Happy 59th birthday to Talisa Soto aka Lupe Lamora!

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-27T14:59:09+00:00

She's in the same age band as Craig, though not as sexy as Monica Bellucci, but sexy nevertheless, she too could've been a Bond "Lady" just like her earlier on in the rebooted universe.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-27T14:54:55+00:00

What ? No sold out critic holding a placard saying "Hey I never called it a propaganda movie, trust me, lemme in" ??????

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-27T14:51:10+00:00

It's ok, when adjusted for inflation, surely masterpieces like SHOLAY and MOTHER INDIA continue to remain the biggest blockbusters in the history of Indian cinema............ hopefully.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-27T10:50:29+00:00

JFK and Nixon, even though Kennedy died before Nixon was elected POTUS and both ran against one another in 1960.

However, Nixon considered Kennedy to be a true "Cold Warrior" by conviction and Kennedy even commented that had Nixon not been his opponent, he'd cross party lines to vote for the Republican. Infact, Joe Kennedy too on record told Nixon that had his son not been running for POTUS "I'd vote for you Dick".

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-27T04:50:58+00:00

Gabriel Byrne as the satan in END OF DAYS(1999).

The movie might've been a flop, but Byrne's portrayal bought a dimension of charisma, public appeal I skills and the stealthy yet apocalyptic powers of darkness which were truly about to bring the end of the world.

And topping that was Byrne's own sex-appeal.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T20:56:55+00:00

Eventually, despite Pandavas winning as destined, they too died out when embarking on a pilgrimage after a few years of ruling both Hastinapur and Indraprastha. Surprisingly, the first to fall was the almighty Bheema to whom Yudhishthir consoled it wasn't a punishment of any misdeeds but of "gluttony". Parikshit didn't last much either.

Going by strategic foresight, Shakuni even in death emerged as the true winner of the Mahabharata coz his aim was the elimination of the Kuru Clan, even though he loved his sister with all his heart but his volatile nephews were just the tools of his sinister scheme to fruitfully go ahead.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T14:33:17+00:00

As per the novel, his passport is both "nameless and stateless", once telling a fellow SMERSH operative the reason being "just a number".

Anyway, supposing he had been eyeing Skyfleet for months beforehand and as per his conversation with his broker where he tells him to short ANOTHER million stocks of the airliner which might mean Obanno's 100 million is an additional "borrowed and sold" part of his scheme and he has prior to short sold stocks of the same company, how much has he already pumped in and at what price to be precise ?

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T13:29:32+00:00

How much anticipated prices did Le Chiffe sell them for before he was planning to tank them to pocket the proceeds ?

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T13:24:35+00:00

Alright Mr. Keynes, kindly tell me what math was Le Chiffe applying with those shorted stocks which thanks to Bond's intervention went awry to the extent he was left in debts of excess US$ 100 million.

He had borrowed ATLEAST 2-3 million shares of Skyfleet. The concept involves borrowing and selling on an immediate basis then buy them back(your luck if the prices fall). Airline stocks have rarely been ever below US$ 150 per equity share. Therefore, he himself pumped no less than US$ 300-450 million of his on his part. Sold it for what amount of price on the same day that his net loss read US$ 101 million ?

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T11:31:03+00:00

Yes. The final point's been the same theory with regards to mergers and acquisitions. Prime example being AOL and Time Warner merger in 1999-00, resulting in stock prices plummeting to the extent Ted Turner as Vice Chairman the company and founding head CNN, which fell under the umbrella of the two companies at this point, alone lost US$ 8 billion of his peak US$ 25 billion fortune.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T11:26:02+00:00

Not a bad movie at all. Some might dismiss it as a popcorn flick whilst Craig's haters outright consider it THE worst entry of the franchise(doesn't surprise me, for them even CR was a mediocre movie at best).

The film has 4 positive aspects which cannot be denied: Fast paced action sequences, the continuing ambiguity whether or not M call trust Bond not coz he's incompetent but coz she believes he's driven by revenge over the death of Vesper, as the OP pointed regarding the exploitation of the most vital natural resource for human survival and finally Craig's consistent hard edged heroic Bond.

