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Tough Guys (1986) – A Review Tough Guys (1986) – A Review The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – A Review The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – A Review Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film Trap (2024) – A Review Trap (2024) – A Review

Latest Stuff

Tough-Guys-1986-comedy-Kirk-Douglas-Burt-Lancaster
  • Comedy

Tough Guys (1986) – A Review

0
Luckiest-Man-In-America-2024-Paul-Walter-Hauser
  • Docudrama

The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – A Review

0
Barbara-Broccoli-On-Denis-Villeneuve
  • James Bond

Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director

1
Denis-Villeneuve-Directing-Bond-26
  • James Bond

Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film

1
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  • Thriller

Trap (2024) – A Review

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ACTION

Gymkata-1985-action-cult-movie-poster
  • Action

Gymkata (1985) – A Review

0
Cruise-vs-Bond-007-Thumbnail
  • Action
  • James Bond

Tom Cruise vs James Bond

1

Disaster Movies

Marooned-1969-science-fiction-disaster-space-John-Sturges
1
  • Disaster
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Marooned (1969) – A Review

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Gripped: Climbing the Killer Pillar (2020) – A Review

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The 1970s Recipe For Disaster

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Dante’s Peak (1997) – A Review

The-Neptune-Factor-1973-underwater-disaster-movie-Ben-Gazzara-Ernest-Borgnine-Yvette-Mimieux
5
  • Disaster
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The Neptune Factor (1973) – A Review

007

Barbara-Broccoli-On-Denis-Villeneuve
  • James Bond

Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director

1
Denis-Villeneuve-Directing-Bond-26
  • James Bond

Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film

1
Amazon-New-007-James-Bond-Producers-Pascal-Heyman
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Amazon Announces New Bond Producers

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James Bond Falls Into the Hands of Amazon MGM Studios

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  • Action
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Tom Cruise vs James Bond

1
Pinup-Poster-History-Photo-Art
  • Remember!

Hey, Remember – Pin-up Girl Posters

2

Hey, remember when Pin-up Girl photos & posters were hung everywhere a young man's eyes would fall? I take a look at the history of the Pin-up Girl, from helping soldiers get through WWII to the 1970s/80s poster girl boom to becoming digital downloads

Read MoreRead more about Hey, Remember – Pin-up Girl Posters
Sean-Connery-Life-Films-Gossip-HaphazardStuff
  • James Bond
  • Remember!

Sean Connery – His Life, His Films & Some Gossip

1

I take a look at Sean Connery's life, his films and some gossip about the actor who found fame playing James Bond and remained one of the most popular and successful actors for decades

Read MoreRead more about Sean Connery – His Life, His Films & Some Gossip
Remember When McDonalds Was Fun
  • Remember!

Hey, Remember – When McDonald’s Was Fun

6

Once upon a time McDonalds was a fun place to go, everyone would go there for a salty unhealthy meal and feel absolutely no guilt about it

Read MoreRead more about Hey, Remember – When McDonald’s Was Fun
Tough-Guys-1986-comedy-Kirk-Douglas-Burt-Lancaster
  • Comedy

Tough Guys (1986) – A Review

0

A review of the 1986 comedy Tough Guys, starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas as two train robbers released from prison and have to adapt to the radical 1980s

Read MoreRead more about Tough Guys (1986) – A Review
Luckiest-Man-In-America-2024-Paul-Walter-Hauser
  • Docudrama

The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – A Review

0

A review of the 2024 drama The Luckiest Man in America, about the Press Your Luck game show scandal where a man learned how to beat the game

Read MoreRead more about The Luckiest Man in America (2024) – A Review
Barbara-Broccoli-On-Denis-Villeneuve
  • James Bond

Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director

1

Barbara Broccoli said she thrilled with the decision for Denis Villeneuve to direct the next...

