Last Bond Movie You Watched.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

If they'd kept that scene that would've been the PG certification gone, Hilly .

To borrow from Sir Rog, fuck 'em!

Quite so, hell with the certificate :)

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Let's kick it out there, the PTS is alright and then there's California Girls. I'm a big Beach Boys fan but it's a bit much. But then if Star Trek can cram Beastie Boys into two films, this isn't so bad.

Similarly, I wasn't too phased by the Beach Boys, either. It's fun and brings a smile to my face in a it's-so-bad-it's-good kinda of way. The choreography of the sequence is excellent, and of course Barry's music is arguably his finest work, so I can enjoy it. Naturally, I'd prefer the sequence to be fully scored by Barry, and had it been I'm sure it would have been a favourite of mine. But as it stands, I can take it for what it is.

Hilly wrote:

VTAK for some reason strikes me as an odd movie. Maybe it's that sadly Roger Moore was looking a touch old to be bedding Tanya Roberts and even Grace Jones, something you think off when he and Pat Macnee are fighting the goons in Zorin's bunker (beneath the stables). Then there's the plot which I honestly forget most times and even then has sort of been done before...

... One admires Sir Roger's gusto in the film. You half expect now, or I do, when he's kissing Mayday in bed a speech bubble to accompany the eyes: "The things I do for England!"

The film is bizarre, and it's why I rank it so highly. I do appreciate Bond's "when on a mission I am expected to sacrifice myself". Of course he is talking about Stacey, but it rings true when he comes to bed May Day. It actually works - in a peculiar fashion - in grounding the narrative in that it's highly fantastical that Bond only beds the most beautiful women for his job. Having him sleep with May Day demonstrates it's not all fun and games. (Maybe I'm trying to justify the fact that I enjoy the film).

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Walken is a marvel. From the off it's the way his voice goes up and down, the facial expressions (like when he's profiling Bond), his cold maniacal manner (City Hall) and his death. I do wish we could've seen him face off Dalton though Moore was worthy enough ("I'm speechless with admiration").

Tanya Roberts is someone I find hard to get antsy about. I think of Kelso's line in 70s Show about Midge (her character): "We allllllllll like Midge!"
People in 1985 might've said, "Tanya Roberts playing a seismologist!" would then be stunned senseless by Denise Roberts in 1999 playing a nuclear physicist. She's a bit of alright is our Tanya and well, we'll leave it there.

Otherwise, the film has more than its share of moments. It feels...80s, a regular film with Bond in it, damned if I know what I mean but City Hall is one of Bond's notable scenes. (If only they kept the deleted scene of Stacey's firing that ends with Moore saying "Fuck him!" ha) the shooting of Howe and above all, Bond taking Stacey down the ladder (ever since I saw that the first time, wished I was Bond. Saving the damsel and all that, to a Barry tune). This preceding the "Is he/Are you/I am" line and the eyebrow raise when Bond sees the two SFPD cop cars stuck together.

Good to see more love (read: less hate) for Stacey. Screams aside, I don't really see how her performance is worse than the likes of Ursula Andress or Claudine Auger. In my eyes, she's leagues ahead of Lois Chiles, Barbara Bach, Halle Berry and Mie Hama to name a few. Not to mention she's arguably the sexiest of all Bond heroines. Maybe it's because the partnership between Moore and Roberts is stretched in age, or the fact that AVTAK was so warmly received, or those screams really do grate on people that people automatically write her off. As I've said before, she's my favourite Moore-era Bond girl.

And of course as you say, Walken is excellent... A Dalton/Walken pairing may have been excellent, but I feel he elevates Moore to a level we hadn't seen before - Moore holds his own against him.

Have we ever seen Bond more heroic than in that City Hall sequence?

