The fourth (and final) James Bond film to star Pierce Brosnan, sadly, is probably his worst. Die Another Day reminded me of another truly cringe-worthy sequel: Batman And Robin — where Batman went campy and the cartoony characters conversed in cliches based on their names (“have an ‘ice’ day”). Die Another Day is another obscene location for the Cheesecake Factory, serving cheese with cheese on top and cheese on the side, all due to laughably ridiculous situations, comical characters, and so-impressive-they’re-dumb computer special effects, resulting in contender for worst Bond film ever. It’s Moonraker bad.

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It’s not a good sign when you’re part-way into a movie and realize you’ve seen it before, but forgot. I can’t recall exactly where I first saw Tomorrow Never Dies — probably on cable or an airplane ride. Overall, it’s an entertaining flick, but not anything to write home about — and if my experience is any indication — forgettable.

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Moonraker features James Bond (Roger Moore) investigating Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), an evil genius who wants to destroy the world and rule over a new one of his making. He’s developing a nerve gas through his company Drax Industries. The investigation of “why” takes Bond to Venice and Brazil, and eventually into outer space, where Drax has built a space station, from which he plans to deploy his lethal gas onto Earth, killing everyone, and then colonizing the planet anew with his loyal people.

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I’ve read a few Dan Clowes comics (even met him in person) such as Ghost World, Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, and selected issues of Eightball. The first made a neat film, the second is the only comic where I had an out-of-body experience while reading, and the last “Ice Haven” series played with form in a masterful way that comes with years of comic-making experience.

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With Halloween coming up, here’s a horror film I just watched: The Devil’s Rain, starring several famous folks, Tom Skerrit, Ernest Borgnine, Eddie Albert, and the incomparable William Shatner.

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