007's First Appearance

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

Title: Dr. No
Series: James Bond, Movie 1 (Sean Connery)
Release: May 8, 1963
Genre: Action- Spy
MPAA Rating: PG
Based On: Dr. No by Ian Fleming
Writer: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather
Director: Terence Young
Music By: Monty Norman
Produced By: Harry Saltzman & Albert R. Broccoli
Distributed By: United Artists
Run Time: 110 minutes

There is only one man who is the epitome of style, sophistication, and who still isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. One who is a notorious ladies man and also he’s the spy of spies, that man is James Bond. British author Ian Fleming brought Agent 007 to life in his novels written from 1953 through 1966, and then as Fleming was releasing his book The Spy Who Loved Me, his sixth book in his series Dr. No was adapted for the big screen.

The film wasn’t well received in some countries and in others, the response was nearly overwhelming (mainly in America) so it wasn’t very long before another Bond film was released. Now it’s the longest running film franchise in the world! There have been many actors who have played Bond but the Sean Connery is probably one the most beloved. I know very little about the whole James Bond franchise other than the fact that there are a lot of movies with many actors playing Bond but I believe Sean Connery was him the most (if you count the “unofficial“ films). As hard to believe as it is, I had never seen a James Bond movie until I watched Dr. No (I have heard of them of course) but I don’t believe any actor could be as good as Connery is in the role.

As much hoopla that surrounds these movies, I was expecting to be blown away by Dr. No or at the very least, watch a damn good movie but it was just ok. I can see why it did spawn so much praise in its day and beget so many other films though. James Bond was certainly a ladies man, wasn’t he? Ursula Andress was the very first Bond Girl (she plays Honey Ryder) and is now considered the “quintessential Bond girl” who “set the standard by which all of the others would be judged.”

What I liked most about the first Bond film was the style of the film and how elegant the fashions are. However, the fight scenes aren't very well choreographed, and look very fake by today’s standards. It has its flaws but the first Bond film was very good nonetheless. It’s a little hard to believe that James Bond was created by the same person who wrote Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang but it’s amazing that a low-budget film was able to not only become a major hit and make an unknown actor into a star, but it helped make Bond… James Bond into an icon that the world will never forget.

Links: Imdb.com, Film Wikipedia, Character Wikipedia, Author Wikipedia, Film Franchise Wikipedia, James Bond Wikia
Interview: President of the International Bond Fan Club (BBC News)

Trailer

Three Mission: Impossibles

Tom Cruise stars as Ethan Hunt, a secret agent framed for the deaths of his espionage team. Fleeing from government assassins, breaking into the CIA's most impenetrable vault, clinging to the roof of a speeding bullet train, Hunt races like a burning fuse to stay one step ahead of his pursuers...and draw one step closer to discovering the shocking truth.

Title: Mission Impossible
Release: May 22, 1996
Genre: Action- Spy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Based On: Mission Impossible (TV series) by Bruce Gellar
Writer: David Koepp, Steven Zaillian, & Robert Towne
Director: Brian De Palma
Music By: Danny Elfman
Produced By: Paula Wagner & Tom Cruise
Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 110 minutes

A popular British TV series called Mission: Impossible starring Peter Graves from 1966 to 1973 was adapted for the big screen in 1996 and unlike the TV show, it was to focus mainly on one character: Ethan Hunt. He was to be played by the blockbuster actor Tom Cruise who was also one of the producers for the film. Mission: Impossible was to be one of the most popular action movie franchises in the 1990's and director Brian De Palma's biggest career break to date.

Before Tom Cruise went all weird, he was actually one of my favorite actors thanks to the marvelous job he did portraying many, many, amazing characters- my favorite of which is Anne Rice's Lestat in Interview with the Vampire. While he is the main character, Mr. Cruise wasn’t the only great actor in the film; Jon Voight plays an interesting character as well. I can't say that I've followed Jon Voight's career closely but I have enjoyed many of the films he has been a supporting character in lately (like National Treasure). The character he plays was the main character in the original series and because of how Jim Phelps was handled; none of the other characters from the show took up the offer of cameos in the film.

I did enjoy Tom Crusie’s action film a lot but there was one part of the film that I not only found unbelievable but it also seem unnecessary too: the face yanking off thing was a bit much. I prefer my spy and/or assassin movies a little more realistic. I actually didn't see the ending coming but to be honest, I got a little lost during a few parts of the film. I still think Jason Bourne and his movies beats Ethan Hunt easily any day.