Read MoreRead more about Broccoli Supports Villeneuve As Bond 26 Director
Denis-Villeneuve-Directing-Bond-26
  • James Bond

Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film

1

Amazon MGM Studios announced that Denis Villeneuve has signed to direct the new James Bond film

Read MoreRead more about Denis Villeneuve To Direct James Bond Film
Trap-2024-Josh-Hartnett-thriller
  • Thriller

Trap (2024) – A Review

0

A review of the 2024 thriller Trap, starring Josh Hartnett and written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Read MoreRead more about Trap (2024) – A Review
Gymkata-1985-action-cult-movie-poster
  • Action

Gymkata (1985) – A Review

0

A review of the 1985 action film Gymkata, starring Kurt Thomas who combines his skills as a gymnast and karate to fight bad guys with a martial arts technique known as Gymkata

Read MoreRead more about Gymkata (1985) – A Review
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  • James Bond

Amazon Announces New Bond Producers

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Amazon MGM Studios have announced Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the new producers of Bond 26

Read MoreRead more about Amazon Announces New Bond Producers
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  • James Bond

James Bond Falls Into the Hands of Amazon MGM Studios

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Amazon MGM Studios has assumed creative control of James Bond, deciding on films, spinoffs and all content around 007

Read MoreRead more about James Bond Falls Into the Hands of Amazon MGM Studios
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  • Horror

The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) – A Review

0

A review of the 2023 horror film The Last Voyage of the Demeter, Dracula is onboard a ship traveling to England, expanded from a chapter in Bram Stoker's Dracula novel

Read MoreRead more about The Last Voyage of the Demeter (2023) – A Review
Cruise-vs-Bond-007-Thumbnail
  • Action
  • James Bond

Tom Cruise vs James Bond

1

It's Tom Cruise vs James Bond! The Mission: Impossible films have often been compared to the 007 films. Here's a video that highlights the similarities between them.

Read MoreRead more about Tom Cruise vs James Bond
Saturday-Night-2024-cast-movie
  • Comedy
  • Docudrama

Saturday Night (2024) – A Review

0

A review of the 2024 comedy/drama Saturday Night, about the 1976 television production o the first live episode of Saturday Night Live

Read MoreRead more about Saturday Night (2024) – A Review
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  • Thriller

Unlawful Entry (1992) – A Review

1

Ray Liotta is an unhinged cop who terrorizes couple Kurt Russell and Madeleine Stowe in the 1992 thriller Unlawful Entry

Read MoreRead more about Unlawful Entry (1992) – A Review
Marooned-1969-science-fiction-disaster-space-John-Sturges
  • Disaster
  • Sci-Fi

Marooned (1969) – A Review

0

A review of the sci-fi space drama Marooned, about three astronauts trapped in space. Starring Gregory Peck, David Janssen, Richard Crenna, Gene Hackman and James Franciscus.

Read MoreRead more about Marooned (1969) – A Review
One-Crazy-Summer-1986-comedy-Bobcat-Goldthwait-Tom-Villard-John-Cusack
  • 1980s Teen Comedies
  • Comedy

One Crazy Summer (1986) – A Review

0

A review of the 1986 comedy One Crazy Summer, starring John Cusack, Demi Moore, Bobcat Goldthwait, Joel Murray and Curtis Armstrong

Read MoreRead more about One Crazy Summer (1986) – A Review
Gripped-Clmbing-the-Killer-Pillar-2020-mountain-climbing-disaster-survival-filim-Amanda-Maddox
  • Disaster
  • Thriller

Gripped: Climbing the Killer Pillar (2020) – A Review

0

A review of the 2020 mountain climbing suspense film Gripped: Climbing the Killer Pillar, about two climbers trapped on the side of a mountain and must climb to the top of it to survive

Read MoreRead more about Gripped: Climbing the Killer Pillar (2020) – A Review
Tootsie-Roll-Pop-Wrapper-Legend-Indian-Shooting-Star
  • Remember!

Hey, Remember – The Legend Of The Indian On Tootsie Pop Wrappers?

