A Pseudo James Bond Assassin Scene in Las Vegas

Last week while in "Fabulous Las Vegas" I went to dinner at a restaurant called Mixx. It's on the 64th floor of "THE Hotel",  a really nice hotel attached to Mandalay Bay Casino, where my customers were staying. I wanted to take them to a nice restaurant with a great view, and Mixx sure delivers, in spades. This one photo is from the roof top, looking at the hotel sign, at the 64th floor. You can see some of Vegas down below in the reflection of the building's mirrored windows. Everything was twinkling, it looked so serene. I just love city-scape scenes. 

After dinner we left the restaurant and walked past the lounge which had a small dance floor- it was completely empty, as the hour was still young. We looked at the light pattern on the dance floor and someone remarked at it looked sort of like a scene from a James Bond movie, or a a classic crime drama. We took turns making cracks, taking photos and telling stories as we killed time waiting for the elevator that seemed to take forever. For some reason I was inspired to take this photo, posed to look like one of those victims in a 007 movie. I sprawled out in the center of the light pattern, as someone snapped the photo. We all laughed about it and thought ourselves terribly clever. Fortunately the elevator finally arrived and away we went back down to the ground floor. I don't know why I felt so compelled to post this photo, but it still seemed funny to me, nearly a week later. I'm guessing the casting agents of the next James Bond film won't be calling me if they happen to see this photo. Not only is it cliche and over-the-top but I wasn't wearing a tailored suit, so I'm afraid I just look dead common. Oh well, so much for my big cinematic moment.

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Philatelic Friday: James Bond 007 Stamps

The weekend is here, so its time for another edition of my weekly Philatelic Friday series. One of the things I like about philately is the seemingly endless range of subjects and themes that have made their way onto government-issued postage stamps. I specify "government-issued stamps" to differentiate from the "create your own" stamps, where people can put virtually any image on a stamp. Instead, I focus on stamps issued by government post office services. This week's theme is one of my favorite topics so far: James Bond 007 Stamps. This sheet of stamps above left was issued by the African Republic of Congo, featuring nine different 007 scenes. For some reason I was surprised this theme was from the Congo. The remaining Bond stamps are various book covers of Ian Fleming novels, all issued by Britain's Royal Mail:

above: Goldfinger

above: Dr No

above: Diamonds Are Forever

above: Casino Royale

above: From Russia With Love

above: For Your Eyes Only

Most of you know I'm a huge James Bond fan so this was a fun subject for Philatelic Friday. I hope you enjoyed it. By the way, what was your favorite or most memorable James Bond movie? Go ahead, leave a comment, it's FREE!

-Rick Rockhill

Sunday Art Review: The James Bond Art Collection

Last night we went to see Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond film. Its an action-packed adventure film that picks up where Casino Royale left off. Regular readers know that I have been a huge fan of both 007 movies and books since I was a little kid. The first Ian Fleming book I read was Live and Let Die, and have been hooked ever since. The stories fascinated me. Fleming wrote 12 books and 9 short stories about James Bond. Successors of his legacy have generally done well keeping the book series true to Fleming's vision of the world's greatest super spy. This was the inspiration for this week's installment of the Sunday Art Review: The James Bond Art Collection. I scoured the Internet to find some interesting art from artist Michael Gillette. I hope you enjoy his work, limited edition prints are available for sale from a website that featured him among other artists.

Thanks for stopping by The Sunday Art Review. Which one(s) do you like best?

-Rick Rockhill

Quantum of Solace: New James Bond 007 Flick Opens Today!

It's finally here, the US release date of the newest James Bond flick, Quantum of Solace. This 007 film is the twenty-second installment of the most successful, longest running major film series in history. I'm a huge James Bond fan and consider the release of the 007 films practically a high holy holiday. I'll keep my comments brief today and just let you check out this trailer below. And check out the last photo of Daniel Craig running up the ramp. Wow!



Thanks for stopping by- Happy Friday all.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Favorite James Bond Theme Songs

I was fishing around You Tube last night and stumbled on a theme song to one of the James Bond films. I've always been a huge fan of the Bond flicks, but then again, it is sort of a guy thing, isn't it? As I watched the video, it made me think about which 007 theme song I liked the most. Not surprisingly, I was unable to pick a favorite. This ended up being the inspiration for this week's Saturday Seven: Favorite James Bond Theme Songs.

