Links Galore!

Ever since the first time I saw "Goldfinger" and Pussy Galore, I have been a devout fan of both Sean Connery and James Bond. I loved the innuendos, I loved the gadgetry, the tongue-in-cheek dialogue. The Bond movies provided great action, without ever really taking itself too seriously. Roger Moore took the joke a little too far, and Pierce Brosnan brought the iconic spy right back towards the middle ground.

Over the last two films starring Daniel Craig, "Casino Royale" and "Quantum of Solace" (the worst Bond title ever), the pendulum has swung too far the other direction in my opinion. After the monstrous success of the recent Jason Bourne films, the new Bonds have been far too serious and action heavy for my taste. Graphic torture scenes, brutal beatings, a near total lack of gadgets, humorless seductions, and even (gasp) Bond in love has populated the newer films while simultaneously removing the joke of the series. Bond is not meant to be taken seriously. Craig appears to have fine charisma and should be capable of playing the role, but the writing and direction have not given this franchise any room to breath.

All this is why I am nervously optimistic about the recent news out of hollywood. One of my favorite current directors appears to be taking the helm for the next Bond venture. Sam Mendes, most famous for his masterpiece, "American Beauty", is in talks to direct the next Bond film. Mendes, while being a terrifically talented artist, has never directed a movie like this before. I am more than willing to give the man a chance, but another Bond disappointment will be tough to take.

Now for some links.

1. The link to the James Bond article.

2. Interesting rumor from Film Shaft about a possible Clint Eastwood - Leonardo DiCaprio collaboration.

3. A new trailer for the Angelina Jolie film "Salt".

4. Clip of the Nicolas Cage character Big Daddy doing some damage from the new film "Kick-Ass". Be warned, there is some blood letting.

5. Talk about Joss Whedon of "Firefly" and Buffy fame possibly directing the new Avengers movie.