Tell us all about your BONDATHON

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  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited January 2016 Posts: 15,718
    @Birdleson YOLT!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @Birdleson, knowing how you feel about it and with how much I enjoyed it this past time I watched it, I have to recommend GF, or my personal favorite, DN.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Thanks, @Creasy47 , but I'm going with @DaltonCraig007 , as he was first. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE it is.

    Fair enough! At least you'll get around to those others shortly. Are you planning on seeing them all this weekend, or just a few of them?
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    edited January 2016 Posts: 5,080
    Decided to start up my first Bondathon of 2016, starting with GOLDENEYE. This time, I won't be watching them in order but will be watching whichever film I fancy then and there. I had a hankering to watch a Brosnan entry, and decided on GOLDENEYE (it was between that or TND).

    Thoughts in brief-

    During my previous Bondathon, GOLDENEYE fell greatly in my estimation, falling from my top ten into the middle of the pack. Although I enjoyed it alot more this time around, I don't think it will manage to break the top ten again. There's a great deal to enjoy in this film, from the suberb trio of villains, Natalya Simonova to some genuinely impressive set pieces. However, I do think some of the action scenes go on bit too long and end up being a little dull (tank chase, finale in Cuba). Still, solid entry.

    The good-
    -PTS stunt
    -Title track & credits
    -Car race after credits (the soundtrack has also grown on me)
    -Solid performance from Brosnan (although, a bit action man at times)
    -Villains and leading lady
    -"muffy", "do you do any gardening?"
    -Xenia and the admiral
    -"WAKE UP!"
    -Judi Dench as M
    -Q scene
    -Bond and Natalya escaping from Armoured train
    -stealing the goldeneye
    -Bond vs Alec

    The bad-
    -some dodgy and dated effects/visuals
    -the out-of-nowhere beach scene
    -latter half of tank chase


  • Posts: 4,325
    Decided to start up my first Bondathon of 2016, starting with GOLDENEYE. This time, I won't be watching them in order but will be watching whichever film I fancy then and there. I had a hankering to watch a Brosnan entry, and decided on GOLDENEYE (it was between that or TND).

    Thoughts in brief-

    During my previous Bondathon, GOLDENEYE fell greatly in my estimation, falling from my top ten into the middle of the pack. Although I enjoyed it alot more this time around, I don't think it will manage to break the top ten again. There's a great deal to enjoy in this film, from the suberb trio of villains, Natalya Simonova to some genuinely impressive set pieces. However, I do think some of the action scenes go on bit too long and end up being a little dull (tank chase, finale in Cuba). Still, solid entry.

    The good-
    -PTS stunt
    -Title track & credits
    -Car race after credits (the soundtrack has also grown on me)
    -Solid performance from Brosnan (although, a bit action man at times)
    -Villains and leading lady
    -"muffy", "do you do any gardening?"
    -Xenia and the admiral
    -"WAKE UP!"
    -Judi Dench as M
    -Q scene
    -Bond and Natalya escaping from Armoured train
    -stealing the goldeneye
    -Bond vs Alec

    The bad-
    -some dodgy and dated effects/visuals
    -the out-of-nowhere beach scene
    -latter half of tank chase


    I like the beach scene, the dialogue between Bond and Natalya is good, showing Bond and his coldness.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    Decided to start up my first Bondathon of 2016, starting with GOLDENEYE. This time, I won't be watching them in order but will be watching whichever film I fancy then and there. I had a hankering to watch a Brosnan entry, and decided on GOLDENEYE (it was between that or TND).

    Thoughts in brief-

    During my previous Bondathon, GOLDENEYE fell greatly in my estimation, falling from my top ten into the middle of the pack. Although I enjoyed it alot more this time around, I don't think it will manage to break the top ten again. There's a great deal to enjoy in this film, from the suberb trio of villains, Natalya Simonova to some genuinely impressive set pieces. However, I do think some of the action scenes go on bit too long and end up being a little dull (tank chase, finale in Cuba). Still, solid entry.

    The good-
    -PTS stunt
    -Title track & credits
    -Car race after credits (the soundtrack has also grown on me)
    -Solid performance from Brosnan (although, a bit action man at times)
    -Villains and leading lady
    -"muffy", "do you do any gardening?"
    -Xenia and the admiral
    -"WAKE UP!"
    -Judi Dench as M
    -Q scene
    -Bond and Natalya escaping from Armoured train
    -stealing the goldeneye
    -Bond vs Alec

    The bad-
    -some dodgy and dated effects/visuals
    -the out-of-nowhere beach scene
    -latter half of tank chase


    I like the beach scene, the dialogue between Bond and Natalya is good, showing Bond and his coldness.

