Homer's The Iliad

When I'm not watching movies or playing poker, the other hobby I fill my time with is reading. I always have a book by my side and any downtime is filled inside a book. Since I constantly have my nose inside some pages, I decided to start keeping track of what and how many books I read.

It just so happened that I started my most recent story, Homer's epic poem The Iliad, on January 1 when our family left for our ski trip in New Mexico. I finished it this morning and will now pick up his next epic poem, The Odyssey.

I wanted to read The Odyssey prior to Christopher Nolan releasing his version of the story this summer. I hadn't planned to read it until closer to the July release date. However, my niece Lizzie lent me her copy of the book and I felt obligated to get it back to her as quickly as possible. So that led me to jumping into The Iliad first.

I remember studying these two poems in school. I don't recall if it was high school or college, where I did take a Greek mythology course at some point, but I don't think I've ever read them in their entirety. Here are some takeaways from Homer's first epic poem.

The Iliad is extremely violent. Because it is set during the tenth year of the Trojan seize you might think it obvious that a poem about war and warriors is going to be brutal, but Homer gives some detailed gore and death scenes throughout.

Despite the poem's central story being about the battle between the Achaeans and Trojans, I also found the subplots featuring the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus to be quite interesting as well. Seeing how these deathless beings interact with and have to outmaneuver one another depending on their loyalties between the two armies was fascinating.

It didn't occur to me that Achilles, who after Helen might be the most recognized character from this story, is sidelined for most of the action due to pride. I hadn't realized pride was as much of a theme in this story as was honor, war, or heroism.

I'm not sure if it is because I am 20 years older or due to the translation I bought, but I certainly could follow and understand The Iliad much easier than I remember doing so when I was in school. There were only a handful of times I wasn't quite sure of the action taking place. What actually surprised me the most was the parts where the action of battle dragged on for several pages lost my attention more quickly than I would have thought.

While I very much enjoyed The Iliad, I am looking forward to The Odyssey even more. Like I said before, I studied the poem in school and from what I remember about it I think I will enjoy the obstacles Odysseus finds himself having to conquer while making his way home. I remember there is a cyclops and the sirens at some point, and I think an archery contest near the end. Yet, other than that I don't really know what to expect.

Second Annual Movie Hall Of Fame Induction

Last year I started a personal hall of fame for my favorite movies. A podcast I listen to called Filmspotting might consider it to be my own personal pantheon. Whatever you want to call it, I basically took 10 of my personal favorite films and inducted them to be considered the best of the best. Each year I plan to include ten more movies that I consider to be the best of the best.

Reflecting on the films I selected last year, I realized I listed them with no context of why they are my ten favorite. Since it was the first year I had ever done this sort of thing, it really didn't have any sort of format or rules with the inductions. So this year I decided in addition to the second top ten movies I would be inducting, I would also include short write-ups of why they are my favorites. I will include the original 10 from last year as well so they can get their own summary of greatness.

Here are the original inductees into my hall of fame:

The Godfather (1972) - This is my ultimate number one film of all time. It is the one that would go to a deserted island with me, the one I can put in at any time for any reason, and the one that will always be easily accessible for viewing on all types of medium. While The Godfather Part II continues the story of the Corleone family and shows its patriarchs violent rise to become the Godfather, the first film intimately introduces us to the characters and puts on display the inner-workings of a crime family. The countless accolades for The Godfather include three Academy Award wins, eight more nominations, seven Golden Globe nominations with five wins, five BAFTA nominations with one win, and a Grammy. The film is ranked at the top of innumerable lists and has sealed a legacy in pop culture with its unforgettable quotes and cinematic influence.

Casablanca (1942) - The winner of three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Writing, Casablanca has become a legendary film due to its flawless characters and memorable dialogue. Shot in sequence due to only half the script being complete at the start of filming, the movie reunites The Maltese Falcon stars Humphrey Bogart, Sydney Greenstreet, and Peter Lorre with Ingrid Bergman, Claude Raines, and Paul Henreid. While not a true film noir, the movie does implement many of director Michael Curitz's lighting and camera styles to give it a brooding tone. Casablanca expertly combines elements of romance, drama, suspense, and humor resulting in a classic for audiences of both sexes and all ages. Due to its wide audience appeal, the film finds itself on countless lists of great films. Along with the three Oscars it received, it was nominated in another five categories. In its first year of induction, the National Film Registry included Casablanca amongst the films deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” The Writers Guild of America deemed the screenplay the best of all time. AFI repeatedly have selected Casablanca to its 100 Years lists, including 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Passions, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Songs, 100 Quotes (with six lines making it on the list), 100 Cheers, and 100 Movies Anniversary.

From Russia with Love (1963) - The film before Goldfinger, From Russia with Love is a true spy movie. Its utilization of fewer gadgets lets Bond use his wits rather than an Omega watch with built-in laser. There are twists and turns throughout the film that begins during the first Bond pre-title sequence where our hero is hunted down by a homicidal assassin named Donald "Red" Grant. From Russia with Love is adored by nearly all who view it, mixing humor, action, sexuality, and fun into a seamless adventure with suave Sean Connery carrying the picture the entire way.

