Blood-Sucking Bond & Other Such Mussings

Okay, I know it's tough to follow a blog when that particular blog is seldom updated. I still haven't been able to replace my computer, and without daily internet access it is tough to check my e-mail, let alone blog. I'll try to do it as often as I can but until I can get a new computer, it might prove difficult.

Well what's been going on in the world of popular culture? Plenty by my watch. last week I went out to see the new James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace".

I had high hopes for it because I enjoyed "Casino Royale" so much, also I was one of the few that found the title interesting and intriguing. I mean you have the word "Quantum" which makes me think of the excellent late 80's TV show 'Quantum Leap' starring Scott Bakula as a time-traveling-body-shifting do-gooder (I have mentioned in past posts my affinity for anything involving entertainment and time-travel).

And then you also have "Solace" which to me makes me think of both the Russian sci-fi Tarkovsky film "Solaris" (they made us watch it in film school) and Superman's 'Fortress of Solitude' up at the north pole (I wonder how Superman and Santa Claus get along?).


So how was "Quantum of Solace"? I'd give it three stars. The action set pieces were really fun, but it lacked a polished story and the character development that made the last James Bond film so much fun. Big action set pieces with little story come out all the time, but James Bond is supposed to be different, the gold standard for all other action movies. I did, however, like the little wink to Bond fans with the Bond girl called "Fields" (in the credits she is listed as "Strawberry Fields"). Fields, a female agent, is killed and left on a hotel room bed covered completely in oil. The scene was an obvious homage to the famous Sean Connery Bond film "Goldfinger". I always appreciate when the new films reference the ones that came before it.

All in all, this new one is just okay. Of course James Bond has often faultered, with many of the later Bronson and Moore Bond movies being especially bland ("View to a Kill" and "Die Another Day" always seemed especially sad--with an exception being the "View to a Kill" theme song by Duran Duran--it's an 80's classic).










It has been requested that I blog about the Twilight phenomenom. To be honest I don't have a lot to say other than no matter what the teenyboppers of today think, there will never be a better teenage vampire movie than "The Lost Boys". I mean, this British heartrobe that plays Edward could really never hold a candle to the gravely gothic performance of a young Kiefer Sutherland as the ultimate bad-boy teenage vampire. Something tells me that if Kiefer's vampire met pretty-boy Edward there would be only one left standing. Heck, if Edward even came up against the teenage Frog Brothers (wannabe vampire hunters) he wouldn't stand a chance (Note: Contrary to poular belief, only one of the "Coreys" was a Frog Brother--it was Feldman)

I think I was one watching a late-night monster movie-fest on cable where they were showing "The Lost Boys". The host explained that the main theme of the film was essentially "How far would you go to sleep with Jamie Gertz?" Would you drink blood and become a vampire? I think the answer for most of us back then was a resonding 'yes'. And there's the real heart of the movie, and that heart is way cooler than anything the "Twilight" gang can come up with. I mean, even "The Lost Boys" tag line "Sleep all day, party all night...it's fun to be a vampire" is much better than "When you can live forever, what do you live for?" from the "Twilight" promotional materials. I hope to blog again soon. I've been itching to get to another "What's Raf listening to this week" post. I'll be here all week. Don't forget to tip your waiters.

P.S. Fun Fact: Regarding my love of time travel entertainment, and to show you how eveything in the pop-cutlure universe is connected--Did you know that Alex Winter who played Bill in "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" is also one of the teenage vampires in "The Lost Boys". It's true! He's the first one to get killed by the Frog brothers! Now if only I can remember whatever happened to Ted.

Dammit Jim, I'm A Doctor Not A Blogger.

Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of my blog. It's been difficult to blog lately as I have yet to find a less than expensive way to replace my busted computer. In any case, I will try and do better with post in the future.

So whats new with me and more importantly in the world of popular culture? Well I returned from Florida with hours of TV to watch, but more importantly I found the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly in my mailbox. Check it out.

That's right! Star Trek is back and it is time to start getting excited. This latest incarnation is a prequel movie about the young, just out of the Starfleet Academy Kirk and Spock. I think it is part of the prequel rage that started with George Lucas and his pre-Star Wars series about Darth Vader as a troubled teen.

Ever since then it seems like every possible film franchise possibility has launched a 'prequel' to the character or story the audience is already familiar with. We had"Batman Begins" about the early days of the Capped Crusader, "Hannibal Rising" about a young Hannibal Lector, and even "Casino Royale" was a re-imagined relaunch of a younger James Bond, just starting out.

The Star Trek prequel should be fun because it is about the original crew, which in my opinion were always the best characters (Sorry Worf). Also, the idea of a young, brash Captain Kirk is great. We Star Trek fans were always teased with hints of Kirk's past, specifically the mention of Kirk's involvement with fixing the "Kobayashi Maru" test while he was at Starfleet Academy (See "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan"---No seriously, go see it--It's awesome!). Did I just out myself as a total cosmic Trekker? Oh well. In any case that young/arrogant Kirk was the one I always wanted to learn more about, and I'm hoping in this new film we may get to see it.

The story of the new 'Star Trek' film is pretty top secret, but I have heard rumors that the plot will somehow involve time-travel and feature the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy. Time travel AND Nimoy! Now count me in.

Another cool thing about this re-imagining of the Star Trek universe is that the one and only Simon Pegg will be playing Scotty (As in "Beam me up, Scotty"). I have long been a fan of Pegg since seeing the most terrific romantic comedy with zombies "Shawn of the Dead". The idea of having this guy be the comic relief on the Enterprise ship just sounds great. I mean, this is the same guy who almost stole 'Mission Impossible III" away from Tom Cruise.

If you enjoy the latest prequel rage you're in luck. Hugh Jackman is making an "X-Men" prequel about his character Wolverine and there are rumors of a Will Smith prequel to his movie "I Am Legend". I guess prequels are the only choices for sequels when you kill off your main character at the end of a film.

I have so much more to discuss, but that might be it for now. In the next weeks maybe we can discuss the new 'Lost' season five promo, as well as the upcoming '24' TV movie coming to FOX in November.