Time For 007

James Bond movie musings. 007 words, 007 sentences. Twice daily at 10:07 AM/PM UTC.
Moonraker (1979)

Even in death, my munificence is boundless

No other Bond villain can match the sheer snobbery of Hugo Drax in Moonraker. A large part of it comes from his vocabulary, which hovers somewhere between eloquence and outright grandiloquence. Okay so I admit I looked up fancy words to describe using fancy words and grandiloquence appeared, but it’s a perfect word to mimic Drax himself. But aside from the vocabulary, it’s also Michael Lonsdale’s quiet yet unmistakably authoritative baritone delivery that sells it.

And I certainly had never heard, much less used, “munificence” before Drax. Now that I know it means extreme generosity, and understand the delightfully sarcastic way he uses it while sending Bond and Dr. Goodhead to their own “crematories,” I find myself irrationally determined to work it into everyday conversation. Preferably in situations far less homicidal.

On This Day…

All other May 24th posts

May 24, 2026 – 10:07 PM UTC

Bond has no problem exhibiting his new-found riches to the hotel staff in Licence to Kill as seen in the above quote. Never mind it’s stolen drug cartel money, but between the Bollinger R.D. champagne and the hotel-room extravagance, Bond slips into the role of a millionaire so naturally you almost forget he’s freeloading off…