Of all the old Sean Connery-James Bond films, Goldfinger is one of my favorites. The plot makes some kind of sense, the villain is properly evil (nothing “misunderstood” or “I see his point” about Mr. Goldfinger) and it features one of the coolest assassinations ever: death by skin suffocation, or death by gold paint (a plot point which has since been debunked). Goldfinger also features a kickass theme song (love Shirley Bassey) and one of the best-named villainess/heroines in Ian Fleming’s canon: Pussy Galore. You haven’t lived until you’ve heard Sean Connery work out her name with his thick Scottish accent.

Anyway, Pussy Galore was played by English actress Honor Blackman. Blackman turns 90 years old this year, and she’s still working and she still has opinions about the Bond franchise and everything. And unlike Roger Moore, Blackman doesn’t have a problem with the way James Bond has changed over the years and how he will continue to change. Blackman gave a lengthy interview to The Daily Mirror about Bond and much more. Some highlights:

Her thoughts on Daniel Craig: “I’m sorry to say he’s a better actor – but I think Sean would acknowledge that. I think Dan is terrific. He’s capable of so much more. Sean was perfection as Bond only as Ian Fleming wrote it. He was a Mr Universe entrant, he was handsome and very, very sexy and had that ridiculous accent. Now it’s no longer like Ian Fleming, it’s more like The Bourne Identity. It’s a different kind of film. But that doesn’t make any difference to the fact they’re super films and Daniel is probably the best actor that ever played Bond.”

James Bond has evolved: “You’re talking to somebody who is terribly biased. Ian Fleming wrote a certain character and it was fun when we accepted he was a misogynist and a brutal fellow, but we loved him just the same. But nowadays, unfortunately, we find that totally unacceptable. Now he has to love somebody, he has to care about women, he has to do all the things Fleming never intended.”

She thinks a black James Bond would be awesome: “I think he can be anything he likes. Why can’t he be a black man? You have to be a good actor and you’ve got to be a very attractive man – that’s half the battle – otherwise you can’t play Bond.”

She’s against the monarchy & the Tories: In 2002 the republican turned down the offer of a CBE. Though she’s a traditional Lib Dem voter she says her sympathies could lie with Labour. “The Conservatives bend like mad to the money and they can’t help it – they’re all those kinds of people.”

[From The Mirror]

Damn, I hope I’m as cool as Honor Blackman when I’m her age. She feels very… spicy. And like she actually pays attention to pop culture and societal trends, enough to reference the Jason Bourne films and talk about Daniel Craig’s abilities as an actor. She’s very sharp. I agree with her that Daniel is a better actor than Sean Connery, but I’m not sure if Daniel is the best actor to every play Bond. Pierce Brosnan was and is a very good actor. Timothy Dalton is a good actor too. Lord, I hope Honor Blackman lives long enough to see Idris Elba playing James Bond!

Photos courtesy of WENN.

One of the biggest disappointments from the Mad Men press tour is that Jon Hamm hasn’t had the chance to sit down and tell more hard truths about how he thinks Kim Kardashian is a “f—king idiot” and we shouldn’t celebrate that kind of car-crash celebrity nonsense. I’ve been wondering if Hamm has been trying to avoid pissing people off in general, maybe because he just got out of rehab and maybe because he’s worried about the next stage of his career.

But whatever, that’s not the point of this story. The point is that at least one Mad Men cast member appreciates Kim Kardashian. That cast member? It’s not who I would expect: Vincent Kartheiser! Despite the fact that Vincent ended up marrying major TV sweetheart Alexis Bledel, he doesn’t really pay attention to celebrity culture or schmoozing or kissing ass, that sort of thing. He doesn’t seem to have much interest in any of that beyond his work. We don’t really know what he does in his spare time, because he won’t say. And that’s by design. He doesn’t want to reveal too much, which is why he’s grateful for people like Kim Kardashian.

Around the 42-minute mark of The Mark Shapiro Podcast, Vincent Kartheiser explained that appreciates those who are willing to put themselves out there (and thus, “pay the consequences”).

“Thank God for Kim Kardashian,” he said. “Because, really, she does something that actors haven’t wanted to do for decades, which is to put her personal life on display. And she does it freely. And she takes a lot of burden off of other actors. And for that, she does a great service for us.”

[From Uproxx]

He makes a good point, actually. Kim is desperate for attention and she will sell, shill and pimp anything and anyone for even a sliver of attention. And thus, she takes the heat off the celebrities/actors who don’t want to shill any part of their private life. Kim Kardashian has gone from “gossip filler” to “legit gossip” (and sometimes she’s even the biggest story of the day). Well said, Vincent.

Photos courtesy of WENN.

Way back in 2012, Dean’s first post was about… well… Mimi of course. And, specifically, it was about how Mimi has basically trademarked Christmas. Like it BELONGS to her. Click here to read the rules of a Mimi Christmas.

So why did it take this long for a Mimi Christmas movie to happen?

N…      

Oprah Winfrey eating a Baltimore crab cake on a private plane, in case you ever wondered if it’s good to be Oprah.

Had my favorite Baltimore’s Best crab cake delivered. You can too. Worth it! @Pappascrabcakes

A photo posted by Oprah (@oprah) on

…      

Brad Pitt was in New Orleans yesterday working on The Big Short. He has a supporting role in the film with Christian Bale and Ryan Gosling and he’s also producing. Check him out arriving to set, his beard as grey as we’ve ever seen it. Greyer than ever actually? I wonder how long it’s going to st…      

Finally. Madonna’s Ghosttown video. As of this writing, I’ve only looked at it once so there may be notes to pick up later but you already know how I feel about the song – it’s one of the strongest, if not the strongest, on the album. A proper power ballad. And we haven’t had one from her in a wh…      

Mischa Barton is in a strange spot career-wise. She’s not old enough to be “forgotten” but she’s not relevant enough to come up as a casting choice. Basically her trade is horror movies and traveling theatre productions. I wondered why she hadn’t tried a CW show but in fact she has, in 2012. It d…      

Mischa Barton is in a strange spot career-wise. She’s not old enough to be “forgotten” but she’s not relevant enough to come up as a casting choice. Basically her trade is horror movies and traveling theatre productions. I wondered why she hadn’t tried a CW show but in fact she has, in 2012. It d…      

The act. The location of said act. Johnny Depp would probably think that’s cool (Dlisted)

Not my favourite dress on Freida Pinto (Just Jared)

More nominations for Benedict Cumberbatch (Cele|bitchy)

The new Kate Upton (The Superficial)

Lindsay Lohan wants a businessman. So basi…      

The act. The location of said act. Johnny Depp would probably think that’s cool (Dlisted)

Not my favourite dress on Freida Pinto (Just Jared)

More nominations for Benedict Cumberbatch (Cele|bitchy)

The new Kate Upton (The Superficial)

Lindsay Lohan wants a businessman. So basi…