The Living Daylights Appreciation

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  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
  • Posts: 4,408
    Watching the DVD special features, it's clear to me that the VFX team are the real heroes on these films. I mean, wow!

    John Richardson and those foreground miniatures are a total marvel. Nowadays, it's just CGI but back then there was a real sense of craftsmanship and technique. Not to say that CGI doesn't have craft, but when you can create Thanos and other planets on a computer, the simple skill in creating something that is noticeably tangibly and then slyly cutting around it to pull off these sequences is sublime.

    The whole bridge sequence at the end of the film is far more complex and accomplished than anyone would believe!

    Also, did anyone else think this scene was a sly nod or twist on the gunbarrel sequence? If so, it's probably the best gunbarrel in any Bond film:

    tld10tan-bg-assassin.jpg

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Yes, the gun barrel similarity has been brought up here. Pretty cool.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    edited May 2019 Posts: 7,021
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    At least they didn't want Klaus Kinski.

    -Khaista. It means beautiful, in Afghan.
    -Idioten!!! Cubby, I want this man off the set or I walk!
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582


    Getafix wrote: »
    Dammit all these posts are making me weep for all the Dalton movies we never got.

    Dalton has such a marvellous profile. The photo below is very evocative of the classic Hitchcock stories. It's a shame that audiences weren't ready for a more serious and sombre Bond in the 80's. Tim could have been a movie star.

    I think if Tim was going to be a big movie star he would have nailed it before he did Bond. He had done the groundwork in the early 70s, then seemed to disappear off the radar, settling for support roles thereon in. He was playing support to Mae West for heavens sake.
    The leg up of two Bond films didn't seem to help any.
  • Posts: 6,709
    Also, did anyone else think this scene was a sly nod or twist on the gunbarrel sequence? If so, it's probably the best gunbarrel in any Bond film:

    tld10tan-bg-assassin.jpg

    Yes, it's actually better than everything they've done with Pierce and Craig, regarding Bond imagery on film, IMO. That's what I call creative thinking. Not a cgi bullet or a gun barrel opening in a bathroom.
  • Posts: 16,153
    Univex wrote: »
    Also, did anyone else think this scene was a sly nod or twist on the gunbarrel sequence? If so, it's probably the best gunbarrel in any Bond film:

    tld10tan-bg-assassin.jpg

    Yes, it's actually better than everything they've done with Pierce and Craig, regarding Bond imagery on film, IMO. That's what I call creative thinking. Not a cgi bullet or a gun barrel opening in a bathroom.

    I've always loved that shot of Tim. Very gunbarrel-esque.
    TBH, I'd even take Tim's flying leap gunbarrel over any of the CGI Pierce and Craig renditions, including the CR toilet gunbarrel.
  • edited May 2019 Posts: 4,408
    NicNac wrote: »

    Getafix wrote: »
    Dammit all these posts are making me weep for all the Dalton movies we never got.

    Dalton has such a marvellous profile. The photo below is very evocative of the classic Hitchcock stories. It's a shame that audiences weren't ready for a more serious and sombre Bond in the 80's. Tim could have been a movie star.

    I think if Tim was going to be a big movie star he would have nailed it before he did Bond. He had done the groundwork in the early 70s, then seemed to disappear off the radar, settling for support roles thereon in. He was playing support to Mae West for heavens sake.
    The leg up of two Bond films didn't seem to help any.

    @NicNac I‘m going to disagree there.

    Dalton actively eschewed the screen. He’s given numerous interviews where he spoke of the theatre being his preferred medium. He’s said he’s often taken supporting roles in film or TV purely if it paid well enough. I saw an interview where he said you can't live off the theatre salary and you need to take screen work as it’s short and pays well. Then he’s free to return to the theatre.

    Look at Dalton’s CV on Wikipedia, you’ll see that in the 70’s and 80’s he rarely took screen work. Meanwhile, he’d do between 3 to 4 plays a year:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dalton_on_stage_and_screen

    Dalton had all the credentials of a leading man. He was essentially ‘Clarke Gable meets Harrison Ford’. I guess he probably didn’t want that and Bond wasn’t the big kick-starter it could have been…………You’ll notice on the above link that he practically quit the theatre after Bond.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    NicNac wrote: »

    Getafix wrote: »
    Dammit all these posts are making me weep for all the Dalton movies we never got.

    Dalton has such a marvellous profile. The photo below is very evocative of the classic Hitchcock stories. It's a shame that audiences weren't ready for a more serious and sombre Bond in the 80's. Tim could have been a movie star.

