Tomorrow Never Dies in Review

Agreed. TND's take on the media now looks positively prophetic. And to think people scoffed at that plot point...

Thanks, you are all so very kind. As far as the media goes I didn't see much of it as a child. I was allowed more freedom as a kid than any of my friends or anyone I knew but my dad wouldn't have TV/cable or Hollywood in the house. I remember him once saying he would rather I do heroin than watch TV and I tend to agree with him.
He felt TV shows, even sit coms were every bit as insidious as the news media which was interesting when I was a child as he was never a particularly moralistic person or ever hard on me at all, just the opposite. He was a very light soul with a great love and respect for Hinduism, Buddhism and their traditional view of the world as a drama. I always knew the left/right paradigm of politics was fake. He taught me the importance of silence of the mind and how so many people were programmed by the words and concepts in their minds and how they became what they thought.
All very fascinating stuff to hear when you are 5, 6, 7 years old but that was just him. I mean he could always predict all my friends and school mates general behavior years in advance just from the obvious patterns and wanted me to make my own decisions not be manipulated by media

|t was impossible not to listen to him as his behavior matched his words and it fascinated me.He never once yelled at me or my mom, not so much as a snide or sarcastic remark my whole life and that was just such a huge contrast to every other adult I knew. by the time I was 10 or so I really needed to know why that was so.
And it all seemed to always to come back to that concept of a lucid and quiet mind and realizing you are not your thoughts, detachment. He was always of the impression that all this drama was nothing but learned behavior and so much of it from the media. I mean why are most real life couples the same as TV couples? lol
Just being told these things saved me so much grief in life and just made home life always pleasant.You know I was about ten and I already knew that teenagers and parents often fight, argue and have a ton of conflict and that all that need not be so. The media and Hollywood, heck even doctors and psychologist will say that it's normal for that age but is it? Does it need to be so or is it just learned behavior mostly from media? Just being aware of that was more than enough and I have never gotten into the slightest argument with my parents. All that is just a drama, a game and need not be played at all and that's just in the family.

Then I think about the media and it's non stop divide and conquer over race, religion, politics, gender, sexuality and anything else they can think of it's so obvious it's by design. And I am sure they enjoy their sick little game just as much as Carver and they are so successful at it too. This always becomes obvious during US elections. All this Trump vs the media and Hollywood? No way that isn't all staged and they are all in on it. Sure, maybe not every moron loud mouth actor or musician is aware of the game and is nothing but a useful idiot but the big guns, the money men and producers, all theater. Trump, Clinton's, Bushes, Obama, all friends and it's not even as hidden or convincing as WWE.

. They have everyone distracted and arguing over whether or not a baker should bake a gay cake while Obama destroys Syria, arms terrorists, bombs 8 countries and murders thousands of men, women and children. It's comical in a very dark horrible sort of way. All politicians on both so called sides are all murderous scumbags, warmongers and if they aren't then they are empty suits and puppets.
And these are the kind of people that so many are fighting over day after day? Friendships end, marriages fall apart, parents and kids stop talking to each other because of lib vs con?Because people let the media create their reality for them? It's all rather tragic on all levels and amazing how they get away with it. The media creating reality. It's the same with all culture, pop culture, music, movies, TV, fashion, you name it, it's all prefabricated and never grass roots.John Lydon was another who pointed this all out years ago and how it was a bit odd that a culture, music, fashion, and all that goes with it suddenly drops out of nowhere and is in every country in the world the same day.When I was a really little kid suddenly it was all grunge and heroin. Oh how rebellious!

60's hippies, pure controlled opposition full of useful idiots to keep the Vietnam war going by stirring up the other side, getting the flags waving and love it or leave it crowd all the louder blocking out the voices of the real anti war protesters. So many of those musicians just happened to come from families with military intelligence backgrounds, CIA MI6. I guess it could be coincidence but I seriously doubt it. I'l stick with All the World's a Stage and it's been that way since Babylon. It's pretty easy to make the argument that media in all it's forms is the ultimate form of Idolatry and I can definitely see why the majority of it is banned in many forms of Islam for example. It's funny people will often call all religion nothing but brainwash but don't really define or question what religion really is or how it works.
Are you more likely to be brainwashed from sitting in some boring church yawning away once a week or watching an average of 8 hours of media every day as most people do?
Are more people controlled by a Bible or online free pornography?
the elites know which is more effective and are always way ahead of the game by decades

and NO, I don't want a tin foil hat...they mess up my hair! lol

After all that it's interesting that you're happily on the internet, given its frequent usage as an omni-directional global bullshit-pump .

