007 just keeps getting better By Garth McLennan (z Friday the 14", the 22" James Bond installment was released: Quantum of Solace. If you liked Casino Royale, you will absolutely love Quantum of Solace. This movie is pure action. Car chases, boat chases, plane chases, a parkour running chase that rivals the one from the last film, ridiculously cool and bad-ass fight scenes and the best Bond of all time in Daniel Craig make Quantum of Solace the best action movie of 2008... just after The Dark Knight. The plot of Quantum of Solace is simple and straight to the point; it picks up immediately after Casino Royale finishes, with Bond, played by Daniel Craig, hunting down the people who murdered his girlfriend, Vesper. As the film progresses, Bond keeps getting darker and wilder, and it culminates with M, played once again by Judi Dench, attempting to remove him from MI6. Needless to say, that plan doesn’t go over particularly well with Bond. Daniel Craig, who first appeared as Bond in Casino Royale, replacing Peirce Brosnan, has done for the Bond franchise what Christian Bale has done for Batman. Both are blockbuster enterprises that got stale and silly before receiving a reboot and a sharp new style and direction. Like Bale as Batman, Craig is the perfect fit for James Bond, and again, like Bale, he brings something new to the character. Before Craig and.after Sean Connery, Bond has predominantly been played by actors who are much more suave, slick and not as tough. Craig brings a completely different style to Bond. In Quantum of Solace there are no over-the-top gadgets, no trick watches, still no Q or Moneypenny, no famous “the name’s Bond, James Bond” line, and believe it or not, Bond only gets laid once in the movie, and not even by the lead female character. They do set up Bond’s taste for shaken, not stirred martinis in a very cool scene, but other than that. for the most part, Quantum of Solace departs from the typical Bond format. Like Casino Royale, the newest James Bond film has a terrific villain that is really easy to hate. There are still plenty of cars that everyone wishes they had and Bond still traverses around the globe, but this Bond definitely stands out from the rest. Craig performs most of his own stunts in Quantum of Solace. To get a vision for the absolutely incredible action scenes in this movie, consider this: Craig, who sustained several injuries while filming Casino Royale, claimed that his first experience as Bond was a “walk in the park” compared to what he had to do for Quantum of Solace. To properly prepare himself for the role, Craig took lessons in boxing, practiced running stunts and learned how to race speedboats and stunt drive, but it was still a physical task. Craig suffered numerous injuries on the set of Quantum of Solace. He required minor plastic surgery at one point, — had to have his face closed up with eight stitches after taking a kick to the head more than a little too hard, and even sliced off the tip of his pinky finger, which was, luckily, able to be re-attached. Quantum of Solace is a tremendous way to kick off the winter movie season. It is an action packed thrill ride, literally from start to finish that never gets wearing or gets stuck in “down periods.” Without a doubt, Craig and producer Michael J. Wilson have done a masterful job of making James Bond one of the world’s premier movie franchises once again. Chloé Bach arts@theotherpress.ca “i White Spot By Garth McLennan I, might not be unique to New Westminster, but White Spot at the local Royal City Center mall is a good a place to find a quality meal as any. As you would expect from a major restaurant chain, the food at White Spot is tried and true. The hamburgers are some of the best you’ll find anywhere, with all the credit going to their legendary Triple O sauce. Honestly, that stuff is like a drug. I don’t know what they make it with, but I can’t get enough of it. Their French fries are out of this world. And their desserts, well, let’s just say that I would go to White Spot just for their dessert menu. After having just one of their hot fudge brownies, I momentarily think Jesus might really be reborn... But just for a second. Pricewise, there are definitely other joints out there that are more affordable. However, with White Spot you are pretty much guaranteed a solid lunch or dinner at a reasonable rate. The service is generally friendly and helpful, and the actual restaurant itself is clean and up- to-date. It’s a pretty classy place! Leather seats, a fully loaded bar and a nice atmosphere make White Spot a safe bet any time you’re hungry. Also, the ambiance at White Spot is better than you might expect. In general it’s a perfect place for an enjoyable time with family or friends, especially since there is enough of a variety on the White Spot menu to appeal to almost everyone. The Piano Man Mae Holland, a Douglas College graduate, is venturing into today’s music industry behind his piano, with a casual kind of optimism and a dash of British sound. “T enjoy tickling the ivories,” he started. “I mean I haven’t always. My life in music started around the age of eight when my mother first introduced me to the piano. The ensuing nine years of lessons had its dull moments, like lessons tend to. Now, in recent years, I have come to find my groove, and the writing part of music is probably my favourite. It’s in the writing of the music where I find myself; the whole process becomes an outlet for expression. I mean I would rather, as I said before, tickle the ivories than cry on my mother’s shoulder.” You could tell that he enjoyed what he did for what it actually was: just music. This became clearer after I asked, “are sex and drugs motives for creating music?” “It’s not at all like that,” he said with a smile. “I mean, back when I was single, sure I hoped music would clash By Brendan Braun with sex, but now music has become more than that. I don’t really look into the future concerning myself with what I want to come of my music. If anything, I just want to keep playing small gigs and maybe make a couple of demos. Then I am just going to let the industry do its thing. If it takes me, then it takes me. You know what I mean?” I assured him I did; however, I felt as if 1 was more wrapped up in the idea of fame than he was. He looked comfortable up on stage and he sounded comfortable after his 40 minute set. “T’ve been in three bands in the past. None have felt as right as the one I feel like I am in today. Communication is ‘key,’ and the sound we as a band make represents that. In the past I have felt more so under the gun, because I think the pianist stands out in a unique way, and its sound and presence is very noticeable, so any wrong note or poor contribution made by me, I was responsible. But if you find yourself with the right band, you’ll find that each member improves the other.” Holland goes on to explain certain insecurities that are inherent to the business when he states “Worries I once had don’t seem to bother me as much. I really like the way we sound.” On a lighter note, and to avoid sounding too professional, I jokingly asked him how the pay was, as if it mattered. He laughed and then replied, “It’s great; they pay us in 20 minute intervals of attention and maybe a beer or two.” Matt Holland is one part of what he calls, “a really cohesive unit” named Interzone. Interzone exudes a style similar to British juggernauts Radiohead and the Stone Roses, and can be seen playing small gigs and the odd open mic in the Tri-Cities. You can view their material for yourself on their Facebook page, “Interzone fan group.”