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My Bondathon is probably going to take longer than the community one that took place a while ago but, as I'm going along with it, I'll be creating a new ranking as I go along. While I do this, I will not be taking a look at my previous ranking until I finish this Bondathon, I'll then compare them both and see what changes, if any occur. My rankings are always based on how much I enjoy the movies at the time of watching so that can easily change.
So, for now, it looks like this:
From Russia With Love
Dr No
Definitely. That's the same with me. After the community Bondathon, doing more, watching Bond didn't appeal so thought I'd have a break. Then came the news that Craig was back, my interest came flooding back.
That sounds like fun!
Yeah unfortunately I have had a few VHS tapes break :/
Monday, December 18th 2017 to Sunday, January 14th 2018
28 days, 25 films.
It's an ambitious project but I'm determined. I'm on leave from military service in that time and will enjoy it tremendously to see all the films for a second time*
The order will be random more or less. I'll post a report and do a ranking after each film.
*I've seen some of Moore's films twice and TSWLM a third time this week.
Dr. No
Flawless. The way I see it, this one and Goldfinger are the films that defined James Bond for all time. I loved it even more than the first time and that's saying something.
Where to start with the praise...I educated myself a bit about Ken Adam and he was a genius that helped to form the identity of the Bond films. No wonder I found FRWL rather lackluster in comparison to Connery's other five movies.
Ursula. I admit I knew about her but not that much, she is of course most famous in Switzerland and an icon. Her Honey Ryder and Sylvia Trench are my dream team of Bond girls. It can't get much better than this. Dr. No is one of my favorite villains, with little screen time and appearing late in the film, he still is the best in the Connery era. Not the most memorable or the most fun to watch, but the best.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Well a big thank you to the app on my phone ha ha...after DN I get to see OHMSS, what a double feature.
OHMSS is what I'd call the perfection and ultimately the high point in the 60s Bond era. I love George Lazenby and when I learned in the documentary that he wasn't even an actor I couldn't believe it. He is so perfect physically, I love his humor and he is so truly made for Diana Rigg too.
The extensive skiing scenes and bobsleigh action works because of Lazenby who clearly looks like a winter sports athlete that has skiing in his blood. I won't even contemplate the possibility of Connery on skis.
The score is probably my favorite of all the films too. I was mesmerized the first time around and the second time I hugely enjoyed hearing all of it again.
OHMSS has the best ending of all the Bond films. I remember my shock and disbelief when I saw it last Spring. A bunch of tough para-scouts were sitting in front of the screen and the tears were rolling down. Again, Lazenby is simply perfect in that scene. I will never forget it and it has become my favorite film of all time besides The Sound Of Music.
Casino Royale
Well, ha ha...thank you again dear app on my phone. So it happens I watch my three favorite Bond movies in a row. How cool is that.
Eva Green which I didn't know at all has become my obsession. I must have gazed at pictures and footage of her for days. On the wall above my army bed I put a poster of her. She was the last thing I saw before closing my eyes and the first thing in the morning plus feeling my m.....g w..d ha ha....
Seriously, she is the life and center of the film. But even before she takes over, CR is the best film of the newer times. It combines the old with the new perfectly and I am not at all surprised that this film was made by the same director that has put Brosnan on the map in GoldenEye.
The score is probably my second favorite after OHMSS. The title track You Know My Name clearly is my favorite theme song. I dare to say, David Arnold is the closest we will ever get again to the greatness that was John Barry.
The cast is stellar, Felix, LeChiffre, Mathis, all of them are simply brilliant.
Dare I say it, much potential was wasted after CR. QOS is an abomination compared to CR and without SF saving the day, this still ongoing era clearly would be my least favorite overall.
To watch CR after DN and OHMSS was so enjoyable. The flawless trio.
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
That already establishes the Top 3 of my complete Bond ranking. I could write an essay for each of those films, a long essay. Maybe some day I will because I love writing about stuff that interest me, I'm much better in my first language German though. I'm still learning English, I only started in 2016 and hadn't much opportunity to widen my knowledge about this language this year.
Oh what a pleasure it was to see this movie a second time. Again it's Ken Adam's breathtaking work that makes me a huge fan of his and the Bond films he worked on.
The title song is stunningly beautiful and as a big fan of 60s music I adore it. Interestingly enough I didn't know the song before seeing the film, even if I own songs of Nancy.
And the score, what a pivotal element to make these films eternal classics. John Barry, one of the architects of the lasting success of Bond I would presume.
The film feels slightly different to what came before, it's fantastic, filled with sci-fi and adventurous. Aki, oh how I love her, with watery eyes I saw her die again.
Tiger Tanaka. Must be my favorite character now in the Bond universe outside of the usual recurring characters.
I love this film. It makes me want to visit Japan. The end-battle is out of this world crazy cool, exciting and gripping.
YOLT doesn't only live twice, it's immortal.
Thunderball
And again my silly random app choses a Connery film. Ha ha...!
Oh the pleasure. The 60s really produced wonderful Bond films. Domino is so sweet and sexy and Fiona....ha..ha....she can cage me if she wants to ;)
"she's just dead" - the witty one liners are to die for !
