I Admire Your Luck, Mr. Bond

James Bond has always been a gambler of sorts, he loves to push himself beyond any normal means of rationality, he takes chances, and usually finds himself in the black. An addictive personality, Bond allows himself to experience the pleasures of the world: women, fine alcohol, cars, guns, and gadgets. Yet some of 007's most exciting moments have come at the card table.

In The World Is Not Enough Bond indulges in a little blackjack in order to get information about the murderous Renard from Valentin Zukovsky. The scene is brief, but it is a staple of the Bond franchise: gambling scenes happen at the start of the films in order to introduce characters. When 007 takes part in a game, he usually loses during the first hand, but makes a spectacular comeback in the second bet to embarrass potential antagonists. Along with The World Is Not Enough, there were Dr. No, For Your Eyes Only, Thunderball, Goldeneye, Diamonds Are Forever, Octopussy, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and perhaps the most definitive rendering of gambling in a Bond film, Casino Royale.

In Casino Royale, Bond finds himself facing off Le Chiffre, a man renowned for his banking services for terrorists and his high-stakes poker games. Montenegro is the last chance for Le Chiffre to win back his money if he wants to continue to run in the nefarious circles he does. While the spectacular set-pieces of Casino Royale start and end the film, undoubtedly, the most suspenseful moments of the film are when Bond is holding cards.

Here, we have Bond directly across the table with one of the biggest money managers in the world. If he loses, then M16 will have directly funded terrorism on a large scale. The camera lingers on Bond's and Le Chiffre's faces as each of these men eye each other. They each know that if either man loses, he faces gargantuan stakes. The immediacy of the event cannot be understated. If Le Chiffre walks away from that table with ten million pounds, the world will see an event of massive consequence. Bond must win this game.

Now, James is no stranger to losing money at the tables, but when he does, he takes it in stride (an amazing feat considering his civil servant's salary). However his enemies very rarely show such composure when they lose. Unfortunately for Bond in Royale, when Le Chiffre loses the grand finale of the poker game he does not take it lightly. In one of the more infamous scenes in a 007 film, Le Chiffre hopes to make Bond less of a man, literally. Maybe Le Chiffre should stick to an online casino, or at the very least stop playing with other men's money.

The Best of the Decade

Over the last ten years, the cinema has given us a great deal to be thankful for: a rebirth of the Batman franchise, a series of examinations of what it means to live in this particular decade, and a mass of character studies whether they be animated or popcorn thrillers. As much as I have enjoyed the offerings, a list must be culled together for the end of the year. Except this year is different, this year ten films must be selected from hundreds. Below are some of the best of the aughts. Enjoy! 10) There Will Be Blood Paul Thomas Anderson's magnum opus, a scathing look at extremism in America and the evils of greed and profiteering from religion. It also features the best performance of the decade with Daniel Day-Lewis as oil-man Daniel Plainview. 9) Up A beautiful tale that entrances all ages, Up managed to captivate children and tell a tale that adults cherish as well. 8) The Dark Knight Maybe just a comic book film, but it is the best comic book film

Paprika vs. Inception

Months before Inception hit the theaters forums were alive with rumors that Christopher Nolan either accidentally or intentionally stole some details from another film, the Japanese anime Paprika. The biggest point of comparison for some bloggers and forum runners was the fact that both of the films featured a device that allowed a person, or people, to travel into another’s dreams and delve into their subconscious. Minor points of comparison include scenes in Paprika where the character Paprika breaks through a mirrored wall by holding her hand to it, as well as a scene where a police detective falls his way down a hallway. Claims have been made that Inception abounds with imagery similar to or exactly like the anime movie, but with the recent release of the film on DVD and Blu-Ray, and with Paprika available for several years now, an examination of the two plots can be made more fully. Let us begin with the primary claim— Inception stole the idea of a dream

Armond White or: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Ignore the Troll

Whether it is his glowing review of Norbit , his thrashing of Toy Story 3 , or just his general pompousness, you are aware of Armond White. His dismissal of Toy Story 3 came at a convenient time when the film was sitting pretty with a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes. "But Toy Story 3 is so besotted with brand names and product-placement that it stops being about the innocent pleasures of imagination—the usefulness of toys—and strictly celebrates consumerism." A claim that could have been taken at face value had he not followed it with this sentiment " Transformers 2 already explored the same plot to greater thrill and opulence." I am sure if one were inclined to interview Michael Bay at his most enlightened he would have never crafted an answer that insightful regarding hidden parables in his Transformers vehicle. White was at his most incensed when forced to sit down and type out his thoughts regarding Precious , but praised Norbit for its reflection o

Never Mind Pop Film

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