I'm Happiest, When in the Saddle: View to a Kill at 35 (1985-2020)

Well, have at it my friends.

I'll write a proper review later, largely as I'm sure in the past year I've done at least two in depth ones but do one afresh for this thread. VTAK's my birth year film so that's always one thing it has on side at least. Ah youth...Anyway. Today's the day friends.

Looking forward to this! You'll be kind to Stacey, I trust.

Naturally, we'll give it a little while and get going.

Well chaps pour yourselves a stiff one and help yourself to a drink.

It has been well stated that this has been a much knackered film in my household. I still remember the VHS tape used to record it in late 80s, yellow labelled and still featuring a brief snippet of a late 80s newscast. Come the release of the collection (that at the time went up to TWINE) it was DAF, VTAK and OHMSS (then came the others bit by bit). So, in my near 35 years, I've likely seen this film more times than I've had hot dinners. Definitely more times than OHMSS. I think in my life only the likes of Star Trek's III and IV, DAF and The Final Countdown has been seen as much.

It should be noted before I go on, that I am likely repeating myself from recent weeks and past year.

It has simply transcended common sense. As a kid I didn't mind it, it was goofy and had action. As I reached university life and did my last set of Bondathon's VTAK slipped away like Jack in Titanic. And then it has reached a stage of guilty pleasure like DAF and even DAD. The head says, no stay away Hilly and yet the rest of the thoughts seem rooted back to childhood.

VTAK like some of the other dire Bond's, (or thought of dire: DAF, Moonraker and DAD I'd say) seems to be in two minds. Sometimes decent moments come through but otherwise are swept aside by the usual. For every Corinne's death in Moonraker comes goofy Jaws moments, for every chilling Drax performance by Lonsdale, comes one-liners, Magnificent Seven theme, space lasers.
And so it is with VTAK. The PTS, as is often the case, is the film in microcosm. Good location, Bond rooting around, Russkies on his tail, decent Barry score and then...California Girls, seducing a young woman and...

Dispense with taking it too seriously or the plot being a modern rehash of GF and there's enough that I can carry myself with. I've come round to Stacey, as unpopular as that is. The theory she's an ordinary girl flung into something beyond her comprehension works. It's not that common a thing as usually Bond has a girl his equal (say Goodhead or Wai Linn) or is streetwise enough (Tiffany, Pam, maybe Jinx). To her, Zorin is just a bastard billionaire up to no good, not an evil mastermind with mass genocide on his mind. James Stock waltzes in, beats up these guys, bakes her an omelette (okay...okay) and helps her out. Suddenly she's caught up in a shooting, a fire and a secret agent.
Tanya Roberts was quietly smouldering with hotness back in the day. She's fine now, but 80s Roberts was top shelf.

May Day I find nowadays oddly compelling. Grace Jones doesn't seem to be trying. As a kid I wasn't mad on her. Frankly I probably found her scary. She seems to be above Zorin in any kind of romantic sense. I don't even see them as lovers. She is certainly the muscle and there's something in how she helps Bond at the end. I like how Zorin is distraught at her death but on one hand, he was quite prepared to destroy the mine with her in it and yet, is probably more upset at his plan going skew-whiff.

The allies are a little weak to put it mildly. There's no feeling when Chuck Lee buys it. It's a shame but it's not on the level of other allies.

Zorin is one of the best villains for performance. He veers on an uneven course between psycho and normal (obviously he is a full blown psychopath but Walken walks this line well). His expressions, his intonations ("Well...go AFTER them!")

The film has the fire ladder moment. What lad back in the day didn't dream of saving the girl like that with a Barry score?

San Francisco feels wasted. I'd go back to it, with good photography (say Deakins came back), some good shots of the Marin Headlands, sweep up the Bay, involve Lombard Street (that zig-zag that's been in every film going set in SF), mess about on the Cable Car's probably, meet your ally on Alcatraz...Photographically, the city is ripe for it.

