James Bonding - SPECTRE

Episode Date: May 10, 2023

The Matts sit down to discuss their thoughts the highly anticipated SPECTRE! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, Matt. This is a very special recording of James Bonding. You're listening to our first ever recorded in two pieces episode of James Bonding. We recorded before we saw Spector, literally right before. The morning. The morning of. We recorded outdoors at the Sycamore Kitchen on La Brea. November 29th.

Yeah, we saw the movie, and you'll hear our pre-excitement. Yeah. Let's not say what we thought of it. You've got to listen to our excitement. Listen to the show. Excitement. So the first half of the episode is going to be completely spoiler-free because we don't know what the fuck's happening because we're on our way to see it. But the second half of the episode is Spoiler City.

We saw the movie Spoiler City. We didn't even see Specter. And then you'll find out... By 10 spoilers, get the 11th for just a penny. So it's our first reactions, having seen it. And we'll do another episode somewhere down the road where we let it sink in and take a big, Bath and Specter's black ink test tentacle oil. Yeah, and we'll go, we'll plow through it the way we plow through all the movies.

You know what? I can't speak right now because I'm giddy with anticipation for seeing it a second time. I mean, you look like you're ready to go. You have a nice cardigan on. If that's any indication of how we felt. You're just ready to go. Your beard's looking great. Yours too.

Thanks, buddy. Let's do this. Bearded. It's winter. Enjoy. Enjoy. Specter. Now entering nerdist.com.

Matt and, Matt and, James Bonding Podcast. Myra, Gourley, Gorman. James Bonding Podcast, it's the James Bonding podcast, it's the James Bonding podcast, it's the James Bonding podcast, it's the James Bonding podcast, it's the James Bonding podcast with Matthews Myra and Gourley. Matthews Gourley and Myra podcast of James Bond. My Roth Podcast or James Bond. James Fon, King Podcast, James Bond, King Podcast, James Bond, King Podcast, Matt and, Matt and, Matt and James Bonding Podcast. Well, it's Thursday, October 29th.

It's about... 2015 year of our Lord? Yeah, 830 in the morning. Matt and I are sitting at the Sycamore Kitchen here in Los Angeles. California. I've been up since 4 a.m. because the winds were so heavy that it sucked the five-foot living room window off our second floor. Now, a lot of people would consider that a sign that you should probably move out. Yeah, well, we're going to. That's the other thing is we've got another two weeks in there, so the place has gone to hell. But Matt, why are we here on this

special occasion so early? Well, Matt, we have to get over to Century City at 10 a.m. for a screening of Specter. Oh, man, I'm so excited. Are you excited? I am. Is this not a Christmas in October? It's such a Christmas in October that I woke up at seven, unprompted. No alarm needed. I just got up like a kid ready to open his presence.

You ran into the living room? I was like, it's today, it's today. I ran into my living room because the window had been blown out. Did you yell out that window to a popper? What day is it, sir? Buy me the finest capon you can find, boy. Yeah, so we get to see it. England has been, the UK, has been able to see it since Saturday, Sunday, right?

Is that right? It came out on the 25th or 26 there. Yeah. So they've had a few days on us. We have been kept spoiler-free. I have. Yeah, I have too for the most part. Great.

Well, some people in England have been sending tweets like, here's a picture of this and this, which they're not plot spoilers, but now I know one thing that I didn't want to know until I saw it. Right, right, right. I've been lucky in that. They must be tweeting to the James Bonding Pod account. No, to me. Oh, well. People respect my... To be honest, I don't even look at that anymore because I'm so afraid of spoilers.

As you shouldn't, until after today, until about 12, 45 p.m. That's right. Because it's going to be a long movie. Yeah, the longest movie yet. You have no sleep, and you're going to see this. And it's hopefully going to keep you awake the whole time. I'm just pouring coffee straight into my eyeballs. Well, that we should talk about how you drink coffee.

It's the only way I know to do it. That's the only way I know. Matt's been blind since he was 17. Yeah, I can't see. This is just going to be an audio experience for me. No, we're very excited. Dory was kind enough to say, hey, do you want to go to this screening of Spector? I like how she had to ask. I was like, of course I do.

But I'm only going if Matt Corley can go. Wow. That's exactly what I said. That's beautiful. And then they said, of course we can go. We just have to not talk about it until November 2nd, which I don't understand because England and Scotland and Ireland, they've all been able to see it already. Right. What would I spoil?

Cats out of the bag. There are reviews. I've seen some headline reviews. All of them good, which is exciting. Yeah, I've yet to see. I wonder if this is Rotten Tomatoes. It's got to be in the 90s, right, as far as how fresh it is? Oh, I haven't even looked.

Wait, do you want to look? Is that going to spoil anything for us? If you just look at the fresh meter. The freeter. The freeter. Oh, boy. Specter. And it does not seem like our spectrelations on the podcast have been...

No, we got it all wrong. We got it all wrong, which I'm so happy about. Me too. We really, really bummed ourselves out there for no reason. I mean, it's their fault for coming. Adding a trailer like that that would make us be bummed out for no reason. All right. 79%.

Oh, it's only 36 people checking in so far. Want to see 99%. Hmm. 36 people checking in, guys. We can't. That's a low number of people checking in so far. I'm surprised that. I mean, if you look at a big blockbuster like a Jurassic World, I'm sure it's got dozens more.

