My Top 5 James Bond Movies

My stand out favourite James Bond movie was a lock before I need to think about it. The following 4 and their order are not so easy. Their haven't been too many dud Bond movies and a lot of good ones but seperating and ordering the great ones was not an easy task. I've cut it down from 10 to 5 because I found places 6 to 12 were too close to seperate or even order.

#5

Goldfinger

There are so many iconic scenes and characters from the 3rd Bond film. Odd Job and his menacing hat and the eponymous baddie Goldfinger and his memorable line to Bond: "I don't expect you to talk Mr Bond. I expect you to DIE!" The iconic Fort Knox was also shot for the first time and was a wonderful backdrop. Not to mention one of the greatest bond girl names on the many; Pussy Galore played by Honor Blackman. Goldfinger was the first to win an Academy Award. Bond's car was probably the most iconic of the series in his Aston Martin DB5, with the requisite gadgets.

Shirley Bassey sung the well received title song 'Goldfinger', and John Barry produced a quality score.

#4

From Russia With Love

The 2nd instalment FRWL is raised into the #4 position by an underrated bad guy in SPECTRE assasin Red Grant played by Robert Shaw and one of the best Bond fights between Connery and Shaw on a moving train.

#3

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

In the 6th instalment Aussie George Lazenby takes the reigns after Connery decides to retire from the role and does a bloody good job. Set on the beautiful white peaks on the swiss alps this Bond delivers in all key Bond areas. A tall, dark and handsome Bond; Lazenby. An iconic villain in Ernst Stavro Blofeld; Telly Savalas. A plethora of bond beauties including Bond's future and only wife Contessa Teresa "Tracy" di Vincenzo; Diana Rigg and a string of exciting set piece action scenes particularly involving skiing and bob sledding. The balls to have Bond marry Tracy then have her shot dead at the end of the movie almost has this at #2. It's also a very faithful adaptation of the brilliant novel by Ian Fleming.

#2

Golden Eye

In Peirce Brosnan's 1st attempt at 007, he makes my 2nd best Bond movie ever. As far as opening scene stunts go their have been many that have reached for and grabbed the stars. Golden Eye's is up the with the best of them. Brosnan is very beleivable at getting the girls but if I had a question mark it would be his ability to kick butt. There are also the usual bad chicks but the most memorable would be Famke Janssen as the sadistic girl with coconut crushing thighs. Judi Dench is also brilliantly cast a 'M' the head of the MI6.

It's also the first of the films NOT to be based on an Ian Fleming novel.

#1

Casino Royale

This is a damn good flick on any list and absolutely ticks every James Bond box. Amazing action opening sequence - tick, tough but ladies man Bond - tick, casinos and cards - tick, beautiful bond girl - tick, gadgets - tick, ruthless bad guys - tick. The movie opening with a visual flurry hitting it's high note with a crane scene involving Parkour. I particularly like that Bond is obvioulsy note as agile and crunches himself pretty good during the chase. The movie also has some beautiful scenary ranging from Montenegro and The Bahamas. Eva Green more than matches Daniel Craig's 007 and is quite stunning in a natural way. Daniel Craig is pitch perfect as a Bond who can kick your butt and get the girl - something not all of the actors can say. Much kudos has to go to a movie that can have a 20 minute poker scene that involves self-defibrilation, a cool cocktail and suspense. It also lifts an awesome torture scene from the book where Bond is sat sans pants into a chair without a seat and he has 'an itch scratched'. Special mention also the stunts in Venice particularly the sinking of a whole building.

It's also has a cool song 'You Know My Name' performed by Chris Cornell of Soundgarden fame and my favourite retro opening credit sequence.


Hourable mentions go to both Timothy Dalton flicks (Licence To Kill and The Living Daylights), Sean Connery's (Dr. No, You Only Live Twice and Thunderball) and Roger Moore's (Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun)

Interestingly there are no Roger Moore entries in my top 5 but not surprising as he's my least favourite. Sean Connery and Daniel Craig are my favourite Bonds as they epitomise the character's strengths but Dalton and Brosnan were involved in some quality editions.

I'm also very pumped for the currently being filmed James Bond titled 'Red Sky at Night'. This will be Daniel Craig's third and final attempt.

Until then hail to Vesper!