0

For generations, kids has believed the legend that finding an Indian shooting a star on a Tootsie Pop wrapper earns them a free Tootsie Pop - it isn't true

Read MoreRead more about Hey, Remember – The Legend Of The Indian On Tootsie Pop Wrappers?
Joanne-Whalley-Trial-By-Jury-1994-courtroom-thriller
  • Thriller

Trial By Jury (1994) – A Review

0

A review of the 1994 courtroom thriller Trial By Jury, starring Joanne Whalley, William Hurt, Armad Assante and Gabriel Byrne

Read MoreRead more about Trial By Jury (1994) – A Review
Special-When-Lit-2009-documentary-pinball-games
  • Documentary

Special When Lit (2009) – A Review

0

A review of the 2009 documentary Special When Lit, about the history of pinball games and impact they once had on culture

Read MoreRead more about Special When Lit (2009) – A Review

Posts pagination

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Pierce Brosnan was recently asked about the new Ja Pierce Brosnan was recently asked about the new James Bond. 

Of course he was! Every former 007 is going to be asked about who they think the new 007 should be, what advice do they have for him, do they happen to know who it will be....

Brosnan, always classy, reiterated he's in the same guessing and waiting boat all us Bond fans are in and gave a very encouraging response to whoever the new 007 will be - 

“I’m just a member of the audience now — I will not find out before any of us. It’s exciting. It’s wonderful. It’s exhilarating. We all want to know. Whoever the man is, I wish him well. Stand tall, stand strong, own it and be great."

Apparently, Brosnan doesn't have any supposed 'inside information' like Gary Oldman does....
Fisher King, 1991. Director Terry Gilliam's fanta Fisher King, 1991.

Director Terry Gilliam's fantasy comedy drama stars Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter. 

The film shot at a lot of New York locations. Fisher fans could make a day visiting the NY locations that were used. But probably the most famous scene from the film is the Grand Central Station Waltz.

The idea first occurred to Terry Gilliam when he was scouting locations. Standing at Grand Central Station, looking down at the commuters during rush hour, a vision occurred to him. "My God, wouldn't it be wonderful if all these thousands of people suddenly just paired up and began to waltz?" 

Initially he pitched the idea as a joke, but the producers loved the idea and Gilliam had to figure out how to possibly film it.

The production took over the main hall from around 8PM to dawn. They wanted to complete the sequence between the real commuter trains would arrive at 5:30AM. 

The film hired about 1,000 extras, mostly from Manhattan dance schools. Huge lighting rigs were set up outside the massive windows to make it look like it was taking place during the day. A spinning mirror ball was set up on the center information booth clock.

The station wasn't completely locked down for the filming, so some real commuters would wander into the shot and naturally be very confused.
 
The actual filming of the scene took about two hours.

It's an incredible scene!
Last Man Standing, 1996. Starring Bruce Willis, C Last Man Standing, 1996.

Starring Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, Bruce Dern, Michael Imperioli, William Sanderson, Alexandra Powers and Karina Lombard is based on Akira Kurosawa's 1961 classic film Yojimbo. Instead of a samurai film Last Man Standing is set in the 1930s Prohibition-era about bootlegger gangsters in a small Texas town.

It wasn't the first time Yojimbo was remade. Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars was famously adapted from Yojimbo - unofficially. Leone never got the rights to Yojimbo, so Kurosawa sued for copyright infringement and won. 

Writer/director Walter Hill was approached at directing a remake, but was reluctant to remake any film of Kurosawa's. It was only when Kurosawa gave his blessing of an American remake of Yojimbo when Hill signed up. The one thing Hill didn't want the film to be was a western since it had been done before.

Willis was Hill's first choice for the lead role of John Smith. Willis was a fan of Hill's and was eager to work with him and signed up. It was said they were highly collaborative and respectful, but never got personally close. Hill later said about working with Willis, "I liked working with him. It was impersonal. Classic, 'I know what you mean. You want me to be a Bogart, Mitchum kind of guy' and I said 'Exactly. Let it happen.' He then took that and gave what I thought was a very good performance."

