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I'm having fun posting these quotes and some photos I find. He certainly was not shy in his opinions, our SirHenry.
SIRHENRY'S TAKE ON BOND GIRLS (his favorites)
SirHenry's definition of a Bond girl is a woman who has been, to some extent, intimate with Bond. Sometimes he was stricter (only those who actually slept – nice euphemism there – with Bond). She could be a villain, like Elektra (high on his list) or (how SirHenry hated this one) May Day. And SirHenry certainly had his favorites (cue the theme song from You Only Live Twice!). Honestly, if I had a dollar for every time SirHenry called Mie Hama a living goddess, I could probably retire by now. ;)
SirHenry said, in his list of favorite Bond Girls: :x
1. Mie Hama/Kissy Suzuki- The "Brigitte Bardot" of Japan. If you love Asian women you simply cannot do better than this. A living goddess. *a)
2. Sophie Marceau/Elektra King- in a country much revered for their beautiful women, I've yet to see better.
3. Caroline Munro/Naomi- I'd be banned for describing what that helicopter wink does for me. Sir Rog had it right, such a handsome craft.
4. Caterina Murino/Solange Dimitrios- Evening gown, bathing suit, she's hot and can question me any time she likes! *b)
5. Berenice Marlohe/Severine- pure class and style in her casino scene, I will definitely be following her career, what an inspired choice. Her standing in the tower across from Bond, wind blowing her hair, something so iconic about all of it . *c)
Additional notes:
*a) ~ I had my very first crush in Mie Hama, a woman I find to be a living goddess and my personal "cherry pie" fantasy.
*b) ~ A wonderful review once again by @Beatles. Left me smiling several times, especially about Caterina Murino. My wife was sitting between my brother and I, and her reaction to my brother and I all but drooling like horny adolescent schoolboys when she appeared on screen was comical to say the least. So to Caterina, I'll raise his “Holy Xenia Onatopuva Bicycle!” to, in the spirit of her culture, “MADONN! Holy NAKED Xenia Onatopuva Bicycle!”.
*c) ~ Marlohe, well she's right there with the women of CR as far as the combination of sex appeal and acting chops. I could barely take my eyes off of her even in her scenes with Craig, which was how I also was with Green and Murino, the casting choices have generally been absolutely top notch during the Craig era and continue to be so.
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And in SirHenry's review of You Only Live Twice -
The girl Bond winds up with, Kissy Suzuki, is played by the more renowned Mie Hama, who was known as the "Brigitte Bardot" of Japan for her effect on Japanese men. The Kissy role unfortunately has a lot less meat on the bone and as Hama's English was poor, it's probably just as well. Still, to this day I don't think I've ever seen a woman (short of my daughter of course) as beautiful as Hama in my life and she remains my choice for best looking woman in the series.
Greg was an accomplished, talented individual; he was an outspoken and consistently reasonable presence in our community, he was a dedicated family man. And without his presence here when it mattered, I probably wouldn’t have stuck around for as long as I have. We are all ennobled by the various friendships in our lives; and for each of us, mostly without ever having crossed paths physically, Greg was a great and good friend. Happy birthday, my friend; we celebrate the time you spent with us and we miss you immeasurably. Here's a martini in your honor, shaken and not stirred, don't lose the fruit. You only live twice: once when you post and once when your words are read. May your memory be with us for a long, long while yet!
We do miss him. I hope this week, as we read his words again, just brings a smile and helps us remember the essence (humor, opinionated, considerate, and all) of our friend and Bond comrade, SirHenryLeeChaChing.
SIRHENRY'S FAVORITE BOND ACTORS & FAVORITE BOND FILMS
Discussing his three strong favorites on various threads, SirHenry said:
Connery -
Nobody does it better than Sir Sean. As Bond or in any other movie for that matter. He's the total package and the Bond all who followed will forever be compared to. This is why Dalton and Craig are as great as they are in the role- no one is ever too good, too young, or too old to learn from the master.
*******
I knew Sir Sean could not go on forever, but in the acting department there is no contest between he and George, none whatsoever. I feel Sir Sean would have been way better in every aspect of the OHMSS role, especially after I saw him in "Robin and Marian". Of course, Sir Sean is my all time favorite cinematic hero so he pretty much can do no wrong with me. I think he would have been inspired and challenged by the superior script and story that was OHMSS. But we'll never know.
*******
Dalton
SirHenry’s thesis question for TLD and his own answer to that.
Question -Timothy Dalton has always been a bit of an unloved Bond in the public eye. I am going to give my answer to this question in context of myself so the question can best be answered the way I would like it to be.
When I first saw Dalton in the 1986 film "The Doctor And The Devils", I thought he looked like he could be Bond but decided like the others that came after Sir Sean Connery, he also had to convince me he could be the Bond I wanted to see. There was a certain moment in TLD when he convinced me of that. Did that moment happen for you during this film, or during LTK, or was it in hindsight after his tenure had ended?
SirHenry's Answer -
… Those of us who knew of Dalton beforehand thought he would do a good job, those who first saw him act in this film bought in within the first 15 minutes, only one respondent initially thought he was "okay" only to realize in time that he agreed with the rest of us regarding his greatness.
For myself, it took awhile longer during opening weekend. I noticed he had the "stone killer" eyes during the sniper sequence, which is what I always look for first in any new Bond actor, but thought he was a little heavy handed in his delivery (his "strawberry jam" quip as an example) until the moment where he confronted Pushkin. That was what sold me completely on him, and I've never had reason to not love the guy since.
*******
I'll always think that the public had embraced and gotten so used to the "Bond lite" of the Moore era that many couldn't handle the change. Not so dissimilar to what happened with Connery and Lazenby, but not quite as severe. Like Tim says in the EON documentary, people wanted to take their kids to see the latest romp with peaceful and kind dear old Uncle Roger and got mad when all of a sudden Bond was inappropriate, not realizing that this was never how Bond was supposed to be nor how Fleming had ever intended. The old man would have recoiled in abject horror at the hijinks of that era.
******
Craig -
Casino Royale – After reaching the lowest point in my Bond fandom following DAD and the announcement of Craig as the newest Bond, I'll forever remember and be forced to eat my words on opening night just as long- "NOOOOOOO! I don't want a blond Bond...can't I wait for the DVD???" With my brother and my wife reminding me that Roger Moore had brown hair, and that my excuse was a silly reason to not give the new guy a chance and break the family tradition, along I was dragged to see Daniel Craig's debut. MAN WAS I WRONG! I walked out of the theater with the same particularly huge smile on my face that I hadn't had since the Dalton era, and saw it 2 more times afterwards which I hadn't done since 1989, and that is extra special for me when that happens. This movie crosses the line from just being a great Bond movie to being a great movie period that gets the most out of every actor, and one that created a whole new generation of enthusiastic Bond fans. Still my 2nd favorite of the 23 films and one I enjoy watching over and over with pleasure.
*******
For SirHenry, those were his very favorite actors who portrayed Bond. Before I list SirHenry's Top Ten Films (actually, I'm posting his top 12), here is one more bit of info.
Is there any Bond film SirHenry would not watch?
SirHenry said:
I would never go so far as to say I wouldn't watch any official Bond film again. I grant that I generally avoid both DAD and MR like the plague, but once a year I manage a watch, if for nothing else but to remind myself what they should never repeat. And yet I admit, even in those films, I can find something enjoyable that justifies the time spent.
MR offers wonderful Barry music (that I listen to far more than watch the movie) one or two darkly disturbing yet strangely fascinating and well done scenes, and breathtaking cinematography.