Last year I watched all four Die Hards for the first time and really liked most of them. I finally decided it was time to give Mission: Impossible franchise a chance too. After all, the trilogy has been ingrained into our pop culture so there must be something good about it! While this was not my favorite film, (I think I prefer Die Hard and the Jason Bourne movies more), I was very pleasantly surprised with the first Mission: Impossible. Hmm, maybe I should finally check out those James Bond movies next and see what all the fuss is about there too...

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Fanpop

Trailer:


Opening:

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The world's greatest spy returns in the movie event of the year, M:I-2. Top action director John Woo brings his own brand of excitement to the mission that finds Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) partnering up with the beautiful Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton) to stop renegade agent Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) from releasing a new kind of terror on an unsuspecting world. But before the mission is complete, they'll traverse the globe and have to choose between everything they love and everything they believe in.

Title: Mission Impossible II
Release: May 24, 2000
Genre: Action- Spy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Based On: Mission Impossible (TV Series) by Bruce Geller
Writer: Ronald D. Moore, Brannon Braga & Robert Towne
Director: John Woo
Music By: Hans Zimmer
Produced By: Paula Wagner & Tom Cruise
Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 123 minutes

Mission: Impossible II is of course the sequel to the action blockbuster four years previously directed by Brian de Palma. This Mission: Impossible however is directed by the Hong Kong filmmaker John Woo but it still stars Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Also, it was the highest grossing picture worldwide made in 2000, beating out Gladiator (which went on to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards).

As in the first film, there were a few times I found myself a little confused because of some of the plot holes but I found out later its because Mr. Woo had originally intended the film to be a little over 3 hours long and the studio objected. There is just way too much action and “impossible” stunts to think to hard about errors though. However, at least for me, some of the more "manly" stunts are actually more funny than cool. The whole motorbike thing near the end was skillfully performed but it did remind me of a jousting match and I thought some of the martial arts stuff lasted WAY too long too.

The plot for M:I: II isn’t much more sophisticated than the first but it sure is full of action sequences! Lots of stuff is blown up, chase scenes, characters in peril, and neat stunts (many of which Cruise insisted on doing himself). I still thought there was way too much of that face-pulling-off shtick but it looks much more advanced in this film thanks to the use of green screen. I was very surprised to see Anthony Hopkins play a small cameo as Mission Commander Swanbeck but he (and Ving Rhames) has some of the best lines in the entire film and he is the first person to ever use the phrase "mission impossible" in any of the films or the TV show for that matter.

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Script

Trailer:


Making of Soundtrack:


Featurette:

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Super-spy Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has retired from active duty to trains new IMF agents. But he is called back into action to confront the toughest villain he's ever faced - Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an international weapons and information provider with no remorse and no conscience. Hunt assembles his team - his old friend Luther Strickell (Ving Rhames), transportation expert Declan (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), background operative Zhen (Maggie Q), and fresh recruit Lindsey (Keri Russell) - to travel the globe pursuing Davian and rescue Hunt's love, Julia (Michelle Monaghan).

Title: Mission Impossible III
Release: May 5, 2006
Genre: Action- Spy
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Writer: Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, & J. J. Abrams
Director: J. J. Abrams
Music By: Michael Giacchino
Produced By: Tom Cruise & Paula Wagner
Distributed By: Paramount Pictures
Run Time: 126 minutes
Official Site

2006 was the year of the sequels with film continuations of the Superman, Pirates of the Caribbean, Ice Age, James Bond, and X-men franchises but it was also the year that Mission: Impossible III came out. Directed by J. J. Abrams, the creator/ writer/ director of the TV show Lost and Felicity; the third Mission shows Ethan Hunt (played by Tom Cruise) a little older, a little more domesticated, and still in as much trouble as usual.

Due to many reasons but mostly because of actor Tom Cruise’s antics at the time, this was the first Mission: Impossible to not make it in the top five grossing films of the year. However, in my opinion, this is the best of the three films even if there are a few slow spots. No offense to the other two major bad guys in the other two films but Philip Seymour Hoffman is also the best villain of the franchise. He’s just a guy that you love to hate!