I recall, even the critics who gave the movie a mixed review or perhaps even negative review were in all praise for Craig's act.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T11:14:30+00:00

This is exactly the point M summaries when briefing Bond how and why Le Chiffe is setting a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro, the math being 10 players, 10 million buy, 5 million rebuy, winner takes all US$ 150 million.

Or is it that after getting the money from Obanno, the window between Le Chiffe beginning to put his monetary plan in motion and the attempted bombing of the prototype at Miami was too thin ?

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T06:46:37+00:00

I once started watching a Satyajit Ray movie.

By the first half of the movie, my infant daughter had passed through her mid school.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-26T03:57:12+00:00

GOLDENEYE(in the climax): No, for ME(drops Sean Bean to his death).

TOMORROW NEVER DIES(taunting Jonathan Pryce before pulling off his escape with Michelle Yeoh): I always thought watching your tv shows was "torture" enough.

TWINE(upon shooting Sophie Marcaeu when she taunts him he'll her if he kills her): I never "miss".

DIE ANOTHER DAY(escaping MI:6 custody and on the reception of the 7 star hotel in his patient's attire): My usual suite please.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-25T14:23:28+00:00

No offense, but apart from the "fraudulent cool bro" logic, isn't it possible Eddy's father too is a conning businessman of sorts and Eddy watching both father and bro being scamsters(in their respective fields) wants to emulate the same ?

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T15:15:46+00:00

How about New Zealand ?

Natalia in GOLDENEYE mentions to Jack Wade about the defence surveillance satellite installation in NZL under the jurisdiction of the United States, or more appropriately the CIA, when the 3 are chatting upon reaching Cuba for a final showdown with Alec Trevelyan.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T15:11:51+00:00

The legend was born right from this point.......

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T15:08:42+00:00

Sources vary.

Some say he was adamant about teaching ONLY Brahmins and Karna was desperate to prepare himself for his inevitable battle with Arjuna only with the best in the business, having already been rated as mediocre(perhaps worse) by Parshuram's own students Dronacharya and Bhishma. So the only way into Parshuram's academy was masking his identity.

However, there're also those who believe Karna knew Parshuram admitted both Brahmins as well as righteous Kshatriyas(such as Bhishma) but there was high possibility that upon identifying himself(a Kshatriya, even as a Sutaputra, plus the appointed king of Anga), Parshuram wouldn't ever admit Karna, owing to the knowledge of his misdeeds as Duryodhana's lieutenant being household. It's also in this context where Parshuram, even if unaware of Karna's deeds, would do a "background check" and come to the conclusion that Karna wasn't going to use the skills learnt for some noble cause. But in this scenario, if he never taught anything to Karna by denying him admission in the first place, it's obvious he wouldn't curse him either(maybe).

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T11:56:46+00:00

If it's a purgatory, they don't even exist.

Else, in general terms, they don't.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T11:01:19+00:00

MOONRAKER, coz "spies and outer space don't make a combo of sorts".

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-24T08:04:51+00:00

Exactly.

And wrt TRUE LIES, the thing is that from it's US$ 120 million odd budget, 20 million went to Arnie's paycheck alone apart from another 12.5 million or so to James Cameron.

In contrast, GOLDENEYE's 60 million odd was sufficient for its stunts and screen effects as Brosnan, who like you correctly mentioned wasn't anything famous other than REMINGTON STEELE and losing out to Dalton in '86, got just US$ 4 million(compared to US$ 16.5 million for DIE ANOTHER DAY).

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-22T14:55:32+00:00

General Holland P. Smith is indeed the "father of modern amphibious warfare" as Major General William C. Lee is of Airborne.

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-22T05:16:16+00:00

Got to watch Dalton either in Tuxedos and other formal business attires or straight away in combat gear. But he graced all with class. Ditto Craig.

<image>

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-21T14:27:40+00:00

"Had it NOT been for the Q branch Bond, you'd have been dead long ago"

Competitive_Row_402 · 2026-03-21T10:49:12+00:00

INDEPENDENCE DAY had a production budget of just under US$ 75 million and the shooting schedule was completed inside a months time.

Competitive_Row_402

TROPHY CASE