New Line Studio was concerned about the film when they saw how bleak and grim the story was. The budget was $67 million ($16 million going to Willis), so they were hoping to get a big crowd pleaser commercial action flick. Test screenings of the film went poorly. Hill's original cut of the film ran over two hours. New Line subsequently cut the film down to 101 minutes. 

When released, Last Man Standing did not do well at the box office, grossing $47 million worldwide. 

Hill felt the film released stripped away a lot of the narrative tissue and pacing he had originally intended. There's no record of what Kurosawa thought or that he even saw Last Man Standing.
The Day Earth Stood Still, 1951. Starring Michael The Day Earth Stood Still, 1951.

Starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Billy Gray and Sam Jaffe, the sci-fi classic was based on a 1940 short story by Harry Bates titled 'Farewell to the Master'. The script was written by Edmund North. Producer Julian Blaustein and North wanted to be sure to highlight the anti-war concept in the story. 

Director Robert Wise was under contract to the 20th Century Fox. After reading the script he was impressed and felt using the sci-fi story was a "marvelous way" to deliver the story's pacifist message.

One of the most memorable characters in the film is Gort, the eight-foot tall robot. The suit was designed by art director and designer Addison Hehr. Gort was meant to look similar to the spaceship - a single, seamless piece of flexible mysterious alien metal. 

The suit was actually made of foam rubber, painted with metallic silver paint. It allowed the actor to bend his arms and walk. The question was who was tall enough to wear the suit. Ultimately, a 7-foot, 7-inch doorman from Grauman's Chinese theater by the name of Lock Martin was hired to play Gort. With added built-in platform lifts in the boots he reached eight-feet tall. A fiberglass statue of Gort was also made for stationary shots of him.

When it was released, The Day the Earth Stood Still wasn't a huge hit, but a modest success. In later years it would become regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Rennie's performance, Bernard Herrmann's eerie score, of course Gort, how can you not love the film.

"Klaatu barada nikto" has become one of the most famous sci-fi phrases, referenced in Return of the Jedi and hysterically in Army of Darkness.

Wise was asked about the enduring legacy the film has had, he said, "The film has lived all these years because of what it had to say about peace and human nature  and our responsibility to the future. It wasn't just a gadget movie; it was a film with a heart and a mind." 

Happy 75th Anniversary to The Day the Earth Stood Still!
Das Boot, 1981. It is an amazing film! Directed b Das Boot, 1981.

It is an amazing film! Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Das Boot was based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s semi-autobiographical novel. It tells the story of a German submarine crew on patrol during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. At the time it was the most expensive German film ever made. 

Petersen insisted on absolute realism making the film. The production hired real WWII U-boat veterans to be advisors onset. In order for the audience to feel like they were confined in the claustrophobic space during the story, an interior set of the Type VII-C U-boat was constructed to match its exact dimensions and care was taken to replicate its tiniest details.

The replica sub set also didn't have any removable walls, which meant all filming had to take place in the metal tube.

A custom camera rig with a gyroscope was designed by cinematographer Jost Vacano. It allowed him to film hand-held in the narrow space while keeping a steady frame. Some of the most extraordinary shots in the film are when the camera runs from one end of the sub to another. The handheld camera gives the film a documentary-style that heightens the tension. 

Petersen kept the cast indoors, were kept out of sunlight and were on special diets during the months-long shoot, in order for them to look convincingly pale, gaunt and exhausted. Star Jürgen Prochnow said he lost 27 pounds during filming.
 
When released Das Boot received critical acclaim. It was nominated for six Oscars.  All the work and time spent for its technical realism didn't go unnoticed. The U.S. Naval Institute voted the film as the most realistic submarine movie ever made.

In 1997, Das Boot: The Director's Cut was released where Petersen added in nearly an hour of restored footage.