While I thought it was the best of the three films story-wise and there are tons of action sequences, I did notice that those sequences weren’t quite as natural looking as in the first two. It seemed to be about bigger and better and that’s not always a good thing. Still, I found that very easy to overlook since the plot flows seamlessly and the actors were really good- especially Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Declan Gormley. He nearly manages to outshine Ethan Hunt and that is a real accomplishment.

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, AOL Moviefone

Trailer:


JRM Interview:

The First In Death

Eve Dallas is a New York police lieutenant hunting for a ruthless killer. In over ten years on the force, she's seen it all - and knows that her survival depends on her instincts. And she's going against every warning telling her not to get involved with Roarke, an Irish billionaire - and suspect in Eve's murder investigation. But passion and seduction have rules of their own, and it's up to Eve to take a chance in the arms of a man she knows nothing about - except the addictive hunger of needing his touch.

Title: Naked in Death
Author: J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)
Series: In Death Series, Book 1
Start & Finished: 7/27/08- 7/30/08
Published: 1995
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 314
Genre: Mystery- Futuristic

One of the most popular ladies to ever write romance, Nora Roberts had always wanted to try her hand at romantic suspense and nearly 15 years after her first published book she did with Naked in Death, the first book in her longest running series to date. However, she published this new series under the name J. D. Robb and it wasn't until years later that it was acknowledged that Robb and Roberts was one person.

You know within the first couple of paragraphs that this isn't set in our present world and therefore will be an unusual story. There is some confusing lingo too but that's to be expected since its set in 2058! In many ways, I find this futuristic world appealing but only if I were rich since a lot of what I take for granted now is expensive and hard to get in the future! There are many differences between our present day and theirs but they are so used to the way things are there that you only get little glimpses into what it’s like there. For example: real coffee is hard to come by because of the rain forest depletion and the affordable version is a simulation made mostly of vegetable concentrate. Small things mostly but I kept finding them fascinating!

The main difference though is that guns are now illegal (oh and tobacco is illegal too except in free air space, international waters, or on private property) and only found in museums, personal collections, and on the black market and it is the murder weapon in all of the killings.

"Is that why you collect guns? As part of your personal lifestyle?"
"I find them fascinating. Your grandfather and mine considered owning one a constitutional right. We've toyed quite a bit with constitutional rights as we've civilized ourselves."
"And murder and injury by that particular type of weapon is now an aberration rather than the norm."

Before I had even made it, halfway through Naked in Death I knew that this was a series worth reading. Eve was an interesting heroine and I really liked Rourke too. He's cool, a gentleman, and very, very interesting so I’m looking forward to seeing how their relationships progress in the rest of the books. I’ve read some of Nora Robert’s books before (my first one in 2005) but this was the first time I had read something under one of her pen names. I though that this book was very Nora Roberts but has more of an edge that makes it hard to fit into her normal repertoire.

In Death Series: Naked in Death, Glory in Death, Immortal in Death, Rapture in Death, Ceremony In Death, Vengeance in Death, Holiday in Death, Conspiracy in Death, Loyalty in Death, Witness in Death, Judgment in Death, Betrayal in Death, Seduction in Death, Reunion In Death, Purity in Death, Portrait in Death, Imitation in Death, Divided in Death, Visions in Death, Survivor in Death, Origin in Death, Memory in Death, Born in Death, Innocent in Death, Creation in Death, Strangers in Death, Salvation In Death, Ritual in Death, Promises in Death, Kindred in Death

Links: Book Wikipedia, Author Wikipedia, In Death Fan Community

Barnes and Noble Meet the Writers:


Picture Explanations:
Gun: Murder weapon, see above.
Library: Rourke has a huge collection of real books because in the future most reading material is on discs.
Cat: One of the murder victims owned a fat, grey cat and Eve ends up adopting it.

Simply Wonderful

No one is born to be a failure. No one is poor who has friends. Simple thoughts that were the inspiration for one of the richest, most uplifting, most beloved American films ever made. Frank Capra's classic tale of George Bailey and his Christmas Eve visit with a guardian angel was nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. After more than 60 years, it remains as powerful and moving as the day it was made.