DAD offers up a interestingly credible view of Cuba, I really enjoy the Frost character and Pike's performance as a hidden gem, the OT sequence is so unique (as long as the volume is off), and I appreciate the swashbuckling sword fight that for me recalls all those great old Flynn/Power movies I grew up watching.
*******
SirHenry's Top 12 Bond Films will be posted shortly ... with a look at each of those films to follow. Cheers! B-)
SirHenry's Top 12 Favorite Bond films :-bd
Sept 2013 SirHenry said:
Top 10's really do require a lot of thought, there are definitely more than 10 great films in this series.
My top 10 would go: :-B
GF
CR
LTK
FRWL
TLD
TB
OHMSS
SF
DN
FYEO
LALD
TSWLM
*******
He did mention elsewhere that LALD was a top ten entry and that he had TSWLM at #12, so I’ll guess I’ll put LALD as #11 for the purposes of this look at his favorite films.
SirHenry's take on each of these films coming up in about 9 hours (when I wake up again). G'night and enjoy. :>
It's so good to hear Greg's inimitable voice again. It says a lot about the man, that he can still affect us so. Bravo SirHenry and bravo to 4Ever for digging these out. :-)
The Ancient Pharaohs believed, that when one read their name, or their exploits, it would guarantee them immortality.
Onwards today, I have lots to share! Starting with SirHenry's writing about each of his favorite Bond films.
SIRHENRY'S FAVORITE BOND FILMS
SirHenry said: (compiled from various threads)
#1 GOLDFINGER
My favorite will always be the "icon", the mighty Goldfinger. From everything my Dad and Pop-Pop said, and from the UDVD's, it's obviously the movie that started "Bondmania" and made the series immortal. It just ticks all the boxes that Bond fans look for to this day and influenced the series in a major way.
I did not get to see the film until 1970, when it was in another theatrical run and well before it debuted on free TV. I had by then seen all the others including OHMSS in the theater, and was very frustrated because I knew it was Bond's most famous film and heard everyone who had seen it rave about it. When I heard the title theme going into "Bond In Miami", I was blown away by the tangible feeling of being drawn into Bond's world in a big way, and by all the iconic images and characters to follow. And so while I thoroughly respect that others may prefer other Connery or Bond films of another actor, I cannot fathom someone not at the very least having respect for all the film has meant to the series in terms of financial success and popularity, and appreciating it. If there was ever a film that embodies the phrase "all things Bond", this is the one that best fits the term and my personal favorite that I can watch over and over again and never tire of.
#2 CASINO ROYALE
Principal photography for the 21st installment began on January 3rd, 2006 with primary filming occurring at Barrandov Studios in the capital of the Czech Republic, Prague. Additional location shoot sites are in the Bahamas, Venice and other parts of Italy, and England. Ten days after the production wrapped 7 months later on July 20th, 2006, the 007 stage at Pinewood again catches fire and while repairable, the stage is again entirely rebuilt for future adventures. Budgeted for $150 million US, the film is released to three different theaters in London on November 14th, 2006 and would go on to easily break all prior Bond records for attendance and box office receipts, earning to date $599 million worldwide. Many of the early media critics quickly came around with mostly very positive reviews and rightfully hailed the film as one of the best ever in the storied history of the franchise, as did many fans who ultimately decided to judge Craig as Bond for themselves and not based on appearance nor the opinion of others, proving the producers decision to hire Craig to be the right one as well as launching Craig into international stardom.
Usual writers Purvis and Wade are joined by Paul Haggis and begin working on the screenplay in 2004, with the aim of following Fleming's 1953 novel as closely as possible, thus returning Bond to a darker character more reminiscent of Connery and Dalton as opposed to Moore and Brosnan. Despite public statements from popular director Quentin Tarantino that he'd like to create a black and white "film noir" of the film with Brosnan in the lead, the producers ask GoldenEye director Martin Campbell to return and direct the latest incarnation based on his 1995 effort.
Bond in CR - We are reminded often during the movie that this new Bond is a killing machine who seems to enjoy it more than the portrayals of Moore and Brosnan, whose Bonds tended to see the act as a regrettable but necessary aspect of their position. Like Connery and Dalton, there's little to no regret on this score. This is a Bond who is new to his job, rough around the edges and far from the polished product we've come to expect, but he already has the skills of seduction that made the character the envy of men everywhere, and along the way we see his tastes in fine clothing, hotels, cars, and women slowly morphing him closer to the ideal. Most importantly of all, Bond learns that his job is full of deception and that knowing who to trust can mean the difference between life, love, and death in a business where only the strong survive. Craig's wide range of acting talent is showcased here as we see Bond flushed with true love, deeply angered by betrayal, and profoundly heartbroken all in the last 15 minutes of the film. His last scene with Mr. White with the Bond theme slowly rising in the background, introducing himself, just reeks with greatness and still puts a huge smile on my face every time.
Considering I was one of those who initially rejected Craig's hire I freely admit here that I was dead wrong about Craig, a powerful and impressive debut all the way around, and one that ranks with Connery and Dalton's for "wow factor"- 4.5/5
#3 LICENSE TO KILL
After "The Living Daylights", the Bondateers were highly anticipating this one from the moment details started to leak out. It got even better for me when a work connection provided me with an official EON press kit. It has plot and cast details and glossy black and white photos of Dalton and various cast members that is my one of my most treasured pieces of genuinely collectible Bond memorabilia, along with my various original posters and assorted knicknacks such as the Goldfinger cars my Dad collected for me.
This film also deeply affects me on a personal level though with both anger and sadness, as my Dad passed away in February 1992 and thanks to the legal issues, it would not only end the Dalton era but even worse deny me one last Bond film in 1991 with my Dad. As far as the movie itself, I can't say enough good things about how much I love it, which was across the board with all three of us. My Dad said the series was in great hands with Dalton and obviously we wanted more. The movie takes Bond into brand new territory that makes it a standout entry in terms of uniqueness, and contains virtually everything you should want in a Bond film. It's Bond's dark side unleashed and a brilliantly written story of revenge, but as I've said there is plenty of the Bond we know still there to enjoy.
For years Dalton and this film fell into the same unloved and disrespected category of OHMSS, but like that film future generations of Bond aficionados have rescued it's reputation and mostly come to realize what I always have from the day I first saw it in the theater- it's easily both one of the best yet most underrated films in the series. A genuine top 3 film and one I enjoy even to the day as much as I did in 1989. I went to see this one 3 times during it's theatrical run and 2 is the norm unless it's exceptionally bad, which should say a lot.
#4 FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
I don't see this film as the series' best as others do, but I wouldn't argue with the view. It was my Dad's and my late wife's favorite but I feel the series progressed into other moments and movies where Connery himself was even better than he was here, no small feat. FRWL ranks #4 for me and is undeniably a classic not just in the series, but the train and gypsy fights are indelibly etched in Hollywood legend and ahead of their time.
Bond in FRWL – Once again under the direction of Terence Young, Connery delivers yet another outstanding performance to follow his debut a year earlier. This time, he delivers a much more physical rendition of the character while continuing to reinforce and grow his characterization. He has always said this was his personal favorite in the series, and his inspired performance shows how much he enjoyed playing Bond again- 5/5
As before, I was just too young (almost 2) to see the movie during its theatrical releases until I first viewed it in 1969, but this and the next installment were often spoken of in impressive tones between my parents (it was also my father's personal favorite) and my paternal grandparents as long as I could remember. My late wife was also deeply impressed with the movie and its diversity and it also became one of her favorites as well. It was a movie I was psyched to see, and I do remember feeling when first seeing it that it was a little slow like Dr. No, but from the time the movie was over I definitely understood why my family loved it. It scores highly in many categories for an overall score of 42 out of 50 points, or an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars.
