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James Bond's 'Q' Dies
Pzykotic writes "The great actor Desmond Llewelyn, who played Q in all but 2 Bond films died in a head-on car crash in England today at age 85. I loved that guy, he will be sorely missed." Here's the BBC story. 72 readers submitted this news before we got it posted, so obviously Mr. Llewelyn was a bit of a geek icon, eh? Update: 12/19 07:51 by CT : I just watched Thunderball last night. God he was cool.
Don't touch that bond, its my Lunch :)
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
Surely OHMSS was a great bond film?
But he did not want to retire. During an interview on an Australian TV show not too long ago (October?), he mentioned that he would like to do some more Bond movies in the future, with John Cleese as his 'assistant'
Where does my reply indicate that I did't read his post?
He also mentioned that Pierce Brosnan was better then Sean Connery at playing Bond! :)
Damn fine bit of useless tech. The sheer dumbness was immortalised in Hitch Hikers when one of Arthur's arm comes adrift. This leaves him without the ability to tell the time.
My favourite was the theft alarm installed on the Lotus !
Vale Desmond....a part of my life for longer than I care to remember.
Life is just a bowl of All Bran - Small Faces
If you're driving a pickup truck, and they're driving a civic, you'll fair much better. In a head-on collision, the smaller car gets it worst.
It sounds like the other driver is at fault...
he has requested that his (and the name of his, er, "female companion") not be released.
The wrath of geeks aside, that is not the action of an innocent man.
In these days when so many people seem to think it acceptable to vent their feelings without any attempt to discover the facts, any sane person who is in any way connected with the death of a celebrity will want their identity withheld from the masses. When you have been in a serious road accident, the last thing you need is to be inundated with hate mail. Considering the weather conditions in the UK this weekend, I would wait for some real evidence before pointing any fingers.
Desmond Llewelyn will be missed by many, but perhaps we should also think of the other people who died in road accidents in the UK this weekend (BBC report).
Chill out, buddy. It was a mere joke. And, it should have been obvious to that guy that it was a joke. I mean -
"he, in his hubris, has decided that he has the right to sacrifice children on the twin altars of autism and greed."
No one honestly thinks that about Q.
It was funny because he thought that it was an actual post, disagreed with sheer nonsense, and tried to get into a debate about the veracity of said sheer nonsense.
Hey dipshit, if you're gonna be insensitive, at least get the words right!
..but in a friggin car crash?? Guess the headlight-mounted Stinger missiles didn't do the trick.
Um, I don't think you are referring to the correct person. If you would bother to hit the reload button, you would notice that the comments have been removed from the main body on /. Of course you can always see all of them by going to, the link on the far side of '__ of __ comments' It just means that the dumb crap has been moderated into oblivion.
He was like he was in the movies. I met him in (geek heaven) CES 98 in Vegas. He stopped signing photographs and turned to a chap from Ericsson: "I'm not signing any more until you get me a pint of Guinness. It's in my contract, you know". A charming man
Sure, he was the best !!! =]
//ConPHuze
Is that my wife asked me last night while watching Tomorrow Never Dies if he had died/retired.
She's a little freaked out now...
Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. -John Lennon
Okay, cool. I'm just saying that you possibly could have found a better place to play with the letter generator. I did with my friends when I found it. Just think though, the guy that was disagreeing with you was the one that felt bad that he didn't talk with Q before he died! I mean, we don't want the poor guy to kill himself! I'm just joking too, of course. I personally think it would have been much funnier to post a complaint letter about Hemos in the 'Vendetta' section. A lot of people were irate that he didn't take into consideration that there is no QT decompression for Linux. You could have stirred some real shit there! That would be funny. I'm just saying that people dying isn't funny, well, not usually. Have you ever heard of the Darwin awards?
um the 30 year old was the female companion of the driver of the OTHER car. it appears your reading skills are just lacking.
Um, where you say, 'Why do you think I didn't read your post?' Unless that wasn't you. This AC thing is terribly confusing. Especially so, with two of us having the same name. I've really got to bite the bullet and register.
I don't think the idea of deleting an offensive comment, even if generated by a computer application, violates our freedom of speech. However, it violates our freedom to choose what we think is appropriate in our own minds to view. We don't need Slashdot to choose what's unsuitable for our eyes. It's censorship, man- there's NO way we should allow that!
On a sidenote, I must state that Mr. Llewelyn WILL be sorely missed, and any inane comments bashing his tragic death should be disregarded anyway... LOUSY PUNKS!
Afro Ryan
I don't know anything about the actor personally, especially his politics. While I wasn't sure what you meant about the, "child sacrifices on the altar of autism" it wasn't to hard to imagine what the, "altar of gread" part might be about. Perhaps I should have dismissed your post as a joke, the problem is that I don't think it's funny.
>You killed Q. May the good Lord have mercy upon you.
:)
Oh my God, I killed Q! Well, I'm sure he'll be back in the next film. In more than one way
Chris.
Good point. In any way, I share the guilt of killing Q with the 200,000-odd people in my town who also didn't see the signing. Diffusion of responsibility makes me feel better ;)
But still, it's true. An extra ten seconds talking to someone - anyone - probably would have saved his life. Man, now I *am* depressed.. *sighs*
Merry Christmas etc, peeps.
Chris.
Agreed. Trying to blame someone sets minds at rest a little, but I'm fairly sure that 'blame' can't be attributed in this case. It's been icy over here, hundreds of accidents, you get the idea. Just a bad throw of the random dice of life :(
Chris.
I've actually seen it, but considering the way they have chopped and changed characters in the past, who knows what will happen!
John will probably make a good Q, but I can see other actors that would be quite good in the part, expecially those who already have scientific bent, and a possible comedy angle.
Possible scenario (whch could indeed start a whole new film) could have the science facility being destroyed by some terrorist group/whatever, and Bond goes out for revenge... "Q's Revenge".. who knows.. they've come out with some weirder stuff before! Anything is possible.
It sounds like the other driver is at fault...
he has requested that his (and the name of his,
er, "female companion") not be released.
The wrath of geeks aside, that is not the
action of an innocent man.
Carefree highway, let me slip away on you.
A shame he never got to use his new fishing boat.
Seriously, he was a great contributor to the whole Bond mythos and will be missed.
No sig? Sigh...
Man, he was the best part of some of those movies. He will be missed sorely. I know he was retiring, but it's still tragic that he died, of course -- if he was anything at all like the character he played, he'd have been a great person to be around.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-brain
...that they introduced his successor in the latest film.
He will be missed.
That really stinks...I just Llewelyn in an interview with E just the other day about The World Is Not Enough.
Rather stinks that he died in a car accident on the way home after a book signing (right?). Bet the person who got into the crash with him feels like a piece of crap now.
Jazilla.org - the Java Mozilla
It's 10 PM. Do you know if you're un-American?
No co-incidence that he was in Chitty - since Ian Fleming wrote that book - and it had Cubby Brocoli in the production staff.
First they burn books, then they burn people.
It's sad, no doubt. But isn't it odd that they just introduced John Cleese as his successor? That, and the sly "getaway" as he descended from Bond's presence. Coincidence?
(Planting the conspiracy theory seed early)
'Now Bond, listen very carefully... this is the pen that goes "neee! neee! neee! ekkie ekkie ekkie ffffkang"'
But it looks like they picked the right time to bring in John Cleese as his replacement.