I know people who live completely off grid and while it sounds good I really don't think I could do it. It's rather pathetic I guess but I'm just not sure what I would do with all that free time. I would say I lack the discipline to do so as well as not being a creative enough person to find other things to do.

TND is extraordinarily prophetic and unfortunately it is far too feasible to picture a similar scenario occurring.

I do think the script needed to be finalized. That's the main problem and what holds the film back. It's silly to think the studio suddenly didn't like doing a story on the HK handover at the eleventh hour when it was one of the biggest stories in the world and Benson's first novel was about the same topic.

However, Pryce is beyond magnificent and conveys madness in so many ways. It's chiefly in small things such as his cold emotionless stare, the rimless glasses, his efficiency of movement and detached smugness that is prone to intense seeping rage when swept up in his ranting.

Brozzer, Pryce and the editing are the film's great strengths. Despite the differences with the producers and the fact that he made some pretty dumb pictures prior, Spottiswoode produced what is arguably the tightest film in the series since LALD. And the sound design is still amazing.

While I don't think the film is perfect-it holds up incredibly well in spite of its age and production troubles. I still only have one chief complaint and it's very minor: the director's credit belongs in the PTS and should NEVER be in the actual film.

Are all these types of movies and books like 1984, Brave New World and the rest of them warnings or are they just preconditioning us for the inevitable future? I tend to go with the latter but I really don't see what can be done about it or if it's even necessarily a bad thing. It's amazing today how many people are into this prepping thing and so many of them the type of people you wouldn't normally expect it from at all. The guns they buy, tens of thousands of rounds of ammo, body armor, bunkers, all of it. I can't tell if they have it exactly right or just listened to too much Alex Jones. I don't know, I am Canadian but if it all starts going down as they think I am quickly going to purchase a Hank Williams Jr T-shirt and head down to the southern states as they seem to be armed to the teeth.

If we wind up in a 1984 scenario, it IS necessarily, not just a bad thing, but a horrendous one. Read the novel, if you haven't already. It's terrifying.

And no, nothing is inevitable. There are many people who, looking at past developments and current trends, have a pretty good idea of what's coming down the road. It's up to intelligent people to get up off of their asses and prevent it.

"If we wind up in a 1984 scenario, it IS necessarily, not just a bad thing, but a horrendous one. Read the novel, if you haven't already. It's terrifying."

I agree but I don't think it's much different than Israel under Roman occupation or the Babylonian exile and hundreds of other examples and nothing could have stopped that. Isiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel really couldn't have been more clear about what was going to happen and the reasons why and it made no difference. 

"And no, nothing is inevitable. There are many people who, looking at past developments and current trends, have a pretty good idea of what's coming down the road. It's up to intelligent people to get up off of their asses and prevent it. "

Yes I tend to see pattern recognition and prophecy as the same thing and do believe there will be some who see it to different degrees. As for the preventing it I really don't see how that would be done or by who really. If all the pieces for a 1984 are being put in place how does one stop that and who is the enemy? One pattern I do see is scapegoating and Israel/Jews/Zionist's seem to be getting more blame for it by the day and it's easy to see where that could lead. I just keep coming back to the idea that even if people did stand up and fight who would they be fighting? That's what I mean about it's most likely inevitable that we are sliding more and more into a sort of totalitarian nightmare and it could just be all part of a necessary process.   

To be forewarned is to be forearmed. If you see a train coming your way, you can avoid it and maybe derail it--think Bond derailing Alec's train with the tank in GE.

As for who the enemy is, I think that is pretty clear. In order to combat that enemy, the necessary steps are organization, the creation of a unifying corpus of beliefs--a manifesto or ideology, if you will, and the formulation of plans and goals. Publicity and recruitment will be constant activities as well. Then, once the movement becomes large and powerful enough, it can exert pressure upon the enemy and bend it to its will. I fully believe the enemy is cowardly at heart and will cave in rather than resort to violence.

At any rate, the longer we temporize the more difficult our task will be.

Wow. OK. But while you guys are doing all of that can I just hang out with Mary Goodnight in that super awesome, lovely, wonderful bikini of hers? You can even shut me in the closet with her. I think that sounds fair, I really do.

Sarai wrote:

Wow. OK. But while you guys are doing all of that can I just hang out with Mary Goodnight in that super awesome, lovely, wonderful bikini of hers? You can even shut me in the closet with her. I think that sounds fair, I really do.