Reflecting on Das Boot, Petersen said, "When I look back at Das Boot, I look at it with absolute peace. We gave everything we had. We pushed ourselves to the brink of madness in that studio, and it is all up there on the screen. It is a perfect piece of cinema that will never be replicated because nobody would ever be crazy enough to shoot a film that way again." 

Petersen died in 2022.
On September 16, 1982, director John Glen shot Bon On September 16, 1982, director John Glen shot Bond’s backgammon game with Kamal Khan in Octopussy. 

The scene is one of those famous dueling matches between Bond and the villain. This time, they're not playing a golf game or shooting at clay pigeons, it's a game of backgammon. Of course Khan is using loaded dice.

Roger Moore and Cubby Broccoli would often play backgammon between takes when filming the Bond films. They would routinely wager thousands of dollars on each game. According to the Bond crew, Moore would more regularly come out ahead. 

Moore said they would use the game as an opportunity to relax on set and being sure they never talked business while playing. It was probably this on-set tradition between star and producer how a game of backgammon found it's way into Octopussy.

Moore's personal backgammon set he used on many of the Bond sets was auctioned in 2023 selling for £15,400.

“It’s all in the wrist.”
Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun.

After the success of Dr. No and From Russia with Love, director Terence Young was asked to direct the third James Bond film, Goldfinger. Young turned down the offer, supposedly because he wanted a percentage of the films profits.

This made Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman look elsewhere for a director, which led them to Guy Hamilton. 

With the success of the previous films, the producers felt they no longer had to be a direct page-to-screen adaptations, but could be much more. The cinematic Bond could be its own unique larger-than-life adventures. They allowed Hamilton creative freedom on many aspects of the script, characters and set pieces.

It all worked better than they could have imagined and Goldfinger became global phenomenon. 

It was seven years later, Hamilton was asked back to direct Diamonds Are Forever, for the specific reason that producers wanted to try to recapture that 'Goldfinger Magic'. Did they accomplish that.

With Roger Moore being introduced as a new James Bond, the producers wanted someone they trusted to help with the transition, hence Hamilton directed Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun.

Hamilton had said out of the four Bond films he directed, Goldfinger was the one where he found working on it the most satisfying. It allowed him the most creative hand in creating 'the Bond Blueprint' the series would follow.
Caterina Murino as Solange in Casino Royale. Muri Caterina Murino as Solange in Casino Royale.

Murino was a former model and once came in fifth in the Miss Italy beauty pageant. She transitioned to acting and was busy filming a movie when casting began on Casino Royale. After having missed the auditions and telling her agent, "Do you really imagine they are going to take someone like me? Hah! I don't think so." timing (or fate) would be in her favor.

She was later in Rome filming another movie while at the same time the Casino casting director was there still searching for a Bond girl for the film. This led to Murino landing an audition, she was called back for a second one and two weeks later was told she got the part.

Murino had her concerns before filming began. The first was a key part of Solange's introduction in the film. 'What worried me most of all was that I would have to ride a horse in the film. You see, only two months before, I had been thrown from a galloping horse and broken a bone in my back. Afterwards, I swore to myself that I would never go anywhere near a horse again. Not even to stroke his nose! Then I read the script and almost the first words I read were, "Solange is riding a horse along the beach." I just thought, "Oh no, I can't possibly do this." 

After spending a month with a horse trainer, Murino's horse fears disappeared and she filmed the scene. 

Murino said about the Bond girls in Casino Royale, "We are not typical James Bond girls. We are proper women, you know; we have feelings and characters. And although I am very happy with this label 'James Bond girl', I hope that people will see that I am also passionate about what I do."
Pierce Brosnan got some unexpected attention while Pierce Brosnan got some unexpected attention while attending the 2026 US Open men's singles final thanks to an inspired moment by the production team.

As the clock ticked down to 0:07, the broadcast made a smooth transition to Brosnan sitting in the stands looking cool in a suit and sunglasses.

