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Tell us all about your BONDATHON

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  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @MayDayDiVicenzo, he does utter a few lines throughout, I'll give him that. I always love him schooling Goldfinger in the finale about firing the revolver in the airplane, telling him he also had to warn Pussy about doing that.
  • suavejmfsuavejmf Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England
    edited July 2015 Posts: 5,131
    For me GF is a classic. Not as good as DN, FRWL or TB. But better than all Brozzer and Moores efforts. The pacing is so fast audiences miss the holes in the plot. Connery is effortlessly the best 007 in GF.
  • SharkySharky
    Posts: 266
    I still love GF, I recently done a Bondathon a few months ago and it was still in 3rd place for me, behind FRWL and OHMSS. I still find it thrilling and for me will always be a classic.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    The unthinkable has happened!!!!!!!

    I now rank From Russia With Love higher than Goldfinger.

    20 years ago Thunderball was my favourite Connery movie. 15 years ago it was Goldfinger and stayed there until 5 years ago when FRWL finally got to No 1!

    With each Bondathon I do (every 2 to 3 years when I watch all of them) my ranking gets a little shaked up in places.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @Birdleson, I love doing the same thing with 'The Matador'! Bond has retired off to simply become a hitman, and age has led him to drink more, pick up smoking once again, nail everything in sight, and cuss as much as possible.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I wonder if anyone's ever rescored that car race with different music.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    I watched goldfinger a few days ago. Maybe because I was sleepy but I was bored for most of it. Sure there's great moments and scenes but not that interesting when I watch it from beginning to end. Like Skyfall.

    1. FRWL
    2. DN (close to frwl)
    3. GF

    Next up, TB. A great cast and the funniest one liners in the series. Let's see if the pacing drags this one "underwater"
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Thunderball

    It's good fun, but I've always felt that Thunderball is a middling Bond film- not good enough to make into the top ten, but there is not enough wrong with it to make into the lower realms. There mare many great scenes; any scene with Bond and Fiona, the SPECTRE meeting, some of the underwater sequences, the discourse between Bond and Largo at Palmyra- but there also many plodding scenes that are unnecessary in the longer run; Bond being taken for a ride by Fiona, Bond infiltrating Palmyra, the assassination of Lippe (the continuity in this scene is awful, as well), some of the underwater sequences...

    I like the score, very reminiscent of the underwater theme. Nassau is a great setting, looking lush and beautiful on Blu-Ray. The PTS is amusing, if a bit silly.

    However, I find Domino and Largo quite bland as the leading Bond girl and villain, respectively. Especially coming after the brilliant Pussy Galore and Goldfinger in the eponymous film. I don't think it needs to be said how atrocious the finale is on the Disco Volante- what could have been a great confrontation between Bond and Largo is ruined by that horrid green scene.

    Anyhow, where to rank Thunderball...

    Mayday's Bondathon Summer 2015- The Run-up to SPECTRE

    -FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963)
    -GOLDFINGER (1964)
    -THUNDERBALL (1965)
    -DR. NO (1962)

    Next up- You Only Live Twice
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,400
    Birdleson wrote: »
    It just occurred to me. Even thoug charismatic and well-realized, Silva never seems to be too much of a challenge for 007. There's never any of those moments where I feel that Bond is in real danger.

    The problem with Silva is that he isn't compelling like the Joker was. The Joker's strange mannerisms informed his character. Silva's speech, gestures, tone just seem arbitrary. Like taking cyanide turned him into someone who likes to monologue. Moreover, its never made clear whether Silva wants anarchy or revenge. He wants to kill M, but would he stop there?
    He is a bit of a pantomime villian, he just tends to surface to grimace and cackle at the audience. No development is given to the character because he isn't the real villian, just the physical one. Time is the real villian of the piece I suppose.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    Birdleson wrote: »
    On some thread a few members have been pushing the idea that SKYFALLis a remake of THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN. Though I can see the surface connections (Bond tracks his quarry to Maccau through a piece of customized ammo, Bond shares a lover with his foe who kills her, the Bond Girl with the most screen time is sent by MI6, Bond's opposite number, etc.), I think it was all unintentional. Having said that, I am following SF with TMWTGG in my latest Bond-A-Thon to see if I get that vibe while watching them back-to-back.