Au revoir, Q!
and that the impression I certainly got from the last film was that it was his last as Q anyway. I'll certainly miss him.
Rest in Peace Desmond.
Gary
fuckin' communisses!
Here's a CNN article on it as well
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn
"You should never have your best trousers on when you turn out to fight for freedom and truth."
-Henrik Ib
What were the odds? He shoots like 5 minutes every movie (1 every 2 years).
Anyway.. Maybe some comunist captures him to find out about the technology that Bonds uses, and kills him (or Q takes one of those pils to die)..
--
--
Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
I remember him from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.
Here's a listing of what he did.
The difference between Canada and the USA is that in Canada healthcare is a right and gun ownership is a privilege.
Just when I thought you were ready to come out and play with the rest of the children. . .
You go and do something silly.
Seriously, I thought that you had an actual topic worth discussing, and wanted to engage you in it. I think that would have been more fun than making yet another letter. I really don't understand what satisfaction you or any of your bretheren (sp?) derive from trolling. Please explain it to me.
As others have said, Llewelyn was the constant in the series; everyone else has changed. I think the current M actress has had the part longer than any other, one Money Penny actress had a long run at it but there have been 3 different ones in the last four movies
Judi Dench, the actress who played M in the past three films, held the part of Money Penny in every other film. This makes her the only actor to appear in all 19 Bond films. Also, Money Penny has been played by Samantha Bond since Dench moved to M, therefore, there has only been once since then.
.
-- open source? sounds like the real book --
I hope Cleese will be able to stay on as long as Llewelyn did, and I also hope the other actors (like the one that plays M) stick around for a long time.
But not the Bond character - I like Brosnan as Bond, but I don't want another case of 'A View To A Kill', in which Roger Moore played Bond at a time when he was 58 (!).
M was played consistantly by Bernard Lee from Dr. No through Moonraker (11 times)
:-) :-)
And Lois Maxwell, not Dench, was Moneypenny through all the Connery's and Moore's (and the Lazenby)
I was just going from memory; it didn't occur to me to pop over to IMD and check. But then again, I wasn't expecting my post to get uped to a score of 5.
I guess the point I wanted to make is Bond's family (M, Monney Penny, Q) add a lot to the series and it helps if they keep the same actor in the role for a long period of time. I also like how M was one of the main charachters in TWINE instead of a beaurcrat behind a dsk.
We can second-guess ourselves too the max, but a chaotic universe where a butterfly's flight can influence a hurricane days later is just too damn complicated for us to bear responsibilities for such "If only"s.
Tom Swiss | the infamous tms | my blog
You cannot wash away blood with blood
And even if he were to agree with the material made thereafter (you would have to be drunk or high at this point) he should have to express them himself.
That's exactly what I'm saying. However, I disagree with your statement that he should form his own opinions. While this ideally would be true, do you really think, for example, that politicians write their own speeches?
But not the Bond character - I like Brosnan as Bond, but I don't want another case of 'A View To A Kill', in which Roger Moore played Bond at a time when he was 58 (!).
Probably should have mentioned that. IMHO, Bond should be played by someone in his late 30's or 40's, which is why you don't want to change the rest of the cast any more than you have to.
I hope you'll agree that /. has been posting WAY too may obits recently. I also stirred some shit in the Ventedda section. I was part of the world's longest thread!
My god. Live to see 85 and then die in a car crash. Poor man. He will be missed indeed.
overt support of colonialism
gimme a break! no one thinks of Q as supporting colonialism. you're treading water here...
I don't get it. Where are all the typical Slashdot comments? Why aren't people calling for the British government to open-source his old gadget diagrams? Beowolf clusters of his watches?
It's just disorienting to see this forum exercising decorum, is all...
I did read his post, but he suggested I didn't. I was asking him why he thought I hadn't.
While I think that your use of "go out with a bang" as a pun is tasteless, I do see some validity to your comment. You see, it is a little known fact that Q knew too much about the British Parliament, and feared for his own life as well as his family's. It is rumored that he could no longer deal with living in fear and ended his own life.
Mr Showbiz has some more interesting background information, including Llewelyn's opinion on the actors playing Bond:
2 19/QDies121999.html
http://mrshowbiz.go.com/news/Todays_Stories/991
I understand your point. The difference is however that people writting speeches are inherently different from this program. Furthermore, politicians read their material over. Lastly, you, '. . .dissagree with your statement that he should have to form his own opinions.' That is a scary proposition. Do you remember 'The Life of Brian'? In it, Brian is mistaken for Jesus, and upon observing how mindless all of the people following him are, he screams out, 'You must all learn to think for yourselves!' To which the masses respond, quite zombie like, 'Yes. . . we must all learn to think for ourseleves. . .' Simply agreeing with something doesn't explain why you agree with it. The material should be used for puroposes of proof, within an independent opinion. For instance he could have said, 'I think that Q is a dictator! Look, this is what other people have to say!' And if that were removed, then there would be a violation of freedom of speech. By parallel, I'm sure you would have no qualms about the entire bible being removed from the site, if someone decided to post it. The point is that there is no opinion being formed in the pure regugitation of material. If however, someone were to say, 'CmdrTaco is the devil! Look it says so in (insert bible referrence here)!' there would be a problem in deletion, because the poor bible study student was expressing his opinion. He was exercising his right to free speech. Regurgition is not formation of opinion.
Too bad. This cat is the "prototypical" geek. He always had disdain for Bonds philandering ways. Seeya Old Chap.
Argh no! Cleese really sucked! It was some cameo role where he played upon the so-called humour of his Monty Python days. Like everyone else here, I thought The Holy Grail film was excellent, but Cleese is NOT funny. All he does is ridiculous things yet managing to keep a straight face, and that makes him funny? No. He should keep out of James Bond, otherwise the film will become more about him than the action itself. And that last Bond Girl (nuclear physicist) REALLY couldn't act! Not that this matters to a great number of people here, I am sure.
You're such an insensitive prick.
Movie "Secret Life of Ian Fleming" (movie also known as "Spymaker") http://us.imdb.com/Title?0100567 was a TV movie made in 1990 and it is available on video. It is about the life of the author Ian Fleming, who himself was a spy for a while. It shows Ian's friend Quincy the gadgetmaker. It seems that the character of "Q" was based (in part) on the real-life Quincy. And obviously, James Bond was based (in part) on Ian himself. Not sure how accurate the film is, but it is interesting to see the adventures of Ian Fleming as a young man and his friend Quincy the gadgetmaker. Interestingly, the actor who plays Ian Fleming in this movie is Jason Connery, (Sean Connery's son). Off-topic note: Jason Connery played young Merlin in the 1998 TV movie.
...that is to say, that people can't reasonably be expected to be responsible for effects of chance (okay, not chance, but a sufficiently chaotic/unpredictable system). At least, this is my reading, and I consider it quite valid.
So this post wasn't necessarily an attempt to be funny; Don't berate it for its failure to do so.
I didn't have time for all of that, unfortunately. I don't know about all of the obituaries. I quess that I don't really pay attention to them. I really don't care. But I still think it's way harsh to say something like, 'Mutha-fuckah deserved it!' I mean, we don't even know the poor guy. In the same vein, it's kinda uncool to make a complaint letter about the guy. Plus it was kinda fun ruining your fun, sorry. But whatever, it's no big deal.
Stay cool, man.