#1 Goldfinger

#2 Die Another Day

#3 Casino Royale

#4 Live and Let Die

#5 A View To A Kill

#6 The World is Not Enough

#7 The Spy Who Loved Me

Bonus Entry: For Your Eyes Only

Which is your favorite James Bond theme song? One of these, or perhaps another not listed? Go on, leave a comment, in this economy with so much inflation, it is nice to know the price of comments has not gone up. THEY ARE FREE!

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Naughty-Named Bond Girls

Last week I heard about "Quantum of Solace" the newest James Bond film in production. I've always been a big Bond fan on many levels. I love the action, gadgets, amazing stunts, the fast cars, chase scenes, exotic locales and the evil villains who Bond always foils. But what would a 007 flick be without the Bond girls? I have always appreciated the wink-and-nudge humor in the names of some of the Bond Babes. This brings me to another scintillating edition of:
The Saturday Seven: Naughty-named Bond Girls
#1: Miss Pussy Galore: She definitely tops the list for the best name (it's a classic) in arguably the best, most defining installment in the series (Goldfinger). She was tough, sexy and talented.

#2 Plenty O'Toole: Her appearance in Diamonds Are Forever was quite memorable. Her chest did most of the talking, but Bond's quip when he meets her at the craps table in Las Vegas was one of the best lines ever: Plenty says to Bond: "Hi I'm Plenty. Plenty O'Toole" Bond glances at her chest and replies: "Named after your father perhaps"

#3 Dr Holly Goodhead: The intelligent CIA agent from Moonraker who could pilot a space shuttle too. I just loved her name.

#4 Honey Rider: her ultra sexy scene when she emerges from the sea in Dr No is the essence of what a bond girl is. The nice thing about her naughty name is that you have to think about it for a moment.

#5 Kissy Suzuki: You Only Live Twice is one of those Bond films that is often forgotten, but one I always liked. Kissy was a good asset to Bond, if you know what I mean.

#6 Mary Goodnight: Quite honestly, her role in the Man With The Golden Gun is somewhat forgetable, and she was definitely a "dumb blonde" but she did provide Bond with a good night or two.

#7 Octopussy: Her namesake was the title of the film, and wow did that conjure up all sorts of images. She was the ring-leader of a group of sexy girls who were thieves. I remember being in school and loving the fact that I could say "Octopussy" outloud in class with a friend of mine. We would break into fits of giggles while the teacher glared at us.

Bonus entry: Xenia Onatopp: She was a very bad girl henchman from GoldenEye. I loved the scene when she killed a guy by squeezing him to death with her legs in bed. She sure liked to be on top alright.

PS-This post is for Corky...for some reason, I just think he will get a kick out of it.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Sexiest Men Alive

There is something about seeing a handsome, well put-together guy that can just make your day. Throw in an air of confidence, a dash of charisma, a warm smile and nice manners and it's a perfect package. Gents with all those traits are not as common as one would imagine. These guys do seem to exist on the silver screen. Since the Golden Age of Hollywood, there is a long history of actors that consumed the attention of the paparazzi and mainstream media alike. At the risk of looking like a teeny-bopper blog, this brings me to another tantalizing, titillating and exciting edition of: The Saturday Seven: Sexiest Men Alive
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#1 Brad Pitt

Readers of this blog may already know that I find Brad Pitt to be the cat's meow...first rate...primo, well you get the picture. I've always thought Brad was terrific, but when I ran into him at the Palm Springs Film Festival last year I was impressed by his "presence". If you have never met Brad Pitt, I should tell you he has major star quality and wow is he hot. I surprised myself at how "taken" I was by him. At age 43 he looks better than ever. His new "Oceans Thirteen" film is on my list to see for sure. Incidentally, he's much better off with Angelina Jolie than Jennifer Aniston in my opinion.

