The GEORGE LAZENBY Appreciation thread - Discuss His Life, His Career, His Bond Films

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  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    edited February 2017 Posts: 13,978
    I do, and have facts to back up my point of view, but you seem only interested in insults.

    Just like i have mine with Moore, you know 7 movies, grossed all more than Dalton, Moore is a legend screen actor as of today not Dalton, Moore is a way better ambassador than Dalton for bond.

    It's more like 4 films really, as in those last 3, Moore was playing Bond for less than 50% of the film (his stunt man was Bond for the majority). I imagine if Moore had done one Moore, even the simple act of sitting down would have starred Martin Grace or Jake Lombard as Bond.

    Back to George...

    I have grown to like George as Bond over recent years. For the first few years of being a fan, I wrote him off as a poor copy of Connery. But I have developed an appreciation for the clean slate that he brought to the role, and if nothing else, he is the best Bond when it comes to the fight scenes.



    As much as I would like to say it is the Cargo hold fight from TLD, that one above is my favourite fight in the series.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Everything about that scene is fantastic.
  • It's more like 4 films really, as in those last 3, Moore was playing Bond for less than 50% of the film (his stunt man was Bond for the majority). I imagine if Moore had done one Moore, even the simple act of sitting down would have starred Martin Grace or Jake Lombard as Bond.

    Back to George...

    I have grown to like George as Bond over recent years. For the first few years of being a fan, I wrote him off as a poor copy of Connery. But I have developed an appreciation for the clean slate that he brought to the role, and if nothing else, he is the best Bond when it comes to the fight scenes.



    As much as I would like to say it is the Cargo hold fight from TLD, that one above is my favourite fight in the series.


    Moore last 3? Well For your eyes only and Octopussy were excellent bond adventures!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Everything about that scene is fantastic.

    It's a perfect scene/fight, but I always find it odd that he audibly comments on the caviar to himself, given that Che-Che is knocked out.
  • This is in the running for best Bond fight of all time.
    Other worthy contenders, but man this is brutal and cool.
  • SeanCraigSeanCraig Germany
    Posts: 732
    This is in the running for best Bond fight of all time.
    Other worthy contenders, but man this is brutal and cool.
    Wholeheartly agree - it's very cool. A tie to me with the CR stairwell fight.

  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    edited February 2017 Posts: 2,538
    'Becoming Bond' starring Josh Lawson as George Lazenby will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2017.

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    'Becoming Bond' starring Josh Lawson as George Lazenby will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2017.

    Looking forward to this.

    It says in the blurb he had never acted a day in his life. I'm sure he had done another cheapo film before OHMSS, plus the adverts of course.

    And pulling the wool over Harry and Cubby's eyes - how is that not acting ;)
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    'Becoming Bond' starring Josh Lawson as George Lazenby will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2017.

    Jane Seymour will be in it, as well. I'll have to check this one out whenever it's available.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    'Becoming Bond' starring Josh Lawson as George Lazenby will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2017.
    This sounds interesting. Will have to check it out.

    In response to a lot of the earlier messages on this thread, I think Lazenby did a decent job.

    We have to remember this is a very, very good film and he helped play his part in that.

    For the people saying it would have been better with Connery, I am not so sure. He is undoubtedly a better actor than Lazenby, and a better Bond, but he was, quite frankly, bored and sick of Bond by this point and probably would have phoned it in ala DAF.

    I also think George being cast helped the public accept that Bond was going to continue without Sean, and this probably made Roger Moores transition a lot smoother.

    I always find OHMSS quite an enigma, and George Lazenby being one and done helps add to this. It is also my second favourite Bond film of them all, so that always helps!

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.

    OHMSS remains a masterpiece of film making, and could exist without the franchise as a whole to prop it up.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    NicNac wrote: »
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.

    OHMSS remains a masterpiece of film making, and could exist without the franchise as a whole to prop it up.

    It is indeed superb. It isn't perfect, of course, no Film is. The sped up editing can be annoying and the colour pallete date it somewhat.

    Minor gripes though, because it is a classic. And say what you want about George, but he absolutely NAILS the final scenes.
  • SeanCraigSeanCraig Germany
    Posts: 732
    NicNac wrote: »
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.
    I mildly disagee - I think it's just the matter that it was recognized way past it's release, hence it WAS unpopular. At least to my impression OHMSS is constantly gaining admiration and also in the media.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    I think the PTS fight on the beach is brilliantly original. Bond punches a man ankle deep in water, and the man falls knee deep. It's like we are dropping in on the fight at different moments rather than seeing the whole thing.

