But, at the same time, the iconic starship captain has opened the way to high profile Hollywood career opportunities, exotic travel destinations and robust cultural exchanges that would not otherwise have been possible, Shatner told hundreds of listeners during a question and answer session held as part of the city’s two-day “Wizard World Comic-Con.”

The highly versatile pop-culture legend, known across generations, was the center of attention at the annual event. He appeared on Sat. January 28th. Other featured guests included Stan Lee, the creator of Spider-Man, and bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, who played the “Incredible Hulk” in the 1970s and 1980s opposite the late Bill Bixby.

Instead of delivering a prepared talk filled with anecdotes about his career in entertainment, Shatner told attendees that he would rather take their questions and concentrate on their interests.

“Have you ever hated Captain Kirk?” one audience member asked. In response, “The Shat,” as he is commonly called now, described his romp down Bourbon Street the previous night.

“Last night we were having dinner, and the waiter comes up and says — what would you like? I said `oysters.” And he said — ‘Beam Me Up Scotty!!!’ — I mean come on.”

“On the other hand…,” he added. “I would not have been here ordering those oysters if it hadn’t been for Captain Kirk. It’s a two-edged sword. Imagine getting to do the things I’ve done as a result of playing the part of Captain Kirk.”

Getting angle or edge on Shatner in this kind of setting is a tall order; he’s battle-tested in this kind of setting. Another well-worn barb: “Have you really been where no man has been before?!”

The Shat: “It depends on the girl.”

“Wizard World” avoided playing up any single dominate theme as it blended Star Wars and Star Trek together with the larger comic book universe. To say the experience was “other-worldly” for someone who has never attended any convention of this sort, does not quite capture it.

The imagination, ingenuity and creativity that went into the costumes cannot be overstated; there were no half-measures. At times, it did feel like another planet.

Throughout the day, I encountered highly authentic versions of Batman, Superman, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Princess Leia (yes in the bikini), a few dragons, knights in armor, an Alien creature from the Sigourney Weaver films and superheroes and comic figures I didn’t know.

But no matter who was being interviewed the conversation flowed back to Shatner and his highly durable Hollywood career.

Let’s not forget his two “Twilight Zone” episodes, and his appearances on the “Columbo” television series, where he played the villain to Peter Falk’s detective. Shatner has also been recognized for his role as Denny Crane, the egotistical, bombastic lawyer on “Boston Legal” and for the “Priceline” commercials. (His character seemingly dies in bus explosion in the last one)

But invariably the fan base wants to know about Star Trek, its timeless appeal, and the enduring legacy of Captain Kirk. Here, Shatner has some definite insight. He wrote a book called “Get a Life” based on his famous Saturday Night Live skit from the 80s; the one where Star Trek fans are lampooned. In the book, Shatner explores who comes to Star Trek conventions and what accounts for the continued enthusiasm behind the television series. He found that fans all knew each other and had become an extended family of sorts.

“I discovered all of us are participating in a mythological ritual, we in this civilization have no mythology, so part of the need for a mythology is our participation in the mythology of Star Trek,” he said. “The need for heroes is supplied by the captains and the act of getting an
autograph or buying paraphernalia is participating in the ritual of the mythology.”

Standing a little outside of the mythology, I wore a suit and tie to meet Captain Kirk, that contrasted with costumes. This helped when it came time for questions in the convention center’s upstairs auditorium.

“Yes, you in the black,” he pointed, and I had my moment. Knowing the answer, I popped the question.

“Who would you say was the most formidable of all the Star Trek villains?”

“Ohhhhhhhhh…..ahhhh….” The Trekkers really liked that one.

“How would I say it in my old age?” He purrs and puffs and gingerly says – Kh..Kh.. khaaaan.

Then draws in a deep breath and screams….

“KHHHHHHAAAAANNNN”

Thunderous Applause.

“Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” co-starring Ricardo Montalban is widely viewed as the standout in the movie series and with good reason. The storyline draws from Moby Dick and it would be the last time that classic tale of revenge and obsession would figure into Star Trek. The
television show: “Space Seed” the film is based on is also worth viewing.

“He really was [the best villain] wasn’t he? I mean those pecs alone were heroic. Never mind his abs, but his pecs. Women would kill for those pecs. And he was a wonderful gentlemen.”Apparently, Montalban was also a great friend and supporter of National Review
magazine. Right on!

Another key personality Shatner has encountered in his travels is conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Shatner had an interview program called “Raw Nerve” that includes a lengthy interview with El Rushbo where the two discuss health care policy and other topics. Shatner was full of praise.

“I got to talk with Rush Limbaugh and found out all kinds of wonderful things about Rush,” he said. “In fact… even brought to tears to his eyes as he remembered things from his past, and I thought what a neat guy.”

The Shat invited Limbaugh over to his home for Monday Night Football after the interview where the talk show host encountered one of Shatner’s liberal friends who was a bit put out. But it was clear from Shatner’s take on his interview with Rush that he’s open and receptive to
various viewpoints.

But there was one Star Trek co-star who did not make out so well during the Q & A.

When Shatner was asked to name his heroes audience member shouted out, “George Takei!” – That would be the actor who plays Hikaru Sulu in the original series. Apparently, Takei has an axe to grind with Shatner.

Comedy Center did a “Roast of William Shatner” involving many of his friends where he rides in on a horse to start the program.

“The line is in the air, everyone knows the line, and it’s just a matter of who they are going to give the line to,” Shatner explained. “Now George hates me, I don’t know why he hates me, and he’s also not funny. So they give him the line and he says “F… you,, and the horse you rode
in on,” and it’s not funny, and I roll the film back, and his face is contorted. That’s not a funny face. So yes, George, was at the Roast.”

The Star Trek universe appears to have come full circle now that the movie series has reverted back to the original crew of the Enterprise but with a new cast of actors. Shatner said he was very impressed the latest film directed by J.J. Abrams and with actor Chris Pine who plays the
young Captain Kirk. Shatner interviewed Pine as part of a documentary he did called “The Captains,” which includes all of actors who filled in the center seat in the different programs.

“He’s a lovely young man, who is really talented, and looks really good,” Shatner said of Pine. “He’s got the demeanor, the body and the voice. So along with being a good actor he’s got all the right equipment.”

