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Not the Craig era, as some have speculated. Rather, I think it's P&W's dramatic leanings, more than anything else, that have made me look at LTK in a new light. Perhaps I think that the EON writers handled the emotional quotient better in the 1989 film than in the more recent P&W penned entries.
After being hugely impressed by TLD and Dalton becoming my favourite Bond, I thought LTK was brilliant, different to his debut, but still tremendous. I too found the score wanting and remember being disappointed that Barry wasn't available (if I recall he was going through a bad illness). I saw it 5 times in cinema and it hasn't lost any of its impact for me!
One of my biggest regrets is missing the chance again to see it at the cinema when Vue were running the Bond double bills in the run up to Spectre. I saw the Connery one but not Dalton, because I was away that weekend so couldn't go. Gutting. I can't remember why I missed the Moore one but at least the Odeon memorial double bill gave me another chance. The Brosnan and Craig ones I didn't bother with because I saw all those at the cinema on release.
Yes! I would have liked to have seen more of PTS Bond as a follow up to OHMSS. It's the one and only time that I'd actually ask for more of a personal angle. And the film should have ended with a satisfying death for Blofeld.
Bond belongs in Europe, with the occasional side trip to the Caribbean. The US, Asia, Africa all feel a bit off to me...
I'm one of those that desperately wants another Craig film, and for him to knock it out of the park.
Prior to then it was a top 5.
Afterwards it just seemed quite tatty and bland. The comments about the opening having a tv feel are bang on.
BUT I do agree that the tanker climax still holds up pretty well.
America is not right for Bond.
Actually America is the perfect location for a Bond film, it's just never been done right before, even in GF. I think this is because when they go on location they usually try and capture the culture in a snapshot. I don't that's how it should be done in the US, since we see American culture in almost every action movie. What they should do instead is focus the natural aesthetic charms of the locations, the vistas and ambience rather than have Bond running around Disney land like BHC3.
Timothy doesn't promote Bond well.
This is true, and also true of Craig. That's the hidden advantages of someone like Brosnan and Moore, they will happily promote their asses off. That's half of what being Bond is. People won't see you as just a guy in a movie, they will see you as James Bond, so you have to be comfortable living that persona. Dalton and Craig weren't. A Bond actor should always be equal parts showman and performer.
The cinematography in SF and SP is the best the series has ever seen.
Not if you've watched TB, OHMSS, YOLT, TLD or MR in the very, very, very long time it isn't.
They certainly have the showiest cinematography we've seen, but I don't count that as being the best. Most Bond films have a natural feel to the locations, you feel like you're actually there. In SP or SF, everything is cranked up to 11 so that it no longer adds to but detracts from the story at hand. With many of the earlier films, you can appreciate the cinematography, but at the same time it doesn't get in the way of watching the movie. In SP or SF, you have no choose but to pass judgement on how it looks, because that frequently seems to be the driving force around which the scenes are constructed. It's distracting. Bond films don't need this level of beautification and dressing up. Just let the story speak for itself. Saying SF/P has the best cinematography is like saying QoS has the best editing, because you really notice it. Well, yes, but once you learn more about it, that's not necessarily a positive.
That's unusual: most of the time it's the other way around with LTK.
More about America and Bond: I don't think American audiences would be that excited about an American setting. As for me, I'll repeat what I said: why bother.
I still think it’s a good movie but it definitely lacks a certain “class” maybe. That becomes all the more noticeable when putting it against the 60s films which were made 20-30 years earlier.
Eh? Even the less ploddingly overexposed parts of America are unsuitable for Bond. Can you imagine him scuttling about in a reservation? Or talking a jolly old walk on a national park. Just screams anti-Bond.
It's not about exposure, but how you photograph it. There's more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes.
By the glory of Bast, I wasn't referring to cinematography.
'Perfect location'?
Can't say I'm having that. East Berlin, Istanbul, Jamaica, Deauville and the Alps are perfect Bond locations.
I guess if you must send Bond stateside then try and go off the beaten track and dont just give us the things we've seen a million times before.
Yes and no.
I'll give you that DC isn't great at promoting the film and Dalts was worse. But how much did Sean do? His 'I'd like to kill that damned James Bond' is as infamous as Dan's 'slash my wrists' comment but didn't really harm his public image or the box office.
Rog and Brozza were a producers dream as they took all the publicity in their stride. Given between them they have several of the weaker films you wonder what box office their films would've done with a Dalton in the role? Is it possible to actually put a figure on the actor's enthusiasm to promote the film?
I would say it's possible to argue that Dalton's natural reticence transmitted itself to the American public with LTK. Without doubt Brozza was more loved by the American public and you havevto wonder how much of this comes down to his ease with doing the talk show circuit.
I can see where you're coming from but the counter argument would be that in films like TMWGG and the Glen era you notice that the cinematography is like a TV movie.
I'll admit that the Mendes films do look a bit too glossy at times and lack the grit of DN but I'd take Deakins over any other Bond cinematographer every day.
I paid attention when I heard about it and so did others. Hardly something to fill one with confidence or enthusiasm.
I was quite annoyed when he said it,i was 19 and firmly into Bond fandom,i didn't think we needed to hear that.
BTW: Craig said something similar to Dalton in an interview around the time that QoS was released, but I recognized at that point it was because of concerns about the impact of the financial crisis (everyone was crapping themselves at that time) and MGM's woes.
I think it may have sealed his fate. You don't need many people to notice or remember. Or it was at least symptomatic of audiences' dislike of Dalton.
I didn't catch that article until sometime later after I joined the club during that interminable 6 year gap.
It's a pity that lately I've felt Tim's words could easily apply to this current era. 4 year gaps now seem to be the expected wait, and rarely does it seem that Eon are planning too far ahead for the series' future.
The wrist slash comment was out of order for sure.
It certainly would have given MGM/EON more of an impetus to get rid of him,yes.
But it was fun reading your comments about viewing LTK in 89, which I've taken the liberty of editing above. Funnily enough, I've just replayed the opening gun barrel for LTK to just remind me of how it sounded - and it's pretty lousy - just as I remember.
It came 2nd in the Gunbarrel Elimination Game a few months ago ;)
I don't think what Dalton said was crass. For all we know he was vending his frustrations: "you may not all like me as Bond but I'm the Bond you got and if you keep getting hostile towards me in the role there may never be another Bond".
"The last, you say? THE LASTT???! It s YOUR last, that s damn sure."