    I think if Tim was going to be a big movie star he would have nailed it before he did Bond. He had done the groundwork in the early 70s, then seemed to disappear off the radar, settling for support roles thereon in. He was playing support to Mae West for heavens sake.
    The leg up of two Bond films didn't seem to help any.

    @NicNac I‘m going to disagree there.

    Dalton actively eschewed the screen. He’s given numerous interviews where he spoke of the theatre being his preferred medium. He’s said he’s often taken supporting roles in film or TV purely if it paid well enough. I saw an interview where he said you can't live off the theatre salary and you need to take screen work as it’s short and pays well. Then he’s free to return to the theatre.

    Look at Dalton’s CV on Wikipedia, you’ll see that in the 70’s and 80’s he rarely took screen work. Meanwhile, he’d do between 3 to 4 plays a year:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dalton_on_stage_and_screen

    Dalton had all the credentials of a leading man. He was essentially ‘Clarke Gable meets Harrison Ford’. I guess he probably didn’t want that and Bond wasn’t the big kick-starter it could have been…………You’ll notice on the above link that he practically quit the theatre after Bond.

    Yes maybe, but I couldn't see him as a Gable/Harrison type actor. He simply wasn't 'beefcake' enough to match them, for a start.

    And I'm sure if he had been offered any Harrison Ford role he would have accepted it ahead of some of the stuff he eventually took.

    No, I don't think Dalton was ever going to be a cinematic heavy weight. I agree he found his true calling as a theatre star. I'm surprised he pulled the plug on that as soon as he did, but I imagine constant theatre work would have more of a toll on an actor's mind and body than any other medium.

    I actually tried to get tickets for 'His Dark Materials' back in the day, but missed the boat. By the time I realised he was in it his run was over.

    In the theatre I would have preferred to see him out of any of the Bonds. In the cinema I find him the least interesting.

    But, that's just me.



  • zebrafishzebrafish <°)))< in Octopussy's garden in the shade
    Posts: 4,341
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/Ld43kdTrCt44carX8

    https://images.app.goo.gl/aakxuCzEwdsyWswm7

    For my money D'Abo works brilliantly with Dalton.

    On the technical and visual side Glen's films are a bit workaday but he tells a story very well and understands how to weave action into a suspenseful and entertaining narrative. He's a better 'Bond director' than Campbell IMO.

    I love the idea that they were going for the Natassja Kinski type (she was "hot" around 1984), but "Some Kind of Hero" by Field and Chowdhury researched how d'Abo got the role: d'Abo had participated in a never-completed film that some people at United Artists had seen and mentioned her to the Broccolis. Then Barbara Broccoli bumped into her by chance and she got the audition call.
  • Posts: 4,408
    NicNac wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »

    Getafix wrote: »
    Dammit all these posts are making me weep for all the Dalton movies we never got.

    Dalton has such a marvellous profile. The photo below is very evocative of the classic Hitchcock stories. It's a shame that audiences weren't ready for a more serious and sombre Bond in the 80's. Tim could have been a movie star.

    I think if Tim was going to be a big movie star he would have nailed it before he did Bond. He had done the groundwork in the early 70s, then seemed to disappear off the radar, settling for support roles thereon in. He was playing support to Mae West for heavens sake.
    The leg up of two Bond films didn't seem to help any.

    @NicNac I‘m going to disagree there.

    Dalton actively eschewed the screen. He’s given numerous interviews where he spoke of the theatre being his preferred medium. He’s said he’s often taken supporting roles in film or TV purely if it paid well enough. I saw an interview where he said you can't live off the theatre salary and you need to take screen work as it’s short and pays well. Then he’s free to return to the theatre.

    Look at Dalton’s CV on Wikipedia, you’ll see that in the 70’s and 80’s he rarely took screen work. Meanwhile, he’d do between 3 to 4 plays a year:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dalton_on_stage_and_screen

    Dalton had all the credentials of a leading man. He was essentially ‘Clarke Gable meets Harrison Ford’. I guess he probably didn’t want that and Bond wasn’t the big kick-starter it could have been…………You’ll notice on the above link that he practically quit the theatre after Bond.

    Yes maybe, but I couldn't see him as a Gable/Harrison type actor. He simply wasn't 'beefcake' enough to match them, for a start.

    And I'm sure if he had been offered any Harrison Ford role he would have accepted it ahead of some of the stuff he eventually took.

    No, I don't think Dalton was ever going to be a cinematic heavy weight. I agree he found his true calling as a theatre star. I'm surprised he pulled the plug on that as soon as he did, but I imagine constant theatre work would have more of a toll on an actor's mind and body than any other medium.

    I actually tried to get tickets for 'His Dark Materials' back in the day, but missed the boat. By the time I realised he was in it his run was over.