Barry's score does the job, it remains a shame that it's not been properly released. Though similar to a Robin & Marian piece, the music that accompanies Bond's arrival at Zorin's chateau is beautiful and there's the action piece as Bond fights in Stacey's home, a mix of the frantic Bond theme (as heard in TB's Chateau Flight) and his VTAK action cues.

But the time had come, before, for Sir Roger to leave. Perhaps after Moonraker or FYEO. VTAK might've worked with Stacey had they not tumbled into the shower at the end. Leave it like Melina but without the promise of more. Though even Dalton could not have rescued VTAK. In fact VTAK might have made him quit.

So it's 35 years old, one of my birth year films and it's aged a little better than myself. It brought to an end the tenure of a man who became the flag bearer of Bond. And as is the case in battle, when that flag bearer falls another takes his place and that seems to be Brosnan now.

Vive VTAK.

Considerate and detailed write-up as always, sir. Gave it a rewatch on the Bank Holiday Mon myself, my thoughts are in the 'Last Bond Movie You Watched' thread.

Good review, Hilly. Reasonable summation and can't disagree with too much. San Fran is certainly underused. American cities were always much more interesting in the novels than in the films.

One thing that's always bugged me, though: why was Chuck Lee's body found in Chinatown?

I DID find myself pondering if a Parisian taxi driver was likely to express his frustrations in English, but unlike a certain other board member didn't think it thread-worthy.

Thank you CJB but yes, why Chinatown.......?

Maybe, Blunty, that taxi driver believed that only an Englishman would be so rude as to steal his taxi.

Oh okay.

"He veers on an uneven course between psycho and normal" ... feel as though that statement really captures the appeal of Walken's performance.

Finally got around to reading this. As always, a pleasure to read.

Hilly wrote:

The allies are a little weak to put it mildly.

Aubergine, maybe. Chuck Lee, maybe. But Sir Godfrey is one of Moore's finest allies, surely! Their back and forth is a highlight of Sir Roger's era.

I didn't think how that line went but yes of course Sir Godfrey is the exception. It helps that Macnee and Moore were friends in real life, their interplay at the chateau alone is worth the cinema ticket. Macnee said it was a shame they bumped him off. Would've been interesting to see Sir Godfrey helping Dalton's Bond or even Brosnan.

Otherwise thank you, the typing tends to skip ahead of my mindset.

Did Macnee really say that? Would have been nice to see him pop in and out throughout the 80s and 90s. Maybe he makes an appearance tending to the horses at Blayden House in TLD.

I read a quote a few months ago but can't find it. Macnee certainly seemed disappointed Sir Godfrey died. But you could argue, his death is still poignant. As allies go, you do feel it.

I'd say it's because Macnee's warmth and his off screen friendship with Moore makes it so. The banter is there in the script but the pair of them elevate the material.

In another reality, there were a small series of buddy films involving Moore and Macnee, based on Bond/Godfrey but renamed for copyright reasons.

Great pic .

In light of the news today, it seemed only fitting to revisit VTAK for probably the 1309th time but will approach the review lightly. Not a time for moping generally. The Jack Daniels helps.

PTS: Sure, as he seduces her Bond says they have 5 days to Alaska, but one of them got off that submarine with their sanity intact let's be honest.

The credits I zoned out off. Anyone else see that Roger Moore's Bond/silhouette was always jumping/doing somersaults in his credits?

Noted that the Queen's portrait in Penny's office is the same as OHMSS. Saying governmental places update the portrait every so often to reflect the Queen's aging could this be the same exact one as OHMSS' set? In my best Spike Milligan, you have to watch out for these things.

We at least get Cheerful Freddie for the last Moore outing. If we have the head of the 00's, his secretary and armourer at the horses, surely we could have had the Minister for Defence (coincidentally the longest serving Minister for Defence ever, ten solid years) there too? His cheer would become ticked as another Bond backed horse beats one of his.

