Pierce Brosnan Fined $500 For Yellowstone Violation

Above, Mammoth Hot Springs in Yellowstone National Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan got a relatively light sentence for hiking off trail in Yellowstone National Park in November.

He could have received the maximum sentence of $5,000.

According to SweetwaterNOW:

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK — Pierce Brosnan, 70, of Malibu, California, was fined $500, and required to pay a $1,000 community service payment to the Yellowstone Forever Geological Fund, a $30 court processing fee, and a $10 special assessment. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on March 14, in Mammoth, Wyoming. 

Mr. Brosnan pleaded guilty to foot travel in a thermal area. According to court documents, on or about Nov. 1, 2023, Brosnan uploaded pictures to his Instagram page of himself standing on a Yellowstone National Park thermal feature at Mammoth Hot Springs. There are signs posted in the area that warn visitors of the dangers of thermal features and state that visitors must remain on the designated boardwalks and trails.

The United States Attorney’s Office asked the court to sentence Brosnan to 2 years’ probation and the maximum fine of $5,000.

 At least Brosnan owned up to it by pleading guilty.

To read more, go here.

Stay Alive and Unhurt In Visiting National Parks

Above, Yellowstone's bears are best seen from a safe distance. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The frequency of moronic actions by tourists in Yellowstone National Park (and in some other national parks) seems to be on the rise.

Encounters between tourists and wild animals sometimes turn deadly. Also, not following the rules by staying on designated boardwalks can literally get one in to hot water. Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan is in trouble for going off a designated boardwalk near a hot water feature. He is to go to trial over this.

RV Travel has some tips on how not to become a tragic "statistic".

They begin with:

A highly popular social media site, TouronsOfYellowstone, brings home the antics of “stupid” Yellowstone National Park visitors. Scores of film clips show human beings showing far less sense than “dumb animals.” How many times do visitors need to be reminded that bison don’t want to be ridden, bears fiercely guard their cubs, and moose on the loose are dangerous? Want to stay alive and unhurt while visiting the parks? Stick around—we have a few tips. 

To read more, go here. 

Pierce Brosnan Cited For Walking In Thermal Area In Yellowstone

Above, some terraces of Yellowstone's Mammoth Hot Springs. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There has been several incidents of tourist bad behavior at Yellowstone National Park over the past several years. Some involve wildlife and some involve the park's geothermal areas.

The latest involves actor Pierce Brosnan.

Yahoo! Life reported:

The latest badly behaved tourist in Yellowstone National Park is reportedly none other than Pierce Brosnan.

As The Messenger reports, the 70-year-old actor was cited in U.S. District Court for "foot travel in a thermal area" and a "closure violation" at Mammoth Terraces after reportedly entering the off-limits thermal area. The exact date of the incident wasn't immediately clear, although an initial court appearance in Wyoming already occurred, with another set for Jan. 23, 2024.

He has been filming the movie Unholy Trinity in the nearby area.

To read more, go here. 

"GoldenEye" and "Tomorrow Never Dies" Yesterday

Last evening, I blogged:

Today's mail included three DVDs. One of them I ordered and two were Christmas presents from my former roommate Jessica.  

The two from Jessica were GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), which star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I hadn't warmed up to Brosnan as Bond until after some years went by, so I hadn't added them to my collection. But more on those two movies tomorrow.

The one I ordered was Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, Play Misty For Me (1971). 

Actually, the three are Blu-rays.

I spent yesterday afternoon and evening watching the two Bond movies. I haven't seen either since their theatrical releases. It was probably due to my non-enthusiasm of Brosnan's Bond. But he has grown in my esteem since then, at least a little bit (I saw Brosnan in 2011 at a Los Angeles eatery).

Of the two, I found myself actually enjoying Tomorrow Never Dies more than GoldenEye, even though 007 fans and critics give GoldenEye higher marks. Funny thing, the evil media mogul plot in Tomorrow Never Dies seemed very far-fetched at the time (1997), but since the mainstream media has gone totally haywire with their biased "reporting" in recent years, it is not so far-fetched now.

Now my Bond movie collection is complete. Still, my preferred era for James Bond still is the Sean Connery era (I include George Lazenby's sole outing in On Her Majesty's Secret Service in that era) with Daniel Craig's a close second. 

I'll be watching Clint Eastwood's Play Misty For Me this evening.

Movies In The Mail

Today's mail included three DVDs. One of them I ordered and two were Christmas presents from my former roommate Jessica.  

The two from Jessica were GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), which star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. I hadn't warmed up to Brosnan as Bond until after some years went by, so I hadn't added them to my collection. But more on those two movies tomorrow.