Citizen Kane (1941) - Six sentences isn’t enough to extol the litany of great things Orson Welles’s directorial debut provided the history of cinema. A few of the innovations Citizen Kane provided for the film industry include narrative techniques, cinematography, camera angles, use of shadow and light, and experimentation with editing and sound. To be blunt, it completely changed the way movies were watched. A critical darling when first released, the movie did not do well at the box office, but since then it has frequently topped Best Of lists, including AFI’s 100 Movies and 100 Movies Anniversary lists, Sight & Sound, Editorial Jaguar, FIAF Centenary List, France Critics Top 10, Cahiers du cinéma 100 films pour une cinémathèque idéal, Kinovedcheskie Russia Top 10, Romanian Critics Top 10, Time Out Magazine Greatest Films, and Village Voice 100 Greatest Films. Citizen Kane was among the National Film Registry’s inaugural group in 1989. It received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography, but ended up winning only in the Best Original Screenplay category.

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - Moving performances, epic landscapes, and a mesmerizing score are all the things that make David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia an ambitious and masterful picture. Lean is able to take a bleak and savage place like the desert and romanticize it through the camera lens, creating a remarkable and beautiful backdrop to the story of World War I British army officer T.E. Lawrence, who helped mobilize a guerilla-style Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turkish rule. Although the historical accuracy is hotly debated, both in terms of events and representations of Lawrence, the film was an immediate success and has been fawned over for decades. Lawrence of Arabia is constantly among the top of lists touting the best in cinema, including the American Film Institute ranking it fifth, seventh, and first among its 100 Movies, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, and 10 Top 10 Epic lists. Other AFI lists the film is included in are 100 Thrills, 100 Heroes and Villains, 100 Scores, and 100 Cheers. In 1991, the Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry. It received 10 Oscar nominations and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. The BAFTAs and Golden Globes also recognized its greatness, bestowing nine wins and another two nomination to the picture.

Back to the Future (1985) - Created on the premise of whether the screenwriter would have befriended his father had they attended the same high school, Back to the Future became the biggest hit of the year and led to a trilogy, animated television series, theme park ride, and several video games.  Marty McFly travels back in time, unintentionally altering his would-be parents love story and working with his scientist friend to return to his own time.  The film was universally praised for its acting and balanced storyline between dramatic tension, science fiction, and comedy.  Back to the Future won an Academy Award for sound editing and received three other Oscar nominations.  The movie also won Saturn and Hugo awards for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Dramatic Presentation.  It was nominated for another two Saturn awards, five BAFTAs, and four Golden Globes.  The success was so large, even President Ronald Regan mentioned the movie in his 1986 State of the Union address.  Among the many other praise it has received, Back to the Future has been included in Best Of lists in Entertainment Weekly, Empire, The New York Times, and Total Film.  It was also among the AFI 10 Top 10 in science fiction.  The film was included in the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2007.

King Kong (1933) - Being filmed nearly 80 years ago, shooting in black-and-white, and use of stop-motion animation, this monster adventure film still stands up today as an exciting story with sentiment running throughout. Not the first movie to follow a formula of having a scientist or explorer test a theory in some strange, new land only to discover a monstrous aberration, with its solid casting, impressive animation, and striking soundtrack, King Kong is now a legendary Hollywood icon with unforgettable scenes at the top of the Empire State Building and battling a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Among the many accolades, AFI included it among its 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Passions, 100 Quotes, 100 Film Scores, 100 Movies Anniversary Edition, and 10 Top 10 Fantasy lists. In 1991, King Kong was preserved by the Library of Congress in its National Film Registry.

The Great Dictator (1940) - In Charlie Chaplin’s first true “talkie,” the legendary filmmaker wrote, produced, directed, and starred in the first major motion picture to satirize Nazism and Adolph Hitler, resulting in a masterpiece of film. The Great Dictator was also Chaplin’s greatest financial success. The film’s out-of-character plea regarding war and oppression is one of the most moving moments this form of art has ever captured on celluloid. It was winless in five categories at the Academy Awards, losing in Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Outstanding Production. The Library of Congress included The Great Dictator in its 1997 class to the National Film Registry. It was ranked at 37 on AFI’s 100 Laughs list.

Jaws (1975) - Movies need all of its parts to be spectacular. The acting, screenplay, music, cinematography, and effects all have to mesh fluidly. Another ingredient that sets the tone is the tagline, and Jaws had a great one: Don’t go in the water. Steven Spielberg’s classic about a shark terrorizing a beach town became a watermark moment in Hollywood as it started what has become the summer blockbuster season. Jaws became the most successful motion picture of all time financially, being beaten two years later by Star Wars. In 2001, it was included by the Library of Congress in the National Film Registry and in 2006 the screenplay was ranked 63rd best of all time by the Writers Guild of America. Winning three Academy Awards, it lost Best Picture to One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Along with winning the Oscar, John Williams’ haunting theme also won the Grammy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe awards for best score. It received other nominations at the BAFTA, Golden Globe, Director’s Guild of America, and Writers Guild of America ceremonies. The American Film Institute included it at number 48 on its 100 Years list, 56 on its 10th Anniversary list, and many other sources have ranked it among the 50 and 100 greatest films of all time. It was also among AFI’s 100 Quotes, 100 Thrills and 100 Heroes and Villains lists.

Saving Private Ryan (1998) - Acclaimed for intense and graphic sequences of war violence, including the opening scene that depicts soldiers storming Omaha Beach on D-day, Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan is an epic story detailing the horrors of war that surrounded a small group of men searching for a single man in all of German-occupied France.  Its depiction of warfare was so realistic, there are reports of World War II veterans walking out of the film rather than suffer the memories Speilberg was able to recall through his photography.  The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning five awards and resulting in Spielberg garnering his second Best Director award.  However, the movie's lack of a Best Picture win puts it on the losing side in one of the greatest upsets in Academy history.  Other award ceremonies recognizing the picture were the Golden Globes, BAFTAs, Directors Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, Saturn Awards, and Grammys.  Saving Private Ryan was celebrated among critics and earned significant returns at the box office.  The American Film Institute included the picture among its 100 Thrills, 100 Cheers, 100 Movies 10th Anniversary Edition, and 10 Top 10 Epics lists.