How bout I hang out with Mary and her bikini in the closet while you draft our Statement of Principles? I think I'm watching Gun tonight, BTW...

Statement of Principles...what are you, a double agent?

 I thought we were fighting the Orwellian Beast system here? OK well first of all for them to be successful is they have to break down the traditional family unit so they can indoctrinate the children. To do that you have to get the mother out of the home and working which is where feminism came into the picture. Let's not forget Gloria Steinem for example was/is CIA and part of this whole insidious plot. So me working is actually playing right into their hands and exactly what we are trying to avoid here. Women should not work at all much less drafting Statement of Principles ..that would be totally hypocritical which I think we can all agree on. We belong at home, barefoot in the kitchen and in the closet with Mary Goodnight with or without the aforementioned super amazing bikini 
 as for your second idea watching TMWTGG tonight, now that I like and will do the same

Sarai wrote:

Statement of Principles...what are you, a double agent?

 I thought we were fighting the Orwellian Beast system here? OK well first of all for them to be successful is they have to break down the traditional family unit so they can indoctrinate the children. To do that you have to get the mother out of the home and working which is where feminism came into the picture. Let's not forget Gloria Steinem for example was/is CIA and part of this whole insidious plot. So me working is actually playing right into their hands and exactly what we are trying to avoid here. Women should not work at all much less drafting Statement of Principles ..that would be totally hypocritical which I think we can all agree on. We belong at home, barefoot in the kitchen and in the closet with Mary Goodnight with or without the aforementioned super amazing bikini 
 as for your second idea watching TMWTGG tonight, now that I like and will do the same

You've changed your avatar. I hope our little thread isn't causing you to perspire.



PS--No reason you couldn't work on the principles in between feeding li'l Saraina her strained peaches and ironing my shirts.

Fine, I'll do it but only because you seem kinda cute!

Excellent work, you two. I'll be in Hai Fat's pool with Chew Mee if you need me (here's hoping you won't, lol).

https://youtu.be/Pn5UTk7N8fg
Another fantastic in depth review and analysis of Tomorrow never dies .

I will watch it this afternoon!

Thunderpussy wrote:

https://youtu.be/Pn5UTk7N8fg
Another fantastic in depth review and analysis of Tomorrow never dies .

This was such a pleasure to watch, thanks for sharing! And not just because it's a positive review, but it's very well put together. It digs deep into character and its geopolitical/social commentary and doesn't simply summarise the story. I will say though that I disagree with the suggestion that it's popcorn entertainment - a film with such commentary isn't merely spectacle, especially as it resonates even more widely 20 years on. And to say CR06 looks at love and loss more deeply than TND is odd. QOS might, but not CR06. What's offered in TND in back story and on screen does a better job at that.

It's really great that Tomorrow Never Dies is finally getting the reappraisal it deserves.

In light of an anniversary thread (next year is of course the 25th), I shall place it here.

Helps to be somewhat liquored but in light of HMS Defender this week, here we go.

Tomorrow Never Dies

A TERROST ARMS BAZAAR....

Yes, well fuck that.

Feminists, well dooers need go no further than this PTS. Starts off with the men taking over but the woman coming on top, so to speak.

Those familiar, as I am, with As Times Goes By, is always struck by the sight of the late Geoffrey Palmer alongside Judi Dench (the sitcom was still going in 1997). Always tickled by the thought of Bond bickering with Colin Salmon via radio. Fuck it, I am going through with it. Perhaps the whole Bond saga is summed up by:

"What the Hell is he doing!?"
-His JOB!"

This is the perfect time to show off the usefulness of the 00 section. It's also the fact Bond just segues into getting the plane out. On top of that, destroying what he can. Plus, this is just two years after GE and the two films feel miles apart. The score at least instinctively harks back to perhaps Octopussy
Got to love the jazzy music as Bond flies up but also Brosnan's face. Even being throttled, his Bond goes through with the job.

I skip the song, I tried to like it but if I want to hear a cat, I'll hear a cat.

What's this one of HM ships sailing innocently? Threatened by Chinese peasants? Yes well, we don't speak Chinese so...hang on it's Julian Rhind-Tutt! Indeed TND's naval scenes feature the likes of Gerard Butler, Hugh Bonneville and Jason Watkins. Tutt is the only one to give me an ugly look on the Tube though.

