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Tell us all about your BONDATHON

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  • BennyBenny Shaken not stirredAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 15,138
    chrisisall wrote: »
    DN is an under appreciated all time classic.

    I don't think DN is under appreciated. I certainly don't recall seeing anyone rank it at the bottom of their Bond ranking.

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,800
    Benny wrote: »
    I don't think DN is under appreciated. I certainly don't recall seeing anyone rank it at the bottom of their Bond ranking.
    I just mean I don't see it in as many top tens or fives as I believe it should be.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Just finished THUNDERBALL. What a ride. It's like somebody took Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger and put them in a blender. This is my favorite Connery Bond film. It's got all the right ingredients. The underwater finale might be a bit too long but that doesn't take away from the film. Also, In my Bondathon, I've been watching all the films on my laptop so I can get a good listen on everything. This is the first of Connery's Bond films to get a new sound mix. Mostly in weapons but some mechanical devices as well as Bond's infrared camera have been given more modern and better sounding sound effects. Tomorrow I shall continue with YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER to conclude Sean Connery's run of my Bondathon.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING
    Thunderball
    Dr. No
    From Russia With Love
    Goldfinger
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    @Birdleson, I've always liked Thunderball but this viewing was just so much fun. :-bd
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    edited July 2015 Posts: 3,157
    Watched The Man with the Golden Gun last night. To be honest I don't understand why it is generally regarded as one of the worst.
    I had never noticed that the character who wants to murder Scaramanga in the PTS is the same character who had appeared in Diamonds are Forever.
    Something which made me confused is why is Anders so reticent after the shower scene if it was her who asked for Bond's help in the first place? I understand she's scared, but she doesn't seem so willing to help Bond until he slaps her.

    Ranking:
    1. OHMSS
    2. FRWL
    3. DN
    4. TMWTGG
    5. GF
    6. TB
    7. LALD
    8. CR '54
    9. YOLT
    10. CR '67
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,399
    Walecs wrote: »
    Watched The Man with the Golden Gun last night. To be honest I don't understand why it is generally regarded as one of the worst.
    I had never noticed that the character who wants to murder Scaramanga in the PTS is the same character who had appeared in Diamonds are Forever.
    Something which made me confused is why is Anders so reticent after the shower scene if it was her who asked for Bond's help in the first place? I understand she's scared, but she doesn't seem so willing to help Bond until he slaps her.

    Ranking:
    1. OHMSS
    2. FRWL
    3. DR
    4. TMWTGG
    5. GF
    6. TB
    7. LALD
    8. CR '54
    9. YOLT
    10. CR '67

    Yes, why is The Man with the Golden Gun regarded as the bottom of the Bond barrel by so many? I mean OK, The kung fu interlude is pointless, as is the Solex macguffin. But it has a lot going for it, too.
  • SharkySharky
    Posts: 266
    There are a few reasons why I have TMWTGG in my bottom five: you can tell it was a rushed effort to cash in on the popularity of LALD, I don't think they really knew how to handle Moore's bond yet and some of his scene's come across forced. The set pieces aren't that spectacular compared to it's predecessor and what should be the best stunt of the film (could've been one of the best of the series) is shit on but a stupid sound effect. I'm not too keen on Goodnight as a character and there are a few scenes that grate on me like when Hip and his niece's turn up to do a bit of Kung Fu and supposedly save Bond for them to suddenly drive off without Bond with no explanation just so we can get a little boat chase in as well. And M popping up on Scaramanga's personal phone on his boat at the end for a laugh (I suppose it prepared us for what was to come in Moore's era). I'm one of the people who actually liked Sherriff Pepper in LALD but his appearance is so shoe horned in this film that it don't make sense (buying a car whilst on holiday) and I think it also ruins what should be one of the best bits of action in the film.

    Saying that though I still like the film and think Christopher Lee and Maud Adams are superb and I also like Herve Villichez. The scene between Bond and Lazar is brilliant with a great line and I like the meeting between Bond and Scaramanga at the kick boxing when Andrea is killed.

