards the park. I really like how timid and cute it looks!

[gundamsanyoutub]

(PS4) GUNDAM EXTREME VS. MAXIBOOST ON - BERNARD WISEMAN

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[sasa-chan]

Dr. No (1962)

Starring:

Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Jack Lord, Joseph Wiseman, Anthony Dawson, Zena Marshall, John Kitzmiller, Eunice Gayson, Bernard Lee

Directed By:

Terence Young

Genre:

Action/Adventure

Rating:

PG

Run Time:

1 Hour 50 Minutes

Release Date:

5 October 1962 (United Kingdom)

8 May 1963 (United States)

Synopsis:

In the film that launched the James Bond saga, Agent 007 (Sean Connery) battles mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must go to Jamaica, where he encounters beautiful Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), to confront a megalomaniacal villain in his massive island headquarters.

[nerds-yearbook]

On October 10, 1962, Dr. No was released in theaters . It was the first full length James Bond movie (there had previously been a TV episode of the anthology series Climax! that adapted "Casino Royale"), the first EON pictures James Bond film (considered the official Bond movies, which excludes the TV episode, the first movie version of Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again), and the first time Sean Connery played 007.

[yestolerancepro]

My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!” A blog inspired by the music world of James Bond

Part 1 Stirred and not shaken that was right the creation of the most successful film franchise in ciniema history

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to an expanded version of a blog I originally wrote last year devoted to the musical tastes of James Bond the original idea was to write a 5 part blog on the complete James Bond story with a Chapter devoted to each era of the franchise.

 When writing and researching the first chapter called Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang I began to realise what a big task this would be and decided to change tack. I have decided instead to present an extended version of that musical blog with this being the first chapter It will aim to tell a more complete story behind the James Bond Franchise

From the Book shelf to the cinema screen

Ian Fleming first wrote Dr. No as a television outline for film producer Henry Morgenthau III to promote the Jamaican tourism industry. After this project fell through Fleming began meeting with Canadian film producer Harry Saltzman about making a screen adaptation.

Although Fleming was not a fan of the "kitchen-sink realist" genre Saltzman was known for producing, after seeing Saturday Night and Sunday Morning Fleming sold him the rights to all of the James Bond novels except Casino Royale and Thunderball for $50,000. After Saltzman gained the rights for the novel, he initially had trouble financing the project. Screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz introduced Saltzman to Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli, who wanted the rights to the novels and attempted to buy them from Saltzman. Saltzman did not want to sell the rights to Broccoli and instead, they formed a partnership to make the films. A number of Hollywood film studios did not want to fund the films, finding them "too British" or "too blatantly sexual".[9] Eventually the two received authorisation from United Artists to produce Dr. No, to be released in 1962. Saltzman and Broccoli created two companies: Danjaq, which was to hold the rights to the films, and Eon Productions, which was to produce them. 

Initially Broccoli and Saltzman had wanted to produce the eighth Bond novel, 1961's Thunderball, as the first film, but there was an ongoing legal dispute between the screenplay's co-author, Kevin McClory, and Ian Fleming.

This article from the Screenrant website details how Thunderball nearly become James Bonds debut adventure at the cinema and if it had been made how it would have altered the James Bond film series over the next 61 years read it by clicking here https://screenrant.com/james-bond-first-007-movie-thunderball-franchise-changes/

 As a result, Broccoli and Saltzman chose Dr. No:[1 the timing was apposite, with claims that American rocket testing at Cape Canaveral had problems with rockets going astray.

While producers Broccoli and Saltzman originally sought Cary Grant for the role, they discarded the idea as Grant would be committed to only one feature film, and the producers decided to go after someone who could be part of a series.Richard Johnson has claimed to have been the first choice of the director, but he turned it down because he already had a contract with MGM and was intending to leave.[27] Another actor purported to have been considered for the role was Patrick McGoohan on the strength of his portrayal of spy John Drake in the television series Danger Man: McGoohan turned down the role.[28] Another potential Bond included David Niven, who later played the character in the 1967 parody Casino Royale.

