Who doesn’t love James Bond? Well, if you’re worried about misogyny in some of the films, maybe you don’t.
For me, there is something sort of fascinating about the shameless stereotyping of women and various ethnicities in the early Bond films. I mentally put those kind of movies in the vintage-different era category and enjoy them for their sheer entertainment value.
Try to ignore all the women, the movie is good!
My favorite Bond movie is “You Only Live Twice.” I love it when he’s pitched off an aircraft carrier in a coffin only to unzip his wetsuit and swim to safety.
Wouldn’t that be cool if death was like that? You died, then unzipped your skin and floated off somewhere else.
Before I weird you all out, I had a point.
This year Bonhams, the international fine art auction house, has partnered with Ian Fleming Publications to produce a traveling exhibition of fabulous cover art from the Bond books. Entitled Bond Bound, the exhibit also includes personal letters, manuscript material from Flemming and iconic film posters.
Coinciding with the USA film launch of “Quantum of Solace,” the exhibit is in Los Angeles this month at Bonhams Gallery.
Close, but no McQueen
Personally, I think that the Bond franchise tries to evoke a little bit of Steve McQueen in their choice of Daniel Craig, but McQueen will never be equaled. I love him in Le Mans.
The Bonhams/Fleming book exhibit really captures that vintage 60s feel you get from a great film like “Goldfinger” or the Woody Allen flick “What’s New Pussycat.” Selina Skipworth, Keeper of the Art at The Fleming Collection, adds: “The covers of Bond novels stretching back more than half a century provide a fascinating snapshot of society’s shifting attitude to sex, feminism and the changing international political climate.”
Fleming had a Bondian life himself. He studied at Eton and Sandhurst, was a personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence during WWII and worked for Reuters. Later he lived in Jamaica and wrote Casino Royale at age 44.
If you’re really into Bond, head to the UK to The Imperial War Museum in January in the UK. They will debut an exhibit honoring Fleming’s wartime experience.
Bond Bound
Bonhams Gallery
7601 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, (323) 850-7500
Buy the book from the exhibit here!
Additional Cities:
Hong Kong – December 08 Flemings
Shanghai – January 09 (TBD)
Tokyo – February 09 (TBD)
Dubai – April 09 (TBD)
Paris – May 09 - Bonhams
Geneva – June 09 – (TBD)
Amsterdam – July 09 - Bonhams