The story is great, good characters and I love the Nassau sequences. And again I get a feeling this could have been done by Hitchcock, somehow I see Cary Grant moving through the scenes. That makes me wonder if Hitchcock ever was considered directing a Bond.
The achievement of the underwater scenes is big. At points they are a bit confusing I think, but overall it's incredible what they did.
And the score, well it's Barry isn't it. It's a guarantee for quality and a timeless quality.
I'm fascinated by the title sequences, they are so unique and I love this one especially. Tom Jones's song is powerful and I think the producers chose wisely back then, always.
The Man With The Golden Gun
Here comes another favorite. The best villain in the series of films. Maybe in the book too?
Christopher Lee commands the screen. Like, totally.
Roger Moore looks young and I like that. He's again, so different to Lazenby and Connery and that's why it works so well I think. Roger Moore has created a definite Bond, a variation of it. I wouldn't even say he reinvented the role as the films at least up to this one could well have been made with Connery I think.
Brit Ekland is wet dream material. I like her to bits. Dumb? I don't think so. She's clumsy yes, but maybe the Bond girl with the best intentions to help James and she has a good heart. That makes me want more than just do her. I could love her.
The reason this movie is one of my favorites is the unique atmosphere and sets. The island is exotic and the house inside is pure fantasy and mysterious.
The colors used in many scenes, especially in the fun-house add to the fantastic visuality of the film.
The music is great too. Love the title song and love the score with the seemingly never ending theme used as many variations.
The humor is very good as well. While this film is actually quite brutal, there is a lot to smile at, and laughter is guaranteed. J.W. Pepper helping out James is giving me fits of laughter.
Nick Nack must be the strangest character of all the films and I love it.
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. YOLT
5. TMWTGG
6. TB
My Bond-athon is in a random order, but I already got five films of my Top 10, at least I'm relatively certain the top 5 above will stay within the top 10. We'll see.
Oh and this is really fun!
My first viewing of it back in Spring was a quantum of disaster.
The second viewing went considerably better, a quantum of hope.
As I knew that the movie is in places butchered beyond recognition visually, I tried to concentrate on the characters and the scenes that are actually not done with an out of control camera that changes the picture every split second.
The secret of quantum. Just let the shaky "I'm having a fit" camera work flow and ignore it as good as you can.
Then you can see the beauty behind Quantum. Overall there's only so much of the badly done editing job in the film. And it does get better once Bond arrives in Austria. There's a short setback in the plane/parachute sequence.
That must be, by far, the worst done bit of Bond. It's insulting on all levels. And I wonder where are the good old times when they actually did real stunt-work. A quantum of shame!
I enjoyed the characters a lot. Felix Leiter is the secret star here, closely followed by Mathis. I will never understand why they just wasted Mathis needlessly and never brought back Felix. They could have been the glue that holds the Craig films together. A quantum of sadness.
The story is good enough, I don't see any difference to any other Bond film. The sets are actually very well done in this film, everything is beautifully shot and colorful.
The sound of quantum. David Arnold is, pardon another superlative, spectacularly great! More than a quantum of brilliance!
Overall, I recognize this as a proper Bond film after all. There is potential that could have made this into the sequel that it should be. But sadly it's wasted.
What puzzles me, is the ending. After OHMSS this is clearly the best ending to any Bond film. It's took my breath away and then I think....why wasn't the whole movie as brilliantly done. Almost looks like Martin Campbell shot the last sequence. A quantum of perfection.
Quantum of Sowhat turned into Quantum of Evolution for me. I can see how this film will grow on me in the future. Daniel Craig is hot as hell here, in his prime and his acting rivals Sean, or dare I say it, surpasses it in places.
Still, it will never elevate to the levels where I have the Connery and most of the 70s films. For that it's simply a quantum too little.
Diamonds Are Forever
This is what I want Bond to be beyond OHMSS and the 60s. Dark but funny, gritty but colorful, serious but witty. Mixed with the genius that is Ken Adam, John Barry, Peter Lamont, Mankievicz and Maibaum.
Guy Hamilton just is my favorite of the directors. GF, DAF and TMWTGG all sit firmly in my Top 10.
A lot in Diamonds I can call a favorite. Be it Tiffany Case, Charles Gray's Blofeld or Wint & Kidd. They'll end up on top or near it in any possible ranking of Bond girls, villains or henchmen.
Charles Gray is especially wonderful. Such performances make me want to look for other films with such an actor. He and Christopher Lee made the biggest impression on me.
The dark humor of DAF is something I wish would be present more in other Bond films.
Wint & Kidd are unique, if clichéd, but oh so deliciously devilishly fun!
I could write essays galore on DAF, I probably will write a proper fan review of this film at a later point.
The dialogue is topping anything that came before or after. After two viewings I'm able to quote most of it. And I'm beginning to think I'll write about the witty one-liners, the jokes, the humorous quips in detail, somewhere in an appropriate thread.
I commented "live" on the film last night in the "comments while you watch" thread. Here's some of it:
-Watching one of my favorite Bonds, Diamonds Are Forever.
-Where is Blofeld? I shan’t ask you politely next time!