There are several apocryphal stories as to whom Ian Fleming personally wanted. Reportedly, Fleming favoured actor Richard Todd.[30] Fleming's stepson Paul Morgan claims that Fleming preferred Edward Underdown.[8] In his autobiography When the Snow Melts, Cubby Broccoli said Roger Moore had been considered, but had been thought "too young, perhaps a shade too pretty". In his autobiography, My Word Is My Bond, Moore says he was never approached to play the role of Bond until 1972, for Live and Let Die. Moore appeared as Simon Templar on the television series The Saint, airing in the United Kingdom for the first time on 4 October 1962, only one day before the premiere of Dr. No.

Ultimately, the producers turned to 31-year-old Sean Connery for five films.It is often reported that Connery won the role through a contest set up to "find James Bond". While this is untrue, the contest itself did exist, and six finalists were chosen and screen-tested by Broccoli, Saltzman, and Fleming. The winner of the contest was a 28-year-old model named Peter Anthony, who, according to Broccoli, had a Gregory Peck quality, but proved unable to cope with the role. When Connery was invited to meet Broccoli and Saltzman he appeared scruffy and in unpressed clothes, but Connery "put on an act and it paid off" as he acted in the meeting with a macho, devil-may-care attitude. When he left, both Saltzman and Broccoli watched him through the window as he went to his car, both agreeing that he was the right man for Bond. After Connery was chosen, Terence Young took the actor to his tailor and hairdresser, and introduced him to the high life, restaurants, casinos and women of London. In the words of Bond writer Raymond Benson, Young educated the actor "in the ways of being dapper, witty, and above all, cool". The casting was announced on November 3, 1961

You might also want to read this article about James Bond from the Movieweb website that tells you more about the man himself https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/news/james-bond-movie-moments-that-define-the-character/ar-AA1fkc3k

To learn more about the vairous spy orgarnisations that feature in both the books and the film franchise click here

https://screenrant.com/james-bond-movies-smersh-spectre-quantum-differences-explained/

Origin of the name

While the “Bond, James Bond” line is enshrined in cinematic history since that early scene in Dr. No, the true origin of the name itself is a bit more mundane than you’d imagine.

For the ultimate secret agent, Fleming wanted a truly unimpressive name. Looking through a birdwatching book, he found the inspiration he was hoping for. The American ornithologist Dr James Bond.

Dr. Bond actually quite liked his espionage namesake. Although he didn’t find out about it until years after Fleming wrote the first book, he met and became friends with the writer on a 1964 trip to Jamaica. Throughout the Bond films, there have been many small references to ornithology, including it being the profession Pierce Brosnan uses to introduce himself to Jinx (Halle Berry) in Die Another Day.

Shaken and not Stirred

Another key James Bond catchphrase is the way he orders his favourite drink. The famous request of a “vodka martini, shaken, not stirred” wasn’t actually said by Bond in Dr. No but by a waiter giving it to him. In fact, it’s not until the third film 1964’s Goldfinger that Connery utters the phrase himself.

It’s also not the right drink. The line “shaken, not stirred” is an invention of the books and when Bond orders a drink in the original ‘Casino Royale’ novel, he orders a martini that combines gin, vodka and Kina Lillet. This drink is now known as a “Vesper”.

Why did Connery not get a Vesper in Dr. No then? The answer is simple. Smirnoff were a sponsor of the film and didn’t want gin to be mentioned in his martini order.

Meet the Staff at Universal Exports

The cast also included a number of actors who were to become stalwarts of the future films, including Bernard Lee, who played Bond's superior M for another ten films, and Lois Maxwell, who played M's secretary Moneypenny in fourteen instalments of the series.[46] Maxwell received the part after beginning to look for film roles to support her family when her husband Peter Marriot suffered from a severe heart attack and was expected to die.[9] Lee was chosen because of being a "prototypical father figure",[47] and Maxwell after Fleming thought she was the perfect fit for his description of the character.[48] Maxwell was initially offered a choice between the roles of Moneypenny or Sylvia Trench and opted for Moneypenny as she thought the Trench role, which included appearing in immodest dress, was too sexual.

