SONOFABITCH! MGM Brankrupcy Stalls Bond 23

Deadline  is reporting that MGM's financial guru's at the studio still haven't found a way, to bring themselves out of the cash catastrophe they've been in since... fuck man, I'm not even sure. They haven't been mainstream since '02. They managed to grab a debt of 3.7 billion and put themselves up for sale in November.  With all kinds of offers on the table from various entertainment forums and expensive buildings housing greedy/helpful people, they still haven't exactly found the right road for them. Ridley and Tony Scott stated they were interested in taking over the studio in a Cruise/Wagner kind of way. A 1.5 billi offer from behemoth Time Warner seemed low ball and offensive, considering the kind of money they have in their pockets. You'd think after a few years, it'd hire 3 top consultants (if they haven't already) and make the best move it can with a bail out so it doesn't die. 

The reason this news matters to me, is because Sam Mendes and Rachel Weisz are attached to the next Bond film, that is a BIG deal to me! A BIG DEAL!!!!!! And now, because MGM can't afford another film,Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson of EON Productions (producers on the last 9 films and any future films) have pulled EON out of business with MGM. In their statement they said the following:

"Due to the continuing uncertainty surrounding the future of MGM and the failure to close a sale of the studio, we have suspended development on BOND 23 indefinitely. We do not know when development will resume and do not have a date for the release of BOND 23"

Great. EON has produced all of the 22 films in the series, and the some of the most fruitful and successful one being under the scrutiny of Broccoli and Wilson, with Goldeneye, Casino Royale and Quantum to name a few. So WTF happens now? IDK, but I don't like this, I was easily placing this film as my reason to live to 2011/2012, but now? Might as well, take the life out of my veins... Weisz, Craig and Mendes on a Bond film was already painted in my head as my favorite Bond.

Well... here's hoping the newly recruited "attached" talent doesn't dipset. I'll be keeping my Munki eyes on this story as closely as if it were a banana milkshake with coconut Parrot Bay mixed in. I'll let you suckas and fellow tree readers know what's good when I know.

A very sad and distraught Munki out.

Rachel Weisz To Play 23rd Bond Villain?/ Quantum Of Solace Review

The last peice of news I heard about this film, was that one of my all-time favorites, who also happens to be one of the best, most visionary, is coming into the Bond franchise, Sam Mendes (husband to Kate Winslet actually and Director of American Beauty and Jarhead).

And now it seems that another piece of star power to hit the Bond series is none other than the beautful, the skilled, the precise, the lovely Rachel Weisz (pronounced "Wice"by the way).

A Review: Quantum Of Solace

Much like a hot, freshly brewed cup of coffee, this film started out the same way: fresh, hot, and having me excited. 

The opening with the chase sequence and then straight into Mr. White's interrogation and M's attempted murder was terrific, superb and brilliant even. But after that... the temperature went (slowly) south. 

The only other redeeming qualities this film had, was the wonderful Gemma Arterton as Strawberry Fields, Jeffrey Wright as Felix and of course, Judi Dench as M-om. I watch French film, so Mathieu Almaric was a real nice touch as the villain.

And much like a hot, freshly brewed cup of coffee, it also got cold before I was done. Colder and colder, until your left with nothing more than iced coffee. Not even fresh brewed, but farted out from a cheap machine at McDonald's. And everyone knows that substitutes, in essence, are never, ever, as good. 

If the title suggests anything--Quantum of Solace--this movie is confusing as all fuck. But serves up some "Quantum" action and whip cracking dialogue tossed around. 

Please let me be clear about something right quick son: this is a Bond film, so in that context, it's an amazing piece of work and Marc Forster should be proud. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience watching this fantastic film with Craig and Dench and and Arterton's brief but stand-out performance. Arterton as Fields was where the film started hitting high notes again. Forster is Forster for a reason, and this film has moments where that is reflected. But damn... This guy sold out to the sequel sickness, I.E. going bigger. Comparing this one to Casino is a must, and in that context, this film is most certainly inferior. The Rog, (Ebert) says, 

"Please understand: James Bond is not an action hero! He is too good for that. He is an attitude. Violence for him is an annoyance. He exists for the foreplay and the cigarette."

If Marc and team would have remembered that was the approach in Casino Royale and other stand outs of the long standing franchise, they would have had a real good film. But yeah, the third act is all an action dump on the audience. Damn. Remove two or three suspenseful scenes of mayhem and you woulda had something entirely different. Craig is reinventing Bond for the new age, and in the context, Bond is cooler, but more of a hands-on kinda guy. So I can respect the choice to give him some anti-up in the action department, but yeah, some of the script has poor excuses for the stuff.  

Speaking of useless action, I liked this one he had too:

"Let's all think together. When has an action hero ever, even once, been killed by machinegun fire, no matter how many hundreds of rounds? The hit men should simply reject them and say, "No can do, Boss. They never work in this kind of movie."

My thoughts exactly.

Munki Out.