The thing that makes me mad is that all this crap appears to be put up by only one, two or possible three kiddies. Sad, really... but that's the price we pay for freedom of speech. I just wish we'd have a better way to cope with it.
Now for my suggestion (listen up, Cmdr)... a kill button by each post, if a certain ratio of views/clicks is reached the post goes bye bye (or at least automatic -1).
-----
Do you even know anything about perl? -- AC Replying to Tom Christiansen post.
Does anyone know any more details on what caused that crash?
When something like this happens I'm always a bit curious as to why. Just for my own knowledge base of things to watch out for.
I mean, was the other driver drunk? Was he? Was it foggy out that night?
Sorry to all of the literary zealots out there, I spelled 'regurgite' and its derivatives wrong, twice.
Eh? I'd never heard of that one! Actually I got the idea for my handle from someone else's e-mail addy. It just seemed so cool.
>Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see that your URL points to a real registered domain. I take it that's Japanese--what does it mean?
"Black Rose Kodachi." It's a character from the manga/anime "Ranma 1/2" by Rumiko Takahashi. I highly recommend it. Gotta work on that page soon, though; that's my resolution for the coming year.
>PS: My condolences to all Llewyllen's loved ones. Q, you will be missed.
Amen to that.
--Sith Lord Jesus, not logged in at the moment so this comment will appear in the proper order.
>Judi Dench, the actress who played M in the past three films, held the part of Money Penny in every other film.
No she didn't. Judi Dench has only appeared in the Brosnan Bond films, and only in the role of 'M'.
Moneypenny was played by Lois Maxwell in every (official) Bond film from 'Dr No' until 'A View to a Kill'; Bernard Lee played 'M' from 'Dr No' until 'Moonraker'.
See IMDB.
Now you can probably get them in cereal boxes.
2 proofs of purchase and $1.99 for s+h brings you an Iron Giant digital watch...
(not for me, for my kid)
Are you sure Judi Dench, who is one of the best Brit actor today, played Money Penny?!? She was really doing MGM favorite by appearing on those 3 awful spy/leg/gadgetry flicks. There are 5 actresses played Ms Moneypenny according to imdb.
CY
Why? Because he was getting on a bit and everyone has to retire at some point. Though I wonder if he had been alive for the next film, if they would have had his retirement on screen or simply have John Cleese take over straight away. Brad
Well, theres been about 6 obits in the past few days. Don't get me wrong - Q was very cool. I'm going to insert a few lines of silence out of respect for the man.
There we go. He was a great actor, and he made the Bond movies cool. Anyway, keep on rockin' (the boat).
Yeah but john cleese has bloody big feet. Brad
Nah the next guy should also be "Q". "Q" is a position/job title, not a name. Just as "M" is always "M". Brad
Bzzzzzt - Dame Judi Dench was never Moneypenny - that role has belonged to Lois Maxwell since Dr No up to View to a Kill. M, currently played by Judi Dench, was originally played by Bernard Lee, who played M up to Moonraker.
MrCreosote Meow!Thump!Meow!Thump!Meow!Thump! "You're right! There isn't enough room to swing a cat in here!"
I've seen his Heineken ads on TBS (TNT?) and thought they were a hoot.
:-) :-) :-)
I've also thought that a special film that ONLY consisted of his briefings to the various incarnations (is he a Time Lord or WHAT) of James Bond would be wonderful- especially for techies to watch. His dry delivery was too good for words.
I just hope that the other car wasn't driven by John Cleese, looking for a promotion
Hopefully Cleese will be able to carry the load in the future- but it can't help him that we've got such high expectations for subtle wit...
-soup (GNUrd, Speaker to Machines) "Laugh at yourself- Why should everyone else have all the fun?" -Romanchek's 6th Ru
Well, admittedly no one can truely replace Desmond as Q, but John Cleese will make a wonderful successor. He has the wit, and the sarcasm to deal with the childish antics of 007. Oh well, Desmond is up in heaven right now...I can almost hear him saying "Now pay attention God. this here is standard mark 4 universe complete with the usuall refinements. Stars, planets, pulsars...DON'T TOUCH THAT! That's a black hole creator"
-- Wiccan Army, 13th Airborne Division "We will not fly silently into the night"
well hopefully it's up for a name change because "Escape 2000" has been used at least twice before, notably as one of the funnier MST3K Mike episodes......and starring Henry Silva!
you are ordered to LEAVE THE BRONX!!
So, as the others have remarked, chill!
-- open source? sounds like the real book --
What, the ejector seat didn't work?
For dedication, how about putting his funeral in a Bond movie? Celebrating death of both Q and actor in one shot... After all, he said he wanted footage of his death in a Bond movie if possible...
The films which have been done by United Artists (now MGM/UA) are considered the "Real" Bond series.
Please don't use "real" where "official" would be better.
The other Bond films have a character called James Bond and are substantially based on works by Ian Fleming, so they're as "real" as any other 007 movie. They just aren't part of the EON "official" continuity (such as it is).
----
lake effect weblog
{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
Both howardpj and scudsucker are incorrect.
M was played consistantly by Bernard Lee from Dr. No through Moonraker (11 times); when Lee died in 1981, they filled in once (For Your Eyes Only) with a Minister of Defense (Geoffrey Keen), not an "M", then Robert Brown played M in Octopussy, View to a Kill, and Dalton's two (Living Daylights, License to Kill). Dame Judi Dench came aboard along with Brosnan (so she's been M less times than any one else who has been M, though she's been given more to do with the role than the others put together).
And Lois Maxwell, not Dench, was Moneypenny through all the Connery's and Moore's (and the Lazenby); Caroline Bliss was in Dalton's two, and Samantha Bond has been in Brosnan's three.
When in doubt, check with imdb. I did.
Mashed potatoes can be your friends!
Somebody on alt.fan.james-bond said it best:
God had a mission and needed his help.
We'll miss you, Des. Without you, how will 007 ever grow up?
----
lake effect weblog
{Network engineer in Chicago--looking for work!}
I actually consider Q a better job than 00? agent.
Less violence. More technology. More luxurious deadlines. shorter commute. More comfortable cloths.
The only downside is that you need to recreate female company while _foo_ duty ( as opposed to when Bond dose it ).
Did I mention that I want to be 'Q' ? I have a thing for the technical genius in the background. Scotty or Laforge on Star Track and Forge in the X Men. You didn't think my name was original now ?
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
Am I a bad omen? I JUST saw The world is not enough yesterday afternoon. I loved Desmond and all, but this is just too freaky!
"...and postin me too like some brain at AOL-er" -- Wierd Al
sorry... i mean his role as Q IN james bond
I caught an interview of him a couple years ago, and the funny thing that sticks out in my mind he said was something about how he actually didn't know a damn thing about gadgets, and hadn't ever really had that crazy an interest. He went on to say how he had no idea how most electronics worked, and I think thats why he liked to play the part.
Now that's cool.
commando...
comm...
WHAT A STUD!!! at least he went out in style!
I did NOT mean for "go out with a bang" to be a pun at all... It didn't even register that it could be interpreted that way, but now that I see it, I apologize. I meant that he wanted to end his life with some control, not just slowly dwindling in both popularity and will to live.
No, you are just Crazy.... I dont think this a itme to be thinking of conspiracy theories... He was just a kind old man who will be missed by many.