    I think there are just too many things that grate on me and they outweigh the positives, it is not my least favourite by far but it does come in 5th from bottom.

  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,399
    Sharky wrote: »
    There are a few reasons why I have TMWTGG in my bottom five: you can tell it was a rushed effort to cash in on the popularity of LALD, I don't think they really knew how to handle Moore's bond yet and some of his scene's come across forced. The set pieces aren't that spectacular compared to it's predecessor and what should be the best stunt of the film (could've been one of the best of the series) is shit on but a stupid sound effect. I'm not too keen on Goodnight as a character and there are a few scenes that grate on me like when Hip and his niece's turn up to do a bit of Kung Fu and supposedly save Bond for them to suddenly drive off without Bond with no explanation just so we can get a little boat chase in as well. And M popping up on Scaramanga's personal phone on his boat at the end for a laugh (I suppose it prepared us for what was to come in Moore's era). I'm one of the people who actually liked Sherriff Pepper in LALD but his appearance is so shoe horned in this film that it don't make sense (buying a car whilst on holiday) and I think it also ruins what should be one of the best bits of action in the film.

    Saying that though I still like the film and think Christopher Lee and Maud Adams are superb and I also like Herve Villichez. The scene between Bond and Lazar is brilliant with a great line and I like the meeting between Bond and Scaramanga at the kick boxing when Andrea is killed.

    I think there are just too many things that grate on me and they outweigh the positives, it is not my least favourite by far but it does come in 5th from bottom.

    LALD was popular?
  • SharkySharky
    Posts: 266
    Yep, the audience's definitely took to Rog and LALD, I agree with Birdleson, deservedly so. I believe it was the most successful since TB at the time of it's release in 73, I may be wrong on that.

    The Box office was not great for TMWTGG though.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    LALD was popular?

    Yes. It was the most successful Bond since TB in global Box office at the time.

    I'm a huge fan of TMWTGG. Sure, it has the silly moments, but that doesn't ruin the film for me, because I feel Moore is at the top of his game in this one & it's quite eccentric & atmospheric. I'd have a similar high opinion of DAF (also a film with silly bits) if Connery were just a little lighter with a better toupee. So I don't mind silliness in moderation.

    @Birdleson, TWINE is at the absolute bottom of my list. It's the one Bond film that I honestly have a lot of trouble watching without cringing (maybe AVTAK as well, due to it being such a poor sendoff for Moore & the obvious budget cuts/lack of ambition).
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited June 2015 Posts: 8,399
    bondjames wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    LALD was popular?

    Yes. It was the most successful Bond since TB in global Box office at the time.

    I'm a huge fan of TMWTGG. Sure, it has the silly moments, but that doesn't ruin the film for me, because I feel Moore is at the top of his game in this one & it's quite eccentric & atmospheric. I'd have a similar high opinion of DAF (also a film with silly bits) if Connery were just a little lighter with a better toupee. So I don't mind silliness in moderation.

    @Birdleson, TWINE is at the absolute bottom of my list. It's the one Bond film that I honestly have a lot of trouble watching without cringing (maybe AVTAK as well, due to it being such a poor sendoff for Moore & the obvious budget cuts/lack of ambition).

    What about Moonraker? Can you put up with the campiness and just enjoy the ride or do you find the cheese a bit too strong? I only ask because I recently revisited MR after years of loathing it and found it to be highly enjoyable this time around. It's great when you find yourself embracing the fantasy elements and the slapstick that previously had you rolling your eyes. Even if Moore doesn't give his best performances in TSWLM and MR, they are the two films that I most associate with his style of Bond. Big, Bloated Fantasy Romps. You really feel like anything can happen in this world and that's half the fun. All the elements come together to create a huge cinematic spectacle. Yes, I had a lot of fun with Moonraker on my last viewing...
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited June 2015 Posts: 23,883
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    LALD was popular?

    Yes. It was the most successful Bond since TB in global Box office at the time.