Unfortunately, the tournament timekeeper sign displayed Rolex and not Omega - the watches Brosnan wore as James Bond. But, oh well. It was still a very cool moment.
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haphazardstuff HaphazardStuff @haphazardstuff ·
10 Sep

Bond girls in blue

#jamesbond #bondgirls #bondgirl

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Pierce Brosnan was recently asked about the new Ja Pierce Brosnan was recently asked about the new James Bond. 

Of course he was! Every former 007 is going to be asked about who they think the new 007 should be, what advice do they have for him, do they happen to know who it will be....

Brosnan, always classy, reiterated he's in the same guessing and waiting boat all us Bond fans are in and gave a very encouraging response to whoever the new 007 will be - 

“I’m just a member of the audience now — I will not find out before any of us. It’s exciting. It’s wonderful. It’s exhilarating. We all want to know. Whoever the man is, I wish him well. Stand tall, stand strong, own it and be great."

Apparently, Brosnan doesn't have any supposed 'inside information' like Gary Oldman does....
Fisher King, 1991. Director Terry Gilliam's fanta Fisher King, 1991.

Director Terry Gilliam's fantasy comedy drama stars Robin Williams, Jeff Bridges, Mercedes Ruehl, Amanda Plummer and Michael Jeter. 

The film shot at a lot of New York locations. Fisher fans could make a day visiting the NY locations that were used. But probably the most famous scene from the film is the Grand Central Station Waltz.

The idea first occurred to Terry Gilliam when he was scouting locations. Standing at Grand Central Station, looking down at the commuters during rush hour, a vision occurred to him. "My God, wouldn't it be wonderful if all these thousands of people suddenly just paired up and began to waltz?" 

Initially he pitched the idea as a joke, but the producers loved the idea and Gilliam had to figure out how to possibly film it.

The production took over the main hall from around 8PM to dawn. They wanted to complete the sequence between the real commuter trains would arrive at 5:30AM. 

The film hired about 1,000 extras, mostly from Manhattan dance schools. Huge lighting rigs were set up outside the massive windows to make it look like it was taking place during the day. A spinning mirror ball was set up on the center information booth clock.

The station wasn't completely locked down for the filming, so some real commuters would wander into the shot and naturally be very confused.
 
The actual filming of the scene took about two hours.

It's an incredible scene!
Last Man Standing, 1996. Starring Bruce Willis, C Last Man Standing, 1996.

Starring Bruce Willis, Christopher Walken, David Patrick Kelly, Bruce Dern, Michael Imperioli, William Sanderson, Alexandra Powers and Karina Lombard is based on Akira Kurosawa's 1961 classic film Yojimbo. Instead of a samurai film Last Man Standing is set in the 1930s Prohibition-era about bootlegger gangsters in a small Texas town.

It wasn't the first time Yojimbo was remade. Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars was famously adapted from Yojimbo - unofficially. Leone never got the rights to Yojimbo, so Kurosawa sued for copyright infringement and won. 

Writer/director Walter Hill was approached at directing a remake, but was reluctant to remake any film of Kurosawa's. It was only when Kurosawa gave his blessing of an American remake of Yojimbo when Hill signed up. The one thing Hill didn't want the film to be was a western since it had been done before.

Willis was Hill's first choice for the lead role of John Smith. Willis was a fan of Hill's and was eager to work with him and signed up. It was said they were highly collaborative and respectful, but never got personally close. Hill later said about working with Willis, "I liked working with him. It was impersonal. Classic, 'I know what you mean. You want me to be a Bogart, Mitchum kind of guy' and I said 'Exactly. Let it happen.' He then took that and gave what I thought was a very good performance."

New Line Studio was concerned about the film when they saw how bleak and grim the story was. The budget was $67 million ($16 million going to Willis), so they were hoping to get a big crowd pleaser commercial action flick. Test screenings of the film went poorly. Hill's original cut of the film ran over two hours. New Line subsequently cut the film down to 101 minutes. 

