by 007hertzrumble | Oct 2, 2013 | Custom DVD Covers, Misc.
The Moonraker #Bond_age_ Collection DVD Cover
I couldn’t do a Moonraker Custom DVD Cover and not use my favorite Moonraker Live Tweet moment.
So ingrained are the “pew pew pew” sound effects used during the climactic space laser battle that they had to be a centerpiece of the cover. Or, per Trevor Jost, SPACE. LASER. BATTLE. Once I figured out how to use the “pew pew pew” for the Moonraker #Bond_age_ Collection DVD Cover, the rest fell into place. I borrowed a few images from stills and found the right picture of Earth from space and that was really about it. Sometimes it’s just best not to over-think these things. My only stumble… I had a hard time picking a font. I couldn’t decide whether to go with the more traditional font used on the posters or branch out on my own. Ultimately I chose the depth of this future-ish type font (or at least the future from the perspective of the 1970’s) over tradition.
by 007hertzrumble | Oct 1, 2013 | My Favorite #Bond_age_
Moonraker: This is Not Citizen Kane
by Trevor Jost (@tpjost)
My thoughts about Moonraker (1979) can really be summed up in one sentence. Space laser battle. Which is not even really a sentence. It’s a phrase. So let’s try this to make it sound even more on point. Space. Laser. Battle. Because there’s nothing like extra punctuation to make a guy sound extra serious in a short amount of time.
But in reality there is so much more to the film then just the most incredibly awesome Space. Laser. Battle. ever put on screen. There is also a superb cable car fight scene. And if Where Eagles Dare (1968) has taught us anything, it’s that a good cable car fight scene is a must in any self-respecting action film. Often times I find myself imagining Richard Burton fighting Richard Kiel on top of a cable car… but that’s beside the point.
A good majority of the people I’ve talked to, coworkers and such, most have dismissed Moonraker as campy and looking terribly dated. While I agree to some point, it must be kept in mind that special effects man Derek Meddings, who worked on Moonraker, was nominated for the Academy award for best visual effects. I would also like to note that Moonraker eventually became the highest grossing film (raw dollars) of the James Bond series until the release of GoldenEye.
Okay… so the plot might be ludicrous, and a bunch of beliefs must be suspended but it’s a Bond film. You can’t expect Citizen Kane to spontaneously generate in a movie about a megalomaniac’s desire to create a master race by organizing the Guinness Book of World Record’s largest space orgy. Another reason that I am personally drawn to this film is Jaws. Jaws is by far my favorite Bond villain. Richard Kiel does such a wonderful job at making Jaws a terrifying and yet totally personable henchman.
Although Moonraker may not be a terribly good, it is most certainly full of thrills! (Space. Laser. Battle.) So to conclude, Moonraker is one of my favorite Bond films. If you press me I might even call it my favorite favorite. My advice is get a large bowl of popcorn, sit back, and just enjoy the ride.
Oh… and one more thing. Stop me if you’ve heard this before.
Space. Laser. Battle.
First Bond Movie: Goldfinger
Favorite Bond Actor: Sean Connery
Favorite Bond Girl: Pussy Galore
How I Discovered #Bond_age_: How did you discover me?
by 007hertzrumble | Sep 30, 2013 | Misc.
After taking on Matt Helm last week, #Bond_age_ swings back into the heart of the Roger Moore years with the Moonraker Live Tweet, aka precisely when most Bond fans must ask “What the hell were they thinking?”
Indeed. What were they thinking when they sent Bond into space? What were they thinking when they wrote dialogue for Hugo Drax? What were they thinking when they turned Jaws into a tender-hearted lover lifted straight from a Douglas Sirk melodrama? Are you sensing a “but”? Because I’m sensing a “but.”
BUT!
Die-hard #Bond_age_ fans who’ve been around the block and listened to my guest appearance on the Debatable Podcast might recall that I hold the original Moonraker live tweet in high regard. That night was one of the finest moments in this little social media project. It was the night that I realized we’d created something great. A group of people coming together to appreciate a “lesser” James Bond without the widespread cultural distaste. (I’d hoped the same would hold true for #DAD…but… no such luck.) Both fans and skeptics tweeted the hell out of the movie that night, rendering that live tweet session one of the benchmarks of #Bond_age_ wit and best examples of contagious appreciation.
Join us for #Moonraker and some good old-fashioned #Bond_age_… IN SPACE.
by 007hertzrumble | Sep 29, 2013 | Humor, Misc.
I was inspired to create the following poster-sized reference guide to the many fashions of Ann-Margaret in Murderer’s Row. So inspired, in fact, I pulled each of the images directly from the movie. It was actually harder than you’d think because of how often Ann-Margaret was thrashing around during the dance scenes. Even going frame by frame to find the right shot proved challenging. It was just a mess of hair and arms and colored lights and sometimes Dean Martin even got in the way. Can you believe that the star of the movie would get in the way of all the the fashions?!
(click image to view/download the full-sized version)
Click here to view the #Bond_age_ Live Tweet Digest for Murderer’s Row.
by 007hertzrumble | Sep 26, 2013 | Impostors!, Live Tweet Digests
For the very first #DriveInMob and #Bond_age_ Crossover event we chose the Murderer’s Row Live Tweet. #DriveInMob had done Matt Helm before, but not Murderer’s Row. So because I thought it was the best of the Helms… well, it had to be done. Dean Martin just oozes cool all over the screen and when you pair Dean Martin’s booze and turtlenecks with Ann-Margaret’s chicken dress and 10-lb. eyelashes, you get the Murderer’s Row Live Tweet Session. #Bond_age_ Impostor #4 did not let us down.
INITIATE THE MURDERER’S ROW LIVE TWEET SESSION