Shatner told the crowd that JJ Abrams is moving ahead with the sequel.

The actor who started it all sees a wide-open future for Star Trek and for anyone with imagination and initiative.

‘ACT OF VALOR’ TV SPOT & FEATURETTE TAKE YOU IN THE LINE OF FIRE

Today, we have a new TV spot for Act of Valor, as well as a five-minute long featurette that offers a better look at the overall filmmaking style of the project, along with the hazardous locations, up-to-date Navy technology/vehicles, and physically-exhausting combat maneuvers on display in the movie.

Act of Valor was scripted by Kurt Johnstad (300) and is reportedly based on several real-life incidents involving Navy SEALs. Those stories were thereafter reconstructed and tied together to form the film’s central narrative, which follows the Bandito Platoon as it works in collaboration with the C.I.A. and sets out to stop a global terrorist plot that threatens to result in the coordinated killing of thousands of U.S. civilians.

GEORGE LUCAS: OTHER THAN A FIFTH ‘INDIANA JONES’, I’M DONE WITH BLOCKBUSTERS

King George is butthurt and taking his ball home with him:

Lucas seized control of his movies from the studios only to discover that the fanboys could still give him script notes. “Why would I make any more,” Lucas says of the “Star Wars” movies, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?”

In the interview Lucas acts all astonished that after he tinkered with three of the most beloved films ever made, fans got upset. And he apparently holds the opinion that we shouldn’t be upset because he has the “right” to tinker with his films.

Lucas can’t possibly be this stupid.

No one I know of has ever claimed Lucas doesn’t have the right to ruin his films, and even I wouldn’t complain about him doing so  if he wasn’t so mercenary when it comes to releasing the original cuts on home video. If you remember, the original cuts of the first trilogy only came out on DVD after we had all purchased the revised cuts because Lucas said he would never release the originals. And we all know he’s going to gouge us again by doing the same with respect to Blu-ray — where, once again, he only released the revised cuts.

This isn’t about artistic integrity; it’s about manipulating us, and I resent being manipulated.

I can forgive the weak prequels and even the unmitigated disaster that was “Indy 4.” Storytellers lose their mojo over time. It happens. But Lucas deserves every bit of the scorn he’s receiving, and to now compare his fans to studio executives is a whole new low.

Has anyone ever squandered as much goodwill as George Lucas?

KRISTEN WIIG SAYS NO TO ‘BRIDESMAIDS’ SEQUEL

Wiig was part of a legitimately good movie that was a massive hit and is smart enough to leave well enough alone and not mar the original by going all “American Pie” with it.

If her career dips, we’ll probably hear the old, “Well, we figured out a way to make it better than the first.” But hopefully it won’t come to that. Wiig is not only a legitimate talent, but she has a real screen presence and charisma. If she continues to make good decisions — like the one to do “Bridesmaids” in the first place and to not do the sequel — there’s no reason she can’t have a long career.

If Wiig goes wobbly, someone she loves should force her to watch “Miss Congeniality 2.”

BIG HOLLYWOOD’S OWN ELLEN KARIS HAS A NEW COMEDY DVD

Ellen Karis is “The Greek Goddess of Comedy” and a huge hit in the Greek American community. She has entertained audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada as one of the very few Greek female stand-up comedians performing today. Her rants about being raised in New York City as a traditional Greek American woman in a modern world spark non-stop laughter. From your Papou to your Koumbara, Ellen delivers comedy that everyone can relate to. Ellen’s DVD “Greek Chicks Rule” is a must see for every person of Greek heritage and the Xeni that marry them!

So don’t delay and purchase today, go to: http:www/ellenkaris.com and click on the merchandise page.

GERVAIS WON’T BE PERSUADED TO DO GLOBES AGAIN

Well, if all that hype around his return brought in lower ratings, why would he?

BLU-RAY REVIEW: BELLE DE JOUR (CRITERION COLLECTION)

Perhaps this film could be viewed as a sit down with a psychiatrist as Severine is relaying her story, mixing reality with fantasy and vague recollections of the truth combined with what her heart (and loins) truly desires. At the end of such a sitting the patient could be left with an answers to their concerns that leave them satisfied or sad, but most likely they will be left with a gray area, at once satisfied, sad and content, never knowing which exactly.

AMY ADAMS & MATTHEW LILLARD JOIN CLINT EASTWOOD IN ‘TROUBLE WITH THE CURVE’

Gran Torino was supposed to have been Clint Eastwood’s swansong, as an actor. However, in the latter months of 2011, news got out that the 81-year-old Hollywood icon would work in front of the camera one more time on Trouble with the Curve, the directorial debut of his frequent assistant director/producer, Robert Lorenz. …

Trouble with the Curve tells the tale of a nearly-blind baseball scout (Eastwood) who sets out with his adult daughter (Adams) for one final recruiting mission to check out a promising up-and-coming player in Atlanta (Massingill?). Lillard, should he sign on, would portray a rival scout.

‘THE DEVIL INSIDE’ DIRECTOR DEFENDS THE MOVIE’S ENDING

I won’t spoil this for those of you who haven’t seen Hollywood’s latest found-footage exorcism flick, but the criticism the ending is receiving is a little overblown. The overall story has much bigger issues that, I think, hurt the final scene. Had the climax been backfilled a little with a better story, it could’ve worked.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

Frailty (2001) – One thing I love about Bill Paxton’s feature directing debut is how it plays upon the audience’s knowledge of Hollywood’s bigotry as a way to deliver a twist ending that really does surprise. Because we all know how much Tinseltown hates people from the South and their deeply held religious beliefs, not for a moment do you expect things to end up the way they do. And it’s not a cheap twist, either. It’s a twist that slowly creeps up on you over the last 15 minutes or so as you pick up on the hints being dropped and start to rewind the film in your head.

Paxton’s direction is first-rate. The pacing is perfect, the reveals are handled beautifully, and the performances are flawless. The most impressive piece of the puzzle, though, is Brent Hanley’s tight, logical screenplay. His only credits since have been an episode of television and a short film. DVD talk interviewed him. Sounds like he has something going on.

