But this thread is about Stacey Sutton, not the whole film...
Exactly. Some people seem to be conflating dislike for Stacy Sutton with dislike or indifference on the film. Personally, it isn't in my bottom five or my top five, and I really liked Max Zorin as a villain (possibly top five on my villains list...since Franz Sanchez, Alec Trevelyan, Rosa Klebb, and Raoul Silva have the top four spots, but my fifth spot sorta changes around). However, I view Stacy Sutton as probably the worst Bond girl, period. Let me state this loud and clear: attacking Stacy Sutton isn't attacking AVTAK, at least from my point of view.
Um ... no Bond girls with 9-to-5 job (draws a paycheck)?
Honey Ryder (sells seashells and such for the tourist trade; "This shell is worth fifty dollars in Miami, FIFTY!")
Tatiana (cipher clerk, Soviet diplomatic corps or something)
Jill Masterson (escort)
Pussy Galore (professional charter pilot, leads the PG Flying Circus acrobatic aerial demonstration team)
Patricia Fearing (physical therapist at Shrublands)
Aki (SIS agent)
Kissy (Ama diving girl)
Tiffany Case (diamond smuggler, okay not a "9 to 5" job, but...)
Rosie Carver (CIA field op)
Solitaire (paid fortune teller for Kananga)
Mary Goodnight (00 branch operative or something; in the books she was the 00 branch secretary)
As Holden said in BLADE RUNNER, "Shall we continue? "
Um ... no Bond girls with 9-to-5 job (draws a paycheck)?
Honey Ryder (sells seashells and such for the tourist trade; "This shell is worth fifty dollars in Miami, FIFTY!")
Tatiana (cipher clerk, Soviet diplomatic corps or something)
Jill Masterson (escort)
Pussy Galore (professional charter pilot, leads the PG Flying Circus acrobatic aerial demonstration team)
Patricia Fearing (physical therapist at Shrublands)
Aki (SIS agent)
Kissy (Ama diving girl)
Tiffany Case (diamond smuggler, okay not a "9 to 5" job, but...)
Rosie Carver (CIA field op)
Solitaire (paid fortune teller for Kananga)
Mary Goodnight (00 branch operative or something; in the books she was the 00 branch secretary)
As Holden said in BLADE RUNNER, "Shall we continue? "
I feel like at least half of these aren't what you'd call a 9 to 5 job...
I've read various complaints over the years about AVTAK Stacy Sutton being the worst Bond girl ever. I've heard the arguments, but honestly don't agree. She's not a noticeably worse actress than Barbara Bach or Lois Chiles.
I would say that Lois Chiles is better than Tanya Roberts and Barbara Bach is worse . . . as far as performances go. However, I did like Roberts' performance anyway.
She's very pretty, and has great eyes...And that's about it. I don't know if she's the worst Bond girl ever. I love "LTK", and even I can admit that she's not very good in portions of that film. Roberts is definitely on the low end of the spectrum, and having rewatched 'AVTAK' recently, I'll admit being tempted to forward past her stuff and to Walken's scenes.
I don't know what the answer is, nor do I make that claim. I don't know if the character would have been better in another actress' hands, or needed rewritten entirely. And those that like her, that's cool. No one's tastes are exactly the same.
Slightly off topic, but is Bond the worst spy ever in AVTAK? I guess I was so enamored with Walken on earlier viewings that I didn't notice, but watching it again I couldn't help but notice what a total bungler Bond is while he's at Zorin's estate. When the man you're shadowing pulls his head of security over and tells him to watch you closely just three minutes after meeting you for the first time, you've done something wrong, Mr. Bond.
When Zorin says, "If you're the best they've got, they're more likely try and cover up your embarrassing incompetence." I couldn't help but agree with Zorin.
But you want to know the unkindest cut of all? The two disc ultimate edition DVDs feature Bond on the feature film, and usually the lead actress with Bond on the cover. Not only was poor Tanya not on the DVD cover, she was replaced by Grace Jones. That in itself wouldn't be so bad, but on the DVD cover she's replaced with Mayday. And on the supplemental features disc, she's again preempted by May Day.
She's not a noticeably worse actress than Barbara Bach or Lois Chiles. In fact, her often criticized screaming elevator scene is a welcome burst of sheer terror in the Bond films. Whereas Bach and Chiles seemed unusually calm for their various life-threatening situations.
I also enjoy the fantasy aspect of the Bond girl in need of rescue. Stacey delivers this in spades. But she's not a bimbo like Mary Goodnight, In fact, Stacy was quite brave to wield a shotgun loaded with rock salt. That's a great self-defense weapon that she would believably be using.