And now we move into the induction of our next 10 films for Matt's personal hall of fame. Here are numbers 11 through 20 of my personal favorite movies.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Fashioned after the idea of bringing a modern-day form of 1930s and 40s serials to moviegoers in the 80s, Indiana Jones was introduced to audiences to overwhelming praise.  Raiders of the Lost Ark became the highest grossing film of the year and remains one of the highest grossing films of all time.  It is deemed a classic in the action-adventure category and nearly universally praised by critics.  It was nominated for nine Academy Awards including best picture, winning four and receiving a fifth special award for sound effects editing.  The film received three BAFTA nominations.  It also won a Grammy and People’s Choice Award.  Director Steven Spielberg was nominated for his work at the Golden Globes.  Due to the success of Raiders of the Lost Ark, a prequel, two sequels, a television series, books, comics, and video games were spawned.  AFI included the movie among the top 100 Films, 100 Films 10th Anniversary, and Top 10 Thrills and Indiana Jones its second greatest hero on the 100 Heroes and Villains list.  Empire magazine considers Raiders of the Lost Ark to be the second greatest movie, bested only by The Godfather.  In 1999, it was included in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

The Godfather Part II (1974) - One of the most distinguishing accolades bestowed upon the Godfather series is that The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are the only film and its sequel to win the Oscar for Best Picture. This is the continuation of the Corleone family as Michael attempts to legitimize the family business. It is balanced by the prequel story of a young Vito Corleone and his rise to power. The Godfather: Part II is as highly regarded as its predecessor, it is considered an influential piece of cinema history, especially in the crime/gangster genre. Financially, it was the fifth-highest-grossing film of the year, making $193 million on a $13 million budget. Among its numerous accolades, The Godfather: Part II was featured on Sight and Sound’s list of the ten greatest films of all time in 1992 and 2002, is ranked seventh on Entertainment Weekly’s list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time, and is first on TV Guide’s 1998 list of the 50 Greatest Movies of All Time on TV and Video. Pacino’s performance also garnered great praise throughout the film industry and media. In total, it received 19 Academy Award, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations, winning in seven categories. It has also made five of AFI’s Top 100 lists.

North by Northwest (1959) - My personal favorite of all of Hitchcock’s films, North by Northwest is also one of his most critically favored among the innocent man on the run stories. Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason give commanding performances in this stylish thriller with a finale set amongst one of America’s most historic monuments. Ranking at 98 in Empire magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Films of All Time, North by Northwest is considered a masterpiece in filmmaking for its themes of deception, mistaken identity, and moral relativism. The movie was nominated for three Academy Awards and won a 1960 Edgar Award for Best Motion Picture Screenplay. In 1995, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. Among AFI movie lists, North by Northwest ranked among its 100 Movies, 100 Thrills, 100 Movies Anniversary, and 10 Top 10 Mystery lists.

Alien (1979) - Trapped in the confines of a space craft as a monstrous extraterrestrial life form terrorizes the crew, Alien delivered on every level as a great science fiction, horror, suspense, and/or action movie. The film works for all types of moviegoers, ranging from the slow-paced thriller types to gore-fest enthusiasts. The original in a long-running series introduced various aspects of the alien creature, including the egg, facehugger, chestburster, and fully grown alien. Alien won the Academy Award for Visual Effects and was also nominated for Best Art Direction. It won three Saturn Awards in Best Science Fiction Film, Best Direction, and Best Supporting Actress, and was also nominated in four other categories. It received five BAFTA nominations and won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation. Jerry Goldsmith's score received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the Grammy Award for Best Soundtrack Album.

Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) - This is a phenomenal movie that improved upon what its predecessor had begun.  The story continues the struggles of the Jedi-led rebellion against the Dark Side Empire, with Luke studying and training under Master Yoda.  Initially received to mixed reviews, the appreciation and esteem for this film has grown over the years and is now considered to be not only the best in the series, but one of the greatest movies of all time.  It was the highest grossing movie of its year and, adjusted for inflation, as of 2012 it is at number 12 on the all-time domestic box office records list.  The Empire Strikes Back won an Academy Award for sound mixing as well as a Special Achievement Award for visual effects and two other nominations were received.  John Williams’ score won Grammy, Golden Globe, and BAFTA awards and two other BAFTA nominations were included for best sound and production design.  The film also received four Saturn Awards and a Hugo Award.  Darth Vader was ranked the third greatest villain on the AFI 100 Heroes and Villains list.  In 2010, the film was included in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, and aesthetically significant.”

Die Hard (1988) - Cited as the summer blockbuster lone gunman, shoot-‘em-up action movie all subsequent action movies have been compared with, Die Hard has stood the test of time as a gripping thrill ride filled with violent exploits and comedic one-liners.  Turning Bruce Willis into a movie star, the film follows New York detective John McClane as he singlehandedly attempts to stop a group of terrorists in a Los Angeles high-rise.  The movie was a financial success and most critics loved the tense storyline and humorous performance Willis was able to give, despite his character being in such a dangerous situation.  Die Hard received four Academy Award nominations and Michael Kamen’s score earned him an award win.  The movie ranked at 39 on AFI’s 100 Thrills list and Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber came in at 46 on the 100 Heroes and Villains list.  McClane, Gruber, the hero’s catchphrase, and the movie in general have also made countless other lists regarding the greatest aspects of film in history.