One role which was not given to a future regular was that of Major Boothroyd, the head of Q-Branch, which was given to Peter Burton. Burton was unavailable for the subsequent film, From Russia with Love, and the role was taken by Desmond Llewelyn.[52][53]

Felix Leiter James Bonds CIA contact Dr no also introduced Felix Leiter  James Bonds CIA contact played in Dr No by By Jack Lord now better known for playing  Jack McGarrett in Hawaii Five-O. Felix Leiter  would appear many times in the James Bond series  not always played by the same actor.

In fact 9 actors have played Felix Leiter  in the James Franchise of those 9 only 2 actors would return to the series more than once. The first was David Hedison who appeared in Live and Let Die alongside Roger Moore in 1973 and 16 years later with Timothy Dalton in Licence To Kill,  he is only the only  Felix to play the part with 2 James Bonds which is quite an achivement in itself.

The Other Felix Leiter to appear in more than one film is Jeffrey Wright who appeared with Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, Quantum Of Solace & No Time To Die .

To find out more click here https://screenrant.com/james-bond-every-actor-felix-leiter/#david-hedison-ndash-live-and-let-die-amp-licence-to-kill

Ursula Andress The ultimate Bond Girl

For the first Bond girl Honey Ryder, Julie Christie was considered, but discarded as the producers felt she was not voluptuous enough.[40] Martine Beswick was also rejected for being too inexperienced as an actress while Gabriella Licudi was rejected as too young.[9] Just two weeks before filming began, Ursula Andress was chosen to play Honey after the producers saw a picture of her taken by Andress' then-husband John Derek.[11] Kirk Douglas persuaded Andress to take the part at a party hosted by Derek.[9] To appear more convincing as a Jamaican, Andress had a tan painted on her and ultimately had her lines redubbed by voice actress Nikki van der Zyl due to Andress' heavy Swiss-German accent.

The Collider website recently published an article called The Best Bond Girls: 16 Badass Women Who Defined the Franchise Honey Rider landed in the chart at number 4 this is what is they had to say about the first Bond girl.

There have been 25 Eon Bond movies released across a span of 61 years, and still, decades later, everyone still talks about Bond Girl that started it all. While much of the engrained Bond formula was finding its feet in the series’ debut feature, one thing Dr. No truly excelled at was making Ursula Andress’ Honey Ryder an enduring screen icon.

Needless to say, the character’s standing as a sex symbol was cemented the instant she walked onto that beach in the beige bikini, but she was defined by much more than just that. Fast becoming an ally to Bond, the shell diver is remembered for her defiant bravery and her resourcefulness as 007 combated the maniacal Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman).

The Names Norman Monty Norman

RIP to Monty Norman who died in July 11th 2022 at the grand old age 94 thank you for creating a classic theme that may only be 1 min 47 seconds long but it was just enough to open the doors to the world of James Bond in 1962 for Dr No.

Here is a short interview with Monty Norman on how he created that famous theme that featured on the BBCs The One Show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PAN7Z3iiEqE

Monty Norman was invited to write the film score because Broccoli liked his work on the 1961 theatre production Belle, a musical about murderer Hawley Harvey Crippen. Norman was busy with musicals, and only agreed to do the music for Dr. No after Saltzman allowed him to travel along with the crew to Jamaica.

I always felt a bit sorry for Monty he seems to be the forgotten man when it comes to James Bond his contribution to the James Bond theme has been over shadowed by John Barry, lets get this straight Monty wrote and composed the song Barry arranged and conducted it for the films soundtrack.

As a team John Barry and Monty Norman were excellent I always think its a shame that Norman never worked on any more Bond films after Doctor No where as John Barry would provide music for 11 of the first 25 films in the Bond franchise.