When released, Last Man Standing did not do well at the box office, grossing $47 million worldwide. 

Hill felt the film released stripped away a lot of the narrative tissue and pacing he had originally intended. There's no record of what Kurosawa thought or that he even saw Last Man Standing.
The Day Earth Stood Still, 1951. Starring Michael The Day Earth Stood Still, 1951.

Starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Billy Gray and Sam Jaffe, the sci-fi classic was based on a 1940 short story by Harry Bates titled 'Farewell to the Master'. The script was written by Edmund North. Producer Julian Blaustein and North wanted to be sure to highlight the anti-war concept in the story. 

Director Robert Wise was under contract to the 20th Century Fox. After reading the script he was impressed and felt using the sci-fi story was a "marvelous way" to deliver the story's pacifist message.

One of the most memorable characters in the film is Gort, the eight-foot tall robot. The suit was designed by art director and designer Addison Hehr. Gort was meant to look similar to the spaceship - a single, seamless piece of flexible mysterious alien metal. 

The suit was actually made of foam rubber, painted with metallic silver paint. It allowed the actor to bend his arms and walk. The question was who was tall enough to wear the suit. Ultimately, a 7-foot, 7-inch doorman from Grauman's Chinese theater by the name of Lock Martin was hired to play Gort. With added built-in platform lifts in the boots he reached eight-feet tall. A fiberglass statue of Gort was also made for stationary shots of him.

When it was released, The Day the Earth Stood Still wasn't a huge hit, but a modest success. In later years it would become regarded as one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. Rennie's performance, Bernard Herrmann's eerie score, of course Gort, how can you not love the film.

"Klaatu barada nikto" has become one of the most famous sci-fi phrases, referenced in Return of the Jedi and hysterically in Army of Darkness.

Wise was asked about the enduring legacy the film has had, he said, "The film has lived all these years because of what it had to say about peace and human nature  and our responsibility to the future. It wasn't just a gadget movie; it was a film with a heart and a mind." 

Happy 75th Anniversary to The Day the Earth Stood Still!
Das Boot, 1981. It is an amazing film! Directed b Das Boot, 1981.

It is an amazing film! Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Das Boot was based on Lothar-Günther Buchheim’s semi-autobiographical novel. It tells the story of a German submarine crew on patrol during the Battle of the Atlantic in 1942. At the time it was the most expensive German film ever made. 

Petersen insisted on absolute realism making the film. The production hired real WWII U-boat veterans to be advisors onset. In order for the audience to feel like they were confined in the claustrophobic space during the story, an interior set of the Type VII-C U-boat was constructed to match its exact dimensions and care was taken to replicate its tiniest details.

The replica sub set also didn't have any removable walls, which meant all filming had to take place in the metal tube.

A custom camera rig with a gyroscope was designed by cinematographer Jost Vacano. It allowed him to film hand-held in the narrow space while keeping a steady frame. Some of the most extraordinary shots in the film are when the camera runs from one end of the sub to another. The handheld camera gives the film a documentary-style that heightens the tension. 

Petersen kept the cast indoors, were kept out of sunlight and were on special diets during the months-long shoot, in order for them to look convincingly pale, gaunt and exhausted. Star Jürgen Prochnow said he lost 27 pounds during filming.
 
When released Das Boot received critical acclaim. It was nominated for six Oscars.  All the work and time spent for its technical realism didn't go unnoticed. The U.S. Naval Institute voted the film as the most realistic submarine movie ever made.

In 1997, Das Boot: The Director's Cut was released where Petersen added in nearly an hour of restored footage.

Reflecting on Das Boot, Petersen said, "When I look back at Das Boot, I look at it with absolute peace. We gave everything we had. We pushed ourselves to the brink of madness in that studio, and it is all up there on the screen. It is a perfect piece of cinema that will never be replicated because nobody would ever be crazy enough to shoot a film that way again." 