I was hoping that when he finally went, it would be peacefully in his sleep at 110. That he went in a car accident just makes this all the more sad. Q would have had an escape hatch or an ejection seat, y'know? Or he would have been faking his death in order for Bond to find out who was trying to kill him while the assasin had his guard down. . .but of course, reality isn't like that. We'll miss you, Mr. Llewelyn. You were easily full half of what made the Bond films worth watching.
The two James Bond films which aren't part of that series are Casino Royale (1967, Quite a number of people playing 007) and Never Say Never Again (1983, Sean Connery as 007).
Q appeared in all of the "real" series movies, except Doctor No (1962, Sean Connery as 007) and Live and Let Die (1973, Roger Moore as 007). He first appeared in From Russia with Love (1963, Sean Connery as 007).
Probably my favorite Q device was "Little Nellie", the tiny killer gyrocopter 007 flies in You Only Live Twice.
I mourn his passing greatly, and I extend sympathy to his family, friends and fans everywhere.
%SYSTEM-W-ABORT, abort
In ``Live and Let Die,'' they were trying to play down the gadgets, so they bumped him. They called him within days of the release for the next one since so many people complained. :)
-Chris
Very sorry to see Q go....he was a gem in the Bond flicks, and many condolences to the family. But, anyone else wonder who was at fault in the crash? I've almost been taken out by an inordinate amount of "grey hairs" that should have been restricted to driving wheelchairs and instead of 3 ton vehicles (regardless of the gadget expertise). Just curious as to what the accident report concluded...
Chaeron Corporation
that they should have brough John De Lance in as his successor...
The roads are pretty dangerous in the U.K. at the moment. Apparently the South is having the worst of it at the moment. Either you have snow or ice or even worse, snow melting and refreezing at -X degrees but X is unknown because it depends on how much ice your particlar piece of road has had lately. Basically the roads are dangerous because they are unpredictable at the moment. If my grandfather were still alive (R.I.P.) I would have personally driven out to the front of his drive to prevent him from venturing out on to the roads. It seems that, sadly, Q's lack of technical / scientific knowledge in real life could have contributed to his end. R.I.P.
Too bad. He did a very good job as 007's gadget designer. I really enjoyed his witty quips. Very interesting how he announced his 'retirement' in the last 007 movie. I wonder why?
oops - replace ice in that post with the word salt. sorry.
Do you find it the slightest bit amusing that the old Bond and Trek technology is so funny now? Already?
Did you notice that Trek communicators suck compared to a Nokia cell phone?
Did you notice that in the original Trek, they had to swap those stupid disk things more than a Classic Mac with no hard drive?
Isn't it amusing that my Palm computer is smaller than the Trek PADD?
. . . Goodbye, Q. You will be missed greatly.
It'll be interesting how the Bond series handles this. Desmond had previously stated that he wanted to do the part until he died, and had supposedly made remarks that if he died on-stage that it was to be used as footage if possible.
So will it just be that Q retires, or that something happens to him in the next film? Only time, and his family, will tell I guess.
It is of course possible that they filmed an ending scene for him already. Then of course there is all the technical trickery that can be done with computers and existing footage (some of which would probably be from the cutting room floor).
Of course, no one will ever truely replace Q, but it will be a sought after role for many actors. So who should be the next Q? Slashdot poll anyone?
Whatever happens, I think there should be some sort of dedication to him at the start of the next film, such as In the memory of Desmond Llewelyn, may he rest in peace.
Major Boothroyd is/was a real person who advised Ian Fleming on firearms issues. Ian Fleming jokingly referred to him as "James Bond's personal armorer". Appearantly this made it into one of the movies, and Q was born. Q - you will be missed. Surely the afterlife will be much more interesting with you around.
let me guess. The reason he crashed is because he lost control becuase of extencive damage done to the vehicle. He should have known by now he should never drive the car after 007 has driven it!
Real-life echoes of Lola Rennt...
creepy.
amen, brother. desmond as Q and sean connery (the coolest old guy out there, tied with anthony hopkins) as bond is what makes a James Bond movie. although a funny guy, John Cleese is not Q material. Cleese should be back making Mony Python and Faulty Towers, and stay off the Bond scene. They should just stop making bond movies now that Q is dead. Actually, they should have stopped making Bond movies when the ran out of the original Ian Flemming books to base them on, but oh well, I guesss those Hollywood fatcats will never learn that the book is always bettter. But then I guess according to that rationale, they should have never made any of the Bond movies in the first place...well I guess that wouldn't be good, but they should stop now. If Desmond and Connery aren't in it, then its not a Bond movie, dammit!
A sad day. The underappreciated passes on, and will be sorely missed.
Kudos to the man, and his memory.
His name is actually Major Boothroyd. "Q" is the name of the branch of HMSS (Her Majesty's Secret Service) that makes the gadgets and such and not actually a person. At least in the books. I guess in the movies with a character called "M" they decided to have one called "Q" as well. In the newer books they have a woman nicknamed "Q-ute" who is head of Q Branch.
"DNA is God's contribution to the Open Source movement"
Anyone else struck by the /. post right above the death of "Q" announcement? Just the kind of thing he would have come up with. (I can hear him now--"It's a sub-dermal implant that tracks your location via Global Positioning satellites. Do try not to break it.") *m*
It's a shame, i was really hoping that he would be back, at least in a cameo, for the next bond movie. Q was always one of the constants in the bond movies, even when they weren't so great(George Lazenby!). You could always count of Q for his pantented "Oh grow up 007!". Well, the bond movies surely will be lacking from now on, but his contribution is greatly appreciated. We will miss him
No.. but if you run backwards certain key explosions.. you hear "Q is dead".
hearing the audience gasp with awestruck envy when he reached up with one hand -- to activate his DIGITAL WATCH
A similar incident I remember was in Batman where the batmobile is shown to have a *gasp* CD PLAYER!
Actually, my perception was that she was always trying to get him in bed, and he was always politely snubbing her. That was the whole dynamics of their on-screen relations: He may have been a player, but he was too smart to sleep with his own secretary--that would have ruined their professional relationship. At least, I thought that was the subtext. I thought theirs was the most interesting Bond relationship to watch: Every movie, you wondered if they would finally end up in the sack. Every movie, they didn't. But, just like Money herself, you kept on hoping. ;)
And now for a bit of a rant...
I don't think it's appropriate for you to dictate what should be the "morals" of "young girls", especially when you complain that (as Q) "you need to recreate female company while _foo_ duty" (sic) in your post below. When will the sexual double standard ever die? In America it's breathing its last, but perhaps in Jamaica it remains entrenched. It's interesting in this light that you refer to grown women as "girls", as that is the most patronizingly sexist term you could choose.
Wake up. They're women, not girls. They are full adults in their own right, and they're competent to make their own decisions, about sexuality as about everything else. They don't need the likes of you showing them "role model[s] from a moral perspective," trying to keep them chaste while you "recreate female company" wherever you like.
They can think for themselves. And they will. I hope they choose to give you the cold shoulder until you grow up in your attitudes,
So why would one be traveling fast enough to get killed? I know, sometimes it doesn't take much to break humans... but still, a deadly accident seems less likey at low (ice; 30MPH?) speeds. Now, if they're driving fast...
The difference is however that people writting speeches are inherently different from this program. Furthermore, politicians read their material over.
/. posts.
They are different, and politicians do read their material, but that is beside the point. Besides, how do you know that he didn't read the material over? I think we already covered that.