#2 Matt Damon

I've aways thought Matt Damon was a great looking guy. Early films like "Mystic Pizza", "Chasing Amy", and "School Ties" established himself as an up-and comer. Later favorites included "The Talented Mr Ripley", "Oceans Eleven", "The Bourne Identity" and "The Bourne Supremacy". I just saw "The Good Shepherd" and really enjoyed his performance as Edward Wilson, heading up the early CIA organization in the WWII time frame. At 36, Matt still has a clean, fresh face and seems like the kind of guy you'd like to meet for lunch. I'm hoping he gets out to Palm Springs again soon. He was last in town with other Hollywood buds this past November but at a private house he rented.

#3 George Clooney

He may be somewhat of a wacko-liberal, but I must admit, I enjoy his acting, and he is a good looking guy. His early days on television's "ER" caught the attention of the American public. He successfully transitioned to the big screen and had a string of films that established him as a Hollywood mover-and-shaker. Personally, I liked "The Perfect Storm" and of course the "Oceans" series. George Clooney looks great in jeans or a tuxedo and has a definite air of confidence. At the age of 46, he looks much better than say, Harrison Ford who has aged badly. Harrison is cool, but geez, he looks rough. George still has the suave well-tanned sophisticated look without looking like George Hamilton!
#4 Daniel Craig

Despite the fact that I like to keep this a family blog (safe for all readers) and not show any skin, this is hands-down my favorite photo of Daniel Craig, as James Bond in the 007 film "Casino Royale". Although largely an unknown in the USA, when he was initially chosen as the new Bond there was an outcry. Once people saw him on screen, he knocked it out of the park. Daniel Craig is definitely not handsome in a traditional way-he has a "rough-and-tumble" way about him. All I can say is that I think he is an excellent 007 and he is the first Bond to wear a pair of Speedos.

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#5 Jude Law

I always thought Jude Law to be nothing more than another skinny British actor. But when I saw the film "The Holiday" (with Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslett and Jack Black), I thought he was great. He was mysterious at first, and in the end turned out to be a sensitive, loving father. A few years earlier, I remember him catching my eye in "The Talented Mr Ripley, but he was overshadowed of course by my #2 entry, Matt Damon in that film. Jude has a certain "je ne sais quoi" about him, but he has a magnetism and a killer set of piercing eyes. I think he is under-appreciated in Hollywood.

#6 Jesse Metcalfe

At 29, Jesse Metcalfe has barely had enough time to establish a career. After a few stints on TV shows like "Smallville" and "Passions" he went on to film "John Tucker Must Die", which attracted modest attention. However, his role on TV's "Desperate Housewives" as the hunky John Rowland catapulted him to the spotlight among young girls and frustrated women alike. You have to admit, he is a great looking guy. I've not met Jesse yet, but he runs with a Hollywood crowd that comes to the desert to relax in the hot mineral spring spa resorts. Perhaps the Desperate Housewives show will have a cast wrap party in Palm Springs next season and I can meet him then!
#7 Jake Gyllenhaal

The Godson of actress Jaime Lee Curtis, Jake Gyllenhaal has been acting longer than most people recall. Incidentally, I ran into Jake (and Jaime Lee) at the Hollywood premiere of "Brokeback Mountain" in LA. In fact I sat in front of Jake in the theatre. Roles in "October Sky" and "The Day After Tomorrow" earned him recognition and praise as a newcomer. Certainly his role in Brokeback was courageous. A straight actor playing the role of a straight guy who has a fling with another guy is a very risky endeavor. I was impressed with his ability to handle a difficult role in a controversial film. Jake isn't the best looking guy out there, but he earns points for his casual style and shy demeanor.
Bonus: Will Smith

I have always liked Will Smith. First of all, he is my age, just a few days younger in fact. He is a hard worker and has a great attitude. Fatherhood is important to him, and he seems to be relatively stable in his marriage to Jada Pinkett. I've always like his music (even though I am generally not a rap fan). After his run on TV's "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air", he quickly racked up a series of really excellent fims, such as: "Men In Black", "Enemy of the State", "Legend of Bagger Vance", "Ali", and "Pursuit of Happyness", among others. A friend of mine has had dinner with Will and confirmed that he is truly a really nice, genuine guy. So Will makes it to my traditional bonus entry for this Saturday Seven post.

