Bond and Beer

It has just been announced that Bond will be drinking beer. Heineken specifically. The brewer and the producers have struck a deal to see Bond drinking their product.

Predictably there has been outcry about this. Everyone associates Bond with Martinis (not unjustly) but he is more than a one hit wonder when it comes to drinks. Bond will drink most things if the situation requires it. Throughout the books, Bond has been known to enjoy a beer; usually with Leiter or when in a hot climate. He has also been seen to drink beer in the films; the bar scene in Licence to Kill or before he escapes from the CIA in Quantum of Solace to name but two. The precedent is well and truly set.

Overlooking historical references to Bond, let's not forget that Bond has been a vehicle for product placement since it began. This started as Ian Flemming's love of the finer things in life and has evolved into a slightly more blatant process. Companies can and do pay vast sums of money for their products to feature in a Bond film. That does not mean that any one product takes over a given film - apart from the obvious ones.

Think of the Omega watches in the most recent two films. Apart from a rather clunky reference on the train scene, the watches so far have been visible only if one is looking for them. The Rolexes in several other films have been little other than cameos yet I'm willing to bet each firm paid handsomely to feature. This phenomenon is not limited to watches. Smirnoff vodka featured for only a few seconds in Goldeneye and certainly did not detract from the plot.

Let's bring these two strands together: Bond as a character has a history of drinking a variety of drinks according to the circumstances. Not only that but Bond as a franchise has always been a hotbed of intentional and unintentional product placement. Thusfar it has been managed reasonably discreetly and without detracting from the plot.

Finally let's bear in mind one other very important fact. The Bond producers are not stupid. Barbara Broccoli grew up with Bond having had Cubbi as a father. If Fleming was a father to Bond then Cubbi was certainly an influential uncle. The upshot is, they know how to make a Bond film. They know that a dinner suit is expected, as is a martini and the line, "Bond. James Bond!" And they know it would be professional suicide to deviate too far from this formula. Bond may well sup a beer but I am confident it will in now way spoil what is shaping up to be a good film.

BB

Bulldog Drummond

Sorry for lack of posting lately. Things have been fairly busy with work and with life in general.

One thing I have managed to do in my free time is read the first of the Bulldog Drummond novels.

For background (and relevance), these novels were read and enjoyed by Ian Flemming in his youth. They are adventure stories based around a young officer after the first world war and they're brilliant! Well the first one at least.

I bought the set on impulse although I have been curious to read them for years. It's always interesting to examine the influence of those one admires.

It's certainly easy to see the influence. Both Drummond and Bond are men of action. Both keep an extreme level of calm in a crisis. Both are possessed of almost incredible strength and both kill without mercy when the situation requires. There is of course plenty strong drink, a dastardly enemy and a beautiful girl. All the ingredients for a fantastic story.

One big difference is that while Bond sounds slightly nostalgic for the Woodhousian inter-war years, Drummond is very much set in that era; albeit that the characters are rather intelligent and devious.

All in all, they are well worth reading if you're into adventure books (which I presume you are if you're into Bond) as well as a means of gaining a greater insight into the origins of Bond.

I hope you enjoy them if you now decide to read them.

BB.

Westfield Bond Exhibition

Morning, just a short one today.

For anyone who is in (or will be in) London over the next wee while, the Omega boutique in the Stratford branch of Westfield shopping centre will be having an exhibition of Bond props. This is done in conjunction with the release of some new commemorative edition watches to mark the release of Skyfall later this year. I will be going over the next couple of weeks and will post up a fuller report once I have had a look?

In the mean time, what do you think of Omega releasing commemorative Bond watches (a limited run of the model used in the most recent Bond film with some varyingly discreet Bond logos and a cerial number ending 007)? Do you think it's a nice touch and a good addition to high-end collectibles or a tacky and cynical marketing exercise?

For what it's worth, I think it is closer to the latter. I was given an Omega Seamaster as a 21st birthday present and had the offer of it being a Bond one. Much as I love Bond, I opted for the standard one. Ultimately it was to wear rather than as a collectible and I'm not sure how seriously I would be taken if it was noticed. Also, paying essentially £1000 seems a little excessive for a Bond logo on a watch. That said, when I win the lottery I will be assembling a full set... Well why not!

