Making a Killing: Why James Bond Is Forever Level 2 L Intermediate

Making a killing: why James Bond is forever Level 2 l Intermediate

1 Warmer

1. How many James Bond films can you name? 2. Which is your favourite Bond film? 3. Which is your least favourite Bond film? 4. Who was the best James Bond actor? Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig?

2 Key words

Fill the gaps in the sentences using these key words from the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

spin-off nostalgic stale quirk stunt retro slick box office inflation elaborate

1. If a film has earned a lot at the ______, it has sold a lot of tickets and is very successful. (para 1) 2. ______things are deliberately intended to be like clothes, music, films etc from the recent past. (para 3) 3. If you feel ______, you remember happy times in the past. (para 3) 4. If something is ______, it is no longer fresh or original. (para 6) 5. A ______production is done in a very impressive way that seems to need very little effort. (para 8) 6. ______is an economic process in which prices increase so that money becomes less valuable. (para 9) 7. A ______is something strange that happens for reasons that you do not know or understand. (para 10) 8. An ______production is very detailed and complicated. (para 11) 9. A ______is something dangerous, such as jumping from a building, that is done to entertain people, often as part of a film. (para 11) 10. A ______is a new product, service, television programme, game etc that is based on another one that already exists. (para 11)

3 Find the information

Find the following information in the text as quickly was possible. 1. How much have the Bond films earned at box offices around the world? 2. Who was the first actor to play James Bond? 3. When was the film Skyfall released? 4. Which actor will play Bond at least until Bond film number 25? 5. Who wrote the original James Bond stories? 6. What was the name of the first Bond film, released in 1961? •

© Macmillan Publishers Ltd 2015 NEWS LESSONS / Making a killing: why James Bond is forever / Intermediate FROM WEBSITE •PHOTOCOPIABLECAN BE DOWNLOADED Making a killing: why James Bond is forever Level 2 l Intermediate Making a killing: why James Bond of the Bond series has been one of ebb and flow, is forever revolving most obviously around the lead actor: first, Sean Connery; then, successively, George Andrew Pulver Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Brosnan 5 December, 2014 and, now, Craig. Each new Bond has been a response to the state of the series, and some have 1 James Bond films are one of the world’s longest been more successful than others. running and most successful film series, with 23 movies and more than $6bn earned at box offices 8 Lazenby only lasted a single film and Dalton’s two around the world. But James Bond shows no signs efforts, The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill, of slowing down. In fact, Bond is more popular were during a period in the late 80s when the 007 than ever, after the record-breaking performance of movie was eclipsed by more aggressive, slick Skyfall, which became the biggest ever film at the Hollywood action movies. According to Gant, “the UK box office in 2012, earning a total of $1.1bn. period of Roger Moore’s last films, and the Dalton period, didn’t really excite audiences. Brosnan was 2 For this reason, there was a lot of interest more successful commercially, but Craig has taken surrounding the announcement of a few more Bond to new levels. On the other hand, the early details about the 24th Bond film – especially its Bonds were incredibly commercial films, sexy and official title, Spectre. The number one question is: exciting, and there was very little like them.” can Spectre repeat Skyfall’s success? 9 Skyfall made more money than all the other Bond 3 Charles Gant, film editor for Heat magazine, films. However, the performance of some of the says it is heading in the right direction. “Skyfall 1960s films was almost as brilliant by comparison. If was a brilliant strategic move,” he says. “It was you adjust the figures for inflation, the 1965 release, simultaneously modern and retro. It appealed Thunderball, is only just below Skyfall, while to fans of Daniel Craig and it also engaged the Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice both did better older, more nostalgic Bond fans, who may have than the other Craig films (and the 70s Bonds, lost interest over the previous few films. With the The Spy Who Loved Me and Live and Let Die, did new title,” he adds, “it is certain to be a success.” better, too). By this calculation, Licence to Kill is the 4 It seems that Eon Productions, the company worst-performing of all Bonds, with Moore’s final originally founded in 1961 to make Dr No and that film, A View to a Kill, the second least successful. is behind all the “official” Bonds, is doing all it can 10 Nevertheless, the Bond brand has remained very to ensure another success – they are installing powerful over the years and Eon has had to fight the key creative talent behind Skyfall on Spectre. off attempts by rival companies to capitalize on the Daniel Craig will play Bond at least until film 25 popularity of the series. Through a quirk of rights and the same writers have produced the script. ownership, adaptations of Casino Royale (in 1967) 5 But it’s getting Sam Mendes as director again that and Thunderball (as Never Say Never Again, gives Bond fans the most hope. A director mainly in 1983) were released in competition with Eon known for character studies such as American productions. After legal disputes that continued for Beauty and Revolutionary Road, Mendes has taken many years, Eon now has full control of both books. the Bond series to new heights. Gant says: “Mendes 11 Martin Campbell was another experienced British managed to engage with both the modern and the director and he was able to plan one of the most traditional Bond audience, and he also attracted top elaborate stunts in Bond history. In the famous actors like Ralph Fiennes. Actors like Fiennes will opening scene of Goldeneye (released in 1995), only agree to be in a film if they like the director.” Bond freefalls into a pilotless light aeroplane. This 6 Though the Bond series was not in trouble before scene really helped modernize the series and Mendes’s arrival – and Craig’s – there was a certain increase its popularity. Moreover, a whole new amount of staleness towards the end of Pierce generation was reached through a hugely successful Brosnan’s time as Bond. The series had survived Goldeneye video-game spin-off, which made a the drying up of original Bond stories to adapt, and significant contribution to perceptions that the Bond the movies were no longer anything like the Ian film was no longer stale and old-fashioned. Fleming originals, but they were lacking dynamism. © Guardian News and Media 2014 7 This cycle, however, was nothing new: the history First published in The Guardian, 05/12/14 •

