Friday, August 30, 2013

007 SEAN CONNERY:FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

Let's go back to the first REAL bond and review the second film to star Sean Connery called...



An evil organization called "SPECTRE" has stolen a soviet encryption device and plan to kill Bond. The organization also set up Bond by having a girl who's on their side to help them defeat our hero. Can Bond stop "SPECTRE'S" plan, defeat the bad guys, get the girl to go on his side and steal back the device?

 

Sean Connery as Bond is just as awesome as he was in "Dr.No". He's smart, he's clever, he's tough, he's great at negotiating with people, he always has a plan, he's charming, he deliveries some great humor and he's always smooth and great with the ladies. Unlike in "Dr.No" where he can get out of things, here he's actually venerable in a few moments in the film, epically in the ending. With that said, he's still just as great as we remember him in the first film. Bond only carries one gadget which is a case but without giving away what kind of case it is, all I'll say is "big things come in small packages".



Our lead Bond Girl in this film named Tatiana(Daniela Bianchi) is perhaps one of the best Bond girls of all time. While being on the villains side, you don't know for sure until the end. Sometimes you don't know if she's lying to Bond, other times you're not sure if she truly loves Bond and most of the time you're puzzled on who's side she's really on. Tatiana is very hot, very puzzling, has a beautiful voice and the chemistry between her and Bond is really great. We also get to see for the second and final time, Sylvia Trench who we first met in the beginning of "Dr.No" is with Bond when we first meet him only this time she's more comical. Oh and Bond also briefly dates two Gypsy women that are fighting against each other.


The villains in this film are truly awesome! This is also the first time we're introduced to the evil organization "SPECTRE" and the head of the organization Blofeld who's really intimidating, we never see his face, he has an evil voice and even how he strokes his Cat seems and feels very unsettling. Next we have Rosa Klepp (Lotte Lynea) who's really cool, has a deadly weapon, is just as intimidating as Blofeld and has lesbian over tones (Look at the scene on when she first meets Tatiana for example). Before we had great henchmen such as Oddjob and Jaws, we had Red Grant (Robert Shaw) who's really tough, commits tons of murders, is a really creepy stalker and carries some of Bonds talents. By the way, sometimes I can't believe that this is the same guy who played Quint in "Jaws". Kronsteen the guy who plays out the plan to kill bond like a game of Chess, shows up very little but he's still awesome and his fate at the end is a really cold blooded death. Morzeny only shows up in two scenes but man is he just to scary looking, he's like the Luca Brasi of the film, shows up very little but is just to damn cool and scary to forget! Finally there's Krilencu who's another cool and clever assassin but the way he dies is so cool that it's jaw dropping.


The supporting characters in the film are all enjoyable. Bernard Lee as M is just as great as we previously saw him in the first film. Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny is really enjoyable and of course who cannot enjoy the scenes with her and James? This is the first time we're introduced to Q (Desmond Llewelyn) who only shows up for a few minutes but it's a great introduction to him. The only real and big supporting character is Bond's ally Kerim Bey. This character is a really fun and enjoyable, every time I see him he always does something fun or has something interesting to say. On top of it, he also assists our hero in shoot outs and to kill a hitman. He's in my opinion one of the best allies in the whole franchise.



While the action in the film is great, there's really more murders then action sequences, in fact most of the murders happen offscreen. In the teaser to the film (Which is the first teaser to ever appear in a Bond film) I love how there's a match between Bond and Grant which has a really good twist! The action sequences such as the shoot out in the Gypsy camp, the boat scene and the fight between Rosa and Bond are all really cool but for me the highlight in the film is the fight on the train scene between Bond and Grant. It's so well choreographed, shot and written that it takes the cake to any train fight in a Bond film.



We finally go to the films title song "From Russia With Love". Sadly the song is not played in the title sequence. All we really get is an instrumental, as we see the title and opening credits over hot half naked women who we barley get to look at, which is a really great opening. The song sung by Matt Monro is not played until the closing credits and while not being one of my all time favorites, it's still pretty great. The singing is great and it really brings the romance to the closing of the film.

This is truly one of the best bond films ever made. It introduced so many new things to the franchise, Sean Connery is always awesome, the Bond girl is well written, the story is fantastic, it has a great collection of villains, has a fun supporting character, while not having to much action, the action that happens is really great and the song is lovely.

RATING 5/5

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

I LOVE LUCY: THE LOST PILOT EPISODE



Lucille Ball, oh how I dearly love her! She's funny, charming, over the top, has priceless facial expressions, lovable and cute personality, I just freaking love her! What I truly think is his her best and most iconic performance is the show...



"I Love Lucy" is one of the most funniest and iconic sitcom series and I'm going to review it's lost Pilot episode.