#5 THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Like most original Connery fans, notice I don't say Moore fans, I was very happy to see a change after 12 years. But I honestly didn't know what to expect. While I knew Brosnan well from American network TV, I really didn't know Dalton at all when he was officially announced as the new Bond.
I remember my Dad had thought Brosnan had the right stuff to be Bond as he watched Remington Steele weekly, and was a good choice as far as he was concerned. And he was really mad at NBC for costing him the role. He didn't know "this Dalton guy" and called to ask me if I knew anything. Luckily for me I was able by that time to have seen a little bit of his "Doctor And The Devils"film then airing on cable. I told Dad that Dalton very much looked like he'd be in the Connery/Lazenby mold and as lousy as the film was, I thought he was a better actor than Brosnan and might be real good if they wrote to his strengths. Later we would hear he was a much bigger admirer of Connery than Moore as Bond and would be digging deep into the character and his motivations, which we all loved hearing.
So off the 3 "Bondateers" went, hoping for Dalton to deliver the kind of Bond we had sometimes missed, and convinced by film's end that we had gotten just that. And he would only get better. This film is always one I've held in high esteem, but over the past 2 years or so it's moved past Thunderball and OHMSS and sits at #5 in my personal rankings. It's the last of the true Cold War thrillers with a deceptive but intelligent and very well written script that keeps you guessing well into the movie, injecting the right amounts of romance, action, and humor, and the whole package was a great big breath of fresh air for Connery die-hards that I hadn't seen since 1981.
Bond in TB - In his 4th outing, Connery distills his interpretation even more. The script and Terence Young brings him back closer to his first two portrayals, but he brings the relaxed "superspy cool" attitude from Goldfinger with him in quite a few scenes. This was, for my money, his best performance in the role.
TB will always have a very special place in my heart. It is the film that my Dad chose to introduce me to Bond as a 7 year old boy in 1968, and immediately started my lifelong love of the series. I'll always remember looking at Coral Harbor and saying to myself "WOW, compared to the New Jersey shore, now THAT'S a beach!". And Sean Connery, well, he was the epitome of cool in such a place, romancing beauties, kicking the bad guy's arses, using gadgets I couldn't dream of, and of course that incredible music courtesy of John Barry that was unlike any I'd ever heard and just fit what I was seeing so well. I could go on and on and on but I know Bond fans understand all these feelings without further elaboration.
As it was night, I didn't make it much past the title song of the second half of the double feature, the most recently released "You Only Live Twice", before joining my younger brother in dreamland in my seat. I then got woken up to go home despite me begging to stay and finally making Dad promise to take me to see the others before I left with no further fuss. A true classic of the series.
#7 ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
My view of the overall film has greatly changed over the years, but at the time it was released I was like almost everyone in the thought that the franchise was in real trouble without Connery, or someone of his caliber. This movie is much like a complex piece of machinery with many moving parts. Many of them function very well but when the key cog of Bond himself is not quite up to par, it lessens the full impact of what the machine can do. For all the areas where the film is highly successful, which is what makes it a great entry for me, I can't in good conscience overlook the worst official Bond actor in the series and pretend he's great or even good when he isn't. I remember exactly what I thought in 1969- "This guy is great until he starts talking", and I still feel the same.
Some of the key elements such as gadgets, which could have been used to add a little zip to the character and were something that at the time that was a highlight for many, are noticeably absent as well. Again, I like the film very much and after GF and FRWL it's my 3rd favorite from the classic 60's era.
Bond in OHMSS - For myself, I love the movie, but I think aside from the action that Lazenby is terrible. I've been as open minded about it as humanly possible for 40+ years and it wasn't until the last 15 or so that I came to realize how incredible the rest of the film truly is, but my opinion of George likely never will.
#8 SKYFALL
As far as the movie, my scores will show that overall, I felt it to be full of subtle tributes to the past that were tasteful and infinitely more enjoyable for me than the abortive attempt they ran with in 2002. I wanted to see a more refined Bond full of the traits I grew up on and got not all, but a lot of that. I loved Bardem and Marlohe and found them both fun and memorable, and Dame Judi went out with all the respect she deserved in an expanded role. The new characters were mostly good, notably Fiennes and Harris, and overall I think it is a top 10 type of entry that I will enjoy for many years to come.
Plus it's obviously now the biggest and most successful Bond of them all regarding box office and quantity of award recognition. But it's not perfect. No gunbarrel in the beginning, no leading lady with Bond in the end, and at times Silva's plot becomes too convoluted without enough explanation. Due to Skyfall's strengths mostly outweighing it's weaknesses, it scores 41 out of 50 points, for an average of 4.1
When you look at the amount of time and work that went into this entry, and the eventual result, there is no question whatsoever in my mind that they wanted to hit a grand slam home run with this one like they did with Casino Royale. Not that I think that's not their goal with every film, but with QOS I sort of think that they thought they had hired the right people to direct and film, and thought they were good and experienced enough that they could work around all the issues that came up. Lesson learned.
Instead of going with the usual tried and true formula, they have indeed made a conscious decision to let us inside Bond's psyche and learn what makes him tick, what makes him who he is. And they have the right actor with the right skills to do just that. Dalton made me feel close to Fleming- Craig makes me feel closer to Connery. I see the same swagger and type of well rounded acting skills.
One of the most impressive things about Skyfall was how unlike a typical film with a 2:24 run time it was. It did not seem to drag at all at any time and that's the mark of a terrific film, one that keeps you so interested that you don't notice until you've reached the final act.
Music in Skyfall- My overall thoughts as a musician and composer? Not bad for a fellow doing his first Bond soundtrack, but this effort isn't exactly the "second coming" of Barry. The more I listen to it, Newman does not quite live up to the hype nor does this wipe the floor with Arnold past being more complicated in rhythm and structure. There's a whole lot of the same electronica going on that people complained about with Arnold and not something I particularly like, and he uses the Bond and Skyfall themes more sparingly in a movie that to me screams for lots of cues such as this. It gets a little redundant as a standalone soundtrack and while Silva might have shot him for this, I'll simply say it was a solid effort but not one that beats Barry, Martin, or several of Arnold's scores for Bondian feel- 3.5/5
Bond in Skyfall - In his 3rd appearance as Bond, Daniel Craig appears to have entirely shaken off the rookie interpretation he had to give in CR/QOS as I expected would happen, and is ready to give us his full treatment of the kind of Bond we've seen and come to expect. Well, almost. Craig's Bond is now not lacking for anything in the key areas- he carries the unmistakable air of danger and confident swagger that was a Connery hallmark plus the world weary burned out Bond of Dalton during portions of the film. In short, the necessary qualities of a man born to play Ian Fleming's kind of Bond.
Even some of the Connery/Moore humor and facial expressions are evident, in particular the face he makes when he first sees a Komodo dragon sneaking up on a Silva henchman in the Macao casino. Many of the expected Bond character traits, the love of fine clothes, fine hotels, vodka martinis shaken and not stirred, classic cars, and fast women are all very evident. You'd think that it was all perfect and normal provided you appreciate this era, but the repercussions of Bond's injuries and not staying in shape while he "enjoyed death" and his hiatus from active service hold the character back, and are overly played upon to the point that it's insinuated he's "over the hill". Thus, Bond's questioning of himself in this respect is more reminiscent of the CR/QOS Bond than I would have liked. Plus, thanks to M's continuing lack of confidence in him, he's also angry with her and taken on an attitude of what Mendes described as a"combination of lassitude, boredom, depression, and difficulty with what he's chosen to do for a living" which also recalls the Dalton portrayal.