    Another connection in my view is that, though not my favorite Bond film from either actor, these are both their best individual portrayals as James Bond (SPECTRE may change this, of course).

    I get more GE (MI6 traitor) and TWINE (M in danger) vibes in Skyfall. But there's several indirect/vague references to / inspirations from previous films...with 22 other movies it's bound to happen.

    - Exploding pen (GE)
    - Palmprint gun (LTK)
    - Bond is dead! Wait he isn't (FRWL, TB, YOLT)
    - Komodo dragon (LALD)
    - DB5 (for nostalgias sake...again)

    I feel Spectre will have scenes inspired by previous films too
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    It's great to see so many people documenting their Bondathons! I've enjoyed reading all of your reviews. Keep them coming!

  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    Watched TB, the fourth film in my marathon. I didn't enjoy it as much as I anticipated. There wasn't any spectacular moments that jumped out at me and to sound like everyone else, the underwater scenes do drag on.

    This is the first film where several points in the narrative doesn't make much sense...big budget takes over sense. In GF the only scene that detracts is the killing gangster/solo sequence. Connery doesn't move and act as well as the preceding films; however, he looks like he's having fun.

    One thing I love is some of the dialogue, and Fiona Volpe. The score is great but gets too intense sometimes...can irritate when you're about to fall asleep from the underwater scenes. Both the theme songs are great, in the worded versions and the calmer versions heard throughout the film.

    It's still a good film, but I feel I may enjoy some of the nonsensical entries more this time around.

    Ranking so far:
    1. FRWL
    2. DN
    3. GF
    4. TB
  • eddychaputeddychaput Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 364
    I feel as though I'm the only person that enjoys the underwater scenes in TB. They look pretty great, especially the action-packed climax.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @eddychaput, I love them, and they're some of my favorite scenes in TB. Never understood the hate for them, but then again, I'm a big fan of TB.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    @Creasy47

    Are you still doing this?

    "So the suggestions so far are:

    # of instances Bond is greeted ("We've been expecting you," etc.) by a villain.
    # of instances Bond interrupts a woman's shower/bath.
    # of instances Bond says/is told "You're late." to some extent.
    # of instances Sir Rog raises eyebrows/smiles at the villains.

    I may try out the first two so I have something to constantly watch out for, and save the Moore ones for a different time. Any other suggestions?"
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    How often do you cringe?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @PropertyOfALady, I remembered saying something about doing those whenever I started my Bondathon, but I'm already to TB and totally forgot. If you or anyone else wants to go for it, feel free. I kind of wanted to have a straight through marathon without having to look out for anything, as I was always pausing the last time to type up all of my thoughts on the scenes. I am, however, doing the 'numbers' count whenever I reach TWINE.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,718
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    How often do you cringe?

    Every time I see your username in a Brosnan related thread. ;)

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Hahaha!
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    @PropertyOfALady, I remembered saying something about doing those whenever I started my Bondathon, but I'm already to TB and totally forgot. If you or anyone else wants to go for it, feel free. I kind of wanted to have a straight through marathon without having to look out for anything, as I was always pausing the last time to type up all of my thoughts on the scenes. I am, however, doing the 'numbers' count whenever I reach TWINE.

    Haha! That's okay, we all forget sometimes. :D
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,976
    @PropertyOfALady, we'll chalk it up to a bad memory and laziness. ;)

    Actually, since there's one dedicated to Sir Rog's films, I'll try and do a count on how many times he raises his eyebrows/smiles at the villains. Should the former bit also be included for only him raising his eyebrows at villains, or in general?
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I think in general would be better. Sir Rog said he had three expressions: Left eybrow up, left eyebrow down, and smile.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited August 2015 Posts: 40,976
    PropertyOfALady wrote: »
    I think in general would be better. Sir Rog said he had three expressions: Left eybrow up, left eyebrow down, and smile.

    I'll keep an eye out for it, then! Starting TB now and hoping to watch another one after that so I can play catch up. Haven't watched one in a day or two.