To find out more about the life and work of John Barry click here for his wikipedia page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Barry_(composer)

How the famous Gun Barrel sequence was created

Maurice Binder created the opening titles of the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962. Binder originally planned to employ a camera sighted down the barrel of a .38 calibre gun, but this caused some problems. Unable to stop down the lens of a standard camera enough to bring the entire gun barrel into focus, Binder created a pinhole camera to solve the problem, and the barrel became crystal clear.[1]

Binder described the genesis of the gun barrel sequence in the last interview he recorded before his death in 1991:

That was something I did in a hurry, because I had to get to a meeting with the producers in twenty minutes. I just happened to have little white, price tag stickers and I thought I'd use them as gun shots across the screen. We'd have James Bond walk through and fire, at which point blood comes down onscreen. That was about a twenty-minute storyboard I did, and they said, "This looks great!"[4]

The Gunbarrel sequence would then be followed by an exciting James Bond Mini adventure pre title sequence that sometimes may or may not have something to do with the films main plot click here for an article about 10 of the best James Bond pre titles sequences https://collider.com/best-james-bond-pre-credits-sequences-ranked/#lsquo-skyfall-rsquo-2012

As well  as designing the famous gun barrel sequence Maurice also designed 13 of the first 16 title sequences in the James Bond series. to find out more about Maurice Binder and his work click here  https://www.artofthetitle.com/designer/maurice-binder/

The Collider recently published an article titled the ten best James Bond Main title sequences  of all time ranked 5 of Maurice Binders titles sequences for the Bond films made the list you can read the article by clicking here https://collider.com/best-james-bond-opening-credits-ranked/#lsquo-licence-to-kill-rsquo-1989

So is it a Doctor Yes from me meaning I like it or a Dr No meaning I hate it ?

Well lets start with the good points what people call a compliment sandwich the music is very good by Monty Norman with the James Bond theme being the stand out music on the film the acting on the film is also of a high standard Sean Connery is excellant as Bond.

The What Culture website recently published an excellant article on the greatest moments for each Bond film in the series and Sean Connery’s performance in Dr No was their stand out moment from Dr No here is what they had to say:

From the first second he appeared on-screen, Sean Connery simply was Bond. A charisma machine if there ever was one, Connery's sublime work created a cinematic legend with few equals, and even now, he remains the quintessential Bond for most fans.

The first film in the series also benefits from a well-written screenplay, beautiful visuals and an infectious sense of cool, but the main reason the film works as well as it does - and also why certain rather iffy scenes and the film's wildly uneven pacing are far easier to ignore - is because of its star.

Suave, badass, cooler than a cucumber yet also very witty when he needed to be, Connery really got Bond absolutely right, and even if there's a strong argument to be made that Daniel Craig ultimately upstaged him as the best James Bond, Connery is still just as great to watch after all these years.

The Movie web film website also rated Sean Connery introduction as James Bond in Dr No very highly in their article titled 10 Best Movie Character Introductions, Ranked  Sean Connery’s introduction as James Bond topped the list these are their comments

The highly stylized opening sequence of James Bond movies, in which the suave secret agent is seen through the iconic gun barrel, is a cinematic signature that has become ingrained in popular culture. This iconic imagery was first introduced in Dr. No, and has since been a hallmark of the Bond franchise. As the gun takes aim, Bond swiftly turns to fire his gun, painting the screen blood red. This cinematic device has become more than just an introduction; it's a symbol one of cinema’s most successful and beloved movie franchises, instantly recognizable to audiences worldwide.

Over the decades, this gun barrel sequence has evolved and adapted, becoming a fixture in Bond films, reaffirming the character's enduring appeal. It serves as a timeless reminder of the suave and unstoppable spy who has captured the hearts and imaginations of audiences across the globe back in 1962.

Sean Connery’s introduction as James Bond topped Screenrants list of James Bonds Greatest scenes ranked from worst to best who made these comments

Since Sean Connery’s James Bond influenced every 007 that came after him, it only makes sense that his screen debut earned the top spot. As simple as it might be, the first time that Bond utters the iconic catchphrase “Bond, James Bond” in Dr. No remains a high point for the series. There is a reason that this scene has been copied, parodied, reinvented, deconstructed, and paid homage to throughout countless action movies over the last six decades. As simple as it seems, Connery’s roguish delivery of the line in the first James Bond movie turned a popular literary character into a cornerstone of modern pop culture.

