Sam Mendes Praises Queen Elizabeth’s ‘Amazing’ Stunt

Sam Mendes thought that Queen Elizabeth was "amazing" when she starred alongside Daniel Craig at the Olympics opening ceremony.

The 86-year-old monarch made a surprise appearance in a sketch for the London spectacular, which saw her greet the actor in his guise as James Bond before supposedly parachuting from a helicopter. The director - who is at the helm for the latest installment of the Bond franchise, Skyfall - "loved" the idea, but said he was too scared to help Danny Boyle - the man who masterminded the ceremony - with the mammoth task.

"I loved it. Of course I knew that that was being shot. Danny [Boyle] was down on the set a couple of times and I was aware of it all going on. I said, 'I'm staying out of it!' I've got enough to worry about without four billion people watching whatever it is!' But I thought it was amazing. And also a good promo for the movie! It was an act of brinksmanship that went spectacularly right. When I heard about it through Danny and Daniel, I thought, 'Okay, that's a hell of a knife-edge to walk,' with the real queen - who I think Danny directed with great elan."

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Richard Gere Calls for Change

Richard Gere accepted a lifetime achievement award during the San Sebastian International Film Festival this past Sunday, but his acceptance speech carried a few surprises. Gere talked of lies and the decision to invade Iraq, turning his thank-you speech into a political platform for opinion. Gere further made an appeal to the Chinese government, asking them to rise to the occasion for the Olympics (which are scheduled in country) by becoming an open society. After generations of negotiations with the Chinese government by all of the world’s best diplomats, surely it will be an American actor that finally ends Communism in China. Right. Gere delivered an impassioned speech, perhaps better suited for the Presidential debates than a film festival. Will Gere be the catalyst for change in China? Sure. And tomorrow, several of Hollywood’s finest will undertake a diplomatic mission to end the war. Or maybe they’ll just keep making movies for entertainment value.

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