I'm not saying that I don't think that all people need to form their own opinions, I was again referring to
The point is that there is no opinion being formed in the pure regugitation of material.
How do you know that what he was trying to say was within the material? Perhaps his intention was for the readers to look further than what was said in the letter. Again, you don't know what his intentions were, so you shouldn't make such claims.
The initial 'Q' is from Quartermaster. Q supplied the agents with all their weapons and gadgets.
He had the greatest geek job that there ever could be. All the funding he needed. No one looking over his shoulder because it was all in secret. I still remember the first time I saw a Bond movie as a little kid and when Q showed bond some contraption like a watch that shot poison darts that he made I just smiled and said "How cool is that guys job". :-) Godspeed Q
So, did you grow up to make lasers?
This is *really* sad. Just today, in our local mall, I noticed that he was signing books tonight, so I guess that Mr. Llewellyn must have been on his way back from the signing when he crashed the car. I was going to go to the event, but ended up seeing the new Arnie flick with some friends instead. Now I know what I *should* have done. He'll be missed, that's for sure. :(
Chris.
Austin Martin, BMW, etc. Never, EVER french cars. Now we understand why. I think it's pretty odd.
Looking for a great online backup: Green Backup
Hmmm. I didn't realise that my mother-in-law read /..
If only 007 hadn't blown up his boat.
> You've helped make Slashdot a place for obituaries.
Well, If the person who died was of interest or relevance to Geeks and Nerds, why not? I doubt there would be an arguement to the Slashdot gang posting RMS's, ESR's, or Knuth's obit. if they happened to kick the bucket. I think the same should apply to Desmond Llewelyn, or DeForest Kelly.
>If this IS news for nerds (by some twisted definition)
While neither of them directly contributed to computing or the Open Source movement, they both had an impact on every Geek I know, and most that I don't know. I think the fact that 72 people sent this in before it was posted shows this. Hell, I'd go so far as to say Q has had as much of an influence on me being a Geek as Lego and computers. Just because this particular posting isn't interesting to *you*, it dosen't mean that it's irrelevant to *lots* of other people.
"News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters." is not restricted to "News on Open Source. Stuff about Computers."
Mike
I am sure "Q" will be remembered and cherished for many years to come. But I should like to point out that according to The Times' obit., he was only paid the going daily rate for his services on the Bonds films and no royalties. Therefore, it seems that he lived in quite stricken circumstances. Presumably this is why he was driving himself in quite an old car when he died. Thank ypu for all the fond memories.
He was a great scientist, like Mr. Wizard ... filling a similar niche anyway.
But when I first heard of it, I was expecting "long bout with cancer" or some such.
A head-on collision is such bondian way to go.
Personally, I always said Q was the best part in all the Bond movies. I always opened my eyes a little wider during the scenes taking place in his little "dungeon of devices"... Always loved watching is nifty gadgets. "Q" actually used to be my nick on IRC, but I had to change it, for various reasons... Just today, while playing Q3 Arena, I decided to change my name to "Q", just for the heck of it (first time I'd ever used that nick). Within minutes, I heard on the news that the man had died... We'll miss you, Q.
The streets shall flow with the blood of the Guberminky.
As above, the best bit in every Bond film was Q showing 007 the gadgets - "TRY to pay attention, 007!"
The second best bit was us having to wait an age for him to use them one by one.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
So, you are saying that you want someone to post the entire bible to /.
When I saw the headline I assumed he had died of a heart attack or some other natural cause. Well, I guess no one can say he died too young! He certainly left his mark on the world, and will be missed.
Not underappreciated by me, and I suspect a lot of of ther people also loved him. Scenes with him were what I look foreward to in Bond films (ok, him and the barely dressed chick scenes.)
By reading the discussion and all the kind thoughts, it seems that "Q" is more than fondly remembered by many people. In his honour and memory would it not be fitting for /. to create an award tentatively named the "Q" award that would be awarded annually and voted upon by members of /. for the best/most interesting gadget introduced over the year. The product must have shipped so this should preclude vapourware. In this way the fine memory of "Q" would be remembered with distinction.
He was always the great constant in the Bond movies. It was a loss when he decided to retire and now this is an even greater loss. I always looked forward to his part in the movies, with the gadgets that he so lovingly introduced. He saw the gadgets as his babies and Bond just saw them as tools.
I think Cleese is to comic to replace him. Bond movies were always tongue in cheek, Cleese is in your face comedy.
I love stacking my barbecues in the shed at the end of summer - you can't beat a bit of grill on grill action.
That's exactly what I'm saying! You're brilliant!
why does stuff like this have to happen :(
its a little bit ironic what happened !
Excuse me, but is this a joke? If not, would you mind including a little more proof into your "discussion"? Maybe just a few referecnes to actual events (in the real world) that back up your statements. Thanks.
Of course... Q worked in geek heaven. Any one of us would love to have access to his lab.
I personally see absolutely no reason why this story should NOT be posted. Q was one of the most famous geek/gadget guys in history. It matters not whether he was a ficticious character, he was loved by many people for many years. I'm sure he was a driving force and inspiration to alot of geeks and inventors. Football is ok if thats what you like, but it is a really stupid comparison to try to make here. I for one could care less about it, of course since I am female that may have something to do with that too, but it still has no place here and certainly less to do with the subject matter at hand. I was certainly sad when the news woke me up on the radio yesterday morning, especially since my husband had bought Tommorow Never Dies the night before for us to watch. I always thought the Q scenes were one of the high points in every Bond movie. If you don't like stories like this then I invite you to learn how to use /. a bit better and make them dissapear from your sight. You have no business dictating what should and should not be on here if your view is true to your posting, because you really don't have a clue. Hell, most of the geeks I know don't even know what /. is, much less any mainstream folk. Most normal folk I know, if pointed here, would take one look, scratch there head and go "What the heck is this?", and move on.
We have enough youth, how about a fountain of SMART?
Yes, we can all use the automatic complaint generator. It is humorous, but have some respect. A man died.
A kind soul emailed me with The Rest Of The Story. The man who I read about was the inspiration for the character Q, a real SAS engineer/operative.
-Chris
It is indeed very sad that Desmond is no more. I really loved watching Q and 007 together just before 007 goes out for his next assignment and Q gets to parade his latest inventions to the audience. He will be sorely missed.
Prasanna.
Does anyone think that perhaps he commited suicide? I don't mean to be insensitive, but it just might be true. His wife has alzheimers, he resigned from (?may have been forced to resign from?) his role as James Bond, and maybe he just wanted go out with a bang.
Your key argument against my argument is the flaw in my comparison between posting the winner of the Superbowl on slashdot and posting news about Q's death:
However, this argument is inherently flawed in its own subjectivity as you blatantly admit. The fact remains that under a strict definition of news for nerds, stuff that matters (say the definition given a year ago), both justifications would be dubious at best. The rest of your post (reread it), basically side steps the issue at hand.
My arugment is that the general idea of what is news for nerds, stuff that matters is expanding. As the definition expands, more is adopted, and the content becomes more superficial. As this occurs, the content then appeals to a larger audience because it is less specialized. Content becomes watered down. CNN, TIME, & BBC all have tech sections, however I prefer ./ for my TECH news because it fits my esoteric niche. The point I'm trying to bring out in my post is the fact taht slashdot is digressing from the esoteric roots it was born in and heading towards a CNN/TIME/BBC like section. Wheter you like to recognize this fact or not is up to you, however ignoring it will not make it go away. I suggest you slowly backtrack the articles posted over the past few months. You'll notice the trend quite quickly.