-Hit me! ....whoosh...ha ha ha....already laughing my ass off
-...and the main theme of the score is kicking in when the nasty mousetrap does its job...John Barry must be one of the main reasons why I have fallen in love with these films...love the theme song, Shirley Bassey's best in my opinion.
-The score has stuck in my mind and I'm so pleased to hear it again.
-Moneypenny in uniform...uh...huh.... Would you settle for a tulip?
-The film is quite brutal and violent too. What a perfect mix really with all of the above.
-Bambi & Thumper are merely the icing on the cake, a huge cake full of wonder, fantastical episodes in the most wonderful sets by genius Ken Adam.
-"There is no year for sherry, 007."
"Refreshing to hear there's "one" subject you're not an expert on."
The great Bernard Lee, nobody does it better. His facial expressions and comedic timing are a pleasure to watch.
-"If God had wanted man to fly..."
"...He would have given him wings, Mr Kidd."
OMG Wint and Kidd are even better than I remembered! And then they hold hands and walk into the sunset. Well it's cloudy but who cares ha ha....
-"We do function in your absence, Commander."
...and so does the editor of this movie. The back and forth between M's, Sir Donald's and Bond's meeting and the scenes in the diamond mines, the desert with Wint and Kidd and then Mrs. Whister is really cleverly made!
-The lift fight, or perhaps I should say "elevator".
WOW that lift fight, pardon "elevator" fight really is as great as I remembered.
The choreography and the editing of the scene are out of this world and Connery did everything by himself. The confined space is really working well and I wonder if this indeed could be the best fight scene of the whole Bond series.
-Mr. Kidd to Mr. Wint:
"I must say, Miss Case seems quite attractive."
... "For a lady."
I think Mr. Wint is potentially my favorite character of the Bond films outside the usual recurring characters. Bruce Glover, never heard of him before, but boy is he brilliant!
-"You know something, Andi? You're a terrific guy! A little weird, but a terrific guy! Why don't we go someplace and have a drink?"
YESSS PLEEAZE :D
-I haven't seen you here before. - I'm Klaus Hergersheimer. - G Section. - Checking radiation shields."
Connery shines, totally. His interaction with Hergesheimer and Dr. Metz is beyond funny.
Had to watch the whole sequence twice! Bloody brilliant.
Dr. Metz: "Will you please leave, you irritating man?"
Bond: "Doctor, there's no reason to run down the little people."
Die Another Day
What a different film this is to DAF. But then in the end both are pure entertainment and fun.
DAD is a forerunner of things to come. Here you can see how EoN tried to make Bond multi-layered. And they succeeded quite a bit. While Casino Royale is the one that elevated Bond to the heights of the 60s, DAD almost succeeds in places too, like the great pre-credits-sequence, the best title sequence of the series (sans the bloody awful song) and really everything up to Cuba.
Cuba especially evokes the Connery era and succeeds quite a bit with it.
Pierce Brosnan is simply perfect. Nobody else could have shined as he does in GE to DAD. The films were made for him, clearly.
It's astonishing how EoN managed to get the first films of each actor right.
Gustav Graves, God bless him, is so over the top and such fun. Miranda Frost is a treat, literally the icing on the cake. She has quite the similar role that Vesper has in CR, even some scenes are very similarly written.
DAD overall feels like the slightly gone bad final rehearsal for Casino Royale.
The elements are all there and half of them work but half of them don't work quite so well.
EoN did everything right though if you look at the bigger picture. Casino Royale probably wouldn't have been possible without DAD being the outrageously over the top affair it is.
DAD makes me realize as well, that the series of 24 EoN Bond films never failed once, it merely played around with different styles, themes and genres. That even applies to QoS ;)
DAD will never quite make it into the Top 10 or upper half but it certainly is much more entertaining and better made than really anything from the 80s, maybe with the exception of FYEO. For me that is. Tastes differ, sometimes greatly as I have already learned on this forum. And thank God for that!!
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. YOLT
5. DAF
6. TMWTGG
7. TB
8. DAD
9. QOS
And I too, was very dissapointed in QoS, it was my least favorite until this year when I suprisingly warmed up to it. Craig elevates that movie, and Mathis is great as well.
As for DAF, until a Bondathon we did here last year I didn't enjoy the film and saw it as more of what I didn't want to see in a Connery Bond after loving the Young trilogy. That being said, I was able to look beyond some missteps and enjoy certain aspects of it that feel ripped out of a detective novel. Over time I appreciated DAF as when Bond and neo-noir with a bizarre twist meet, and that has allowed me to appreciate it more. It's zany like a lot of the 70s output but what keeps me engaged is Bond's detective like demeanor, the diamond smuggling femme fatale antics of Tiffany (I still think she's badly written in the second half, a shell of herself) and the crazy and twisty road the diamonds take down the pipeline of vivid and bizarre criminal characters right out of a Marlowe caper. There's really a lot to enjoy on that front.
