Weekly Bond Poll: Round 59: secondary Bond girls & helicopter flights

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Comments

  • edited August 2020 Posts: 631
    Tossing the hat.

    Fort Knox. The tarantula room is good, but i think it needs Dr No’s eerie disembodied voice to make it truly great. Whereas Knox is fantastic on its own.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,483
    That's a fair point about the tarantula room @IGotABrudder. The impact of the scenery would definitely not be the same wirhout No's voice. Although, Fort Knox wouldn't stick in my mind the same without the ticking bomb.
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    Hat toss

    and

    Fort Knox
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    I would have expected shaken not stirred to be my choice, but now I'm thinking about the hat toss a little more it's not so clear cut ... I'm gonna find time to watch the compilations this week before coming to a decision!
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,369
    Shaken not Stirred
    &
    Fort Knox
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,582
    Shaken, not stirred - love all the variations.
    Tarantula room - less impressive than Fort Knox, but I like the circular sets best.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,483
    Since I'm one of a few fans who don't watch the trailers for NTTD, I do have time for keeping this thread alive. I expect that the famous martini line will be part of the new movie...

    Hat toss for me. Connery and Lazenby managed to do a precise hat toss in their first entry/ies. The scene had some great variations and it never felt forced to me. Bond's point of view with the hat ready to throw is Kind of unusual in a positive way (OP). I would have loved to see a proper hat toss in the PTS of SP...
    I always like the shaken line but it can't be denied that it is sometimes only there as fan service. It was awesome when the writers decided to fool our expectations in CR. Bond's answer to the Barkeeper in the Casino was very funny. I had to check the Video to realize that Bond doesn't say the shaken line in DAD.

    The tarantula room fascinates me. Totally. It's a genious work by Ken Adam. Simple and very effective. I planned to play it against the volcano lair: Adam's smallest and biggest set with a round "window". Hiwever, I decided not to do so because I believe that the volcano lair is too popular amongst the fans.
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    edited September 2020 Posts: 2,426
    Whilst I can see how the shaken line is seen as simply fanservice, I like and look forward to all the little Bond tropes, even though after 60 years some people may tire of them. All those little jewels - the gun barrel, the title sequence, 'shaken not stirred', the James Bond theme, 'James Bond will return' etc are all still little thrill moments for me that make the Bond films different to any other action films. So whilst I'd happily vote for 'shaken not stirred' having watched the 'hat toss' compilation I must say I really appreciate this little (less often used) Bond trope more - right from the very beginning they were playing with the idea and varying it, love FRWL with Bond looking round for admiration only to see M staring at him, love Moneypenny tossing the hat instead. Yep we definitely need more hat tosses in the series, maybe Craig will somehow oblige us this year.

    For the other again great choices, and if it had been up against some other examples like the Moonraker control room or the volcano lair it wouldn't get my vote, but here I'm definitely for the tarantula room, I love the stark minimalism of it, the bold elongated shadows, the perspective that makes Dent seem like a little frightened schoolboy sat on the naughty step, very memorable!
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,483
    Great comment from our feathered friend!
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    Posts: 2,426
    Great comment from our feathered friend!

    Occasionally I pull one out of the pistachio bag! ;;)
  • Max_The_ParrotMax_The_Parrot ATAC to St Cyril’s
    edited September 2020 Posts: 2,426
    Forgot to say that for me, the Fort Knox set always seemed a little odd, very visually impressive and wonderful for Bond and Odd Job to face off against each other in, but it always looks SO big and SO empty to me! I wanted to see gold bars piled up everywhere like an Amazon distribution centre! :))
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,148
    Hat toss & Dr. No
  • Posts: 1,917
    As well as polls, these questions are also good examples of why we love this series and often makes them hard to choose.

    I like "Shaken, not stirred" as it has been transferred to the various actors over the years, keeping continuity and a fun thing to look forward to like "Bond, James Bond" or a visit to Q, etc. But the other pleasure is in its variations.

    Connery's kicks it off with Dr. No in a cool way. Moore's is interesting since in TSWLM he gets it mentioned to him twice by Sheik Hossein and Anya. Dalton gets 2 variations, a suave one in TLD and a more direct one in LTK. Brosnan gets the suave delivery in GE and Craig has maybe my favorite, "Do I look like I give a damn?"

    Hat toss is fun too. It's just a cool trait. Sadly, it just seems like a bygone part of a previous era when men wore such hats. The hat toss in FYEO is good, but seems so out of place with Moore, although the variation with the gondolier hat in MR is amusing. I also like in TB when he can't toss the hat because the rack is in front of him as he walks in Moneypenny's office.

    Props to goldenswissroyale for the tough toss-up for the second question. I have to go with Fort Knox just because it's, nod to Willie Wonka, pure imagination. Factual like real thing on the outside but Ken Adam's imagination run amuck inside. Adam said he is glad he couldn't go into the actual vault as it would've been a disappointing series of rooms. Instead, he created what he called a cathedral of gold and it's the kind of setting movies like this were made for. Has there ever been a more visual battleground for an action film?

    The Dr. No tarantula room is a great example of Adam's ingenuity on a limited budget. It's great in its simplicity and others have done a great job of describing why.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,483
    @BT3366 I forgot about the first "shaken" line in TSWLM and the hat toss in Venice. Good work.

    @peter how is the meditation going? Any progress for this round?
  • ThunderballThunderball playing Chemin de Fer in a casino, downing Vespers
    edited September 2020 Posts: 814
    "Shaken, not stirred" while iconic, is infrequently said completely by Bond. Besides which, as a man whose favorite drink is a vodka martini, with a twist, I totally disagree with Bond about not stirring it. So yeah, hat toss. My favorite is either the one in TB or the one in OHMSS. Both of them on the latter.

    And I slightly prefer the tarantula room. Cool minimalist, foreboding design. It far transcends the stupidity of using a tarantula to take out Bond.
  • peterpeter Toronto
    Posts: 9,509
    @goldenswissroyale -- I will take martini, shaken not stirred (because I love the relatively reinvented "does it look like I give a damn?); and;

    I love the tarantula room, BUT... Fort Knox wins (it's just so audacious)...
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,582
    I had to check the Video to realize that Bond doesn't say the shaken line in DAD.

    "Lucky I asked for it shaken."

    98fe6afe5f61a3f1bd1868f55ed9c14b.jpg
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,483
    It is a nice variation of the usual line.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Shaken not stirred, easily.

    Second one, I have to go for the Tarantula room. Nice, minimalist, but slightly futuristic (for the time) looking. I never understand the love for Fort Knox. Its just a drab, warehouse type look full of fake Gold bars.

    The great Ken Adam had, and would do far better.
  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    Almost missed this one.
    I'll go with the hat toss, as it's just a cool thing for Bond too do and show off. It's just another little character trait that makes Bond...Bond. Obviously since men stopped wearing hats as an everyday part of their attire, the hat toss has gone out the window. But it's a nice touch. Of course the vodka martini shaken not stirred line is a Bondian classic. But the hat toss wins for me.
    As too the second match, it's a tough choice. All of Ken Adams sets are so awesome, and Goldfingers Fort Knox set is probably his first mega set if you will. So visually impressive and memorable. However, I like the simplicity and eeriness of the tarantula room. It's brilliant.
  • Posts: 1,917
    @BT3366 I forgot about the first "shaken" line in TSWLM and the hat toss in Venice. Good work.

    @peter how is the meditation going? Any progress for this round?

    Actually it gets a third shout out in TSWLM when Amasova crunches Jaws with the phone truck and says "Shaken, not stirred" causing Bond to groan.
    Roadphill wrote: »
    Shaken not stirred, easily.

    Second one, I have to go for the Tarantula room. Nice, minimalist, but slightly futuristic (for the time) looking. I never understand the love for Fort Knox. Its just a drab, warehouse type look full of fake Gold bars.

    The great Ken Adam had, and would do far better.

    Okay, yeah they're fake gold bars but in the context of the film they're real and add to the atmosphere. Drab is what the real Fort Knox probably looks like and Adam makes it become another character in the film. I think it says a lot that this is a set based on a real place instead of unreal ones such as a fake volcano.
  • marcmarc Universal Exports
    Posts: 2,610
    Hat toss
    The TB moment is especially nice.

    Fort Knox
    A great set, although not impressive for a movie finale, that is congenial with the action.
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    edited September 2020 Posts: 7,314
    Give me the Hat Toss please. Something Connery started to show Bond's playfulness with Moneypenny and it took on a life of its own. I love the thought put into all the different variations throughout the years. They're all great, but what a powerful moment it is when Bond tosses her the hat at his wedding.

    There's nothing wrong with shaken, not stirred, but I do feel that it became so cliché that perhaps it bordered on parody at times. To the point where we got Craig's line in CR. Still, it's classic Bond and when done right it still hits the mark.

    I'd also like to go with Fort Knox. Everything in the film leads up to this set, so it has to deliver and it does so in spades in my opinion. Adams had the challenge of designing something realistic enough to make you believe it could be an Army base, but also fantastical enough to capture our imaginations. He was the best.

    This was a tough choice too because I love the Tarantula Room. Seeing how many people voted for it over a big set like Fort Knox shows you just how talented he was. Another great match-up
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    edited September 2020 Posts: 4,483
    Results of round 50:
    Great that we had more votes this week. At the same time, we had two close runs. That's how I like it!

    Hat toss wins against "Shaken, not stirred": 10 : 7

    Ken Adam's Fort Knox set wins against his tarantula room: 9 : 8

    Round 51:

    Which lethal and unusual "weapon" (used by a henchman) do you "prefer"? Yo-yo saw (OP) vs. explosive milk bottles (TLD)


    FkG_i4Yrh8E8uwJAgRJJMB8ZyBvYV8VYoQiTBFWEghc-1024x437.png

    explosive_milk_bottles.jpg


    Bond is on the way to the villain's island...On the one hand, we have a beautiful, exotic and now very famous location combined with John Barry's score and a villain who tells us that Bond won't leave again. On the other hand, we have great cinematography, a short glimpse on a misterious island, Newman's score and armed henchmen.
    Which scene is the better build-up for the subsequent meeting with the villain or to ask you the usual way: Which scene do you prefer?
    Bond flies to Scaramanga's island and is already expected vs. Bond is on the Chimera and can't turn back



    00.00 - 2.36 (the clip is without the voices, only with Barry's music)


    consider only the second part of the clip; on the yacht's deck, from 01.45
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    edited September 2020 Posts: 3,262
    Explosive milk bottles, also used in Carry On Spying(1964)

    and

    Bond flies to Scaramanga's Island
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,369
    Milk Bottles are just awesomely used and while I like the yoyo saw I have to give to the milk.
    Scaramanga Island easy, the cinematography is fantastic as the plane approaches, through the rocks and just barely over treelines.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,582
    Yo-yo saw - the weapon and scenes in which it is used are considerably more sinister.

    The journey to Scaramanga - lair is well hidden amongst the other islands, and we get a nice aerial view of it.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,134
    I would go for the milk bottles here. That scene sets up Necros as a very capable foe.

    Second one goes to the flight to Scaramanga's Island. Not only beautifully shot, but also excellently scored by John Barry.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Yo-yo saw over exploding milk bottles, but none are really great.

    Entering Scaramanga s island by plane over entering Silva s island by boat, but both are very enjoyable.
  • Exploding milk bottles. It struck me on first viewing as being a very British sort of weapon, the kind of thing that the old Avengers tv series with Patrick Macnee would do.

    I was originally going to put Spectre’s yacht trip, as it’s the only part of the film that I really like. Nice cinematography and very foreboding music.

    Then I watched the TMWTGG clip and it blows the yacht trip out of the water, so journey to Scaramanga’s island please
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