    That's how it comes across to me.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    SeanCraig wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.
    I mildly disagee - I think it's just the matter that it was recognized way past it's release, hence it WAS unpopular. At least to my impression OHMSS is constantly gaining admiration and also in the media.

    That's my understanding of OHMSS over the years as well. It was the black sheep of the cannon until the 1990's, where it underwent a re-evaluation, and since then, it has grown in popularity.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Roadphill wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.

    OHMSS remains a masterpiece of film making, and could exist without the franchise as a whole to prop it up.

    The sped up editing can be annoying and the colour pallete date it somewhat.


    Dates it in a good way. I wish they made them like that today.
  • RoadphillRoadphill United Kingdom
    Posts: 984
    @NicNac @Thunderfinger believe me I am not having a go at it. Its up their with the best in the series.
  • NicNac wrote: »
    I think it sits in most people top 5 favourites @Roadphill. The media seem to think its unpopular though and give it short shrift, which is a shame. It stops the wider public from getting to see it.

    OHMSS remains a masterpiece of film making, and could exist without the franchise as a whole to prop it up.

    Completely agree.
  • edited February 2017 Posts: 3,336
    Anybody who knows when this will be released?

    This Never Happened to the Other Fella (2017)

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3728210/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

    It was originally going to be shown along with the OHMSS 4k showing in Oslo last year, but that never happened it seems.

    http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/news/george-lazenby-guest-honour-james-bond-oslo-gala
  • Posts: 19,339
    OHMSS is my #1 on my list at the moment....not bad for a male model who advertised Fry's Chocolates !!

    Nice one GL !!
  • edited February 2017 Posts: 3,333
    NicNac wrote: »
    Red_Snow wrote: »
    'Becoming Bond' starring Josh Lawson as George Lazenby will premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in March, 2017.

    Looking forward to this.

    It says in the blurb he had never acted a day in his life. I'm sure he had done another cheapo film before OHMSS, plus the adverts of course.

    And pulling the wool over Harry and Cubby's eyes - how is that not acting ;)

    Never heard of Lazenby acting in anything before OHMSS, the Big Fry commercial aside which didn't require any speaking on his part. From what I've read in the past Lazenby bluffed that he'd appeared in a couple of continental movies at his Bond audition, thinking that the producers wouldn't ask to see the reels to confirm this. It was all a ruse on Lazenby's part as he'd never made a movie before and the movies didn't exist. I think this might be what you're alluding to @NicNac?

    CORRECTION: I've just done a little Googling and it says that his only film appearance before OHMSS was a bit-part in a 1965 Italian-made Bond spoof, "Espionage in Tangiers" . However, reviews of the movie indicates that there was no scene of Lazenby's appearance at all. There were reports that mentioned there being an earlier longer version of the film which had Lazenby appearing, but was since removed from the actual film. So the mystery of any movie featuring Lazenby before Bond continues.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    Lazenby bluffed his way through the auditon, telling the producers he worked in a few Asian countries and Yugoslavia and whatnot, all in all in regions the producers can't look up and confirm. It wasn't until later he admitted to Peter Hunt that he lied to the producers, and Hunt himself was amused, saying that if he was able to convince people like Saltzman and Broccoli just like that, then he was more than good for the role.

    At least, that's the story told in Everything Or Nothing, that documentary film about Bond.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    @bondsum. Indeedy the cheapo Italian film is the thing I referred to, but your research clarifies the main point
  • RC7 wrote: »

    Just watched it. I'm incredibly interested in seeing this!
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    I'm looking forward to that, too!
  • edited March 2017 Posts: 628
    RC7 wrote: »

    I would be OK with this if it was simply a feature-length interview with Lazenby about his life and career (especially the movies he did post-Bond, which he rarely talks about), but the narrative scenes look stupid and are completely unnecessary. For that reason, I think the film is probably crap.
  • Red_SnowRed_Snow Australia
    Posts: 2,538
    A good read for anyone interested in George's role in "The Man From Hong Kong"

    denofgeek.com/us/movies/martial-arts/262754/the-man-from-hong-kong-a-genuinely-dangerous-action-movie
  • I will be seeing Becoming Bond at the Hot Docs festival in Toronto next week, and the movie will be released on Hulu at end of May. Great reviews from other fests where it screened!
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