Thankfully, his Bond gets his full "mojo" back by the time he whisks M away from London while setting up a trap for the villain at his childhood home, and is back all the way while fighting Silva and his small army of henchmen during the big action finale. His final scene with the dying M is top notch and I really cannot find any flaws in Craig's actual performance this time out but this still isn't quite all the Bond I want to see, one fully triumphant in the end - can we please get back to full normalcy now and have him smiling and enjoying a beautiful woman again in the end as the credits roll?- 4.5/5
#9 DR NO
Filming began in Jamaica on January 16th, 1962 and was completed after just 58 days in England on March 30th. Canadian film and theatre film producer Herschel "Harry" Saltzman held the rights to the novels, and elected to form a partnership with American film producer Albert "Cubby" Broccoli to make the novels into movies rather than sell the rights outright to Broccoli. For the all important role of James Bond, the candidates considered were Cary Grant, future Bond Roger Moore, David Niven, Patrick McGoohan, Richard Johnson, and Richard Todd. Eventually, the producers settled on a relative unknown in 30 year old Scottish actor Sean Connery after seeing him in the 1959 film "Darby O'Gill And The Little People". The film, which was budgeted for $1 million dollars (an extra $100,000 was later added to allow for the explosive climax) would go on to gross $59.6 million worldwide and lead to plans for a second installment of the series.
Bond in Dr. No – From the first uttering of his immortal introduction, Connery is on his game and commands the screen as he would come to do. I can't find any reason not to give him top marks in the role, with a firm nod of course to the tutelage of director Terence Young. 5/5
#10 FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
After my first truly disappointing overall Bond film since OHMSS [Moonraker] (okay I was 8 and can be forgiven for that I think), I remember reading that Cubby was bringing Bond back to reality and was truly hopeful that the excesses and gags were a thing of the past. I wasn't totally right about that as far as the future, but for this one Cubby delivers a script worthy of Fleming's source material and again, Moore is all the Bond I had missed for over 10 years.
I was sad about Lee at the time but realized that the character would be recast, I still had Q and Moneypenny and it was still like being with old friends yet again in a format and settings that were what Bond was supposed to be. My faith in Cubby and the franchise was fully restored and all was well again in my world, because the grosses of the film show that Bond need not go into outer space to be highly entertaining and financially successful.
As my British cousins would say, this is a "cracking film" that delivers in nearly every aspect I've described in great detail. At it's heart, it's a real throwback to the classic Cold War espionage of the Connery era, pitting Bond and MI6 against the Soviets. My favorite Moore film, a genuine top 10 entry for me .
#11 LIVE AND LET DIE
Most of my memories about this started in 1972 with spirited discussions between the family Bond nuts about who would be the best choice for the next Bond. We were all very happy that Moore was chosen as we all agreed he was the candidate who best showed he had the necessary Bond-like attributes, and had particularly liked his work in both "The Saint" and "The Persuaders".
My next recollection was hearing the title song on the radio in advance of the film and knowing upon my first listen that it would be as immortal as it turned out to be. So with high expectations, the gang went to the theater opening weekend and were not disappointed with the performance of Moore or much of anything at all. Dad fell in lust with Jane Seymour, we all laughed like hell at J.W Pepper, and being a "recovering Catholic", the voodoo themes expanded my interest in finding a religion that worked for me.
Finally, for reasons I must choose to exercise my 5th amendment rights on, the poster inside the lobby doors somehow wound up at home under my bed and resides to this day with me, framed in all its glory. Forwarding to present time, my late wife enjoyed the movie among her favorites, as does my son, and even my daughter (who doesn't much care for Bond) likes this one.
#12 THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
After being treated to Bond movies in back to back years for the first time since 1964-1965, a three year hiatus ends in the summer of 1977 with the debut of Sir Roger Moore's third outing, The Spy Who Loved Me. My best recollections of being in the theater on it's debut weekend was that it was a grand adventure with spectacular sets that recalled the Connery days and it was very popular that summer with moviegoers.
The premise is also one lifted straight out of the Connery days. Instead of Ernst Stavro Blofeld and SPECTRE plotting to inaugurate a war for a very handsome price, this time we have a deranged gazillionaire named Karl Stromberg who has developed a system that tracks nuclear submarines and has built a special ship capable of swallowing them out of sight.
Tons of witty one-liners that would come to define the Moore portrayal of Bond are present. This turned out to be his forte, and he is great at it. Some of the humor is unintentionally provided by Jaws, which wasn't necessarily a good thing.
The title song is a timeless classic, and Hamlisch does a fine job with a good bit of the movie. However, it is tempered with silliness and the action scenes are disco uncool. What I thought was unbelievably brilliant is the classical music playing during the shark kill, and later as Stromberg calmly returns to his meal after having murdered three people.
BOND in TSWLM - Sir Roger Moore's 3rd and admittedly favorite turn as the world's most famous secret agent shows a substantial growth in the role. The grittier, more workmanlike portrayal seen in his first two efforts gives way to a suave, relaxed, sophisticated character that separates himself from his predecessors. His performance is the best one of his "Bond lite" trio, but for my taste far from his best as Bond.
There is no denying that Spy was and is a crowd pleaser that scores well in many areas. Of all the Moore movies, this one would be my "guilty pleasure"- I love it despite my three issues with it. For one, it's obviously an updated You Only Live Twice with a different villain but essentially the same plot involving nuclear weapons. Second, I prefer Moore's tougher portrayals. Third, the movie gets a little silly which is OK here and there, but when you present a villain like Jaws who survives ridiculous situations without seemingly a scratch and then becomes likable to the audience, the concept fails. And it would only get worse.
And that section ends with a hint of the *cough* humor to come in Moonraker, which is leading us shortly to our next category: SirHenry's Take On Humor in Bond Films.
:)>-
SIRHENRY'S TAKE ON HUMOR IN BOND FILMS :O)
SirHenry said:
Humor in Bond films is a lot like cooking with spices. Too much can ruin the dish, meaning some people genuinely enjoy movies with Bondolas and winking pigeons. Too little makes it bland, meaning some think Craig and Dalton films don't have enough of the spice they like. It depends on personal taste whether one feels the right amount is in it.
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The 1970's Bond films were a radical departure from the glorious espionage classics of the 1960's, YOLT being a brief blot on that at times, but to that point refreshingly original to the point that it was often imitated then and well into the reign of Moore, Brosnan, and Austin Powers, not to mention the later Matt Helm films and a host of other imitators. A steady dose of camp and cartoon starts off in earnest with DAF and carries on, although mostly with less of a focus in the 1980's, into the end of the Moore era.
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(responding to Timmer and about TSWLM)
Point well taken between a little camp and the "wink, wink" camp we find in the Moore and Brosnan eras, and though you might disagree, in YOLT and DAF as well. The first 4 Connery classics did well with that, in just the right amounts and context. Now we get to Craig and both CR and SF, where all of us originals to the man (and woman) would disagree with you about. He may not have the charm you're looking for but humor has not been lacking in either CR or SF as far as I've been concerned. SF was especially true to the Connery tradition of DN-TB, many hilarious and perfectly British dry remarks were well delivered. Hopping the tube as a health and safety inspector while the couple quipped "he's keen to get home" was a great laugh out loud moment both times I saw it in the theater. "Good luck with that" to Silva's Macao henchman, futilely trying to operate the signature Walther while a Komodo is creeping up, was perfectly delivered including his facial expression. Even for it's pronounced lack of humor and generally dour tone, QOS even had a few examples that show Craig can change his expressions and deliver in the humor department.
