Welshrogue

Plot:

A North Korean terrorist and a diamond businessman are connected and Bond tries to find out how, why and stop it

Bond:

Pierce Brosnan

Girl:

Jinx (Halle Berry)
Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike)

Bad Guy:

Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens)
Zao (Rick Yune)

Theme Tune:

Die Another Day – Madonna

The last Brosnan Bond movie and probably the most disappointing one. With each movie trying to be bigger and better than the last, Die Another Day is just big. There are lots of good points about the movie but there are also pieces that just spoil the experience. Jinx is a character that is trying to outdo every other Bond girl and it fails, right from when Halle Berry walks out of the water ala Ursula Andress. It feels as if Jinx is just copied from many other Bond girls rather than being original. As much as I adore Aston Martins, having an invisible car is probably the dumbest, most unbelievable gadget ever in Bond. And that theme tune, should never have been accepted to be in the movie. Easily the worst Bond theme tune ever.

What do you call a car that leaves your shaken not stirred?

An Aston Martini!!!!

Where have all the good Christms songs gone? Remember when you were a kid growing up, every Christmas the radio would be playing ‘new’ Christmas tunes instead of the classics that have become staples every year. Growing up in Britain, every Christmas, Top Of The Pops would feature bands dressed up and singing their ‘new’ Christmas song, yet if feels as if there is nothing new under the sun. Perhaps because I have gotten older and out of touch with music, perhaps because the world has grown up and become more diverse and perhaps more jaded. Whatever the reason, Christmas songs made my Christmas when I was a child and I still enjoy them today.

First recorded in 1946, Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” was a classic Christmas song that has been covered by over fifteen different artists.

Probably the most famous Christmas ‘pop’ song is “White Christmas” as sung by Bing Crosby. While there was a movie called White Christmas in 1954, the song made its debut in the classic 1942 musical Holiday Inn.

Entering the early seventies, several glam rock groups produced Christmas hits that would become iconic for future generations. Roy Wood with Wizzard wished it could be Christmas everyday, while Gary Glitter had another rock and roll Christmas. The most famous glam rock Christmas song of all time though has to be Slade’s “Merry Xmas Everybody”. Re-released several times in following years, “Merry Xmas Everybody” captures what a perfect Christmas ‘pop’ song should be, one that everyone knows and is instantly recognisable.

While later songs such as Paul McCartney’s “A wonderful Christmas time”, Shakin’ Stevens “Merry Christmas Everyone” and Queen’s “Thank God It’s Christmas” did keep the spirit alive, Christmas songs have pretty much passed into time.  Here are a few of my favourite things, I mean songs from Christmas’s gone by.

(There’s No Place Like) Home For the Holidays – Perry Como (1954)
All Alone On Christmas – Darlene Love (1963, 1992 and 1994)
All I Want for Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth – Spike Jones and the City Slickers (1948)
All I Want for Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey (1994)
Another Rock And Roll Christmas – Gary Glitter (1984)
Blue Christmas –  Elvis Presley.
Christmas in Hollis – Run-DMC
Christmas Time – Bryan Adams (1985)
Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses (1981)
Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid (1984)
Fairytale of New York – The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl (1987)
Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer Elmo and Patsy (1983)
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1972)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Holly Jolly Christmas – Burl Ives (1964)
I Believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake
I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus – Jimmy Boyd (1952)
I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day – Wizzard (1973), A*Teens & Girls Aloud
It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas – Bing Crosby
Last Christmas – Wham! (1984).
Let it Snow – Dean Martin
Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth – David Bowie & Bing Crosby
Little Saint Nick – The Beach Boys (covered by Sugar Ray)
Lonely This Christmas – Mud (1974)
Merry Christmas Everyone – Shakin’ Stevens (1985)
Merry Xmas Everybody – Slade (1973)
Mr. Hankey the Christmas Poo – South Park (1999)
Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree – Brenda Lee (1958)
Santa Baby – Eartha Kitt (1953)
Step Into Christmas – Elton John (1973)
Stop The Cavalry – Jona Lewie (1980)
Thank God It’s Christmas – Queen
White Christmas – Bing Crosby(1942)
Wombling Merry Christmas – The Wombles (1974)
Wonderful Christmas Time – Paul McCartney (1982)