Forrest Gump (1994) - Second guessing an Academy Award winning best picture is nothing new and there are not many movies that have won the top Oscar as emotionally gratifying as Forrest Gump, but for some reason there are several moviegoers who find the fictional biographical tale that covers multiple newsworthy moments in American history across numerous decades so trite.  Along with the Best Picture win, the film was also awarded an Oscar for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.  It also received seven Golden Globe nominations, winning in three categories, along with numerous other accolades were bestowed upon the movie at the People's Choice Awards, Saturn Awards, and Young Artist Awards.  With powerful performances, a top-selling soundtrack, and symbolism laced throughout Forrest Gump, the real standout achievement of the movie are the special effects that incorporated Tom Hanks' character into real-life archive footage.  The AFI included the film in its 100 Movies, 100 Movies 10th Anniversary, 100 Quotes, and 100 Cheers lists and the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2001.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Initially receiving a tepid reception from audiences and barely making its money back on the initial box office run, Frank Darabont's The Shawshank Redemption has since grown to become an exemplary case in storytelling and acting.  The story, based on a novella from Stephen King, is about a banker named Andy Dufresne, imprisoned for the murder of his wife and her lover, befriends a fellow inmate and becomes the warden's personal treasurer in a money laundering scheme.  The Shawshank Redemption received seven Academy Awrds nominations, but went home empty-handed.  It did win two Golden Globes and received nominations at the Screen Actors Guild, Directors Guild of America, and American Society of Cinematographers award ceremonies.  AFI ignored the film in its initial 100 Movies list, but upon review for the 10th Anniversary Edition it ranked at 72.  It was also included in AFI's 10 Cheers list.  Readers of Empire magazine ranked the film as the best film of the 1990s and IMDb users have listed the movie as the greatest of all time as of this writing.

Goodfellas (1990) - Americans have always had a fascination for the mafia and Martin Scorsese's inside look into the criminal fraternity is the greatest since Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather films in the 1970s.  Goodfellas follows the rise and fall of Lucchese family foot soldier Henry Hill and his associates.  The film is based on Hill's biography Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family by Nicholas Pileggi.  The film received overwhelming positive feedback and was named the best movie of the year by several film critics, including Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, and Peter Travers.  Earning six Academy Award, five Golden Globe, and seven BAFTA nominations, the movie received six wins total.  It also received a myriad of nominations and wins at other award ceremonies.  Publicatons including Sight and Sound, Time, Empire, Total Film, and Premiere rated Goodfellas among the best films of all time and inspired the creation of HBO's The Sopranos.  It ranked 94th and 92nd on AFI's 100 Movies and 100 Movies 10th Anniversary Edition lists, respectively, and ranked second on AFI's 10 Top 10 Gangster films.  In 2000, it was included in the National Film Registry.

Gone with the Wind (1939) - An epic that rivals all epic films, producer David O. Selznick and director Victor Fleming made a movie that garnered 10 Academy Awards, a record at the time, and won the Best Picture Oscar in a year that is considered the greatest individual season of filmmaking ever that included such nominees as Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Ninotchka, Of Mice and Men, Stagecoach, The Wizard of Oz, and Wuthering Heights. The movie premiere was such a big event, it was shown at the end of a three-day climax of festivities in Atlanta, which included a parade of limousines featuring stars from the film, false antebellum fronts on stores and homes, and a costume ball. Becoming the highest-grossing film of all time and holding the position until 1966, Gone With the Wind was the longest running American sound film made up to that point, coming in at 3 hours 44 minutes with a 15-minute intermission. When inflation is taken into account, it still holds the record for most money earned in theaters. The AFI listed it fourth on its 100 Movies and 10 To 10 Epic, second on its 100 Passions and 100 Film Scores, first, 31st, and 59th, on its 100 Quotes, 43rd on its 100 Cheers, and sixth on its 100 Movies Anniversary lists. This classic was among the inaugural films to be deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and selected for preservation in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.

(Unofficial) New Year's Resolution

I don't really do resolutions. It isn't that I don't believe in becoming a better person or fear of quitting my resolution. I just have never really been a New Year's resolution kind of person. However, lately I have had the writing itch.

My job doesn't require any sort of free-thinking composition or writing other than the occasional email to a builder or homeowner. I have also had a couple of conversations with friends and family about me writing again. I guess that is some sort of sign.

All that being said, I've decided to take up this blog again on a more frequent basis. We'll see if I stick to it, but I hope to be posting a lot more in 2026. I don't know what that looks like exactly, but for now I will try to post at least twice a month.

Based on my past publications, I'm sure a lot of my entries will be movie related as that is where my passion is. I'm not sure what "posting more" really means and we'll see what gets published, but for now expect to see more than one post per year. I'm already working on my second entry into the "Personal Movie Hall of Fame" list, so expect that in the next few days. After that, we'll see where life takes us.

No Time To Die Another Day (aka The Beginning Of The End)

It is no secret if you have glanced at some of these posts over the years that my love of movies is quite varied. However, when it comes to a favorite film franchise there is one that stands out above the rest, and that singular series is the heroics of James Bond 007. I became hooked on the superspy when I was in high school.

