Last Bond Movie You Watched? 1.0

LTK and TMWTGG are not out on Blu-ray in the UK so we still have 11 Blu-rays to come out. I won't be purchasing them all apart from OHMSS as I already have some already and the UE are fine for now.

The latest double header:

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

So nice I watched it twice. Well ahead of it's time, too. One of the few Bond movies that would hold up well if released to the masses today. I could do without the rampant dubbing, though. Everyone's affected by it, but Lazenby is it's victim more often than not. It kills my suspension of disbelief when an actor says lines without moving his mouth.

For Your Eyes Only

As much as I like FYEO (and I still consider it Moore's best at this point), I started seeing the repetitive formula that nearly killed Bond in the 80's. The first quarter of each Bond movie from this one until TLD is practically alike in structure. Once Bond leaves Spain, the film picks up significantly. To date, this is the only Bond film that shows Bond as an aged, world weary secret agent. It's a nice perspective to have, especially with Moore visibly older.

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) For Your Eyes Only
3) Live And Let Die
4) You Only Live Twice
5) Dr. No
6) The Man With The Golden Gun

Next up: Octopussy and The Living Daylights. Funny how things work out like that.

Watched Spy last night. Rather enjoyed it.

The scene were Stromberg's secretary gets mauled by a shark as he, Beckman and Markovitz look on may be as disturbing as any in Bond series history. People talk about Leiter and the shark in LTK, but this was worse, IMO.

But at any rate, this film is at its best when Stromberg is on screen. Easily the most underrated Bond villain.

Personally, I think he gets as much he deserves. Aside from his death scene, which I thought was excellent, he just doesn't have any energy in his performance. Which is why I like Drax better. There was zest in his performance. Ironically, his death was somewhat lame compared to Stromberg's.

Well Stromberg is a pretty old guy. It would have been a bit strange if he'd been bouncing off the ceiling.

At any rate, I believe Jurgens would have made one helluva Bolfeld. Better than Pleasance and Gray anyway.

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Well Stromberg is a pretty old guy. It would have been a bit strange if he'd been bouncing off the ceiling.

I too find Stromberg underrated, but the problem is that he's just not given enough screentime IMO. Agree over the Blofeld thing; more menace than Gray's Blofeld (even though that had the potential to be awesome, given Gray's turn in The Devil Rides Out) and obviously not a lame cartoon cackler like YOLT's Pleasance.

For Your Eyes Only

Watching the bonus disc documentaries afterwards for the first time, I appreciate this film even more. Moore is at his finest, Carole Bouquet is a gorgeous woman and fine actress, Topol and Julian Glover bring old-school class, and the stunts are among both the most fun and tense in the series. Paying attention to Glen's direction, it doesn't come across as stale or pedestrian as in his later films. In fact, FYEO is as colourful and full of life as any other Bond film.

My ranking of what I've seen so far this year:

1. FRWL
2. CR
3. TB
4. DN
5. FYEO
6. QOS

Jurgens may as well have been Blofeld, as the original plan for TSWLM was to do another Blofeld film but the McClory rights nonsense nixed that, so Stromberg was created, but who knows Jurgens might also have been cast as Blofeld if Eon had gone that route.

IMO, it is one of the greatest tragedies of the Bond films (right up there with Lazenby not being talked back to succeed Sean for a second time after DAF), that Spy wasn't made as a Blofeld film, even if Spectre was dropped, as it was in DAF. :pale:

Did Stromberg have webbed hands? It's never mentioned in the film (although Caroline Munro does warn Bond not to shake his hand), and we never get a closeup , but I'm sure I read it somewhere. Was it ever confirmed?

Ed Tom Kowalsky wrote:

Well Stromberg is a pretty old guy. It would have been a bit strange if he'd been bouncing off the ceiling.

I meant a bit of energy in his tone and body language. Compared to Lonsdale in MR, from what I remember, he established a sort of slimy, introverted walk, and he did something with his hands. This gave him more energy, despite the type of character he is.

QOS - a widely divisive series entry, with many a detractor finding plenty to quibble about (and there are a few things in it that don't 'sit' quite right with me either). I personally find it a very enjoyable Bond film overall, though.

Watched TSWLM on the weekend.

Entertaining as always.
Bach's dedication to the art of the blank look is indeed impressive. Amazing how she managed to find the same glazed expression for virtually every reaction scene.
Question: Where did Anya get that revealing low cut red outfit that she was wearing when Bond rescured her? It was ideal, cleavage revealing, clingy wet-wear for the escape that was to come, so thank you for that, but still where did the dress come from? :scratch:
When she was pulled off the Liparus by Stromberg, she was disguised as a sailor. Are we to believe she had the sexy outfit on underneath, in case she needed it for lounging about at Atlantis later?
Or did Stromberg have it in his closet in case of visiting Bond girls?
Maybe it was one of Naiomi's discards. That might be the most logical explanation.
Stromberg the old perv, pulled it out and forced Anya to wear it so he could ogle her cleavage.

Each new Bond viewing does provide interesting and fresh new reflections.

tiffanywint wrote:

Stromberg the old perv, pulled it out and forced Anya to wear it so he could ogle her cleavage.