    I thought it was cheesy as hell, coupled with that awful artificial light.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited January 2016 Posts: 23,883
    Yes that Natalya beach scene is rather uncomfortable, as is the somewhat sap bed scene that follows (even worse in TWINE imho). I think that's why they hardened the sex scene in DAD, because they had taken this sort of stuff too far in the first three Brosnan films. Bond is a hard killer for pete's sake, not some wuss bearing his soul to women.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    DN or GF, @Birdleson. Both will be incredible choices if paired with something else this evening...
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    You can't go wrong with any of those @Birdleson - the gold standard of the Bond films. However, as it's your favorite, I choose Goldfinger.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Birdleson wrote: »
    So, based on the two suggestions above, GOLDFINGER it is! And it will be paired with something else!

    You should pair DN and GF together. Like ye olde double features in the '60's
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    Birdleson wrote: »
    So, based on the two suggestions above, GOLDFINGER it is! And it will be paired with something else!

    That's what I like to hear. That was me just a few days ago and it was an excellent idea, really enjoyed myself. I might have to continue my randomized Bondathon today finally, which will put DAD next. Transitioning from something like GF to a movie like DAD will be tough, that's for sure.

  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Birdleson wrote: »
    royale65 wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    So, based on the two suggestions above, GOLDFINGER it is! And it will be paired with something else!

    You should pair DN and GF together. Like ye olde double features in the '60's

    That's exactly how I first saw them in 1965 or '66. Reverse order though.

    I know :)

  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    That's how I've always been with it: embrace it, enjoy it for the good, and I always have a blast when I see it, even if there is a bit of eye-rolling on my end at times. I love the PTS, the scenes in Cuba, the sword-fight, the ice chase between Bond and Zao, and a few other tidbits sprinkled throughout. If you go into it anticipating the good, you have a much better time with it.

    However, I don't believe I've ever transitioned from GF to DAD, so the bad will stand out even more, I think.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I can't wait for my next Bondathon. I will start it shortly in preparation for the SP blu ray release. I had a total blast last time around, and started with Brosnan, then Moore, then Lazenby, then Connery and finally Craig. With each actor, I did it in the order of my worst film to my best film and it turned out interesting results in my ranking.

    This time, I may find another way to do it - I'd rather not do it chronologically, but I also don't want to see my favourites first, but rather, keep them for last.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @bondjames, that's why I'd like to start and finish mine by the 9th, so I can get through all of them before SP hits blu-ray. However, it's out digitally tomorrow, so I'm sure I'll watch it then, as well.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Yes, @Creasy47, I'm definitely behind schedule. It's ok though because I sometimes buy the blu ray from a video store (after they've gone through their rental cycle and are getting rid of copies on the cheap) or on ebay a few weeks after release to get it for cheaper. I may start it today.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Thanks @Birdleson. I think I'd prefer to group them in some way by 'actor' like I did before, but not do it chronologically or in order of my 'worst' (like I did last time) or 'best' (which is likely to leave me more disappointed than happy. I think I'll just pick a 'random' approach order by actor.

    The reason for wanting to do it by actor is so I can compare the actor's performance more effectively. Last time it really shone light on how their performances changed from film to film. The most consistent actor was definitely Dalton, followed by Craig (but he will no longer be considered as such due to his different style in SP).
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    I'm also gearing up for a Bondathon to coincide with the SP blu-ray. I can't wait to finally give SP a proper ranking!
  • Birdleson wrote: »
    Good luck @pachazo and keep us posted. As instructed, I watched GOLDFINGER last night. Great as always. It's hard for me to see how it's not everyone's favorite. Following suggestions, tonight will be DR. NO.

    Not my favorite, but close. That said, I can understand why some don't love it (but definitely don't agree).
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    edited January 2016 Posts: 4,423
    Right then @Birdleson. I'm planning on doing a Bond-a-thon in order of the novels. I'm going to watch the FYEO anthology (switching The Hildebrand Rarity with Licence to Kill) and TLD/OP short stories, before the Blofeld trilogy, then Golden Gun. Then concluding the Bond-a-thon with SF and SP. All that leaves is the Brosnan films. Any suggestions old boy? (Apart from skip them of course!)


    Novel Film
    CR - CR
    LALD - LALD
    MR - MR
    DAF - DAF
    FRWL - FRWL
    DN - DN
    GF - GF
    FAVTAK - AVTAK
    FYEO - FYEO
    QoS - QoS
    THR - LTK
    OP - OP
    TLD - TLD
    TSWLM - TSWLM
    TB - TB
    OHMSS - OHMSS
    YOLT - YOLT
    TMWTGG - TMWTGG
    - Brosnan Era
    - SF
    - SP

    Or how about linking SP with the stories THR or OP?
  • Posts: 2,341
    The books had the "Blofeld Trilogy" of TB, OHMSS, and YOLT
    I suggest a "Blofeld Quinlogy" of the five he appears in : FRWL, TB, YOLT, OHMSS, and DAF One suggestion

    Or do a Craig marathon of his four films in order, have to wait until next month when SP is released on DVD/Blu-Ray
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Thanks dude. You given me food for thought.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Right then. Here are the runners and riders. Based on the order of the Fleming novels, apart from where bolded.