    Thunderball

    Well, I loved it just as much as I always do! My only complaints are with editing and errors that really stand out to me (like the fast forwarding in certain parts, awkward dubbing and mismatched mouth-to-dialogue moments, the fact that Bond's leg wound changes legs - and disappears entirely, or that some of the Junkanoo festival members have 007 hats on), but they don't necessarily ruin the film for me, just simply moments that awkwardly stand out. Bond is as cool as always and we're given more beautifully scenic locales that he manages to fit right into, along with some great villains and action sequences.

    2015 Bondathon Ranking:
    1.) DN
    2.) FRWL
    3.) TB
    4.) GF
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    edited August 2015 Posts: 40,976
    @Birdleson, hopefully, indeed. I think the next time I do a Bondathon, I want to try and do it in a totally random order to see how that goes, instead of tackling it chronologically.

    I was going to tackle YOLT next, but I'm really hooked on a Stephen Hawking documentary right now, so I'll save it for tomorrow.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Just finishing up Tomorrow Never Dies. Not as good as GoldenEye but a fine flick none the less. While not an original film, It was fun piecing together what elements from the previous films were used in putting this film together. It's got a little bit of everything in here. It's got some Thunderball with some of The Spy Who Loved me mixed in with some You Only Live Twice with a dash of Moonraker and The Man With The Golden Gun. This is the greatest hits Bond movie but that's not a bad thing. It's certainly fun and entertaining. I certainly wasn't disappointed. But I'm not being biased. I has gone down a bit in my ranking. Pierce was smooth. I loved his scenes in the hotel where he's downing shots of Vodka. Pure Fleming moment there. But early on Bond is a bit incompetent, blatantly blowing his own cover trying to show up Carver with the sinking of the Devinshire. Some of the one liners could have been toned down or removed altogether but that's a minor quibble. The acting was fine. Paris wasn't as annoying but could have used a better actress. Though I'm glad they didn't use Natalya as was originally intended. After GoldenEye I really couldn't see her being with someone like Carver. He's too much like Boris and we all know how she felt about him. :))

    All in all the film is fine. It's a Moore film in the 90's but still very enjoyable. GoldenEye was a fine steak dinner with champagne. Tomorrow Never Dies was a delicious cheese burger with some soda. Next up is The World is Not Enough and if I'm feeling generous Die Another Day. Until next time.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    GoldenEye.
    For Your Eyes Only.
    The Spy Who Loved Me.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    Live and Let Die.
    From Russia With Love.
    Tomorrow Never Dies.
    Licence To Kill.
    Moonraker.
    Octopussy.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    The Living Daylights.
    A View To A Kill.
    The Man With The Golden Gun.
    You Only Live Twice.
  • eddychaputeddychaput Montreal, Canada
    Posts: 364
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    @eddychaput, I love them, and they're some of my favorite scenes in TB. Never understood the hate for them, but then again, I'm a big fan of TB.

    High five!

  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Just finished The World is Not Enough. I never understood the hate this movie got. It's a very good Bond film. Brosnan is at his best here too. He's a lot more brutal in it as well. I dare say this is Pierce's best performance. The story is rather interesting too. The twist with Elektra being the villain is very well played. Everybody does their best here, even Denise Richards who isn't even annoying in this. She does her part just fine. She's not played up either. She's there and does her job. Though credit has to be given to Brosnan and Sophie Marceau. They have excellent chemistry together. I've said this before in a previous review of this movie, but I believe this is Brosnan's OHMSS. It has some great subtle callbacks to that film. Elektra asking if Bond lost a loved one and Brosnan's hesitation to answer the question and ultimately ignoring her, is a great moment. You just know it's a callback to Tracy. The ski scene before the Para-hawks arrive is a nice little homage to OHMSS as well. Brosnan really got to shine in this film. Elektra is an excellent character as well as villain. She knows when to make herself vulnerable before striking. It's interesting that Bond feels sorry for her and ultimately falls in love. It's as if he's found a new Tracy ultimately to find a Blofeld like enemy. A wolf in sheep's clothing. I do admit the action scenes are a bit contrived and staged looking but that doesn't damage the film for me in any way. I wish the finale between Bond and Renard was a little more brutal and fierce, but Bond's sadism when he kills him. "She's waiting for you!" is one of my favorite Brosnan moments and rather satisfying.

