When has racism or Islamophobia been the perception that anyone (well, most anyone) wants to put on display?
QUEER is a fine film. I think that it is too edgy/disturbing for many viewers. Heck, even the BAFTAs ignored Craig’s performance. I found this review thoughtful:
This is what I said (in other words): Before those old tweets were discovered (probably by a PR firm working for a fellow nominee in order to smear her) the perception could have been „This will be the year with the first transgender actress getting an Oscar!“
Now Hollywood thinks „Damn, if we do it will look as if we are endorsing racism.“
Wouldn’t it have been fair to believe her apologies? Social media comments made in a bad mood do not tell the whole story about a human being unless that person always makes those comments and never apologizes for them.
Yup. She is tripped up by her own words, and Hollywood/Netflix is not willing to play the “phone-a-friend” role.
One of the issues is that even her apologies have been sketchy.
I love when members of my queer community make strides, but when they mess up, they need to be very clear about accepting responsibility.
I agree - but do these old tweets really reveal her as a racist?
We all have moments of frustration and anger and direct them at people who do not deserve to be scapegoats. In real life we can move on, learn and apologize.
In the always present digital social media sphere, past moments are suddenly dragged up and used as proof for something which you are now when you only were that way years ago, sometimes only for a moment.
Again, I don’t know whether this actress embraces racism even today.
But it all smells of a Weinstein-like smear campaign.
This is an interesting point. Most Bonds were played lighter (perhaps TD was an exception). This made the times where they were serious all that more impactful…
SC: “that’s a S&W, and you’ve had your six”
GL: “we have all the time in the world”
RM: “Brilliant. I’m almost speechless with admiration.”
PB: “You don’t seem too pleased to see me…”
Point being there needs to be serious points a Bond actor needs to execute. That makes those moments more impactful. But perhaps not the whole movie.
This brings up a fun idea… what is your favorite serious moment/line from the “non-serious” Bond actors? What is your favorite light moment from the “serious” ones?
Fun idea! I‘ll think about it and get back to you.
I decided I’d do at least one serious selection from each of the 007s, but with so many lighter moments/quips in the series, I opted to take just one example from both of the more serious actors.
SERIOUS:
SEAN CONNERY
DR. NO – “Drop it, Professor! And behind you!. It’s funny, I thought you’d turn up sooner or later. Sit down…But of course. And I was suspicious at the Queen’s Club anyhow when it turned out you were the only one who’d seen Strangways’ new secretary. And then later at the lab, you made no reference to the fact that Strangways’ samples were radioactive…Then you killed him?..Who are you working for, Professor?..That’s a Smith and Wesson, and you’ve had your six.”
GOLDFINGER – “I think you’ve made your point, Goldfinger. Thank you for the demonstration…Do you expect me to talk?..Well, you’re forgetting one thing. If I fail to report, 008 replaces me…Well, he knows what I know…Operation Grand Slam, for instance…Can you afford to take that chance?”
GEORGE LAZENBY
ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – “It’s all right. It’s quite all right really. She’s having a rest. We’ll be going on soon…There’s no hurry, you see. We have all the time in the world.”
ROGER MOORE
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME – “When someone’s behind you on skis at 40 miles an hour trying to put a bullet in your back, you don’t always have time to remember a face. In our business, Anya, people get killed. We both know that, so did he. It was either him or me. The answer to the question is yes, I did kill him.”
OCTOPUSSY – “I am more concerned about an atomic bomb exploding on a U.S. Air Force base. You surely can’t be inviting a full-scale nuclear war. What happens when the U.S. retaliates?..My God, of course. Our early warning system will rule out the possibility of that bomb having been launched from Russia or anywhere else. Everyone will assume, incorrectly, that it was an American bomb triggered accidentally…Europe will insist on unilateral disarmament leaving every border undefended for you to walk across at will. And it doesn’t matter a damn to you, I suppose, if thousands of innocent people will be killed in that ‘accident’ of yours…On your feet General. You’re going to stop that train…You can stop it at the border!”
TIMOTHY DALTON
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS – “Cheer up, Saunders. The operation’s a success–and officially still yours…Stuff my orders! I only kill professionals. That girl didn’t know one end of a rifle from the other. Go ahead, tell him what you want. If he fires me, I’ll thank him for it. Whoever she was, it must have scared the living daylights out of her.”
