Is the Next James Bond Movie Quantum of Solace Cursed?

Is James Bond cursed? More specifically, is the new James Bond movie Quantum of Solace cursed? It might appear so to those who believe in such things. Perhaps the Gods of Good Titles put a curse on the next installment of the archetype for a successful movie franchise. Quantum of Solace? A good title for a 2001-type philosophic space odyssey, perhaps, but for an action movie? It is worth questioning whether the average Bond fan could define either quantum or solace. (It's been a long time since Quantum Leap went off the air.)

The first boom over the accursed Bond bow was in the producers choosing a title that, while it may very well wind up being one of the greatest titles ever once it is understood to what it refers, simply doesn't have quite the zing of Octopussy, Live and Let Die, or You Only Live Twice. The bad title, of course, hardly compares to the string of bad luck that hangs around the neck of the next James Bond movie.

The first sign of trouble was when the producers decided to film in Chile a scene set in Bolivia. This angered the snooty Chileans who for some reason think they are so much better than the simple Bolivians. A town official was so upset he drove his car into a crowd during production and only barely avoided crashing into a cop. A few weeks later Bond's sexy little Aston Martin was being driven to the set when the driver lost control and sent the expensive vehicle into a lake. The car was dredged up from its watery grave and the driver was fined. Not long after that an accident occurred on the set of Quantum of Solace that seriously injured two stuntmen. In fact, one of the stuntmen was in intensive care in the hospital. Amy Winehouse was scheduled to perform the title song for Quantum of Solace, but pulled out before recording began.