We say what we will for the taxi scene but Bond waited approximately 1sec (and note the yellow 2CV parked up nearby). What do the boats chefs expect when they bring a three tier cake out onto a dancefloor? Someone was bound to flatten it before 007 got to it.

Shame Macnee and Bond never did a series of films together. A sort of travelling Bond/Tibbett. Sherlock Holmes in New York doesn't count.

"I'm Jenny Flex."
"Ah, I believe I knew your mother, Lotta."

Considering the tone of this film in places, especially the Bond/Tibbett dynamic, when Bond says I'm expected to sacrifice myself or whatnot, surprised we didn't have Macnee shoot the camera an exasperated look before leaving the balcony.

Nice touch would've had Tony Curtis play a drunk at the party. "Brett! Brett!"
"Go away you little man, I'm St. John Smythe."

But as it's why we're here, Ms Roberts' intro is suitably filmed and the music reminiscent of Tiffany at the airport in DAF, vaguely at that but good touch that Barry does for a moment. Bob Conley manages to give away a chunk with few words. Oil, San Francisco, check.

Whatever we think of the film, Walken does a job all throughout and his first contact with Bond at the party has this frisson of excitement. We know he's the villain of course but there's some mystery for Bond to unravel. Then of course it segues into Barry's instrumental with Stacy staring into nowhere.

"I'm English.
-I'd never have guessed."

Sir Roge's ultimate bravery is wrestling with May Day.

Jokey tone here in this post or not, Barry's music is top drawer. The music for Tibbett's last moments does, even after many rewatches, its bit to stoke up tension. We get the idea he's going to die but boom, there it is.

I do like Walken's expression after the KGB agent calls him a freak. Not so much Zorin affronted but a mix of "is he talking about me?" and the prospect of May Day doing her trick. Despite them meant to be playing lovers, I still feel Zorin/May Day more as partners in crime. Two tough characters out for gain.

If anything dates a film, it can be the technology of the day and nothing screams mid80s perhaps more than the KGB relying on a cassette player/walkman. Plus Bond is two steps ahead of Ionova always -you did know I was there to seduce you in London? Duh. You know I'll walk out of here the moment your back is turn. Naturally.

Tanya Roberts had such a vivid beauty to her in this film. Kind of thunderbolt stuff.

An aside is if this was a Mank written film, bunch of jokes involving her, er, cat maybe. And any woman that steps out of her wardrobe wielding a shotgun gets my attention. (Though seeing a shower, clearly Bond's er interest was piqued). Indeed, waking up to Tanya Roberts in that dressing gown...well, more than the shotgun would be up

I'll never tire of the fight in the house for whatever reason. I know it's by now mostly a stuntman but Bond flinging himself over the bannister, tucking and rolling on the landing all to a nice bit of music. Stacy does her bit even if it's clumsy but that's the idea. "John, may I throw in some of my New York upbringing?/Sure whatever you like...nah we'll cut it out."

Bond locks the front door, sure that worked up to this point. We never did get the Sir Roge cookbook. There's a VHS that wasn't.

(After the film Bond goes back to his routine, and Stacy...? Perhaps Her Majesty's Government paid for some ranch someplace...)

I'll say it again, should've kept Moore's outtake at City Hall in. Set the precedent for LTK right there.

"Fuck him!"

With respect to Chuck, if only Felix was in this film. A return for David Hedison here and then. Have a scene where he turns up at the house and sees first Bond then Stacy in her robe. "Let me guess, just business."

Clever dialogue when Zorin catches Bond and Stacy. Any other villain would perhaps add Bond or 007 to their line but Zorin doesn't thus of course keeping Stacy in the dark about Bond's real ID until after the fire. Pity Stacy didn't get to finish the shove it where the sun don't shine.

Nowadays if Bond was owned by Disney, we'd have a gazillion things to set or follow this movie and a Zorin, Walken starring, film prior would've been the icing on the cake.

Unfortunately from the moment the SFPD romp up, this being the year of Police Academy 2, nothing changes. Nits. Straight off know who Chuck Lee was though.

