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Big Ron was in the English Soap Eastenders, acting was not his strong point. There were quite a few jokey cringe worthy fights in the John Glen films, thankfully there were some good ones also.
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TND really was a painful watch this time round, arguably the worst made film in the series. PB and Yeoh and the score the only good things in this one, admittedly the pre title sequence was fun. I was hyped watching TND at the cinema though being starved of Bond pre GE can effect ones mindset.
At least in TND, Bond goes directly against Stamper in the finale.
That's a good point actually. May Day is established as being a bit of a formidable martial arts opponent (although possibly undermined slightly by Max overcoming her?) so it is perhaps a bit surprising that Bond never comes up against her properly. Even a scene where he gets beaten up by her and escapes would have worked. Has 007 met his match? We never find out! :)
He certainly did meet his match... in between the sheets at least 😅
Didn't think about this until I saw it pointed out by @dramaticscenesofQOS in another discussion some time ago.
I like this connection.
No but seriously, what a good scene.
Yes, that's true. I was just thinking that myself. Big Ron (played by Ron Tarr) was a minor background character in the soap with few lines though he at least once had a bit of a storyline when he had a heart attack after being mugged I believe. I recognised him from EastEnders when I saw the film for a second time when I taped it off the TV in 1997. I did find that amusing, as well as the face he makes when he sees Bond. I also find it hilarious when the cord on the machine conveyor belt wraps around his head. It's one of those laugh out loud ridiculous Bond moments. Of course as a fight it's one of the worst from the Moore Bond films but I think it was filmed more as a silly short humorous sequence more than anything else.
Talking of EastEnders and Bond films I'm also reminded that when I went to see The World is Not Enough in the cinema in 1999 I recognised one of Renard's men on the submarine in the finale as someone who had appeared in a small role in EastEnders as I used to watch it when I was young and foolish. I think it was the one with blond hair though I haven't seen the film in a good while. So another little EastEnders Bond connection there. There may very well be others. I haven't watched EastEnders since 2000 though or another other soaps for that matter. One soon discovers that they are nothing but a waste of time.
In the novel Live and Let Die, Ian Fleming infamously called one of the chapters "N----r Heaven". I always found this odd. While Fleming was clearly not any kind of visionary when it comes to race, to put it mildly, the racism of LALD seemed more of the well-meaning patronizing variety, and I didn't get why he'd call a chapter that. (There are passages in Goldfinger and Dr No that are much worse than anything in LALD)
Well, maybe this is already common knowledge, but reading linguist John McWhorter's wonderful book, Nine Nasty Words, I learned that there was a best-selling novel in the 1920s with the same name. It took place in Harlem and sort of served as a guidebook (presumably for white people) to the neighborhood. Fleming's chapter title is obviously a reference, and perhaps the novel was a reference for Fleming. Of course, it's still not a great idea to call a chapter title that, and Fleming is still occasionally problematic, but it's a little mystery solved for me why that chapter has what appears to be a needlessly and deliberately offensive name.
Actually, it would make sense. Wasn't the character freely inspired by a satanist? Also, Le Chiffre could be an obscure reference to 666.
It has been said that he was inspired by Fleming s aquaintance Aleister Crowley. Not sure that he was a satanist, though.
Mocata from the devil rides out was also based on him.
That one had slipped my mind. But yes, if there's one fight in the series that would top AVTAK's warehouse fight in cringe value, it would be the laser fight. We can throw the two scenes together in a green screen and have them duke it out there.
Played I'm the movie adaptation by a Bond villain. And the hero is also played by a Bond villain. And on a side note, I love that horror film.
Bobby Darin
Oh the shark, babe
Has such teeth, dear
And he shows them
Pearly white
Just a jackknife
Has old Macheath, babe
And he keeps it
Out of sight
You know when that shark bites
With his teeth, babe
Scarlet billows
Start to spread
Fancy gloves, though
Wears ol' Macheath, babe
So there's never, never a trace of red
Now, on the side walk, ooh Sunday morning, uh huh
Lies a body just oozing life. EEK!
And someone's sneaking round the corner
Could that someone be Mack the Knife?
There's a tugboat down by the river, don't you know
Where a cement bag's just a drooping on down
Oh that cement is just, it's there for the weight, dear
Five'll get ya ten, ol' Mackie's back in town
Now did ya hear 'bout Louie Miller?
He disappeared, babe
After drawing out all his hard earned cash
And now Macheath spends, just like a sailor
Could it be, our boy's done something rash?
Now, Jenny Diver, Suky Tawdry
Oh, Miss Lotte Lenya, and ol' Lucy Brown
Oh the line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mackie's back in town
I said, Jenny Diver, oh Suky Tawdry
Look out, Miss Lotte Lenya, and ol' Lucy Brown
Yes, that line forms on the right, babe
Now that Mackie's back in town
Look out ol' Mackie is back!
I have never noticed a certain Bond Villains actress (also a singer) name mentioned in the above famous song until a few minutes ago.
Cheers I never knew that.
Yes, it's quite ironic Lotte Lenya featured in the lyrics of "Mack the Knife" given she'd later play an infamous Bond villain with a hidden blade in her shoe. John Barry also revealed in an interview that "Mack the Knife" was the angle they decided to take lyrically for the theme song of Goldfinger.
And Lotte Lenya had of course performed in the play, and was married to Kurt Weil, the composer.
Ah, that makes sense then. I knew she was famous for her stage work and that she was married to Kurt Weill but not much else. I did watch an interview with her once though where FRWL was briefly mentioned.
The knife was the first thing that occured to me, the Bond family is so broad that there are so many little connections within film, TV and music.