Watched TSWLM and FYEO today at the cinema as part of Eon's tribute screenings to Sir Roger. SF aside, it was such a joy to watch two excellent Bond films in the manner intended - on the big screen - especially after the recent disappointments in CR, QOS and SP. Two films saturated with all the Bondian goodness one expects from a Bond film - solid stories, bunch of babes, real stunts, awesome action, great music - and all enhanced by the 4K restoration. FYEO has never looked better, and the Ken Adams' sets of TSWLM are amplified - I've never appreciated Liparus and Atlantis more than I did today. The ski and car chases, Bond's ascent to St Cyrils, the assault on the Liparus and the Spain/Cortina scenes were particular standouts - very impressive in the cinema setting. Not to mention the bouncing titties - 4K does wonders for the title sequences also.

If you can get to a cinema to watch them, I'd highly recommend it - not to mention it's for a good cause!

That's not actually the Beach Boys in the View pre-credits, BTW.

'During the opening sequence, a cover version of the 1965 Beach Boys song "California Girls", performed by Gidea Park with Adrian Baker (a tribute band), is used during a chase in which Bond snowboards'.

Well that explains the unsettling I have when I hear the song.

But yes the City Hall sequence is probably one of Bond's most heroic moments. Trying to think of something close but besides rescuing Tracy from the water, I can't think of one.

Wish that the Moore double-bill was anywhere remotely near me. Basingstoke seems my best bet and that involves two hours of trains.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

That's not actually the Beach Boys in the View pre-credits, BTW.

'During the opening sequence, a cover version of the 1965 Beach Boys song "California Girls", performed by Gidea Park with Adrian Baker (a tribute band), is used during a chase in which Bond snowboards'.

Interesting... Thanks for the info!

The Spy Who Loved Me

rather than wait for the Bond all-nighter in July or finding a cinema showing the double-bill, I made this the fifth of my somewhat erratic tribute viewing.

Here the Moore formula was established -the style of fighting, the pity one-liners and expressions, the sometimes outright silliness. Indeed, for all the silliness this tends to be the one film that certain lines and moments by Moore are etched writ large against his twelve years as Bond.
Indeed, here is the ultimate Bond song with probably one of my favourite titles (forget how often Moore features in them rather than just a silhouette) next to OHMSS.
Get it in early, that trivially that like in YOLT and TND, do like seeing Bond in RN uniform -that dot connecting him to his roots, so to speak. I imagine being RNVR Bond was never that far removed from the service as befitting anyone in the Wavy Navy.

Key point is the van scene after dispatching Jaws at the builder's site. Bond relentlessly getting in digs as Amasova tries to get out of there ("...play any other tune?" is one I seem to use in life often), his expression after her use of "shaken, not stirred". The "When one is in Egypt..." line is something I'll forever entertain. Though you must admire how Bond was quite seriously thinking on what he had been told and was about to clear off to Cairo ASAP, when the buxom blonde appeared and quite clearly did enough to change his mind.
One favourite Moore line is "What a helpful chap" -indeed, for Moore's Bond this is a fairly cold dispatch (the slapping of the hand). Not until For Your Eyes Only would Bond do as much in this regard.

TSWLM in recent years has befuddled me. In my childhood I liked it but it grew a bit stale. In true fashion, I enjoy this time round. Viewing it purely via Sir Roger, enjoyment is the way to do it. That is not to say it's not without some standout moments -the pyramid scene with Jaws killing Fakesh has a chilly edge to it, back when Jaws wasn't entirely the butt of a joke.
For all the stiltiness to Bach's acting, there is something to the Bond/XXX dynamic. On the Ranger when the sub is captured, Bond asking which bullet is for him and when he says "Adieu" to her. Though there is slight joy at seeing Bond do his best to out her at every step such as in the SIS pyramid (another good scene if to show the two sides but the M/Gogol relationship).

For me, TSWLM has the fact Shane Rimmer gets a shedload to do and probably one of his more memorable film outings. Probably helps that Rimmer and Moore were friends, or maybe I misread that someplace, or that Rimmer's the voice of Scott Tracy which helps me anyway. His incredulity at Bond's calm remark finding a nuke in the armory is worth a giggle. (Less so the gulp by the nervous sailor as Bond removes the detonator)

Bach, I used to have a thing for, something probably aided by her first appearance in Force 10 from Navarone but sadly ends up lacking. Yet, Amasova is one of the first women to be near Bond's equal. She is meant to be the KGB's answer, or next to it, to 007 and presumably she got that far by being tough as nails. Again, got to love how Bond seems quite bemused by her sometimes such as on the train after fighting Jaws. His ribbing is never far away:
"What a handsome craft...such lovely lines," followed by a cheeky look.

Musically I'm not entirely mad on Hamlisch's score. Admire the man and so forth but the score feels lacking and not entirely complete. Perhaps we're spoilt by Barry's scores or that TSWLM feels quite 70s. This being said, The Tanker, helps make the scene quite tense and dramatic -as the Wayne is swallowed up.

Nor are the effects far from shabby. The ride to Atlantis for example, the Liparus model (roughly on par with the Titanic from Raise the Titanic I'd say) and even the little ol' Lotus. I always marvel at the Liparus set -the submarine replicas for one- this set and the Moonraker space station are two of the best to feature in the series after the YOLT volcano perhaps.

Bringing me roundly to Curt Jurgens. Not the most memorable villain and like someone once said, seems reduced to just pushing buttons on Atlantis but Jurgens has enough of a presence to never being completely one dimensional. He does at the very least have a good opening where you think the boffins will get bumped off first then you see it's his secretary but wait, the boffins do get bumped off. But, unlike Drax, it's never a complete feel.

"James..."
"I know, we're being followed."
"James..."
"I know, I know, there's another car."
"James..."
"Yes, don't tell me."
"J..."
"Let me handle this would you?"

Can't disagree with a lot of that. The score was never a particular favourite of mine, but I am appreciating it more as I get older.

Actually, probably the only point I would disagree on are the titles sequence - for TSLWM and OHMSS. Some of Binder's work is a little too flat for me - I really like DN, TB, YOLT, LALD, AVTAK and TLD, and maybe FYEO, but the rest are serviceable with fewer striking images for me. I much prefer Brownjohn's and Kleinman's efforts. In fact, OHMSS is probably my least favourite, with only the clock and girls being of any interest from that sequence (and of course Barry's theme).

All that said, I rather did enjoy watching the TSWLM titles on the big screen on my latest viewing - perhaps enhanced for the simple novelty of watching classic James Bond on the big screen, and further in tribute to the late, great man himself.

I reckon the purpose of the OHMSS titles was to sort-of reassure the audience (in Connery's absence) that this was still Bond ... hence the recapping of the Connery flicks within them.

I guess with me I'm quite swayed by Barry's theme [for the OHMSS titles] and I sort of get carried along for the ride. Realistically it could've been two and a bit minutes of Diana Rigg running down the beach and I'd have felt the same

I forgot to say the one slight downer at the end is the somewhat campy rendition of Nobody Does It Better, however brief, it's more reminiscent of Carry On ("Two fat ladies stuck in the lavatory..."). But one slight misgiving.

Well, two. Maybe I read too much into these things but during the Lotus' sojourn underwater, Anya remarks about how she had seen the plans for the Lotus (hence knowing the switch etc) and yet when Bond is driving Hell for leather towards water the submersible part took her that much by surprise. Maybe the KGB had only taken half of the plans for the Lotus (and imagine what the Soviet equivalent was [re: Concorde/Tupolev Tu144 for example], a submersible Lada one presumes).

Blunt Instrument wrote:

I reckon the purpose of the OHMSS titles was to sort-of reassure the audience (in Connery's absence) that this was still Bond ... hence the recapping of the Connery flicks within them.    

Oh sure, and nothing against the idea, just the design doesn't sit right with me.

Hilly wrote:

Realistically it could've been two and a bit minutes of Diana Rigg running down the beach and I'd have felt the same

Now there's a title sequence that I would have liked.

Hilly wrote:

Well, two. Maybe I read too much into these things but during the Lotus' sojourn underwater, Anya remarks about how she had seen the plans for the Lotus (hence knowing the switch etc) and yet when Bond is driving Hell for leather towards water the submersible part took her that much by surprise. Maybe the KGB had only taken half of the plans for the Lotus (and imagine what the Soviet equivalent was [re: Concorde/Tupolev Tu144 for example], a submersible Lada one presumes).