Tom Cruise's Top 5 Acting Roles

Remember that I am picking my favourite performances based on my enjoyment of the character/movie and the level of difficulty pulled. Again this doesn't mean having handicaps like wheelchair, gay, red hair or ugly will give the role more points. I'm looking more at believably performances and varying emotions.

#5

Born on the Forth of July

Tom plays Ron Kovic, a paralysed Vietnam war vet from his biography. He returns homes to become an anti-war and pro-human rights political activist after seeing how horrible war is and the waste of human lives.

This didn't make the role cause Cruise did a reverse 'Advance hair for men' or because of the wheelchair. He earns this spot because of the character he pours onto the screen and the empathy he draws out of the audience. Cruise is also helped with the deft directing of Oliver Stone who sets this story around the main protagonist rather than the war around it.

#4

Collateral

If you take the fake/odd gray hair out of the equation Tom gives a measured and worthy top 5 performance. Again as in many of actors top 5's the film is helmed by a credible director. In this case Michael Mann. Cruise manages to pull off a cold-blooded killer with charm when it could easily have been over the top and just another role. The malevolent hate between Cruises Vincent and Jamie Fox' Max is the driving force and both actors bring it. I also rated Tom pulling off such a character when he's so short with his boyish looks. A lot of actors in the same position would have over compensated. Tom did not!

#3

Magnolia

This performance came out of the blue for me and on further views is a well measured and control acting performance. In an ensemble piece lasting a touch over 3 hours there are many memorable scenes and performances but the Cruise one is the stand out for me. Cruise does slick so well it often makes me wonder? hmmmm

#2

Interview With The Vampire

I had read the Anne Rice book before seeing the movie and Brad Pitt was the hottest thing in town. That with the buzz of the young actress' performance (Kirsten Dunst). I was surprised how Cruise made his Lestat de Lioncourt purr throughout the film. As far as memorable and menacing vampire being recorded to celluloid go Lestat is one of the best for me. Tom's nuanced performance is highly underrated and he manages to own the screen without doing a lot of visual acting. It also show that I prefer Tom as a bad guy and not try to rely on his good looks.

#1

Jerry Maguire

This is the rare role where I enjoy Tom being a charming likable guy. Well almost. Some of you will claim I love this movie/role because it centers around my 2nd favourite sport Gridiron. Hey maybe it does, isn't that why we love certain movies. Any Given Sunday is definitely one of my favourite Oliver Stone movies. I'm not going to love a movie just because it has sport it needs more. And Jerry Maguire does deliver more. Sure there's the obvious Cuba Gooding Jr turn as team player who can smoke all you fools Rod Tidwell, and Renne Zellweger is cute and holds her own. But the movie needs Jerry to take off his cloak of failure and show the audience the money. Tom plays different parts as a cocky sports agent, a jilted boyfriend, a boss, a buddy and eventually a guy that cares.

Again the movie is steered by the very capable Cameron Crowe with a strong supporting cast but Cruise had me at hello pretty early on. This is also a very quotable movie that means the dialogue permeated into the subconscious long after the credits have rolls. Sure for some of you this just couldn't be his best performance but it is the one I've seen the most and the one I'm most likely to go back and see again.

Honourable mention has to go to these unlucky entrants:

The Last Samurai
A Few Good Men 
Mission: Impossible


Tom Cruise has been involved in some iconic hollywood movies but I was interested in how many of them have either; another actor (Dustin Hoffman in Rainman), effects (CGI in War of the Worlds) or the story line (Minority Report) carry it to greatness. It's not that Tom was bad in any of these, he just had to be himself and flash that toothy grin of his and let the movie roll. For all of his success and fame in my eyes Tom has never had that breakout performance but rather a breakout movie: See Top Gun.

Until then hail to Tom and Jerry!

Mel Gibson's Top 5 acting roles

Ok so I started this knowing my to position and thinking it would be easy to round out the 5. Through further investigation there are at least 7 quality performances along with several good ones.

As an Aussie I can make excuses for Mel's bad behaviour to a point but some of his bizarre rants even have me baffled. But you know what, when I'm watching his movies I'm usually so immersed that I just enjoy the movie. This is particularly the case for these 5 movies. I'm also going to take into account Mel's performance and not necessarily the films as well as how much I enjoyed the performance. For Example in The Man Without a Face, Mel was pretty good and the movie ok, but I wasn't grabbed by much by either so it doesn't rate a mention here. Ergo you don't have to play a gimp/mentally incapacitated gay man to rank in my top 5. This is not the academy awards.