The big question here for me in your statement is, would Craig do a serious yet grand adventure without the winking? I think he "could" do it and deliver. The question is, would he want to? I know he enjoys those entries as far as his own sense of entertainment value, but these aren't the movies he necessarily wants to do. Yes, it would be nice to see him in a straight up adventure without any personal issues (he almost got that in SF except for being pissed at M and having a very Fleming/Dalton-like attitude towards his job- again is that really that far from the spirit of Fleming to pursue that?), and I thought it was a good step. He's definitely not going to go for a script such as Spy, MR, or some of those from the Brosnan era, that much we can bet on or we would have seen it. But he has been rather ambiguous in his comments about a film such as you suggest.
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Personally, if I want camp and spy spoofs, I have Matt Helm, Austin Powers, etc to watch. I don't want that in Bond films. I grew up with Connery's dry one liners, and am not comfortable with winking pigeons. An occasional sight gag (I'll throw in Dalton's look when the marlin crashes through the chair as an example) is OK, but in general a Bond film should concentrate humor on honest situations and interpersonal relationships rather than try to generate scenes specifically to get cheap laughs. This was something that may have worked for some folks during the Moore era, but it never worked for me. I prefer the films 1962-1969 and the Dalton and Craig eras because the humor is never the focus, and it isn't forced upon you.
SirHenry's reaction was perfect.
This sprung from SirHenry's comment regarding Nic about his review of QOS, which SirHenry said in part:
I agree, I love how Nic manages to efficiently compact so much thought in his reviews. Especially apropos was describing Gregory Beam as "odious", a perfect term. He is that indeed and a toad of a man besides between his weight and a mustache so bushy it no doubt hides remnants of earlier meals- I think that if he held out his arms and clapped I might mistake him for a walrus and throw him a fish. You can smell the stink of corruption that Nic mentions. Excellent insights.
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Which then led to ...
From April 2013 Originals thread -
0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:
I thank both @NicNac and everyone here for giving me artistic inspiration. I went to my image manipulation software with a mission, and bring you a piece entitled....
"Beam is a Walrus"
Soundofthesinners said:
I like how Felix is all, "Excuse me, somebody? I'm sitting next to a walrus here. Anybody?" He kind of looks like Zach Galifianakis in "The Campaign" too, which makes it even harder to take the chump seriously.
4EverBonded said:
That's great, 0Brady!
He should be singing The Beatles song, shouldn't he?
And yeah, I love the look on Jeffrey's face, too.
CommanderRoss said:
@OBrady, well done! I hardly see any difference though..
0BradyM0Bondfanatic7 said:
I like to think he is reaching in his pocket for a fish. :D
... etc. ... then:
SirHenryLeeChaChing said:
After all the quips and wisecracks I have written in my prior reviews about subjects such as Grace Jones, Peaceful Fountains Of Desire, and even a sweet, tap dancing Oddjob go by without hardly a mention, you crazy mofos laugh more at a Beam joke. Well, coo coo ca choo to all of you too.
@ Brady- Holy mackerel, it does appear Beam is offering to treat Felix to lunch! ;)
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SirHenry had a good sense of humor and a real generosity of spirit. :-bd
Thanks for saying that, @chrisisall. I hope we can enjoy reading these again. It is good for us to share the good times we had with our friend and comrade, SirHenry.
I know what you mean.
And this is the one I really want to start using: "You obviously think your opinion is better than us poor wretched folk, so please don't let the door hit you in the ass while you carry your big ball of superiority out. "
Just got to remember to add that "carry your big ball of superiority out" - I love that. SirHenry certainly had a way with phrases!
SirHenry's Take On Music in Bond films will be starting soon ... :)
Personally, I always greatly appreciated reading his views and explanations regarding music. I'm just a lay person in that field. I know what I enjoy, but that's about it. When SirHenry wrote about music, he did much more than just give a basic opinion. He would really illuminate a soundtrack by describing it in detail with a scene. He would mention musical instruments I would not even think to listen for. He expanded not only my knowledge of music, in particular Bond music, but also opened up the world of music to me even further. Reading SirHenry's take on music truly enriched my life. He gave us a lot on this forum, and his contribution regarding music was no small gift. Therefore, I'm going to spend a bit of time sharing some of SirHenry's thoughts on music - especially Bond music, but other kinds, too.
So come along with me. Grab a favorite drink, prop your feet up, and let's take a musical journey with SirHenry one more time.
John Barry, in 1967
and at the award of BAFTA Fellowship 2005
SIRHENRY'S TAKE ON MUSIC
Starting with a short list of some of his favorite Bond soundtracks (#1 is no surprise) :D ...
Favorite Soundtracks -
SirHenry said: To be fair, since this is a top 7 and not top 22 list, or the Barry soundtracks would sweep-
1. GF- Like the movie itself, the "Bond Sound" was created here. The scores that followed would not have that "sound" if it wasn't created here. There has yet to be a better theme than the title song.
2. DAF- The ethereal sounds Barry creates are just awesome. The Vegas big brass and horns are perfect- if you close your eyes and didn't know the movie was in Vegas, you might guess you were there or listening to a mob movie. And the mobsters still found their way in anyway! The title song Barry's second best without question, like GF I still get chilled to the bone listening to it after all these years. Brilliant stuff.
3. OHMSS- Probably one of if not the greatest instrumental ever in the movie genre. Provides me with this incredible boost of energy. I found the Nina song ill-fitting and awkward sounding and always skip the track. Otherwise a great soundtrack.
4. OP- I've been listening to it a lot more lately and appreciating it a lot more. I like the title song much better as an instrumental weaving it's way through the film. The locality themes in India fit well. It mostly all seems to fit really well.
5. LALD- The best non-Barry score in the series. Martin uses the title song like Barry, which I feel all Bond composers should do because it really helps give the movie and individual soundtrack an identity to help it stand out from the other movies, especially when the same composer scores multiple films.
6. YOLT- Another haunting theme that you can hum over and over. The Oriental themes are lush and atmospheric. Love it.
7. TND- Surprise, surprise, but I still feel this is Arnold's best work. I realize it is in part a tribute to the Barry era, but even his more original stuff is pretty good compared to most of his other work. Surrender is a classic theme of any Bond era and should have been the title piece, I rank the song with Barry's best pieces and it takes a lot to impress me like that.
1. John Barry- Along with Miklos Rosza, I firmly agree with every opinion that John Barry Prendergast is the greatest film composer of all time and as I'm fond of saying, the Mozart of his time. He's an immortal whose music will be relevant as long as human society exists. Then. Now. Forever.
2. George Martin- He may not have a songwriting credit for the infamous and classic title song, but I can't imagine anyone else stepping into Barry's void and producing what he did here. Everything from the funky urban vibe to the eerie strings thematically fits the movie to the tee and he uses Barry's methods of weaving in the title song and one or two others he composed. As @chrisisall states, original yet very Bondian and I don't think any composer has yet managed this most difficult feat as well as Martin.
