Blofeld of your choosing??

245

Comments

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    No comment on the idea just above, Elliot?
  • chrisisall wrote:
    No comment on the idea just above, Elliot?

    Oh, sorry. Didn't notice it at first.
    chrisisall wrote:
    Luds wrote:
    <li><b>John Hollis/Robert Rietty</b> (For Your Eyes Only)
    I understand what they did, basically to kill off the character which they couldn't name due to legal reasons... But how did he get his bald look again?
    I've been wondering about this idea: after Blofeld was injured in OHMSS, he was partially paralysed, and spent all of his fortune creating his folicled doubles & setting forth the scheme shown in DAF, and later, when nearly broke and minionless, he made that lame, last ditch attempt at Bond's life in the FYEO's PTS as an act of final vengeance, only to get dumped down a smokestack for his troubles (ranting like a lunatic I might add).
    Is this something cinema Bond fans here can accept?

    Yeah, I can agree with this. This could be one reason as to why Charles Gray's Blofeld is so different to the previous incarnations not only visually but the personality as well. That also explains the disappearance of the broken neck.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    That also explains the disappearance of the broken neck.
    AND his debilitated appearance in FYEO.... :-?
  • Donald Pleasence is my favorite Blofeld.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited December 2012 Posts: 17,801
    Donald Pleasence is my favorite Blofeld.
    But he doesn't look like he could fight- Savalas looks a bit tough...
    To me, Pleasence is "Duke of New York *blamblamblamblam* A number one!" *blamblamblamblam* :))
  • edited December 2012 Posts: 546
    Donald Pleasence is my favorite Blofeld.
    chrisisall wrote:
    Donald Pleasence is my favorite Blofeld.
    But he doesn't look like he could fight- Savalas looks a bit tough...
    To me, Pleasence is "Duke of New York *blamblamblamblam* A number one *blamblamblamblam* :))

    Yes! Donald Pleasence could not hang with 007 in a hand to hand combat. But I thought he was really good as Blofeld. IEven though Savalas was better Donald Pleasence in terms of hand to hand combat) :)
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    edited December 2012 Posts: 14,585
    RE: Blofeld of your choosing??

    David-Hasselhoff-balderized.jpg

    Oops! I misunderstood the question!

    Seriously now, definitely Savalas or Pleasance. I can't decide between the two, although I quite enjoy the FRWL/TB incarnation's eloquent voice and overall mystique.

    The Blofeld cat of my choosing? It would have to be the one from FRWL, because she lives on a healthy diet of Siamese fighting fish and is just oh-so cute! ;;)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    QBranch wrote:
    The Blofeld cat of my choosing? It would have to be the one from FRWL, because she lives on a healthy diet of Siamese fighting fish and is just oh-so cute! ;;)

    I liked the Blofeld cat in NSNA- it recognized & reacted to a film of a nuclear detonation. My cats don't even see the fish in our tank. :-??
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    chrisisall wrote:
    That also explains the disappearance of the broken neck.
    AND his debilitated appearance in FYEO.... :-?

    For Your Eyes Only PTS follows On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

    Diamonds Are Forever follows You Only Live Twice.

    Two separate timelines in a way.
  • Posts: 1,548
    Sir Anthony Hopkins was brilliant in ... wait sorry I was momentarily living in a parallel universe where Dalton got to make that magical 3rd film!
  • Donald Pleasance is by far the best Blofeld. Not only his appearance but his manerisms define Blofeld for me.

    Telly Savalas was not far behind. He didn't have the look the same way Pleasance did, but he did do a very interesting take on the character (much more interesting, IMO, than Lazenby's take on Bond in the same movie).

    Charles Grey comes in last, but he's far from the worst thing about DAF.
  • I don't think that Blofeld was ever really well portrayed in the movies.
    Pleasance was sinister and fun but suffers wildly from Austin Power nowadays. He just is too corny and cartoony for my taste.

    Savalas had a great arrogant side and was more how I picture Blofeld visually, but he didn't seem brutal and dangerous to me. He just didn't feel intimidating enough imo.

    Charles Grey was an enjoyable villain but not Blofeld, period. He was fantastically arrogant and sinister but overall, he just wasn't Blofeld.

    FYEO should not have brought back Blofeld, even though I like the PTS.

    I have almost no recollection of NSNA. So I can't rate Max von Sydow.

    Joseph Wiseman was too thin and had not the physical presence of Blofeld.