I had seen Goldeneye in theaters prior to knowing who James Bond was and didn't understand that this movie was a sequel to 16 other movies that had come before it. I simply thought he was a suave, womanizing, hard-drinking secret agent with a plethora of gadgets to help get him in and out of trouble. It wasn't until one day while working at Blockbuster that my co-worker and I decided to put Dr. No in the store-wide TV display VCR on a slow Saturday morning. Despite having to pause two or three times due to customers walking in (because movies were made to be watched in one uninterrupted sitting), I was enthralled. When our shift ended I had promised my co-worker we might continue watching the series another day that our schedules matched up at work, but instead I rented From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice and binge-watched (before that was a thing) all four of them at my house that afternoon and evening. It was at that moment I was hooked.

I spent the next three decades viewing all the movies and documentaries, reading the Ian Fleming-written and continuation novels and short stories the films were based on, collecting items of interest from the film series, and following as much news as I could that would scratch the itch that was 007 related.

I've created lists and rankings of everything I can think of related to the franchise. Some of those lists have made their way to this blog, and have been updated multiple times over the years.

So it was with great shock and ultimate sadness that I learned this morning that Amazon MGM Studios has purchased creative control from the Broccoli family for the rights to produce James Bond content. Nobody knows the details right now of how much influence Barbara Broccoli will still have, but she seems to have lost interest in the property since Daniel Craig stepped down from the role, which has resulted in nothing of substance happening since the release of No Time to Die in 2021.

Those who are excited (or maybe just not as dismayed as the majority) see this as an opportunity to get more James Bond content in a quicker turnaround time. When the films first started coming out in the 1960s, they released one every year. That quickly became one movie every two years, and that was the pattern most of the time through the Pierce Brosnan era of the 1990s and early 2000s. That changed drastically when Daniel Craig took on the role and Barbara Broccoli and her stepbrother, Michael G. Wilson, were in full control.

I personally am not interested in a James Bond universe that has movies, TV shows, theme park attractions, and other media content being cranked out. All I really want is a well-made movie every two years. And this is the mentality of a lot of (if not most) 007 fans. With the takeover by Amazon, many of us fear the intellectual property of James Bond is going to be turned into an algorithm-based franchise that has scripts and ideas churned out by AI with the single goal of diluting the character and stories into something that can reach as many people as possible without really pleasing, or offending, anyone.

While this comparison probably isn't fair or the exact same thing, it is the closest thing we have to what is currently going on, so it is unavoidable. However, what most of us are afraid of is what Disney has done with the Star Wars franchise. Honestly, it has been a mixed bag of what Disney has done with the franchise of light saber-wielding Jedi. On the big screen, they created a new trilogy that started off fun and exciting, but ended up angering the masses. However, they also released Rogue One, which is one of the best films in the entire franchise, and Solo, which is ... fine.

The small screen is where they have had the most success, but also some of the biggest flops. They either nailed it with The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka, or the shows were reviled and the Internet's racist, pitchfork mob mentality really flourished with The Book of Boba Fett, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and The Acolyte. The most recent show, Skeleton Crew, seems to be the only one that hasn't had a visceral reaction from the fanbase so far, but I think the overall consensus is it is fun and enjoyable. There has also been some animated television shows, of which The Bad Batch is the only memorable addition.

Disney has also capitalized on the fantasy world of Jedi, Sith, and the evil Empire in a land far, far away by cashing in on theme park attractions, like Galaxy's Edge and Galactic Starcruiser.

If you look at everything Disney has done with Star Wars objectively, they've had some highs that haven't quite reached the peak of what George Lucas did, and they've had some lows, which have made us take a deep introspection on the prequel trilogy and it turns out they look like masterpieces of cinema compared to what The Acolyte and The Rise of Skywalker did. But the same can be said over the course of 60 years with James Bond. From Russia with Love and Goldfinger were great. So is Casino Royale and Skyfall. However, The Man with the Golden Gun, A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, and Spectre are at the bottom of the barrel for the franchise.

The initial reaction from most of us fans is disbelief that the family business of James Bond is closing down and the big superstore took over. However, that happens with almost every family business, so it isn't really that shocking. I guess what surprised us the most is that after 60 years it is over. We don't know what will be next in the franchise. I'm sure Amazon with make some content that is enjoyable and some that's not so much, but in our hearts and in our minds, we know that it won't be the same. The franchise certainly isn't dead, although I'm sure there are some fans out there that say it is dead to them, but for a lot of us it is a transition that we won't be able to fully embrace.

In The World is not Enough, there was a scene from Desmond Llewelyn as Q that ended up being his final appearance. He told Bond, "I've always tried to teach you two things. First, never let them see you bleed." Bond then asks, "And the second?" Q's reply, "Always have an escape plan."

This might be the escape plan fans needed to gracefully bow out of the franchise they have loved so dearly for more than half a century.

A Personal Movie Hall Of Fame

With the recent announcement of the Academy Award nominees, it has been another disappointing year for movies. I was speaking with some friends the other day about Oscar's Best Picture category in the past when they only had five selections each year. During that time, the category was made up of at least three popular movies that most filmgoers had heard of with one or two artsy films thrown in for good measure. It always resulted in at least two or three other great movies being left off the list and people claiming those films had been shunned by the Academy.

When it was announced the Academy would be expanding that category to allow for up to 10 nominations, it seemed we'd be getting an average of eight or nine movies that were mostly known by the general population, again with two or three avant-garde pictures to appease the critics.

When I was a kid, the film that took home Best Picture was usually a fantastic watch that was enjoyable to the masses and would be remembered for years to come. Was it always the "best picture"? No, not always. But it was usually a great movie that had its fans. You could always make an argument that another great movie that year had been technically better or was better for other aspects. Yet, it was still a movie that had been digested and talked about by film lovers and casual filmgoers alike.