#5

The Patriot

I'm surprised that some people just didn't connect with this flick. Sure it has all the hallmark syrup of a Roland Emmerich movie but a great cast including stand out performances by Heath Ledger, Adam Baldwin, Jason Issacs, Tom Wilkinson and Chris Cooper it rises above it. For Mel to so openly dominate shows he was perfect for the role. Mel plays Benjamin Martin in a relatively common patriarchal hero who was brave back in the day and but is trying to raise kids (usually sons) in a time of unrest and stay out of trouble. (see. Legends of the Fall) Mel particularly stands out when dealing with grief and his parental responsibilities. I total believe Mel has this haunted past and he deftly shows us when he takes out several officers with brains and hatchet. On a side note Robert Rodat wrote this script as well as Saving Private Ryan which also has a remarkable male role model.

#4

Mad Max

When I first started this list I assumed this would be top 2 material but Mel plays Max Rockatansky more than adequately but compared to the top 3 just doesn't have the range. Some would argue that this role is limited in what Mel could do with it and it is but that's the way cookie crumbles. The next 3 roles are much juicier and therefore Mel is able to really show his chops. Mel very successfully pulls off being the stone-cold hard cops dealing with life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland where petrol is the main currency.

#3

What Women Want

This is by far Mel at his most charismatic. Sure it's easy when you know what women are thinking but this is Gibson at his Cary Grant smoothest. Nancy Meyers is the queen of directing 40 somethings rom-coms and this is one of her best. Mel plays a vast array of emotions and situations here ranging from cocky ladies man, to vulnerable boss and out of his element (donnie) father of a teenage girl. I rate this so highly because I've seen many great actors try this suave charming guy and fail. Mel plays all of his roles very well particularly the well-aware heart throb. Bonus points for his Sinatra dance including props such as a hat rack, a chair and a bottle of red.

#2

Lethal Weapon

In the wrong hands this could have been a camp parody of a character with no heart and funny yet crazy eyes. Mel manages to create one of the most iconic good/bad cops in Martin Riggs that went on to carry 3 sequels with varying degrees of success. The task Mel had to bring this character to life is very underrated. Just think who would be capable of being a suicidal cop with a mullet but we also have to care for him. Not many if any would be my guess! This is also one of the best black/white good/bad cop combinations ever!

#1

Braveheart

Well what can I say? This is one of the best movies and one of the best directing jobs of all time also. This is a perfectly executed piece of cinema and is held together by William Wallace. I'm not going to go into how historically correct it is. I watch this for the entertainment otherwise I can go to the History Channel. Mel has given himself the tough task of playing a man mourning his true love and leading thousands into battle and probable death. And you know what? I would have followed him too! Mel hits this role pitch perfect with different emotive ranges required. His final scene of being disemboweled and screaming "Freedom" has been mocked and reused and is very well known, it could have been a cringe worthy moment but was a perfect ending to what has thus far been Mel's finest achievement.

Honourable mentions must go to Gallipoli, Lethal Weapon 2, Man Without a Face, Maverick, Air America, Forever Young, Signs and Edge of Darkness. (Haven't seen The Beaver yet.)

Until then hail to the Icon!

Moroccan Beef Tagine (Jamie Oliver)

I thought that since I am so lucky as to receive some 3 hat quality meals and in the absence of Master Chef I'd share with you good folk when I masticating a huge quality meal. I'll give an impression of the outcome, share secret recipes and give a shout out to the particular cookbook when it applies.

Tonight I was lucky enough be eating Beef Tagine from Jamie Does... Morocco.

My lovely wife substituted squash for sweet potato and I loved it. The cous cous was perfectly cooked but it was the spices (cumin, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper) and the beef that made the dish. The beef was slow cooked for 3 hours and peeled off the fork like paint off my house.

My 22 month old son was sucking it down like Darjeeling so that only solidifies this dish as a winner.

Lindsay Cuisine Rating: 9 out of 10

Until then hail to the 15!