I always took it that Anya didn't suspect that the British would have made the car (since she stole the plans) and hence that she didn't think she would be in that particular submersible Lotus.

Even if you knew a car would go underwater I'm sure one would freak out in those initial moments when you're charging and sinking into the water.

FieldsMan wrote:

Good to see more love (read: less hate) for Stacey. Screams aside, I don't really see how her performance is worse than the likes of Ursula Andress or Claudine Auger. In my eyes, she's leagues ahead of Lois Chiles, Barbara Bach, Halle Berry and Mie Hama to name a few. Not to mention she's arguably the sexiest of all Bond heroines. Maybe it's because the partnership between Moore and Roberts is stretched in age, or the fact that AVTAK was so warmly received, or those screams really do grate on people that people automatically write her off. As I've said before, she's my favourite Moore-era Bond girl.  

I've long felt that Glen hated having to use Roberts and tried to undermine her performance, but that's just conjecture on my part. It's very hard to come up with any other explanation for why a character that was not written as a bimbo and airhead comes across as such. Roberts struggles to deliver on even some of the most basic line deliveries such as "Seawater? That's incredibly dangerous" and "..springtide for maximum effect". Not to mention being totally unable to sense a blimp coming up behind you. Audiences never forgave the character for not being able to outmaneuver a blimp.

Mary Goodnight was written as a daft airhead and credibly played as such.

Holly Goodhead was sometimes flatly played by Lois Chiles, but she never came across as an airhead and she actually had some great scenes with Moore.

Denise Richards didn't have much to do and was too young for Brosnan, but I never thought she was an airhead nor did she slow Bond down.

Problem is, Stacy is pretty much more trouble than she's worth. She lets Bond do all the fighting for her, only to tell him too late that her gun is only loaded with rock salt. She's a distraction in the elevator shaft, constantly screaming at Bond while he's trying to rescue her. Passes out and has to be carried down a ladder; has to be grabbed before falling down a mine shaft....my favorite Stacy-ism is when she and Bond are running from gunfire and Zorin's assassins in the mine shafts and then she panics when she sees a rat. Can't out-run a blimp and nearly knocks Bond off the Golden Gate Bridge by rolling into him. ALL THIS for the little bit of information she gives to him? Would've been better off if Anya Amasova and Bond had teamed up; a really interesting idea that never came to pass...an opportunity that was sadly missed.

Quote :

And of course as you say, Walken is excellent... A Dalton/Walken pairing may have been excellent, but I feel he elevates Moore to a level we hadn't seen before - Moore holds his own against him.

The pairing of Walken and Jones was a casting coup. Jones was striking and beautiful in a non-traditional way and Zorin was a different type of villain than we've seen: a true psycho. The leader of a Fortune 100 company willing to risk it all being caught assassinating Aubergine in Paris or burning down City Hall in San Francisco. Zorin was a hand's on villain, which is why I loved him so much. The mass killing in the mine....May Day's betrayal...May Day looking up at Zorin as she sacrificed herself....ahhhh great stuff.

I understand all of that, and some of it becomes apparent when watching the film (notably not hearing the blimp, though admittedly, I never really caught on to that until I started visiting forums. Maybe my eye isn't as keen as others'), but I don't see it as a detriment. I think it's a credit to Roberts for giving the character a sense of vulnerability and made the character a believable person. She's not in the game of espionage so I don't see how she is supposed to be as tough and resourceful as someone like Wai Lin or Camille. But even then, she does knock Scarpine out on the blimp. Again, I don't see anything wrong with her delivery of your aforementioned lines, but, perhaps like Bond, I feel that she is worth more than the trouble she may have caused. Maybe I'm thinking with my hand.

The other thing I really appreciate is the arc she is given. It doesn't happen all that much with Bond girls in the series. Her opening scenes is fittingly Bondian but I like seeing her at City Hall, getting fired, her home life, etc.