I could even sense how the filmmakers were trying to connect to what had happened in OHMSS, as the film opens with Bond bulldozing his way to Blofeld, clearly in mourning over Tracy and prepared to do anything to avenge her. There's a lot of subtext there, and I appreciate it. I wrote about a lot of this in an in-depth review of the movie where I tried to argue for DAF attempting to be a spiritual sequel to OHMSS without that being overly apparent.
I also think it's got a great Barry score, I think Wint and Kidd are some of the best characters in the franchise (their dark proverbs give them so much personality), the dynamic and thrilling elevator fight with Franks is amazing (with no stunt doubles for Sean, just like FRWL again), some nice sets and visuals and some amazing car chases, especially the Vegas one where you can hear the tires of that Mustang tearing through the streets like a bat out of hell. It really is evocative to see the old Vegas all lit up, making DAF a time capsule in many ways. The end of an era for Sean, but also for the principal location.
I guess you are referring to Tiffany on the oil rig when you say she's badly written. That's probably true, she is more like decoration than anything there....but....
...call me a simpleton, tell me I'm too full of hormones, but I couldn't care less how she's written there...all I see is her in THAT bikini. Like the whole time she's in that thing. Uh...huh...who cares about her dialogue haha...
The last scene on the boat though is pure Gold for me. The dress, how she and Bond have the romantic time, the dinner, the "bombe surprise" and especially the last moment with Bond when they gaze at the stars....I actually skipped back and watched it twice.
Oh, James!
Oh, yes. What were you about to ask me?
James... How the hell do we get those diamonds down again?
As for the writing of her character, that scene on the oil rig is a good example of a sort of incongruous depiction of the woman that spans the movie, yes. She starts off the movie in Amsterdam as this quite mysterious, cunning, compelling, changeable woman, like she can jump from persona to persona to manipulate anyone she pleases, even James Bond. About the time we get to Vegas, however, that initial impression fades and she's replaced with an altogether boring bed hopper, loud mouth and, by the end, brainless out of nowhere. A real shadow of her former self, really, like she had a secret lobotomy without Bond's notice the minute she got off the flight from Amsterdam to California. Hence why I've given her the playful nickname of Tiffany "Basket" Case. I also resent how she travels where the wind is blowing, making for a woman you can't trust at any juncture.
A real shame, as I really adore Tiffany as Fleming wrote her, and find her to be one of his most captivating crafted characters. I understand that there was no hopes of adapting her backstory of rape, but they still could've retained the kind of character we see in Amsterdam, a very clever and independent woman who is playing a man's game well. The relationship between Bond and Tiffany in the book is dulcet and endearing while the one in the film is very hollow and sour by comparison, another issue for me. At the end of the film Bond should by all means avoid the woman, since she sided with Blofeld at a dire time and, despite whatever redemption one can sense in her attempts to save the day with the tape, I still wouldn't trust her that much at all in light of her actions beforehand.
The real woman of the movie for me is actually Lana Wood's Plenty. Where others talk only of Jill it's Ms. Wood that absolutely captivates me as she cuts a stunning and striking figure with that purple dress tailored within an inch of its life, one of my favorite formal dresses of the series when it comes to the looks of Bond girls. She's just a vision, if a little naive and quirky. I wish the film would've kept a deleted scene of her and Bond having a meal, as we see more of her character and how, despite being a gold digger of sorts, she works her targets mercifully and sees them off with some sweetness even after their losses. A bit like a robber who would apologize for cleaning out a Mom & Pop business while tossing a satchel of cash from the register over their back.
Tiffany is bed material that's for sure, I wouldn't marry her.
Plenty gives me plenty of .... too, ha ha...
I think in DAF I just don't look for the marrying kind, it's not the movie for it.
Tracy, Pussy, Domino, Goodnight, Melina, Natalya, Camille ... those I'd marry.
You make me realize that I may look differently at characters that are from the books.
I don't know the novels yet and so I can't compare.
You also learn so much about Bond from Fleming that will change how you view some of the films forever, simply because you can connect more to how he's written and maybe find special ways in which the various Bond actors either intentionally or accidentally channel him. For instance, Sean really captures who Fleming's Bond is in a lot of ways for me, though he's only known for being the cinematic Bond. Once your read the originals you find out just how much he was playing to Fleming's word. I've also appreciated Dan's Bond even more after reading the books as well, in addition to Dalton, as you can tell they truly did read the novels and take mental notes on Bond while doing so.
The next three films in my Bondathon:
From Russia With Love
The 60s Bond movies are all pretty flawless. FRWL is a great suspense thriller with a very Hitchcockian setting. Compared to Sean's other films I find FRWL almost a bit too anti-climactic. The boat chase seems to be an odd way to end the film really. There is the add-on with Klebb which is nice but I find her death scene quite a bit over the top in the acting department. I read elsewhere that she is quite cartoony in the film and I agree.
Nevertheless FRWL clearly is one of the great films, my least favorite Connery film but still very nice to watch. I doubt though it will become my most watched Bond film or one of those.
Kerim Bey actually saves the film for me to a great extend. The actor is just perfect and he and Connery have wonderful chemistry and screen time.
Grant I find a bit overrated regarding what I read about him on this forum. I don't quite see where he is so special. The actor is great but the character is rather dull really.
The train sequence is definitely the high point in the film, even if a bit lengthy.