Lucy and Ricky are a married couple who love each other but they argue a lot.  Ricky is going to get a TV show deal if he succeeds with his performance for the sponsors of the show, however, Lucy wants to be part of the show which goes against Ricky's wishes.

Lucille Ball as the title character and lead., well while she gives her charming and lovable performance she doesn't really shine much in the first half, the focus is on Ricky (Who will get to soon). However, once we get to the last 5 minutes, we get nothing but non stop laughs from Lucy. Desi Arnaz as Ricky is really really talented and funny. I love his singing, I love how he entertains the crowd and he's really great at playing the Bongo drums! Having a Cuban actor be a star of an American show was unheard of at the time and to see them take a chance at it not only works but showed that the producers had guts!

The episode is probably not the greatest or funniest. Like I said the ending is the only best part of the episode with Ricky performing and Lucy stealing the show, the rest of it is just ok. For you fans of the show, you'll notice some differences to the show we all know and love which is common for a first episode. Their apartment actually looks nicer, Fred and Ethel aren't in it and there's a narrator at the shows opening which I'll admit the narrators introduction to the characters is funny too.

It's a decent start to the show, it has it's moments but I can't say that it's one of the best ones. However, it's still a treat to watch.

RATING 3/5

Monday, August 26, 2013

TOP 10 FAVORITE DEAN MARTIN SHOW VOL.1 DVD MOMENTS (PART 2)


Welcome to the Top 5 Favorite Dean Martin Variety Show Volume 1 DVD Moments.

NUMBER 5

BOB NEWHART AND DEAN SNEAK INTO A NUDIST CAMP
 

This skit has me roaring with laughter every time I see it. Dean and Bob play a reporter and a photographer and the two sneak in to a nudest camp to get pictures. However, they're uncomfortable without their clothes, they leave the camp naked and crazy things begin to happen. The moment that kills me is when Dean is stairing at Bob while they're naked and Bob tells him that he's stairing at his "scar from the war". The thing I truly love is it's all left to the imagination. There's no real nudity, there's very few props, there's no one with them when they interact with people and there comedic acting is what gives you the image and the laughs. Just goes to show, you don't always need much to do a skit.

NUMBER 4

DEAN, KATE SMITH AND LUCILLE BALL

We came from a skit with no props, to a big vaudeville musical number with great sets, lovely girls, tons of fun props, a big finale, memorable songs and we have three stars. Kate Smith, wow what a amazing voice, it's beautiful, it's powerful and I sometimes wonder what happened to great voices like hers. Dean is always a pleasure to watch and how he and Kate sing together is great and charming. Lucille Ball is one of the chorus girls and boy does she stand out like a swore thumb with her comedy and charm that only she can bring. It's a great musical number as well as being very mind blowing in the shows standards.

NUMBER 3

DEAN AND BING CROSBY

Dean and Bing are like on my top 5 favorite singers list and seeing them sing together is epic. While not being anything new since they have sung together before, to me no matter when ever they're together always makes me smile and this skit is one of them. They crack jokes, sing some of Bing's hits and the chemistry between them is phenomenal. Sadly on the DVD the first few minutes is cut which really disappoints me, however, from what I have it's still great.

NUMBER 2

DEAN CRASHING THROUGH THE FLOOR

TIED WITH

THE COLLAPSING PIANO

 

The show was full of outrageous and unpredictable stuff and these two are the best examples of it. In the opening of the show, Dean would swing down the fire pole while singing "Everybody Loves Somebody". Well in this opening, he swings down the fire pole and goes right through the floor. If that's not enough, Frank Sinatra pops out of the floor and tells the audience that he went through the wineceller. In the skit with the piano, the mystery closet and coach, Dean jumps on the piano and it completely collapses and the reaction from Dean and Ken is priceless. On Deans show you'll never know what to expect. 

NUMBER 1

JOHN WAYNE'S SINGING VOICE
 

This skit to me is the funniest one in the whole DVD for many good reasons. Dean and the Duke talk about singing and John Wayne says "That anyone can sing". So Dean tells him to sing his theme song, the music starts and John Wayne comically lips syncs to the song with Frank Sinatra's voice. At first I thought it was real until I realized I was listening to Franks voice, however, I wasn't disappointed because the way John lip syncs and acts is roaringly funny. Dean's facial expressions to John's voice are priceless and he even gets to sing some parts of the song. On top of it, they break the fourth wall, mess up a bit, Dean makes fun of Frank's "Dobbie Dobbie Do" and all that just adds to the charm and comedy of the show. This skit had me laughing as a kid and I still laugh at it to this day while also embracing it's charm.

And those are my favorite moments from "The Dean Martin Variety Show" Volume 1 DVD. Other celebrities you'll find on it is Carol Lawrence, Johnathan Winters, Phil Silvers, Jimmy Stewart and more. Maybe I'll do a Volume 2 sometime soon or early next year.