-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Funny Double Entendres

I thought it was about time for a bit of levity (def: lightness of mind, character, or behavior; lack of appropriate seriousness or earnestness). And why not? After all, sometimes the blogsphere can get a bit heavy at times. I've always been rather amused by the double entendre, which according to our good friends at Wikipedia is: "a figure of speech similar to the pun, in which a spoken phrase can be understood in either of two ways. The first, literal meaning is an innocent one, while the second meaning is often ironic or risqué and requires the hearer to have some additional knowledge. The risqué, often sexual, element is central to most people's understanding of what a double entendre is." This brings me to this week's Saturday Seven: Funny Double Entendres

#1 "Shave Your Beaver" Even though this has been around awhile, it still makes me giggle.

#2 Everyone's favorite Bond girl "Miss Pussy Galore" No further comment necessary.

#3 The Pearl Necklace: Even Archie and Betty joke about it. Isn't anything sacred anymore? (click the image for a close-up)

#4 Diamonds Are Forever Bond girl: "...Hi I'm Plenty. Plenty O'Toole..." to which Bond replies: "Named after your father, perhaps"

#5 Master Bait & Tacle. This smacks of college humor.com

#6 Church Humor: With friends like these....

#7 "Eat Here and Get Gas" I wonder if they sell Beeno also?
...and in the true Saturday Seven tradition, a bonus entry:

Bonus entry: "I Love Dick", -Van Dyke, that is. Nice play on I Love Lucy and the Dick Van Dyke Show. Nobody noticed. Especially here in Palm Sprrings.
-Rick Rockhill

The Saturday Seven: Best James Bond Villains

Over the past few weeks I've been all over the place with the blog. I decided to go back to one of my favorite subjects. So, this week's edition of The Saturday Seven: Best James Bond Villains

If you are a 007 fan, then you will definitely have a strong opinion. I have been a huge Bond fan for as long as I can remember. The bad guys always stick out in my mind because they can be so deliciously wicked and evil. So without further delay, here are my favorite villains that James Bond has battled over the years.

"GOOD BYE, MR BOND"

#1 Ernst Stavro Blofeld: You Only Live Twice. That scar, that cat...the sinister volcano cave...he was very convincing yet a tinge of camp. Loved the pirhana fish he used to kill people.

#2 Ernst Stavro Blofeld: Diamonds Are Forever. Over the top and camp as can be, this guy made an impact on me at an early age and I always liked him for some reason. Maybe it was the fact that he had several body doubles...or that cigarette holder...or was it when he disguised himself in drag and walked out of the casino unnoticed...

#3 Auric Goldfinger: Goldfinger. The quintessential Bond Villain. Bad to the bone, with a criminal mind and a huge imagination. He killed a girl by covering her in gold paint, had "Oddjob", a great henchman, and a power "laser" that nearly emasculated our hero. Classic for sure.

#4 Dr Julius No: Dr No. Although a bit rough around the edges, Dr No was a good flick. This guy was down-right creepy with his black rubber gloved-hands. He messed up his hands while experimenting with radiation. Wierd. Crazy get-up when he wore that plastic hood in the final scene.

#5 LeChiffre: Casino Royale. This guy was a sophisticated bad-ass. Loved that wierd eye condition he had when his eye would drip with blood. He was intense. Loved the line he used on Bond when he was torturing him: "Wow, you've taken good care of your body...such a waste".

#6 Francisco Scaramanga: The Man With The Golden Gun. A dark high priced assassin, the best in the world...so good that he used bullets made of gold and charged a million dollars per hit. This dude has fun. A private island, a midget butler/henchman, a car that flies (ok very bad tech), a friggin solar power laser, and a bizarre fun-house set in his house. He was intense in a 1970's sort of way.

#7 Mr Big: Live and Let Die. He was street tough, but this dude was smart. Evil genius drug lord who ruled over pimps, gangs and poppy fields in the Caribbean. Great scene when he pulled off the rubber mask having been his alter ego "Dr Kananga". This guy was so slick, he had his own psychic Tarot card reader on hand at all times.

And IF there were any question about who is the best Bond on the eyes...let me provide "exhibit A" below for your consideration. Once again, this is provided STRICTLY as a FREE PUBLIC SERVICE.

-Rick Rockhill