    In the theatre I would have preferred to see him out of any of the Bonds. In the cinema I find him the least interesting.

    But, that's just me.



    Dalton is a captivating screen presence. He's got such a great intensity.

    His Bond is tougher and more assertive. He’s commanding and unpredictable. There is a cruel and callous streak running through him. Consider the Koskov extraction scene, or the hotel room confrontation with Pushkin (my personal favourite). These sequences show a slightly more edgy and provocative interpretation to the character.

    The commitment and seriousness that Dalton imbues within Bond makes these moments conniving. He is able to perfectly channel the jaded spy that Fleming so aptly wrote about. I particularly enjoyed the mild notes of anger and insubordination he brings to the character.

    Moreover, one of the great appeals of Dalton was his great ability to channel the main ingredients requisite of a Byronic hero. Whilst being alluringly dark, mysterious, and moody; Dalton also bought a thoughtfulness to the character.

    He's the epitome of terrific casting in my opinion. His slightly harder interpretation is perhaps at odds with Glen's direction.

    he can do the classic iconic Bond scenes:

    The-Living-Daylights-Chalk-Stripe-Suit-3.jpg

    The-Living-Daylights-Grey-Herringbone-Suit.jpg

    He can do moody and intense - I mean look at those eyes!:

    The-Living-Daylights-Gun-Club-Check-Jacket-2.jpg

    Still absolutely love this shot - brilliant twist on the iconic image:

    Blouson1.png
  • Posts: 6,709
    Now, that's Bond!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    zebrafish wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/Ld43kdTrCt44carX8

    https://images.app.goo.gl/aakxuCzEwdsyWswm7

    For my money D'Abo works brilliantly with Dalton.

    On the technical and visual side Glen's films are a bit workaday but he tells a story very well and understands how to weave action into a suspenseful and entertaining narrative. He's a better 'Bond director' than Campbell IMO.

    I love the idea that they were going for the Natassja Kinski type (she was "hot" around 1984), but "Some Kind of Hero" by Field and Chowdhury researched how d'Abo got the role: d'Abo had participated in a never-completed film that some people at United Artists had seen and mentioned her to the Broccolis. Then Barbara Broccoli bumped into her by chance and she got the audition call.

    Wasn t she first used for the Bond screen tests? I heard somewhere, may have been the "Inside The Living Daylights" doc, that she was so good they decided to cast her as the main girl.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    zebrafish wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/Ld43kdTrCt44carX8

    https://images.app.goo.gl/aakxuCzEwdsyWswm7

    For my money D'Abo works brilliantly with Dalton.

    On the technical and visual side Glen's films are a bit workaday but he tells a story very well and understands how to weave action into a suspenseful and entertaining narrative. He's a better 'Bond director' than Campbell IMO.

    I love the idea that they were going for the Natassja Kinski type (she was "hot" around 1984), but "Some Kind of Hero" by Field and Chowdhury researched how d'Abo got the role: d'Abo had participated in a never-completed film that some people at United Artists had seen and mentioned her to the Broccolis. Then Barbara Broccoli bumped into her by chance and she got the audition call.

    Wasn t she first used for the Bond screen tests? I heard somewhere, may have been the "Inside The Living Daylights" doc, that she was so good they decided to cast her as the main girl.

    That's what I always thought. She was brought in to do the screen test with different potential Bond actors, and ended up getting the lead female role.
  • Posts: 7,414
    Univex wrote: »
    Now, that's Bond!

    +1
  • PrinceKamalKhanPrinceKamalKhan Monsoon Palace, Udaipur
    Posts: 3,262
    NicNac wrote: »
    zebrafish wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/Ld43kdTrCt44carX8

    https://images.app.goo.gl/aakxuCzEwdsyWswm7

    For my money D'Abo works brilliantly with Dalton.

    On the technical and visual side Glen's films are a bit workaday but he tells a story very well and understands how to weave action into a suspenseful and entertaining narrative. He's a better 'Bond director' than Campbell IMO.

    I love the idea that they were going for the Natassja Kinski type (she was "hot" around 1984), but "Some Kind of Hero" by Field and Chowdhury researched how d'Abo got the role: d'Abo had participated in a never-completed film that some people at United Artists had seen and mentioned her to the Broccolis. Then Barbara Broccoli bumped into her by chance and she got the audition call.

    Wasn t she first used for the Bond screen tests? I heard somewhere, may have been the "Inside The Living Daylights" doc, that she was so good they decided to cast her as the main girl.

    That's what I always thought. She was brought in to do the screen test with different potential Bond actors, and ended up getting the lead female role.