The one I ordered was Clint Eastwood's directorial debut, Play Misty For Me (1971). I had it on VHS from taping it off of HBO or Cinemax back in the 1980s. I always enjoyed it as Jessica Walter gave a great performance as a psychotic fan of radio D.J. Eastwood. 

From what I read of critics's reviews, watching the movie now (50 years later), the period clothing really dates it, but the movie itself holds up great. They are amused by the bellbottoms and loud early 70s clothes. 

What I liked about it was that it is set in Carmel-By-The-Sea, California. Eastwood, as many should recall, eventually was elected mayor of the city. I've always loved that area of Carmel and Monterey. 

I'll watch Play Misty For Me Tomorrow evening.

Ranking The Bonds

Above, the scene where Sean Connery came up with "Bond, James Bond" in Dr. No.

Now that Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond has come to its conclusion, this is a good time to rank the actors who have played 007 since 1962.

I liked them all to varying degrees. 

From best to worst (or my order of preference):

1. Sean Connery. What else can you say about the man who started it all in the cinemas? He even came up with the famous line, "Bond, James Bond" in Dr. No in 1962. Yes, that was his creation.

2. Daniel Craig. He brought back believability to the character that hasn't been seen since Timothy Dalton's two-movie stint. He based his portrayal on Connery's.

3. Timothy Dalton. His run was only two movies due to legal problems of the producers. Too much time went by and he decided to drop out. He based his portrayal on Ian Fleming's books. Some fans didn't care for his portrayal, but I liked him as 007.

4. George Lazenby*. Despite his limited acting experience prior to his On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he did a good enough job to make the movie one of the best in the series. I would have liked to have seen him continue on, but his tenure was just the one movie. He had great potential, but it just wasn't in the cards. Because he was limited to one movie, I am adding an * next to his name.

5. Pierce Brosnan. He had the looks, but his initial films seemed like he was posing and not acting the role. He got better in his last two Bond movies and was more convincing than Roger Moore. Unfortunately, the scripts in most of them left much to be desired.

6. Roger Moore. His light touch in the role kept him from being convincing as a superspy. He tended to come off as a fop. His best, in my opinion, was in For Your Eyes Only. His movies were entertaining for the most part, but he didn't really have the gravitas to be consistently convincing.

Bondage Evaluations

Above, Sean Connery in "Doctor No."

Now that Daniel Craig has three Bond movies under his belt, it is enough time to evaluate my favorites and not-so-favorite James Bonds of the movies.

As it stands now, Sean Connery is still my favorite (and the best) James Bond. His performance as 007 is still the "template" for all the Bonds that followed.

My second favorite Bond is the current one, Daniel Craig. He has the right amount of toughness to make him believable as a super-spy.

My third favorite (who was my second choice before Craig came along) is Timothy Dalton. Like Connery and Craig, he was believable in the role. Unfortunately, many others didn't particularly warm to him and the scripts of his two films could have been better. It is too bad he didn't stay on longer and receive a top-notch script to work with.

George Lazenby. He only made one Bond movie, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, but considering his limited acting experience at the time and the great script he received, he did very well. Unfortunately, he managed to piss off the producers at Eon Productions and wasn't invited back. Lazenby is my forth favorite Bond.

My problem with Roger Moore is that he really didn't have the gravitas for the role as James Bond and his portrayal made Bond act like a fop. He had his moments where he was quite good, such as in For Your Eyes Only. He just wasn't too believable as a super-spy.

I didn't warm up to Pierce Brosnan as Bond. He had the same problem as Moore, not enough gravitas for the role and in his early Bond movies, he seemed to be posing, not acting. He seemed too soft for the role. He got better in his later Bond movies, but the scripts he had to work with did not help.  

That's my view of the Bond actors for now.

007 Discussion

Since posting about the 50th anniversary of the James Bond movie franchise the other day, some friends have been discussing the best and worst of the movies via email.

I received this one this evening:

We need to look at the Bond franchise from the perspective of the Top 5 and the Bottom 5:

Top 5:



1. From Russia With Love – most realistic spy film. Great fight on the train.

2. Goldfinger – the laser scene is unbeatable.

3. Thunderball - Fiona Volpe – the bad girl

4. Dr. No – the original has to be in the top tier

5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – might have been #1 if Sean Connery starred. Nevertheless, a great film



Bottom 5:



1. Moonraker – bullshit in space

2. A View to a Kill – total crap

3. Octopussy – great title, but no substance

4. Any Timothy Dalton film – so that takes #4 and #5 spot

I don't particularly disagree with the Top 5, except I'd place Goldfinger No. 1.

Likewise, I generally agree with his Bottom 5, except when it comes to the Timothy Dalton movies. I liked Dalton's Bond and while the stories could've been better, I would put "Any Pierce Brosnan film" in the #4 and #5 spots. The screenplays were horrible and I never really warmed to Brosnan as Bond.

