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I was there when the Mustang/Alley shots were filmed. Just for the record, the Mustang entering the alley was shot at Universal Studios after the Mustang exiting the alley was shot in Vegas. The stunt driver on the Universal shoot could not keep the car up on the same side as the driver in Vegas so he had to drive it through on the opposite side. Not sloppy, it was unavoidable.
Interesting, thanks. And this answers my question of what was filmed at Universal.
Ok on to another lets pit Roger against Pierce. Roger had a strong debut, and then took a mis-step with TMWTGG. Many find it to be lacklustre, to play against Roger's strengths and to be a rushed film.
In Pierce's case I was going to use DAD but I think everyone would just pile on and call it a terrible film, so lets use TWINE instead. Many find it to be a soap opera drama. The film is often cited as bungling a female villain and Christmas Jones also gets some critics going.
Would you rather watch Roger in TMWTGG OR Pierce in TWINE?
TMWTGG was a weaker effort, and Moore wasn’t built to slap anyone around, much less Maud Adams, but outside of that scene (and placing Goodnight in the closet), I enjoyed what Moore brought to the film… One of my favourite scenes is when Scaramanga sits beside Bond in the arena, while Bond is nattering away, but is trying to find the Solex….
In short order he realizes it’s Scaramanga beside him, and-
Bond goes for his gun, but-
Nic Nac has him covered from behind.
Moore was really enjoyable in this scene, and, over all, was still quite good in the film…
As for TWINE, I personally believe that Brosnan’s strengths aren’t with layered drama— and for this film to work, it needed someone who could present in these “emotional” scenes. But I didn’t believe for one second Brosnan was falling in love. Not once did I believe he was betrayed, and hurt by the betrayal. And I hated the delivery of “I never miss”….
In my eyes, Brosnan was at his best in TND. Light and whimsical, he was fun to watch (until the climax, which is more to do with direction than it was anything to do with Pierce).
Moore is not The Saint here.
I think it's mostly the writing that lets down Moore in TMWTGG. Bond just comes off as a dick during some key moments. There is some great stuff in there though - Bond holding Lazar at gunpoint, the 'I kill for Queen and Country' discussion with Scaramanga. I also think that despite it not being the best material for Moore, he's perfectly capable of handling it. I'd say he's the better actor between the two, and it's certainly the better performance when compared to TWINE.
Yes I think that post absolutely nails it. TWINE is written okay from a story point of view but Brosnan isn't really up to what it asks of him (although remains an effective lead for the movie), whereas TMWTGG is written badly and makes Bond seem the most unpleasant he's ever been onscreen, but Moore is more than up for the job and still makes him (mostly) likeable. Both films are the work of below par Bond directors, if you ask me.
Also, regarding the writing, the two are chalk and cheese when it comes to the dialogue. GG is peppered with memorable and genuinely witty lines, whereas TWINE is utterly artless. I recently actually watched some of Golden Gun (which I tend to regard as one of the lesser Bond films) and put on TWINE at the opening sequence and you can actually see the skill and wit drain away before your eyes. Gone are the witty lines, sparkling performances and beautiful sets (and GG doesn't even have the best 007 sets): you're plonked in Spain in a dreary little office any of us could be working in tomorrow with Brosnan coming out with half-baked innuendoes about rounded figures. The contrast is shocking.
Good points. TWINE is an irritating Bond film. It had so much potential, and indeed a lot of ideas within it crop up again in SF. The problem is almost everything about it is wrong - the script, the casting of Carlyle and Richards, the direction, the way Brosnan delivers lines or facial expressions in increasingly strange, soap opera type ways throughout the film... As you said it even looks dreary at certain points.
TMWTGG is my least favorite Bond film of them all, and there are many things gone wrong in that film: Mary Goodnight's actions, JW Pepper returning for no reason other than to share his racist views, Lieutenant Hip being a dumb ally, Bond's treatment of women, obvious and cringeworthy sexual puns like Phuyuck and whatever there is in the Bottom's Up Club, Bond doing stupid things like that third nipple gadget (well, does it cover him at all?), slide whistle, out of place cartoonish moments, Kung Fu parodies, Bad cinematography, weakest score by Barry, one of the weakest songs in the Franchise by Lulu, and I could get on and on.
It's a film that's simply didn't aged well.
All of what's in TMWTGG was just too much and out of place.
Not even Moore or Christopher Lee could've saved that film (Scaramanga's intention was convoluted and not clear).
It's not until MR where Moore hits his stride for me.
TWINE, for all of its flaws, at least there's some decency in it, while there's Christmas Jones (which I'll admit is one of the film's major flaws), but my issues with TWINE is more lesser than with TMWTGG.
I’d make that point about Moore in TMWTGG myself purely based on how unlikable he is. He also tries so hard to replicate those elements that Connery had mastered effortlessly that I find myself wishing I was watching Connery in the film instead of Moore. Brosnan in TWINE by comparison is no where near as bad imo.
Bond was badly played in it.
Not even I could imagine Connery doing those Kung Fu scenes with him jumping off the wall to escape the Karate school and confidently watching the two school girls fight those Martial Artists, nor I could imagine him putting a woman inside a closet.
For me, this is the Bond of LALD just leveled up, you have him from tricking a woman to have sex by the use of fake Tarot Cards, seeing him threatening Rosie Carver with a gun and hurting her by putting the cigar's light upon her arm before it, to burning a snake using a spray can, him touching his neckties (with that arrogant face) while JW Pepper was scolding him after the boat chase.
Just too arrogant.
To each their own. I do think that while the script doesn't do Moore any favours he plays it well enough. It's just not the right material for him. Honestly, I'm not sure if even Connery could have gotten away with some of the stuff in that film.
Brosnan has some badly written lines in TWINE, but things like his weird, exaggerated 'huh?' during his scene with Renard, the bizarre line deliveries during his confrontation with Elektra are all issues with his performance. Like I said it becomes embarrassing to watch for me at certain points.
I couldn't take much more of Brossa talking about his "shouuuuuuuuulder!"
I think it looks and sounds dreary most of the way through, and features, in the ski chase, possibly the dullest action scene in the whole series. But, yes, I do like the story and the ideas it has- it's bursting with ideas which were new and innovative for the series, and yet which fitted very well in a Bond film. It's just the execution is almost entirely flat. It's one of the few Bond films I'd describe as brown, too. I think of the colours in it, and where TND is red and metallic, TWINE is brown.
That's all the writing (and direction); it's not the actor's fault.
I do think that Guy Hamilton had gone off the rails by this point, providing us with the most sexist Bond film halfway into the 70s- not really progress. Once he had gone, Moore was able to soften his portrayal into something which suited him much better.
If we were going by movies, I'd go with TMWTGG, but since it's Moore vs Brosnan, I'd go with Brosnan, but just barely.
Before the above comment gets lost in the thread, all I can say is that I was there and I have reservations about what was said on the DVD extras.
TWINE has a few good scenes, but on the whole is (imo) the worst film of the series.
If they did the alley shot afterwards to match the Vegas exit, did they build the alley and brick ‘ramp’ for the driver?