New York Giants - PREVIEW - Running Backs

Maybe I should have held off on my Wide Receiver list with the shock departure of New York Giant reception record holder, Steve Smith to division rival Philadelphia Eagles.

Well the top 2 running backs in Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs have re-signed so I feel confident in this preview.

The Giants have always been a bruising team on both sides of the line. The last few years have been no exception. Bradshaw and Jacobs have their own little Thunder and Lightning show. Jacobs is a large 6 foot 4 and 264 pounds with Bradshaw at 5-10 & 214.

The 2 pronged attack rushed for over 2000 yards between them and scored 17 touchdowns between them.

In the NFL the respective backs ranked:

Total Yards: AB 9th, BJ 22nd
Avg per rush: BJ 2nd(in rushers over the 800 yard mark)
Touchdowns: BJ 9th
Longest run from scrimmage: BJ 7th
20+ yd runs: AB 2nd, BJ 6th
40+ yd runs: AB 7th
1st Downs: AB 7th
Fumbles:AB 2nd (unfortunately)

Having 2 quality running back is invaluable in the NFL as not only a back up for the inevitable injury but also one of the running backs wears the defence down and the 2nd one can come on fresh and hopefully finish off the game strong. Also the differences compliment each other and allow the coached to pick any running play for any circumstances know 1 of the 2 will be best suited to the task.

I'm predicting a similar output for the pair as the O-line has been reshuffled but the wide-receivers will help open up the defence. If Ahmad can solve his fumbling problems we may even see our second ever pair of 1000+ yard rushers.

Running Back Rating: B+

New York Giants - WR Steve Smith signs with rival Eagles.

Damn!!!!

As far as possession in-side slot receivers go, Steve Smith is the best the Giants have had for a awhile. He was part of the 2007 Super Bowl 42 winning team and a Pro-Bowl player in 2009 after catching a record smashing 107 receptions for 1220 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Last year he was hampered by injury catching the pigskin 48 times in only 9 games. He suffered a season ending injury in a Giants' win over the Vikings at Ford Field in Detroit on Dec. 13.

Giants Coach Coughlin announced that Smith had "a ways to go" from this injury which Smith refutely denies.

If Smith lines up this year amongst the star-studded receiving line-up for the Eagles that boasts 2 time pro-bowler DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin who held onto the ball 70 times last year, he will have 2 opportunities to play his old team the Giants. They are NFC EAST rivals and both will be pushing for that East crown and this only makes the duels that more interesting. Not to mention the punting fiasco form last year when the Eagles came storming back in the last quarter and won the game on a punt return on the last play of the day. The Eagles have been ruthless during the last 2 weeks bringing in 6 pro-bowlers into the team including, cornerbacks Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Nnamdi Asomugha, defensive end Jason Babin, quarterback Vince Young and running back Ronnie Brown.

Until then hail to the slot!

Kevin Smith Movie List (New and Improved)

This is my updated Kevin Smith list to include Cop Out. Since my last 'list' I've watched every Smith movie so I can get a better handle on their respective placings. My wife doesn't understand why I like these movies so much but she doesn't have a predilection to dick and fart jokes. I guess what I appreciate most is Kevin's eye for dialogue and getting the best of his cast. (see Shannon Doherty) Ok let's proceed to:

#9

Cop Out

This didn't smell like a Smith movie, it didn't sounds like a Smith movie and it damn well didn't taste like one. I do like me some Bruce Willis and I was hoping for a 'Last Boy Scout' type character but instead got 'Whole nine yards' one. Tracey Morgan took his pay check and just 'did' himself. Bizarre cameos from people like Sean William Scott didn't add to the plot either.

#8

Zak and Miri make a Porno

Maybe if this came out when I was 18 I would have enjoyed the flesh more, but... it wasn't. The 2 main characters were so immoral that it was hard to fall for the nice warm moments at the end. Definitely not Smith at his best.

#7

Clerks 2

I am a huge fan of the first installment so was even more disappointed by this crass lacklustre performance. This was missing the witty dialogue and sense of restraint from the 1st. Surely when Smith and uber producer Scott Mosier were watching the dailies the 'donkey' scene was obviously too far, even for Smith. I also found the bright visuals were at odds with the black and white original.

