Film/TV Nov 20, 2012 at 2:04 pm

I Didn't Know James Bond's Newest Nemesis Was Julian Assange

Brendan Kiley
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Comments

1
There was also that rumor that Assange was cruel to his former roommate's cat, which totally wouldn't fly in the Bond villain universe of films past.

If Assange has access to a computer, I'm sure he knows of a site or two where he can watch the film.
Dougsf on November 20, 2012 at 2:33 PM Report this
2
So, they based their story partly on real-life events? Amazing.

I'm guessing you don't watch Law & Order much.
J.R. on November 20, 2012 at 2:44 PM Report this
3
That is the stupidest-looking computer room in the history of the universe. Um, temperature control, anyone? Power? That's a concrete floor. And for such a genius systems builder, that cabling is atrocious. Most importantly, where's the IT staff? I don't care how many arms and legs this guy is supposed to have, he ain't running that shop by himself.
Fnarf on November 20, 2012 at 2:47 PM Report this
4
@3 Thank you! I've never seen a server room in such shoddy shape.
wxPDX on November 20, 2012 at 2:58 PM Report this
5
What was worse Fnarf...that server room that looked that janky? Or the stupidity of hooking up the bad guys laptop to the entire MI6 network? Or the fact that this super secret list of hidden agents was on a laptop out in the wild?

Its a shame these small moments of bad reality were in such a otherwise gorgeous and great Bond film.
Akbar Fazil on November 20, 2012 at 3:01 PM Report this
6
SPOILERS BELOW...

Fnarf,

I kept thinking those were some sort of jury-rigged Faraday cages, because it was the only rationale for their presence in the film I could think of that made any sense.

As for the Assange connection, I can see how it probably was intentional in a somewhat tangential manner, although the film itself makes clear Bardem's character was in fact a former MI6 field op with a direct prior relationship to M. But, that probably had more to do with placing him in the proper Bondian context, as the entire move seemed like one long paean to past films, while simultaneously ret-conning the whole franchise.
COMTE on November 20, 2012 at 3:18 PM Report this
7
I read the Roger Ebert review that mentioned Assange afterwards and felt stupid for not noticing that. Makes one wonders what the funders of the film contribute to the plot, perhaps similar to the Pentagon funding of the film "Top Gun". After all, it is an extreme and inaccurate portrayal of Assange that is similar to the one the media would have us believe.
runswithnailclippers on November 20, 2012 at 3:25 PM Report this
8
@4, 5 SHUT THE FUCK UP KILLJOYS!
McGee on November 20, 2012 at 3:45 PM Report this
9
The bad guy.

The worst part? He invented Rickrolling.
Ipso Facto on November 20, 2012 at 4:00 PM Report this
10
Assange is a good guy. Imperialists aren't. Every human on Earth has dark and light sides. (Aside, perhaps, a few Saints & Sages). Pure materialists may have a little more dark. People who know they are Soul's ever one with Spirit, I think lean toward the light. For myself watching James Bond films and Dexter makes me wonder about my Spirituality. The new conversation that because the Beatles seemed so light the Rolling Stones had to be the counterpart of darkness is a silly idea. What we are at birth we rarely are at death. Life chisels us into something more interesting one hopes. Jagger seems like a White Knight now. Less so during the 1960's. John Lennon probably had a dark side. I love him no less for it today. And his creativity would probably not has been so great. If we want to preach freedom, Democracy, choice, free will, truth, Love and Peace we might want to emulate it first. Shine a light first of all in our own darkness. Each one of us, with no one left out. One great esotericist teacher said "Politicians like Wall Street are the darkest of all matter."
on November 20, 2012 at 4:04 PM Report this
11
Oh, come on!

It's uncanny!
Ipso Facto on November 20, 2012 at 4:46 PM Report this
13
Brendan, I think you are confused about the shadows. Silva wants to exploit the shadows to his benefit, as does M, but in the name of "good". It's Mallory who wants to shine a big flashlight into the corners and calls the shadows antiquated. You and Cienna both disappoint me.
ScienceNerd on November 20, 2012 at 5:22 PM Report this
14
@9, 11: He does have the same nose... Please explain the rickrolling, though. I just saw this again at Central Cinema a couple weeks ago, and I still can't come up with what you're referring to.

@12: No doubt Fnarf overflows with joy to finally have your validation, wingnut.
Knat on November 20, 2012 at 5:25 PM Report this
15
I am so glad many of us noticed this similarity. I for one have not seen the film, mostly because I thought it would be the typical predictable Hollywood blockbuster www.mindufck.com, and you guys have proven me right!
many of us have woken up and are waking up :)
Check this out: http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/201…
on November 20, 2012 at 5:26 PM Report this
16
@14: This explains everything.
Ipso Facto on November 20, 2012 at 5:33 PM Report this
17
@14, not really. Especially since the problem with the setup in the film is not that is insufficiently "super-futuristic". Server rooms are in fact extremely boring -- racks of pizza boxes with little blue lights, little green lights, little amber lights. All the fun-looking stuff is, or ought to be, hidden beneath the floor panels (impossible here, because of the concrete) or channels.

The Good Sgt's gratuitous, Will-in-Seattle-like mention of "FPGA clusters" also makes no sense. They don't look like this either. Nothing looks like this.

If they are indeed Faraday cages, as Comte suggests, then this super-genius is actually an idiot; it would have been a million times easier and more effective to construct a Faraday ROOM, which still wouldn't have given off this one's steampunky vibe.
Fnarf on November 20, 2012 at 5:45 PM Report this
18
Also, if someone could explain to me how the roof of the dome exploded without any dust, and how the train then crashed through the open hole in a straight line as if it was on rails, which it wasn't, being in midair and all, I'd be grateful. Because the clip I saw looked like something out of a cartoon, not a live-action fillum.
Fnarf on November 20, 2012 at 5:47 PM Report this
19
The Cinerama has a balcony?
DOUG. on November 20, 2012 at 11:12 PM Report this
20
There's a pretty good version out on the torrents, if he wants to see it there's nothing stopping him.
watchout5 on November 21, 2012 at 1:31 AM Report this
21
@5, Utter stupidity in hooking up the bad guys laptop to the whole underground secret MI6 network.

And why wasn't the bad guy in lots of chains and in a cage that wasn't electronically connected to the MI6 network? Simple precautions that would have prevented his escape though it would have meant the end of the film sooner.
Simone on November 21, 2012 at 8:56 AM Report this
22
Spy movies and novels have always been propaganda mechines. The ones with Russians now seem so transparent. Now there are the terrorists in shows like 24. Assange may be a new twist, but very much in the same vain. Can't believe people keep buying into the bullshit.
fahima on November 21, 2012 at 10:56 AM Report this
32
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coca on November 22, 2013 at 1:34 AM Report this
33
Thanks for taking the time to discuss that, I feel strongly about this and so really like getting to know more on this kind of field.Yacon
ocpfsd1 on April 5, 2014 at 9:16 PM Report this

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