The reason I may sound over critical of the film, is because the 60s offer so much fantastic Bond films. I have fallen in love with Ken Adam's sets and the many well written villains. FRWL lacks both, Grant and Klebb are henchmen for me, and Blofeld in FRWL is but a mere short moment, if with great dialogue.
The World Is Not Enough
I was surprised again, how good this film is. It may not quite look the part from a directional and DoP point of view but the story is well written. Judi Dench has a lot to do in this film and that is one of its strong points.
The pre-title-sequence is out of this world spectacular and it reinforces my believe that Pierce Brosnan is indeed the coolest and most suave of all the Bond actors. He is definitely a force on the screen and I think he looks best here.
The score is like really all of Arnold's the perfect symbiosis with what is happening on the screen. It's like glue holding everything together.
The pre-title-sequence must be the very best piece of score music in a Bond film. I don't mean to say Arnold is better than Barry, but this particular lengthy sequence, the boat chase, really knocks everything else out of the park, the audiovisual experience is flawless.
Elektra King I love to hate. The plot twist, while not too surprising, still works very well. Renard is a bit on the dull side but he really feels more like a henchman than a main villain anyway.
Christmas Jones, God bless her! must be a favorite of mine. She's so diametrically different in looks and character, but it works so well. She has two very convincing arguments too ha ha...I love her with Pierce...he really works well with all his women anyway.
For Your Eyes Only
I didn't like this all that much when I saw it first. My second viewing though elevates this definitely to a level that is above the average 80s silly romp Bond.
Roger Moore is adorable and I find him and Melina so good together. Bibi is a hoot! I love the fact Roger is forced to fight her off.
The Cortina sequence works well and it's after all its own thing and not the rip-off from OHMSS I first felt it to be.
The score is maybe the one thing that will prevent FYEO from ever going up to the higher levels in my ranking. It's just too damn cheesy in most places.
Carole Bouquet is the reason I will watch this film a lot. Her Melina is very well written and acted. She's Bond's equal.
Love the contrast of the Mediterranean sequences to the ski slopes of Cortina and then to the mountaineering sequences. A good mix and it adds greatly to the watchability of the film.
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. YOLT
5. DAF
6. TMWTGG
7. TWINE
8. TB
9. FRWL
10. DAD
11. FYEO
12. QOS
that makes me realize I am already half-way through...
@Andi1996Ruegg, I think perhaps that FRWL will grow in your estimation as you grow in tandem as a fan. For those who see the more over the top and spectacle driven Bond films first, I understand how FRWL can in some ways be very jarring and unreasonable when watched afterward. It's a film that is stripped back, paces itself out slower in a mystery format, doesn't feed a lot to you and lets the story play out with a lot of subtextual double-crossing and scheming such that it takes some rewatches to appreciate. On top of that, Bond himself doesn't even show up until around the twenty minute mark in exchange for a slow burn of the coming plot he'll get wrapped up in, so I'm sure that makes certain people lose interest too.
I personally loved the film from the start, but I was also a big film fan at the time I watched the Connery films and was used to noir films with slower burning plots, mystery aspects and different pacing than most films, so I was best suited to being prepared to a Bond film like FRWL. I'd also seen DN already and fell in love with it, and FRWL is not that different as far as its content, pacing and overall style goes (the same could be said for TB, as Young's Bond films are all connected in approach in many ways while all still being unique beasts). Without Bond films like the Moore entries to pull from, FRWL and movies like it became the only Bond films I knew and that expectation has driven my fandom since, as I favor the more earnest, stripped back adventures with focus on character over spectacle because that's what I first fell in love with. On top of that, I think that style is simply better suited to Bond's character and the stories anyway.
RE: FRWL, I agree with you that some fault is there with how the film ends, as it feels like a bunch of action is being crammed into the film near the conclusion to compensate for the action that was lacking in the proceeding time. I personally don't think the film needed it, but I don't have a major issue with it either. But the chaining of action and danger for Bond by air and by sea can feel like a lot to take in at once, all jammed in before the credits. So I get that criticism.
Couldn't agree more about Pedro Armendáriz's Kerim, one of the best castings in the Bond series for me that is the spitting image of the man I see in the novel. In the book Bond describes Kerim as "this wonderful man who had carried the sun with him," and you see that bright light and liveliness in Pedro's performance to perfect effect. I don't know how much you've read into the behind the scenes of the Bond movies, but FRWL was actually Pedro's last film because he was dying of cancer while filming was on (and escaped his condition via suicide in hospital not long after shooting ended), in immense pain. The fact that you can't tell this or see Pedro as the dying man he was in reality is a testament to his grip on his craft as well as his utter professionalism. While facing the very end he was truly luminescent, a human conductor of electricity.