However, take the last decade of nominees and hardly any of the movies can be considered popular. Oppenheimer is definitely the most-liked and most-viewed of any Best Picture winner in the past two decades. But outside of the Christopher Nolan biopic, the other winners (and many of the nominees) have to be considered niche films. Heck, the winner from 2021, CODA, cannot even be viewed unless you have Apple TV, which I do not.

This has led me to wanting to embrace and celebrate the past films of greatness. I guess this won't be much different than the National Film Registry's list of movies, but I plan to induct 10 films initially and then each subsequent year after that I will add five movies to my list of greatness. These are my personal favorites and are a mix of critically acclaimed and nostalgically loved movies.

So without further ado, the initial inductees into the Matt's Pantheon of Greatness is:

The Godfather (1972)

Casablanca (1942)

From Russia with Love (1963)

Citizen Kane (1941)

Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Back to the Future (1985)

King Kong (1933)

The Great Dictator (1940)

Jaws (1975)

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

The Wager

I am in the middle of a new book I got for Christmas and it is a very riveting story about a British group of sailors who are shipwrecked, mutiny, and murder one another off the coast of South America. The book is called The Wager and it is written by David Grann, who authored the recent Martin Scorsese film Killers of the Flower Moon.

Something that really jumped out at me was the description of a captain in the British navy. His position required, "command of temper, integrity of purpose, vigour of mind, and abnegation of self." Abnegation of self means rejection of one's self and tending to the needs of your crew. I think that is a very astounding description of what all people should strive for. If only we could all control our tempers, have the highest commitment to a goal, a healthy mind, and put others before ourselves.

Bond Film Category Rankings

I haven't done an update of my James Bond rankings in several years and with the release of No Time to Die in 2021 I need to get these categories down on paper. Starting this year I began showing the kids all the James Bond movies, watching them from the very beginning with Dr. No and we have gone through the first 19 films so far. I expect we will finish all 25 in early 2024. After watching all the films again I haven't really thought about shuffling these categories again, but this is how I felt about each of the films, music, characters, pre-title sequences, etc. since watching No Time to Die a few times.

Films

25. A View to a Kill

24. The Man with the Golden Gun

23. Diamonds are Forever

22. Moonraker

21. Die Another Day

20. Octopussy

19. Quantum of Solace

18. For Your Eyes Only

17. Spectre

16. Tomorrow Never Dies

15. Thunderball

14. The Spy Who Loved Me

13. You Only Live Twice

12. No Time to Die

11. The World is not Enough

10. Licence to Kill

9. Live and Let Die

8. Dr. No

7. Goldeneye

6. The Living Daylights

5. Skyfall

4. Goldfinger

3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

2. Casino Royale

1. From Russia with Love

Theme Songs

25. Moonraker

24. All Time High (from Octopussy)

23. Licence to Kill

22. For Your Eyes Only

21. Die Another Day

20. Diamonds are Forever

19. Another Way to Die (from Quantum of Solace)

18. Writing’s on the Wall (from Spectre)

17. The Man with the Golden Gun

16. No Time to Die

15. A View to a Kill

14. The Living Daylights

13. Thunderball

12. Tomorrow Never Dies

11. From Russia with Love

10. You Know My Name (from Casino Royale)

9. You Only Live Twice

8. The World is not Enough

7. Skyfall

6. Live and Let Die

5. Goldfinger

4. Goldeneye

3. Nobody Does it Better (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

1. James Bond Theme (from Dr. No)

Soundtracks

25. Goldeneye

24. The Man with the Golden Gun

23. Spectre

22. Die Another Day

21. No Time to Die

20. For Your Eyes Only

19. Licence to Kill

18. Diamonds are Forever

17. Dr. No

16. Casino Royale

15. Moonraker

14. Octopussy

13. A View to a Kill

12. You Only Live Twice

11. The World is not Enough

10. The Spy Who Loved Me

9. Tomorrow Never Dies

8. Quantum of Solace

7. The Living Daylights

6. Goldfinger

5. Live and Let Die

4. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

3. Skyfall

2. Thunderball

1. From Russia with Love

Girls - Beauty

25. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)

24. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)

23. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)

22. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)

21. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)

20. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)

19. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)

18. Mary Goodnight (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

17. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

16. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from No Time to Die)

15. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from Spectre)

14. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)

13. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

12. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)

11. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)

10. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)

9. Camille Montes Rivera (from Quantum of Solace)

8. Octopussy (from Octopussy)

7. Jinx (from Die Another Day)

6. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

5. Severine (from Skyfall)

4. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)

3. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)

2. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)

1. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia with Love)

Girls - Character

25. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)

24. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)

23. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)

22. Jinx (from Die Another Day)

21. Mary Goodnight (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

20. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)

19. Severine (from Skyfall)

18. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)

17. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)

16. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)

15. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)

14. Camille Montes Rivera (from Quantum of Solace)

13. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)

12. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

11. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)

10. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

9. Octopussy (from Octopussy)

8. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)

7. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia with Love)

6. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)

5. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)

4. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from Spectre)

3. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from No Time to Die)

2. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)

1. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

Girls - Overall

25. Melina Havelock (from For Your Eyes Only)

24. Kissy Suzuki (from You Only Live Twice)

23. Domino Derval (from Thunderball)

22. Mary Goodnight (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

21. Dr. Holly Goodhead (from Moonraker)

20. Tiffany Case (from Diamonds are Forever)

19. Dr. Christmas Jones (from The World is not Enough)

18. Natalya Simonova (from Goldeneye)

17. Stacey Sutton (from A View to a Kill)

16. Pam Bouvier (from Licence to Kill)

15. Jinx (from Die Another Day)

14. Pussy Galore (from Goldfinger)

13. Wai Lin (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

12. Kara Milovy (from The Living Daylights)

11. Severine (from Skyfall)

10. Camille Montes Rivera (from Quantum of Solace)

9. Anya Amasova (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

8. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from Spectre)

7. Dr. Madeleine Swann (from No Time to Die)

6. Octopussy (from Octopussy)

5. Vesper Lynd (from Casino Royale)

4. Solitaire (from Live and Let Die)

3. Honey Rider (from Dr. No)

2. Tatiana Romanova (from From Russia with Love)

1. Tracy Di Vicenzo (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

Girls – Films’ Most Attractive

Dr. No – Honey Rider

From Russia with Love – Tatiana Romanova

Goldfinger – Jill Masterson

Thunderball – Fiona Volpe

You Only Live Twice – Kissy Suzuki

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – Tracy Di Vicenzo

Diamonds are Forever – Tiffany Case

Live and Let Die – Solitaire

The Man with the Golden Gun – Mary Goodnight

The Spy Who Loved Me – Anya Amasova

Moonraker – Manuela

For Your Eyes Only – Bibi Dahl

Octopussy – Octopussy

A View to a Kill – Jenny Flex

The Living Daylights – Kara Milovy

Licence to Kill – Lupe Lamora

Goldeneye – Xenia Onatopp

Tomorrow Never Dies – Professor Inga Bergstrom

The World is not Enough – Elektra King

Die Another Day – Miranda Frost

Casino Royale – Solange Dimitrios

Quantum of Solace – Camille Montes Rivera

Skyfall – Severine

Spectre – Estrella

No Time to Die – Paloma

Villains

25. Brad Whitaker (from The Living Daylights)

24. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from Diamonds are Forever)

23. Aris Kristatos (from For Your Eyes Only)

22. Gustav Graves (from Die Another Day)

21. Kamal Khan (from Octopussy)

20. Lyutsifer Safin (from No Time to Die)

19. Karl Stromberg (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

18. Elliot Carver (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

17. Max Zorin (from A View to a Kill)

16. Dominic Greene (from Quantum of Solace)

15. Franz Oberhauser (from Spectre)

14. Dr. Kananga (from Live and Let Die)

13. Rosa Klebb (from From Russia with Love)

12. Emilio Largo (from Thunderball)

11. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from You Only Live Twice)

10. Elektra King (The World is not Enough)

9. Franz Sanchez (from Licence to Kill)

8. Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale)

7. Rauol Silva (from Skyfall)

6. Alec Trevelyan (from Goldeneye)

5. Francisco Scaramanga (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

4. Dr. Julius No (from Dr. No)

3. Hugo Drax (from Moonraker)

2. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

1. Auric Goldfinger (from Goldfinger)

Villain Deaths

25. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from Diamonds are Forever)

24. Franz Oberhauser (from Spectre)

23. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from You Only Live Twice)

22. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

21. Gustav Graves (from Die Another Day)

20. Karl Stromberg (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

19. Kamal Khan (from Octopussy)

18. Brad Whitaker (from The Living Daylights)

17. Francisco Scaramanga (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

16. Aris Kristatos (from For Your Eyes Only)

15. Rauol Silva (from Skyfall)

14. Auric Goldfinger (from Goldfinger)

13. Elliot Carver (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

12. Lyutsifer Safin (from No Time to Die)

11. Dr. Kananga (from Live and Let Die)

10. Hugo Drax (from Moonraker)

9. Rosa Klebb (from From Russia with Love)

8. Dr. Julius No (from Dr. No)

7. Le Chiffre (from Casino Royale)

6. Emilio Largo (from Thunderball)

5. Dominic Greene (from Quantum of Solace)

4. Alec Trevelyan (from Goldeneye)

3. Franz Sanchez (from Licence to Kill)

2. Elektra King (The World is not Enough)

1. Max Zorin (from A View to a Kill)

Henchmen

25. Professor Dent (from Dr. No)

24. Elvis (from Quantum of Solace)

23. Gobinda (from Octopussy)

22. Alex Dimitrios (from Casino Royale)

21. Primo (Cyclops) (from No Time to Die)

20. Emile Leopold Locque (from For Your Eyes Only)

19. Jaws (from Moonraker)

18. Helga Brandt (from You Only Live Twice)

17. Patrice (from Skyfall)

16. Stamper (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

15. Necros (from The Living Daylights)

14. Nick Nack (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

13. Zao (from Die Another Day)

12. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd (from Diamonds are Forever)

