007 enters the 1980s in a rather curious way: with some tips of the hat to the early days of the series. Part of this was a desire to return to the style of earlier Bond films after the camp extravaganza that was Moonraker. But the form this hat-tip takes is more of a direct … More The Bond Movie Series: For Your Eyes Only
And lo! there was Moonraker. Regarded by many to be the lowpoint of the series, this installment of 007’s adventures is, perhaps not coincidentally, the apex of camp in the franchise. Curiously, at the end of The Spy Who Loved Me, it was promised that James Bond would return to the screen in For Your … More The Bond Movie Series: Moonraker
Given that I’ve reviewed every book in the Rizzoli & Isles series by Tess Gerritsen, you should probably be aware that I’m a fan. It’s my go-to guilty pleasure (to use a phrase I don’t really like very much). But I’m not a fan of the Mephisto Club, a secret and ancient organization that all … More Book Review: Last to Die, by Tess Gerritsen
#WhiteBoyProblems As I said in my most recent review (of Fourth of July Creek), I’ve developed a serious impatience for novels that essentially come down to white boys who can’t get their act together. As such, Arts & Entertainments was another big struggle for me. You see, it centers on “Handsome” Eddie Hartley, a high … More Book Review: Arts & Entertainments, by Christopher Beha
“The world is a blade and dread is hope cut open and spread inside out.” I was really excited to read this book for a couple of reasons. First, it has a fantastic jacket description. Second, I’ve lived in Missoula, Montana for a year now, so I loved the idea of reading a novel set … More Book Review: Fourth of July Creek, by Smith Henderson
With legal wrangling surrounding the departure of producer Harry Saltzman in the wake of The Man With the Golden Gun, production on The Spy Who Loved Me was delayed. With all that sorted out, Roger Moore returned for a third adventure as 007 that called back to the early days of the series. Without Saltzman, … More The Bond Movie Series: The Spy Who Loved Me
Behind the scenes turmoil on The Man With the Golden Gun led to the dissolution of the relationship between longtime Bond co-producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman once filming was complete. Legal wrangling between the two would delay the next 007 movie (The Spy Who Loved Me). And as if that wasn’t enough, The … More The Bond Movie Series: The Man With the Golden Gun
Ladies and gentlemen, Roger Moore has entered the building and unlike the last Connery replacement, he’ll be around for a while. His first movie as 007 is his best–if you can get around the sexual assault and the flagrant racism. This is also the first Bond movie in the post-Blofeld era. If producers were nervous … More The Bond Movie Series: Live and Let Die
Sean Connery returns to play 007 one more time in Diamonds Are Forever–matching wits with Blofeld to stop him from holding the world hostage with a diamond-powered satellite. … More The Bond Movie Series: Diamonds Are Forever
“You can’t erase history, or change it. It would be like destroying yourself.” At 36, Tsukuru Tazaki has settled into a determined rut. He has no close friends, no long-term relationships, and no pets. There is nothing tying him to anyone or anything else. His job is ostensibly what he has always been most passionate … More Book Review: Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
Supposedly Fun 