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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR

SCOTTDS ATTEMPTS TO DEFEND ‘STAR TREK V: THE FINAL FRONTIER‘

‘JUSTIFIED’: TIMOTHY OLYPHANT TALKS SEASON 3′S BIG BAD, WHY THE SHOW’S WRITING IS THAT GOOD

BAZ LUHRMANN AND WB REALLY STRETCHING THE 3-D EVANGELISM WITH ‘THE GREAT GATSBY‘

20 BEST JOB-QUITTING SCENES OF ALL TIME (WITH VIDEO)

WERNER HERZOG’S ‘INTO THE ABYSS’ TO CONTINUE AS LIMITED TV SERIES ‘ON DEATH ROW‘

SEE A SERIES OF MOVIE POSTERS THAT ADVERTISE FAMOUSLY SHORT CAMEOS

FIRST PHOTO OF ADAM SANDLER IN ‘DONNY’S BOY‘

‘HUNGER GAMES’ SEQUEL IN DEVELOPMENT WITH SCREENWRITER SIMON BEAUFOY

A BEHIND THE SCENES LOOK AT ‘ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER‘

10 GREAT SILENT SEQUENCES IN SOUND MOVIES

11 REASONS WHY LIAM NEESON IS A BADASS

A LOOK BACK AT JAWS: THE RIDE…

…AND 20 FACTS ABOUT ‘JAWS’ (THE MOVIE)

COOL VIDEO: LIBRARIES ON TV AND IN THE MOVIES

A LOOK BACK AT ‘REALITY BITES’… AN INDIE SELLOUT?

11 CHEESY MOVIE WORKOUT MONTAGES

A LOOK AT 2 NEW TITLES FROM THE WARNER ARCHIVE

FOR YOU SCREENWRITERS: USING A WIKI TO OUTLINE YOUR SCRIPT

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CLASSIC PICK FOR THURSDAY,  JANUARY 18

TCM:

5:30 PM  Train, The (1965) –  French resistance fighters try to stop the Nazis from taking a trainload of art treasures to Germany. Dir: John Frankenheimer Cast:  Burt Lancaster, Paul Scofield, Jeanne Moreau. BW-133 mins, TV-PG, Letterbox Format.

I consider this the first “Die Hard” film.

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Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.

Heck, they made an entire film on the subject – “The People vs. George Lucas.”

Fans critical of Lucas’ incessant tinkering on his six “Star Wars” films should be comforted by the fact that Lucas has heard you. He’s just not taking your comments seriously.

Lucas, on the promotional circuit to draw attention to his latest project, the World War II film “Red Tails,” says “Star Wars” fans can only blame themselves for ending the franchise.

On the Internet, all those same guys that are complaining I made a change are completely changing the movie,” Lucas tells the New York Times in a new profile, referring to YouTube fans who have re-cut his films in retaliation for the small changes he has made. “I’m saying: ‘Fine. But my movie, with my name on it, that says I did it, needs to be the way I want it.’”

Combine that experience with the cool reception the three “Star Wars” prequel films received in the late 90s and early 2000s, and Lucas says he’s done making new films in the canon.

“Why would I make any more,” Lucas says, “when everybody yells at you all the time and says what a terrible person you are?

Of course, that isn’t stopping Lucas from continuing the “Clone Wars” animated series or starting a live-action “Star Wars” television show. Who knows? We might even get another “Star Wars” holiday special some day.

NETFLIX USERS STREAM 3000 LIFETIMES’ WORTH OF VIDEOS IN 3 MONTHS

And Hollywood thinks they can put this genie back in the bottle. Never.

DID YOU KNOW KING KONG ALMOST BATTLED FRANKENSTEIN’S MONSTER?

Alternate title: Did you know the greatest movie ever almost got made?

TELEVISION SERIES THAT OUTSTAYED THEIR WELCOME

They forgot the season premiere of “Thirtysomething.”

COMING SOON TO HOME VIDEO

TEXAS KILLING FIELDS, JAN 31:  Anchor Bay Films is proud to announce the release of TEXAS KILLING FIELDS on both Blu-ray™ and DVD  January 31, 2012.  Directed by Ami Canaan Mann, produced by Michael Mann and Michael Jaffe, and based on the real life, headline-making series of unsolved murders, TEXAS KILLING FIELDS is a haunting story of two detectives and one desperate race to catch a killer. The release also contains audio commentary with Director Ami Canaan Mann and Writer Donald F. Ferrarone.

Inspired by true events, this tense thriller follows Detective Souder (Sam Worthington, Avatar, The Debt) a homicide detective in a small Texan town, and his partner, transplanted New York City cop Detective Heigh (Jeffrey Dean Morgan Starz’ “Magic City,” The Losers, The Watchmen)as they track a sadistic serial killer dumping his victims’ mutilated bodies in a nearby marsh locals call “The Killing Fields.” 

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THE KILLING – SEASON ONE, MAR 31: Season 1 of AMC’s critically acclaimed new show “THE KILLING” comes to Blu-ray and DVD on March 13 from Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.  With exclusive Blu-ray and DVD features, including an extended season finale, loyal fans and new viewers alike will dive deeper into the captivating mystery and complex characters that garnered the freshman series six Primetime Emmy® nominations and one Golden Globe® nomination.  Catch up on the show that everyone will be talking about when “The Killing” returns to AMC for season two this Spring.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

Packer game, Golden Globes. I’ve had better nights.

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SCOTTDS’ EPIC LINKTACULAR

SCREEN SEX SIREN ANITA EKBERG IS PENNILESS AT AGE 80

THE CATO INSTITUTES DIGS INTO THE MPAA’S PIRACY STATISTICS AND SOPA

BAD REMAKE IDEA OF THE WEEK: ‘PSYCHO’ TV SERIES

HOW THE STATE OF THE MOVIE INDUSTRY IN 1991 ECHOES THROUGH TO TODAY

‘SHERLOCK’ SERIES 3 ALREADY CONFIRMED

STEVEN SPIELBERG DISCUSSES HIS UPCOMING PROJECTS…

…WHILE TIM BURTON DISCUSSES HIS UPCOMING PROJECTS

‘STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS’ SEASON 5 CONFIRMED

50 ORIGINAL (!) PROPERTIES SLATED FOR 2012

QUENTIN TARANTINO RELEASES HIS BEST OF 2011 LIST

THE ‘STAR TREK’ SEQUEL HAS BEGUN SHOOTING

VIDEO TRIBUTE: ‘I LOVE THE SMELL OF NAPALM IN THE MORNING’

THANKS TO KICKSTARTER, MANOS: HANDS OF FATE IS GETTING A RESTORATION

A 10-STEP GUIDE TO MAKING A ‘ONE LAST JOB’ MOVIE

THE STORY BEHIND THE PARAMOUNT LOGO

ELTON JOHN IS EFFIN’ MAD ABOUT MADONNA SONG WIN

THE MOST OVERPLAYED GENRE IN RECENT YEARS

10 FICTIONAL POLITICIANS WE’D LIKE TO SEE TAKE OFFICE IN REAL LIFE

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CLASSIC PICK FOR TUESDAY,  JANUARY 17

TCM:

8:00 AM  EST: Crime School (1938) — A crusading warden sets out to improve conditions at a reform school. Dir: Lewis Seiler Cast:  Humphrey Bogart, Gale Page, Billy Halop.  BW-85 mins, TV-G, CC.

Marvelous B-film before Bogart became a star that reunites him with his “Dead End” co-stars, the “Dead End Kids.” 

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Please send comments, suggestions and tips to jnolte@breitbart.com or Twitter @NolteNC.

After a longer explanation from Dad, I switched my focus to making movies. I wasted a ton of money processing Super-8 film and spent my weekends at the the local mall theater and the library. I would pour over books about filmmaking and filmmakers. While most pre-teen boys were asking their parents about the birds and the bees, I would quiz mine on how dual system audio worked.

I owe my life-long obsession with film to George Lucas. It was only fitting that he presided over my graduation from USC Film School. That’s right, Lucas and some guy named Steven Spielberg actually handed me my diploma. So, I hope that you can appreciate the inner turmoil, the momentous struggle that I have endured in deciding to write this.  However, duty compels me, and this must be said.

Lucas must be stopped.

The above interview that came out yesterday featuring producer Rick McCallum, who has been Lucas’ right-hand man for several years. He presided over the prequels and the recent return to the adventures of Indiana Jones. Prepare for the most terrifying six minutes of your life.

Wow.  Just wow.  Let’s break this down shall we?

Since this is a conservative site that points out the bias and subversive nature of the media, I would be remiss not to state emphatically how a “Star Wars” television series that is based on the criminals or the “one percent, like Wall Street” sounds just plain awful. And since McCallum drones on about the finances of the show for the next five minutes, I think I should point out to him that alienating more than half of your audience is probably not a good way to encourage viewership. Making a show for the less than 20 percent of Americans who fully subscribe to his ideology is a poor business plan for insuring “recoupment.”

And let’s talk about the economics for a second. Movie and sci-fi bloggers have misinterpreted what he said here. It’s not that the show needs $5 million an episode (a $250 million price tag for all 50 scripts that supposedly exist), it’s that McCallum says that $5 million is the most they can hope to make per episode. Given the grand spectacle he hopes to produce, $5 million simply isn’t going to cut it using today’s existing technology. But let’s be honest. Given the box office track record of the franchise, the rabid nature of the fans and the seemingly endless stream of merchandise potential, does one really think that $250 million is a pie in the sky? At $15 million an episode this thing could probably turn a handsome profit.

Who is this guy trying to kid?

On top of that, there are plenty of excellent, dare I say genius, works of science fiction currently on television.  These shows don’t cost $5 million an episode. I shudder to think of what goodies Lucas and Co. have cooked up that would demand that kind of price tag. Wall to wall CGI, methinks. Lots of CGI characters like the enduring Jar Jar Binks lurk inside the pages of those 50 scripts collecting dust on a shelf at the Skywalker Ranch.

Politics and money aside, the telling part of this interview is that McCallum and Lucas don’t understand the appeal of the “Star Wars” universe. Nor do they understand basic storytelling and compelling drama. What would make a “Star Wars” show great is not that it has more CGI characters, space battles or virtual sets than any other show in history; it is the characters and interactions.

Good writing and talented actors, while often difficult to secure, are not as expensive as massive space battles.  What hooks audiences is the story.  Trust me. Let’s say the first season follows a roguish, selfish, bad boy smuggler. Every episode, he makes morally gray decisions and despite the fact that he flirts with villainy, the audience can’t get enough of him. In the series finale, he finally does the right thing, he unleashes his power for good, and it turns out that he is in fact a Jedi Knight in hiding. Boom! That final scene where he pulls a lightsaber, the first lightsaber of the show, would be magic.

The value of “Star Wars” is in the rich mythology, the iconic sounds and props, and ultimately the characters inhabiting this world. That’s what makes dorks like me stand outside in a line overnight, wearing a hooded brown bathrobe and clinging a plastic laser sword, to see a movie. I could really care less about CGI. If I thought CGI was the most important thing, then “Prince of Persia” with Jake Gyllenhaal would be my favorite movie of all time. Here’s a secret – it isn’t.

McCallum dances around the subject of the show’s fate because he doesn’t want to admit the truth about the series. While Lucasfilm could easily front the money for the show, no network is willing to come on board and back their play. They would have to go it alone and in today’s marketplace, it’s a scary proposition to make that kind of financial commitment. Lucas and McCallum are businessmen, but their personal politics and inherent hypocrisy prevent them from telling the truth. They are the one percent, and good for them.

And we should be thankful that it is the free market at work here, protecting us from future installments of “Star Wars.” McCallum and Lucas have already subjected us to the soul crushing spectacle of the prequels and doubled down by trashing the Indiana Jones franchise.

Enough is enough.

There’s an episode of the new “Dr. Who” series (cost per episode between $1 and $2 million), in which the evil aliens of the universe gang up and create a prison to hold The Doctor called the Pandorica. That’s what we need. A giant, inter-dimensional space trap, impervious to time travel and sonic screwdrivers to hold Lucas, McCallum and all 50 of their TV show scripts.

I think all of us die hard “Star Wars” fans are content with the occasional video game trailer, Japanese TV commercial, fan film or appearance by Chewbacca on random awards show. Let “Star Wars” live in our imaginations and in our hearts. We have all grown tired of this creative filicide.  I look forward to seeing what McCallum and Lucas have done with “Red Tails,” mostly because there is not a Wookie or Ewok as far as the eye can see. Do other stuff, new stuff, and be content with counting your piles of “Star Wars” money you magnificent, capitalist bastards.

Oh, and may the Force be with you.

Lucas, the visionary behind the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, insists on tweaking the original trilogy every time it hits a new media platform. And with each change, longtime ‘Star Wars’ fans rise up in near unanimous fury.

Alexandre O. Philippe, the director of the new DVD ‘The People vs. George Lucas,’ is starting to believe Lucas relishes the negative attention.

“Some of the things Lucas does to this day make me wonder … I feel like he’s enjoying triggering reactions from his fans. I see no other good reason for him to do what he does,” Philippe says. “The changes [to the franchise] are ridiculous. I don’t know of a single fan who says, ‘Yeah, that makes sense.’”

‘The People vs. George Lucas’ investigates the love/hate relationship between Lucas and a galaxy of ‘Star Wars’ faithful. They adore Lucas’ space opera and the colorful characters inhabiting it, but they despise how he won’t let the films exist in their original form. And don’t get fans started on Jar Jar Binks, the comic relief introduced in 1999’s ‘Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.’

‘George Lucas’ showcases the nuttier side of the modern fanboy, but it also tackles meatier themes like a director’s responsibility to the public and if a beloved movie belongs to the filmmaker or the culture at large.

Philippe says the ‘Star Wars’ films had a “profound” impact on him as a child, and while he floated away from the franchise as a young adult it always remained in the back of his mind. So when Lucas re-released the original ‘Star Wars’ movies in Special Editions – complete with enhanced special effects and small but significant story edits – fans like Philippe blew a galactic gasket.

The latest insult? The just-released Blu-ray edition of ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’ adds an awkward “noooo!” to Darth Vader’s dialogue during the climactic battle between Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid). It’s one of several tiny tweaks found in the Blu-ray editions that have fans hopping mad.

It’s the reason why Philippe created ‘The People vs. George Lucas’ in the first place.

“I’ve always kept track of what was going on in the world of ‘Star Wars’ and George Lucas. And it soon became crystal clear the dysfunctional relationship that established itself between George and the fans.”

The documentary filmmaker in Philippe realized he had a topic worthy of a full-length picture. But he had no idea how much work lay ahead of him when he put out an open call for fans to send their thoughts on Lucas and the franchise. What they got was an avalanche of content testifying to the love people still share for all things ‘Star Wars.’

“The richness of the footage we received was amazing – Lego, Claymation, puppets, Grindhouse films,” says Philippe, who also spent months scouring YouTube for other ‘Star Wars’ fan footage.

The Blu-ray editions of the six ‘Star Wars’ films hit the market after ‘George Lucas” theatrical release, but Philippe says the ‘Return of the Jedi’ tweak epitomizes where Lucas has lost his artistic way.

“It really ruins a perfectly fine scene in terms of tone. That’s what George Lucas does over and over again,” says Philippe, who refused to buy the Blu-ray edition but saw the changes online. “If Lucas isn’t actually joking here, and he’s serious about those changes, he’s a filmmaker who has completely lost touch in the fundamental notion of tone … and his relationship with the audience. When you’re creating a dramatic moment and people laugh, you know your tone is off.”

Philippe fears the creative fires in Lucas’s belly have long been extinguished, but he still has hope that the ol’ Lucas might some day return.

“Maybe he just doesn’t get it, but then the guy is so brilliant, so capable of hitting that perfect emotional note,” he says.

‘Star Wars’ fans may never be satisfied with the ever-evolving franchise, one set to get a 3D makeover in the months to come, but Philippe says Lucas’ work speaks for itself.

“I don’t think George Lucas owes us anything. If all he ever did was [the original] ‘Star Wars’ that would be an accomplishment of a career,” he says.

This is a big week for Blu-ray releases, probably the biggest this year, as on Friday, the Star Wars films finally hits the platform.  Being a lifelong fan of Star Wars, this should be an exciting occasion.  Unfortunately it isn’t.  I won’t be buying these, and if you hate what George Lucas has been doing to Star Wars over the past decade and a half, neither should you.

Bitching about Star Wars is an old hat, so I apologize, but it wouldn’t be a something worth addressing if fans didn’t keep encouraging the destruction of these movies with their wallets.  There’s nothing wrong with George Lucas tinkering with his movies over and over again.  Sure, it’s creatively bankrupt, but it’s his choice, because they’re his movies, and for some reason, people keep buying it.  What’s annoying is his decision to suppress the versions of these movies that his paying audience fell in love with in the first place.

Lucas has gotten fat off of Star Wars because so many people love those movies and paid to see them over and over again, yet he insists on endlessly updating it to wring a few more bucks out of it, all while denying his fans what they want: remastered releases of the original trilogy.  Lucas apologists like to point out that we got the original cuts as bonus features on the re-release of the trilogy on DVD, however the version given were cheap Laser Disc rips, not even up to the standards of the DVD format.  It’s as though Lucas was tired of complaints, and decided to wad it up in throw it in the faces of his fans, something to be taken as an insult, rather than giving loyal, paying customers what they’re asking for.  But then again, when said loyal paying customers keep purchasing his revisions again and again, who can blame him?

If you were planning to buy these, note that even more changes have been made to the original trilogy that no one asked for.  For example, observe this scene from Return of the Jedi as it appears on the new Blu-ray:

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I know, it’s so much better than the way it was before, right?

This may sound like heresy, but Return of the Jedi is not a good movie.  When I was a kid, I loved it to death, but looking at it now, it squanders the promise of the incredible first two movies by adopting a commercial mindset, as opposed to putting the story first the way its predecessors did.  However, this scene is one of the few powerful moments in that film, and adding a very Revenge of the Sith “NOOOO!” to the dialogue instead makes it unintentionally funny.  It’s the latest in a series of bad moments that poison the movies as a whole, such as Greedo shooting first at the Mos Eisley cantina, which undermines the character of Han Solo, or the scene giving us an affable Jabba the Hutt added in the first film, which undermines Jabba’s sinister mystique throughout the original trilogy.

These Blu-rays are being packaged in a manner in which you can get either the original trilogy, the unfortunate new trilogy (which contains some changes as well), or the entire series in one big box.  Please, purchase none of them.  I’ve heard geeks everywhere say they hate this changes, but desire the treasure trove of extras found within.  Trust me, fanboys, you can live without it.  If you buy this, you have no right to bitch about the changes made, because you’re only encouraging George Lucas’ creative bankruptcy fueled by greed and complacency.  If you love Star Wars, you won’t vote for him to keep doing this with your dollars.

Give it up for fellow Parcbencher, Big Hollywood contributer, and classic movie expert Chris Yogerst, who weighs in on the Citizen Kane Blu-ray below – Hunter

Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) is one of those films that always find itself near the top of many “best of all time” lists. Citizen Kane is directed by Orson Welles, who caught Hollywood’s eye after gaining prominence of a 1938 radio broadcast. On October 30th, 1938 Welles voiced a radio performance of H.G. Welles’ War of the Worlds. People who tuned in late didn’t hear the disclaimer in the beginning of the film telling audiences that this is a performance.  Late arriving audiences heard Welles’ broadcast about an alien invasion and many of them (after rumors spread) started to believe it was true. The panic and media attention surrounding the performance put the spotlight on Welles; it wasn’t long until Hollywood called.

After rejecting a couple of film offers, RKO accepted Welles’ offer to do Citizen Kane where he co-wrote, produced, directed and played the lead role. At the time it was unheard of to have so much power over a production. Along with Alfred Hitchcock, Welles really paved the way for more filmmakers to have things such as final cut privileges.

Citizen Kane became a benchmark of which all other great films are compared to. It is the great story that sparked a good deal of controversy over its production. The main character, Charles Foster Kane, was a thinly veiled version of then prominent yellow journalist William Randolph Hearst. When Hearst saw the film he tried to have every copy of it destroyed so it would be forever erased from history.

Citizen Kane is one of those films that manage to age like wine. It gets better with each viewing and is also a film that is great for getting young audiences interested in film history. This week, the film will be released on the much anticipated Blu-ray format with the option of getting a 70th anniversary box set. The set comes complete with the Citizen Kane Blu-ray, DVD of RKO 281 (a docudrama about the making of the film), a documentary called American Experience: The Battle Over Citizen Kane, as well as photographs, call sheets, interviews, and more. There is an Amazon exclusive set that also comes with a DVD of Welles’ The Magnificent Ambersons. In other words, plenty to let the film buff inside of you go nuts. - Chris Yogerst

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Other Noteworthy Releases

Thor: One of the most entertaining movies of the summer.  Certainly not without its flaws, but it was delicious fun.  I never thought I would see a big comic book movie blockbuster directed by Kenneth Branagh.

Available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD

Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop: The documentary chronicling Conan O’Brien’s sold-out live tour across the country in the wake of his ousting from The Tonight Show.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Meek’s Cutoff: This indie western has gained considerable positive buzz.  Starring Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, and Paul Dano.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

Hesher: The heavy metal maniac in me is dying to see this one.  Just check out this trailer.  It makes me want to listen to Master of Puppets and start a mosh pit in my apartment.

Available on Blu-ray and DVD

3 Women: Criterion updates this Robert Altman film for Blu-ray.

Available on Blu-ray

My Life as a Dog: Another Criterion Blu-ray re-release, this one being Lasse Hallström’s acclaimed film about a boy experiencing personal tragedy who finds comfort in a small town.

Available on Blu-ray

O Brother, Where Art Thou?: Yet another beloved Coen Bros. movie comes to Blu-ray, gotta love Homer’s The Odyssey in the south during the Great Depression.

Available on Blu-ray

Trainspotting: The Blu-ray release of Danny Boyle’s heartwarming tale of Scottish heroin junkies.

Available on Blu-ray

The Frighteners: Peter Jackson’s last foray into horror wasn’t as inventive or fun as stuff like Bad Taste or Dead Alive, but it had its moments.  This here is the movie that brought us the WETA studio, which would go on to show their skills in Jackson’s Lord of the Rings films.  CGI effects weren’t quite what they are now when this movie was made, though.

Available on Blu-ray

Halloween II: I’m an enormous fan of John Carpenter’s original, but not so much the sequels.  Halloween fans will find this 30th anniversary Blu-ray release interesting though, as it includes an alternate ending that was not previously available.

Available on Blu-ray

Manhunter: Michael Mann’s adaptation of Thomas Harris’s Red Dragon beats the Brett Ratner remake, even without Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter.

Available on Blu-ray

Golden Swallow: Chang Cheh’s follow-up to King Hu’s Shaw Bros. classic, Come Drink With Me, starring Cheng Pei-Pei.  Cheh is the John Ford of Hong Kong, making no-bullshit, manly genre movies unique to his country.

Available on DVD

Mystery Science Theater 3000 – Manos: The Hands of Fate Special Edition: MST3K updates their stand-alone DVD of this classic episode.  Manos is one of those classic so-bad-it’s-good movies, but frankly it borders on painful without the help of the commentary of Joel, Tom Servo, and Crow.

Available on DVD

This column originally appeared over at Parcbench

BUMMER: STARZ ENDING STREAMING DEAL WITH NETFLIX

As of Feb. 2012, Netflix will no longer stream Starz, which means a lot of newer movies won’t be available.

Bad timing with the new Netflix price increase starting today. Starz content was a big attraction.

Related: Netflix stock took a hit.

More: If you want to understand the power of streaming, Starz turned down a $300 million  a year deal up from $30 million last year, and…

Starz was looking for tiered pricing, which would have seen subscribers of Netflix, led by CEO Reed Hastings, pay more than the standard $8 per month for content from the premium TV provider.

That is in line with comments from Starz executives who said repeatedly this year that they were looking to charge Netflix more in line with cable and satellite TV distributors, which have seen the streaming video service as a reason for consumers to cut the pay TV cord.

Count me among those eager to cut the pay TV cord.

FANS CALL FOR BOYCOTT OF GEORGE LUCAS’ ALTERED ‘STAR WARS SAGA’ ON BLU-RAY

Couldn’t agree with this more:

…this is ”about film preservation and our cultural heritage. Lucas has every right to make as many new versions of his films as he wants – fine, go crazy, George – but he has no right to replace the original versions of his films.”

George Lucas is a jerk, a money-hungry jerk who should’ve banned from the editing room after his mojo evaporated — which was right before the Ewoks showed up in “Jedi.” It would go something like this:

LUCAS: I just want to make a little tweak.

MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOOoooooo!!!

LUCAS: But I think I can improve on–

MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOooooo!!!

LUCAS: But–

MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOoooo!!!

LUCAS: I–

MOVIE GODS: NOOOOOoooo!!!

LUCAS: Man, that’s annoying.

Here’s some above-it-all smug at “EW (naturally) telling us that hating on George Lucas makes us George Lucas … or something — makes us all adolescent crybabies.

But wait EW, will you say the same for Phil Tippett — you know, the legendary FX expert who worked on the original trilogy and called Lucas’ changes ’shit’?

He also thinks 3D is “shit” and was no fan of “Avatar,” either.

I like this guy.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

My bathroom is finally done. Finally. New sink. New toilet. New floor. New tub surround. Everything’s almost plumb, almost level, and almost not-leaking. I celebrated with a good, long cry followed by two episodes of “Damages.”

Thus far, season two is already better than the first.

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QUICK HITS

STEVEN CROWDER HAS GAS

A LOOK AT THE UPCOMING FALL MOVIE SEASON

KEVIN SMITH: REALITY SHOW STAR

‘NAPOLEON DYNAMITE’ PRODUCERS SUE FOX SEARCHLIGHT

“‘SHARK NIGHT 3D’ IS CHEESY, STUPID AND INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING“…

…WHY IS SHARK NIGHT 3D NOT RATED R?

ANDREW KLAVAN REMAINS ON VACATION

SIX FILMS WITH INSANE TIME LOOPS

LEGENDARY TITLE DESIGNER SAUL BASS FINALLY GETS A BOOK ABOUT HIS WORK

CAMERON CROWE: THERE WON’T BE A SAY ANYTHING SEQUEL

ANNE V. COATES RECALLS EDITING LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

A WESTERN ON ABC … A WESTERN?

THIS IS COOL: LOIS LANE’S SCREEN TEST

JAMES GANDOLFINI IN TALKS TO RETURN TO HBO

TOTO REVIEWS “BELLFLOWER” AND INTERVIEWS WRITER/DIRECTOR/STAR EVAN GLODELL

A LOOK AT THE “TOTAL RECALL” HOVER CARS

‘THE WALKING DEAD’ RETURNS WITH 90-MINUTE SEASON 2 PREMIERE

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CLASSIC PICK FOR SATURDAY, SEPT. 3

TCM:

5:30 pm EST: Land of the Pharaohs (1955) –  A scheming seductress plots to make herself queen of Egypt. Dir: Howard Hawks Cast:  Jack Hawkins, Joan Collins, Dewey Martin.  C-104 mins, TV-14, CC, Letterbox Format

Howard Hawks’ epic is no classic by a long shot, but in-between all the cheesy drama you are given an absolutely fascinating look at Egyptian architecture, beautiful widescreen photography, and a terrific score by Dimitri Tomkin.

The ending is pretty satisfying, as well.

Well worth 104 minutes.

–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com

–Thanks again to the indispensible ScottDS

–The Call Sheet will return Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a great weekend — that’s an order.

PACINO’S ‘SCARFACE’ CELEBRATES BLU-RAY RELEASE

You’ll never hear me make any apologies for my unqualified love of this film. It’s just a fact (admit it) that when you’re in the right mood and have three-hours to kill, Brian DePalma’s completely over-the-top gangster pic feels like the greatest movie ever made. Among my perversely large DVD collection (yes, I have a problem), “Scarface” ranks in the Top 10 Most Re-watchable.

For me, the movie takes off during the chainsaw scene; when a handcuffed Tony Montana (Al Pacino) is splattered with gore as his partner is cut to pieces. He refuses to talk, even when faced with the most gruesome death imaginable. The look of defiance and fear on the actor’s face is unforgettable. Furthermore, DePalma’s crafting of the scene is masterful. The director is famous for exploitation and yet he chooses not to show the chainsaw doing its dirty work. You only hear it, which allows your mind’s eye to vividly picture what’s far worse than anything any special effect could cheat.

Best of all, everything that happens is Jimmy Carter’s fault. He’s the idiot who got duped by Castro and let Tony Montana into Miami.

And you can’t ask much more from a film that offers up a double-shot of Michelle Pfeiffer and Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio — two of the most beautiful, talented and intelligent actresses of the last thirty years. Two of my all-time favorites.

Did I mention that my birthday is only seven months away?

‘NETFLIX’S CHANCES AFTER RATE HIKE REMAIN STRONGER THAN EVER‘ (BUT NOT WITH ME)

Anyone who’s been reading Big Hollywood for a while knows that for going on two years now, I’ve been awed by the effect Netflix is having on the world of home video. Like I’ve said before, though nowhere near as destructive, Netflix is and will be to the film and television business what Napster was to the music business: a major (though, unlike Napster, completely legal and ethical) meteor strike with a fallout we won’t fully understand for years to come.

I will be cancelling part of my Netflix service, however. The coming rate hike just isn’t worth it. Streaming I’ll hang onto until my last gasp. The DVDs-by-mail portion, though, is about to be cut loose. There’s SO much superb content on streaming, especially if you love old television shows as I do, that there’s no reason to receive DVDs. Eventually, everything will end up streaming anyway, so I can wait.

And if I want to see a new release (and there’s so few I want to see these days), there’s five Redbox’s within a mile of my house.

ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSIONS OF ORIGINAL TRILOGY NOT ON UPCOMING “STAR WARS SAGA” BLU-RAY RELEASE

Man alive, George Lucas pisses me off. He calls the 9/16 Blu-ray release “The Complete Saga” but leaves out the original cuts of the first three films — the cuts we all fell in love with, where Han Solo’s character is beautifully established by him shooting first.

If Lucas wants to clean up matte shots and color correct and the like, I get that, but to change important character bits and make certain background shots busier just because he can, is infuriating. Fine, indulge yourself with another version. No one’s saying you can’t. But those of us who grew up with these films want to remember them as they were. It’s like someone tinkering with your home movies.

Bless Steven Spielberg, who altered the DVD release of “E.T.” to, among other things, digitally remove the handguns held by the government men hunting E.T. But Spielberg also included the untouched original version in the set, which is the only one I’ll watch.