I'll look it up right now. Jurassic World. Of course, that was out this summer. 2,582 people checking in on that. But it's already been out in the UK. I don't know why there hasn't been more. I guess they've got three newspapers over there. They have a population the size of California.

That's right. Okay. Yeah. So we're going to a press screening today, right? Yes, we are. So it's just going to be you, me, and Gene Schallet? Yes, Gene Shalett will be there. Thank you.

Thank you. For getting our coffee delivered to us. Matt's mocha has arrived. It's too bad he can't even see the beautiful design on the milk froth. And the guy that just walked into the restaurant looked at us like we were crazy because we're sitting at this table with a couple of microphones outdoors. Maybe he's an audio guy and he can't believe how terrible the sound is going to be. I think this will sound better than you think for the,

No, I'm sure it will sound fine. Yeah. Because we have to essentially eat these microphones to get them to pick up our audio. So I'm assuming that everything is happening on Libreia, one of the busier thoroughfares in Hollywood. True. It is not bleeding through too badly. And I still can't hear you, so I'm just assuming this is all going to be.

Well, it looks like I'm checking in on there. Yeah. I just feel like it's your headphones. Matt, what name thing, one thing you really want to see in this movie and one thing you don't want to see? Oh, I, okay. one thing I would really like to see is good gadgets that aren't too far-fetched. Tough to do, right?

Good not far-fetched gadgets. Yeah, I can get on board about that. That is one thing I'd like to see. One thing I would not like to see is James Bond going rogue and getting M pissed off. Hmm. That's, I mean, but it seems like I'm going to see that based on the trailers. That's something I would not like to see. There was one little blurb I saw in an interview, and it said something of like, if the first three Daniel Craig films were the origin trilogy, this is Bond doing what he normally does.

That's all we wanted. Isn't it? But then in the preview, yeah, he's going, make me invisible. And who knows, that's the exciting thing. We don't even know. Maybe, maybe. Maybe. Here's an idea.

He had a fling with M's daughter, right? Didn't go well. And he's like, Q. Could you? Because Ray finds a pretty good little fellow. I know. He's probably married well. Yeah.

You know? Right. Maybe into some aristocracy in England. That's a great idea for a bond girl. Em's daughter. Em's daughter. Oh, man. Thank you.

Let's write that comic book. But is... Em's daughter and then, yeah, so he's worried, you know, the MI6 Christmas party's coming, and he doesn't want to be spotted by her. So that's why he says to Q make me invisible. How badly do I want to go to the MI6 Christmas party? Christmas party. With the shenanigans going in in the copy room.

Oh, boy. Plus all the gadgets going on the background. Because I assume they have it down in the lab. Yeah. That's where the party is. Tanner and Q are just blitzed in the corner, kind of like maudlin and weeping to each other. I take that thing back about M's daughter

because Daniel Craig and Ray Fines are pretty close in age, and so that would put M's daughter. I don't think that's ever stopped the character of James Bond before. I know. but I think this new James Bond. As we just learned from Fear Eyes Only. Yeah. Well, I guess that does, that did stop him, right?

He didn't throw it in. But even so, the Carol Bouquet, she was, that's the biggest age difference there. Yes. Yeah. Oh, boy. Well, you know, yeah, I hope there's a, I hope there's a better reason for him going invisible than the fact that he wants to go rogue. Right. That's what I hope.

Yeah. What about you? One thing you'd like to see? I would like to see that I'm fine with one-liners As long as they're sort of organic and fit his character As opposed to You know, I got into some deep water I don't want those type of one-liners

That are in there for the writers or for the audience I want them in there because it makes sense for the character Does that make sense? Yeah, but it does make sense for the character It always does It always makes sense No Because we've established that this character

But Daniel Craig's character is not like that. From they must have been late for a funeral in Dr. No. Forward. I get that. This guy's always a corny motherfucker. His one-liners always have, like, that's because you know what I can do with my little finger. Feels right in that exchange. It doesn't feel like, oh, let's throw in a joke that the audience will laugh at.

There's a difference. I don't know. I bet at university, James Bond, Jimmy Bond, was probably a real corny motherfucker. Maybe. Yeah. And what's one thing you don't want to see? Well, you said you don't want to see that, but...

That's both, huh? Well, you want to see... I guess that's what I don't want to see. You don't want to see a... You don't want to see a spectacular death for Mr. Hinks. But one that's still believable in this world. That's what... This Daniel Craig era has got it tough because they got to pull off some spectacle,

but they also got to make it seem real. Yeah, I'll tell you, from the trailers, Hanks seems like quite a daunting henchman. Yeah, I'm excited about him. He's a big dude that Dave Bautista. Yeah. Oh, I know what I'm really excited about. And this is something that hit me yesterday, the opening title sequence. Ah.

Those are always a joy. And I even feel like Skyfall, I liked it when I saw it, but the second and the third time, it really hit me how good those titles are. Right. Yeah, they all go... I'm trying to remember the Quantum of Salas one, and I can't. Oh, it's all. the sand dunes and bullets.

Yeah. Bullets and sand. Yeah. That was kind of a one-off where the director wrote with a different... Bullets and snow, probably. Probably, I'll take that. Bullets and snow. I just, I feel so sad that at 1245 this afternoon, we can't experience this for the first time again.

