Oddjob Pod - A James Bond Podcast

Gary is in the UK so we took the time to get together and record a podcast. This edition is on Daniel Craig’s second James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace.

We had a lot to say about this film. It’s one we enjoy despite its flaws, which we discuss in depth.

The Oddjob Pod’s foray into the Action Movie Landfill continues with Shane Black’s 2005 film, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Black’s neo-noir satire and homage acts as a comeback movie for one of its stars, Robert Downey Jr whose reputation in Hollywood had taken something of a knock for well-documented reasons.

The film is a meta, fourth-wall-breaking action comedy which received a standing ovation at the Cannes film festival and is celebrated by film buffs for its stylish presentation. The film is a beautiful blend of light

Kilmer plays an openly gay character. We discuss this character and ask how it holds up in 2023.

In this episode we celebrate Daniel Craig’s first film in the role of James Bond: Casino Royale.

If you sat a panel of film critics in front of all 25 James Bond films and asked them to pick the best — not their favourite — but the best, there’s a good chance that most would pick Casino Royale.

Craig was a controversial casting as James Bond, which led to an ineffective (although much publicised) boycott threat from online Bond fans. But Craig proved to be a hugely popular and authentic 007.

He was also the beneficiary of an almost flawless production that completely revitalised the James Bond franchise. From the beginning, the film departed from the realm of invisible cars and diamond-encrusted satellite lasers of Die Another Day, opting for a more gritty, violent, and emotionally complex James Bond movie. It drew heavily from contemporary spy thrillers like The Bourne Identity and anchored itself in the original source material, Ian Fleming's novel of the same name, which had not been adapted previously as an official James Bond film.

In Casino Royale, the audience bears witness to the development of 007. We come to understand why he is who he is through his relationship with Vespa Lynd (Eva Green). Their love affair proves to be a cornerstone of the Craig films and lifts Casino Royale from an action romp to being a film of substance.

Such is the departure from previous Bond films that it is still not universally popular among Bond fans. Nevertheless, Casino Royale was a huge box office and critical success and welcomed a new cohort of fans from demographics that normally would not call themselves such. It does all this while remaining an identifiable James Bond movie with some truly unforgettable, and on one occasion eye-watering, moments.

Action Movie Landfill is back, and we are going all the way back to the early years of the landfill. The helicopter conspiracy action thriller, Blue Thunder, starring Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy Clarke, and the magnificent Warren Oates.

This film, written by Dan O’Bannon, was originally intended to be a “First Blood in the air” but was watered down a bit. Instead, we had what we discovered to be quite a legacy, and we’re not just talking about the very bad spin-off TV show.

For this episode, we are delighted to welcome a special guest, Jon Hartley. He is a bit of an aviation geek and soon to be co-host of a new movie podcast project, of which more details will follow.

Gary, Graham and Terry complete their review of Pierce Brosnan's canon with Die Another Day.

Regular listeners will know that, despite its incredibly strong opening act, this is not our favourite entry. That said, every Bond film is someone’s favourite and we are mindful of this when expressing our own views. It is, after all, a James Bond film and we love James Bond films. Why else would we do a James Bond podcast?

So take a massive bang on the scorpion venom as we get down to Die Another Day.

The Action Movie Landfill returns. This time, Terry, Gary and Graham discuss Simon West’s pseudo-indie, art house, liberal action blockbuster Con Air.

Some of us were genuinly blown away by this film. Not so much by what it’s trying to tell us but by what it said.

Give it a listen then watch the movie again and let us know what you think.

Happy Christmas to all our listeners. The Oddjob Pod crew have a festive cracker for you. We take a deep dive into the South China seas for a thorough examination of Tomorrow Never Dies.

Pierce Brosnan’s second Bond outing has just celebrated its 25th year. It’s a film that we all love but acknowledge its many flaws.

Join Gary, Terry and Graham as they patiently Bondsplain where it goes wrong and what we would have done to make it better.

The movie is significant for tough guy actor and former diver, Jason Statham who had played memorable supporting roles in Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch. In The Transporter, "The Stath" had a vehicle of his own.

While not a stonewall classic, this low budget French action flick, co-written by Luc Besson, has a slick European feel combined with some high-octane Hong-Kong style action sequences. The moderately engaging plot serves to move the story from one action set piece to the next and it has a supporting cast that, it is fair to say, are doing their best. We really enjoyed talking about it and hope you enjoy listening.

If you've not seen The Transporter, do so before listening to this podcast.

In a brand new series of podcasts from the Oddjob Pod, we celebrate the classic action movies of the golden age of sell-through videos.

For our first episode, Gary, Terry and Graham have been off down to the Our Price store and picked up a VHS copy of Lethal Weapon.

The OddjobPod turns its eyes to new frontiers in the James Bond movie with the debut of the much loved actor, Pierce Brosnan, as 007 in Goldeneye.

This film has a considerable legacy, not just in redining the movies for the 1990s but also for it's impact on the video gaming industry that is still felt today.