I thought The Raven was entertaining shlock, but I watched it with sub-zero expectations.

I think it got better as it went on because I'd started drinking. But it took itself too seriously and had too much scenery chewing to be the fun kind of bad for me. I'll take Sleepy Hollow and Snow White and the Huntsman over this.

ION, watched Due Date because of the need for brain deadness, and watching RDJ sucker punch a kid and spit on a dog was worth the price of admission. I almost choked on the latter scene. But the former might still be my favourite, even if I feel morally wrong about that.

OK, so you weren't watching the Vincent Price-Boris Karloff "The Raven" and hating it. I am much relieved.

(hahahahaha)

Uh no.

My knowledge of movies trends to run old.

Yeah I was think of the Price-Karloff one too - which was highly entertaining Schlock, but really fun schlock. And had absolutely nothing to do with the poem (other than stealing a few lines and one character name from the poem, completely out of context ). If you ever rent it and find it does not appeal, then before turning it off, fast forward to the magical duel and watch that.

I'd give either On Her Majesty's Secret Service or From Russia With Love a shot, depending on which you think is more likely to hit the sweet spot. But I think Bond is its own genre and if you didn't grow up with it... It's difficult to say "oh yes, it's often appallingly racist and sexist, and very serious about completely ridiculous things, and goofily glib about serious things, and you just need to roll with that!"

I mean, it is an odd franchise.

Y'know, actually I might go with Matt's rec of Moonraker or (even better/worse) A View to a Kill. If this is someone who can appreciate a terrible movie, at least. I'm quite serious -- instead of "This is one if the good ones" you might be better off with "Everyone agrees, this is just crap. But it does follow the formula, so if you see it done terribly and giggle , you're entertained, and later you may enjoy it more when it's done well. I can at least guarantee you won't be bored!"

It's difficult to say "oh yes, it's often appallingly racist and sexist, and very serious about completely ridiculous things, and goofily glib about serious things, and you just need to roll with that!"

At heart, James Bond is the hero of a 14YO boy's fantasy world. More so in the Connery-Lazenby-Moore era, but still to some extent now.

very serious about completely ridiculous things, and goofily glib about serious things, and you just need to roll with that!"

I think this is the part that might get his goat. The man watches movies on TCM, so the racism and sexism can't always be deal breakers. Going the terrible movie route would be something I would go for (I saw "The Living Daylights" first run in a movie theater in college), but he actually might turn the tv off. He likes Cary Grant, he has liked the Bourne Identity trilogy, he likes superhero movies in general (though he is bitter about X-men 3) it doesn't seem to me to be a huge leap from those interests to Bond.

But maybe Beau exists in that sweet spot of carefully silo'd interests.

I'm always surprised that Bond is optional. I thought it was pretty much the only "normal" movie I watched without fail. Since I saw my first one in the theatres, I've seen them all in the theatres. I've never though :"oh, I'll wait until rental". I don't own many, but I can't surf past one, or even past a marathon.

James Bond is the man. Not a costumed superhero or an alien or anything--he's the regular hero that everybody cheers for.

This might be linked to living in the Commonwealth until my early 20s, and Jamaican and Britain specifically for much of that. Ain't nowhere Bondier than either of those places.