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One of the joys of a James Bond movie is its villains. Existing on the thin membrane between realism and fantasy, the Bond baddies can be anything from delightfully over-the-top, to menacingly scary. Bond creator Ian Fleming took equal parts Fu Manchu, Aleister Crowley, Dr. Mabuse, and generic Nazi, mixed them all up in his fertile imagination, and grew a new type of fictional villain. The 007 filmmakers took Fleming's evildoers, dressed them up in weird clothes, and gave them mordantly witty things to say. The talented actors who've portrayed them gave them the odd physicality and un-placeable accents we've come to love and expect. Often imitated and parodied, but never duplicated, the Bond Film Villain is sui generis. Comic-book film villains may be more crazily over-the-top in the presentation, but they're of the world of pure fantasy. More standard espionage and action film villains may speak in a deeper way to our real fears, but more closely represent the sheer banality of evil. Auric Goldfinger, Blofeld, Scaramanga, Jaws, Xenia Onatopp, Dr. No, General Orlov, Le Chiffre, Oddjob... even the names alone are evocative of brilliantly demented schemes, implacable violence, and fiendish cruelty. But, in a good way! They're the engines that drive the machinery of a James Bond story, that thing we love so dearly. They're the best bad company a boy could keep. In this special section, the editors of HMSS, with some special guests, take our delectation of this delicious evil, and celebrate the bad guys (and ladies) that inhabit and enliven the rich fields of the James Bond fantasy universe. Presented for your delectation are several articles examining various facets of Bond film villainy, together with a detailed survey examining each of these nefarious characters. There's even a bit of eye candy for you, with an extensive series of portraits of practically every Bond baddie you can think of. So, slip on your Nehru jacket, gather your cat onto your lap, affix your monocle, and slip another Egyptian cigarette into your ivory holder. Take a tour with us through the dark side of James Bond's world. And remember, when next you have agent 007 in your dastardly clutches, just... Kill. Bond. NOW!! |
CONTENTS
The HMSS Senior Staff Analyze the Bad Guys
Deborah Lipp on the Bond Femme Fatale
Dean Kilbride on the Film Blofelds
Mac McSharry on Homoerotic Elements
Dave Morefield on the Villain's Common Mistakes
Portraits of the Bond Villains by Paul Baack
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