A collection of photography and exploration focusing on Upstate South Carolina and beyond.
Laura and I like classic films and we especially like it when we have the opportunity to see these films on the big screen. Our first experience was back in 1991 when we were able to see Casablanca in a theater in Tucson. In just the past couple of months I’ve seen The Princess Bride and the original Blade Runner in the theater. So when we saw that the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo was showing at the Lincoln Theater in Mount Vernon, we had to attend.
…or “Sean who??” I believe that James Bond is a Time Lord. That’s the only way to describe his regenerative abilities and ability to change appearance over the past 50 years of movies. In this latest movie, under interrogation Bond himself states that his hobby is “resurrection.” Be that as it may, in this 23 … Read More “Skyfall” »
Today is the 50th anniversary of the premier of the first James Bond movie, Dr. No. All this week NPR’s Morning Edition has been doing a series of specials on James Bond at 50. This week they are exploring the physics of Bond gadgets, music from the Bond movies, Bond’s favorite martini and the differences between shaken and stirred, and, finally, a survey to determine which actor was the quintessential Bond.
Some people memorize the names of all of the presidents of the US in order. Some memorize all the books of the Bible. I can recite all 22 James Bond films in order, with information such as the Bond actor, major villain, and plot. I sometimes do this as a cognitive exercise to relax, somewhat akin to counting sheep. (And, for the record, I can list all of the books of the Bible, but don’t know all the presidents.)
So, when NPR started this series I was delighted. Unfortunately, it came off as a bit shallow. I guess time constraints wouldn’t let them delve into the issues as much as I might have liked, but I was hoping they would get into whether or not a shaken martini tastes better than a stirred one, rather than simply which is colder. Oh, well.
For my birthday Chip got me a ticket to the midnight opening of Tron Legacy at our local iMax. So, last night (and into the wee hours of this morning) we set off for Simpsonville to rendezvous with several of his work friends to see the movie. We got to the theater a little after … Read More “Tron Legacy” »
After many delays, the new Harry Potter movie is upon us. This was supposed to have come out in November, but was delayed for some strange marketing purpose. I don’t see why this would have mattered. The movie was going to rake in a ton of money, regardless. However, the ploy must have worked. Wednesday … Read More “Harry Potter and the Half-Pint Prince” »
Summer blockbuster season is upon us, and is in full swing. After a dearth of movies, the theaters seem filled with films I want to see. So much so that I did something unprecedented – three movies in the theater in one week. Tuesday Night – 2nd viewing of Star Trek Since I’ve already given … Read More “Three Movies in One Week” »
We went to see the new Star Trek movie on Saturday. Being a true Trekkie, I had been anticipating this one for a long time. By now everyone knows the drill – director J. J. Abrams’ intention was to reboot the series with new actors, telling the story of how the famous Enterprise crew first … Read More “Star Trek 90210” »
Brutal That’s about the only way to describe it. I went to see The Dark Knight by myself Friday afternoon, since I knew Laura wouldn’t want to see it. I thought that Batman Begins was very well done but haunting. However, The Dark Knight was unrelenting in its psychopathic take on crime in Gotham City. … Read More “The Dark Knight” »
It always surprises me how our perception of place is colored by movies. San Francisco is such an iconic city that it’s easily recognizable when on the big screen. However, sometimes the reality is altered a bit. The Monterrey Bay Aquarium figured prominently as “The Cetacean Institute” in Star Trek IV. However, their outdoor tide … Read More “On Location” »
Long ago, in a cafe far, far away… George: So, what good movies have you seen lately? Steven: You know, the Mummy series was really cool! I loved the way Brenden Frazier… George: Yeah! That was great! Steven: I just rented X-Files. Talk about a convoluted plot. George: Who gives a damn about plots. They’re … Read More “The Indiana Mummy Files” »