I realize that everyone is entitled to his opinion, and I respect this. I also hope that you will all respect mine as you read this letter. First, the misinformation: Dr. Q suggests that we should all bear the brunt of his actions. Where the heck did he come up with that? We are starting to witness the self-righteous effects of his declamations.
Each of us should realize after a moment's thought that his ebullitions are out of step with democratic practices of equity and fair play. History offers innumerable examples for the truth of this assertion. I know the following is a cheap shot, but Dr. Q and his cronies pay little or no attention to the negative impact that diabolism will have on our daily lives.
Failure to define our terms more clearly will lead to a deluge of complaints by his lackeys. Whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to criticize the obvious incongruities presented by Dr. Q and his henchmen. We have a right, an indisputable, inalienable, indefeasible, divine right to place a high value on honor and self-respect. I decidedly don't know what his problem is, but Dr. Q's "compromises" have a devastating effect on the poor, the sick, and the elderly. Does Dr. Q have trouble living with himself, knowing that many lives have been lost to jujuism? When was the last time you heard malicious megalomaniacs mention that some of the things he says and some of the things he stands for are so unambitious, it hurts to think about them?
My next point of order is that I speak from experience. Fortunately, most people understand that Dr. Q is not above the law. Certainly, his grievances blend catty fatuous nativism (manifested in an unrealistic stance) with a purported support for environmentalism, trade unionism, and the dignity of labor.
There are situations where certain shell games are appropriate and there are situations where they are not. Dr. Q has been, still is, and always will remain more uncouth than the worst kinds of mad uncontrollable undesirables there are. Although this has been overlooked or ignored by the established scientific community, the reason I'm writing this letter is that passion precludes his ability to ignore trivialities and to concentrate on the important aspects of the problem. For your edification, I should point out that Dr. Q needs some serious professional help. Dr. Q's unforgiving warped assistants seem to think they can escape the consequences of their actions. And that's all I have to say.
Guys, please remove this comment. It's a vulgar excuse for a comment on the death of a great man. :(
Chris.
Yes, it is a joke. You too can be flamebait by going to Scot Pakin's automatic complaint letter generator. Now that this fool's little secret is out, maybe he can think of things more constructive to do with his time than making light of someone's death.
72 readers submitted this news before you posted it? Congratulations, Roblimo! You've helped make Slashdot a place for obituaries. Now, can we have an appropriate icon? This is about as interesting as a profile on the life of a random actor, actress, celebrity, writer, etc. If this IS news for nerds (by some twisted definition) then GIVE IT AN ICON.
I was looking at the filmograhpy that someone linked to above, and in one of his movies (From Russia with Love i think), he is listed as Q (Major Boothroyd). I've never heard this name - maybe it was mentioned once then dropped. Anyway, a little trivia for you...
Personally, I don't think he will ever be replaced - I respect Cleese's work, and think he is a piss-funny comedian, but that's just not what Q was.
"Oh, grow UP, 007!"
That would be censorship! But freedom of speech is probably something you Brits wouldn't understand anyway.
I don't think that they can remove it but we can let everyone know that it was made by a computer. I half wish that this guy would get into a car accident so that we could make automatic complaint letters about him too.
How can a computer have freedom of speech? Refer to my earlier post about how this is compueter generated.
That's what happens when you drive on the wrong side of the road.
(just kidding...take it easy on me moderators)
Hates people who have stupid little sigs
Yeah, fine, I guess it would be censorship. But given that the guy didn't write it himself, and therefore probably didn't empathise with what's being said, I think it can be removed. The dead shouldn't be insulted - Mr. Llewellyn was, I'm sure, a great man, and doesn't deserve to be ridiculed by a computer-generated insult.
Chris.
Desmond, I'm going to miss you. You always lit up my day (or evening) with your quick wit and brilliant gadgets. John Cleese? Good luck, you have big shoes to fill.
Agreed! Hey my name is Chris, too! Maybe it something with the name that gives us a predisposition to disliking instulting the dead. Did you visit the link? It is good for jokes on friends, but not for those who have passed on.
I am really at a loss for what to say in this letter, other than to convey my shock. Instead of focusing on why Comdr. Rob V. Taco, Esq.'s announcements are simply the result of vested interests striking back at a group whose actions in support of religious freedom, social reform, and government accountability have cut through those vested interests, I would like to remind people that I, hardheaded cynic that I am, have no idea why Rob V. Taco wannabees have sprouted across the country like mushrooms after a downpour. In all fairness, if you look back over some of my older letters, you'll see that I predicted that he would leave a generation of people planted in the mud of a wrongheaded world, to begin a new life in the shadows of antidisestablishmentarianism. And, as I predicted, he did. But you know, that was not a difficult prediction to make. Anyone who has bothered to learn even a little about Comdr. Taco could have made the same prediction. Each liberated mind that examines all of the evidence is a break in the chains that bind us all. Why doesn't Comdr. Taco try doing something constructive for once in his life? It must be pointed out over and over again to his cronies and, in a broader sense, to shabby autocrats that I frequently talk about how his formula for masochism is more snooty than ever. I would drop the subject, except that his shenanigans epitomize elitism in its truest form. Comdr. Rob V. Taco, Esq., who has posed as Savior of the World, is nothing else but the world's seducer, its destroyer, its incendiary, and its executioner. And that's all I have to say.
PS: Q rocks. Damn shame. I noticed the article from the UK has little snippets of interviews with family members, and they sound just like regular people. I thought that was interesting, since here in the US people avoid talking to the media, since they twist things around and throw your words back at you.
Anyone else notice this?
"On Monday he was due to sign copies of Q, The Biography of Desmond Llewelyn, at Forbidden Planet in New Oxford Street, central London. "
Bet those will be worth a fortune soon.
"Derek Malcolm, film critic for The Guardian newspaper, said: "The thing about him was that he was very likeable on screen despite the fact that he was evil, creating these terrible things to give to Bond to kill his enemies. "
Not evil. The moments were we got to see all the gadgets were the high points of all the bond films. The levitating serving tray with an "edge", or the bollo that gave a close "haircut". Anyone remember their favorite gadget"
Get a life, troll. It is people like you that fragment the topic of dicussion on /. I know that I am doing the same thing. But I just ruined your little joke didn't I? Ha! So much for people thinking that someone actually wrote all that crap.
I watched alot of spy films as a kid. James Bond never stuck in my mind back then. Only Q and Derek Flint seemed to do that. I enjoyed the creative use of technology and the glee that he enjoyed showing off all of his cool toys. (And his displeasure when they were not taken care of or mishandled.) One of the people who made me want to get into lasers and computers at an early age. (About 9-10. And that was the early 70s!)
Probably only the second death of a public figure to affect me emotionally. (The other was William Gaines, the publisher of Mad magazine.)
It shows you just how well he did when he had as big a following as the lead character.
He will be missed.
"Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."
I don't mean to sound insensitive, but him dieing really doesn't suprise me too much. Everytime I watch a bond movie I wounder how much longer that man has to live. He had a good full life though, and it's too bad he's gone now.
It's kind of funny, though, that there where three or four bonds (I cant remembert he exact number) who obviously had the main role, compared to this one man who played the same small role through out all the films. It's kind of weird that it's not the other way around.