3. David Arnold- as folks have been pointing out, DA is an acknowledged disciple of Barry and considered him his mentor. While he has produced some terrific scores that have been very Bondian (TND, CR, QOS), his experiments with techno in an effort to establish his own style of Bondian sound have not quite worked out and both the TWINE and DAD soundtracks make that impression. Kudos for his excellent efforts but he is no more at Barry's level than anyone else. He finally started to hone in on something with CR and QOS, using the techno more sparingly and being smarter about it's use, and if indeed the rumors of EON being sour on Thomas Newman are true, we may see him return sooner than later. I would be equally interested in seeing how he's grown as a composer now that he's had some time to reflect on what he's done and how he could improve or change his direction.
4. Michael Kamen- I understand as a musician and composer why some see him as a generic 80's action kind of composer and that his big, bombastic sound in LTK differed little from his other efforts such as the "Die Hard" series. But what differentiates Kamen from the others we'll get to next is that like Martin and Arnold, he was also a fan of Bond and Barry and he not only understood what kind of sound Bond fans wanted to hear, he was also highly enthusiastic about the opportunity. His use of flamenco styled guitar really matches the Latin flavor of the adventure, and when he turns the London Philharmonic loose on the Bond theme- wow!
5. Thomas Newman- this starts the run of composers for whom scoring a Bond film was more of a job and less a labor of love. This gets proven to be especially true in his case when you notice the pronounced lack of the Bond theme and are told that he was not going to include the title song anywhere in his soundtrack until it was suggested that he should do these things. Technically Newman is a pro's pro and his use of techno/electronica is much advanced over Arnold's, but in respect to content a focused listen to his SF soundtrack reveals that he thought he too could reinvent the Bond sound and that's why this effort mostly doesn't match up with Martin, Arnold, and Kamen in understanding that the Bond sound is what people truly want. Or should if they truly understand anything about Barry's legacy for these films. I think he gets that now, and I'd expect better of him next time, if there is a next time.
6. Marvin Hamlisch- other than crafting a timeless title theme, Hamlisch shows proper respect for Barry in making use of it thematically within the film. He puts a modern for the time disco spin on the Bond theme in "Bond 77" to match the atmosphere of the current social climate. I give him credit for the attempt, but the disco and his keyboard use here are an acquired taste. Some like it, but if you hate disco it's annoying as all hell.
7. Monty Norman- as stated, he wrote the timeless Bond theme but it's Barry's orchestration and later use that breathed life into the notes. Otherwise the soundtrack is unremarkable and often not very good.
8. Bill Conti- when you revel in the glory of "Gonna Fly Now" like I do as a native of the Philadelphia suburbs, you realize that Conti is capable of greatness. Some of the things he does are very good such as the submarine scene and the climb up to St. Cyril's. The title song gets use. Otherwise it's more a disaster than not. The gunbarrel theme is nearly identical to Martin's, and his choice of instruments seem very out of place as disco and the brass/keyboard sounds were by then passe and old news. It fails on many levels, but not as much as what was to come in 1995.
9. Eric Serra- Severely underrated? Nope. Unfairly criticized? Please! In Jon Burlingame's book about Bond music, Serra states that he was given little to no direction from the producers. Rather than going with music that fit the Bondian style, he figures he can do what he wants and this soundtrack becomes the giant, toilet clogging dump of the entire series. I'm sure Serra would have done a lot of things differently and better in hindsight, because in all fairness he is a much better composer than this effort shows, but this soundtrack is still unacceptable and far below his own standards. So many things are wrong for the movie and antithetical to the Bond legacy. Pastiche please! The gun barrel theme is too radical and does not work. No use of the superior title theme (the best music in the entire film) anywhere. I wish Bono and Edge had done the soundtrack, unlike Serra they were Bond fans who weren't looking to do anything but pay their own tribute to Barry and the Bond legacy. Sparing use of the Bond theme that actually has to be rewritten for the tank chase by John Altman. So many atonal and dark sounds that do not fit despite claims to the contrary. The orchestration regarding the strings anywhere in the film is all wrong and his romantic themes sound like elevator muzak. No heart, no soul, no passion. More fitting for the likes of Bourne and "La Femme Nikita" and a huge mistake.
The ONLY thing that Serra does well is in the PTS where you hear the Bond theme on timpani drums, this really works as far as originality but after that it is what it is.
His lasting legacy, however, is very clear, as it can be seen from the many tributes rolling out for him on this, his big birthday week. Greg always had a wonderful balance to him, focused and earnest one second while discussing Bond's darker side, then light and comedic the next when we'd be joking around in PMs or around the activity pages. His insight will continue to be valued, as he packed so much life into his years, not wasting a second. He's an example everyone should follow in so many ways, as he taught us in his short time with us what it meant to be a father, husband, helper of your community, and last but not least, a spectacular Bond fan.
One of my favorite comments from Greg that I always love to go back and read is this excerpt from the Friday Salute he addressed to me in October of last year:
Yes indeed, all in all you command my respect and that of many others, you are often like a younger brother to me more than you could know until now, and like Creasy I'd never see you on the street. You'd have your choice of bunk in my Bond shrine room, all the gourmet food you could handle, the best Bolliinger RD to wash it down with, access to all my Bond stuff, and as much as I dislike fairly immediate sloppy seconds, if Eva showed up on our doorstep wearing nothing but a big old body ribbon, I would make the rare exception and step aside for you- as long as you promise to share at one point and don't wear her out too much big boy.
Greg had a great sense of loyalty about him, and you'd never have any doubts that he would go big or go home with you whenever you needed him. His philosophy was all about giving respect to those that he'd felt earned it, and when you showed him you were worthy of joining him in the Bond Brotherhood/Sisterhood, he never once left your side. There's really not any more that can be said, as words, though beautiful tools of expression, will fail to illustrate just how much Greg still means to this community every time. His passion, knowledge, care and spirit are indescribable, and can never be forgotten. With him here waking up and popping on this forum each morning made every day feel like Christmas, as he provided us the gift of his company, though that was just Greg being Greg. All of that came so naturally because of his genuine presence, never faked and always given to those in need. Here's to Greg, a one of a kind guy.
Our Bond family will carry on, but Greg/SirHenry is genuinely irreplaceable. We will, however, keep his spirit alive in our hearts and minds.
MR always scores points for its cinematography and soundtrack, as these are nearly inarguably its best traits.
SF for me has the best cinematography since, just a masterful job by Roger Deakins. His night time shots are even more stunning than MR's night time scenes. Soundtracks, ach, it's nearly sacrilege to take a non Barry soundtrack over a Barry.
DAF is my all time favorite of Barry's Bond and MR is also his usual excellence, although there are many fine musical moments to be found in both CR and SF.
Arnold's CR romance pieces for me are as good as anything Barry ever did, and it's tough to argue that when the master said so himself!
I have included a good deal about Skyfall because it is still of strong current interest and debate.
SOUNDTRACKS
SirHenry said:
Casino Royale Composer: David Arnold
This one starts with the title song "You Know My Name". This collaboration between Arnold and one of the best male rock singers out there, Soundgarden legend Chris Cornell, is easily the best title song since 1985 and only truly rivaled by "Surrender" as a post-Barry classic. The song is very versatile and is used in a variety of ways that in tone and sound make it classic work.
Next up are some long action pieces starting with "African Rundown", which is heard during the Parkour chase. The drums give a location feel with the title song splashed in making it one of Arnold's better bits as after nearly 7 minutes it doesn't lose me. I cannot say the same for"Miami International" and many people have a problem with this song that I can relate to as a musician. It's very difficult for any composer short of a classical master to write a near 13 minute piece and keep things from getting redundant and average. Most composers would have elected to try and break this long action sequence up into smaller pieces rather than attempt something this ambitious, so I give Arnold some credit for at least having the guts to try even if it fails to impress.