And few things since better the ladder moment. Every act of heroism needs a Barry score.

Poor Stacy. One day working for little money to feed her cat, next lost her job, attacked by goons, set on fire pretty much and next thing:

"I'm British Secret Service...
-Is he?
-Are you?"

Still wish they had an Aston in this movie. The V8 Vantage outrunning the SFPD using its gadgets would've been sublime on the streets of San Francisco. Though I've twigged the cowboys' convertible is right hand drive.

Adding to Stacy's muddlement is Bond deciding to go batshit on the ladder, even dear Tracy would be dazed by the fact Bond is on the left one moment, on the right the next and then he's steering the thing from the rear. Tracy though would be enjoying the driving. Eliminate the whole SFPD by her smashing the lorry about.

Bond perhaps did the Dirk Benedict lookalike driving the dynamite delivery a favour by knocking him out. Perhaps one to add to the slaughter later. Love how the security checkpoint doesn't seem to notice or question Stacy.

It might not be Ken Adam but the mine set isn't too shabby. Sense of scope at least.

May Day always wanted to go off with a bang.

I'll maintain Stacy lost her hearing in the explosion re: the airship.

I'm sure San Franciscans have seen many sights but I do wonder if anyone working in buildings like the Transamerican Pyramid were working that day and then saw a stuntman swinging from a rope beneath an airship and thought, huh? Great music for it, setting up for the fight ahead.

Nowadays we'd have a blend of CGI and whatnot for the climax as opposed to backprojection but it did the job in 85. Stacy bless her, determined to do her bit to the end even if it means crashing the airship.

Every henchman has that "out there?" look when their boss tells them to go after Bond. Balls as big as anything to mess about even remotely up on that bridge.

And so it ends.

To Tanya.

This looks epic so I look forward to reading it tonight after work!

It was more epic than I intended, to be honest. I had a small touch of liquor, didn't go well but the film did, ha.

Hilly wrote:

The credits I zoned out off.

Blasphemy. One of the series finest - visually and musically.

Hilly wrote:

Noted that the Queen's portrait in Penny's office is the same as OHMSS. Saying governmental places update the portrait every so often to reflect the Queen's aging could this be the same exact one as OHMSS' set? In my best Spike Milligan, you have to watch out for these things.

Good eye! Perhaps Bond aged prematurely after Tracy's death.

Hilly wrote:

We say what we will for the taxi scene but Bond waited approximately 1sec (and note the yellow 2CV parked up nearby). What do the boats chefs expect when they bring a three tier cake out onto a dancefloor? Someone was bound to flatten it before 007 got to it.

Even as a staunch AVTAK supporter, I do wish this sequence had more focus. It didn't need to be "serious" but it's probably my least favourite scene in the series. Starts off excellently with the jump, though. And Moore does have a strong sense of urgency about him.

AVTAK wrote:

Considering the tone of this film in places, especially the Bond/Tibbett dynamic, when Bond says I'm expected to sacrifice myself or whatnot, surprised we didn't have Macnee shoot the camera an exasperated look before leaving the balcony.

In fairness, I think the film strikes quite the balance of levity and danger. Fleming himself may even approve.

Hilly wrote:

Whatever we think of the film, Walken does a job all throughout and his first contact with Bond at the party has this frisson of excitement. We know he's the villain of course but there's some mystery for Bond to unravel. Then of course it segues into Barry's instrumental with Stacy staring into nowhere.

Bingo. We're instantly drawn into the mystery despite full knowing he is the villain. Not sure many other films in the series do it as effectively, to be honest. Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies, perhaps?

Hilly wrote:

"I'm English.
-I'd never have guessed."

Always makes me smile.

Hilly wrote:

Tanya Roberts had such a vivid beauty to her in this film. Kind of thunderbolt stuff.

She's unreal. Save for perhaps Jane Seymour, Roberts outdoes all of Moore's leading ladies in the looks department. She smoulders. Up there with Ursula, Claudine, Luciana, Izabella and Sophie.