By some accounts Roberts was a pain to work with and maybe, as you say Grav, Glen had something to do with tripping up her performance. I can't imagine he would, not intentionally. The blimp thing is a slight niggle but then she was wholly fixated on Bond.

I must have a dark streak, because watching it this time round, when Bond says "don't go anywhere" followed by her wide-eyed look, I chuckled. Hell with it, I'd have given my right leg to carry Tanya Roberts down a ladder to John Barry's fanfare.

As for the Lotus, Fields, good point. Maybe they stole the plans for the Lotus Bond ended up using in the snow.

I tried to watch SPECTURD today and spent more time polishing the DB toes than paying attention to Mr Slash-Wrists.

The train scene and fight is ok but Blofeld looks around 5ft 2 and like a dork. Not really impressive.

That's true. While the height doesn't bother me, Blofeld is presented as nothing more than a jealous computer geek, hacking into surveillance systems and that's that. He should be more than that. Bond's "Not much more than a voyeur" would have been more effective had it not been the case.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

By some accounts Roberts was a pain to work with and maybe, as you say Grav, Glen had something to do with tripping up her performance. I can't imagine he would, not intentionally. The blimp thing is a slight niggle but then she was wholly fixated on Bond.

I must have a dark streak, because watching it this time round, when Bond says "don't go anywhere" followed by her wide-eyed look, I chuckled. Hell with it, I'd have given my right leg to carry Tanya Roberts down a ladder to John Barry's fanfare.

As for the Lotus, Fields, good point. Maybe they stole the plans for the Lotus Bond ended up using in the snow.

As well as Roberts, one wonders about Jones; when you're pretty much the only Bond co-star professional nice-guy Sir Rog ever 'dissed' ... hmmm.

Blunt Instrument wrote:

Hilly KCMG wrote:

By some accounts Roberts was a pain to work with and maybe, as you say Grav, Glen had something to do with tripping up her performance. I can't imagine he would, not intentionally. The blimp thing is a slight niggle but then she was wholly fixated on Bond.

I must have a dark streak, because watching it this time round, when Bond says "don't go anywhere" followed by her wide-eyed look, I chuckled. Hell with it, I'd have given my right leg to carry Tanya Roberts down a ladder to John Barry's fanfare.

As for the Lotus, Fields, good point. Maybe they stole the plans for the Lotus Bond ended up using in the snow.

As well as Roberts, one wonders about Jones; when you're pretty much the only Bond co-star professional nice-guy Sir Rog ever 'dissed' ... hmmm.    

Even Sir Roger's diss had class: "My mother taught me it's best not to say anything if you have nothing nice to say..." or words to effect.

The VTAK set must've been fun in a perverse sort of way -Roberts, Jones, Walken, Moore, Glen etc. Wonder what Sir Patrick made of Grace Jones.

The mystery of it all... I recently saw an (old) interview with Grace Jones who appeared to have enjoyed AVTAK, and sung praise to Moore. Likewise, Roberts' tribute to Moore when he passed away mentioned how they had a great time together making AVTAK.

Perverse is a good way to put it. Grace Jones' stripping to reveal the dildo while shooting their love scene would suggest that!

The 90s Bond trilogy.

Classic Bond.

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

This one could've been a lot better. You've landed the incomparable Sir Christopher Lee as a villain and you drag the film down with all manner of silliness ranging from kung-fu schoolgirls to a booty-loving child who wanted "twenty thousand butts."

Britt Ekland was annoying. There's little point to her character other than inadvertently leading Bond to Scaramanga's island and being the requisite holster for 007 inches at the end of the film.  "A MEEDJEET?" - a character more superfluous than Scaramanga's third nipple.

Anders was OK, but you still wonder how a hitman's girlfriend has such an intimate knowledge of a British intelligence operative.

I thought Moore was quite good. It's controversial, but I prefer it when he's 60% clown rather than 90%. He was still believable as a bastard (i.e. slapping Anders around) and that fight scene in Beirut is fairly brutal, what with Bond bashing that chap's head into the wall repeatedly.

The solex agitator MacGuffin almost seems unnecessary, though perhaps it was pertinent for audiences at the time. Coincidentally just watched Soylet Green, which came out the year before Golden Gun, for the first time the other day. Good thing those environmental and energy concerns of the early 70's are far behind us and we've since weened off fossil fuels and Arab oil.

The benign bizarre element with the funhouse and the diminutive French butler are good.

Nevertheless, could've been better but too many "comedic" liabilities. Did Sheriff J.W. Pepper really return by popular demand? How did they gauge this in pre-interwebs days? Did multitudes of people really take the time to pen letters to Albert Broccoli demanding that oaf's return to the series? Still, it's an interesting historical tidbit that in 1974 a tobacco-chewin', Red-baitin', Southern lawman could still be an adamant Democrat.

CJB wrote:

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

This one could've been a lot better. You've landed the incomparable Sir Christopher Lee as a villain and you drag the film down with all manner of silliness ranging from kung-fu schoolgirls to a booty-loving child who wanted "twenty thousand butts."

Britt Ekland was annoying. There's little point to her character other than inadvertently leading Bond to Scaramanga's island and being the requisite holster for 007 inches at the end of the film.  "A MEEDJEET?" - a character more superfluous than Scaramanga's third nipple.

Anders was OK, but you still wonder how a hitman's girlfriend has such an intimate knowledge of a British intelligence operative.

I thought Moore was quite good. It's controversial, but I prefer it when he's 60% clown rather than 90%. He was still believable as a bastard (i.e. slapping Anders around) and that fight scene in Beirut is fairly brutal, what with Bond bashing that chap's head into the wall repeatedly.

The solex agitator MacGuffin almost seems unnecessary, though perhaps it was pertinent for audiences at the time. Coincidentally just watched Soylet Green, which came out the year before Golden Gun, for the first time the other day. Good thing those environmental and energy concerns of the early 70's are far behind us and we've since weened off fossil fuels and Arab oil.

The benign bizarre element with the funhouse and the diminutive French butler are good.

Nevertheless, could've been better but too many "comedic" liabilities. Did Sheriff J.W. Pepper really return by popular demand? How did they gauge this in pre-interwebs days? Did multitudes of people really take the time to pen letters to Albert Broccoli demanding that oaf's return to the series? Still, it's an interesting historical tidbit that in 1974 a tobacco-chewin', Red-baitin', Southern lawman could still be an adamant Democrat.

Indeed it could have been better, though I like to think that the brains behind TMWTGG were having a blast, doing some serious recreational experimenting to create perhaps the most bizarre of all Bond films. I agree about Moore, bust disagree about Ekland. Goodnight is a throwaway character in this film, but I feel Ekland plays her with enough charm that she gets away with it. It's not a bad performance - I believe it - it's just that writing isn't there.

I wrote:

The 90s Bond trilogy.

Classic Bond.

To follow on, I watched DAD and SF, concluding a scattered Bond-a-thon (save for FRWL and OHMSS, the former I'm waiting for a friend, the later for Christmas viewing). N.B. Forgive the odd typo/autocorrect. This was a more passionate post written at night and I'm too tired to re read it.

In earlier posts, I suggested that SF would have been well suited to SF, and so I decided that when it came to watching his films for the year, I'd add SF to the end of it. As suspected, SF caps off Brosnan's run successfully, and suggests the idea that it would have been a fitting end to his era as Bond. It also highlights that Craig really isn't the step up from Brosnan that some believe him to be. It vexes me that someone so fitting for the role is passed up for - as lachesis calls it - a charisma vacuum that Craig is. Granted, watching Brosnan four films in a row - consecutively - may have influenced the opinion, but I can't help but think what it would have been like for Brosnan and Dench to exchange the "we're both played out" exchange, considering the what's come before: Alec's betrayal, Elektra's betrayal, the capture and torture in NK, M's kidnapping, the attack on MI6, earning Bond's (and Tanner's) trust since Goldeneye. Maybe I'm sentimental, and prickly at the fact that Brosnan didn't get the six films he wanted, only to be traded off for Craig in CR; and everyone knows how I feel about that abomination. For what? To dig deeper into Bond's psyche? Which is what was starting to happen with Bond and Alec's exchanges in GE, with Bond in TWINE, and the exceptional beginning of DAD.