Sorry to hear you're not too hot on Grant, but I'm a massive fan. I view the character as Bond's equal, like him facing a sort of doppelgänger of himself in the field who is just as cunning and twice as brutal and ruthless. Shaw is just a master, and part of the magic in the film is watching him and Sean go at it once the action hits the Orient Express. I think that his character will grow with you as well in future watches of the film, because you can quietly see him working to undermine Bond's countermoves in ways that aren't always apparent on early watches of it. I also love how the film builds Grant up subtly as this man of death for Bond, like in how he dresses. You get the sense that, judging by what he wears and all he knows about Bond from studying his target, that he modeled his style after the quintessential British man Bond is just as a predator on the wild plains would adapt to its prey's environment to make a kill. Little elements like that ring loudly for me.
I also understand the shock of not seeing Ken Adam working on the film, but Kubrick had snatched him up for Doctor Strangelove at the time and so the great Syd Cain popped in to fill his spot after making the dragon of Crab Key in DN as well as other props and designs beyond those early days. While I don't think anyone will compare to Adam, the chess set Cain and his team set up did a brilliant job of creating an Adamesque design that almost makes you think he was on set for a minute and that for me is special. Most of FRWL isn't about wide open sets, it's about grimy, dark corners of Istanbul or cramped compartments on trains, so in a way I don't think the style Adam used would've been as applicable or even needed in comparison to other 60s films. There's simply not much room in the film for a lot of original sets, as so much of it is staged on real locations in Turkey.
I would be interested to hear about what you think of the FRWL novel, as I think you would prefer Grant in that book over the film, judging from your comments, and maybe Klebb too. I won't spoil anything, but Fleming does particular things with Grant and his backstory that are surprising, yet fascinating. There may also be downsides to the book from your perspective, however, as Bond is missing from a big chunk of it and it's more oddly paced than any other Fleming book I've read.
I personally find the film to be an improvement on the book in nearly every capacity, though its fans are quite right to hold it up. I also think the casting department of the film did some of the most perfect casting for an adaptation I've ever seen, as the likes of Vladek Sheybal, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw and Pedro Armendáriz are inseparable from their novel counterparts in my mind. It makes for some fascinating debate to compare and contrast both versions of FRWL, but as Bond says in SP, "it's all a matter of perspective" which you prefer of those two solid adventures.
"Bless Your Heart!"
Wayne Newton actually is what stuck in my head after seeing LTK :D Bless his heart!
@0BradyM0Bondfanatic7
It's interesting to imagine how FRWL could have made a different impression on me had I seen it before most of the other Connery films. But it was the last one I saw and relatively late in my first Bondathon ever. 16th film I saw and the last of all the 60s and 70s films that I love so much.
The film may have the hidden treasures you so aptly describe. It's true what you say about Connery appearing late, that again left me a bit impatient.
There are Bond films that click on first sight others you need to watch several times.
I happen to have watched DAF yesterday for the third time and second time within a couple of days. I joined @Birdleson and @ToTheRight in a joint viewing and live chatting.
It's so effortlessly easy to watch DAF and I love it even more now.
I can see that happen to some of the more serious, down-to-earth films as well, but it probably really does need several viewings, however many that may be.
It's probably no coincidence I found myself less interested in what's happening on the screen with QoS, FRWL and LTK and FYEO to some extend.
FYEO has already grown on me though with the second viewing as described above.
FRWL is a film I see myself watching in the future when I'm in the mood for it. That certainly will happen as I do love Hitchcock's films a great deal. I love suspense and mystery and about a third of the circa 100 films I've seen in my life-time (sans Bond) are noir films in fact.
Grant I have to watch more closely next time. I see him as a chav, ordinary and certainly not as an equal to Bond, but I admit I didn't invest myself in his character much so far.
The books are a must for me. I have three books ready which I believe are even first editions that J. found in London in a book sale. CR, DN and TMWTGG.
I'll take the books with me to the army base when I have to go back on January 15th. I'll get the rest of the books or maybe some box that contain all of them until that date.
I have editions of the Bond novels published by Penguin around 2008 for Ian's 100th birthday, but it's been hard to find them since because they were popular and have gone out of print speedily. Here are the covers, though what's changed is that there's now an edition titled Quantum of Solace that contains all the short stories in one edition:
If you can find these editions anywhere, be it Amazon or Ebay or in a used bookstore, you should consider yourself extremely fortunate. I count them as the best possible way to read Fleming in the 21st century, not only for the slightly lurid and sexy designs of the covers that suit the stories inside so well, but also because they match the exact printings of the original books in Europe without a word out of place. When it's hard to find American editions of these books that aren't censored, the latter point is a treasure.
...next in my Bondathon was...
Goldfinger and Octopussy
Goldfinger and Kamal Khan, both love to gamble, they rely heavily on their right hands OddJob and Gobinda.
Both main villains and both henchman have great screen presence and are all very good in what they do.
There's Pussy Galore and Octopussy (oh the names!) and there's Bond secondary love interests Jill Masterson and Magda. Again, all of them beautifully put on the screen and they work well as characters.
Both, Goldfinger and Kamal Khan find their end on a small private airplane.
John Barry provides Goldfinger with an iconic score and Octopussy with one of the most beautiful romantic scores in the series.
But that's it for the similarities.
Goldfinger
It's a masterpiece, nothing less. If I look at the order of the films, then Goldfinger is to Connery's first trio of films what Skyfall is to Craig's first three.