Hilly wrote:

I'll never tire of the fight in the house for whatever reason. I know it's by now mostly a stuntman but Bond flinging himself over the bannister, tucking and rolling on the landing all to a nice bit of music. Stacy does her bit even if it's clumsy but that's the idea. "John, may I throw in some of my New York upbringing?/Sure whatever you like...nah we'll cut it out."

Certainly underrated. Stacey does her best considering her circumstance but it's Barry's music that seals the deal. More of that should have featured in the movie instead of the stock-standard 70s/80s Bond theme rendition that features in TMWTGG, MR, OP and TLD (IIRC only the gun barrel sequence for the latter).

Hilly wrote:

(After the film Bond goes back to his routine, and Stacy...? Perhaps Her Majesty's Government paid for some ranch someplace...)

There's a thought! A Stacey Sutton spinoff. I'd pay to watch that. But I'd say she'd keep the house. Keep it in the family.

Hilly wrote:

With respect to Chuck, if only Felix was in this film. A return for David Hedison here and then. Have a scene where he turns up at the house and sees first Bond then Stacy in her robe. "Let me guess, just business."

I imagine they would have used Felix had they not decided to kill off the American ally. Hedison reteaming with Moore for his final Bond film seems perfect.

Hilly wrote:

Still wish they had an Aston in this movie. The V8 Vantage outrunning the SFPD using its gadgets would've been sublime on the streets of San Francisco.

A silver Aston against the colourful San Fran backdrop would have been superb. Imagine Roger Deakins photographing that!

Hilly wrote:

t might not be Ken Adam but the mine set isn't too shabby. Sense of scope at least.

One of the more impactful sets in the series, even in its simplicity. One that I remembered from my first viewing to rewatching it several years later. That has to count for something.

Hilly wrote:

Stacy bless her, determined to do her bit to the end even if it means crashing the airship.

Courage and determination. How is she not more widely considered the perfect Bond girl?

Hilly wrote:

To Tanya.

Hopefully we've all got it wrong.

I'd agree that GF and TND have that same effect as VTAK and the mystery of the villain. The card scene at Miami Beach for the former and of course at Carver's bash in Hamburg for the latter.

A silver Aston would work though I picture the Daylights Aston. Trouble is it's an Aston, so in VTAK it would be detonated within an inch of safety.

If Disney ever acquired Bond we could still have a Stacy thing. Don't know who could play her now.

I don't mind the credits but since I first saw the film, I've seen it several times a year, so on this occasion I zoned out.

Hilly wrote:

Hilly wrote:

To Tanya.

Hopefully we've all got it wrong.

I replied above before seeing the news. When I wrote the review it was before we heard she was still alive and today, seeing the review it felt weird. I had watched the film to pay homage but she was alive and now it's twice as weird and odd.

Well, forgive me a cheesy line but one hopes, if there is a heaven, Sir Roger has the door open with a cigar puffing away gently and a glass of something sharp whilst, yes, a quiche is waiting -for old times sake

Hilly wrote:

If Disney ever acquired Bond we could still have a Stacy thing. Don't know who could play her now.

Your idea of Brosnan and Roberts teaming up, whereby the reprise their roles as Dalton (from Dante's Peak) and Stacey respectively, is more compelling now than ever before. Would never happen but what a thought!

Hilly wrote:

I replied above before seeing the news. When I wrote the review it was before we heard she was still alive and today, seeing the review it felt weird. I had watched the film to pay homage but she was alive and now it's twice as weird and odd.

Well, forgive me a cheesy line but one hopes, if there is a heaven, Sir Roger has the door open with a cigar puffing away gently and a glass of something sharp whilst, yes, a quiche is waiting -for old times sake

The Saint greeting an Angel in heaven is fine imagery.

Must admit I've never noticed the parked yellow 2CV during the taxi chase. Almost certainly Glen deliberately referencing FYEO.