    I'm a huge fan of TMWTGG. Sure, it has the silly moments, but that doesn't ruin the film for me, because I feel Moore is at the top of his game in this one & it's quite eccentric & atmospheric. I'd have a similar high opinion of DAF (also a film with silly bits) if Connery were just a little lighter with a better toupee. So I don't mind silliness in moderation.

    @Birdleson, TWINE is at the absolute bottom of my list. It's the one Bond film that I honestly have a lot of trouble watching without cringing (maybe AVTAK as well, due to it being such a poor sendoff for Moore & the obvious budget cuts/lack of ambition).

    What about Moonraker? Can you put up with the campiness and just enjoy the ride or do you find the cheese a bit too strong? I only ask because I recently revisited MR after years of loathing it and found it to be highly enjoyable this time around. It's great when you find yourself embracing the fantasy elements and the slapstick that previously had you rolling your eyes. Even if Moore doesn't give his best performances in TSWLM and MR, they are the two films that I most associate with his style of Bond. Big, Bloated Fantasy Romps. You really feel like anything can happen in this world and that's half the fun. All the elements come together to create a huge cinematic spectacle. Yes, I had a lot of fun with Moonraker on my last viewing...

    I do enjoy MR, but far less than I did when younger. It's still a great fantasy Bond as it will always be for me (probably the most outlandish one they ever did) but I just find many of the action sequences annoying only because of the way they end them, eg. (pretitles Jaws laugh, gondola gadget laugh, speedboat falls laugh, python pen attack laugh etc. etc.). If they had just ended those action sequences more seriously, and kept Jaws dangerous, I'd easily have it as a top 10 film.

    When they go serious, like the museum Chang fight, simulator, space factory poison death, or Corinne death, it's as good as it gets. Drax is an awesome villain with great lines too & Barry's score is truly sublime. That's why it's such an frustrating film for me, because it's so close to being brilliant but falls short.

    I'm 100% in agreement with you about Moore though. No one comes close to doing the bloated fantasy romp as well as he did. He 100% sold the unflappable Bond and that's why he was so successful with those kinds of films (eg. OP, MR & his best imho, TSWLM).
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    edited June 2015 Posts: 8,399
    bondjames wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    Mendes4Lyfe wrote: »
    LALD was popular?

    Yes. It was the most successful Bond since TB in global Box office at the time.

    I'm a huge fan of TMWTGG. Sure, it has the silly moments, but that doesn't ruin the film for me, because I feel Moore is at the top of his game in this one & it's quite eccentric & atmospheric. I'd have a similar high opinion of DAF (also a film with silly bits) if Connery were just a little lighter with a better toupee. So I don't mind silliness in moderation.

    @Birdleson, TWINE is at the absolute bottom of my list. It's the one Bond film that I honestly have a lot of trouble watching without cringing (maybe AVTAK as well, due to it being such a poor sendoff for Moore & the obvious budget cuts/lack of ambition).

    What about Moonraker? Can you put up with the campiness and just enjoy the ride or do you find the cheese a bit too strong? I only ask because I recently revisited MR after years of loathing it and found it to be highly enjoyable this time around. It's great when you find yourself embracing the fantasy elements and the slapstick that previously had you rolling your eyes. Even if Moore doesn't give his best performances in TSWLM and MR, they are the two films that I most associate with his style of Bond. Big, Bloated Fantasy Romps. You really feel like anything can happen in this world and that's half the fun. All the elements come together to create a huge cinematic spectacle. Yes, I had a lot of fun with Moonraker on my last viewing...

    I do enjoy MR, but far less than I did when younger. It's still a great fantasy Bond as it will always be for me (probably the most outlandish one they ever did) but I just find many of the action sequences annoying only because of the way they end them, eg. (pretitles Jaws laugh, gondola gadget laugh, speedboat falls laugh, python pen attack laugh etc. etc.). If they had just ended those action sequences more seriously, and kept Jaws dangerous, I'd easily have it as a top 10 film.

    When they go serious, like the museum Chang fight, simulator, space factory poison death, or Corinne death, it's as good as it gets. Drax is an awesome villain with great lines too & Barry's score is truly sublime. That's why it's such an frustrating film for me, because it's so close to being brilliant but falls short.

