Brands. Consumer Brands.

Interesting that with the latest James Bond film, Casino Royale, not only are there fewer gadgets and fewer unrealistic action scenes (though they can't eliminate these entirely; where's the fun in that?), but there's also less product placement, in contrast to the seemingly brand-a-minute atmosphere of the previous two decades of Bond films.

The product placement had gotten so egregious that there is even a Web site quiz on what brands appear in which Bond movies. In some cases, brands merely help convey a certain style or sense of place. Bollinger appears in many of the films, and Terlato Wine Group CEO Bill Terlato says his company pays no fees for the free advertising; it's the filmakers that requested permission.

But when a scene of a house break-in in A View to a Kill shows a close-up of a Sharper Image-branded gadget, audience members may be inclined to feel manipulated. Perhaps some filmakers, regardless of the high price of studio moviemaking, are beginning to appreciate that less can be more.