4 Comprehension check

There is an error in each of these statements about the text. Correct the errors.

1. Goldeneye was the biggest ever film at the UK box office. 2. After adjustments for inflation, Skyfall was the second most successful Bond film. 3. Skyfall was described as ‘a brilliant strategic move’ because it was both nostalgic and retro. 4. George Lazenby played the part of James Bond in two films. 5. A View to a Kill is the worst-performing of all the Bond films. 6. A hugely successful Goldeneye film spin-off made people think the Bond film was no longer stale and old-fashioned.

5 Find the word

Find the following words and phrases in the text. The paragraph numbers are given to help you.

1. an adverb meaning happening at the same time (para 3) 2. a two-word phrasal verb meaning make an effort to understand and deal with someone (para 5) 3. a two-word phrasal verb meaning stop being available (para 6) 4. a three-word noun phrase meaning a situation that keeps changing between two states (para 7) 5. a verb meaning make something seem less successful or important by becoming more successful or important than it (para 8) 6. a two-word phrasal verb meaning use an event or a situation to help you achieve something or to get an advantage (para 10) 7. a verb meaning fall quickly through the air before opening your parachute (para 11) 8. a noun in the plural meaning the ways people understand or think about something (para 11)

6 Verb + noun collocations

Match the verbs in the left-hand column with the nouns or noun phrases in the right-hand column.

1. release a. an audience 2. lose b. dynamism 3. ensure c. a contribution 4. lack d. a film 5. make e. interest 6. engage f. success

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7 Word-building

Complete the table using words from the text.

verb noun 1. perform 2. announce 3. own 4. perceive 5. respond 6. adapt

8 Discussion

• Do you like James Bond films? Why? Why not? • What kind of films do you like? Why do you like these films? • Do you go to the cinema? Why? Why not?

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2 Key words 5 Find the word

1. box office 1. simultaneously 2. retro 2. engage with 3. nostalgic 3. dry up 4. stale 4. ebb and flow 5. slick 5. eclipse 6. inflation 6. capitalize on 7. quirk 7. freefall 8. elaborate 8. perceptions 9. stunt 10. spin-off 6 Verb + noun collocations

3 Find the information 1. d 2. e 1. $6bn 3. f 2. Sean Connery 4. b 3. 2012 5. c 4. Daniel Craig 6. a 5. Ian Fleming 6. Dr No 7 Word-building

4 Comprehension check 1. performance 2. announcement 1. Skyfall was the biggest ever film at the UK 3. ownership box office. 4. perception 2. After adjustments for inflation, Thunderball was 5. response the second most successful Bond film. 6. adaptation 3. Skyfall was described as ‘a brilliant strategic move’ because it was both modern and retro. 4. George Lazenby played the part of James Bond in one film. 5. Licence to Kill is the worst-performing of all the Bond films. 6. A hugely successful Goldeneye video-game spin-off made people think the Bond film was no longer stale and old-fashioned.

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