Click on This: November 9, 2012 Edition
Nov 9, 2012

There was some kind of vote this week, People’s Choice Awards we think, and some exciting news for Star Wars fans.  Plus a little movie opens today that we’re kind of excited for.  Without further delay, let’s Click on This!

In addition to news about possible scribes and story details, this spoiler footage from the newest Star Wars addition has been making the rounds.

Frankly we’re kind of shocked there isn’t more CGI.

A father decided that his daughter shouldn’t have to play her favorite videogame as a boy, and decided to reprogram the game to make Link a young lady.  You know, like ya do.

As Buffy fans, we were psyched by the news of a Willow and Oz reunion!*

*Okay so it DOESN’T happen in Sunnydale. It’s still cool.

While this year has yielded some amazing flicks, there have also been a lot of flops.  This great article takes a stab at some of Hollywood’s worst excuses for terrible films.

Probably the biggest news of the week though is that Skyfall has finally arrived!

In honor of 50 years of Bond on film and the movie opening today, we asked the Click team their favorite films from the series.

MAC – OCTOPUSSY

Octopussy!  Certainly not the best, but it was the first one I ever saw in a theater and will always be the most memorable.

DINAH, SABRINA, JULIE  - GOLDENEYE

Dinah - GoldenEye – Casting Pierce Brosnan as 007 injected new life into the Bond franchise, and the choice of Judi Dench as M was inspired. Though I also have to give honorable mentions to Goldfinger—Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore is so badass I can hardly stand it—and to The World is Not Enough. Yes, Denise Richards as nuclear physicist Dr. Christmas Jones is one of the silliest & most preposterous things I’ve ever seen, but the Garbage theme song totally rocks and the video is amazing. http://vimeo.com/21104021

Sabrina - GoldenEye for the same reason, well that and because the theme song was by Tina Turner!

Julie - Goldeneye!  The opening sequence alone just thrilled me.  The breathtaking bungee jump, the motorcycle flying through the air, AND the sound of Tina Turner?!  Pure magic.

 

DRE & KIM

Dre - I’ve seen all of 2 1/2 Bond films (1 Brosnan, 1 Craig, and 1/2 of a Connery), so I’m by no means in a position to pick a “Favorite Bond Film,” but I have opinions about everything, so I suppose I can offer my 2¢.

Pierce Brosnan is an excellent bad ass spy- swoon worthy pectorals and serious gun toting swagger. I saw The World is Not Enough, and liked it, despite the ridiculous notion that Denise Richards is a rocket scientist or whatever. Quantum of Solace had me on the edge of my seat, giving me at least 12 heart attacks during the opening sequence, so I’d have to give that film and Daniel Craig two big thumbs up as well. A well-dressed good-looking martini-loving guy that is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and drives a fast car never gets old. Nearly 20 films later, I’m guessing I’m not the only one of this opinion.

Kim - I have a few fav Bond films.. But its really all about that man for me!  First I love me some Sean Connery in Goldfinger…

I Also have a soft spot for Tomorrow Never Dies… Bond is in love with Lois Lane… I mean Teri Hatcher… I mean Paris Carver.  I think I’ve probably watched that film 20 times.

And finally Daniel Craig in shorts… in Casino Royale.  I was certainly glad he was the pick to revitalize the franchise.

 

EMILY - TOMORROW NEVER DIES

It was my first theatrical introduction to the franchise.

TYLER – DR. NO

Dr. No, two words – Ursula Andress.

SCOTT – FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

I’m actually not a huge Bond fan or aficionado, but I’d choose From Russia with Love as my favorite. Connery rules and it’s the best Connery Bond film (if not the best Bond film overall) there is.

TOMMY – CASINO ROYALE

As a poker fan, the Texas Hold-Em scene is every player’s dream scenario.  To win with a straight flush on the last card, with the stakes that high, was amazing!  Add in incredible action, a classic Bond film twist, and Daniel Craig’s debut as the most bad-ass 007 yet, and you’ve got my favorite Bond film.

 

JONAH – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME

Oh, I went there.  Here’s the thing.  I’m easily the biggest Bond fan on staff, and have logged multiple viewings of every entry – thank you TBS marathons.  Watching Bond films – at least for me – forms a cycle.