Stacy is the first Bond girl to be seen holding down a regular 9-5 day job . . . . We also spend quite a bit of time in Stacy's house and see her feeding the cats and discussing her dad's ashes on the mantlepiece. Another touching scene is when she gets flustered after being fired and Bond tries to comfort her. Stacy the most human and down-to-earth out of all the Bond girls. Far from useless, her geology background helped Bond out quite a bit once inside Zorin's mine shaft. . .
Looks are also very important and good heavens Stacy is gorgeous. Those dreamy blue eyes and pale blonde hair is enough to make her one of my favorites regardless of anything else personality wise. . . .
You're preaching to the choir with me, Firemass. Well done. Stacy is indeed all you insightfully portray her as being.
And she does rather have a Valkyrie-like quality in her blonde, buxom, statuesque appearance and amazonian determination, perhaps furthered by the reference that valkyrja rode pegasus-like . . . steeds! -{
Well, Bond usually shows up to yank the villain's chain a bit and goad him into making a mistake. It's like baiting the schoolmaster. It doesn't belong in Craig's world, though actually he does flag himself up to Le Chiffre (not that he needs to if Vesper is letting him know what Bond is up to) and gets pulled down for being on an ego trip.
I like Stacey. She's one of the rarest types of character in the Bond series - a normal person. Natalya and maybe Kara are the only others I can think of.
Comments
Yes, my knighted friend...beddybies from me!
Exactly. Some people seem to be conflating dislike for Stacy Sutton with dislike or indifference on the film. Personally, it isn't in my bottom five or my top five, and I really liked Max Zorin as a villain (possibly top five on my villains list...since Franz Sanchez, Alec Trevelyan, Rosa Klebb, and Raoul Silva have the top four spots, but my fifth spot sorta changes around). However, I view Stacy Sutton as probably the worst Bond girl, period. Let me state this loud and clear: attacking Stacy Sutton isn't attacking AVTAK, at least from my point of view.
Honey Ryder (sells seashells and such for the tourist trade; "This shell is worth fifty dollars in Miami, FIFTY!")
Tatiana (cipher clerk, Soviet diplomatic corps or something)
Jill Masterson (escort)
Pussy Galore (professional charter pilot, leads the PG Flying Circus acrobatic aerial demonstration team)
Patricia Fearing (physical therapist at Shrublands)
Aki (SIS agent)
Kissy (Ama diving girl)
Tiffany Case (diamond smuggler, okay not a "9 to 5" job, but...)
Rosie Carver (CIA field op)
Solitaire (paid fortune teller for Kananga)
Mary Goodnight (00 branch operative or something; in the books she was the 00 branch secretary)
As Holden said in BLADE RUNNER, "Shall we continue?
“It reads better than it lives.” T. Case
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I feel like at least half of these aren't what you'd call a 9 to 5 job...
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
I would say that Lois Chiles is better than Tanya Roberts and Barbara Bach is worse . . . as far as performances go. However, I did like Roberts' performance anyway.
I don't know what the answer is, nor do I make that claim. I don't know if the character would have been better in another actress' hands, or needed rewritten entirely. And those that like her, that's cool. No one's tastes are exactly the same.
Slightly off topic, but is Bond the worst spy ever in AVTAK? I guess I was so enamored with Walken on earlier viewings that I didn't notice, but watching it again I couldn't help but notice what a total bungler Bond is while he's at Zorin's estate. When the man you're shadowing pulls his head of security over and tells him to watch you closely just three minutes after meeting you for the first time, you've done something wrong, Mr. Bond.
When Zorin says, "If you're the best they've got, they're more likely try and cover up your embarrassing incompetence." I couldn't help but agree with Zorin.
But you want to know the unkindest cut of all? The two disc ultimate edition DVDs feature Bond on the feature film, and usually the lead actress with Bond on the cover. Not only was poor Tanya not on the DVD cover, she was replaced by Grace Jones. That in itself wouldn't be so bad, but on the DVD cover she's replaced with Mayday. And on the supplemental features disc, she's again preempted by May Day.
You're preaching to the choir with me, Firemass. Well done. Stacy is indeed all you insightfully portray her as being.
And she does rather have a Valkyrie-like quality in her blonde, buxom, statuesque appearance and amazonian determination, perhaps furthered by the reference that valkyrja rode pegasus-like . . . steeds! -{
~sb~
What are you, some kind of Doomsday Machine?
Roger Moore 1927-2017
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
And thumps Dr. Mortner over the head with afire extinguisher. Stacy kicks butt.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
11- TB. 12- OP. 13- LALD. 14- TMWTGG. 15- FYEO. 16- YOLT. 17- TND. 18- QoS.
19- TWINE. 20- AVTAK. 21- MR. 22- DAF. 23- DAD.