I know, this is it, huh? This is a huge culmination. Three years ago, we went together in the rain to see skyfall. Holy shit. We sure did. Well, I mean, obviously, of course, we're going to have to see this opening night when it releases wide. We're going to have to see it in IMAX. Yes.

It's just the rule. Yeah, so we got at least two more rounds of this. We got a few more screenings coming. And guests, we're going to have to, you know, Paul Shear is going to see it with us on opening night. And I think we might get a couple more people going along. That's right. And I think it's going to be a great, you're going to be enjoying a very long, podcast. I think

I may enjoy this more than Skyfall for the sheer fact that I've been able to remain generally spoiler-free. I've remained so spoiler-free. More so than maybe more than Skyfall. But definitely more

spoiler-free than Casino-Reyal, more spoiler-free than Quanto Salas. Even going back to Dina the Day, I read a shit ton of spoilers for that before it came out. Boy, oh, boy. This movie I've got a lot of boots I'm really excited about. Well, I guess it's time for us to put down the mics, put in the food, put down the lever to the metal, and drive ourselves over to bad figure of speech alley where I get things wrong and watch the movie Specter. Put the pedal to the metal.

Put the boot to the bonnet. That's right. As Jerry Reed would say in smoking the band, I put the hammer down. son we got a long way to go in a short time to get there we do we got to scarf this food down and get over there we'll follow up uh with her thoughts after specter wish us luck you'll be here soon It's the James Bonding Podcast. It's the James Bonding Podcast. It's the James Bonding Podcast. It's the James Bonding Podcast. It's the James Bonding Podcast with Matthews Myra. And Gornly... Well, it's 528 on November 5th. Matt and I have already seen Spector. And we're going to see it again tonight. And a lot of people are joining us. Matt isn't even here. He's two minutes away. He's pulling up. So I thought I'd just fire this up. We're at my place. I'm sitting here with Amanda Fun Bunn's Lund. Marty?

Hello. Are you excited about Spector? I am so excited. I haven't even come to terms with how excited I am because it's been such a busy road. You mean getting to James Bond or your life? My life. Them or you? Everyone.

Getting there. You're telling me, our lives have been crazy lately. I know, but I'm so, like, I know the excitement is going to hit me any minute now. And then you'll probably faint and not even see the movie. I'll faint. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. You know, your episode with Maria is probably the most beloved James Bonding episode, if the feedback is to be believed.

That's so nice. I mean, that was just a thrill. And, you know, you're not the only James Bond lover in the family. Who? You. I know. Who's the other one? Me.

There's another? There's only, it's either me or Kitty. Well, Kitty isn't a fan of anything but big bat. Mounds of food. But I love Daniel Craig. and I loved Skyfall, I loved Casino Royale. I thought that other one was fine. What are you anticipating with this movie?

What do you think it's going to be? Tell me what you think the basic story or in a nutshell. There's been a lot of keywords thrown around here for the last few months. Blowfeld, Brother. Back to the Roots, Quilted Doors. Well, that's because I want a quilted door. Oh, okay. But there is a quilted door in this movie.

Thank God. I mean, I just, I've heard it's fun. I mean, if it's up there with Mission Impossible 4. Five, too, right? Oh, no, four was your favorite. Four was my favorite. I'm the Bond guy and you're the Mission Impossible. I'm the mission head.

You are the, I looked over at you in that last movie and you were grinning from ear to ear. Edge of my seat. I loved it. I love a thrill ride. Yeah. Come on in. Matt's here.

Matt, we just fired this up. And Amanda was warming up the mic for you. Hi, nice to see you. Thank you. I'm giving him a hug. Microphone hug. Okay, I'm going to pass the torch. I'm thrilled.

Okay, here you go. I'll move for a second. She's kind of thrilled. Matt, come on in. Yeah, unplug away. Oh, are you charging up, getting some juice before the film? That's right. Sorry the place is such a mess. We're about to move. Listen, you're probably moving soon. Yeah. So it's understandable. Your Legos are out. You're ready to go?

Well, I was actually, I'm building an archway that is so complicated. And it's three corners meeting one. I had to build a Lego model just so I could wrap my head around. Oh, boy. That is. Is that true? Yeah. Oh, my God. I love that you are in the midst of becoming a general contractor. How are you? How was your right of? It was trafficy. I'm sorry. I left a little later than I wanted to. I was just, it just came from a podcast where I talked about Frazier. Now I'm ready to talk about James Bond. Man, you're hitting all the sweet spots. I'm excited about tonight now, have, like the, the, the anticipation is over. We've seen it. I've seen it. But I'm excited to get back in there a second time. I'm excited to see it again. It's always

good to watch a movie once the tension's gone. Once you know where it's going. Once you know, you like it and maybe that's what we should say. Yeah. I really liked it. I really liked it too. Yeah. I know I've been seeing a lot of people on Twitter who were like, hey guys, I hear this movie's not good. Me too.

I have yet, I've only seen one bad review. A guy that I guess I would consider a friend, Devin Farachi at Birth Movies Death. Devin did not enjoy it? He actively hated it. Why? What were his reasons? Well, you know, I read his review and I feel like they're valid reasons, but they, but they didn't resonate with me.