The Collider film website published an article called Sean Connery 20 best films three Bond films were included in the list including Dr No which was at number 14  

Here is what they had to say about Dr No

Beginning what would become an immensely long-running film series in style, Dr. No was the first time movie audiences ever got to see James Bond, and perhaps the first time many were introduced to Sean Connery as an actor. It’s not an instance where the first film was the very best in the series, but Dr. No is still very good for its time, an admirable start to the series, and one of the better (albeit not the greatest) 007 films Connery starred in.

The titular character is the villain Bond goes up against here, with his evil plan involving the destruction of the U.S. space program. Many staples of the series that would become beloved as the years went on got their start here in Dr. No, and Connery himself was instantly magnetic in the role he seemed born to play… though as both aforementioned and subsequent titles will show, he was so much more than just Bond.

How does Sean Connery’s James Bond measure up to the one featured in the Ian Fleming novels and short stories ?

The film website Screenrant recently published an article called How all 6 James Bond actors compare to the Ian Fleming Iconic Book spy they said this about Sean Connery’s Bond 

While Connery’s early movies stuck pretty close to the Fleming novels they were adapted from, Connery was warmer and less sharp than the author’s take on the character. Fleming himself told Playboy Magazine that Bond had "very few perceptible virtues" outside of patriotism and courage, only for the author to then question whether these were even virtues. By contrast, Sean Connery’s influential take on Bond was every bit the matinée idol. Admittedly, much of Bond’s conduct in these early movies would now be considered problematic. However, the series itself uncritically presented Connery’s Bond as a hero, whereas Fleming’s literary character was always intended to be more morally ambiguous.

Connery’s Bond was also notable for shaving off some of the more objectionable elements of Fleming’s take on the character. While his conduct with women was questionable at best, and he could be a boorish brute at times, Connery’s take on 007 never challenged the prejudices that Fleming’s 007 vocalized throughout the novel series. As noted by one Time article, Fleming’s Bond held racist beliefs about Korean people, while his dalliance with Pussy Galore uncovered some terrible views on homosexuality. Fortunately, the timeless Bond movies didn’t hand Bond the chance to damn himself by letting the super-spy share these takes on-screen.

But what about the other actors in Doctor No ?

Ursula Andress is excellant as Honey Rider giving a performance that is sensertive and full of sexual presenance at the same time Joseph Wiseman is good as Dr No the main villan of the piece but not outstanding.

There are no gadgets in Dr No but Q played by Peter Burton does give him his Waither PPK his signature wepon  you can find out more about Bonds weapon of choice by clicking here https://www.thejamesbonddossier.com/lifestyle/guns/walther-ppk.htm

This article also explains why James Bond started carrying a Waither PPK https://screenrant.com/why-james-bond-uses-walther-ppk-gun/

The Supporting cast of the film are also very good Bernard Lee as M and Louis Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny being the standouts so I am glad we saw more of them in further films the film is also well written and directed and there are some great action scenes featrured in it having said all that for some reason I don’t know why I find the film a very hard watch so I don’t watch it as much as the many other Bond films in my collection so if I was to get a rating out of 5 I would give it a 3 out of 5.

You can watch a trailer for Dr No by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw61uyA0F8A&t=9s

To watch a video called 10 things you didn’t about James Bond Dr No click herehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFws8IdQHKA

James Bond and the Tolerance Project

Why is the Tolerance project including a blog about James Bond? Well we used the James Bond theme in a sequence in the Tolerance Film the above extracts comes from the blog Thank you for the music

2mins 25  We hear the strains of the James bond theme as Robert ( played by David Smith) speeds round the Kitchen to make his breakfast Finishing with a cup of tea to highlight his independence.