-D0n'+ h$+3 M3 b3C0u5e 1'M 4 1337 Hax0R!-
First of all, I know this is about as off-topic as they come, but hey, karma may be sacrificied to get Slashdot the help it needs.
Now, I'm writing this as around 60 comments have been posted... of which nearly a fifth have been complete troll trash... and all apart from one of them has been an anonymous coward post.
I like to read at -1 or 0 because then I can read the unmoderated comments that may not be abusive, but not good enough to be top rated.
However, it gets to me the amount of sheer abuse and crap there is in this story.
Sod the whole anonymous coward concept - make them register and then if they're abuse, report the ip and time/date to their isp... who have probably got stringent rules about such behaviour.
Shame... 'Q' was my fave from the Bond films.
those cars he suped up for 007 were real instead of Hollywood mirages. Then maybe he could've turbo-boosted his way out... or at least ejected in time.
*sigh* life is unfair and he will be sincerly missed.
Of course he matters to us. 'Q' is the geak of the Bond mythology. Monepeny is the "pretty but prudish" secretary ( a nice enough role model from a moral perspective, for young girls ) and Bond himself is a civilized "Conan". ( think about that last one. It'll come to you :).
Q will be surely missed. I will be wearing a black arm band to see "The world is not enough" in memory of him. If anyone else cares to pay his/her respects in this way go right ahead.
The whole Bond thing is woven into Jamaican culture since Ian Fleming lived here when he wrote the early stories. At least 2 of the movies were set here ( in part ). "James Bond" ( the name ) was the author of a book on Caribbean birds. Mr. Fleming stole his name because "It was the most boring name I could find". He was more than a little surprised when at the opening of one of the 1st 007 flicks Mr. Bond walked up to him and introduced himself just like the goy in the movie. Except with ID to prove it.
Q. Of course was a key character in all of this. Without him, there would be no way to know before hand what kind of arsenal 007 carried and that would just make his antics seam a little lame.
--= Isn't it surprising how badly I spell ?
As others have said, Llewelyn was the constant in the series; everyone else has changed. I think the current M actress has had the part longer than any other, one Money Penny actress had a long run at it but there have been 3 different ones in the last four movies, and everbody knows how many different Bond actors we've had. Hell, Bond's friend in the CIA, Feilix Lighter (sp) even managed to change races between movies.
:-)
How fortunate (for the Bond fans anyway) that they set up Q's succession in The World Is Not Enough. Cleese is a good choice, not only because he's a good actor but because he wont try to be like Llewelyn's Q. He'll be geeky and techy, but it looks like he has a low opinion of Bond and I look forward to watching them quibble in furture movies.
I hope Cleese will be able to stay on as long as Llewelyn did, and I also hope the other actors (like the one that plays M) stick around for a long time. I think it adds a lot to a running series if you keep the same people or objects around, like Llewelyn as Q or the Tardis in Dr. Who. Now they just need to find some Sophia Loren type chick (one that still looks great in her 60's) at the age of 18 to play Money Penny.
Goodbye Desmond, thanks for helping to make Bond into what he his today. You will be missed as one of the great geek heroes of this century.
I think that was a funny comment :)
Jokes even about a person's death are fine as long as they're not disrespectful. No reason to be all morbid on the subject.
Tim
A computer didn't post the message...
Showing my age just a bit, I remember seeing a "Roger Moore" Bond movie at the theater and hearing the audience gasp with awestruck envy when he reached up with one hand --
to activate his DIGITAL WATCH (ooooh-ahhh!!!). Pretty funny now, of course. They were like over a thousand dollars when they first came out. Now you can probably get them in cereal boxes.
Not only did Q have the ultimate job, but he was a constant. Be it Brosnan, Connery, or Moore (argh...Moonraker!...twitch...scream...) playing Bond, there was always Q. Good old Q. Good old "You must be kidding about the third nipple, Bond" Q.
If you can't be a 00agent, Q is the next best job. Fake fingerprints, exploding pens, third nipples, grappling hook watches, laser rifles, explosive bolas....that's the life.
Well, Q, you've given us words to live by.
"Don't let them see you bleed.
Always have an escape route."
You won't be forgotten. As long as ballpoint pens sprout needles, speedboats navigate the streets of London, and wrist dart launchers blow out centrafuges, we'll remember you.
===
-Ravagin
Karma: T-rexcellent.
As a member of the Slashdot community, I would like to take the time to offer my condolences to Desmond Llewelyn's family. I and many others in the Slashdot community are fans of his work, and he has also earned our respect for his longevity in Bond movies. Actors for the role of James Bond come and go, but Desmond as 'Q' has been with us almost forever. It is tragic that he has been taken from us in the prime of his life (he would have insisted on that, I'm sure). He will be sadly missed by all who have grown to love his role as 'Q' in James Bond movies, as well as his other acting roles.
The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. - Edmund Burke
How can you say for sure whether or not the article reflected the poster's opinion? You don't even know what his intentions were in posting the letter, nor do the /. admins. That is why by deleting the message it is infringing on his freedom of speech.
ooohhh.... i'm an idiot!
you see, he's a moron because he thought it was a real complaint, and he asked me to "support my claims." i don't think he even read it.
Truth be told, it doesn't seem like it was that challenging a role and dozens of actors could have played it, no doubt, but Llewelyn would be among the top of them. I liked the way he played it, straight, rather than the typical wild-eyed or absent-minded professor like whoosie from Back to the Future. It was also nice to see technology presented as "it works and it's cool", unlike the numerous reminds-me-of-Jon-Katz portrayals of advanced technology where mankind always has to pay a price for hubris... though, the robot shooting demonstration gone awry in Robocop was pretty funny.
My favorite Q technologies were always the cars, rather than the pen-is-weapon sort of things. Oh, to have cars like those for my morning commute...
This is not true. See this article for further information.
Correct. However, how can someone claim, 'It free speech!' if it was generated by a computer program? Free speech is about the abiltity to express your opinion. There was no opinion being expressed. As far as I know, computers programs don't have opinions. Therefore there isn't an infringement on free speech if the message is deleted, which it was. Thanks to whoever did so.
85 in a head on car crash. Looks like he didn't stop living 'til his heart stopped.
Evidently Desmond Llywellen finished the movie "Escape 2000" shortly before his death. Evidently _HE_ gets to save the world in this one!
Hopefully it will make it to this part of the world.
"Trademarks are the heraldry of the new feudalism."
Barbra Bach's character calls Q Major Boothroyd in "The Spy Who Loved Me".
This sig left unintentionally blank.
Any one of us would love to have access to his lab.
Better yet, access to the products of his lab!
Insert mind here.
HAHAHAHA! You stupid fucker! I generated this with a computer. HAHAHA! YOU moron, you thought it was real!
A sad day for mankind, even when he was being harsh and nasty to bond, he even said "come back in one peice 007". I guess he will always be remembered as a geek simply cuz he tinkered and gave bond all his toys...
So i think i must have been somewhat approprate for him to retire...no only from being Q but retiring "Q" all together, making john cleese be "R".
He will be loved and mourned by geeks alike, i know i was sad in "the World is Not Enough" to hear he retired...
JediLuke
JediLuke
-Do or Do Not, There is no Try
Can anyone guess where this catch phrase came from? If you do, read it thoroughly. Unless the Slashdot crew is the US Congress and they pass a censorship law, they can censor all they want with no retribution. :)
This Anonymous Comment is brilliant, funny and smile-provoking. Please moderate this guy up.