Title: It’s a Wonderful Life
Release: December 20, 1946
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: G
Based On: The Greatest Gift by Philip Van Doren Stern
Writer: Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett, Jo Swerling, & Frank Capra
Director: Frank Capra
Music By: Dimitri Tiomkin
Produced By: Frank Capra
Distributed By: RKO Radio Pictures
Run Time: 130 minutes

Dark and little bittersweet, Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life has become one of the most popular Christmas movies ever made- and yet it has very little to do with the holiday season at all. Nominated for five Academy Awards (including Best Picture), it was still originally considered a flop during its release and because of this it was allowed to pass into the public domain where a whole new generation discovered it.

There are so many Christmas movies that I enjoy but this one is my favorite and I try to watch it every year. Of course, it's a bit of a tearjerker but it’s also wonderfully heartwarming as well. The director and James Stewart have both claimed that this was their favorite pictures that they had made and you can tell that a lot of love went into the making of this gem.

James “Jimmy” Stewart has been one of my favorite black and white movie stars ever since I first watched him in this film as a little girl (I like Donna Reed too though). I thought it was interesting that he had served in the military during WWII as a general and that this was his first film after his service but he jumped right back into acting as though he had never left. He’s just so expressive and can convey so much in just one look. What I love about him most though is that he’s not exactly the typical movie star. As his obituary in the New York Times put it, he was "ungainly, self-effacing and somehow [still] debonair."

Over the last few years, It's a Wonderful Life has finally received the recognition it deserves making it on six of the AFI's 100 Years... lists and was deemed culturally significant by the National Film Preservation Board in 1990 too. The film has even been colorized in recent years but I like it a lot better in the old black and white.

Links: Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Filmsite.org
Interviews: Lux Radio Theater Reenactment

Trailer:


Complete Film:

Jurassic Park Trilogy

On a remote island, a wealthy entrepreneur secretly creates a theme park featuring living dinosaurs drawn from prehistoric DNA. Before opening the attraction to the public, he invites a top paleontologist, a pale botanist, a mathematician/ theorist, and his two eager grandchildren to experience the park-- and help calm anxious investors. However, their visit is anything but tranquil as the park’s security system breaks down, the prehistoric creatures break out, and the excitement builds to surprising results.

Based on Michael Crichton’s best-selling novel, Jurassic Park stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum and Richard Attenborough. It’s a breathtaking adventure you’ll want to experience again and again.

Title: Jurassic Park
Release: June 11, 1993
Genre: Science Fiction/ Horror
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Based On: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Writer: David Koepp, Malia Scotch Marmo, & Michael Crichton
Director: Steven Spielberg
Music By: John Williams
Produced By: Kathleen Kennedy & Gerald R. Molen
Distributed By: Universal Studios
Run Time: 127 minutes

Michael Crichton's cautionary science fiction novel from 1990 was adapted into a film three years later that was immediately the most successful film about dinosaurs ever made: Jurassic Park. This movie was directed by one of the "most powerful and influential figure[s] in the motion picture industry, used the best special effects -including the then new computer-generated imagery, and was not only the highest grossing film of 1993 but also number 11 on the list of highest grossing films worldwide- not taking into account inflation (adjusted for inflation it falls at number 17).

There has always been a fascination with dinosaurs but this film and its book “generated a lot of interest in the study of paleontology [which] has been at an all-time high ever since-” and that’s not the only way this film has inspire people either. The amazing special effects made films that would have been “impossible” to make actually possible like the Lord of the Rings trilogy, there are spin-off novels and continuation comic books, and there is even a ride called Jurassic Park River Adventure at the Universal Studios Hollywood and at the one in Orlando, Florida in the Islands of Adventure theme park (there is one in Japan too).

This movie was one of the very first films I remember seeing in the theater- and I remember being so scared! I have to admit that I yelped once or twice this time too. Despite the fact that it is now 15 years old, all of the special effects hold up very well and they continue to earn those three Oscars that film won for special effects and sound too. What amazes me is just how real that those dinosaurs still look (and sound)! You can almost imagine that you could go the zoo tomorrow and see them. I’ve been told that the films (and its sequels) are quite a bit different from Crichton’s books but I haven’t had the pleasure of reading them before but I would love to someday.

