OMG!! It's almost here!! JAMES BOND DAY is this Friday. That's just 48 hours away. What? You've never heard of JAMES BOND DAY? Well, that might be because this is the first ever JAMES BOND DAY. See, it was exactly fifty years ago on October Fifth, 1962 that the first Bond movie, Dr. No, had its London premiere. And it just so happens that the latest installment, SkyFall, opens in theaters on October 26th. To celebrate this made-up holiday, we here at the DUNER BLOG want to answer some common questions about everyone's favorite international spy.
Hasn't Hollywood ran out of Ian Fleming novels by now?
Yes. Let's check the math. The Londoner wrote fourteen Bond novels. Skyfall is the twenty-third film. The last book adapted for film was Octopussy. After they ran out of books, United Artists started using short story titles instead. For example, Quantum of Solace appeared only in Modern Woman Magazine. The Living Daylights was a colour pull-out in the Sunday London Times.
Are the movies anything like the books?
Kinda. Ian Fleming was a Naval Intelligence Officer during World War II. These experiences provided inspiration for his spy novels. The first five movies followed the books quite accurately. However, as times changed, United Artists sought to update plot lines to reflect current times. For example, in the book Moonraker, James stops a rocket from being fired on London. When the film Moonraker, was released thirty years later, Bond actually flies in outer space! NOTE: Ian Fleming was a diverse author...he also wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Debate will always rage on this sensitive subject, so here goes. Basically, there are two types of Bond flicks. Type A Bond Movies are gritty, violent and follow the books much closer. Here, 007 fights with his fists and drowns bad guys in public toilets. In these films, Sean Connery and Daniel Craig flourish. Type B Bond Movies are more light-hearted and fun. After a villain is killed and is dangling from a telephone pole, Bond quips: "Thanks for hangin' around." In these films, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan shine. (Notice how we didn't answer the question?)
Which is the best Bond song?
For many, the best part of a Bond movie is the opening credits and musical score, sung by the hottest stars of the day. In the 1960's, it was Tom Jones belting out "Thunderball." Paul McCartney & Wings told us to "Live and Let Die" in the 1970's. But the best? Well, the only Bond Title Song to top the US Billboard charts is Duran Duran's "View To A Kill" in 1985. In the end...however...the best Bond song of all time is "Nobody Does It Better" by Carly Simon. Good luck topping that, ADELE!
We saved the best question for last. According to ROTTEN TOMATOES, the most respected film critics on the Internet, the first film, Dr. No, is the best ever, receiving an aggregate score of 98%. The Bond movie that made the most money (adjusted for inflation, of course) is The Spy Who Loved Me which almost beat out Star Wars as the top grossing film of 1977. However, the best Bond movie of all time must be From Russia With Love. It has a believable plot, great locations (Istanbul and Italy) and DANIELA BIANCHI is the best bond babe ever!
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