    CR
    LALD
    MR
    DAD*
    DAF
    FRWL
    DN
    GF
    AVTAK
    FYEO
    QoS
    GE**
    LTK***
    SP****
    OP*****
    TLD
    TSWLM
    TND******
    TB
    OHMSS
    YOLT
    TMWTGG
    TWINE
    SF
    *******

    1) DAD - Based loosely on Fleming's MR
    2) GE - In Fleming's QoS, Bond is assigned to stop Cuban arms smugglers. Hence why GE is in place of Risico.
    3) LTK in place of The Hildebrand Rarity
    4) SP in place Fleming's OP
    5) OP in place The Property of a Lady
    6) TND - I decided to place TND after Spy. Just because. Well actually I wanted to Blofeld trilogy as one piece, and have TB before that. Plus Spy and TND have a lot of narrative similarities as well.
    7) TWINE and SF, as suggested by @Birdleson concluded the Bond-a-thon, mirror Colonel Sun, what with M being kidnapped. One added bonus is the end scene of SF, with Bond eager to get back to work, in that office.

    Be starting this one of tomorrow with Casino Royale. (Fingers crossed)

  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    I was thinking the same. But I'm happy with the order; I think it provides me with a good mixture of eras, tones and decades.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    I've gotten up to Live and Let Die, which, for some reason, I just can't see as a good movie. Entertaining and fun (for the most part), sure, if just somewhat weird, but I can't get around the almost farcical final act.
  • I watched about 8 Bond films and got interrupted, planning to pick it back up and finish off my Bondathon, throwing a Spectre rewatch into the mix once it hits Blu-ray.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    edited February 2016 Posts: 4,151
    I'm really late in watching any Bond movie so far this year. This weekend, however, I aim to change that by starting my first Bondathon of 2016. I'll be taking this on in reverse order (so least favourite first) of my last ranking, which will be as follows -

    DAD / DAF / FYEO / TWINE / QOS / TND / MR / TMWTGG / TLD / YOLT / TB / AVTAK / LALD / GE / SF / LTK / OP / GF / DN / SP / CR / OHMSS / FRWL / TSWLM

    From this, I will then create my new ranking (if there are any changes that is, and post in the appropriate thread.
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    Birdleson wrote: »
    If you shoved LIVE AND LET DIE in there, we'd have the same top eight, different order.

    Excellent. Yeah, LALD, could easily be there but at the time of my watching, I'd just enjoyed others more. It could be all change come my next ranking.

  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    Casino Royale 1954
    I've decided upon the standard, chronological order this time because I want to build the suspense to see where Spectre will finally land in my rankings. I've also (obviously) decided to include the non-official entries. I haven't watched this particular one in quite some time. I enjoyed it more than I ever have but don't get too excited because that's not saying a whole lot.

    The greatest thing about this is that it's set in the 1950's. It's exciting that we are so close to the time when Fleming originally wrote the story. It may not be the perfect encapsulation but it sure feels right. I really need to revisit the novels again. The second best thing about it is Peter Lorre. He steals every scene he is in. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed his performance.

    The rest of the cast is adequate. It didn't bother me as much that the characters were all mixed up this time around. I guess I have learned to live with it. Watching Nelson as "Jimmy" Bond is always so strange. He's terrible when he raises his voice when someone comes around as if it's not totally obvious that he's changing the conversation. He did a good job during the torture scene though, which was my favorite part of the film.

    So, it is what it is. It was a nice way to kick off the Bondathon. See you next time for Dr. No.


    2016 Bondathon
    1) Casino Royale 1954
  • JohnHammond73JohnHammond73 Lancashire, UK
    Posts: 4,151
    Die Another Day done. Enjoyed this more than I have ever done before. Next up in my first Bondathon of 2016 will be Diamonds Are Forever.

    Bondathon 2016 #1


    Die Another Day - Viewed 15th February 2016
    Diamonds Are Forever
    For Your Eyes Only
    The World Is Not Enough
    Quantum Of Solace
    Tomorrow Never Dies
    Moonraker
    The Man With The Golden Gun
    The Living Daylights
    You Only Live Twice
    Thunderball
    A View To A Kill
    Live And Let Die
    Goldeneye
    Skyfall
    Licence To Kill
    Octopussy
    Goldfinger
    Dr No
    Spectre
    Casino Royale
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    From Russia With Love
    The Spy Who Loved Me
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