retro-the-best....: 01/01/2014

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

[New post] James Bond Quick Review – For Your Eyes Only

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James Bond Quick Review – For Your Eyes Only

by dailypop

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Bond_ForYourEyesOnly Screenplay by Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum
Directed by John Glen

I will always be a fan of the Sean Connery era of James Bond more than the others, but I grew up watching the Roger Moore films as they were released. Far campier and more outrageous, the Moore Bond was reluctant to kill an opponent and much more reliant on charm and grace to overcome an enemy. From Live and Let Die to The Spy Who Loved Me, he proved that he had what it took to bring the Bond films into a new era but while Moonraker was a roaring success, it pushed the envelope into science fantasy so daringly that it looked like the next movie would be pure silliness.

After Moonraker, the studio wanted to strip down the Bond franchise to a leaner and meaner version of the over the top action that it had ascended to. The result is a much darker version of Bond as played by Roger Moore than we had previously seen (as evidenced by his brutal murder of the killer named Locque). Less gadgets, less glamorous cars and a stress on action and adventure made For Your Eyes Only an unusual departure for the franchise that had previously given us laser cannons, crazy boat chases, and finally raygun battles in space.

The film opens with the first mention of Bond's departed wife Theresa (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service) as if to set the deeper tone of the movie. When the British anti-nuclear defense system ATAC is stolen, MI-6 contacts an agent in Greece to retrieve it via his undersea salvage operation. However, he is killed by an assassin, leaving his daughter Melina a survivor bent on revenge. When Bond arrives to investigate, he learns that the Russians are funding a local smuggler Milos Columbo (played by Julian Glover of Doctor Who and The Empire Strikes Back fame), whose operation is tightly embedded and aided by an army of killers. Despite the frankly silly sequence in which Bond drops his super nemesis Blofeld down a chimney, the remainder of the film attempts to deal with some strong themes regarding revenge and how violence can overtake anyone seeking it. Bond teams up with Melina and a band of Greek smugglers (led by Fiddler on the Roof star Topol) to retrieve the device.

There are some very ropy plot threads throughout this one that left me wondering what was going on from scene to scene and casting Topol as a gunhappy crook was a bold move to say the least. I am still overjoyed to see Julian Glover (once considered to play Bond) in one of these movies as he shines in the part of a cool and calculating villain. The bit about the oversexed underage ice skater wanting to sleep with a far older Roger Moore still gives me the willies, though.

The movie has plenty of hard-nailed action and seeing Moore take on a tougher approach to the part rather than his typical mugging to the camera (ala the Saint) was interesting. The result was a success and showed that there was interest for many more Bond films to come and of a wider variety than before.

dailypop | January 30, 2014 at 12:32 am | Tags: ian fleming james bond roger moore, james bond 007 | Categories: cult movies | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-4TB

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Monday, January 27, 2014

[New post] This week at your comic shop 1/29/14

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Thursday, January 23, 2014

[New post] The History of Future Folk

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The History of Future Folk

by dailypop

A man introduced as General Trius takes the stage in a small venue, picks up a banjo and announces that he is from the planet Hondo. He was sent to Earth to destroy the population with a plague bomb but changed his mind when he discovered music. The previously unknown phenomenon causes a change inside the General which changes his mind. Not only does he decide to stay, but he becomes a musician to tell his tale from beyond the stars. He marries and has a child, gets a job and settles down. He tells his daughter Wren about his life beyond the stars each night as a bed time story and lives a normal life... until an assassin named Kevin arrives to force him to fulfill his mission.

General Trius (operating under the name Bill) takes in Kevin and exposes him to the wonders of music, making his solo act a duo. Despite his wife abandoning him due to his bizarre behavior, everything seems to be working out. The music is working so well that the 'Future Folk' act has developed a strong following. However, when another killer arrives to finish the job that Kevin failed to accomplish.

The History of Future Folk is a marvelous fun flick with some great musical numbers. Actor/musician Nils d'Aulaire is wonderful as General Trius, an alien soldier and perfect fighting machine and determined family man. His co-star Jay Klaitz (the Mighty Kevin) is marvelous as lovesick assassin who becomes enamored with a policewoman, so much so that he composes a love song for her which he stuns her in order to perform in her apartment. It's all very absurd yet strangely sweet which can be said for the tone of the entire film.

The History of Future Folk can be watched streaming on Netflix and comes heavily recommended.

(More info here)

dailypop | January 23, 2014 at 8:14 pm | Tags: history of future folk, netflix suggestions | Categories: cult movies | URL: http://wp.me/p4kUt-4Tv

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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

[New post] Doctor Who- Animal

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Doctor Who- Animal

by dailypop

'Animal'

DrWho_BF_Animal Lost Story 2.05
Written by Andrew Cartmell (from a story by Ben Aaronovitch) Directed by Ken Bentley
Released June 2011

The TARDIS lands in the near future of 2001, much to the annoyance of Ace and the bemusement of the Doctor. The U.N.I.T. forces are anticipating the arrival of the time travelers and Brigadier Winifred Bambera (last seen in the Season 26 opener Battlefield). The Doctor is curious about what is going on within the walls of Margrave University, which U.N.I.T. has under close security. A mysterious revolutionary force threatens the university from within, prompting both Raine and Ace to go undercover. Man-eating plants and revolutionary idealists are the least of the Doctor's worries, however. Not far off an alien vessel is watching and things are about to get much more complicated.

The 'lost' 27th Season is a bit of a muddied mess, but at least with Cartmell and Bentley at the helm they are consistent and fit within the tone of the previous transmitted year's worth of adventures. There is a healthy dose of humor, action, social commentary and convoluted narratives (or plans within plans) that place this adventure on equal footing with the preceding two years' worth of stories. McCoy and Aldred are in fine form and relative newcomer Beth Chalmers is a welcome addition as the upper class safe cracker Raine Creevy. The chemistry between the three performers is so good that it is frustrating that we never got to see it on screen, but this is a close approximation.

The plot of Animal is more than a bit ropy as it turns from the revolutionary cell thread to the man-eating monsters to an entirely different threat from the unfortunately named Numlocks. Summoned by the revolutionaries, the Numlocks appear to be benevolent creatures seeking to free the research subjects of Margrave University, but of course are far from harmless. The first half of Animal sets up the dilemma of an alien race offering a peaceful solution to the carnivorous and harmful race quite well, but the resolution is far too pat and convenient for its own good.

While I was disappointed by the logic of Animal, the dialog was inspired in places, especially when Raine realizes her father (who had been established cleverly in two stories) has died by 2001. In her moment of shock, the Doctor presents a calming message regarding the passage of time and the place of the travelers within that stream. It's a very touching scene made all the more poignant by the inability of either Raine and Ace to understand. Only the Doctor, a being whose life has been an aimless journey through time and space, is capable of perceiving the rich tapestry of time.

drWho_animal_ace_raine