My favorite action piece is "The Switch/Fall Of A House In Venice" and I feel it's Arnold's best effort since TND. It really conveys the urgency Bond feels realizing Vesper has double crossed everyone and him following her to see what exactly she's up to. Other assorted pieces such as "CCTV" are good, solid spy music and the 3rd of the casino "trio" in "Bond Wins It All" stands out and brings the big poker sequence to a nice conclusion.
His use of the Bond and title theme are just so well done throughout. A variety of romance pieces are where Arnold outdoes himself and where the effort reaches the levels of the title song. "Solange/Trip Aces" could have been combined into one piece, the former convincingly conveys the great beauty that Bond sees when he first spies Solange. The latter continues the Solange theme with some YKMN notes and a little of the Bond theme. "I'm The Money/Aston Montenegro" is another duo that could have been combined, here we get the title theme combined with lush strings that are both Barryesque and Bondian. "Dinner Jackets" is the first introduction of the Vesper theme, bits of the title song, yet playful.
Then we go to a level not seen since Barry sat in the composer's chair. "Vesper" features simple piano notes in the upper register and strings while becoming a hauntingly beautiful and instantly memorable piece. Later when the Vesper theme expands into full orchestration in "City Of Lovers", it is revealed to be a masterpiece that, yes I said it, rivals any romantic piece Barry has written either for a Bond or non-Bond film. Like Barry's Oscar winning pieces such as "Born Free" and "Dances With Wolves", or the very underrated "Somewhere In Time", this did and still moves me to tears and makes me emotionally invest every time I watch what is happening between Bond and Vesper onscreen.
How can this be a failure??? I'm amazed anyone who calls themself a musician or a Barry devotee would dismiss this as a "pastiche" or an inferior effort of any kind for what it brings, it's lush, multi-layered, and complex in using a variety of instruments.
But for those who would be so musically ignorant to disagree with ME, I'll reveal for the first time here word for word what answer John Barry gave to a mutual friend who asked him about this very thing- "F'n beautiful stuff. Yes, the orchestration is my style but that's the sort of sound Bond fans have come to rightfully expect. The melody is quite original and I don't think I could improve what's here, just really well done".
The movie concludes with "The Bitch is Dead" and finally "The Name's Bond...James Bond" of which I love the muted, menacing brass at the beginning before the Bond theme slowly rises while Craig delivers the immortal introduction of himself, the rest launching over the end credits with the classic Vic Flick guitar. Overall the weaker qualities of Arnold's action pieces compared to TND and his next effort keep it from quite matching those, but this otherwise simply can't be beat for those who truly know Barry and the Bond sound- 4/5
A View to a Kill Composer: John Barry
The story for the film's title theme starts when one John Taylor, both the bassist of 1980's English rock band Duran Duran and a lifelong Bond fan, meets Cubby at a London party and having had a few drinks boldly asks "When are you going to get someone decent to do one of your theme songs?". This leads to a collaboration between the band and John Barry, back in the composer's chair for the 10th time, that produces not only one of the best known and well loved songs in the series, but is the only one to have reached #1 on the U.S charts as well as a #2 on the British charts, also a record.
Barry's full genius comes into great focus when the seemingly straight rock song becomes yet another hauntingly romantic instrumental in "Wine With Stacey", complete with solo flute passages, acoustic guitar, and lush strings that expand on the change in style we heard expanding and growing in his prior Bond soundtrack. It's a short but fantastic piece.
The use of electric guitar introduced here also moves well in action tracks such as "He's Dangerous" that is used in part in other action scenes and the big brass is getting more use as well in all this as well as in "Bond Underwater". This piece I find quite interesting as you can hear the same type of brass work 20 years earlier in Thunderball, but I find this much less Godzilla-like in its brashness and well tempered with other instruments to differentiate. Even a presence of a Goldfinger-like marching beat becomes a backdrop.
The only thing that thus far separates the 80's efforts from the 5 star efforts of the Connery period, in my musically trained mind, is a little laziness in the tendency to overuse existing action themes instead of adding one more composition to balance it, but it's minor because, well, he's Barry. A very unique soundtrack overall, save the unnecessary PTS addition of "California Girls"- 4.5/5
Tomorrow Never Dies Composer: David Arnold
One of the main reasons why John Barry turned down the opportunity to score another Bond film was because the producing team could not guarantee that he would have anything to do with writing the title song, which had already been assigned to Sheryl Crow by the MGM/UA music department. Barry was indignant at this stipulation, given his track record of success with Bond songs that are then echoed in the accompanying score, and even more so by MGM/UA's refusal to meet his minimum asking price, offering him considerably less than other top composers were getting at the time. Calling the failure to meet his demands "non-negotiable", he passed. The gig then went to David Arnold, who was equally unhappy about having the title song imposed on him. Arnold's only choice and solution was to write a new song for the end credits - "Surrender" performed by k.d. lang - which thematically crops up throughout the score in the Barry tradition.
David Arnold was eventually chosen to compose the score. The producers, particularly Barbara Broccoli, were impressed by Arnold's compilation album of Bond songs covered by other artists called "Shaken Not Stirred", as well as by the personal recommendation of John Barry, who had enthusiastically embraced the freshness of Arnold's work on that record. After Barry told Arnold and the producers personally that Arnold was "the rightful heir", which Arnold called "a bit of a trip", he was offered the job.
The title song tune was chosen by way of a competition, of which the various artists were unaware of. There were about twelve entries including songs from Emil Jørgensen, Pulp, Saint Etienne, Marc Almond, Sheryl Crow, and David Arnold. The first choice was written and performed by Danish rock band Swan Lee but they were turned down because they were not famous enough. It was suggested that another artist sing their song instead but Swan Lee rejected this idea. British pop group Pulp wrote a theme song which later appeared on the B-side to the group's single "Help the Aged" following a title change to "Tomorrow Never Lies," the same name as the working title for this film. The Sheryl Crow song which eventually won out did not chart at all in the USA, but charted as high as #11 in the UK.
The competition and eventual choice of Crow's song was roundly criticized by the artists who made submissions. According to David Arnold, both Pulp's Jarvis Cocker as well as Duran Duran lead singer Simon LeBon were under the impression they were being asked to write the title song and were unaware of the "cattle call". Saint Etienne singer Sarah Cracknell would later state "I thought it was a bit rubbish, actually" in reference to the Crow song. Surrender lyricist Don Black summed up the control MGM/UA had of the title song quite succinctly in the Burlingame book- "I do honestly think ours was the better song; it tells the story of the film. With the Bond (title) songs, it's changed a lot. They've (MGM/UA) gone very much for who's going to sing it as opposed to what it is. With John (Barry) and David (Arnold), it's always been: get the song right, then get the artist". To date, neither MGM/UA nor Sony have repeated the stunt.
The end credits song "Surrender" was composed and sung in the style of a Shirley Bassey song, Bassey being a stalwart of Bond songs having sung a number of them. Composer David Arnold wanted this song to be used in the opening credits (the lyrics prominently feature the title 'Tomorrow Never Dies') but the producers preferred Sheryl Crow over k.d. lang. However, Arnold did incorporate the song instrumentally throughout his score.
Skyfall Composer: Thomas Newman
Regarding the lack of Bond theme, it was the "almighty savior" of the anti-Arnold crowd in Thomas Newman that was responsible for this. The reports are out there. If it had been up to him, we wouldn't have gotten any nod to the title theme and he wasn't planning to much use the Bond theme either.