Like the things that I think stuck out to him is so bad were the important things. But to me, they were the lesser things. Absolutely. And I found the things that were, that I loved were probably lesser for him. And that's exactly how I did a podcast earlier today with Nick Hornby. Uh-huh. The author of High Fidelity Feber Pitch. Was that a nerdist?

Yeah, it was a nerdist podcast. Oh, nice. And he was asking me about the Bond movies where I ranked them and what I thought of this one. He liked Skyfall better than he liked Specter. which I thought was interesting. Yeah, because now, as we get into this... He's friends with Purvis and Wade, by the way. Oh, I want to know.

I did just toss out a whole, like, you know, this whole time I've been blaming Pervis and Wade for all the stuff that's been wrong, and I feel like it might have been John Logan's fault, and he gave me a knowing look. I think we've been wrong. Let's admit something. We were wrong about the On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

So wrong. So wrong. And I think we've been wrong all along about Pervis and Wade. Let me back up a little bit. on our prediction of the movie. Were we that wrong about it being Honor Majesty's Secret Service? Good point, because it may be setting itself up. To become.

Let's double down. Let's double down on our Honor and Magi's Secret Servicing. It's interesting because the movie, the elements, for the record, if you listen to our spectrulation podcast, the elements that we're saying are, oh, this is this guy, this person, this is this person. this is this person are all there. Yes, and I will say this. I have now gone back and read all of the Sony leaked studio notes for Specter. And originally, Irma Bunt was a character in this film. You see?

Yeah. Do you see what I'm saying? Also, Blofeld was a woman at one point. Okay, I'm into that. Then he was an African. Okay, that's cool too. But all of it, you know what I've been finding out between this and Project Greenlight? Mm-hmm.

I'm not so sure studio notes are a bad thing anymore. It's an easy thing to say those are a bad thing. But from what I read of that whole chain, and I read a lot about Specter, the studio was, yeah, the studio was spot on going like, you got to change this, you got to change this. And I think I will just say. Sony was saying that, not Eon. Sony, yeah. Okay.

There was very little from Eon. It was all pretty much Sony. There is a really funny exchange where, what's her name? the head of Sony that had those bad emails come out. Oh, Amy. Amy Papp, Pascal. Yeah. Yeah.

She writes in all caps at one point. Love it. But it's not clear why. It just looks like she's shouting the entire time. It's worth checking out. I'm totally going to look that up now. That's great. I stared totally clear of that stuff because I didn't want the movie spoils for me at all.

Yeah. Me too. But it's interesting. And here's how I defended. Spector to Nick Hornby. I said, you have to look at the movie as a fan of James Bond movies.

And as a fan of a James Bond movie, at no point in any of those movies does it register to us? You and I, maybe, because we're to do a podcast where we have to break the plot apart. Yeah. But at no point when you're watching a James Bond movie, does it really register to us?

What is the bad guys' plot this time? It doesn't, it never really. That's never the point. It's always the McGuffin. Yeah. It's just an excuse to get James Bond out in the field with some gadgets. Yeah. And for him to sleep with at least two more.

It's not about the pasta. It's about the sauce. That's right. You know, also, Devin Farachi, I don't know why I feel like, maybe like you, I feel a little bit of a need to defend this movie. But he was saying, and I love Devin Farage. He's probably one of my favorite movie critics, but we disagree on this. I love his Twitter beefs. He's a lot fun to follow.

But he was likening. the reveal of Blofeld to Khan in J.J. Abrams thing, where it's purely fan service because the audience doesn't, it's only fan service because it would mean nothing to characters in the movie. Now, this, I don't think is really the case because when he says he's Blofeld, he doesn't do it so Bond will go, whoa, because Bond has no idea who Blofeld. It means nothing to him. He's just saying he changed his identity and he wants to go with his mother's lineage because he doesn't like his father. fathers. Now, you and I have talked about this.

I didn't love the motivation that he was just jealous of James Bond for having done all of this. I think that's the weakest part of the film. But I don't think the reveal that he's Blofeld is bad. Oh, you're saying, oh, right, right. In childhood, he's jealous of James Bond. Yeah, but that was enough for him to go on and do this entire thing. And then my retort to you on that was, which I liked, yeah. Which is if you're a fucking Megalomania crazy person who's going to one day form an organization called Specter,

that is hell bent on counterterrorism and extortion, then of course something so tiny as theoretically of your dad liking the adopted kid more than you is going to set you off into crazy town. You're going to be the type that's bothered by that. You're going to be crazy town. Yeah, good point. This is a crazy person. Blofeld, at no point in any of the James Bond movies to feature Blofeld, do you sit and think, no, here's a rational, sane human being.

Right. Good point. the, you know, really, for all those reasons, I think that what we wanted out of this movie, I think we both agreed that we wanted to see a James Bond go off with some gadgets

and on a mission, given to him by M. We didn't know which M was giving him this mission. No. But M gave him a mission. Oh, I never thought about that. We did get M on a mission. Yes, we did.

Boy, they got all their cake and ate it too in this one. They did, I think they did a fantastic, job of servicing the James Bond franchise in this movie. And, you know, there is the whole, it does kind of melt your brain a little bit when you start to think, oh, Blufeld's now just being introduced. So what does that mean for the previous movies? Is that mean that those happen after the thing with the character and his bluff health? My nose starts bleeding.