    I'm 100% in agreement with you about Moore though. No one comes close to doing the bloated fantasy romp as well as he did. He 100% sold the unflappable Bond and that's why he was so successful with those kinds of films (eg. OP, MR & his best imho, TSWLM).

    Yes, I think Jaws represents the monster from a horror film and should be played straight, not for laughs. That being said, I think the Comedy moments with jaws in TSWLM are just about acceptable, like dropping the stone on his foot. It's something you aren't expecting and is over in a second, not too degrading to the character as a whole and also quite funny and inventive. The final fight between Bond and Jaws (TSWLM) is quite underwhelming because Jaws is too slow and lumbering, Bond can just jog away from him, but I like the idea of Jaws vs Jaws the shark.

    The biggest reason I am excited for SPECTRE is to see a return of the larger than life, epic tone of those middle Moore movies. From what we can see, the globetrotting is certainly making a return and also perhaps some gadgets. I only hope they can get the balance right like with Moonraker. I also hope it won't be too long before we get another army vs army fight. It's been so long since had one of those, It almost feels as though it's one elements of the bond films that's been forgotten about.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Moonraker is an odd one. Remembered primarily for the silliness, it still had a few of the series most suspenseful moments. The simulator, the dog attack on Corinne, the gassing of the scientists and a few other scenes where Bond is sneaking about in the dark - it's really impressive on one level.

  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Are there people who will organize a Bondathon like this one :-P? To prepare for "SPECTRE"?



    I'm not sure if I could do THIS, but I will be organizing something hehe.
  • WalecsWalecs On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Posts: 3,157
    Also, I forgot to say, I really loved the dining scene with Goodnight. It shows a human Bond opening himself to his secretary and despising the lack of a normal life and the impossibility to have time to appreciate it.
    Granted, Bond's main goal was Goodnight's love, but it still was a wonderful example that Bond is not a killing machine but a human.
    Gustav_Graves wrote: »
    Are there people who will organize a Bondathon like this one :-P? To prepare for "SPECTRE"?



    I'm not sure if I could do THIS, but I will be organizing something hehe.

    If I had friends who like Bond, I would do it. But, alas, none of my (few) friends do.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Just finished YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. This viewing was an absolute chore this time around. Though my opinions on it have been getting lower on it with each viewing. The film while competently made is an absolute mess. The story structure is all over the place and things just happen. It doesn't flow well at all. The outer space plot is so painfully uninspired and boring. I just didn't care at all. The film feels like a more over blown remake of From Russia With Love. This is where things start to unravel. Tomorrow I shall continue with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER and ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    Thunderball
    Dr. No
    From Russia With Love
    Goldfinger
    You Only Live Twice
  • Gustav_GravesGustav_Graves
    Posts: 11,119
    Gustav_Graves wrote: »
    Are there people who will organize a Bondathon like this one :-P? To prepare for "SPECTRE"?



    I'm not sure if I could do THIS, but I will be organizing something hehe.

    Any more people who like to organize a bondathon like this?
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    I've been doing my own little Bondathon in the run up to Spectre. I like to watch them from start to finish. Currently, I've watched the first 8. I'd do a ranking right now but I'm rating them as I go along and will post my ranking in tbd appropriate thread.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    edited June 2015 Posts: 7,582
    In viewing order..

    The World Is Not Enough
    The Spy Who Loved Me
    Dr No
    Octopussy
    You Only Live Twice
    Casino Royale
    Moonraker
    The Living Daylights
    Die Another Day
    From Russia With Love
    For Your Eyes Only
    Diamonds Are Forever
    A View To A Kill
    Quantum Of Solace
    Thunderball
    GoldenEye
    The Man With The Golden Gun
    Goldfinger
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Live And Let Die
    _______________________________________________________________________

    So Roger Moore debuts in this popular entry in the series. Likeable if slightly hollow feeling film. However for the first time ever I think I prefer Golden Gun to this one. Never thought I'd say that!