    That's right. She played Tatiana Romanova in screen tests with the prospective Bond actors.
  • mattjoesmattjoes Julie T. and the M.G.'s
    Posts: 7,021
    NicNac wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »

    Getafix wrote: »
    Dammit all these posts are making me weep for all the Dalton movies we never got.

    Dalton has such a marvellous profile. The photo below is very evocative of the classic Hitchcock stories. It's a shame that audiences weren't ready for a more serious and sombre Bond in the 80's. Tim could have been a movie star.

    I think if Tim was going to be a big movie star he would have nailed it before he did Bond. He had done the groundwork in the early 70s, then seemed to disappear off the radar, settling for support roles thereon in. He was playing support to Mae West for heavens sake.
    The leg up of two Bond films didn't seem to help any.

    @NicNac I‘m going to disagree there.

    Dalton actively eschewed the screen. He’s given numerous interviews where he spoke of the theatre being his preferred medium. He’s said he’s often taken supporting roles in film or TV purely if it paid well enough. I saw an interview where he said you can't live off the theatre salary and you need to take screen work as it’s short and pays well. Then he’s free to return to the theatre.

    Look at Dalton’s CV on Wikipedia, you’ll see that in the 70’s and 80’s he rarely took screen work. Meanwhile, he’d do between 3 to 4 plays a year:
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Dalton_on_stage_and_screen

    Dalton had all the credentials of a leading man. He was essentially ‘Clarke Gable meets Harrison Ford’. I guess he probably didn’t want that and Bond wasn’t the big kick-starter it could have been…………You’ll notice on the above link that he practically quit the theatre after Bond.

    Yes maybe, but I couldn't see him as a Gable/Harrison type actor. He simply wasn't 'beefcake' enough to match them, for a start.

    And I'm sure if he had been offered any Harrison Ford role he would have accepted it ahead of some of the stuff he eventually took.

    No, I don't think Dalton was ever going to be a cinematic heavy weight. I agree he found his true calling as a theatre star. I'm surprised he pulled the plug on that as soon as he did, but I imagine constant theatre work would have more of a toll on an actor's mind and body than any other medium.

    I actually tried to get tickets for 'His Dark Materials' back in the day, but missed the boat. By the time I realised he was in it his run was over.

    In the theatre I would have preferred to see him out of any of the Bonds. In the cinema I find him the least interesting.

    But, that's just me.



    Dalton is a captivating screen presence. He's got such a great intensity.

    His Bond is tougher and more assertive. He’s commanding and unpredictable. There is a cruel and callous streak running through him. Consider the Koskov extraction scene, or the hotel room confrontation with Pushkin (my personal favourite). These sequences show a slightly more edgy and provocative interpretation to the character.

    The commitment and seriousness that Dalton imbues within Bond makes these moments conniving. He is able to perfectly channel the jaded spy that Fleming so aptly wrote about. I particularly enjoyed the mild notes of anger and insubordination he brings to the character.

    Moreover, one of the great appeals of Dalton was his great ability to channel the main ingredients requisite of a Byronic hero. Whilst being alluringly dark, mysterious, and moody; Dalton also bought a thoughtfulness to the character.

    He's the epitome of terrific casting in my opinion. His slightly harder interpretation is perhaps at odds with Glen's direction.

    he can do the classic iconic Bond scenes:

    The-Living-Daylights-Chalk-Stripe-Suit-3.jpg

    The-Living-Daylights-Grey-Herringbone-Suit.jpg

    He can do moody and intense - I mean look at those eyes!:

    The-Living-Daylights-Gun-Club-Check-Jacket-2.jpg

    Still absolutely love this shot - brilliant twist on the iconic image:

    Blouson1.png

    In full agreement here. Dalton's Bond has an intelligence and resourcefulness peppered with small touches of all too human weakness-- anger, jadedness, occasional fear. That makes him very appealing and relatable in and of itself, but the core aspect that makes him compelling for me is that thoughtfulness you mention. There is a warmth to him that, beneath the cool, controlled exterior, hints at a disillusionment in him, but one born out of good qualities-- passion, commitment, a search for some kind of truth. There is an inherent decency in him, imperfect as it might be.
  • edited May 2019 Posts: 11,425
    Basically he conveys as much complexity and depth in a single scene as some of the other actors managed in their entire run.
  • Posts: 4,408
    NicNac wrote: »
    zebrafish wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    D'Abo was not very well known at all I don't think. My suspicion has always been that they wanted someone like Natasha Kinski (who was huge at the time) and D'Abo had a bit of that look.

    https://images.app.goo.gl/Ld43kdTrCt44carX8

    https://images.app.goo.gl/aakxuCzEwdsyWswm7

    For my money D'Abo works brilliantly with Dalton.