Well, just the fact that he engineered everything. Now, here's one. You don't, it didn't need to be. It didn't need to do that. No. It didn't. But at the same time, it is, it does tie it with a neat little bow. And you can get away with that in a Bond movie.

This, you know, I think that's okay with me. Let's talk about the Vesperlind videotape. Yeah, how that comes up and you never, it never is brought back. It doesn't have to be brought back. Because that's, that's such a throwaway part of the movie. So for anyone watching the movie that hasn't seen Casino Royale, It's not going to linger on it. You know what I mean?

You're just going to see Vesper Lynn interrogation tape. James Bond has a moment, puts it down. Yeah. That's all you're going to see. But for, you know, it is a point where James Bond, I think, that's sort of them reminding you of Vesper and allowing James to sort of the way he reacts to that, I think, is showing that this, this Daniel Craig's James Bond has put that behind him and is now ready to move forward with Tracy. I see. slash Miss Swan, whatever the fuck her name is. Yeah.

Now, let's talk about that ending, too. Do we want to go that far already? I don't, I don't, I don't, I don't, let's, let's, let's, let's break through the beats of the film. Let me all, first of all say, I put this thing on first viewing, and I'm about to see my second. Yeah. I would put it behind Casino Rail. I would put it above Skyfall. I'm 100% in agreement with you.

Okay. That's exactly where I ranked it. Yeah. And I, and I ranked it that way, and I think I, I ranked it that way, but, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm that way because of that's I wanted, that's what I wanted from a James Bond movie. This delivered for me. Yeah. Just delivered all the

aspects of the franchise that everybody fell in love with. Yeah. From Goldfinger forward. Yeah. Crazy guy. Here's an Aston Martin. Here's a watch that blows up. Here's a fucking... Yeah, literally.

It's like, it's all the things you want. All right. So the opening sequence, the first half of that opening sequence, I was in, I was three Dixon. That was, yeah, you got, you, you, you, you, you, you, you, deas de la mortis, the fuck out of that. That was, that was, that was really sort of a fun throwback to older James Bond movies, where you're at a, you're in a country at an, at a, at a, at a, at a, at a, at a, at a, at a, a, at a, a, at a, at a, a, at a, a, at a, a, a, a, a very cultural sort of event. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. You know what I mean? So, it's, it's, it's, it's beautiful tracking shot through the crowd, through the crowd, Yeah, like a long, single take, touch of evil style. Then you got that guy, what was his name, Skiaura or something. He looked great. Yep.

Yeah. Yeah. And then you got in the helicopter and it just danced around and that was a little anti-climactic. Some people online were saying, that was such a great opening. And I'm like, okay, yeah, sure. I liked the opening. The helicopter thing felt like it needed a button of some kind that it didn't have or something. Yeah.

Maybe like a guy hanging from one of the, one of the, he should have picked up a guy on a wheelchair. One of the skis, yeah, and then he could dump him down a chimney. Yeah. I think would have been, and it would have been Blufeld. The movie would have been over right there. Done. The opening titles, I wasn't a fan.

Can't even, honestly, you just saying that is the first time I've thought of them since I've seen the movie. H.R. Giger puked up an octopus and a bunch of fire comes in. Shirtless Daniel Craig. That's all I'm fine with. Of course. Yeah. I mean, it works hard for that. He does.

He sure does. It's, uh, upon viewing the movie, song did not get better. I felt the, yeah, the titles and the song were a bit lackluster. The song got a little worse for me, but then maybe it'll grow because skyfall hit me like the second or third time. The, uh, titles. Oh, titles in Skyfall are great. Yeah. I enjoyed those the first time I saw.

Yeah, I did too. But this, yeah, this was a, yeah, whatever. Yeah. And then, you know, where do we start after? This is the beauty of the cold open credit. I know. I know. Oh, right in the quilted door.

Oh, my God, there's wood everywhere. Good, leather-bound books. Everything you ever wanted from M's office is there. James is there getting a dressing down from M. Love it. He's not even getting a mission. He's already in trouble. I think I love M most when Bond's in trouble.

Yeah, and it happens all the time. Yeah. And it's a fun relationship for them to have. And I think Ray Fines as great as M. I love the way. He plays a great M. I love the way his role. is emerging in this too. There is a little, there is a little sort of like confusion as to Ben

Wishaw's cue as to how versatile this guy is. Right. Yeah. I mean, I, I, A, let me just say for the record, I loved seeing him show up in the field. I did too. Classic. Yeah. Classic Desmond Lewellyn move. I thought that was, I thought that was perfect. I did. I liked the, um, I mean, where do we go? Like, literally, it's amazing because you go from M's office, right? To the, but what that tells you, right? So they're no longer in the old, the new building, the formerly new building. They're no longer in the golden IMI6.

Yeah. Right. Because that blew up in Skyfall. Right. They're now back in the old offices. Yeah. Which tells you somewhere along the line, they vacated those offices, but there's always been this quilted door office sitting. there vacant.

You know, while M was no longer in that office. Right, right. And they moved back into those digs and there's that office. I thought that was a fun little treat. But what they do, which is great, and this is why I enjoyed this movie so much, is immediately after that fun, cold open scene of M's apartment, not M's apartment, M's office, don't they then immediately go down to Gadget Town? I think so, and that's when he gets pumped full of Middiclorians.

