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Your favorite Ken Adam set?

DaltonforyouDaltonforyou The Daltonator
edited November 2014 in Bond Movies Posts: 556
Which set from DN, GF, TB, YOLT, DAF, SWLM, or MR is your favorite?

I'll kick it off with mine, the YOLT volcano. When i first saw YOLT, i was mesmerized when the volcano lair came into view.
I thought the architectural design of the volcano created a great atmosphere for what a villains lair should be. Whats yours?
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Comments

  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    Well it's got to be the volcano, hasn't it?

    Fort Knox is a close second and, out of left field, the tarantula room in DN is my pick for third.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    Well it's got to be the volcano, hasn't it?

    Fort Knox is a close second and, out of left field, the tarantula room in DN is my pick for third.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 10,512
    There are so many, but these are three of my favourites...

    1. The Spider Room - the vacant room Dent finds himself in, with the circular grill suspended above. It shows what an utter genius the man is. How do you make a scene where a man picks up a spider interesting, you stick him in a Ken Adam set. It's the first moment in the franchise where we're afforded a glimpse at what is to come. I still regard it as the quintessential Adam set.

    2. SPECTRE H.Q. Paris - It still looks modern today and exemplifies the expansive forced perspective that defines a lot of his work. One of my favourite scenes and sets in the canon and easily the best scene and design work in TB.

    3.Tiger Tanaka's Office - Brutalist, yet beautiful. Every little detail brilliantly realised, right down to the orb-like video screens. Again, where another designer may have had traditional screens, Adam goes off-piste.

    If only Van Hoytema were able to frame the sets Adam delivered. He was a master of the screen.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    My top 5.

    1. Liparis: Just a stunning set all around. The kind of place I'd want to visit and never leave.

    2. Blofeld's Volcano: Another great set. The fact a set that huge was even built in the first place is astonishing.

    3. Dr. No's reactor room. I love the simplicity of it's design. With a few minor changes it could easily be a sweet bachelor's pad.

    4. Moonraker Space Station: Who wouldn't want to spend hours walking around that?

    5. Fort Knox Gold Room: Need I say more?
  • jobojobo
    edited November 2014 Posts: 7,507
    Its almost an insult to pick one favourite over the other. There are far too many great sets!

    However I think the "Tarantela room" is the perfect demonstration of his genius. So simple, yet so mesmerizing, so cool, so effective!
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Very difficult question to answer.

    Stand out sets from;

    DN -
    RC7 wrote: »
    There are so many, but these are three of my favourites...

    The Spider Room - the vacant room Dent finds himself in, with the circular grill suspended above. It shows what an utter genius the man is. How do you make a scene where a man picks up a spider interesting, you stick him in a Ken Adam set. It's the first moment in the franchise where we're afforded a glimpse at what is to come. I still regard it as the quintessential Adam set.
    Yes!

    GF - What else but the Fort Knox set. Incredible.

    TB - SPECTRE HQ

    YOLT - so many! But Blofeld's volcano lair.

    DAF - The Whyte House

    Spy - Atlantis

    MR - Drax's diagonal control room in the Amazon. Simply breathtaking.



  • doubleohdaddoubleohdad
    Posts: 1,146
    I had the privilege of meeting Ken Adam on the Paramount studios lot in the early '90's. A very kind man with lots of style.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    I really can't decide which one is my favourite, but I am partial for Fort Knox, the volcano and Liparus.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2014 Posts: 23,883
    MR - spacestation - because it made me want to go there (to space I mean)

    YOLT - volcano - just because of the sheer audacity of vision. Amazing

    GF - Fort Knox - I was saddened to learn that it was just a set because it was so good.

    TSWLM - Tanker - incredible

    TB - Spectre hq

    YOLT - Tanaka's lair

    This was the time when Bond set the standard in this area. I always looked forward to his sets when watching Bond as a kid, and I missed it terribly in FYEO (which is why I rank it as one my lowest finales).

    They have not come close since Adam left (maybe the GE finale lair came closest) and the man is sorely missed.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    Posts: 3,369
    MR control center is awe inspiring. The space station itself is quite impressive.

