Clearly the coolest Dame isn't Dame Judi or Dame Helen. No, the coolest Dame is Dame Shirley Bassey. Reasons? Well, for starters - "Goldeneye" and "Diamonds Are Forever" are the two greatest James Bond themes ever. Secondly, Would Judi Dench or Helen Mirren (as awesome as they may be) ever record a cover version of Pink's song "Get the Party Started"? I think not!
Perhaps nobody passed on the memo to Dame Bassey that she is, in fact, singing about being an ecstacy dealer to a raver orgy party, but it's pretty freakin' awesome nonetheless. I guess singing all those Bond theme songs gave The Dame a knack for innuendo, I can't be certain, but when she drawls "If you know what I mean" the image pops into my mind of Dame Bassey being an e-hopping drug dealer and, well, that just puts a big ol' smile on my face. It's like Weeds but with eccies and instead of a single "mom" it's a feisty Dame. Charming.
I'm not entirely sure the video is any good. In fact, I know it's not. It doesn't really do anything. It's just there and Shirley pops up every now and again, sometimes inside a mirror. Weird.
Why don't the producers of the next James Bond movie bring Dame Bassey into the sweet comforting bosom of Daniel Craig and get her to sing the theme song? I know they're all about "reinventing" the franchise and all, but hey, that Chris Cornell song was sort of terrible and if the producers are going around making bizarro hiring decisions then I'm not sure it matters. Here's hoping Marc Forster, who to this date hasn't made one movie I have liked, can pull off an Alfonso Cuaron/Prisoner of Azkaban on us and make a completely amazing movie with there being absolutely zero markers to suggest he can.
About Me
- Glenn Dunks
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Glenn is a twentysomething freelance writer from Melbourne, Australia. Apart from this blog he is the film editor for Onya Magazine and writes regularly for Trespass Magazine. His work has appeared in The Big Issue, Encore Magazine, Forte Magazine, The Film Experience Blog and was the film correspondent for The Outland Institute radio program on JOY 94.4.
Stale Popcorn, noun, 1. A veritable cornucopia of movie geekdom, celebrity worship, Australian film discussion and all with occasional musical interludes! All wrapped up in the salty buttery taste of movie popcorn that's been sitting in the box for too long. What's not to love?
Films of 2007:
- 'The Hitcher', 2007, dir. Meyers, C-
- 'Hairspray', (x2), 2007, dir. Shankman, B+ / A- (review)
- 'Stardust', 2007, dir. Vaughn, B-
- 'The Jammed', 2007, dir. McLachlan, B+
- 'The Host', 2007, dir. Bong, C / C+ (review)
- '300', 2007, dir. Snyder, C- (review)
- 'Becoming Jane', 2007, dir. Jarrold, C+ (review)
- 'Hairspray', 2007, dir. Shankman, B+ (review)
- 'Ratatouille', 2007, dir. Bird, A (review)
- 'Diggers', 2007, dir. Dieckmann, B-
- (x# = number of viewings)
Miscellaneous Viewings:
- 'The Great New Wonderful', 2006, dir. Leiner, C
- 'Wings of Desire', 1987, dir. Wenders, A
- 'The Fluffer', 2001, dir. Glatzor & Westmoreland, C
- 'Bringing Out the Dead', 1999, dir. Scorsese, B
- 'Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream', 2005, dir. Samuels, B+
- 'The Interpreter', (x2), 2005, dir. Pollack, B+
- 'Notorious C.H.O.', (x10+) 2002, dir. Machado, A
- 'I'm the One that I Want', (x10+) 2000, dir. Coleman, A
- 'Funny Games', 1997, dir. Haneke, C- (review)
- 'Sleepless in Seattle', (xCountless), 1993, dir. Ephron, A (so shoot me!)
- (x#) = Multiple (#) Viewing
Cinema of the Absurd
- 'Glitter', 2001, dir. Hall
- 'How to Deal', 2003, dir. Kilner
- 'The Black Dahlia', 2006, dir. De Palma
- 'Friday the 13th: Part III - 3D, 1982, dir. Miner
- 'Staying Alive', 1983, dir. Stallone
- More to come...
In Cinemas Now:
- Movies, which are currently screening near me, that I would like to see
- 'Away From Her', 2007, dir. Polley
- 'Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus', 2006, dir. Shainberg
- 'Once', 2007, dir. Carney
- 'Superbad', 2007, dir. Mottola
- 'This Is England', 2007, dir. Meadows
- 'Red Road', 2006, dir. Arnold
Disclaimer & Buttons
Everything that is written on this webpage - Stale Popcorn and any tangents from it - is written by me, Glenn Dunks, unless otherwise stated. It is appreciated that if you wish to reproduce any of that you do so with an appropriate link (please do not copy it all because that gives your reader no reason to come by here and possibly increase my traffic).
If any pictures or music files are posted on Stale Popcorn that are owned by you and wish to be credited for or have removed please feel free to send me an email using one of the addresses at the top of the page. I will gladly oblige.
If any pictures or music files are posted on Stale Popcorn that are owned by you and wish to be credited for or have removed please feel free to send me an email using one of the addresses at the top of the page. I will gladly oblige.
9 comments:
that. is brilliant.
I know, right?
it kind of sounds like they put the James Bond theme into this song....in fact, this video resembles an ill advised opening titles from the series
First of all, I love Shirley Bassey, and this is awesome (and she has pipes at 70 that most chanteuses can't imagine in their 20's).
I'd also like to second the fact that she should sing the next Bond theme (she's always superb).
However, I want to disagree with Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban having zero markers that it would be great. The third book was one of the best in the series, Cuaron had already made a children's classic in A Little Princess, and he had made beautiful, interesting films prior (and after) the movie. The director of Finding Neverland should never be compared to the director of Children of Men. :)
Yeah, yeah, I second John T's sentiment. Cuaron had already made A Little Princess and Y tu Mama Tambien, but yeah in Harry Potter's cinematic experiences to that point it would seem crazy that it turn out excellent. And he completely changed the franchise. And Children of Men; don't get me started.
*Also, Order of the Phoenix: Ten times darker than I imagined it to be, but for all I know as of now, it could very well be the best so far. I think...*
That is hands down the weirdest, yet most brilliant thing I've seen all day...
Hence, it's amazing.
come on, stay is brilliant. at LEAST visually.
btw- is that shot on the bottom of talkback from the cover of guy debords "Society of the spectacle"? In fact, i KNOW it's the same photo
oh, and cuaron's "y tu mama tambien" is one of the best foreign language films in 10 years
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