CMT - Goldfinger

As time passes and actors age, the job of portraying popular characters naturally changes hands. This may also be due, to changes in ownership of the film rights, or a new creative direction. Whatever the case, as long as there is a demand for a character to appear in film, different versions of that character will continue to accrue. Eventually, people will have a debate regarding which performance is the definitive one.

Classic Movie Trailers - Goldfinger (1964)

So, which James Bond is the best one? No matter how you look at it, that's a subjective question, that will produce a subjective answer. However, you can look at certain facts that lead to those opinions. For example, your choice for the best Bond might also be the first performer, that you saw play that role.

That actor doesn't necessarily, have to be the first one to portray the character. He may just be the first that you had seen. So, there is a familiarity and an attachment and an immediate association, that other actors will never replace. If a significant amount of time has passed since that interpretation, nostalgia plays a role as well.

It's also possible, that you've read the books that have inspired the movies. In that case, you may choose your definitive version based on how closely the actor looks, to the image that you have created in your head. That image, would be based on the book's description of the character and possibly the illustrations. Alternatively, it may be that the actor's behavior in the role, closely matches how the character would behave, according to the evidence present in those books.

That actually leads to another point. Your favorite James Bond, may have nothing to do with the actor whatsoever. It may have a lot more to do, with the quality of the production that they're in. Quality is, of course, subjective, and interestingly, your idea of quality may be, the interpretation farthest away from the original source material.

Your favorite Bond, or Batman, or Holmes, or Superman, is your favorite for objective reasons, which shape your subjective opinion. No single portrayal, is undoubtedly the clear winner, so doubt persists and debates return obstinately. As fans, we are extremely fortunate because of this. No answer is right, or wrong, so the discussion and the fun never ends.

@ChannelSeals

http://youtu.be/94UpZMvUvEk

CMT - Castle In The Sky

Classic Movie Trailers - “Castle in The Sky” (1986) [Not Recommended]

It’s much easier to pick out flaws and failures in a piece of art, than it is to create that art yourself. Criticism, when done professionally, is a craft of it’s own and there is merit to it. With so much entertainment available, someone has to guide consumers on how to best spend their hard-earned dollars. Still, storytellers and artists must be held in a higher regard, since their goals are so much harder to achieve and what they create is so much more valuable.

I respect the time and the Herculean effort put into animated films and “Castle in the Sky”, in particular. Unfortunately, the movie didn’t provide me with a good experience. The film’s length was my biggest issue; at 126 minutes, it felt like it was just over three hours. When you’re constantly checking your watch and waiting for the credits to roll, you are not having a good time watching a film and I wasn’t, when I revisited this part of my massive DVD collection.

The movie seemed to be too long, because there wasn’t enough story to justify the running time. The created world that this film presents is fantastic; the atmosphere, as shot is gorgeous and there are a lot of enjoyable moments with the characters. However, there was too much atmosphere, too many cute scenes and not enough plot. It’s like three servings of cotton candy, without the meat and potatoes. 

It also seemed to me, that the tone of the picture was somewhat confused. One villain seemed way too evil and malicious for the film as a whole. In one scene he actually made me cringe, by terrorizing a young girl with a loaded pistol. That's something I wouldn't expect to see in a film that, in many ways, reminds me of a Disney epic

I want to state clearly, that I am no movie critic. I started this feature as a vehicle, to share trailers of older movies my friends might enjoy and to practice writing. Given the nature of what I’m doing however, everything I say about these movies can’t be positive; that would be dishonest. Currently though, this film sits at 94% fresh, at rottentomatoes.com so hey, take what I’m telling you with a pinch of salt. 


Just don’t get salty!

@ChannelSeals

http://youtu.be/McM0_YHDm5A

CMT - Alien Nation

Birds of a feather, flock together... for better, or for worse.

Classic Movie Trailers  - “Alien Nation” (1988)

People tend to group together with others like themselves. Look at your circle of close friends; you’ll probably find, that the majority of them share certain characteristics with you. Those similarities may be religious or racial, political or economic. There are dangers however, if you disregard or shun people because they are different. Bigotry and the stereotypes used to keep it alive, can only survive in a state of ignorance.

The more you learn about a group a people, the harder it will be to adhere to preconceived notions about them. You can say any one statement about people, in any particular category and it will be true for some. However, as you continue to look at more and yet more of them, that statement is much less likely to apply. This is a simple fact that many of us don’t understand yet.

It is in dealing with others that we learn about ourselves and about life, in general. I’m going to submit to you the idea, that if you choose to converse with and keep an open mind regarding those that have very little in common with you, that learning process is faster, easier and more meaningful.




@ChannelSeals

http://youtu.be/q9Y8-EF4qAU