    So my pick would be Anthony Dawson/Eric Pohlmann.
  • I don't think that Blofeld was ever really well portrayed in the movies.
    Pleasance was sinister and fun but suffers wildly from Austin Power nowadays. He just is too corny and cartoony for my taste.

    Savalas had a great arrogant side and was more how I picture Blofeld visually, but he didn't seem brutal and dangerous to me. He just didn't feel intimidating enough imo.

    Charles Grey was an enjoyable villain but not Blofeld, period. He was fantastically arrogant and sinister but overall, he just wasn't Blofeld.

    FYEO should not have brought back Blofeld, even though I like the PTS.

    I have almost no recollection of NSNA. So I can't rate Max von Sydow.

    Joseph Wiseman was too thin and had not the physical presence of Blofeld.

    So my pick would be Anthony Dawson/Eric Pohlmann.

    I agree, my pick as well, I don't think Blofeld has really been done justice of film, I still hope that one day his character may return to the series, but Austin Powers has probably put the last nail in that coffin.

  • Donald Pleasance defined the evil genius
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    While not a big fan of NSNA, Max was a terrific Blofeld IMO.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    To me, Telly Savalas is the definitive On screen Blofeld.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    Murdock wrote:
    To me, Telly Savalas is the definitive On screen Blofeld.

    Agreed, he's the only one that comes by any way close to the character Fleming created.
  • LicencedToKilt69007LicencedToKilt69007 Belgium, Wallonia
    Posts: 523
    My favourite Blofeld is without a doubt Telly Savalas. (If I had to pick a new actor, it will be Ben Kingsley)
  • Posts: 2,402
    Wiseman wasn't the voice of Blofeld in TB, that's a common fan misconception. It was Pohlmann returning.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    Wiseman wasn't the voice of Blofeld in TB, that's a common fan misconception. It was Pohlmann returning.

    I've never heard of that strange fan misconception before!
  • This is a tough one. I very much enjoy faceless Blofeld, Savalas, and Pleasance's versions.

    1. Dawson & Pohlmann, From Russia With Love & Thunderball
    2. Telly Savalas, On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    3. Donald Pleasance, You Only Live Twice

    Sizable gap.

    4. Charles Gray, Diamonds are Forever
    5. I can't believe it's not Blofeld, For Your Eyes Only
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,281
    I've always thought that the Pleasance Blofeld was just "pure evil" and had little in the way of distinguing characteristics or background as he had in the novels. One is reminded of how Dr Evil cashed in on this. Pleasance Blofeld is somerthing of a joke - he's gimmicky and little else. At least the Charles Gray Blofelds had a bit of character to him, albeit not perhaps the correct one for the role of Blofeld.
  • Posts: 15,124
    Wiseman wasn't the voice of Blofeld in TB, that's a common fan misconception. It was Pohlmann returning.

    IMO Pohlmann was and is still the best, albeit he had the advantage of being just a voice. I wonder if he could have made the real Blofeld in YOLT and OHMSS. The best "physical" Blofeld was probably Savalas, but even he lacked something. I think the definitive Blofeld remains to be seen.
  • Posts: 15,124
    Dragonpol wrote:
    I've always thought that the Pleasance Blofeld was just "pure evil" and had little in the way of distinguing characteristics or background as he had in the novels. One is reminded of how Dr Evil cashed in on this. Pleasance Blofeld is somerthing of a joke - he's gimmicky and little else. At least the Charles Gray Blofelds had a bit of character to him, albeit not perhaps the correct one for the role of Blofeld.

    I found Pleasence's Blofeld weak overall, however I did enjoy his conversations with Bond, maybe the best part of YOLT.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2013 Posts: 18,281
    Ludovico wrote:
    Dragonpol wrote:
    I've always thought that the Pleasance Blofeld was just "pure evil" and had little in the way of distinguing characteristics or background as he had in the novels. One is reminded of how Dr Evil cashed in on this. Pleasance Blofeld is somerthing of a joke - he's gimmicky and little else. At least the Charles Gray Blofelds had a bit of character to him, albeit not perhaps the correct one for the role of Blofeld.

    I found Pleasence's Blofeld weak overall, however I did enjoy his conversations with Bond, maybe the best part of YOLT.