Petersen died in 2022.
On September 16, 1982, director John Glen shot Bon On September 16, 1982, director John Glen shot Bond’s backgammon game with Kamal Khan in Octopussy. 

The scene is one of those famous dueling matches between Bond and the villain. This time, they're not playing a golf game or shooting at clay pigeons, it's a game of backgammon. Of course Khan is using loaded dice.

Roger Moore and Cubby Broccoli would often play backgammon between takes when filming the Bond films. They would routinely wager thousands of dollars on each game. According to the Bond crew, Moore would more regularly come out ahead. 

Moore said they would use the game as an opportunity to relax on set and being sure they never talked business while playing. It was probably this on-set tradition between star and producer how a game of backgammon found it's way into Octopussy.

Moore's personal backgammon set he used on many of the Bond sets was auctioned in 2023 selling for £15,400.

“It’s all in the wrist.”
Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, Live and Let Die and The Man With the Golden Gun.

After the success of Dr. No and From Russia with Love, director Terence Young was asked to direct the third James Bond film, Goldfinger. Young turned down the offer, supposedly because he wanted a percentage of the films profits.

This made Bond producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman look elsewhere for a director, which led them to Guy Hamilton. 

With the success of the previous films, the producers felt they no longer had to be a direct page-to-screen adaptations, but could be much more. The cinematic Bond could be its own unique larger-than-life adventures. They allowed Hamilton creative freedom on many aspects of the script, characters and set pieces.

It all worked better than they could have imagined and Goldfinger became global phenomenon. 

It was seven years later, Hamilton was asked back to direct Diamonds Are Forever, for the specific reason that producers wanted to try to recapture that 'Goldfinger Magic'. Did they accomplish that.

With Roger Moore being introduced as a new James Bond, the producers wanted someone they trusted to help with the transition, hence Hamilton directed Live and Let Die and The Man with the Golden Gun.

Hamilton had said out of the four Bond films he directed, Goldfinger was the one where he found working on it the most satisfying. It allowed him the most creative hand in creating 'the Bond Blueprint' the series would follow.
Caterina Murino as Solange in Casino Royale. Muri Caterina Murino as Solange in Casino Royale.

Murino was a former model and once came in fifth in the Miss Italy beauty pageant. She transitioned to acting and was busy filming a movie when casting began on Casino Royale. After having missed the auditions and telling her agent, "Do you really imagine they are going to take someone like me? Hah! I don't think so." timing (or fate) would be in her favor.

She was later in Rome filming another movie while at the same time the Casino casting director was there still searching for a Bond girl for the film. This led to Murino landing an audition, she was called back for a second one and two weeks later was told she got the part.

Murino had her concerns before filming began. The first was a key part of Solange's introduction in the film. 'What worried me most of all was that I would have to ride a horse in the film. You see, only two months before, I had been thrown from a galloping horse and broken a bone in my back. Afterwards, I swore to myself that I would never go anywhere near a horse again. Not even to stroke his nose! Then I read the script and almost the first words I read were, "Solange is riding a horse along the beach." I just thought, "Oh no, I can't possibly do this." 

After spending a month with a horse trainer, Murino's horse fears disappeared and she filmed the scene. 

Murino said about the Bond girls in Casino Royale, "We are not typical James Bond girls. We are proper women, you know; we have feelings and characters. And although I am very happy with this label 'James Bond girl', I hope that people will see that I am also passionate about what I do."
Pierce Brosnan got some unexpected attention while Pierce Brosnan got some unexpected attention while attending the 2026 US Open men's singles final thanks to an inspired moment by the production team.

As the clock ticked down to 0:07, the broadcast made a smooth transition to Brosnan sitting in the stands looking cool in a suit and sunglasses.

Unfortunately, the tournament timekeeper sign displayed Rolex and not Omega - the watches Brosnan wore as James Bond. But, oh well. It was still a very cool moment.
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