First it was a way to bond, pun slightly intended, with my dad.  I may have preferred to watch Star Wars again, but could enjoy the fun that Bond provided as well.  As I got older, and really got into action films, it was easy to take delight in the epic action sequences.  Now though, as a fan and somewhat serious student of film and political science, I look at the Bond series as a window into the racial and gender politics of our collective national psyche.  Viewed through THAT lense, really the only choice for a progressive Bond is Roger Moore.

With the exception of Britt Eckland and the ladies from the opening sequences, every Moore Bond Gal is self sufficient, and tough.  In every film there are notable examples of Moore being saved by the ladies.  Additionally there are strong minority characters and environmental themes.  Yet the films still have the hard drinking, action packed, sexy feel of earlier and later entries.  The Spy Who Loved Me is the quintessential Moore entry.  There’s a larger than life villain and henchman, a ridiculous plot, amazing gadgets, and my pick (and Ringo Star’s) for top Bond Gal: Agent Triple X. Also the car turns into a submarine.

There you have it.  Do you agree with our picks?  Tell us yours in the comments below, and have a spytacular weekend!

By: jonah

Men on a Mission
Jun 10, 2010

As someone who grew up on G.I. Joe and The A-Team, few things are as satisfying to me as a fun, team-based action flick.  These are sometimes referred to as “Men on a Mission” movies. You know, the ones where the gang of misfits, portrayed by an eclectic bunch of actors, has to get together and use each man’s strengths to win the day.

After enjoying The Losers and patiently awaiting The Expendables, I am currently happily counting down the minutes until The A-Team is fed into my eyes on Friday.  While I wait, I decided to reminisce on some enjoyable bullet-riddled cinematic mission films of yesteryear. (Before I get into some of my favorites, I must admit that I saw a lot of the classics toward the latter half of the 80s and early 90s, so my knowledge of some of the character actors at the time was…skewed.)

The “War is Ugly” Mission

Most mission films are military or war-related, and usually involve blowing something/someone up—fine by me!  The first time I saw Dirty Dozen?  Kojak, Dominic from “Airwolf” and Death Wish were killing Nazis.  What’s better than that?  Then we have Lee Marvin leading another crew starring Luke Skywalker in The Big Red One.  (Did anyone else get weirded out the first time they saw Mark Hamill as not-Luke Skywalker?).  And Saving Private Ryan, while having one of the best ensemble casts, will always be burned into my brain as “the slow death of Adam Goldberg.” If you saw it, you know what I’m talking about.


The “Dirty Western” Mission (Even the art is always brown.)
“Ring, ring, it’s 7am!”  Thoughts of The Clash, Westworld, General Stockwell from “The A-Team,” Death Wish (again) and a skinny little James Coburn rocked my 80s brain while catching up with the classic Magnificent Seven.  Young Guns was one of the first movies I remember taping on VHS from a free HBO weekend at 10:00 on a Saturday night (SLP, so I could fit three movies on a tape… foolish child).  That film had everyone, including Emilio Estevez who would later return to the action genre in Mission: Impossible only to get (Spoiler Alert!) skewered in the eye five minutes in.  Of everything on this list, however, The Long Riders was probably the last one I saw. What an amazing concept.  The real-life James-Younger Gang story centered on four sets of brothers and, lo & behold, the movie secured four sets of actual brothers to play them: the Carradine clan (Robert, Keith and David), James and Stacy Keach, Dennis & Randy Quaid, and Christopher and Nicholas Guest.  That’s some inspired casting.


The “Oh Crap, We’re Being Hunted” Mission
As much as I’m a fan of the “team bonding” mission movies, I have a sincere appreciation of the “pick them off one by one” oeuvre as well.  When I first saw Southern Comfort, my mind was blown.  I didn’t even hear about this movie until I was in my early 20s, so when I saw it, my first reaction was, “Hey, it’s Dexter from ‘Silver Spoons,’ Remo Williams, and Andy from Red Dawn!”  I also happen to love swamp movies, so my reaction to watching a team of National Guardsmen get killed with nasty traps by irritated Cajuns was one of sheer delight.  And mission classics Predator and Aliens essentially defined the action genre for me (along with Die Hard and Robocop). Those poor VHS tapes got watched so many times that Predator was actually all red for the most part, the tape was so worn out.  And Aliens?  Please.  “Game over, man.  Game over.”

Of course this is a pale list in comparison to all of the  “Men on a Mission” movies in the world, so if you’ve got a favorite, feel free to let us know!

By: Mac McLean