It's great. Yeah, the smart blood You tell me, smart blood a little A little too ridiculous I think you could have just easily Just thrown the same chip in him Yeah, yeah Also because the delivery system was so similar

That I thought oh, they're giving him another one of these things Exactly Especially with so many tiebacks Other than just the plot tiebacks to casino rail They couldn't just throw in a line of like This is so you can't rip it out again Yeah You know what I mean

Right Maybe yeah that would have helped That would have helped Because they went They went the extra mile to do little thematic tiebacks, too, like when M's in the office of Digby or whatever his name is, Denby. And he takes the bullets out of his guns, of his gun. Same as the beginning of Daniel Craig, except this time it goes to a C word. Yeah.

It's a fun, fun cunt joke without saying it. Love it. Love it. So, you know, here's what you, and then you get to see a little interaction with Moneypenny. you get to see Bon's apartment for the first time since for your eyes only no, not since

Living Light Die. Is that right? Yeah. Because you see it in Dr. No. Yeah. You see it in Goldfinger? I don't think so. Is it just Dr. No and Live Light Die? I think it may be.

Wow. Yeah. So it's, it's interesting. And it is interesting that Daniel Craig's James Bond doesn't bother decorating his apartment. Yeah.

It looks like a crate and barrel that's being moved out of. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Where all the other bonds had meticulously put together apartments. Right. The whole, I mean, this movie just, this movie just delivers the things that you and I both wanted to see in a James Bond movie. I love podcasting with you, but I can't wait to get to this movie just because I love this movie so much. Right.

It's, I can't wait to see this movie again. I know. I'm very excited about it. The henchmen? Well, I guess I'm getting. head of myself because he goes to Rome and he follows what's her name what is her name in this Monica Balucci's character he doesn't follow her no he just the widow skiarah the funeral because M tells him to go to the funeral yeah and then then he follows her yeah and then

they get it on and I did have to go pee and I apparently there was a murder there was looking forward there's some there's a part of Spectre that I get to see fresh couple murders it's really great. Because I remember that from the trailer when she winces. Yeah. Yeah. And I didn't understand how that played out. Yeah.

It plays out very nicely. And the, yeah, so he's there to find out information about this organization. He finds that he keeps the ring from Skarmanga. And he has the, he has to go by that ring. Then they, but it is, I mean, think about it, though. It is the fucking clinic in the Alps. It is a clinic in the Alps. Yeah.

Tracy's at that clinic in the Alps. It's not, there's no sort of him having to be a genealogist. There's no lineage sort of situation really in it, but there is in the sense of Blofeld mentioning it. And you got her dad wanting to protect her. Yeah, her dad wants protection. That tieback I loved. It didn't feel forced. Oh, Mr. White being there again?

Yeah. It felt great. That was great. They earned that. Yeah, they sure did. They earned that because they put them in two movies. That's right. So what they did not earn was, what's his face.

Silva? Yeah, they didn't need to connect that. Didn't need to. No connection. And they didn't need to, they didn't need to make it that he had like architected all of this stuff just to hurt Bond. All they needed to say was I was the person at the top pulling these strings and you didn't know how close I was to you this whole time.

Not like I was trying to do this to you. That felt a little... But it also could have been a little bit of creative retrospecting on the character of Blowfelt's part. Yeah. Meaning like, all this shit happened because he was getting very close to sniffing out this organization. I'll just tell him.

You know what I'll tell him? I'm the architect of all his pain. It will be interesting. Remember how we loved watching Casino Royale right into Quantum of Solace? but to watch all four of these in a row. I don't know that I could muster that. That's a tall order. That's about an 11-hour day.

No, yeah, you're right. No, it's probably a 10-hour day. Yeah. I'm into that. Next time it rains and I'm sick, that's what's going to happen. As soon as this movie comes out, I mean, like on... Well, we'll get a screener soon. Oh, you think so?

We've got a Skyfall screener. Oh, my God, yes. Oh, no, I had to borrow the Skyfall screener. of a DGA member. Maybe the Writers Guild doesn't get Skyfall screeners. We'll see. I don't think Purvis and Wade get the respect that they deserve, including from us. So Mr. Hinks, what a wonderful intro for a henchman.

Yeah, sure. He's fantastic. He's got little Silver Lee press on nails that kill. Yep. He's got a double gun. They're just there for gouging out eyeballs. Oh, so good. Mr. Hinks, they never even say his name.

He only has one word. Yep. And it's shit. Yep. And it's perfect henchman. Oh, you know, his train sequence, the fight, I think, is maybe, maybe for me, the best action sequence in the movie because it felt like the stakes were personal. I think I loved this movie, but I felt like some of the set pieces were very cursory or, like, they just, the plane and the snow and the helicopter, they just. So what is in your mind, what is a great, what is a great James Bond set piece?

Well, I think the best one. maybe ever is the British flag opening. Well, that one. But that's more of just a moment. Like the parkour chase and casino royale was incredible. Parkour chase at Casino Royale. Great.

We'll give that top billing for Daniel Craig's run. But then after that, where do you go? Well, you got the Skyfall silhouette shootout on the, I think that's amazing. Beautiful shot. Okay, number two. That's number two. Then where do you go? I think the car chasing quantum of solace is fantastic.