PIERCE BROSNAN
TOMORROW NEVER DIES – “I was curious who Carver would send…Well, we know where you stand, you made your bed…Then turn around and go home. You can tell him you didn’t get anything out of me…I didn’t ask you to get involved in this. Why did you marry him?..That always sounds good…Well, I’m sorry I keep disappointing you…Yes.”
THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH – “Call him off. I won’t ask again. Call him off. CALL HIM OFF!..I never miss.”
DANIEL CRAIG
CASINO ROYALE – “M really doesn’t mind you earning a little money on the side, Dryden. She’d just prefer it if it wasn’t selling secrets…Two…I know where you keep your gun. I suppose that’s something…Your contact? Not well…Yes, considerably.”
LIGHTER:
DALTON
THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS – “I need to use your phone. She’ll call you back…Bond, James Bond…Exercise Control, 007 here. I’ll report in an hour…Better make that two.”
CRAIG
CASINO ROYALE – “It’s just last minute details. Apparently, we’re very much in love…Only when the romance has been necessarily brief. I’m Mr. Arlington Beech, professional gambler, and you’re Miss Stephanie Broadchest…You’re going to have to trust me on this…We’ve been involved quite awhile hence the shared suite…I do hate it when religion comes between us…No. Don’t worry, you’re not my type…Single.”
I have turned this into a separate thread!
Last weekend I watched FRWL and GF. Still great stuff!
I can watch those an infinite number of times.
I like them so much more than the new ones.
I thought so, too…
Rewatching the new ones, however, makes me at least love them just as well.
They are all special and different.
This! We all have and are allowed to have our favourites. But we should all equally accept that the differences through the series, some of which we may profoundly dislike personally, are what have kept the franchise alive for 60 years and, regardless of what the doom-mongers warn, will keep us in Bond films for a good while yet. Even I have to grudgingly admit that 26 Octopussys would have driven the series into the ground a long time ago! This forum has gotten rather dark recently and I think we need more live and let live.
So, after ploughing through work this weekend I will attempt to do the double feature of SP and NTTD. I‘m hearing it is all connected.
And then, just to spite Bond‘s death, I will finish my rewatch sessions with NSNA the next day.
I just watched GoldenEye, always fun watching this one. It’s not the best Bond movie but a nice begin for the Bronsnan Bond movies, although it never realy took off from there. Brosnan is already good, and became better and better every Bond movie.
Looking forward to NTTD soon, only my third viewing…
And then NSNA.
(My double feature idea had to be nixed, just didn’t find the time.)
I dont’t know if you watched NSNA a lot the last few years, but when I finally got it on blu ray I liked it so much more than I remembered it. Ofcourse it still had all it’s faults and difficulties, but it is a fun movie to watch.
It certainly has its issues, but the villains are absolutely top drawer.
The last couple of weekends I watched a couple of Bond movies.
Two weeks ago I watched From Russia With Love, AVTAK and TND.
With the last one I felt asleep so I watched it again last weekend and I watched:
TND, Octopussy and TWINE.
I now like the Brosnan Bondmovies more than when they were released.
Watched this weekend on Friday Die Another Day, on Saterday Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace en just now on Sunday Never Say Never Again.
So a couple of different entries in the Bond series and all in their own way a lot of fun!
I’ve always thought GE and TND were solid Bond movies. People can grumble about Brosnan’s films being too machine gun heavy, but that never hurt my enjoyment. Apart from the parahawk chase the action sequences delivered. I’m also at the point where I’m a DAD fan, of the whole thing and not just the first half.
I genuinely desire to re-appraise the Brosnan films and gain new insights and love for them. I REALLY want to like them! Though I had always been a fan (thanks to my dad), my intense fanaticism of all things 007 occurred during the gap between LTK and GE. I was over the moon with excitement for Brosnan’s tenure to begin—it just felt right. Yet, I never felt like I fully clicked with any of his movies or his portrayal.
I have expected to reevaluate them over the years and gain a new appreciation for them. Yet, that has not occurred, though God knows, I have tried. I have simply had to accept there is a season of my fandom that cooled off right when it seemed to be peaking. However, that peak was achieved and sustained when Craig assumed the mantle. I have no explanation for it; it simply is.