What do you think?

By the way, Roger Moore is planning to release a new book this year in keeping with the Bond anniversary, "Bond On Bond."

Daniel Craig Returns As James Bond in "Skyfall"

Above, Dame Judi Dench and Daniel Craig.

The title for the next James Bond movie and its release date have been announced:

LONDON, Nov. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli today presented the cast of the 23rd James Bond adventure, entitled SKYFALL. The film, from Albert R. Broccoli's Eon Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Sony Pictures Entertainment, is directed by Academy Award® winner Sam Mendes and stars Daniel Craig, who returns for his third film as James Bond 007. The screenplay is written by Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and John Logan. SKYFALL, which goes into production on Monday, November 7th, will begin its worldwide roll-out in the UK and Ireland on October 26th 2012 and in North America on November 9th 2012.

Joining Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Director Sam Mendes were members of the cast of SKYFALL, including: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Dame Judi Dench, Naomie Harris and Berenice Marlohe. The filmmakers also announced Ralph Fiennes, Albert Finney and Ben Whishaw.

In SKYFALL, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.

This is good news, but we have to wait a year before the movie's release. At least it won't be the long pause between Timothy Dalton's last Bond outing and Pierce Brosnan's first.

Lunch At The Daily Planet

Today was an enjoyable one.

Had a late-lunch/early-dinner date with Jessica in the mid-Wilshire district of L.A. The restaurant she selected was Luna Park located at the E. Clem Wilson Building (right), which was once the tallest commercial building in Los Angeles and, also, the Daily Planet Building during the 1951 episodes of Adventures of Superman (the ones with Phyllis Coates as Lois Lane).

I got there a few minutes before Jessica did and while waiting outside near the valet parking attendant's stand, former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan came out of the restaurant and went to the valets to claim his car.



I managed to sneak this photo with my cell phone of Brosnan getting into his car:



Once Jessica got there, we were seated and had a superb meal. She had tuna salad and I had a cobb salad. Neither of us had salads lately and so both of us were in a salad mood. It was an enjoyable time with good conversation. Funny thing, she wanted a cocktail before eating and the waiter couldn't serve her one as she forgot to bring her i.d., even though she's 31. I told her, "Take it as a compliment!"

After lunch, I assisted Jessica with a few errands before taking her home. We actually had a good time talking and laughing while driving around for her errands. Part of the route we took through L.A. were in some "old haunts" that I haven't been to in years. They brought back many nostalgic memories of the old L.A. of my childhood.

Interestingly, I worked the graveyard shift last night and got no sleep today. But I wasn't even tired by the time I got home this evening. I guess having an enjoyable day does wonders for the lack of sleep.

Sean Connery Is 80 Years Young Today

Bond, James Bond turns 80 today.

No, not the Ian Fleming character, but the original movie James Bond, Sean Connery.

Described as a "man's man," Connery created the movie James Bond template that has endured the ups and downs of the movies and successor actors including Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and, currently, Daniel Craig. (Bond 23's production is being held up due to financial problems of MGM.)

My parents took me to see a double-bill of 1962's Dr. No and 1963's From Russia With Love (both starring Connery) and I've been hooked ever since. When it was announced that Goldfinger was about to be released, I already knew what to expect and looked forward to seeing it.

I have most of the Ian Fleming Bond novels (I hit the jackpot one day at a used book store).

It is generally conceded that Connery's Goldfinger (1964) is the best of the Bond movies. I think he hit his stride in that one although the aforementioned Dr. No and From Russia With Love were good movies.

Connery's last Eon Productions Bond movie was Diamonds Are Forever (1971). It had its moments, but it showed that the series was beginning to get into the silliness of the Roger Moore (who took over in the next film, Live and Let Die in 1973) years. He then went on to distinguish himself in other films such as The Man Who Would Be King, The Untouchables (he won a supporting actor Academy Award for that one), amongst others.

Connery's last outing as Agent 007 was in the independently-produced Never Say Never Again in 1982. In that movie, he showed that he still had the Bond touch.



Akiko Wakabayashi, who co-starred with Connery in 1967's You Only Live Twice (set in Japan), said in a G-FAN interview (by yours truly and Brett Homenick) of Connery, "James Bond in the movie is a ladies' man, but Sean-san is a warm-hearted honest man. He has a clear vision as an actor. He can be stubborn from time to time, but he is a real man with a bit of old-fashioned taste."

Connery says his acting days are over (almost sounds like one of his final lines in Never Say Never Again). He is enjoying his retirement. Perhaps, if the right project and role should surface, he could be persuaded to make a comeback. Never say never!

Happy Birthday, Sean Connery!