11. Mayday (from A View to a Kill)

10. Renard (from The World is not Enough)

9. Irma Bunt (from On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

8. Dario (from Licence to Kill)

7. Mr. Hinx (from Spectre)

6. Tee-Hee (from Live and Let Die)

5. Xenia Onatopp (from Goldeneye)

4. Jaws (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

3. Fiona Volpe (from Thunderball)

2. Donald "Red" Grant (from From Russia with Love)

1. Oddjob (from Goldfinger)

Allies

25. Sheikh Hosein (from The Spy Who Loved Me)

24. Estrella (from Spectre)

23. Felix Leiter (from Diamonds are Forever)

22. Felix Leiter (from Goldfinger)

21. Saunders (from The Living Daylights)

20. Jack Wade (from Tomorrow Never Dies)

19. Lieutenant Hip (from The Man with the Golden Gun)

18. Luigi Ferrara (from For Your Eyes Only)

17. Felix Leiter (from Live and Let Die)

16. Manuela (from Moonraker)

15. Kincade (from Skyfall)

14. Vijay (from Octopussy)

13. Sir Godfrey Tibbett (from A View to a Kill)

12. Raoul (from Die Another Day)

11. Rene Mathis (from Quantum of Solace)

10. Jack Wade (from Goldeneye)

9. Felix Leiter (from Thunderball)

8. Nomi (from No Time to Die)

7. Q (from Licence to Kill)

6. Quarrel (from Dr. No)

5. Marc-Ange Draco (from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)

4. Tiger Tanaka (from You Only Live Twice)

3. Valentin Dimitrovich Zukovsky (from The World is not Enough)

2. Rene Mathis (from Casino Royale)

1. Kerim Bey (from From Russia with Love)

Title Sequences

25. Licence to Kill

24. Moonraker

23. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

22. Octopussy

21. The Living Daylights

20. The Man with the Golden Gun

19. Quantum of Solace

18. You Only Live Twice

17. Spectre

16. Diamonds are Forever

15. Skyfall

14. No Time to Die

13. Dr. No

12. Tomorrow Never Dies

11. A View to a Kill

10. Die Another Day

9. Goldfinger

8. Goldeneye

7. For Your Eyes Only

6. The World is not Enough

5. Casino Royale

4. Live and Let Die

3. The Spy Who Loved Me

2. From Russia with Love

1. Thunderball

Pre-title Sequence

25. Dr. No (none)

24. Live and Let Die

23. For Your Eyes Only

22. Diamonds are Forever

21. The Man with the Golden Gun

20. You Only Live Twice

19. A View to a Kill

18. Licence to Kill

17. Moonraker

16. Die Another Day

15. Octopussy

14. Skyfall

13. Tomorrow Never Dies

12. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

11. No Time to Die

10. Casino Royale

9. From Russia with Love

8. Thunderball

7. The World is not Enough

6. Quantum of Solace

5. Goldfinger

4. Goldeneye

3. The Spy Who Loved Me

2. The Living Daylights

1. Spectre

Gun Barrel Sequence

25. Goldeneye

24. Quantum of Solace

23. Die Another Day

22. Octopussy

21. From Russia with Love

20. Moonraker

19. Goldfinger

18. The Spy who Loved Me

17. Spectre

16. Skyfall

15. Licence to Kill

14. The Man with the Golden Gun

13. A View to a Kill

12. Diamonds are Forever

11. Tomorrow Never Dies

10. For Your Eyes Only

9. You Only Live Twice

8. No Time to Die

7. Casino Royale

6. The World is not Enough

5. The Living Daylights

4. Live and Let Die

3. Thunderball

2. Dr. No

1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Favorite Scene

Dr. No – dinner with Dr. No

From Russia with Love – train fight

Goldfinger – laser torture

Thunderball – jet pack escape

You Only Live Twice – meeting Blofeld

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – ski escape from Piz Gloria

Diamonds are Forever – Las Vegas car chase

Live and Let Die – bus chase

The Man with the Golden Gun – bridge jump

The Spy Who Loved Me – ski jump

Moonraker – fight with Chang in glass museum

For Your Eyes Only – Bond climbing St. Cyrios

Octopussy – Mischka and Grischka chase 009

A View to a Kill – Golden Gate Bridge fight

The Living Daylights – Gibraltar exercise

Licence to Kill – skiing behind airplane

Goldeneye – tank chase

Tomorrow Never Dies – skyscraper banner jump

The World is not Enough – boat chase on the Thames

Die Another Day – sword fight

Casino Royale – free-running chase

Quantum of Solace – pre-title car chase

Skyfall – Patrice gunfight in Shanghai

Spectre – pre-title longshot and helicopter battle

No Time to Die – Bond tells Madeleine she has “all the time in the world.”

Actors

6. George Lazenby

5. Roger Moore

4. Pierce Brosnan

3. Timothy Dalton

2. Daniel Craig

1. Sean Connery

Ian Fleming Novels

14. Diamonds are Forever

13. Live and Let Die

12. You Only Live Twice

11. The Spy Who Loved Me

10. The Man with the Golden Gun

9. Octopussy and The Living Daylights

8. Thunderball

7. Moonraker

6. Dr. No

5. Goldfinger

4. For Your Eyes Only

3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

2. From Russia, with Love

1. Casino Royale

John Gardner Novels

14. The Man from Barbarossa

13. Death is Forever

12. For Special Services

11. Win, Lose, or Die

10. Brokenclaw

9. Scorpius

8. Cold Fall

7. License Renewed

6. Seafire

5. Role of Honor

4. Nobody Lives Forever

3. Never Send Flowers

2. Icebreaker

1. No Deals, Mr. Bond

Raymond Benson Novels

6. Never Dream of Dying

5. DoubleShot

4. The Man with the Red Tattoo

3. High Time to Kill

2. The Facts of Death

1. Zero Minus Ten

Anthony Horowitz Novels

3. With a Mind to Kill

2. Forever and a Day

1. Trigger Mortis

One-Off Continuation Novels

5. Double or Nothing – Kim Sherwood

4. Solo – William Boyd

3. Devil May Cry – Sebastian Faulks

2. Carte Blanche – Jeffery Deaver

1. Colonel Sun – Kingsley Amis