    Yes, as up to that point he was little more than a recreation of the Blofeld in FRWL and TB, wasn't he? I think though that the Pleasance Blofeld is regarded by aficianados and the general public as THE definitive Blofeld (probably as he was the first one that we actually saw facially), though as I said above that's very wide of the mark as far as I'm concerned. Savalas' Blofeld was easily the best of the lot.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,183
    I think each Blofeld from YOLT onwards, with the exception of Savalas, is at least one obstacle away from being superb. Pleasance was suckered into a fairy tale version of Blofeld, Gray ended up in a film that's hard to take seriously and Von Sydow performed in the wrong movie.

    Savalas, for me, remains one of the best Blofeld incarnations. Though technically the baldness wasn't part of Fleming's idea of Blofeld, Savalas was at least given a script that's immensely close to its source novel.

    I honestly think all Blofeld actors are great performers in their own right. Even the often disrespected Charles Gray was a charismatic actor back in the day. Just watch Hammer's terrific The Devil Rides Out for proof of that. It were the scripts, I think, that got it wrong most of the time. Perhaps a Casino Royale quality of script today could deliver us the best Blofeld ever.

  • Bradford4Bradford4 Banned
    edited December 2013 Posts: 152
    Pleasance and Savalas are my favs no question. Both have qualities to admire. For instance Savalas' Blofeld seems to be an intelligent cultured man who is famliar with allergens and congenital birth defects "like the hapsburg lip or the hawk nose of the Medici" but also can stand toe to toe with Bond in a fight. Unfortunately he branched off.

    Pleasance's iteration oozed pure power and control. He did not need to fight toe to toe with Bond because it would never come to that... he has an army of lackeys, Hans, and his piranha pool apartment to keep his foes at bay.

    And they sure as hell never offered Bond a delicatessan in stainless steel.

    My vote for a new actor to play Blofeld (the head of Quantum or a revitalized SPECTRE)? David Straitharn (not bald of course). Think about it. He's a well read respected thespian who could bring prestige to the next Bond film.
  • Dragonpol wrote:
    I've always thought that the Pleasance Blofeld was just "pure evil" and had little in the way of distinguishing characteristics or background as he had in the novels. One is reminded of how Dr Evil cashed in on this. Pleasance Blofeld is something of a joke - he's gimmicky and little else. At least the Charles Gray Blofeld had a bit of character to him, albeit not perhaps the correct one for the role of Blofeld.

    You make some interesting points, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's a joke. His manner of speaking, his scar, and the very way he carries himself come as somewhat unnerving, as opposed to Gray, who's not even vaguely threatening or believable as an evil genius.
  • Posts: 15,124
    DarthDimi wrote:
    I think each Blofeld from YOLT onwards, with the exception of Savalas, is at least one obstacle away from being superb. Pleasance was suckered into a fairy tale version of Blofeld, Gray ended up in a film that's hard to take seriously and Von Sydow performed in the wrong movie.

    Savalas, for me, remains one of the best Blofeld incarnations. Though technically the baldness wasn't part of Fleming's idea of Blofeld, Savalas was at least given a script that's immensely close to its source novel.

    I honestly think all Blofeld actors are great performers in their own right. Even the often disrespected Charles Gray was a charismatic actor back in the day. Just watch Hammer's terrific The Devil Rides Out for proof of that. It were the scripts, I think, that got it wrong most of the time. Perhaps a Casino Royale quality of script today could deliver us the best Blofeld ever.

    Savalas's face was very close to Fleming's Blofeld, but the Blofeld of TB. When I read the novel, this is the face I see, Savalas with a crew cut and heavier, but with Phohlmann's voice. Or I see Ciaran Hinds, who I think looks a lot like Blofeld.
  • Definitely Savalas for me. He portrays Blofeld as meancing yet inviting, cool yet ruthless. He's a real physical threat for Bond and is, in my mind the only one of the revealed Blofelds who's not laughable as a villain. I always count the unseen Blofleds of TB and FRWL as one character, who runs second solely because his position as unknown meant he couldn't own the role like Savalas. He embodied all there was to fear about SPECTRE: unknown, shadowy, yet knew where Bond was and what was going on and was totally menacing. Pleasance for me is far too parody-worthy and laughable to take seriously. I remember when he was revealed in YOLT i was just like...really? THAT'S him? Perhaps if I was older and my judgment uncorrupted by Dr. Evil i would like pleasance more. Gray and whoever wanted to buy Bond a delicatessen in stainless steel are by far the worst for me (although in fairness to Gray he did have the misfortune of appearing in DAF).
Sign In or Register to comment.