Whatever you think of the film there is still something about the sight of a British ship sailing along as this drill gets going that stirs. In 1997 the Falklands were only 15 years before and the loss of those ships were relatively new. For the first time in a Bond film, properly, his alma mater is being attacked.
The sight of the Devonshire down at the stern as a first time viewer was devastating. You haven't seen pictures of a British ship sinking outside of WWII and here is a ship going down.
Arnold's music chimes perfectly, that choir sound as the crew start to abandon, cast in shadows. They're doing their job. Their training has kicked in.

The machine gunning of the survivors is at once shocking but disturbing. The fact it's being filmed. Already Stamper has established himself as an old style henchman in his way.

There is also no hesitation, Carver is the villain.

Samantha Bond was perhaps never as good as she was in TND.

Do we need Roebuck explaining what GPS stands for? Clearly it's for our benefit as surely M, et al would know by then.

I am always intrigued by the fact, as far as SIS is concerned, all the action happens at Somerset House. Got to like how Bond is summoned to the meeting and all he does it give a bloody paper and that's that.

M's already on the booze.

If any film of the modern era was ideal for Moore this is it. Imagine the eyebrows as they hare along: "Pump her for information..."

I wonder if Bond's heavy expression as he gazes at the newspapers is the navy man in him pissed that his alumni have been royally fucked.

Juvenile as it perhaps is, the Q/Bond interplay at the airport is still chuckle worthy. Had Llwellyn finally found his Bond? I think personally the fact Brosnan was such a fan helps the interplay. It seemed to play up to Q. As evidenced by Bond's use of the mobile phone/BMW.
Maybe Arnold overdoes the theme in TND but compared to GE it's satisfactory.

"Sir, your BMW is talking!"

Ah, it's nothing.

If anything dates a Bond it's current affairs being used in a film and thus mad cow.
One must admire Carver going full lech early on.

Aye, aye it's the then babe of the time Teri Hatcher. The New Adventures of Superman feels a lifetime ago. Proper babe back in the day.

Now, I wouldn't mind the gun line if it didn't instantly cut to Gupta. Though a decent giveaway, it's too sudden. Maybe if the scene played out with Bond, Wai Linn et al and then it cut to Gupta isolating the line.
But then Bond's adrift line etc is on the nose. It's meant to be but it's the verbal equivalent, almost, of Bond shooting Drax's gunman.

Yet Carver's terrible liar line is perfect. How often has she lied? How often has she fibbed to pass something by? She clearly knows that Carver shags about but carries on as his missus because of the old pound

God help me Bond's kind of groan in response to Carver's men tickles. "Fuck, I've been rumbled, I'm going to get a good going over..."

I'm quite sure Carver isn't dead, right now he's crowing about HMS Defender pissing off Putin...

"It's a soundproof room, no one will hear you scream..."

This to me is a key Brosnan-Bond scene. He's taking the kicking but turns the tables swiftly (also RIP Terence Plummer, the chap watching the monitor, who was in Eagle Has Landed, Professionals, Sweeney at al as a stuntman but 'acted' in Eagle). Again this is fitted for Moore. Moore's Bond never rarely did more (physically) than kick someone up the arse and Brosnan laying into Stamper's men with whatever it is, was right up RM's street.
"Time...for...a station break!"

Sight of Bond laying into Stamper's men silently always works.

I do feel for the blonde. She has no idea what's gone down but Carver fires her ASAP. I like to think she ended up working for Gustav Graves then was rescued, so to speak, by another Double 0 sent in to clean up Bond's mess.

Now much is made of Bond sitting to wait for his doom a la Bond/Dent in Dr No. Granted perhaps it's ripping it off but perhaps this is typical Bond. He has been royally rumbled, he's fucked up really and so he waits.

"He's on to you"

Yes, well, ordinarily I'd fuck off out of Hamburg with my tail between my legs but you're my ex bit on the side and you don't arf look good in that dress...what?

"He told me he loves me.
-Always sounds good."

Would it have been too much to have: "He told me loves me/I heard the same once"?

Probably.

Paris & Bond is a nice little track. I remember seeing this first time, aged about 12 and thinking, christ, my parents are over there but now, adult (he says)...Teri Hatcher still had it then.

I do dig Carver's look down to Gupta after "you think my wife knows him". Almost slapstick. Gupta poor bastard is doing his job. But on the quiet he's as good a henchman as anyone. The fact Carver gives him the task of calling the doctor.

Aye, aye, Paris is putting herself together. Bond idly sitting about. Bond your ex-gf is giving herself up.

Hoho, when it kicks off Wai Linn is casually strolling down the side.

It's enough Bond gets tackled by the huge black guy but then shrimp thinks he can join the action and when he does, Bond shows him up. Sorry Fritz.