#6

Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back

J&SBSB has some great dialogue and excellent cameos (Will Ferrell, Ben Affleck & Matt Damon) but is too conscious of itself and doesn't try as hard as it should. This is much better than 7 through 9 but not quite up to the top 5.

#5

Mallrats

For a follow up script to phenomenon Clerks, made all the better by the fantastic debut of Jason Lee. A more capable supporting cast to match Lee would have made this one of the cult teen movies of the 90's. An honourable mention has to go to Michael Rooker who played his character pitch perfect! Ethan Suplee can be seen in a less than meaty role;)

#4

Dogma

I really dug the look and feel of Dogma. It's a very derisive topic handled mostly with care. A great young cast of some of the best up and comers accompanied by a pretty tight script makes for a very enjoyable flick. The poo monster seemed out of place with the tone of the movie but doesn't kill it.


#3
 

Jersey Girl
 
As seen by my top choice, I like the movies with a bit of heart and a story to say. There's something about Jersey Girl that strikes a chord with me for the heart it has even if it is a little too cheesy sometimes! An underrated performance by Affleck lifts this as the the angelic Liv Tyler. I particularly liked the relationships. Father and daughter, father and son & father and career. A quality cameo from Will Smith was a surprising and worthy addition. 



#2
 

Clerks
 
Although it is revered as a look what a first time director with no money or cast can do, I appreciate it for the funny and witty script is delivered by a cast of nobodies. Kevin was making a movie he wanted to see and didn't have a production company looking over his shoulder. Proves that you do not need a big budget to make 90 minutes of enjoyable film. 


#1

Chasing Amy

This is one of my favourite movies of all time for it's heart, dialogue and Jason Lee. There are some great little scenes here and although it is purely a static camera with people walking into and out of shot the script is so good as too rise above these limitations. Jason Lee and Ben Affleck are perfectly paired as the best mates who may have muddies how close their relationship is. Little nuances like the ice hockey game linked with the Affleck and Joey Lauren Adams argument is awesome. Many great quotes from this are still being bandied about. At least in my house! This is a must see movie for lovers of the relationship genre who wants some different fro the usual troupes handed out.


Overall an above average career with a couple of gems. Kevin Smith's strength is his eye for dialogue and interesting look relationships. His new movie coming out is 'Red State', a horror/slasher flick that looks at the moment to tick all of my boxes so I hoping for a top 4 finish. I hope it also shows Kevin Smith and his detractors that he can be diverse and doesn't need to pander to the lowest common denominator!

Until then hail to Amy!

North Melbourne Kangaroos - Todd Goldstein moves up the All-Time ruck ladder

Back on the 3rd of August I discussed who was in the running for All-Australian Ruckman for 2011. During the discussion I mentioned that Todd Goldstein was currently sitting in 14th spot on the all-time hit-out tally. He was averaging 36 hit-outs a game and on Sunday against Hawthorn he had 37. This moves him up to #8 on the list equal with Aaron Sandilands from 2009. With another 36 in 2 weeks time against St Kilda (after the bye) he'll move up to #5 on the all-time list with 695.

Home and away hit-out tallies


878 - Gary Dempsey - 1982 (North Melbourne)
738 - Gary Dempsey - 1983 (North Melbourne)
711 - Mark Lee - 1984 (Richmond)
703 - Simon Madden - 1983 (Essendon)
688 - Gary Dempsey - 1981 (North Melbourne)
686 - Aaron Sandilands - 2010 (Fremantle)
682 - Darren Jolly - 2009 (Sydney)
659 - Todd Goldstein - 2011 (North Melbourne)* (18 games)
659 - Aaron Sandilands - 2009 (Fremantle)
649 - Mark Lee - 1983 (Richmond)
646 - Aaron Sandilands - 2008 (Fremantle)
643 - Mark Jamar - 2010 (Melbourne)
628 - Peter Everitt - 2004 (Hawthorn)
623 - Rod Blake - 1980 (Geelong)
619 - Justin Madden - 1982 (Essendon)
611 - Mark Lee - 1981 (Richmond)
611 - Simon Madden - 1984 (Essendon)
607 - Matthew Allan - 1999 (Carlton)

With 3 games to go it will be interesting to see if Goldstein can finish up in 2nd position (he needs to average 26 for the last 3 games) as Gary Dempsey's #1 spot is out of reach.

Until then hail to the 22!