Links: Film Wikipedia, Book Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Jurassic Park Game, Tribute Page, Fan site
Interviews: Sam Neill (Good Morning America- 1993), Stan Winston on making dinosaurs (text), Michael Crichton on adapting his novel (text)

Trailer:


Making of Jurassic Park:

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Director Steven Spielberg takes us back to the scene of Jurassic Park in The Lost World, the blockbuster sequel with even more dinosaurs, more action and more breathtaking visual effects than its record-breaking predecessor. The Lost World remains among the most successful films of all time and features an all-star cast including Jeff Goldblum, Julianne Moore and Pete Postlethwaite. It has been four years since the disaster at Jurassic Park and two groups are in a race against time that will determine the fate of the remote island's prehistoric inhabitants.

Title: The Lost World: Jurassic Park
Release: May 19, 1997
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Based On: The Lost World by Michael Crichton
Writer: David Koepp
Director: Steven Spielberg
Music By: John Williams
Produced By: Kathleen Kennedy, Gerald R. Molen, & Colin Wilson
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Run Time: 129 minutes
Official Site

The Lost World: Jurassic Park is the sequel to the critical and commercially successful Steven Spielberg science fiction thriller made four years previously. Like the original, it is based on a book by Michael Crichton who was in fact urged to write it by the director himself (Crichton had never done a sequel before or since). Unlike the first Jurassic Park though, the sequel had mixed reviews and it didn't win as many awards either. It was the second top grossing film of the year (Titanic holds the first position) though!

One of the main reasons there were so many mixed reviews was because of the fact that one of the minor characters, Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) is practically the only returning character from the original film. Since he was one of my favorite characters, I had no problem with him as the leading male (Vince Vaughn plays a tiny part as Nick Van Owen and nearly outshines him in a couple of scenes). The lead female is played by the gorgeous Academy award nominated actress Julianne Moore but her co-stars (including the non-humans) do manage to outshine her a little bit.

I felt as if the film wasn't quite as subtle as its predecessor in some aspects nor did it have the same "grand" feeling but if possible it does look a whole lot more real! Generally what The Lost World is, is a "creature-feature" with tons of chase scenes/ dire circumstances with a few funny characters as comical relief. However, the film is so interesting and spectacular; it is very hard to mind at all.

Links: Film Wikipedia, Book Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Fan Site

Trailer:

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Adventure runs wild when renowned paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant (Sam Neill) agrees to accompany a wealthy adventurer (William H. Macy) and his wife (Téa Leoni) on an aerial tour of Isla Sorna, InGen’s former breeding ground for prehistoric creatures. But when they’re terrifyingly stranded, Dr. Grant discovers that his hosts are not what they seem, and the island’s native inhabitants are smarter, faster, fiercer, and more brutal than he ever imagined in this heart-stomping thriller.

Title: Jurassic Park III
Release: July 18, 2001
Genre: Science Fiction Thriller
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Writer: Peter Buchman, Alexander Payne, & Jim Taylor
Director: Joe Johnston
Music By: Don Davis & John Williams (theme)
Produced By: Larry J. Franco, Kathleen Kennedy, & Steven Spielberg
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Run Time: 93 minutes
Official Site

Jurassic Park III is the third and currently the last film in the dinosaur franchise that has thrilled audiences once every four years since 1993. However, it is the only film in the franchise not based on Michael Crichton’s books nor was it directed by Steven Spielberg. Instead, the former director passed the reins over to Joe Johnston who had directed another big budget film: Jumanji.

Thanks to the new director’s expertise and his love of the first film (he had asked Spielberg if he could direct the sequel but the former director wanted to do it so he promised him this one), a lot of the majestic feeling makes it into the third film- along with even more chase scenes with bigger dinosaurs! To be honest, this was the first Jurassic Park to actually give me nightmares and its all thanks to those Velociraptors.

I thought the actors were great though, especially Sam Neill (who returns as Dr. Alan Grant) and William H. Macy (who plays Paul Kirby). I was also impressed that for once in the series the female (Amanda Kirby played by Téa Leoni) was given a more pivotal role. Most people have either loved or hated the film but almost all agree it is better than the previous sequel. For the most part, the film is not really necessary to the storyline but I still thought it was good even if it was the only film of the franchise to not be recognized at the Academy Awards.

Links: Film Wikipedia, Imdb.com, Jurassic Park Wikia
Interview: Composer Don Davis (IGN), Cast Interview (Science Fiction Weekly), Téa Leoni (Cinema.com) & Leoni JP videos

Trailer:


Behind the Scenes: