With the world in the thrall of another Olympiad, it’s time to dig up an appropriately athletic title from the vaults. And given the disastrous performance of U.S men’s gymnastics team in London, I will be doing my part to salve that psychic wound by drawing attention to an even bigger acrobatic disaster: the 1985 film Gymkata.
The late, legendary Wide World of Sports anchor Jim McKay was renowned for bringing us what he called “the human drama of athletic competition," and in that arena, the Olympics rarely disappoint. Gymkata, on the other hand, fails spectacularly. The drama is non-existent. The athletic display is jackhammered into the storyline, and the performances can be said to be many things, but human is not one of them. This is a gold-plated disaster, and it is one worthy of display. more »
Accompanying Her Majesty the Queen, James Bond — AKA Daniel Craig — sported a bemused expression in the cheeky sky-diving promo that kicked off the 2012 Summer Olympics in London yesterday. But later in the telecast, Bond fans got another treat: A brief but potent new TV spot teasing November's Sam Mendes-directed Skyfall with glimpses of 007 in action, both in the field and with a few gorgeous ladies.
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If Queen Elizabeth ever tires of the throne, she has a future in acting. Filmmaker Danny Boyle, who directed an inspired and beautifully surreal opening ceremony for the XXX Olympiad in London, told NBC's Meredith Vieira that the Royal was "a good actor" for her pre-recorded segment with current James Bond Daniel Craig. more »
Daniel Craig was at Her Majesty's Service for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics. The James Bond franchise's latest 007 appeared with Queen Elizabeth and her Corgis in a pre-recorded skit that had the secret agent and the queen meeting in Buckingham Palace. more »
Cue John Williams' "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" — or if you don't want to be reminded of Ewoks, the Clash's "London Calling." The 2012 Summer Games officially begin tonight with a Danny Boyle-directed opening ceremony that, according to ABC News, will include a reference to James Bond and 120 farm animals. The spectacle won't end there. Unless this year's games totally suck, the next two weeks will be rife with emotional movie-worthy moments of victory, defeat and the U.S. Women's Volleyball team's hot bikinis.
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Nowadays the Olympic Games' opening ceremony is masterminded by a big time movie director. Beijing 2008 commenced with the vision of Zhang Yimou (Ju Dou, Raise the Red Lantern, House of Flying Daggers) and in London this year the reins — excuse me, the rings — have been handed to Danny Boyle, with a British history theme. But what if the Games themselves took inspiration from Boyle's filmography — like, say Trainspotting, 28 Days Later, and 127 Hours?
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