Thunderball in Review

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

Since it's Halloween, ever seen Nosferatu the Vampyre? Excellent. And more than a touch unnerving.

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

That's exactly how I feel about him, I think I have used almost those same words regarding Herzog and I'm not even sure I could explain why that it's that way. We could dissect all his films from a technical aspect, get into cinematography, the plots, subject matter but it's so much more than that. And when I think about documentaries like "God's Angry Man' there really is no logical reason why I should like it but I love it, am absolutely memorized by every second of it just like I am with all his works. The only problem with him is trying to decide which movie or documentary to watch at any given time and I find myself overwhelmed wanting to watch them all at once. Aguirre? Even Dwarfs Started Small? Heart of Glass? all of them..they all seem equally wonderful. The other problem is after watching a few of his films I really don't feel like watching anything else or any other director.   There is just something magical there and I always sort of feel like a different person for the better after viewing Herzog. I think 'Grizzly Man' was the last one I watched and it gave me that same feeling.  just love the guy, a true artist

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

Since it's Halloween, ever seen Nosferatu the Vampyre? Excellent. And more than a touch unnerving.

it's one of the most beautiful nightmares ever put on screen

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

Since it's Halloween, ever seen Nosferatu the Vampyre? Excellent. And more than a touch unnerving.

That film is Kinski's most accomplished work. He relied totally on pathos, which people thought he previously lacked. They were dead wrong. You know that knot in your gut when you wake up from a bad dream and it's still real to you? This film is like that for 90 minutes. I agree with you.

Sarai wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

Since it's Halloween, ever seen Nosferatu the Vampyre? Excellent. And more than a touch unnerving.

it's one of the most beautiful nightmares ever put on screen

Well put.

Morland_Specials wrote:

Perilagu Khan wrote:

Morland_Specials wrote:

Sarai wrote:

It's making me smile just seeing that picture. I would put it in my top 5 if not my favorite movie ever...it's just really hard to think of better.

I would watch Herzog direct traffic.

Since it's Halloween, ever seen Nosferatu the Vampyre? Excellent. And more than a touch unnerving.

That film is Kinski's most accomplished work. He relied totally on pathos, which people thought he previously lacked. They were dead wrong. You know that knot in your gut when you wake up from a bad dream and it's still real to you? This film is like that for 90 minutes. I agree with you.

Yes. The film is drenched in pathos and morbidity. It is an archetypally romantic film.

Paganini

written, directed and staring Kinski

it's um, different

Thunderball has much to admire, after the rather plodding Goldfinger we had Thunderball and one of Connerys best performances in the role, we are also introduced to the best villain in the series the menacingly evil Largo, plotting to blackmail NATO after stealing (rather too easily) two atomic bombs.
The series has seen many meglomaniacs and Largo ranks amongst the most villainous, Adolfo celi is inspired casting in the role, Bonds mission of course is to find the bombs which takes him to some fabulous locations, the eye candy is also particularly tasty in this one. Sure the underwater action scenes are a tad long but thats easily forgiven. Great music courtesy of john barry who rarely lets the standard slip and Tom jones knocks it out the park (he fainted in the recording studio whilst holding the final note)

I agree Thunderball is very underrated. While it used to be top 5 for now it may just have swapped places with Goldfinger. Both are excellent but the leaner trimming to GF really gives that film a little more focus. I think Celi is excellent as Largo - his presence and physicality screams villainy - but once you realise Largo and Tanaka are voiced by the same actor, it's hard to list him as one of the best villains in the series. When Bond is playing cards with him at Cafe Martinique, I half expect Largo to say "Welcome to Japan, Mr. Bond! I... love you."