 He Lives in a house by himself where as Claire his girlfriend played by Claire Abbot lives with her family where she feels somewhat over protected and longs to get away

We went with the original done by Monty Norman for Dr No in 1962. Did u you know that John Barry re-recorded the theme for the single release of the same year this re-recorded version is slightly longer the original used in Dr No this version reached the top 20 peaking at number 11 in 1962. It runs close to 2 mins to quote the liner notes on the best of Bond 1992 CD.

Unlike the film version which used the Monty Norman Orchestra this re-recorded version used John Barry’s own Orchestra. Barry’s own version was released in England at a time when Cinemagoers first met James Bond in 1962s Dr No, though lacking the fullness and worldwide familiarity of the Norman Orchestra version Barry’s version holds it own drive and intensity.   

The re-recordings of the James Bond theme by John Barry .

John Barry re-recorded the James Bond Theme in 1966 for his CBS album The Great Movie Sounds of John Barry, which features driving percussion ostinati (with a prominent role for bongos), as well as a piano and brass improvisation superimposed over the last few bars.

. For his 1972 Polydor album The Concert John Barry, re-scored the theme again as part of a James Bond suite for full symphony orchestra, in this case the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. This more lush arrangement was to feature in his later Bond film scores, notably Octopussy

Notes Thank You to Wikipedia for the background notes on Dr No and the Maurice Binder interview on how he created the now iconic Gunbarrel sequence. And Minty’s Comedic arts for the 10 things you didn’t know about James Bond Dr No

Pictures

 1) The creators of James Bond and Ian Fleming Sean Connery and Producers   Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli and Harry Saltzman

 2) one of the many film posters for Dr No

3) Bernard Lee as M

4) Louis Maxwell as Moneypenny with Sean Connery as James Bond

5 Ursula Andress As Honey Rider

6 Composer Monty Norman

7 John Barry

8) Title sequence designer Maurice Binder

9) the art work for the orignal UK release of the James Bond theme recorded by John Barry

10) The album artwork for his 1966 album The Great movie sounds of John Barry

11) The album cover for his 1972 album the concert

12and 13 David Smith as Robert making his breakfast to the James Bond theme screen grabs taken from the Tolerance film

If you have read this post and want to help the Tolerance project click on the above link https://www.gofundme.com/gnk3ww

[ljones41]

"DR. NO" (1962) 60th Anniversary Review

Last month, October 2022, marked the 60th anniversary of "DR. NO", the first James Bond movie produced by EON Productions. Here is my review of the movie:

"DR. NO" (1962) 60th Anniversary Review This 1962 movie marked the cinematic debut of EON Production's James Bond franchise, created by Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. Sean Connery also made his debut in this film as the MI-6 agent, James Bond. Although many critics and fans consider film as one of the more impressive in the franchise, I honestly cannot say that I share their opinion. Based on Ian Fleming's 1958 novel, "DR. NO" begins with the murder of MI-6 agent Strangeways and his secretary by a trio of assassins in Jamaica. Fellow MI-6 agent James Bond is ordered by his superior, "M", to investigate the agent’s death and eventually stumbles upon a plot by Dr. Julius No, an agent of the criminal organization SPECTRE, to disrupt the U.S. space program for the Chinese Republic. As I had stated earlier, I have never considered "DR. NO" as one of the more impressive entries of the Bond franchise. In fact, it is one of my least favorite Bond movies of all time. The main problem I had with "DR. NO" was the schizophrenic script written by Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather that featured an unbalanced mixture of genres. I suppose they had no choice. After all, they simply wrote a close adaptation of Fleming's novel. And Fleming never struck me as the world's greatest novelist. The story began as a mystery thriller, as Bond tried to figure out who was behind Strangeways' death. Unfortunately, the movie transformed into a fantasy-style adventure when Bond and one of his CIA contacts, Quarrel made their way to Dr. No's Crab Key Island in order to disrupt the villain's plot. A part of me wishes that Young and the screenwriters had made changes in Fleming's story. The stilted dialogue peppered throughout the movie only made matters even worse for me. The worst line came out of the mouth of former beauty pageant winner, Marguerite LeWars, who portrayed a photographer working for SPECTRE.  I take that back.  Miss LeWars never spoke that line.  It came from the mouth of the actress hired to dub her voice.  Although Miss LeWars never spoke the line, it struck me as so bad that I will not even repeat it. Even Connery was guilty of spewing some wooden dialogue. In fact, his performance seemed as uneven as the movie’s story and production style. In many scenes, he seemed to be the epitome of the smooth British agent. And in other scenes – especially with Jack Lord, who was the first actor to portray CIA agent Felix Leiter – he came off as gauche and wooden. Mr. Lord, on the other hand, gave a consistently polished and performance as the sardonic Agent Leiter. Much has been made of Ursula Andress’ performance as "Bond Girl No.1" Honey Ryder – especially her famous first appearance when her character emerges upon a beach. Frankly, I have never been able to sense the magic of that moment. Nor did I find Andress' presence in the movie particularly impressive. Not only was her character irrelevant to the story, but she failed to aid Bond’s attempts to defeat Dr. No. I first became a fan of Joseph Wiseman ever since I noticed his sly and subtle performance as a 1960s gangster in the Michael Mann TV series, "CRIME STORY". But I was not that impressed by his Dr. Julius No, a character that simply bored me to tears. I might as well say the same about Anthony Dawson’s performance as SPECTRE agent, Professor Dent. Many fans have been waxing lyrical over a scene featuring his death at Bond's hand. Personally, I found Bond's actions unprofessional. The MI-6 agent could have easily drugged the SPECTRE operative, removed any inconvenient cyanide pills and had MI-6 "question" him.  Instead, Bond killed him in cold blood . . . and lost any chance to get more information from Dent.  Moron.  "DR. NO" can boast first-class performances by American-born John Kitzmiller as the exuberant Jamaican CIA contact, Quarrel. And Zena Marshall gave a solid, yet subtle performance as Professor Dent’s Eurasian secretary and SPECTRE agent, Miss Taro. It is only too bad that the producers and Terence Young could not find genuine Eurasians for both the Dr. No and Miss Taro roles. But I guess that would not have been possible in 1962. "DR. NO" featured some beautiful photography of Jamaica from cinematographer Ted Moore. Monty Norman not only provided a first-rate musical score, but he also delivered the original "James Bond" theme. However, some of the movie's flaws – namely the uneven script and direction by Terence Young, along with the wooden dialogue, makes "DR. NO" vastly overrated in my eyes. But what can I expect from a movie that consistently threatens to put me to sleep two-thirds into the story?

[ivan-fyodorovich-k]

I could probably actually watch some mecha shows but I tried watching them when I was in college and years later I still haven't gotten over the utterly pointless deaths of either Chan Agi or Bernard Wiseman, two people who aren't even a little bit real in the slightest way

Do love them robots though

[haveyouseenthis-childhoodshow]

Have you seen this childhood show: The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends (1959-1964), United States (English)

Commentary/Context/Memories: I watched this one on reruns. The character names are all iconic.

[Mod A: Also agree that the character names are so iconic!! This show is pretty funny (lots of jokes for adults about current events) and representative of the time it was made in (because of the russian spies being the villains in so many episodes haha). I only really saw bits and pieces of it, which explains why I forgot Peabody and Sherman was from this haha but I have seen a couple of the fractured fairy tales. Lowkey wonder what the obsessions with cartoon moose was in the 1960s-1970s though, because Bullwinkle reminds me of the book Morris Goes to School (Bernard Wiseman, 1970)]

[slpytired]

Watching the whole Gundam series in 2023 #6: Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket Review

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket was directed by Fumihiko Takeyama and released as a 6-part OVA series from March 25, 1989 to August 25, 1989. Set in the Universal Century year 0079, the plot follows a young boy named Alfred Izuruha as he learns the true meaning of war through his experiences with Zeon pilot Bernrd Wiseman and Earth Federation pilot Christina Mackenzie.