Funnily enough I feel that FRWL and QoS are quite a bit similar, maybe not from a technical cinematic point of view but in the evolution of the first three of each actor. FRWL was stripped of about anything that made DN so fantastical and visually mesmerizing.
QoS is a mere shadow of what CR has to offer.
So for me Goldfinger is indeed Connery's second masterpiece, the other one being DN.
I may be biased re Switzerland having a big role in the film, but it does work so well.
Love the Ranch sequences and Goldfinger's main lair is one of the crowning achievements of Ken Adam in my opinion.
I really would have difficulty to find even the tiniest bit that I can criticize in Goldfinger.
Even the bloody back projection sequence in Miami has its charm, Goldfinger is that good!
Pussy Galore feels like she's the epitome of the Bond girl. I'm new to the series and certainly would not claim that, but for me it feels like she is.
The dialogue has many moments of sheer brilliance. Goldfinger also reinforces my believe that Guy Hamilton is my favorite Bond director.
Gold is omnipresent in this film, naturally. But it's really everywhere to be found, in the clothes, the car, the sets....so very well done.
Octopussy
is hardly the masterpiece that GF is. But it has a lot to offer beyond the cheesy 80s style.
John Barry makes many scenes worth watching. The score is brilliant, as usual I'm tempted to say.
The pre-title-sequence is the high point for me. Roger at his comedic best and I simply love to see soldiers and army officers in Bond films. I'm biased.
Fill her up! Oh yes. Love that little airplane!
Again, like in a few other Bond film, the main Bond girl saves the day, or the film.
Maud Adams is Octopussy, most definitely and I agree totally with the decision to cast her again in the main female role. That certainly must have felt odd at the time I could imagine.
What puzzles me is how much I adore Kamal Khan. The actor is just wonderful. Love him and he is almost like an alternate Bond, on the wrong side no less.
Q in the field. Never really warmed up to that idea. Of course Desmond is just perfect in every single scene of the series. But really Q, be a bit more careful. A bit earlier and he would have been killed instead of Vijay.
Roger Moore can sell anything. And so he sells even the cheesiest of all his films. But take note, this could very well become a guilty pleasure watch for me.
It still will never escape the lower regions of my ranking. The theme song is just....ouch....
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. DAF
7. TMWTGG
8. TWINE
9. TB
10. FRWL
11. DAD
12. FYEO
13. OP
14. QOS
your excitement reminds me of when i discovered all the Bond films for the first time in the late 90's.
I would say we agree about 80% on all the movies . My favorite director is Guy Hamilton as well. That guy had impecable style, even if his movies were leaning on silly side sometimes.
You are definitly a guy who is looking for FUN and Style in his Bond movies (and some beautiful women), like me.
looking forward to hearing your thoughts about Goldeneye, which is my fave.
I can already tell you that GE is a favorite of mine as well. It'll be up soon, I have 8 films to go only in my current Bondathon. Watched four!! alone today bloody hell.
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
My Top 5 is: OHMSS, DN, CR, GF, YOLT. That's no secret anymore and TSWLM I have at 6.
It's very difficult for me not to move The Spy up in my ranking. It's that good, it's almost ridiculous how much I enjoyed watching it.
I love Connery just too much to put YOLT one place down but I'll try to think about it a little bit more.
Roger Moore is at the height of his tenure in TSWLM if you ask me. While I may prefer his overall performance in TMWTGG he still surpasses himself in the following film because he kind of re-invents his Bond and adapts it perfectly to a new era of films.
It's quite astonishing how he moves through this film, starting on skis in Austria. When I saw the skiing scene the first time I was in awe, of the action and the score. It's not Barry, but maybe that's even good in this instance. Bond 77 has just become one of my favorite themes. It kicks in every so often throughout the film, what a joy.
Bond going over the cliff and the parachute opens and is a Union Jack. Seriously people, I was standing there with my jaw on the floor and clapped my hands.
If that is not the most awesome stunt. I'm a para-scout so I know a thing or two about parachuting.
The entire Egypt segment of The Spy is mesmerizing and so full of atmosphere, the colors used in the Pyramid scenes, combined with the score. Barbara Bach is so beautiful, sweet and hot as hell at the same time. THAT dress and how she handles Bond, she's rivaling Tiffany to be my favorite Bond girl.
But if that wasn't enough we got Naomi in Sardinia and the receptionist in the hotel who gave me a hard time to concentrate on the plot.
Moore on skis, in the desert and then on a Mediterranean island. What contrast and how well it works in favor of the film.
The Lotus is the coolest car ever. The car chase goes on endlessly and I'm oh so grateful for it. In the end James throws a fish out of the car's window and I am thinking what geniuses all of the crew of TheSpy must have been. What an achievement this film is!
Ken Adam is his usual greatness. The Liparus is epic. Bond spends an incredible amount of time in his navy uniform. Roger Moore looks so good in it and he's wearing it best of all the Bond actors.
The fight in the submarine dock is epic as well. And when every other film would be grateful to get only half of such a breathtaking finale TheSpy goes on and Bond saves Anya and finally gets rid off Jaws. Stromberg dies a brutal death and his Atlantis goes down with a bang.