Further notes on the films:

GE: Without a doubt a classic. Was it Roger Ebert who says Brosnan's Bond is more psychologically complete? I'd agree here. There's so many moments of vulnerability and internal dissonance whilst balancing the charm, humour and danger. GE is a very balanced film, and one I think Fleming would have been proud of.

TND: Is it just me, or is Wai Lin's theme one of the finest pieces of music composed in the last 8 films (if not in the series)? Stamper continues to grow on me. His commentary during the sinking of the Devonshire seals the deal for me. The unguarded loyalty to both Carver and Kaufman appears to evoke a sense of vulnerability. And Carver is one of my favourite villains. Pryce is outstanding. As are the girls. I read recently that while Brosnan campaigned for Bellucci, he thought Hatcher acquitted herself beautifully to the role, and I agree. After so much bad publicity, it's nice to read that he did think highly of her in the end. And supposedly, his scenes with her are amongst his favourite.

TWINE: Christmas Jones also continues to grow on me. She never was a detriment to the film, but that sassiness is there, she's easy on the eyes and of course, it's a Bond film. I'd be disappointed if Christmas looked like Klebb or Bunt. The infamous 'Drop the act!' scene didn't grate on me, as it does on others. I realised that it's the 'knew exactly where to hurt me' line that perhaps irks some, since Bond is wearing his feelings on his sleeve a little too much - but it felt it was more about provoking a reaction from Elektra. Some say he is too whipped in this film, but I disagree. We all know Bond has a particular weakness for birds with a wing down, and it's exactly what happens here. He's on the ball when something doesn't add up, but doesn't show it until completely necessary. And while Q's scene is poignant, it also serves to teach Bond this lesson which is why he doesn't let up with Elektra.

DAD: Brosnan does an excellent job here. Combined with the writing of his character, it works a treat. He is more cynical since NK, but still enjoys himself when he can. Does that mean my tastes in Bond are unrefined? Sure, it would be interesting to see more effects of the imprisonment and torture beyond the more cynical approach, but it glides over it but never forgets it. Compare the virtual reality sequence with the evaluations in SF. Where SF indulges, it breezes over it in DAD with "give me the old firing range any day" or irritation at the fact that he has to prove to Q that M has a flesh wound. Don't get me wrong, it works well in SF, but I feel had Brosnan done it, there would have been the cynicism without sacrificing the charm. Not to mention Brosnan-Bond's weariness feels much more organic given his age than CraigBond, who just the film before was a rookie. It feels a little artificial in parts. Which leads me to:

SF: Like Brosnan's first three, it's an excellent film. Everything from the supporting cast and writing, to the production design and cinematography is beautiful. The film's two biggest let downs are Craig and Thomas Newman. A few cues aside, the music is a letdown; a far cry from Arnold's striking work or Serra's atmospheric score.

CJB wrote:

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

This one could've been a lot better. You've landed the incomparable Sir Christopher Lee as a villain and you drag the film down with all manner of silliness ranging from kung-fu schoolgirls to a booty-loving child who wanted "twenty thousand butts."

Thank goodness for SPECTRE, because for the longest time TMWTGG and LTK were my least favorite Bond films. One thing about GOLDEN GUN: you can't forget it. It dares you to not remember it. You may not like a movie where the Bond villain has more tits than the Bond Girls, but MWTGG always strives to entertain (even if it falls flat).

Quote :

Britt Ekland was annoying. There's little point to her character other than inadvertently leading Bond to Scaramanga's island and being the requisite holster for 007 inches at the end of the film.  "A MEEDJEET?" - a character more superfluous than Scaramanga's third nipple.

Anders was OK, but you still wonder how a hitman's girlfriend has such an intimate knowledge of a British intelligence operative.