    Spectre Lair in Thunderball

    Spectre Lair in YOLT

    TSWLM is one of my favorites and while when I look at it, it's not the same spectacle as the others, the sheer size of it is impressive.
  • AnonAnon
    Posts: 246
    Outside the OP's restrictions, but worth mentioning I think is Ken Adam's set for the war room in dr strangelove. It seems even more 'bondian' than his work in the bond films to me. And pre-dates much of it too.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    Anon wrote: »
    Outside the OP's restrictions, but worth mentioning I think is Ken Adam's set for the war room in dr strangelove. It seems even more 'bondian' than his work in the bond films to me. And pre-dates much of it too.
    Yes.
    They stole him from FRWL...
    ;)
  • AnonAnon
    Posts: 246
    You can forgive Kubrick for that I hope - particularly after he helped out with a lighting headache down the line. Was it the volcano lair or the sub-eating tanker or something else?
  • Some_Kind_Of_HeroSome_Kind_Of_Hero
    Posts: 6,844
    Anon wrote: »
    You can forgive Kubrick for that I hope - particularly after he helped out with a lighting headache down the line. Was it the volcano lair or the sub-eating tanker or something else?

    It was the sub-eating tanker.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    One reason why TSWLM rules!
  • AnonAnon
    Posts: 246
    As far as set design goes YOLT and TSWLM are the two that produced news headlines purely because of the unprecedented scale and design of the volcano and the tanker sets respectively. And those headlines were quite apart from the usual juggernaut of press activity around Bond movies it seemed to me. Must have been pretty flattering for Ken Adam.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,994
    If I have to chose only one set among the great ones he designed, I would go for the Liparus. No question.
  • StirredNotShakenStirredNotShaken Toronto
    Posts: 2,402
    Gerard wrote: »
    If I have to chose only one set among the great ones he designed, I would go for the Liparus. No question.

    I always forget the Liparus!
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,801
    The Volcano lair is surely the most impressive, but the Liparus is the most beautiful IMO. I clearly remember all the whoopla back in the day about it being the largest indoor water set in history...
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    Posts: 4,399
    probably the Moonraker Control Room

    Moonraker-671_zpsf3d2d30c.jpg

    i love how it mimics a cathedral, with all the TV screens looking like abstract stained glass windows, Drax's chair being a pulpit, and the flower in the orb replacing the crucifix... just an ingenious set.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited November 2014 Posts: 23,883
    I forgot how amazing that set was. A true work of art.

    These are some of the reasons I still rate MR quite highly despite the low score it gets on this site. It was a very ambitious project and it paid off financially for EON. The last time they were ever this audacious (and no, I don't count DAD). Bring the 70's back!
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    A couple I love are.
    The Moonraker control room and Blofeld's private quarters in YOLT.
    In fact far too many to mention ! ;)
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    A toss up between the YOLT volcano and the TSWLM Liparus Super Tanker.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    DN. Both the tarantula room and the dining room are brilliant.
  • timmertimmer
    edited November 2014 Posts: 4,622
    They are all excellent.

    1. The Spectre Volcano. That he would go to such trouble to build such a full scale design. I guess at the time, the challenge was to make each film bigger than the previous. I think they maxed out with YOLT. That set has not been topped IMO.

    2. TSWLM sets for both Liparus and Atlantis. Spectacular and again so large scale.

    3. The Moonraker space station and Amazon launch facility. He almost outdid YOLT here.

    The Adam-Lewis Gilbert films made for ultimate-Bond set design.
  • ClarkDevlinClarkDevlin Martinis, Girls and Guns
    Posts: 15,423
    timmer wrote: »
    They are all excellent.

    1. The Spectre Volcano. That he would go to such trouble to build such a full scale design. I guess at the time, the challenge was to make each film bigger than the previous. I think they maxed out with YOLT. That set has not been topped IMO.

    2. TSWLM sets for both Liparus and Atlantis. Spectacular and again so large scale.

    3. The Moonraker space station and Amazon launch facility. He almost outdid YOLT here.

    The Adam-Lewis Gilbert films made for ultimate-Bond set design.
    This! Nuff Said! :D
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Wonder how his apartment looks like. Are there any pictures on the alltimefav web?
  • doubleohdaddoubleohdad
    Posts: 1,146
    The Volcano set might be the quintessential Bond set.
  • MooseWithFleasMooseWithFleas Philadelphia
    edited November 2014 Posts: 3,369
    HASEROT wrote: »
    probably the Moonraker Control Room

    Moonraker-671_zpsf3d2d30c.jpg

    i love how it mimics a cathedral, with all the TV screens looking like abstract stained glass windows, Drax's chair being a pulpit, and the flower in the orb replacing the crucifix... just an ingenious set.

    Drooooooool. So good!
  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    I've never actually made that comparison before, but, it does look like a cathedral. I'll be damned.
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