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Quick Big Mi6 Title Sequence Ranking Game

12467…16

Comments

  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,677
    I like it enough, but it always seemed like the first in a line of copies of TSWLM's title sequence.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I was the one who ranked MR dead last. The song is one of my favourites, so that doesn t play too much into it obviously.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    Some_Kind_Of_Hero wrote: »
    On an even simpler vein, to happy new future for GoldenGun's ranking threads!

    Cheers, mate!

    Up next, at number 24, we have:

    LICENCE TO KILL
    Main title sequence designed by
    MAURICE BINDER

    ltk_c.jpg?k=54ee698846

    Binder’s swansong to the series doesn’t have too many fans it appears. To be precise only one participant ranked it in the top 10, which was also a 10th place. Three more members ranked it in the top half.

    On the other hand, eight members ranked it in their bottom 5, with its lowest score coming in at 26th, on one occasion. Its most common placement was 24th, on four occasions.

    In total LTK’s title sequence obtained 57 points.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    LTK ranked 23rd for me. One of the worst (though the title track is solid) and it's another Binder that has almost nothing visually appetizing to offer.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,490
    I'm the one who ranked it the lowest: #26.
    The only thing I could remember was the woman with the camera. But this isn't really fitting for this film... Binder didn't incorporate anything specific from the movie into the sequence. Several of his later sequences are almost interchangeable.

    Binder was one of the best in his profession, no doubt, and I'm very happy that he is a part of the Bond legacy but he should have tried to link the sequences more to the topic of the movies. It worked very good in his first works (I love the TB sequence for example) but he ran out of steam after TSWLM.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    goldenswissroyale wrote: »
    I'm the one who ranked it the lowest: #26.
    The only thing I could remember was the woman with the camera. But this isn't really fitting for this film... Binder didn't incorporate anything specific from the movie into the sequence. Several of his later sequences are almost interchangeable.

    Binder was one of the best in his profession, no doubt, and I'm very happy that he is a part of the Bond legacy but he should have tried to link the sequences more to the topic of the movies. It worked very good in his first works (I love the TB sequence for example) but he ran out of steam after TSWLM.

    This is what stood out to me the most, particularly as I watched them all in a matter of 20-30 minutes, just how identical a lot of the later title sequences are (and not at all in a good way).
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,537
    Well I had LTK at 12. I do like many parts of it, and one of my favourite shots is seen above, its Michael Kamens credit, it fits perfectly with the music at that point! Am biased of course, being a Dalton fan, but I do like this title sequence ( though i think the use of cameras a bit redundant!)
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,865
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    LTK ranked 23rd for me. One of the worst (though the title track is solid) and it's another Binder that has almost nothing visually appetizing to offer.

    For shame folks…for shame. How could anyone have a negative view of any title sequence that featured the lovely Diana Lee. :x
    s-l400.jpg

    Seriously, however, as @goldenswissroyale stated, many of Binder's post TSWLM titles can be somewhat interchangeable (the exceptions being - IMO - FYEO and AVTAK). And that is what made this particular ranking game a bit of a random crap shoot for me.

    I had LTK at number 12, based solely on the above :))
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited February 2022 Posts: 41,011
    It came down to a bit of guesswork for me too, especially when several of them are so similar and underwhelming.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    It has its moments artistically (that shot above mentioned by @Mathis1 is indeed a cool one), but Binder seemed to be pretty creatively exhausted at this point. Despite one scene taking place in a casino and the very brief reference to a trick camera in Q's bag, these do seem like very unusual things to feature in the titles. Aquatics would have been a more appropriate route to go here. It is cool that Diane Hsu is one of the very few actresses to also appear in the titles. Binder didn't go out on his absolute worst in my opinion, but surely not his very best either.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,254
    I quite like this one, but mostly because of the Nikon camera, lovely girls and casino theme. Binder was getting tired, though.
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    Posts: 1,714
    I had it at 11, and it hurt to put it that low. I think the opening to this one is the best bit of titles work in the series. I like how the camera is centered on the bridesmaids carrying the parachutes, I like the picture of Tim, the way the interesting 007 logo locks around him, and most of all the shot of Tim in the smoke on the main title card.

    Then of course it goes into more standard stuff, but it's done at a higher technical level than a lot of what Binder had done before, and I don't think any of it is poor. The bits following the title, with the roulette wheel, look lovely.

    I never quite get why the camera motif is such a sticking point: the titles follow a wedding, and it just doesn't feel odd to me to have a camera there at the opening. Same with the use of skiing in the AVTAK titles. We just saw a bunch of skiing, so why not? It wouldn't do to use a bunch of horses and blimps. :))
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    I am the one who ranked it 10th. I love this title sequence to bits: the aforementioned Diana Lee, the cameras, the casino themes, the way Dalton is used and a great 80’s atmosphere all-round.