See, I told you all that Stromberg is underrated. The guy sure knew what he was doing. 8)

Octopussy

Octopussy Syndrome (noun): When a movie tries to be everything for everyone, but ends up succeeding at nothing.

What a mess. Octopussy tries being both jokey Roger Moore film and serious cold war thriller. In trying to be both, the experience comes off as disjointed. There are some good pieces of work here, namely the entire Berlin sequence, and Louis Jourdan is an exceptional villain. However, the experience is kinda like prime rib and lobster in a blender. Even if the result isn't half bad, the components were better off separate.

The Living Daylights

The last Bond thriller. Dalton, despite stumbling on the one-liners, fits the Bond character perfectly. Easily the most polished Bond of the 80's and probably Glen's best work visually. Should look great in Blu Ray, whenever they get around to that. It's still too long, as most 80's and 90's Bond films are. The story, while well thought out and complex, is spread a bit thin over the 2 hour plus time span.


1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2. The Living Daylights
3. For Your Eyes Only
4. Live And Let Die
5. You Only Live Twice
6. Dr. No
7. Octopussy
8. The Man With The Golden Gun

OP's even more tonally schizophrenic than FYEO, but somehow I enjoy that it goes to such extremes in being stupid.

But heaven forbid TWINE for seemingly commit such a crime.

If OP is prime rib and lobster in a blender, then what's TWINE? Processed cheese slices and crack in a waffle iron?

FieldsMan wrote:

But heaven forbid TWINE for seemingly commit such a crime.

TWINE is a great Bond film, except that Brozzer ruins it because he was just no good as Bond.

Otherwise, I like it. I like Marceau as femme fatale/villainess and her fierce loyalty to her "familee".
Denise Richards and her swish walk is very much worth a "glimmer"
Renard is a solid psycho villain.
And there's Cigar Girl and Warmflash.
I like the Thames boat chase and the parahawk chase.
Not so much the final showdown with Renard on the sub, aside from Richards practically busting out of her wet t-shirt.
Dench is less annoying than usual. Maybe that's because Elektra had the sense to lock her up.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

If OP is prime rib and lobster in a blender, then what's TWINE? Processed cheese slices and crack in a waffle iron?

TWINE is a concoction of tofu, Tabasco Sauce, and one of those romance novels with Fabio on the cover.

Tubes wrote:

Louis Armstrong wrote:

If OP is prime rib and lobster in a blender, then what's TWINE? Processed cheese slices and crack in a waffle iron?

TWINE is a concoction of tofu, Tabasco Sauce, and one of those romance novels with Fabio on the cover.

A View to a Kill

5.5/10

If you pause the scene where Moore is running up the Eiffel Tower stairs just right, you can get a glimpse of his oxygen tank.

I watched For Your Eyes Only just before. A fantastic Bond film! I really enjoyed the vibrance of the film. Yes, the includes the music, but the actual look of the film is really colourful. Easily Glen's best work of the 80s. And no matter how many times I watch it, I also seem to succumb to the tension of the film, whether Melina will reach the tank in time, to Bond's fight for survival as he climbs the rock. Favorite set piece this time was the ski chase. Outstanding work!

Oh and I love the shot of Bond's Walther on the sand, and after he picks it up, it focuses on a dead Lisl.

FieldsMan wrote:

Oh and I love the shot of Bond's Walther on the sand, and after he picks it up, it focuses on a dead Lisl.

I honestly think that is the best shot of the entire film. That isn't bashing FYEO, I just really like that shot, too

Dr No - where the phenonemon truly began. Good God, Connery's magnificent ... suave, self-assured, cool, 'carries himself' brilliantly ... but is still seen bloodied and dishevelled at times.

I watched a Licence to Kill and Quantum of Solace double bill today:

Licence to Kill

Pam annoyed me. I mean really, for someone as independent as her, it seems terribly out of character for her to start weeping over Bond throughout the film. She doesn't really appear to have much chemistry with Dalton either. And despite him being on the slightly more angry side this time round, I really enjoyed his performance, though not what I'd consider Flemingesque. Still, I wish he did a third. Lupe was the better Bond girl, despite her inability to retain any form of energy in her performance. Bond should have picked her. The tanker chase was excellent, as was most of the action. I like the PTS a bit more than usual, but still nothing like the rest of the series (save for maybe LALD's). Villains were great, etc etc.

Quantum of Solace

Thrilling from start to finish. It never dragged. I really enjoyed this viewing. I really love Gassner's production design. It's stunning! Every set is just superb. The whole film is a classy action thriller, and very much my idea of Bond (though maybe a little excess on the action).

In terms of the politics, well, I have to say I didn't really find it as feminist as some make it out to be (CR displayed this more so).M's being talked down by a male superior, Camille, despite being independent, heavily relied on Bond for help. The only real aspect of a feminist angle in QOS was her line about whether her promiscuity offended Bond. But again, she felt a need to explain herself (until they began to be shot out). And then again anyway, her character reflected Bond's, and revealed what sort of life he'd live if he chose revenge (and he didn't). I don't think her character really displayed feminism. Then you have Fields, who was there as Bond's toy and the dancing girls in the title sequence. So, in terms of Bond franchise's feminisation in QOS, well, I think it's mostly absent.

Anyway, I enjoyed both of these today, the latter more so.