Dollar Movie

GoldenEye 10 12:30

Some might say that being the best Bond movie of Pierce Brosnan’s career is damning with faint praise. And in a way, they’re right; GoldenEye was leaps and bounds (or if you prefer, B.A.S.E. jumps and skydives) better than anything that came after it. Pierce Brosnan plays Bond, who is in the process of coping — along with his superiors — with the fall of the Soviet Union and the “new world order.” Of course, Sean Bean soon comes along and messes everything up by screwing over Russia and the West at the same time. Explosions, fist fights, and one hell of an entertaining tank rampage through St. Petersburg ensue. GoldenEye is one of the great Bond movies and if you haven’t seen it, you’re missing out.

Goldfinger 10 12

In what has probably become one of the most archetypal spy movies of all time, Goldfinger pits a youthful Sean Connery (as Bond) against a boastful bad guy who gets his jollies by painting girls gold. Oh, right — there’s the tiny Asian man with the razor-sharp top hat and, of course, a horribly circuitous evil scheme. It’s James Bond, distilled into 112 minutes of classic popcorn flick-age. Plus, after seeing it, you’ll better understand at least half the gags in every spy movie spoof made since 1964. Sounds like a good deal to me.

Dr. No 8 10 12

The first Bond movie ever! Dr. No stars Sean Connery and is pretty much what anyone could expect from a Bond movie. Back then, though, it was a breath of fresh air, and — as we all know — started a massive cultural phenomenon. Go back to Bond’s roots at the peak of Bond Week in McConomy and check out Ursula Andress rising out of the ocean in a bikini, hunting knife in tow. Then ask your girlfriend to do it next time you go to the beach. Or not; I guess it’s really up to you.

Casino Royale (2006) 7:30 10 12:30

Did you like Batman Begins? Just like the 2005 hit about everyone’s favorite Caped Crusader, Casino Royale is a “reboot” of the James Bond franchise, with dramatically fewer silly one-liners, less deus-ex-machina gadgets, and... Texas hold’ em? The most recent Bond film draws from Sir Ian Fleming’s first book about the charismatic super agent, but unfortunately some compromises had to be made; specifically, they changed the villain’s game of choice from baccarat to poker. The film tries to make hold’ em games look glamorous but the result is kind of hokey. The rest of the movie kicks prodigious amounts of ass, though, and it’s a breathtakingly engaging first try at the role of Bond for newcomer Daniel Craig. A blond Bond? Who would have expected it?

Casino Royale (1967) 7:30 10 12:30

Many people are unaware that this movie exists. It’s not a James Bond movie, really, even though it’s based on Ian Fleming’s first Bond story. It’s a parody of Bond films, starring Peter Sellers, Woody Allen, and Orson Welles, and while it follows the same basic plot of Casino Royale, it’s basically a 70-minute collection of gags more than anything else; the movie had five different directors. Nevertheless, where else are you going to find a James Bond movie that stars Peter Sellers and Orson Welles? Actually, where else are you going to find ANY movie that stars them both?