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My Favourite James Bond

Who is your favourite Bond? This question usually crops up fairly quickly when a Bond fan is present. For those that don't like Bond, it's an easy way to foster polite conversation in a similar way to enquiring about someone's job or preferred football team. To Bond fans it's an object of great and detailed debate.

In my opinion, the best Bond by far is Sir Sean Connery. This slightly bucks an anecdotal trend I have noticed. Most people seem to prefer the actor that was starring in the films released during their childhood. I am very definitely a child of the Brosnan era however Connery is still my firm favourite.

Each actor who has played Bond has put their own personal stamp on the role but it was Connery who went a long way to defining it in the first place (the sarcastic, witty one-liners at times of tension were his doing and I think fit perfectly).

I read the books long after I started watching the films but despite this, Flemming's description of Bond still conjures up a mental picture similar to Connery. I'm not the only one to think so; a cartoon strip of Bond created for a newspaper long before the films were being made pictured Bond bearing an overwhelming similarity to Sir Sean.

Facial features aside, Connery's undoubted physical strength again marks him out as very suitable for the role. During the action scenes, it doesn't look like it's the first time he's thrown a punch.  The character is often required to be extremely tough, both in combat and in other physical exertions and Connery looks like he takes this in his stride.

On a related note, he is evidently a very handsome man. It's not just my mum that fancies him; female friends of all ages (many of whom are extremely attractive) will admit to having a crush on him even now - git! Perhaps that makes the love scenes all the more believable; there is an element of authenticity to the joy with which the various actresses sink into his arms.

Added to all this is the fact that he is Scottish. Chauvinistic pride comes to the fore here but in addition to this Flemming was evidently proud of his Scottish roots. This showed through in his books and he gave Bond many qualities he associated (not always justly) with the Scots.

As well as all the factors above, Connery in my mind has an intangible appeal. Although most of the films he stars in don't rank especially highly in my top 5 Bond films, I still think he is by far and away the best actor to play him.

Second place in my Bond league table would have to go to Daniel Craig. I really like the darker twist his Bond has taken; not just as an antidote to the slightly cartoonish Brosnan era but as an interesting exploration of a character we think we all know. This interpretation of Bond is far closer to the Bond in books and I think it works well. That said, there is sufficient adherence to the expectations created by the preceding films that film fans are not disappointed either.

Anyway, these are my views on who I think are best. Do you agree? If not, why not? I am genuinely curious to find out.

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First Post

Good evening and welcome to the first post on my James Bond blog. Given I have set up a blog on the subject, you can probably guess I am a huge James Bond fan. It is fair to say that Bond has been something of a lifelong passion. Some of my earliest memories involve watching Bond films with my dad (usually with an illicit coke and chocolate biscuit). Since then, I have always loved watching the films. In my mid-teens I developed a great affection for the original Ian Fleming books. One summer I read each of them cover to cover. Although completely different from the films in virtually everything apart from central character and titles, they are also incredibly enjoyable.

So why do I love the Bond franchise so much? One of the main reasons is the sheer escapist fantasy available. All the stories occur in a world recognisable as our own but in this world extraordinary things happen. Bond himself would be mundane if it wasn't for the things that kept happening to him; certainly no-one to be stuck next to at a dinner party. Yet because of his exploits, people flock to read and watch the latest updates to his life.

The glamour of the series is also hugely attractive. One theory as to why Bond took off in the first place was timing. It offered glamour and excitement during a time of post-war rationing and austerity. Today a news report barely passes without mention about the "financial crisis" and with talk of and age of austerity. In both cases Bond has offered a welcome escape into a world where these things don't exist; everybody wears well-cut suits, nice watches and drives rather spectacular cars. The films are a treat for the eyes, the descriptions in the books so vivid that they tantalise several senses. A character that so effortlessly fits into any situation is also terribly attractive. How many times have we been in a social or professional situation, felt totally out of our depth and generally made a prat of ourselves? I have, more times than I would care to count. Not only can Bond effortless traverse any interaction; he has been created in such a way that it's easy enough to imagine ones-self in his shoes.

These are two reasons I love Bond. There are many more. I will explore them in more detail over the course of the blog as well as unleash my general nerdiness.

For now I will sign off.

More posts to come soon.

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