Oh yes and Jaws, he has bite! It's one of the many wonders of this series that he returned in the next film and he proves that he is indestructible. And immortal, because he must be the henchman of all henchmen, like ever.
The little things count. The seemingly never ending supply of recurring characters and actors in the series is such a delight. Geoffrey Keen, Shane Rimmer, the future M Robert Brown or the guy with the bottle. It's something I discovered early on when watching all the films in random order. I just love this.
TSWLM represents a time, when real stunts and well made miniature work were elevating the films to something worthwhile. I'm quite disappointed that recently CGI and fake stunts seem to have replaced the originality the Bond films once had.
Carly Simon is one of the view artists I have known before discovering the Bond films. Her Nobody Does It Better is sirupy maybe but it's so perfect for the movie and Carly has the most beautiful voice. I never knew that her song was a theme in a film. Imagine my surprise when I saw TSWLM the first time in Spring 2017.
Maurice Binder is one of the people I haven't mentioned yet in any of my mini-reviews. He has put his stamp on Bond in a way that is most impressive.
TSWLM is my favorite title sequence of his. I love the red and blue coloring, the silhouettes, the naked women. The woman doing gymnastics on the gun-barrell...priceless and ingenious.
TheSpy also has the perfect ending. Keeping the British end up, sir. And then that wonderful variation on the Bond song kicks in.
Seldom been so exhilarated after watching a Bond film!
That all sounds like it's my favorite Bond film. Well yes, sort of! Trouble is, there are about five films that are even a better experience for me. Imagine that.
With a heavy heart, almost, I declare my ranking thus far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM ...damn you YOLT :P
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TWINE
10. TB
11. FRWL
12. DAD
13. FYEO
14. OP
15. QOS
pro and con:
pro: Dalton, clearly.
pro: the last 20 minutes, truly gripping and it's all done for real, epic explosions
pro: Daltonbond crawling on the ground and then lighting up Sanchez, the single most powerful moment in all of Bond
pro: Q, lots of screen time, wonderful chemistry with Dalton
pro: the theme song is giving me goose bumps, Gladys is rivaling Shirley here
con: the violence, it's unnecessary and bordering primitive in places, off-putting.
con: the villain and his posse, all are just awful, nothing to love to hate, just hate, despicable and gross
con: the Felix story, not sure how much from the books this is, but I hate it on screen, it's ok to mutilate Felix, but his wife!!
con: the story really, where's SPECTRE or the the Russians when you need them....
Don't get me wrong I still like it, if I close my eyes at certain points the film is quite tolerable, Dalton single-handedly saves this movie, that's for sure.
Such a shame he didn't get to do more films.
It's a battle at the bottom of my ranking? Maybe a quick brutal one yes and QoS is knocked out of the park on every possible level.
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TWINE
10. TB
11. FRWL
12. DAD
13. FYEO
14. OP
15. LTK
16. QOS
I have to admit I liked this much better than the first time around. I don't mind Roger having aged and he's like Uncle James to Stacey (sans the last scene in the shower).
Love Zorin and MayDay. The combination of them is very strong and both act their part very well.
Walken must be a very fine actor. I love his facial expressions and even at facing death, he's laughing at it, probably because he cannot grasp the concept of having failed.
Barry's score works wonders for many of the weaker parts of the film.
What is responsible for having AVTAK near the bottom of my ranking is the town hall sequence which is more or less destroyed by 100 "JAAAAMESSSSS" screams by Stacey. It's most annoying. And the fire truck chase really is a blunder. And again Stacey goes "oh Jaamess!!" like every other second.
Still overall a good and fun film with very strong villains and some very good stuff like the confrontation of Zorin, MayDay, Stacey and Bond in the town hall storage room and office.
Patrick Macnee's and Moore's repartee throughout their scenes are a hoot!
I had to look up the term: obsequious :P
"oily rag" ha ha...really it's such fun and who had those idea for dialogue!!
Moore spends a lot of time underwater or in water in this one and he's doing a lot himself.
That brings me to another part that is simply awful.
The taxi chase and the stuntman landing in the wedding cake. Ouch.
The Eiffel Tower action though is simply breathtaking, and so is the Golden Gate bridge sequence.
The PTS is such delight as well.
So for me, AVTAK is a very mixed bag. And mixed bag simply isn't enough to be on a higher spot in my ranking. Not when you have a series of 24 outstanding films overall.
Thus, my ranking so far:
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TWINE
10. TB
11. FRWL
12. DAD
13. FYEO
14. OP
15. AVTAK
16. LTK
17. QOS
"Gentlemen and ladies... ...hold the presses. This just in."
"By a curious quirk of fate, we have the perfect" ....plot twist in my ranking!
After seeing AVTAK and LTK I can't let the ranking stand as it is and so I declare Quantum Of Solace not to be any longer at the bottom.
so here we go: I stand corrected...
1. OHMSS
2. DN
3. CR
4. GF
5. YOLT
6. TSWLM
7. DAF
8. TMWTGG
9. TWINE
10. TB
11. FRWL
12. DAD
13. FYEO
14. OP
15. QOS
16. AVTAK
17. LTK