I’m all revved up for the upcoming James Bond film… “Casino Royale”, the 21st in the most successful movie franchise of all time. (The film “Never Say Never Again, although a Bond film is not included because it was not part of the Broccoli series)
Watching a Bond film has always been an intimate experience for me. Hell, I could even recall which movie theatre I was in and who I was with when I first watched the film.
The first James Bond movie I watched in a movie house was “The Spy Who Loved Me”. It was in Fatima theatre (now defunct) in my old hometown in Antique. I was with my dad, my uncle and my younger brother. The scene where Jaws’ car fell on top of a hut still lingers on my mind. I was probably 4 years old at that time.
The next Bond film I saw in the same moviehouse was “ For Your Eyes Only”. I was with my Mom and my Kuya. I could still recall that day because my brother and I had to cut classes when Mom picked us up. (My Mom also a teacher at that school had to work undertime for that day)
The rest of the Bond films, Sean Connery series, George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty Secret Service, Roger Moore’s other series I got to see in Betamax and VHS. Even and Timothy Dalton’s “The Living Daylights” I only got to see on tape. (But I recall the first time I saw “The Living Daylights” on tape because my kuya pointed out that A-ha, our favorite band was playing the theme song)
The next Bond film I saw in a movie house was License to Kill which I watched alone at SM City. That evening Jiggs my high school roommate and I talked for hours about Bond stuff, girls, gadgets and goons.
And then after that, it had been a long lull before a new Bond movie came up. ( Normally a Bond movie is offered on the summer of an odd-numbered year. Broccoli had some legal battles with distribution rights which put the franchise on hold)
Naturally I was teeming with excitement when “GoldenEye” was finally shown in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan as the new Bond. I watched it at SM City with my high school and college buddy Jazz. Whew, I could still feel the adrenaline rush when the heart pumping intro of the theme song sounded off. (Even now I could still feel that rush, whenever the theme song plays on my car I unconsciously step on the accelerator and increase my cruising speed by 20 kph.) It felt like the 6 loooong years waiting for a Bond film was worth it. Our hunger was such that we stayed for another screening.
Next came “Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997. My schedule did not quite jibe with my roommates hence I had to watch the movie alone (They were available the following day but somehow I just couldn’t wait that long). I recall waking up early on its opening day and arriving at the movie house half an hour before the first screening, my packed lunch already prepared in my backpack. Knowing the long lines in SM on the first day, I chose the movie house in Ever Gotesco Commonwealth which turned out to be a good decision.
The next Pierce Brosnan’s film, “The World is Not Enough”, 1999, I watched in a moviehouse in Victoria Plaza in Davao City with Ms Doctolero, my science co-teacher. I was in Mindanao at that time working as a teacher. We were in Davao City for that day to buy supplies for the Science laboratory. I recall my dad kidding me over the phone because he got to see the film first in Iloilo City; the screenings in Davao and Gensan were a bit delayed.
For “Die Another Day” 2002, the honor goes to Pazette and Darwin, my hosts in Singapore. It was the first Bond movie I watched outside the Philippines. Pazette, my college batchmate was gracious enough to treat me for the advanced screening of the movie in Tang Plaza. It was also so sweet of her to give me a to-die-for Die Another Day poster which now hangs perfectly in my living room (Damn, Thanks Pazette !!!!) .
And now after 4 looong years, a new Bond movie is coming up. I was quite disappointed at first that they didn’t renew Pierce for the 21st film. There were rumors before that Aishwayra Rai would have been the Bond Girl, had Pierce accepted the offer. At any rate 4 long years is worth wait.
Clive Owen and Julian McMahon were considered before but I think the new Bond, Daniel Craig is worth a shot. A lot including my friend LesMatu were complaining that the new Bond is so un-Bond, lacking the required pretty boy features and suaveness, that previous Bonds exuded. But after watching the trailer, I think there is something elemental, cold-blooded and dangerous about the approach of Daniel Craig to the Bond character- it’s Bond at its rawest form.
At any rate whether the public agrees with me or not… damn, Casino Royale, you are worth the wait. What took you so long ?
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