Even in QOS, which was a bit light on the Bond theme itself, I can recall more instances of its use than I can in SF. Newman took the "Serra approach", for which Serra can at least be excused to a degree as he wasn't given direction regarding following Barry's legacy of franchise music. Now while I'd be the first to say as a musician that Newman's effort was easily better, he admits that he understood said legacy when he mentioned that "Severine" was a nod to Barry, yet consistently failed to bring it into its proper focus, giving us a paltry (not to say that it wasn't well done) reference to the theme in "Komodo Dragon", and of course "Breadcrumbs" during the reintroduction of the classic DB5.
It's more fair in this instance to point the blame squarely in Newman's direction in thinking he could reinvent the wheel, than hang it on EON or their approach. They made it clear to Newman when they dropped in to hear his mostly completed work that these themes had to be there, and they were only added at the last minute. Very good reason for Newman's future as a Bond composer to be up in the air, he's not bigger than the Barry legacy.
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Newman's score wasn't bad at all, technically quite good and superior to Arnold in this respect, but as I've said it's ultimately about the Barry legacy and creating recognizable franchise music. Arnold's music, save for QOS where he showed real growth in technique and personal style, can fairly be called a "Barry pastiche" but that's what a Bond composer should be doing with franchise music. It should be thematically similar yet allow the composer to espouse some original ideas within that context, in Arnold's case it was electronica but just not particularly well done. Newman did better with that. To ignore these principles is not what EON wants and not how Bond music should be, they want the music to sound like Bond music. In this sense, Newman's soundtrack is an inferior effort and why Arnold is still preferable because he understands this all important aspect. Newman is capable of doing better than Arnold but he's got to take his ego out of the equation to do that, and this effort showed an unwillingness to do so.
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Regarding the lack of Bond theme, it was the "almighty savior" of the anti-Arnold crowd in Thomas Newman that was responsible for this. The reports are out there. If it had been up to him, we wouldn't have gotten any nod to the title theme and he wasn't planning to much use the Bond theme either.
Even in QOS, which was a bit light on the Bond theme itself, I can recall more instances of its use than I can in SF. Newman took the "Serra approach", for which Serra can at least be excused to a degree as he wasn't given direction regarding following Barry's legacy of franchise music. Now while I'd be the first to say as a musician that Newman's effort was easily better, he admits that he understood said legacy when he mentioned that "Severine" was a nod to Barry, yet consistently failed to bring it into its proper focus, giving us a paltry (not to say that it wasn't well done) reference to the theme in "Komodo Dragon", and of course "Breadcrumbs" during the reintroduction of the classic DB5.
It's more fair in this instance to point the blame squarely in Newman's direction in thinking he could reinvent the wheel, than hang it on EON or their approach. They made it clear to Newman when they dropped in to hear his mostly completed work that these themes had to be there, and they were only added at the last minute. Very good reason for Newman's future as a Bond composer to be up in the air, he's not bigger than the Barry legacy.
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Mendes, Deakins, and all the technical people they want back. Newman is another story from what I've read and heard rumors of privately from some industry insiders. Hopefully no one will ask me who. Mendes and EON will have to sort that out among themselves, and as mentioned earlier and elsewhere Newman will have to be flexible and understand more is expected of him. I'm sure from what I've read that he gets those expectations of franchise music as he's never been a part of something like this in the way a John Williams or Hans Zimmer is familiar with, but if he's not there it will be because he doesn't want to compromise.
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Samuel001 said:
I just can't believe when asked "where are you going to put the theme?" Newman only put it in once for the entire film! Why would you do that with such a great track? It doesn't make sense.
SirHenry said:
The Bond theme as well. That's exactly why it's clear the concept of Bondian franchise music was lost on Newman, why the SF soundtrack failed as such, and why I view several of Arnold's efforts as better.
WillyGalore said: Are composers reluctant to use the title track in their scores if they haven't had any involvement in writing them? I only ask this as LTK, TND, DAD, QoS and SF's tracks were written independently and none of the composers used them in their scores. Is it because the theme song is written and recorded in tandem with the main score and so it's too late to use any of the cues?
Sir Henry said:
There's no pat answer for your very valid first question, friend; it's case by case. Here's how I understand it based on the material I have available but I would mention the Burlingame Bond music book, which I really do need to have, may shed further light on this. GE also fits your question as there is no trace of the Turner/Bono/The Edge title effort to be found there as far as I ever heard:
LTK- Originally Eric Clapton and Vic Flick were working on the title theme but EON decided against what they had heard and went with what we got. This was the first time we ever heard the title song entirely missing from the soundtrack. I don't know why Kamen didn't include it, unfortunately he can't answer that question as he's deceased.
TND- Arnold had composed the Surrender theme and it was used throughout, which tells me he expected the song to be the title song like Barry would have also assumed, and Crow's song was a late minute and ill advised Hollywood selection. Just consider Surrender the true theme song like pretty much everyone else does.
DAD- Anything related to the planned Arnold/Black theme "I Will Return" is likely within the soundtrack. It was never finished, only they could answer if and where.
QOS- "Officially", the Arnold/Black penned "No Good About Goodbye" which was later recorded by Dame Shirley Bassey was never considered, but unofficially there was a 2010 article in the Guardian that stated this in contradiction- "Black and Arnold wrote a song for Quantum of Solace earlier this year, and Black says Amy Winehouse was approached to sing it, amid rumours she and Mark Ronson were also working on a track. Neither worked out". You can hear this melody is prominent enough that you'd have to give the quote credence. Only in the boat chase do you hear the staccato section of AWTD, so like the SF theme it was probably a last minute shoehorning. Thus it's pretty clear to me that the official EON/Arnold statement is at odds with what Arnold intended according to this article, and like the others clearly a case of studio meddling gone wrong.
SF- The fact that Barb and Mike insisted the Adele song be part of a Newman soundtrack that to that point in his compositions didn't include it, and were upset about it to the point that these rumors of their unhappiness with him began, makes me say what I have about Newman's intentions not to use it. I'm sure he had heard it and thus had time to use it more prominently based on the above.
Your second question is equally valid, and again I don't have a definitive answer to that either regarding exact turnaround time between the title theme being chosen and the composer going to work on the soundtrack with the theme's use in mind. If like Arnold and other composers save Serra and Newman, you subscribe to Barry's franchise style of creating the soundtrack to play off the title theme, then this should always be the plan and ample time to do that should be allotted to the soundtrack composer regardless of if he wrote the theme or not. Too little turnaround time in the decision of the title song would obviously limit if not preclude it entirely.
I think Arnold's past two efforts, especially QOS, were a big step towards injecting said exotic atmosphere. The Haiti and Bolivia pieces had that feel for location as far as I was concerned including subtle use of the Bond theme, and after Barry I'm a tough critic for that. He also did a very fine job with the Far East locales in TND. And Barry loved his CR work, no small feat there. I thought QOS was a big step in Arnold's growth towards true craftsmanship.
As far as Newman being the more talented and advanced composer between him and Arnold, it's obvious to me there is a lot of merit in that. But as far as being a better Bond composer, I've amply and in my opinion convincingly stated why the Skyfall soundtrack fails to be better than some of Arnold's efforts, and those who truly understand Barry's franchise style and feel know I'm both dead on point and completely correct that Newman failed to capture that in a convincing manner.
I wanted to post all that because that is a great example of SirHenry discussing Bond music. The quotes were taken from various threads.
By the way, this computer/forum glitch had never happened to me before - it posted a lengthy post that was not finished (perhaps I hit the limit allowed; I don't know!) and then posted like 5 times while I was still typing. A long, strange trip it's been, this music section. :-\"