by 007hertzrumble | Oct 6, 2013 | Live Tweet Digests, Wraparound
…continued from the Moonraker Live Tweet Digest Vol. 1.
If you’ve come this far, you’re a gamer. You’re to be commended. You also might think you have a clue about what’s about to happen, but will you, can you, possibly be prepared for the PEW PEW PEW.
INITIATE THE CONCLUSION OF THE MOONRAKER LIVE TWEET DIGEST, AKA BOND IN SPACE
by 007hertzrumble | Oct 2, 2013 | #Bond_age_ Project
This is the eleventh essay in a 24-part series about the James Bond cinemas co-created by Sundog Lit. I encourage everyone to comment and join in what we hope to be an extended conversation about not only the films themselves, but cinematic trends, political and other external influences on the series’ tone and direction.
Of [In]human #Bond_age_ #11: Moonraker: In the Teeth of Nostalgia
For the first time since I began the #Bond_age_ project I’m at a loss regarding how to approach an essay. I suppose I should be grateful I’ve lasted this long, churning out thousands of Bond-y words without hiccup or hesitation. After all, this entry marks the 11th Bond movie. This is the 12th #Bond_age_ essay and we’re in the 22nd week of watching and loving James Bond. That’s a lot of Bond. And I’m getting a little nostalgic for the project already. Worrying about the inevitable end of something that’s been more enjoyable and rewarding than I’d thought possible.
So let’s just see where this brief trip through my pangs of nostalgia takes us
My first #Bond_age_ tweet for #DrNo:
Consider that this project was conceived the week that Skyfall was released and began in earnest, after some short planning, on December 12th with Dr. No – the night that I tweeted facts and information to myself for 20 minutes before one person came along (thanks, @jennjaysleafs). A couple of people chimed in with some commentary of the “Wow, I never knew that” variety. The @007hertzrumble twitter account hadn’t yet been created. Hell, the tumblr didn’t even come around until sometime at the beginning of February. Considering from whence we’ve come, #Bond_age_ is now a well-oiled machine… but as late as January 16th,the night we watched Thunderball, I was considering canning the whole project entirely. Three people, including myself, had tweeted Goldfinger the prior week. The most well-known and generally most-liked Bond movie drew three people for the live tweet. And two of them were obligated to be there. I really don’t think I can be blamed for my disillusionment. I’d plugged this Goldfinger more on Twitter, thinking that persistence and top-of-mind awareness would eventually pay dividends. As it turned out, however, per the timeless words of Steve Coogan, I was just “doing Bond wrong” altogether. (more…)
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.