Worse still, we all know that in a few years, Lucas will gouge fans further with a Blu-ray release of the original cuts of the original trilogy, which will only add to the charge that he’s become more of a mercenary profiteer than an artist.

Hey, I’m a capitalist and Lucas is entitled to make as much money as he wants. But that doesn’t mean I like to feel manipulated or have my fanboy love taken for granted.

Oh, and the prequels suck. Darth Vader as whiny, crybaby metrosexual. Gawd.

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LAST NIGHT’S SCREENING

Damages (2007): For the most part, movies suck today. Period. End of story. Television, however, has enjoyed a decade of unprecedented brilliance and I’m just starting to get caught up. Glenn Close is a brilliant actress, I’ve heard nothing but good things about this series, and the first two episodes left me wanting more.

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QUICK HITS

THE ROD SERLING VIDEO FESTIVAL IS NOW ACCEPTING ENTRIES

HERE COMES SLINGBOX

“CONAN” SCREENWRITER ADMITS WATCHING FILM FLOP WAS “DEVASTATING”

10 BEST AND WORST BRITISH ACCENTS IN FILM‘

10 OSCAR-WORTHY SCI-FI MOVIE PERFORMANCES

USA NETWORK GIVES ‘BURN NOTICE,’ ‘COVERT AFFAIRS’ FALL PREMIERE DATES               

MAYBE THE OSCARS SHOULD TRY THIS

KYLE SMITH DECLARES “DRIVE” THE FIRST GREAT FILM OF THE FALL

LEIA’S METAL BIKINI HAS ITS OWN WEBSITE

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING COMEBACKS IN HOLLYWOOD HISTORY 

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CLASSIC PICK FOR THURSDAY, AUGUST 25

TCM:

11:30 PM  EST: Killers, The (1946) —   An insurance investigator uncovers a string of crimes when he tries to find a murdered boxer’s beneficiary. Dir: Robert Siodmak Cast:  Burt Lancaster, Ava Gardner, Edmond O’Brien. BW-102 mins, TV-14, CC.

Ava is so beautiful in this classic, tough-as-nails, beutifully photographed noir tale — your heart will ache. What a vision. What a talent.

–Please send tips/suggestions/requests to jnolte@breitbart.com

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James Bomb

We begin as we always do, with Roger Moore’s portrayal of 007.  There’s not much forward progress in his interpretation of the role, as it’s pretty much a reply of what he accomplished in The Spy Who Loved Me.  And yet, we must give Mr. Moore tremendous credit, for he is able to ground an absurd film.  His sophistication and British charm really does count for a lot, and is really the saving grace of the movie.  There is a throwaway line early on, after bedding one of Drax’s workers, where he says to her, “Take care of yourself.”  It’s a stupid line, and it’s played entirely on her, but what makes Roger Moore so wonderful is that he delivers it totally convincingly – as if he actually cares.  Other than that, I have little to add.

The Story

Anytime you see a terrible film, chances are the script was awful.  In this case, it certainly is.  Any movie that begins with the space shuttle being hijacked off the back of its airplane transport is not going to be a good film, for who would believe the shuttle to be fully fueled during transport? The ludicrous plot holes just pile up one after another.  It’s a total insult to the audience.  He’s given a wrist dart gun, which includes cyanide tipped darts, and yet fails to use them on occasions when it would save his life – such as the attack by Jaws on the cable car.  And once again, we have a nutty scientist bent on destroying the world so his master race can live on.   And the multiple opportunities for the villain to just point a gun at Bond and eliminate him that go unused.  And that wonderful line, as Jaws and Dolly sail back into Earth’s atmosphere, “They’ll be alright.  It’s only a hundred miles to Earth” (never mind that the remains of the space station would burn up well before).  U.S. Space Marines?  Why even kill Bond in the cable car?  Why not just blow him away when he exits the darn thing?  A gondola that converts to a hovercraft, with Bond nonchalantly driving through the Venice streets amidst “funny” reaction shots?  Ugh.  I can’t go on.

Characters

Jaws goes from a rather sinister nemesis in Spy Who Loved Me to a source of goofy comic relief.  The whole insta-romance with Dolly is unrealistic, silly, and irritating.  Again, it’s a shame, because the switching of Jaws alliance is itself an interesting storyline.  Michael Lonsdale, who is a rather interesting actor (Name of the Rose, Munich), is wasted as Drax (the role was originally offered to James Mason–now HE would’ve made a great villain if given a meaty role).

By this point, I’m sorry to say that the asexual villain wearing a brown tunic is no longer interesting (Dr. No, Blofeld over and over again, etc. etc).  It’s a terrible waste, because this might have been a character superior to Bond in every way – sophistication, refinement, a scientist – but why bother?  Lois Chiles is uninteresting as a Bond woman and not a terribly strong actress.  Again, she could have been a new Diana Rigg given her attributes but…why bother?  Ugh.  I can’t go on.

Filmmaking

It’s a shame that the movie isn’t very good, because the skydiving fight is really great.  Remember, we hadn’t seen this level of stunt work in films much at this point in history, and there’s some very impressive aerial photography in this sequence.  It was accomplished under second unit director John Glen, who would later deservedly earn several shots as director.  Mr. Glen has a gift for shooting action sequences, and it’s about the only part of the movie that really stands out.

I must give kudos to the masterful production designer Ken Adam who, given the largest budget he probably had yet on a Bond film, delivers with fabulous sets from Drax’s chateau to the You Only Live Twice homage of the launch station to the beautiful set of the space station itself (and once again, circles everywhere to indicate evil).  John Barry’s score is his worst, replacing the brass-driven arrangements with more classical strings.  “Lumbering” is how I would describe the music.  The one bright spot otherwise is outstanding special effects.  All the space stuff comes off very wel….that is, except for the late 70’s version of the slow-motion underwater fight in Thunderball – floating U.S. Space Marines vs. Drax soldiers.

The Rating

I don’t need to further justify the MPBFRS rating of one star on this film.

To recap all the films:

4 Stars

Goldfinger

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

The Man With The Golden Gun

3 Stars

Dr. No

From Russia With Love

2 Stars

Thunderball

Diamonds Are Forever

The Spy Who Loved Me

1 Star

You Only Live Twice

Live and Let Die

Moonraker

James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only.