I can remember seeing my first Bond flick in a theatre (Octopussy I belive, so this will date me pretty well.) I remember what an impression Q made on me during that film. I mean Bond can go out and risk his life and all that, but Q had the best job. Make cool gadgets, and being during the cold war, you can be sure he didn't have to worry about budgetary constraints. Add to this his disdain for Bond who invariably loses or breaks his cool gadgets and you can see the parallels with the hard working coders who must eventually release their much slaved over code and give it to ungrateful users who will then break it....
Hell, he even helps have the day in that movie and is swarmed over by a bunch of numble young circus performers....
DrLunch.com The site that tells you what's for lunch!
take yer capitalist ideals and ram 'em up yer tortured ass!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I seem to misunderstand the basis of your argument. As I see it, you are saying, 'You are a moron because I can use a computer.' I'm curious exactly how much brain power you think it requires to enter someone's name, click a button, and copy that information to a text box. I personally think it takes more neural capacity to analyze what people are saying and form opinions. It appears my esteemed collegue has done exactly that. It seems to me that you are the, 'stupid fucker' and 'moron.'
Now prove to me how smart you are by making an 'Anonymous Coward' complaint letter, and responding to this post. I dare you, idiot.
He left behind a really good character which will stands forever in geek's minds.
Why do you think I didn't read your post? Is it because you don't understand the words the computer generated for you so you think nobody else will either? Do you know what colonialism is? If so, do you understand why it might not be in good taste to accuse a recently deceased and well loved British person of supporting colonialism?
wow, i cant belive he's dead. he's been with the James Bond Movies since the start. He will be missed. So is John Cleese gonna take his place from now on?
I second that motion!!!
The fact that he asked you to support your opinion with proof from, 'the real world' proves just that. He read everything through and asked you to further detail what you meant. Again the roles are most likely exactly the opposite of how you see them. I bet that you just posted the material without reading it. So what if he thought it was real? That is beside the point. The point is that you think you are smarter than him for playing a trick. Playing a trick doesn't make you smarter, it only serves to demonstrate the low-quality of your character. How exactly did you find out about this little trick? The point is that you are the one looking stupid here. People tend to label you as such when you do untasteful, unfunny things. Did you expect people to find that funny? If so, you clearly have some sort of social deficiency.
I have no qualms about calling you an idiot. Pehaps if you were to write something mildly intelligent, people would have a different opinion of you. However, as it stands now, you have not done so. I suggest that you find something better to do with your time. If doing such things actually makes you feel better as a person, you should seek treatment. If you reply with something mildly articulate, I might consider your thoughts. Until then though, you are still a little troll.
Go back under your bridge, and stop bothering all of the goats.
Laughing help to decompress. We all need at a certain point to decompress, to calm down. There are other way like jogging, punchingballing or shouting at animals (GRR) but laughing is always easy (you don't need to be prepared) and nearly always possible.
I find utterly interesting that it's in the mentally strengest works that we encounter the most jovial people. Doctors, nurses, social workers can laugh of situations they live (that are not so fun, you know). If they wouldn't, they would rapidly collapse under the weight of all the miseries they encounter dayly.
Did you ever come accross web sites of doctor or nurse ? Many have a joke section...
I think it's important to joke about quite any subject. Just pay attention to the addressed people and always think twice (or preferably more than that) before saying something ugly or tasteless.
In the film, he was the creator of the geekiest geek-toys ever. He was great as his role, and no one can fully replace him. He will surely be missed.
Apparently we replied to this at the same time, and he in fact did not read your post. The fact remains though; you haven't contributed anything positive.
...But I was absolutely certain that I had read an obituary and/or article about the death of Desmond Llewelyn (complete with his amazing military history) shortly before Tomorrow Never Dies was released. I was surprised when it came out and there was no "in memory of..." for him. Then I saw a trailer for TWINE and he was in it. I figured, "gee, either some newspaper severely fucked up, or he's CG."
The fact that he actally DOES die after TWINE is released and in the movie he "retires" seems odd. Very odd.
Did anyone else see the obituary/article two years ago? Where was it? I seem to recall it being an NYT thing.
-Chris
Let me die a youngman's death
not a clean & in between
the sheets holy water death
not a famous-last-words
peaceful out of breath death
When I'm 73
& in constant good tumour
may I be mown down at dawn
by a bright red sports car
on my way home
from an all night party
Or when I'm 91
with silver hair
& sitting in a barber's chair
may rival gangsters
with ham fisted tommy guns burst in
& give me a short back and insides
Or when I'm 104
& banned from the Cavern
may my mistress
catch me in bed with her daughter
& fearing for her son
cut me up into little pieces
& throw away every piece but one
Let me die a youngman's death
not a free from sin tiptoe in
candle wax and waning death
not a curtains drawn by angels borne
what a nice way to go death
(Roger McGough)
--
Xenu loves you!
>-- "Linux: Because rebooting is for adding new hardware" Because you don't want to have the bother of restarting the rubbish - when it crashes you have to wade through oodles of cryptic nonsense where as Windows will just run scandisk and start again. (Of course since it crashes more often they have to make it more easy to restart!)
I was lucky enough to meet the great man in Southampton last week, and despite his age he was remarkably sharp, and judging by the response of the people he was with, incredibly witty. He had great presence...
The bond films will never be the same without him, and it is of tribute to the man that his work will be remembered fondly for years to come...
"Now do pay attention Mr Bond..."
-- Ego is nothing without Arrogance to back it up! --
I know about Dr. No. And I thought the second one was "Never say Never Again", which isn't really a Bond movie. Not by any purist standards, anyway...
Is that right? Or have I missed one?
-- Ever notice that fast-burning fuse looks exactly the same as slow-burning fuse? I didn't... (Edgar Montrose)
If he WERE still alive, and could make a brief appearance in the next Bond film, well... is that really a cameo? I mean he WAS in practically each film, including "The World is Not Enough". That's pretty much just reprising your role YET AGAIN. I could understand if he maybe would have left for a couple of films, then had a bit-part...
Not to downplay his tragic death or anything. He really did have an excellent presence; his absence shall be felt.
Afro Ryan
I once saw an interview with this man, in which he explained that he didn't understand most things he said. He was interviewed about "Tomorrow never dies", about the part the BMW came in. He started laughing and told a few of his lines, lines he still didn't understand!
So... it's possible to act like a geek?!
Lots of good info/trivia about the actor and the Q character, both in the books, and Boothroyd in real lifecan be found on these pages at Mr Showbiz (go.com) and especially Universal Exports(???). That latter site has a buncha Bond info.
If you went to the site and read the information, you would understand that the content is meant to form no opinion, but is meant to be only gramatically correct. You would also be able to surmise this if you read the letter itself. The point is that if he held particular opinions, he has every right to express them himself. How can he agreee with opinions generated from a computer program!?!? He doesn't even know the content of the message until he hits the 'generate complaint letter' button. And even if he were to agree with the material made thereafter (you would have to be drunk or high at this point) he should have to express them himself.
If crap like this is allowed to continue, I'm going to write an 'anti-complaint lettter generator' that scours the internet looking for keywords and responding with equally absurd posts. Does this sound like a productive use of time? Free speech? No, I think not.
Please look into what you are talking about before you make comment next time.