I was probably too young to be watching James Bond movies, but my parents seemed to be confident that I could handle it at a young age (four or five). I had heard about this mysterious man, this "double O" person. Finally one summer after hours of yard work, my parents ordered pizza, actually bought sodas, and were introducing me to Bond! Now, to set the scene, we were a military family and did not have a lot of extra cash, so sodas and pizza were a huge deal. A bonus was that my big brother was staying in and was eager to see Bond as well. Another bonus was that it was actually a warm night up in the Rocky Mountains- a rare occurrence even in the summer. I could hardly stand the wait.
The 007 movie I saw that night was "Octopussy." Definitely the worst Bond movie to date. However, it is still one of my favorites simply for the memory...and the awesome Blue Ring Octopus. I think if I had been born in a different era and "Casino Royale" with Daniel Craig was my parents' choice, they may not have let me watch that one at a young age. "Octopussy" had such campy characters, goofy costumes, idiot bad guys, and of course, Roger Moore. Roger Moore was so benign as a Bond.
Sean Connery slapped women around, no body remembers the ones in between the big names, Pierce Brosnan was not allowed to get his flawless hair messed up, and Daniel Craig is a whole different animal. Roger Moore was funny, his pithy comments were biting but not sharp, and he loved ALL women. Seeing the other Roger Moore movies that came later was fascinating to me. He loved African American women, and without even batting an eye at the racial prejudice constantly infiltrating American Society.
Is Roger Moore still my favorite Bond? Well, in all honesty, Bond is my favorite Bond. But there is something about Daniel Craig...there is something so painful and real there. We left the mild decadence of the 1990's and were catapulted into chaos and recession after 9/11. Do I want to see Pierce Brosnan and his perfect face and hair driving around in an "invisible" Aston Martin Vanquish in 2002 while we scramble for work, and we fear the world-wide warmongers? Not so much. Do I want to see a brutal Bond, with hints of a broken nose from the past, who is just as much sociopath as the bad guys, and insults his nemesis while he is bound and tortured? YES.
BUT-- I do think the day is coming when we will need a Roger Moore again. There are too many worries, too many wars, and one day we will need a break. Until then, I'll fondly remember "Octopussy," always...but look forward to the next grotesque move that Daniel Craig makes.
Hello and welcome to My1302ClassBlog.blogspot.com!
This is a blog for Summer Sanderson's ENGL1302 class. We will all be writing blogs this semester in order to broaden our understanding of genre writing.
A few things to keep in mind:
1. Though some blogs that you will write will be non-academic, you must keep your language and topics professional. Your grade will reflect my unhappiness if you choose to write purposefully insulting, derogatory, or inflammatory blogs. Keep your language at a PG to PG-13 level. We're all legal adults, but let Hollywood work in profanity like an art form...not you.
2. You will be required to write four blogs that are related to class and academia, and four that are whatever you choose to write about. You may write more, but not less.
3. You are required to read and comment on other blogs. This is part of your grade. Keep all commentary constructive, positive, and without any hint of insult. As aforementioned, keep the language at a PG to PG-13 level.
4. ALWAYS give credit for your sources, quotes, and photos just like you would if you were writing a research paper.
5. Have fun! This is your chance to write how you want to write, and to write for a large and varied audience. Let go of Bain's five paragraph essay (not the "Dark Knight" Bane. Different guy).