That's number three. Okay. I think, I actually think the Miami airport sequence in the casino is wonderful. I think that fight, I think the first fight in Contra of Salas after the car chase where he's chasing that guy through the building. Oh yeah. Yeah, that movie, boy, starts promising. Well, that's when they had a screenwriter. Yeah. And then I, you know, but to think of like, to put it into perspective with other Bond movie set pieces, I don't know. I don't know that it's that far off the mark.

No, it is in it, but I think sometimes they can go a little by the numbers, and this felt that way a little bit at times. You know what you're not going to... Here's, I think, is the problem now with cinema and the James Bond movies. You're never going to top the last Tom Cruise hanging on a plane, hanging on a building, et cetera, et cetera. Like, Mission Impossible is going to get crazier and crazier with things Tom Cruise is doing. that I feel like they're just like,

oh, whatever, it's just fucking... Well, that's why I guess I don't want them to do that. I think that's why the train wouldn't work for me so well because there seemed to be a real personal moment between Hanks and Madeline Swan and Bond that it felt real. It felt within the world.

The other things felt just like big blockbuster things. And I feel like Daniel Craig's bonds have earned the right to not have to do those so grandiosely. It's been a little. little while since I've watched on a Majesty's Secret Service.

My question for you, because I feel like you might have a better memory of this, is at what point does Tracy say, I love you to James Bond? He says it first when they're in the barn. Right. But I, but for some reason that feels more earned than the I love you in this movie. Oh, I agree. It came out of nowhere. and they thrust their relationship along

to the point where even at the end I didn't think it was earned but at the same time I was like yeah that's the way it should be they may not have executed it properly but I wanted that to happen because this is regardless of whether they did it successfully and I don't know that they did

but they you want bond to have come full circle since Vesper and that's the one reason I really like that they have that videotape there because it reminds you that he'll never love again but now he's going to try again, which if they're setting up to do an Honor and Magic's Secret Service where she's killed, it's going to be so good.

But what they're really setting up, though, is diamonds are forever. I suppose. That's what they're really setting. Yeah. It's because it would be, you know, the way this movie ends, and we're spoiling, obviously, huge spoiler at the beginning of this podcast, um, they're setting up this. this James Bond leaving the service driving off on an Aston Martin with the girl he loves.

There's nothing in a Bond fan's brain that doesn't tell you this is not going to end well for either of them. But I hope that's the case and that we get to see then that movie turns into what Laysenby and Peter Hunt's second movie would be, you know, not Diamonds or Forever. So you're okay. You think it's fine to then start the next Bond movie with the death of Swan. Because that was originally what they were going to do. And then you're essentially looking at a bond out for revenge. Essentially, you're now looking at license to kill. You know, yeah, I'm fine with it because they kind of have to.

Otherwise, Wadi goes on another mission and then at 5 o'clock, he goes, honey, I'm home from the day's work. No, something has to happen. But the other thing is, I felt like they might have left this open. Maybe she brings home a book on polyamory. She's like, James, I know what you're into. And it's okay. I've read about it.

I'm a psychologist. It crossed my mind at the end of this that Craig wouldn't come back. I know he's contracted for one more, but it seems like the producers are friendly with him. I way think he's coming back. Like, there's no doubt in my mind. I think so. I did feel his fatigue a little bit in this. And it may be my own.

By the way, there's this article on birth movie's death by Phil Noble Jr. they're doing a series about what they're thankful for and he did his on Casino Royale and his the thing that was going on in his real life we need to have him on the show at some point yeah we he's so great and out of reasons to get Phil Noble Jr. in here I know he lives on I think on the East Coast but the article is so so good you should really look into it but he also mentions that he feels in a way that maybe this is his last bond series Like when it goes on to a new actor, that person will be younger than him, which will be the case for me as well.

And that maybe you kind of graduate at some point. You know, you still see him, but it won't be this crazy. It'll be like a bittersweet ending, which I actually really spoke to me because we've been talking about bond for so long. I'm suffering from a tiny bit of bond fatigue. And I feel like Daniel Craig is. And maybe it feels like the change of guard is about to come. And then we hand our mics off to two younger. Two younger Mats.

Yeah. I mean, there's certainly, I think you get into the bond fatigue situation. Whenever a new movie comes out because it so saturates everything. It saturates the market like crazy. It does. Add tie-ins. You know, you can't turn on the television and not see fucking money penny running around with a cell phone. Or, you know, the art of a man shaving with Gillette or fucking Heineken.

You can't turn on the TV and not see James Bond right now. And you can't drive down the street without seeing a Spector billboard. Yeah. So there is, you know, there is a bit of that. And then whenever we're, whenever a new movie comes out, there's always the rush to put it into the pantheon. Yeah. So when you do that, you're thinking about,

you're thinking about, you're thinking about, from Dr. No forward, you're trying to figure out where does this go in a thing. And I think that bond fatigues real thing, and it happens every time a fucking movie comes out. See your doctor. Yeah, see your doctor for bomb fatigue. Dr. Madeline Swan.

Oh, I did like her. I thought the acting was really good. The acting was good. I thought Christoph Waltz was a little underutilized. Yeah, but it does feel like they're just setting him up. Yeah, I hope that just makes him shave his head in prison. There was, I mentioned this when they're escaping from Blofeld's layer in the desert. And it felt like Daniel Craig was moving at a real measured pace.