    On the technical and visual side Glen's films are a bit workaday but he tells a story very well and understands how to weave action into a suspenseful and entertaining narrative. He's a better 'Bond director' than Campbell IMO.

    I love the idea that they were going for the Natassja Kinski type (she was "hot" around 1984), but "Some Kind of Hero" by Field and Chowdhury researched how d'Abo got the role: d'Abo had participated in a never-completed film that some people at United Artists had seen and mentioned her to the Broccolis. Then Barbara Broccoli bumped into her by chance and she got the audition call.

    Wasn t she first used for the Bond screen tests? I heard somewhere, may have been the "Inside The Living Daylights" doc, that she was so good they decided to cast her as the main girl.

    That's what I always thought. She was brought in to do the screen test with different potential Bond actors, and ended up getting the lead female role.

    That's right. She played Tatiana Romanova in screen tests with the prospective Bond actors.

    If you watch the TLD making-of documentary, you’ll see a brief clip of the screentest. Honestly, it’s hideous. Her performance in that brief moment is cringeworthy.

    Maryam was a cool edgy girl, but she wasn’t much of an actress and was a little lost in the part of Kara. Though there are some brief flashes of a good performance.

    I think she fit the style of the times. She’s quite evocative of Princess Diana………….

    64b3e2aa83e72f147f53822cbfeb9735.jpg

    actors-maryam-dabo-timothy-dalton-and-caroline-bliss-attend-a-for-picture-id175576502?s=612x612

    8533a2e3d0cba17339be89fa6aa2bc9a.jpg

    Personally, I think she has aged very well…….

    3519EF4200000578-3634194-Flashback_Former_Bond_girl_Maryam_D_Abo_who_starred_in_1987_Bond-a-308_1465514586035.jpg
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,216
    Kara's one of my least favourite Bond girls. TLD is a top tier film in spite of her, though.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    As others have said, though, she has great chemistry with Dalton, which makes them a sweet and believable couple (there are a ton of behind the scenes photos of the two of them giggling together like good buddies).
  • Posts: 11,425
    Kara is one of the best Bond girls. Her chemistry with Dalton makes this the first believable relationship since Bond and Tracy.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Getafix wrote: »
    Kara is one of the best Bond girls. Her chemistry with Dalton makes this the first believable relationship since Bond and Tracy.

    Meh.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,566
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Meh.
    (Maryam's extremely hot)
  • Major_BoothroydMajor_Boothroyd Republic of Isthmus
    edited May 2019 Posts: 2,722
    Getafix wrote: »
    Basically he conveys as much complexity and depth in a single scene as some of the other actors managed in their entire run.

    This is one of the reasons his films are so highly rewatchable for me. His work in TLD is especially impressive considering its his debut. His performance is assured and the way he conveys his emotions in the scene with Pushkin or the way he quietly oscillates in his attitude with Kara immediately after Saunders' death are worth watching again and again. I love the clarity of vision in his Bond portrayal.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited May 2019 Posts: 7,110
    Both Dalton’s Bond girls join Tracy and Vesper at the top of my Bond girl pyramid. Kara is extremely likeable and like the best Bond girls and unlike the most of them, she actually has a story arc.

    Also, ‘strong’ female co-stars like Anya grow weaker and weaker as their movies go along. Kara on the other hand starts out not quite knowing what goes on, but she ends up rescuing Bond at the Soviet airport. Unlike so many others she becomes more competent as the movie progresses.
  • Posts: 16,153
    Getafix wrote: »
    Kara is one of the best Bond girls. Her chemistry with Dalton makes this the first believable relationship since Bond and Tracy.

    She's easily in my top 5 favorite leading Bond girls.
    QBranch wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Meh.
    (Maryam's extremely hot)

    Indeed.
  • Posts: 7,507
    - "The violin scenes"
    - "Escaped in the violin´s case"

    Oh dear god... 8-|
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,216
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Getafix wrote: »
    Kara is one of the best Bond girls. Her chemistry with Dalton makes this the first believable relationship since Bond and Tracy.

    Meh.

    Meh, +1

    Dalton makes their scenes work but D'Abo has always been extremely weak, imo.
    QBranch wrote: »
    barryt007 wrote: »
    Meh.
    (Maryam's extremely hot)

    This cannot be argued against. A very good looking woman.
  • Agent_99Agent_99 enjoys a spirited ride as much as the next girl
    Posts: 3,176
    Hm? Sorry, I was picturing @GoldenGun's Bond girl pyramid.
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