I thought Moore was quite good. It's controversial, but I prefer it when he's 60% clown rather than 90%. He was still believable as a bastard (i.e. slapping Anders around) and that fight scene in Beirut is fairly brutal, what with Bond bashing that chap's head into the wall repeatedly.

The solex agitator MacGuffin almost seems unnecessary, though perhaps it was pertinent for audiences at the time. Coincidentally just watched Soylet Green, which came out the year before Golden Gun, for the first time the other day. Good thing those environmental and energy concerns of the early 70's are far behind us and we've since weened off fossil fuels and Arab oil.

The benign bizarre element with the funhouse and the diminutive French butler are good.

Nevertheless, could've been better but too many "comedic" liabilities. Did Sheriff J.W. Pepper really return by popular demand? How did they gauge this in pre-interwebs days? Did multitudes of people really take the time to pen letters to Albert Broccoli demanding that oaf's return to the series? Still, it's an interesting historical tidbit that in 1974 a tobacco-chewin', Red-baitin', Southern lawman could still be an adamant Democrat.

All good points, but almost all of them aren't even the worst parts of the film. I think they pushed a follow-up to LALD too soon, and Tom has said he told Cubby he wasn't writing his best work and asked to be released from the film...only to come back and rewrite Maibaum's script which was a rewrite of Tom's script. So I think the first place you have to look at is the script. It's a mess. At the heart of the movie there is basically no conflict; Scaramanaga does not represent a threat to Bond and the tacked-on sub-plot involving the Solex Agitator is simply not a big enough idea. It lacks immediacy or urgency...unlike trying to stop a nuclear weapon from detonating at a circus or thwarting a man-made earthquake.

I'd also suggest that just about every other aspect of this movie is also subpar. It's not like they didn't try; it's just that they came up empty on almost every conceivable level. This was probably Barry's least impressive score, and Lulu's song is among the worst in a field where there aren't many awful choices. And the title sequence has only one potentially memorable scene (silhouette dancing against red sparks) and the rest of it is simply uninspired and among the worst title sequences of any of the films.

Bond and Moneypenny's scene(s) lack any sort of chemistry or witty banter, and Bernard Lee seems extremely gruff and hostile, as if he was diarrhea (he tells Q to "shut up" at least twice).
I can forgive some of the comedic moments only because without them there would be more focus on the nearly non-existent plot. For example: if Hi-Fat knows that it's really Bond who has come onto his property and not Scaramanga, and the intention is to kill Bond, why let Bond even leave the property? It's like a set-up for the action sequences to follow at the karate school and Bond giving the sumo wrestler's wedgies.

Give EON credit for coming up with a name like Chew Me for a Bond Girl...nice T&A...doubt anyone at EON has the balls to do that kind of scene today. Too politically correct.

As far as I'm concerned, Golden Gun is not sacred, and I would have no problem with a real remake of this one. 4 / 10


LALD (8 / 10) Amazing that Mendes cited LALD as one of his favorites, and an influence on SP, yet SPECTRE is void of any of the elements that make LALD excellent. Great score, great villains, great mood and atmosphere...great leading lady...great titles and title song....

TSWLM (7.5/10) Not my favorite of the Moore offerings, but probably his absolute best performance as 007. His reaction to Anya's questioning about killing her lover was spot-on. Only thing that mars the performance is that Anya has already been to bed with 007 less than 3 weeks after her lover was killed. If she's comforable jumping back into the sack with a stranger so quickly, how strong could that relationship have been? Might've played better if they hadn't fooled around on the train.

'Spy' brings back the epic climactic showdown...the kind we'd been missing since YOLT or OHMSS. I felt a chill go down my spine as the crews of the American and British subs start grabbing guns and attacking Stromberg's operations center. The music...the action....it's 70's cheese, but I sure wish we could have a few of those cliched, feel good moments where it's wall-to-wall action like the finale of Moonraker or Spy or YOLT or Thunderball. I miss those days.

Chew Me was indeed a highlight. Hopefully they man up for the next film and feature some throwaway lay named Flik Klit.