And it reminded me of Connery in the desert in diamonds or forever. Obviously not that bad, but it did feel like they made an active, choice for him to just kind of slowly pivot and shoot. And, uh, yeah, it, I liked it. It worked because it suited his age, but it did feel like the first time I noticed it. He also suited a man who's had, uh, drills into his fucking brain. That's true. Twice. So it's not exactly like he's operating at top, uh, peak form. Yeah. Um, now this is basically just our first dip into what we think of this film. We're going to see it again.

I'm sure we'll record another episode with our more, uh, matured thought. Um, um, now. Uh, uh, matured thoughts. Yeah, and also we'll have a guest in to discuss at least one. So we're not, we're not quite out of the woods yet with James Bonding. But it is, it is, it is an interesting, it is an interesting series they've put together because it does, it does sort of really put the character in an interesting place. Because there's the whole, I mean, for me, it just turns into what. What is the canon of this?

What is the canon of James Bond? What has the Daniel Craig character been through? He's been through the biggest arc of any of them. Yes, he's been through a full arc. Well, he's the only one with an arc, really? Correct. Yeah. Correct.

These are the only, however, haphazardly connected. These are the only four truly connected James Bond movies, other than him visiting Tracy's grave. Yeah. And other than and die another day when he goes down to the Q lab and you see all of the previous gadgets. Right. And license to kill, they talk about his ex-wife or his dead wife.

Yeah, they talk about Trace in a hot second. But it is interesting that they've chosen to do it like this. That they've chosen to sort of serialize in the realm of television. I mean, to serialize the character. Yeah. To have an arc for this guy. And it is, I think it's a credit to them to do that now, but it's also going to be very interesting

when they have to fucking reboot. Right. I know. I wonder, yeah. I don't, I don't, because now, I feel like now, I feel like now we've, we're in the weeds now with this character. Right. We're now in a place where you're following along this character.

And now we're in a spot where you can't easily throw a new actor into this. That's a good point. They would do well for themselves to end the next movie with him truly set up for just episodic missions. Because then they could put a character and put another person in. But you're right. But then there's a question of are they again going to then serialize this character with his own arc? It's interesting. It's Marvel Universe is killing everything.

It is. It is to the point, well, thank God we never got the fucking jinx spin off with Michael Madsen as the head of Americans, MI6. Like, God, we dodged a bullet there. Yeah. Yeah. We really dodged a bullet there. Did you imagine if we were sitting here talking about the new new jinx movie? We wouldn't be. Yeah.

You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. I think the whole sort of point of James Bond is a character that is stuck in a time. I think the whole appeal of James Bond now is, and even in the 70s and 80s, is that he's a throwback. Yeah. He's a misogynist, as Daniel Craig is kind to point out, he is just this relic. Yeah. You know, and I think that that always, in the later movies, even a little bit in the Roger Moore movies, they sort of touch on that.

That, you know, what are you doing? You know, what do you? You're just, you're too old for this. And then when the Cold War is over, they're like, you're just a relic of the Cold War. Blah, blah, blah, blah, but, but the spying's different now. We got computers. It is, there is that whole element to it. So it is, it's going to be a difficult third act for Barbara and Michael G. Wilson.

I'm with you. I'm with you. Because they, I consider, I consider Pierce Brosman much, them. And then, you know, Dan Craig is theirs. And now this will be their third bond together. I think you're right on with that. I think we should wrap it up so that we can upload this and get it off to Katie. And we can go see our movie.

Oh, boy. And, um, let me, uh, end by saying also, I just want to make a quick mention that I had a former student who got very ill, and some people were kind enough to donate to his cause, and I said I would do anything for anybody that did in any way that I could podcast-wise. And I'm just going to mention Katie O'Brien. She wanted a little shout out on James Bonding, and you get more than that. You get my eternal gratitude and thanks so much for helping out.

Katie O'Brien, good job. And Jonathan, Honor, Honoree, get better soon. We think the world of you. All right, Matt, are you ready? The world is not enough to think of Jonathan. That's right. That's right. We think the universe of you, Jonathan.

Get better. Matt, are you ready to go see Spector? I better fucking be ready. I've been ready since the day I was born to see Spector a second time. Let's do this. Now leaving nerdist.com. Hey, this is Arnie Neckamp from the Improft Fantasy podcast. Hello from the Magic Tavern.

I fell through a dimensional portal behind a Burger King in Chicago into the magical Land of Foon, and I started a podcast. Season 3 has just begun with a brand new adventure to defeat the Dark Lord. If you're a new listener or you've fallen behind season 3 is a great jumping on point, and we've got great guests like Justin McElroy.

I sat like a fancy college professor. Fake nuts. Rachel Bloom. You all see my collection of men, corpses, and one woman. Felicia Day and Colton Dunn. You've seen me have intercourse with a variety of species. It's a bummer. Andy Daly.

have the members of Genesis listed, but Phil Collins has crossed out and then circle did he cross out again. Yes, I have killed Phil Collins twice. Thomas Middletch. Jesus, I mean, Jarzos. Ruler of the eighth circle. And that's just the beginning. Season three, Avalo from the Magic Tavern is out now. Listen in Stitcher, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.