James Bond

Flavorwire’s Flick of the Week: ‘Skyfall’ Is Bond at His Best

By Jason Bailey on Nov 9, 2012 1:00pm

Skyfall, the 23rd (official) film in the James Bond franchise, opens with a throwaway moment, but one with an electrical charge: a blurry, distant silhouette enters a hallway. Doesn’t sound like much of a scorcher, I know, but that image is accompanied by the first two notes of the iconic Bond theme (if I may approximate: “NUH NUH!”), a musical choice that makes us lean forward in fevered anticipation. He strides down that hallway into a big, beautiful close-up, and gets down to business. That opening shot is making us a promise, that Bond is back and better than ever, and it’s a promise that Skyfall keeps. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on Nov 8, 2012 9:00pm

Today at Flavorpill, we got to know the real, first Bond girl. We found Mitt Romney’s secret Presidential website. We read what adult film stars James Deen and Stoya had to say about the new mandatory condom law, and then discovered that Egypt banned online porn for … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on Nov 7, 2012 9:00pm

Today at Flavorpill, we cringed at the worst movie betrayals. We browsed this history of the Presidential campaign told through 100 objects. We read Beyoncé’s brief, blunt message to Romney supporters. We liked F. Scott Fitzgerald’s advice to his 11-year-old daughter, Scottie. We wondered if the fashion … Read More

Film

The Best and Worst Bond Themes of All Time

By Jason Bailey on Nov 6, 2012 1:00pm

There are plenty of reasons to be excited about Skyfall, the newest installment in the venerable James Bond movie franchise (fifty years and counting): Daniel Craig is back as Bond, Javier Bardem as the new Bond villain, Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes bringing it all together with wit and grace. But our first indication that this one might be something special came a few weeks back, when we got a listen to Adele’s moody, smoky theme song for the film. It’s got a big, brassy sound that immediately recalls Shirley Bassey, who became the signature voice of the Bond movie theme songs (and while she only did three of them, that’s two more than anyone else), and digging up Bassey’s tunes sent us down a YouTube rabbit hole of Bond themes. As you might expect, over the course of fifty years there have been some timeless, immortal songs; there have been others that, to put it charitably, haven’t aged quite so well. After the jump, we’ve picked our five best, four worst, and one in between of the Bond themes thus far. Some controversies may erupt, so by all means, throw in your two cents in the comments. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on Oct 24, 2012 9:00pm

Today at Flavorpill, we entered the Don’t Talk or Text During Movies contest the Alamo Drafthouse is hosting. We enjoyed Ellen’s topical Halloween costumes for kids. We watched Japanese acrobats caught on film by Thomas Edison in 1904. We saw New York City from a floating observation … Read More

Art

Shadowy Paintings of Espionage and Intrigue at Britain’s MI6

By Matthew Bower on Oct 9, 2012 3:00pm

In honor of all the James Bond goings-on lately — including the 50th anniversary of the first Bond film as well as the forthcoming Skyfall, the newest addition to the franchise — The Fox Is Black has featured some stunning paintings of real-life MI6 espionage by James Hart Dyke. Marking the 100th year of Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service back in 2009, artist Hart Dyke was invited to observe the confidential world of international spies, clandestine meetings, and classified surveillance for a series of paintings titled A Year with MI6. The result is reminiscent of the thrilling and dangerous world of 007. Hart Dyke’s work is a shadowy behind-the-scenes portrayal of Her Majesty’s most top secret governmental agency. Take a look at some of our favorite pieces below, in all of their exciting and stylistically veiled brilliance. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on Oct 4, 2012 9:00pm

Today at Flavorpill, we discovered 50 things we didn’t know about James Bond. We visited Croatia’s Museum of Broken Relationships. We found out what happens when you show up at Dawson’s Creek. We learned Playboy is releasing 50 of its best interviews over 50 days on Amazon’s Kindle … Read More

Music

Listen to Adele’s Full “Skyfall” Theme

By Caroline Stanley on Oct 4, 2012 4:30pm

After teasing us with a snippet earlier in the week, Adele’s theme song for Skyfall — which she wrote with her “Rolling in the Deep” collaborator Paul Epworth and recorded at Abbey Road Studios with a 77-piece orchestra — was officially set to premiere tonight at 7:07pm EST (otherwise known as 0:07 GMT), in conjunction… Read More

Film

10 Iconic Films That Used Talent Doubles

By Alison Nastasi on Sep 27, 2012 6:00pm

A filmmaker’s job is akin to that of a magician. Many films are just cleverly crafted fantasies devised to make us forget the miserable and mundane for two hours and transport us to a far away place. Movies are an illusion that audiences can’t get enough of. So what happens when the veil is lifted, and we get to take a peek behind the curtain? We found out earlier this week when we spotted this video on io9 centering on fantasy cult film Labyrinth. In the 1986 movie, David Bowie’s Goblin King can twirl a trio of crystal balls like no other, but the English musician can’t take full credit for his magic skills. His talent double did all the behind-the-scenes work.

Thanks to a group of invisible performers who posses the skills and expertise in the fields of fine art, dance, and more, Hollywood stars get to look like believable pros on the big screen. See how some of films’ most famous had a little help from their talent doubles,… Read More

Film

50 of Our Favorite James Bond Quotes

By Alison Nastasi on Sep 24, 2012 6:00pm

Everyone’s favorite spy franchise turns 50 next month. To commemorate five decades of James Bond, MGM is releasing a 22-film Blu-ray set tomorrow that 007 fanatics won’t want to miss. The expansive collection coincides with Sam Mendes’ Skyfall (in UK theaters on October 26 and stateside November 9), starring Daniel Craig who returns to the iconic role of James Bond. A bleach-blonde Javier Bardem plays the gentleman spy’s adversary, and Bond girls Bérénice Marlohe and Naomie Harris join him.

The British Secret Service agent is known for his sophisticated style, cool gadgets, and daring international exploits — with a bevy of unique villains and beautiful women. While MI6 is busy sipping martinis and racing across country in his Aston Martin DB5, he’s always equipped with a cheeky one-liner to set the scene. Six actors delivered Bond’s dry comebacks, and we’ve featured some of the best past the break. Bond is known for his post-mortem puns, but 007 took every opportunity to make a memorable — and often groan-worthy — statement. It’s all in good fun. Celebrate with us, and check out 50 of our favorite James Bond one-liners, below. … Read More