If you think they don't make movies the way they used to, consider that they don't even make premieres the way they used to. The archives of the San Francisco Chronicle take us back to the summer of 1985 when the city hosted the American premiere of the James Bond flick A View to a Kill. No one does premieres like Eon Productions, as evidenced by the fact that each subsequent London premiere for a Bond movie seems to exceed the last in terms of scope and grandeur. Nevertheless, all the stops were pulled out for A View to a Kill in San Francisco, where much of the movie was shot, including a proclamation by then mayor Diane Feinstein of an official "James Bond Day". Additionally, the major cast members were present and there were special effects shows performed by stuntmen. It's a sad commentary on today's American film industry that there are virtually no longer any such grand premieres: just a bunch of people clad in sweatshirts and sneakers having a few drinks in a renovated airline hangar. Here's hoping Eon decides to once again spread some of that London glamor to the U.S. for the premiere of the next Bond movie, as the last truly spectacular 007 opening in America was the Radio City
Music Hall kick-off of GoldenEye in 1995. For more click here