    I also must address the criticism of the scene where Brosnan calls out Elektra. I don't find it sappy or melodramatic at all. It's nowhere near as annoying as the many "Trust Issue" scenes with M and Bond in the Craig films, Or Bond and Paris' first scene together. In fact it's more like the scene in The Living Daylights where Bond reveals to Kara he's after Koskov. Whatever weak links this movie has, Brosnan isn't one of them. Now it's closing time. The night is still young and I'm feeling another film is in order. It's time to finish Brosnan's era with Die Another Day.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    GoldenEye.
    For Your Eyes Only.
    The Spy Who Loved Me.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    The World is Not Enough.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    Live and Let Die.
    From Russia With Love.
    Tomorrow Never Dies.
    Licence To Kill.
    Moonraker.
    Octopussy.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    The Living Daylights.
    A View To A Kill.
    The Man With The Golden Gun.
    You Only Live Twice.
  • FoxRoxFoxRox
    edited August 2015 Posts: 12,473
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I agree that TWINE is a much better Bond film than it seems to get recognized for. For a long while it was my favorite from the Brosnan era. The main problem is that after Elektra is killed I find myself just wanting the thing to end.

    This is a good point. I also find myself a lot more uninterested once Elektra dies. But TWINE is still a solid Bond film with way too much hate behind it - for me it's easily better than TND and DAD.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    edited August 2015 Posts: 16,351
    I've just concluded the Brosnan era with Die Another Day and I'm a little drunk so bare with me. It's no secret that Pierce Brosnan is my favorite Bond and it's no secret that this film is bad. I don't hate Die Another Day but what the hell happened? Who was EON trying to compete with in 2002? Attack of the Clones? My god this movie defies reality. Then again I knew this so why am I so surprised? What was Michael and Barbara thinking...? Anyway, It's entertaining enough but wow was my suspension of disbelief broken.



    What I liked about Die Another Day.
    The Pre-title sequence.
    Pierce Brosnan. He's the only reason I watch this movie.
    The Iceland car chase battle.
    The scenes in Cuba. (Excluding scenes with Jinx and the Gene Therapy hospital.
    The scene between Bond and General Moon. I wish we could have seen more of them, that was more interesting then almost everything else in the movie.
    Bond throwing away his cyanide years ago line.
    The use of the Dr. No gunbarrel sound effects when Bond escapes from the British Warship.
    David Arnold's Score.


    What I didn't like about Die Another Day.
    EVERYTHING ELSE!

    Yeah...so I'm going to wrap this up. Die Another Day, the curious case of what the hell EON? Okay so I'm exaggerating a little...okay maybe not. It just beats the Living Daylights because it's villains were more menacing than Koskov and Whittaker. I might take a few days off to recharge my Bond batteries and finish up with Craig's films. until next time.

    MURDOCK'S BONDATHON RANKING.
    GoldenEye.
    For Your Eyes Only.
    The Spy Who Loved Me.
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
    The World is Not Enough.
    Thunderball.
    Dr. No.
    Live and Let Die.
    From Russia With Love.
    Tomorrow Never Dies.
    Licence To Kill.
    Moonraker.
    Octopussy.
    Goldfinger.
    Diamonds Are Forever.
    Die Another Day.
    The Living Daylights.
    A View To A Kill.
    The Man With The Golden Gun.
    You Only Live Twice.
  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    My only complaints are with editing and errors that really stand out to me (like the fast forwarding in certain parts, awkward dubbing and mismatched mouth-to-dialogue moments, the fact that Bond's leg wound changes legs - and disappears entirely, or that some of the Junkanoo festival members have 007 hats on), but they don't necessarily ruin the film for me, just simply moments that awkwardly stand out. Bond is as cool as always and we're given more beautifully scenic locales that he manages to fit right into, along with some great villains and action sequences.

    I noticed that too, firstly in the fight with Bouvar, or is that Bond, I'm a little confused, when the fight jumps a few frames. It happens a few times during the movie, but doesn't distract. I didn't notice major continuity errors (like in Lippe's death as someone mentioned) that took away from the experience.

    There were a few narrative issues/conveniences like Bond punching Felix for saying 007 then saying it himself in front of the henchman moments later. Again not a huge issue.
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