    You’ll find me defending these 80’s Binder title sequences later on as well. I might be their biggest fan. I just love to be transported to imagery typical of that decade, and they all deliver for me.
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    I really enjoy all the 80s titles as well, @GoldenGun, and will defend a couple of them quite vigorously myself. The 80s definitely had a style all to its own and that was captured well by Binder.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    While it's definitely not one of the best ones, I do think Binder managed to go out on a bit of a better note with his Dalton sequences.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,198
    It certainly looks not too bad, however, after the first minute it becomes a bit uninspired. I had it at #20.

    In defense for Maurice Binder one could say that it was certainly quite difficult to connect the 80s Bond films with a specific plot element such as "gold" in GF, "water" in TB, volcanos in "YOLT", "diamonds" in DAF, "Voodoo" in LALD or "the golden gun" in TMWTGG. The earlier Binder titels benefited from these obvious plot elements....
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    GBF wrote: »
    It certainly looks not too bad, however, after the first minute it becomes a bit uninspired. I had it at #20.

    In defense for Maurice Binder one could say that it was certainly quite difficult to connect the 80s Bond films with a specific plot element such as "gold" in GF, "water" in TB, volcanos in "YOLT", "diamonds" in DAF, "Voodoo" in LALD or "the golden gun" in TMWTGG. The earlier Binder titels benefited from these obvious plot elements....

    This made me think about title sequences that would fit other Bond films than the one they were made for.

    AVTAK for OHMSS or FYEO, though the latter would fit the obvious 80’s-style better than the former.

    TWINE for QOS with the oil theme, even though there is none as we learn later on in the film, maybe to mislead the audience it would work.

    TND for AVTAK, think I saw some microchips in there…

    SP for OP for obvious reasons.

    LTK’s casino theme might suit CR, though I know that one is much more popular than this one, so I’ll leave it there.

    I’m sure there are more.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,677
    Q's bag of tricks included three different camera brands (not including the Olympus seen in the titles) but it did seem odd why the theme would carry through. I find it hard to believe that Binder would struggle to symbolise 'revenge', but perhaps having the inclusion of camera and film reels of Hsu pointed towards Bond's revenge of Sanchez with the camera rifle, and subsequent failure.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,198
    Indeed, he could have used the octopus much more for the OP titles. It is actually not too hard to come to this conclusion :-) With regard to TLD, I wonder why he did not include the cello or the rifle from the sniper scene. Probably these were the elements that stand out the most in the later film.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I had LTK exactly at this spot, too. It is fine, just nothing special.
  • GeneralGogolGeneralGogol
    Posts: 928
    I used to think the lady in the beginning of LTK's titles was Maryam d'Abo!
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,537
    GeneralGogol wrote: »
    I used to think the lady in the beginning of LTK's titles was Maryam d'Abo!

    You're right. She does look a bit like her!
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    Next up, at number 23:

    THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
    Main title sequence designed by
    MAURICE BINDER

    tmwtgg_c.jpg?k=26728223ef

    The second Moore outing received five bottom 5’s, four of those were 24th places and one was a penultimate spot.

    TMWTGG’s titles has a few fans nonetheless as well, its biggest fans gave it one 9th and one 10th spot.

    In total TMWTGG’s title sequence collected 58 points.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,254
    I like the girls dancing to the beat of the song. Other than that, a forgettable sequence.
  • Mathis1Mathis1
    Posts: 7,537
    I had this second last! Really is nothing to remember in it. Binder had an ideal prop in the Golden Gun, could have made a lot more of it!
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,011
    It's nowhere near the worst, I actually ranked it at 13th. I love the usage of colors and the girls, but beyond that, quite generic.
  • ProfJoeButcherProfJoeButcher Bless your heart
    edited February 2022 Posts: 1,714
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    It's nowhere near the worst, I actually ranked it at 13th. I love the usage of colors and the girls, but beyond that, quite generic.

    I agree with this. Love the colors and the girls. The title sequence matches the bit of sleaze in the song, and really, in the film itself. I had it at 16th, but maybe I should have gone a little higher....
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    As others have said, it's mainly views of static girls and the title gun seen through rippling water. The one part where it really comes alive is with the spray of red sparks in that shot above. Binder has done more interesting work.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,865
    I had the title sequence for TMWTGG at number 19.

    To these – admittedly – uniformed eyes, Binder’s work here seems to echo that of LALD. And it pales in comparison.

    BTW @DarthDimi, the girl (from about 1:35 in) isn’t merely dancing to the music….she is grinding to it 😊. Someday, someone should interview the models that Binder used for these title sequences and get their recollections. I remember 007 magazine doing an article on Binder some years ago which featured several behind the scenes photos.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,207
    With the golden gun prop, my favourite Bond film gadget (hence the nickname), lots of colours, that watery title effect and the usual elegant models, TMWTGG is another lesser-liked title sequence that I personally enjoy a lot.

    It came in at 9 for me, which makes me its biggest fan.
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