Bond thinks he's gotten away with it but then off he goes, followed by a brief Goldfinger sound.

Naughty 007, phone whilst driving.

I hate to do it lads, but unlike Craig, when Brosnan walks he feels like Bond even when he's sauntering quickly into the hotel. Can dark hair make that much of a difference!?

One still admires Carver's prep. Recording a fake news story of Paris' death. I guess they did it sometime in the morning. "My dear, if you mind?..."
(I googled Hatcher after my earlier statement. Saints alive, don't do botox kids.)

Kaufman was a stupid character when I was younger but in a way, now, he fits. He could've slotted into TSWLM or MR rather well. How Bond reacts to him is ideal. "Are you shitting me?" kind of scthick.
Bond is devastated by Paris' death but his mind is whirring ahead. You have to like Brosnan's face as Stamper calls Kaufman. He's pissed, he's working it out and perhaps thinking this guy is a bloody tool.

(I only just saw Schiavalli in a Starsky & Hutch ep' so am dismissing this best as I can)

Dated or not, I have to have this mobile phone. It drives a car, it busts safes, it stuns guys...

"So am I."

Brief appreciation of a professional perhaps but it works. As if the line would stop Bond shooting him.

Dr Kaufman! I see Bond running!

And here we go, Bond going all out for a bit of fun.

I hate the Beemer he uses but love the gadget. Says a lot perhaps that Brosnan's Bond doesn't throw the phone aside and slips up front.

God forgive me but I do like Backseat Driver. Shame Arnold didn't do a remix for DAD somewhere. The Surrender parts seal it for me.

"Reduce speed now!
-My Girl I'm a fucking Double-Oh!"

Only Bond in 1997 could be pursued by a sodding Granada

What's this, a bazooka? Shit, never mind.

I do love how Bond is fighting to hold onto the phone. Sliding about like a fish. Brosnan's laugh as he slides about is excellent. Perhaps at heart Bond is a grown up kid.

Now...I wish they kept the cut scene where Bond pushes through the crowd by the hire office. It probably doesn't add much but it works. I mean by now Bond's done enough stupidity that him taking the time to check on the car and damage works.

Aha, Wade. Forgive me but I do like Wade's sequel. "We have no interest in WWIII...unless we start it."
There's that modern day rent-a-yank. Is there a point to Bond wearing his uniform? Probably not but the link to his past like in YOLT and TSWLM works. Bond strictly speaking is still RNR (Royal Navy Reserve). In theory he should do certain things every year to keep his 'membership' going. Plus, dig the fact Bond has a row of ribbons. Was Brosnan's Bond in the Falklands or Iraq or Kosovo?

Fuck Tom Cruise, Bond got there first with this HALO business. I do like in a sniggering way that though Bond has ditched his uniform, Wade is still in his clobber. God, if only it was Wade in DAD and not that muppet.

"He didn't even say goodbye!" works because of the black guys reaction. I thank you.

Though the second half feels different, there is some good music starting off with the approach to the Vietnam building.

General Chang? Don't fret over that, he's useless.

By now Carver is a guilty pleasure villain. Carver seems to be enjoying himself and so we will.

The EMPIRE WILL STRIKE BACK is a good headline but of course copied from Newsweek's "The EMPIRE STRIKES BACK" of 1982.

Like was written of Scaramanga, the villain is as such you half want him to succeed.

"Interesting role model."

Fact is aside from TND, Otto I've only seen in Downfall, so I've no frame of reference. I mean one is a Bond villain and the other is Hitler's bodyguard. All the same he's a good actor.

Wai Linn is initially a passenger as Bond blazes away. Very briefly is she though.

One quibble: "Next time I'll take the elevator!"

Lift, James, lift. But we're catering to audiences I know.

The married couple bickering straight off kinda works. The fighting over what to do before we get more BMW product placement.

"Who's driving!?"

Bond you silly girl.

It is here really the music comes into its own. Bond theme, frantic desperate music whilst the action is hells a popping.

Briefly for the first time, Bond isn't going to give up with Wai Linn in tow. Though the stunt is a little undermined by the props in the copter.

It predates all the shit that goes on now with China. Back then China could be laughed out. Today this whole damn film would be removed with Cena apologising in flimsy Chinese.

It's somehow strange to think the Kowloon Bay locale used also in Golden Gun was seriously affected by the tsunami of 2004. Skipping the Chinese Q-lab bit, if Bond was going solo, he'd perhaps use a British submarine. The film's had outlandish moments already, a sub lurking whilst Bond does his mission and then finishing off the catamaran would be ideal. However, we have what we have.