    Next up -Licence To Kill

  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    If it wasn't for the middle third-ish of Golden Gun, I would agree with you @NicNac
  • eddychaputeddychaput Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 364
    Birdleson wrote: »
    So I have closed out the Brosnan reign with DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002). Of course I love the first half an hour, but I found that I actually can dig over the first half if I can ignore the repartee between Bond and Jinx, Jinx's horrible dive (what a slap in the face this is to all of the fans who have watched real, incredible air and sea stunts in Bond films over the decades) and Madonna's obnoxious cameo. There is so much there that to make this the worthy fortieth anniversary of the film franchise that EON intended. BUt, like with all of the films from this era, they chickened out and went for the standard and bankable cacophony for the finale. What a disappointment.

    I hear ya. I honestly think the first 30-40 minutes of DAD are perfectly fine, at least enough to catch my attention and have me intrigued for what might happen next. Then…oh boy...
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I've just concluded the Connery era in my Bondathon with DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER which in this viewing my opinion of the film has gone up considerably. It wasn't slow or dragged for me at all. I wasn't even bored. The story like YOLT isn't particularly engaging and it's a shame it wasn't a proper follow up to OHMSS Which I shall be watching next. I watched the two out of sync because it is my personal opinion that DAF was made to be a sequel to YOLT to sweep OHMSS under the rug but I've gone into that theory in detail before so I won't get back into it here unless asked. But yes, I enjoyed DAF.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    Thunderball
    Dr. No
    From Russia With Love
    Goldfinger
    Diamonds are Forever
    You Only Live Twice
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,800
    Murdock wrote: »
    But yes, I enjoyed DAF.
    Like DAD it's nonsense but it's grand fun!

  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    chrisisall wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    But yes, I enjoyed DAF.
    Like DAD it's nonsense but it's grand fun!

    I wouldn't say DAF is complete nonsense. I think like many of the not so popular to hated Bond films then to have strong first acts but fall apart later on. Diamonds did have an interesting setup but once Blofeld was revealed to be pulling the strings and a doomsday laser was added, that's where the film falls apart. But if YOLT can have a Space ship "eat" other ships then it's not that outrageous after all. :P
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Just finished OHMSS and I really really loved it this viewing. It's aged very well and is one of the best Bond films. Everything about this film is just awesome, Everybody puts in a 200% effort. Even Lazenby did good for a one timer. My only problem with the film was him being dubbed, but that doesn't effect the movie for me. For the first time the film's ending brought me to tears. It's a shame DAF wasn't a proper follow up to this.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    From Russia With Love.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    You Only Live Twice.

    Now onto the Moore era.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    @Birdleson, I can't wait to find out. :D
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Thought I'd triple dip tonight and watch Live and Let Die. I've always had a soft spot for Moore's Bond as I'd tend to watch his films when I was a lot younger. I had a blast. A great fun romp with an interesting plot. The film is very atmospheric and different from your typical Bond movie. Like Dr. No it has a very pulpy feel to it. (Probably because both films were filmed in Jamaica.) It's going to be hard to place this one as I love it very much.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    Live and Let Die.
    From Russia With Love.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    You Only Live Twice.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I just finished The Man With The Golden Gun. Fortunately it wasn't that bad this time around. It certainly isn't very good though. It didn't bore me like YOLT did but it's so called "humor" made me roll my eyes at every step. This film's saving graces are Sir Roger Moore, Sir Christoper Lee and Maud Adam's performances. They were the best parts of the film. It's a shame Goodnight wasn't killed instead of Anders, that would cement a top five for me. :))

    Jokes aside, for me it's hard to place, but because it wasn't as boring as YOLT it gets saved from being put at the very bottom, but that's not saying much.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    Live and Let Die.
    From Russia With Love.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    The Man With The Golden Gun.
    You Only Live Twice.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,800
    Fourth of July weekend and my family's visiting relatives--
    which means...
    miniBONDATHON!!

    TLD & LTK starting NOW.
    TND & another Brosnan tomorrow!
    YAHOO!!
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