We only had time for one episode last month, so we’re double-dipping this week by extending 00-vember into 00-cember! We move from Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan with the 1997 007 flick Tomorrow Never Dies!
Sure, Goldeneye revitalized the Bond franchise, introduced a stellar new Bond in Pierce Brosnan, and updated the secret agent to reflect more on his “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” nature. But then Austin Powers came out and made a bunch of money, so 007 had to get goofy again with his next adventure. And goofy he gets, as Tomorrow Never Dies is a quaintly dated spy caper in which James Bond must stop a mincingly evil media mogul (Jonathan Pryce) from starting a war between Britain and China just to soak up all the ratings.
Still, for all its goofiness, it absolutely has its charms – from David Arnold bursting onto the scene with a bombastic score, a couple of great theme songs at both ends of the film, and Michelle Yeoh kicking ass as one of the most capable Bond girls to date.
It’s an ugly duckling that Clint loves far too much for his own good. Hear us talk about its pros and cons on the podcast, and check out our drinking game!
(Thanks to our sponsor Jackbox Games as part of the Chicago Podcast Coop!)
DRINKING RULES FOR TOMORROW NEVER DIES:
- Any time David Arnold’s bombastic horn hits kick into the score
- Every time someone on screen (usually Wai Lin) shows up James Bond
- Whenever you see egregious product placement (Heineken, BMW, Erickson)
FINISH YOUR DRINK WHEN:
James Bond tells Elliot Carver, “You forgot the first rule of mass media, Elliot – give the people what they want!”
Join us next week as we celebrate that most wonderful time of the year – Connickuh!