What Carver has unlike some villains is his attention to detail. His little pissed off moment when the henchman doesn't see Bond/Wai Linn sneaking aboard is excellent.

Here we go, ol' Michael Byrne ("this is how we say goodbye in Germany, Herr Jones!") and HMS Bedford. Whilst all this has been going on, the Task Force a la 1982 has been sailing ever closer. It's been a long journey from the nearest RN base to China (I'd imagine now Gibraltar what with the East of Aden business of the 60s). The admiral is a little crabby, for some reason he isn't basing his flag on an aircraft carrier like Sandy Woodward does in 1982. Are the Aussies and Kiwis lending ships? Why not? We are after all a Commonwealth.

Poor Gupta, should've left him in Hamburg and done his bit by Zoom. I mean video link.

Boom, new anchor man!

Now...on one hand the kung fu bit is cringeworthy and yet on the other hand, it works. Why not do a pisstake?

Julian Fellowes looks like he's already thinking of Downton Abbey. Ditch Roebuck and have M by herself at MI6 HQ.

"I think we might just save the day yet."

I do like how Bond gets on with his stuff as he listens to Carver's plan. Proper agent here. Anyone else might get distracted. "Sink the British fleet? Fuck that, I'm saving the day."

(Disney takes over Bond and we get a Gupta spin off origin)

"...I tuned out for a moment..."

Again, poor Gupta. Job done, he's dead. Though Bond shrugs it off.

So we have our admiral signalling the PLAN about our intensions. Somehow wouldn't work today.

Go on Pee-Wo let's do it the old fashioned way. (If only the late Paul Ritter joined the others in being a Bedford officer: "Shit on it! There's a stealth ship!"

Carver looks incredulous well, we do have our moments nowadays Elliott.

One assumes those abandoning ship get away with more than the Devonshire survivors did.

The navy isn't done yet.

Elliott's pay off is ideal. More- so with the mass media line.

All in a Day's Work remains a good piece of music. Stamper does have a good line: "I owe you unpleasant death Mr Bond."

For CARVER
For Kaufman

yes well, nein!

One must admire Stamper's strength. Until the end he's able to pummel Bond whilst his legs up to no good. But he has that look as Bond escapes. "What the fuck!"

Now I know it's a Bond film but shagging on a piece of wreckage whilst a ship cruises by is a bit much. We do have tech you know :)

Of course Carver's death (on a yacht) echoes Maxwell. On the nose? Maybe but look at post-97.

Also "The HMS Bedford" is gramattically incorrect, I'm sorry but it is.

Anyway, that's TND, that's me. I thank you.

Perhaps your most positive TND post yet, Hilly. Soon your ranking will be:

1. OHMSS
2. TND
3. The rest.




There's much to comment on and much to agree with, but the one that I will respond to is this:

Hilly wrote:

Samantha Bond was perhaps never as good as she was in TND.

Agreed! She looks her best here and she's as sharp as ever. Really, she rivals Lois in FRWL and OHMSS.

Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang wrote:

Perhaps your most positive TND post yet, Hilly. Soon your ranking will be:

1. OHMSS
2. TND
3. The rest.




There's much to comment on and much to agree with, but the one that I will respond to is this:

Hilly wrote:

Samantha Bond was perhaps never as good as she was in TND.

Agreed! She looks her best here and she's as sharp as ever. Really, she rivals Lois in FRWL and OHMSS.

You never know Fields. Rate things are going :)

Penny seems to have more to do here in TND than the other three films. She has some great lines ("You always were a cunning linguist"), she's in the car when M briefs 007 and she's there at the end. Whereas in TWINE she's forgettable sadly and in DAD, sort of a joke.

The "cunning linguist" line, the "don't ask"/"don't tell" exchange, "queen and country" and "you'll just have to decide how much pumping is needed James" are so beautifully done. And her amusement at M's reporting of Carver's death is very good too.

Have to say, her scene in the TWINE PTS and the "she was touched by his dedication... to the job in hand" line never fails to amuse.

The job in hand line is wickedly bitchy. Just that look at Warmflash and how they walk off. Shame Warmflash didn't reappear again.

I just want to know how Moneypenny got back at the Doc at the office Christmas party.

Imagine if Warmflash had appeared in a later Moore film and been of a similar age to Rog ... she'd have had to be re-named 'Hotflush'.

I thang yew.