Sean Connery

Jack Ryan Ultimate Movie Collection

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  • Title: The Hunt for Red October / Patriot Games / Clear and Present Danger / The Sum of All Fears / Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit
  • IMDb: link | link | link | link | link

Jack Ryan 5-Film Collection

All five feature-length Jack Ryan movies are collected featuring the heroic actions of Tom Clancy’s thinking man’s hero, a CIA analyst turned action star, saving the world. The best of the bunch remains the first. The Hunt for Red October stars Alec Baldwin as the only man who correctly guesses the true intentions of a Soviet captain (Sean Connery) stealing an untrackable nuclear submarine with plans to defect. Not only is it the best story of this collection but director John McTiernan ratches up the tension to great effect making the most of both his stars.

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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

/ / Home Video
  • Title: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
  • IMDb: link

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen movie reviewThrowback Tuesday takes back at 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Adapted from the comic by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill, the film takes place at the end of the 19th Century when a terrorist organization begins pushing countries to a world war. Tasked to prevent such an outcome, a select team is put together including professional big game hunter and adventurer Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery), Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), vampire scientist Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), invisible thief Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), immortal doucebag Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Dr. Henry Jekyll and his monstrous alter-ego (Jason Flemyng), and tagging along for the ride is uninvited American Agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West).

Although the film did well enough internationally to earn back more than double its costs, it had mixed reaction from both fans and critics (and Connery even stated it was a deciding factor in his decision to retire). The convoluted screenplay by James Robinson overcomplicating what should be a straightforward action adventure certainly didn’t do the project any favors.

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Hidden Gem – Playing by Heart

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Playing by Heart
  • IMDb: link

“Talking about love is like dancing about architecture.”

Playing by Heart

Released in 1998, Playing by Heart follows the formula of several romantic dramedies (Love Actually being the best) which feature interlocking stories of couples in various states of their respective relationships. Written and directed by Willard Carroll, the film is notable for it’s impressive ensemble cast as well as a pair of the six stories which slowly come together during the film’s final act.

My favorite of the group features Angelina Jolie, as the beautiful but high-maintenance Joan, and Ryan Phillippe as the aloof young man with a dark secret who seems immune to her obvious charms. Also worthy of note are Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands as an elderly couple dealing with both the looming specter a life-threatening medical condition and a long-simmering old argument as the pair prepare to renew their vows on their 40th wedding anniversary.

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Bond, James Bond

/ / Essays, Theme Week

In 1961 producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman set out to turn one of Ian Fleming‘s James Bond novels into a feature film.  Many were considered; one was chosen.  The list was long and extensive: Patrick McGoohan (The Prisoner), David Niven, James Mason, Roger Moore, and Cary Grant.

The role went instead to an unknown stage and television actor – Sean Connery, and the rest, as they say, is history.  Connery would go on to make five Bond films before leaving the role only to be called back after the Lanzenby film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service met with mixed reviews and the actor pulled out of a long term deal, paving the way for Connery to make one more Bond flick before saying goodbye to the character, for the second time, vowing never to play Bond Again.  He would return once more to reprise the role in a remake of a fan favorite Bond film in his final farewell to the Bond franchise Never Say Never Again.

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