I had heard a lot about how different this installation in the Gundam series was from the rest, but I was still thrown off by the unique lens through which Director Takeyama depicted the infamous One Year War.

I felt that the strong point of this story was the relationships between the main characters. Alfred views Bernard as a sort of heroic older brother figure, and Christina as an older sister. I believe the two pilots viewed Alfred in a similar way as well, making the battle between them all the more tragic. The sense of pressure on Bernard to win against the Gundam Alex in order to save Side 6 from a nuclear strike really added to the tension of the last episode, and the strike itself being averted did nothing to alleviate it, as Bernard was already engaged in combat with Christina. In the end, the Gundam emerges victorious, leaving both Alfred and the audience with a strong sense of tragedy and despair.

The Cyclops Team from Zeon was also an interesting group of characters. As pilots, they had a strong sway over Alfred, being the sort of people he idolised and wished to be. Throughout their time in the show they controlled him with the status of honorary member, involving him in their operations and using him for their goals. However, despite the sense control they exuded at the start, they all died in the battle against the Gundam Alex like anyone else. From Alfred's perspective, it must have been a shocking experience to find out that the adults he idolised were not invincible, and died just as easily as anyone else.

Overall this series is a 9/10.

[nearmidnightannex]

Will Frankie get to “Give it to you one time now...”

Frankie Goes To Hollywood Biopic ‘Relax’ In The Works With ‘It’s A Sin’ Star Callum Scott Howells, Working Title & Independent Entertainment — Cannes Market (deadline.com)

By Andreas Wiseman May 10, 2023 1:42am

EXCLUSIVE: Just a couple of days after they reunited for the first time in almost 40 years, we can reveal that UK band Frankie Goes To Hollywood is the subject of a new movie biopic from UK powerhouse Working Title and Independent Entertainment.

Titled Relax after the group’s 1983 hit single, and based on frontman Holly Johnson’s memoir A Bone In My Flute, the film is set to star It’s A Sin breakout Callum Scott Howells as Johnson....

[...]  The film was written and will be helmed by Bernard Rose, director behind the original Relax music video, 1992’s horror classic Candyman, and Howard Marks biopic Mr. Nice. Additional casting is underway...

[...]  Their controversial hit song Relax, which celebrates homosexual love, was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts. It subsequently went on to top the UK Singles Chart for five weeks and become the sixth best-selling UK single of all time. In the U.S., the song reached number 10 on the Hot 100 and was voted best song of the year by listeners to LA’s KROQ station. The movie will explore the song’s genesis and impact.

You know, when I first heard about this, I was a touch concerned. After all, Hollywood is OK with a gay story, as long as they can sanitize the hell out of it. And this seems like it would probably be subject to sanitization with malice aforethought, afterthought, duringthought, all the thoughts all the times.

And then I hit this line in the article: “ The film was written and will be helmed by Bernard Rose, director behind the original Relax music video...”

Which means that it will be done by the director behind this: 

Honestly, I don’t think the concern now will be so much sanitization as “Will the studio actually let the finished product be seen by anyone?”

Also, the history of “Relax” and its several videos has been discussed in these very precincts in Relax, don’t do it … when you wanna…

I am looking forward to seeing what, if anything, comes of this.

I hope.

[briankeene]

Shapeshifter Back In Print

J.F. Gonzalez's classic werewolf novel returns!

Mark Wiseman thought he had his curse under control. He thought he had kept it a secret. He was wrong. Bernard Roberts is a very wealthy and powerful man, and he knows all about the curse that flows through Mark's veins. He also knows how Mark's parents were killed. If Mark wants Bernard to keep his secrets, he'll have to do what Bernard commands. He'll have to use his curse to kill. But if Mark begins to loosen his grip over the wolf within him, will he lose control of it completely?

Midnight Library and Manhattan On Mars Press are proud to present this new edition of a seminal horror classic.

Paperback - Kindle - Nook - Kobo

[char-x3]

Zaku II Kai -Bernard Wiseman揸的🤗

Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket