Now, the odd thing is that in many ways this has the hallmarks of a perfect Bond film esp the pre-credits. That opening shot of the dam that seems to go on forever to emphasise its height, for instance. The editing and the perfect intro of Brosnan (wasn't he young back then? X-( Weren't we all?)
And the cinematography by Phil Meyeux is a joy - the film has a sort of metallic sheen, a glow. The dam walls seem to almost sparkle.
But soon enough the sheer stupidity of the film grabs you, like a big sloppy kiss from President Trump.
It's like a woman on a Tinder date who finds him smart, handsome and all the right moves in bed - but also quite thick and more than a little creepy.
If 006 is a double agent and the mission is set up to fail, why not just shoot Bond as soon as he sees him? Why go through the charade of having him plant the bomb, and why would 006 shoot all those Russian soldiers and put himself at needless risk? I know 006 is a ruthless bad guy anyway, but it's all unnecessary.
Why the charade of him kneeling to lure Bond out? He had Bond all along.
But even watching for the first time when you don't know all this it's dumb. All that 'For England, James?' stuff might work if said in a jokey, lads sending it up way. It's so po-faced even England captain Harry Kane would baulk at it prior a World Cup final.
Why would Bond be lured out because 006 is captured, just so he too can be shot? But having been lured out, why do they then shoot 006? And then be unable to shoot Bond jumping back into hiding?
And after the visually spectacular opening bungee, the freefall into the aeroplane is pure rubbish!
Can't get on with Serena Gordon's turn in the Aston, it's too much broad comedy and not funny enough. I can see what they were trying for but the line delivery of both her and Brosnan is all off. 'Very thorough evaluation...' it's creepy.
Then there's the full-on shooting of innocents, not just Russian soldiers but everyone, put alongside naff jokes just makes the film rather distasteful. Shame really, because otherwise the film punches above its weight or budget as a spectacle. As this was a box office smash, how odd that its follow-up Tomorrow Never Dies didn't look more expensive, save perhaps its its - it looked a bit dull and scrappy.
Now, the odd thing is that in many ways this has the hallmarks of a perfect Bond film esp the pre-credits. That opening shot of the dam that seems to go on forever to emphasise its height, for instance. The editing and the perfect intro of Brosnan (wasn't he young back then? X-( Weren't we all?)
And the cinematography by Phil Meyeux is a joy - the film has a sort of metallic sheen, a glow. The dam walls seem to almost sparkle.
But soon enough the sheer stupidity of the film grabs you, like a big sloppy kiss from President Trump.
It's like a woman on a Tinder date who finds him smart, handsome and all the right moves in bed - but also quite thick and more than a little creepy.
If 006 is a double agent and the mission is set up to fail, why not just shoot Bond as soon as he sees him? Why go through the charade of having him plant the bomb, and why would 006 shoot all those Russian soldiers and put himself at needless risk? I know 006 is a ruthless bad guy anyway, but it's all unnecessary.
Why the charade of him kneeling to lure Bond out? He had Bond all along.
But even watching for the first time when you don't know all this it's dumb. All that 'For England, James?' stuff might work if said in a jokey, lads sending it up way. It's so po-faced even England captain Harry Kane would baulk at it prior a World Cup final.
Why would Bond be lured out because 006 is captured, just so he too can be shot? But having been lured out, why do they then shoot 006? And then be unable to shoot Bond jumping back into hiding?
And after the visually spectacular opening bungee, the freefall into the aeroplane is pure rubbish!
Can't get on with Serena Gordon's turn in the Aston, it's too much broad comedy and not funny enough. I can see what they were trying for but the line delivery of both her and Brosnan is all off. 'Very thorough evaluation...' it's creepy.
Then there's the full-on shooting of innocents, not just Russian soldiers but everyone, put alongside naff jokes just makes the film rather distasteful. Shame really, because otherwise the film punches above its weight or budget as a spectacle. As this was a box office smash, how odd that its follow-up Tomorrow Never Dies didn't look more expensive, save perhaps its its - it looked a bit dull and scrappy.
The setup of faking 006's death only makes sense if the plan is to let Bond escape. It's difficult to tell if that is the plan.
I always thought GoldenEye's video game adaptation was more successful than the film itself.
That would make sense if it was a sort of defection for 006, to go over to Ourmov while having the Brits think he's dead. Naturally Bond is allowed to escape - as you say - to report 006's death and the bomb is defused in time.
That way Alec and Ourmov can plot their future shenangans with one of them off the radar.
"As this was a box office smash, how odd that its follow-up Tomorrow Never Dies didn't look more expensive, save perhaps its its - it looked a bit dull and scrappy."
I think most of this can be put down to Martin Campbell, who delivers one of the series' most dynamic directing turns on GoldenEye. Spottiswoode's contributions to TND, on the other hand, tend to come across as slightly more workmanlike, despite that film's higher budget.
"Meant to write, 'except for TND's its which is pea tea ess corrected to its, I meant pre-credits' "
Ah, that makes a bit more sense. :007) I get what you mean, TND does have one of the more impressive pre-title sequences of the series. The fighter plane duel is an action highlight of the film for me.
I've tried to pay tribute to Sean, by watching Goldfinger. Got to the golf scene and i couldn't watch it anymore. Maybe it's too soon to be able to watch one of his films.
I'm still trying to proccess it.i can't believe Sean is gone.
Have you ever heard of the Emancipation Proclamation?"
Once again watched OHMSS, it and Casino Royale are my favourite Bonds, and thought
How far ahead of its time it was. It could be made today with Daniel and almost no
changes needed. Like the DC tenure Bond shows his vulnerable more human side and
Tracy is a very strong character.
"I've been informed that there ARE a couple of QAnon supporters who are fairly regular posters in AJB."
OHMSS on Xmas Eve. The best Bond movie of all, it will never be surpassed. Those who are unimpressed by it, will never get it, and will be forever be poorer for it.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Now, Connery's Bond actually is more immoral in this than in most. The way he knows Zena Marxhall is about to kill him but goes ahead and shags her anyway is really rather sick but for many years one might think, wow, what a rogue, what a cool dude.
His grey suit in the Crab Key Pussfella scenes is a bit loose fitting isn't it?
Monty Norman's theme uses Beethoven's 5th quite a lot.
Unsung heroes are the Govt agency staff in Crab Key, v understated so much so they are hardly in the film but give Connery's Bond more opportunity to spread his legs.
Bond is a curt so and so to Quarrel. Plus the way he heads off to Crab Key without even a holdall or anything.
Plaudits to the woman who dubs Ursula Andress cos she puts a lot of expression into it, it's good work.
Just watched Moonraker yesterday as it was on at my In-Laws - the first third of that film is pretty good...once they get to space, that does it for me
His grey suit in the Crab Key Pussfella scenes is a bit loose fitting isn't it?
This is how all of Connery's suits fit in his first three Bond films. It's a common misconception that Connery wore "slim" fitting suits. His lapels were narrow, and his trousers (that were cut full in the hips) tapered to a fairly narrow hem. In the 1990s I remember thinking that the suits looked quite trim. Today we're used to a close fit. They were all cut fairly full not only because it was the style at the time for English tailors but also because Sinclair cut them to be able to conceal the Walther PP. Not again until Dalton was Bond would the character wear a suit cut full enough to conceal a gun.
Had a look at your blog, Matt S. Now that's a hell of a blog! Great stuff there. -{
Not just suits of Bond but everything anyone wore.
From Russia With Love
(Languid English drawl): "Quite right, Mister chrisno1, you guessed correctly that I would tune in to ITV4 again this evening...'
I watched this with two family members who hadn't seen it for a bit, and it benefits from that first-time viewing vibe. 'What's going on?'
The whole pitting the Russians against the British in Istanbul is a bit confusing and maybe even unnecessary from Spectre's pov unless it's to raise the temperature so things will really kick off once Bond is found dead. It's misdirection but really I can't see it helps Spectre because Bond of course nearly gets killed. Guess they're trying to get Kerim killed too. The latter's death might assist them as it leaves Bond relatively alone but the former's death too soon will mess up the whole plan.
I was interested to read Calvin Dyson's piece on cut scenes posted about this forum, in particular the howler that almost made it into FRWL, where the bloke with the beret is in a key scene shortly after we've seen him killed by Red Grant at St Sophia!
Pleasing repetition - Bond at the airport being suspicious at being met on arrival, as he was in Dr No previously! And in his hotel he checks out the crystal chandelier for bugs, in much the same way as years later he'd gaze up at Tiffany's chandelier in Diamonds are Forever.
Isn't that 'run along Miss Freelance' the photographer from the Daily Gleaner in Dr No as one of the gypsy girls in the fight?
Why doesn't the train stop at the crossroads after Kerim dies, leaving his sons gaping in puzzlement? Might have helped if it had. Did it need Kerim's say-so in person?
Those one-liners get a bit heavy. 'Where's there's smoke there's fire' would make more sense if Kerim Bey had used that line to voice his suspicions earlier in the film, then Bond saying it would have real clout.
Why have Tanya under the truck? Seems a bit precarious.
It's all good stuff of course, very enjoyable and John Barry's score is excellent in an appropriate and unobtrusive way when necessary.
Thank you, Napoleon Plural! I cover much of the notable menswear that other male characters wear, but never the women’s clothing. I may try my hand at writing about a woman’s suit. Though my wife has taught me about dresses and other women’s items foreign to me, I don’t know how qualified I am to write about those.
Isn't that 'run along Miss Freelance' the photographer from the Daily Gleaner in Dr No as one of the gypsy girls in the fight?
One of the gypsy girls does have a larger role in another Bondfilm, but its not the photographer from Dr No
Annebel Chung, the freelance photographer, was played by Marguerite LeWars.
She doesn't seem to have any other acting credits but she was a Miss Jamaica.
The two gypsy girls in FRWL were played by Aliza Gur and Martine Beswick. Beswick was also Paula in Thunderball. Maybe she's the one you think looks familiar?
Kerim's ladyfriend was played by Nadja Regin, who was also the dancing girl in the precredits scene from Goldfinger.
Both Beswick and Regin were in plenty of episodes of Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers and other such shows. Gur on the other hand must have been an American actress, and appeared in episodes of the Man from UNCLE and Get Smart.
Isn't that 'run along Miss Freelance' the photographer from the Daily Gleaner in Dr No as one of the gypsy girls in the fight?
One of the gypsy girls does have a larger role in another Bondfilm, but its not the photographer from Dr No
Annebel Chung, the freelance photographer, was played by Marguerite LeWars.
She doesn't seem to have any other acting credits but she was a Miss Jamaica.
The two gypsy girls in FRWL were played by Aliza Gur and Martine Beswick. Beswick was also Paula in Thunderball. Maybe she's the one you think looks familiar?
Kerim's ladyfriend was played by Nadja Regin, who was also the dancing girl in the precredits scene from Goldfinger.
Both Beswick and Regin were in plenty of episodes of Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers and other such shows. Gur on the other hand must have been an American actress, and appeared in episodes of the Man from UNCLE and Get Smart.
Tonight, ITV4 showed Goldfinger, perhaps not unexpectedly.
When you see three Bonds in the space of a week, you notice recurring tropes or things, really.
Of course, with Connery now gone, it has a different vibe. He's now in movie legend like Bogarde in Casablanca. He's alive, and not alive. It's slightly wrong to say you appreciate him more - I did at the time - but you are less blasé watching. It's like you're looking back on the day and it's over, whereas before you were living it.
Anyway! Recurring things. Lots of people get knocked out in this, including Bond himself a few times. There's a symmetry as the pre-credits dancer gets knocked out (care is taken to ensure a) She deserves it, as she's in on the scheme to knock Bond out and b) She's shown to be alive and not really hurt afterwards, that would kind of spoil the mood.
Within a very short time, however, Connery himself takes a knock from our Korean friend and is out for the count. This might redress a sort of balance for viewers who might have felt Bond had behaved badly earlier, like when Brosnan says 'Kill her! She means nothing to me! in GE, and has the same done to him later by the same woman.
Tonight for the first time I saw Bond in his towelling suit and Leiter in his grey suit standing in the distant background surveying Goldfinger as he talks his pigeon through his card game.
Bond uses the same demeaning line to both Jill Masterton and Pussy Galore about how personal they are with Mister Goldfinger.
Watching the subtitles offers a new slant. Dink is called Denk (again, that actress died last year too) and Jill Masterton is called Masterson, as in the book but not in the film.
Note how Connery's action with her gun case mirrors his with Klebb and the Lektor at the end of FRWL: 'Here, I'll take that...'
Lake Toplitz? Where the hell's that? It's where the Nazi hoard of gold is. I thought they were mythical. Maybe a late 1960s Indiana Jones could uncover it in his next flick.
Now, I love this film but damned if I can see what is going on really at the end. Those troops are falling over as the planes fly over, fine, but are they acting or is it a fake drug? If Pussy Galore has tipped them off then why the hell is Goldfinger even being allowed near Fort Knox. It makes sense at the time as we don't know what's been going on but no sense in retrospect.
Of course, watching folk storm a US landmark with troops doing nothing - was glad to watch this knowing nothing iike that could happen in America today!
Is Oddjob the only villain with his own side-effect - those golden notes? Other villains like Wint and Kidd and Nik Nak have their themes. Jaws never had a theme did he. However, that Spectre henchman whose name temporarily escapes me had a theme of sorts.
GF is a more straightforwardly enjoyable film than FRWL and as a kid you could follow most of it. I enjoyed it as a kid seeing it on a black and white telly in the mid 1970s. I enjoy it today in remastered colour but it hits a snag - the digital sound is not great and some of the notes grate. One day they'll knock it out with a digital visual and analogue sound and we'll all fork out again.
The dubbing of Gert Frobe by someone called Michael Collins is nothing short of brilliant. Shirley Eaton's dubbing is great too. Funnily enough having the same actors doing the dubbing assists with this odd continuity in the series and controversially I'd say it makes the film more accessible to Brits and Americans because they simply sound less foreign. It's Disneyland foreign.
Sad to say I think Shirley Eaton is now the only surviving member of the cast? Ironically, as her character is the first to die on screen. Or what about Wai Lin on the plane?
The American vibe of this film for the last furlong puts me in mind of JFK where nothing is quite as it seems.
The known perpetrator, a fatso with dodgy gingery hair, a North Korean friend and a woman in his life who flinches at his touch, taking refuge on the golf links in the UK....
I watched the first half of Thunderball the other night on ITV4.
I'll do a lengthy takedown of this film at some point but let's not forget that this and Goldfinger were the two that set me on to Bond at an early age when they got shown on telly. The first two I didn't get to see until I was past 10 years of age - oddly they were never reshown on telly at all, I first saw Dr No at a movie screening at the London Pavilion and FRWL after that. The old Connery films were like the Dead Sea Scrolls, with no DVD or anything at all. You couldn't even be sure how many of them there were and in what order.
TB is fun to begin with but it's a heavy going affair compared to its predecessors. John Barry's score has real class to it, and has at the same sound as his Ipcress File score around the same time. But if a film is a bit heavy going, Barry isn't the one to lighten it up, is he? He is the thickener in the soup, he lends gravitas. This works well with the first three, and Moonraker, and AVTAK but less so imo with films like OHMSS, OP, TLD or even YOLT. Not saying his scores are bad for those, far from it.
Anyway, I enjoyed it before switching over. I do love the look of the pre-credits. IMO it goes off about 20 mins after reaching the Bahamas.
I watched TWINE to pay tribute to Michael Apted. I like that the film focuses on Bond and Elektra's relationship and M and Elektra's relationship.
I liked that London was used for more than establishing shots. The PTS remains one of my favourites.
The Spanish scenes are great as well. Apart from the detonator glasses for the flashbang gun, Bond has no gadgets on hand. He has to think on his feet,as the police are knocking on the door. Using a blind cord to abseil from the window,using a knocked out goon as a weight,having the goon waking up halfway through,stopping Bond's descent, was thrilling. David Arnold's Bond theme punctuating the action,was awesome.
Although Renard couldn't feel any pain, i wish it was used more during the final fight with Bond.
One thing that bothers me about the fight, i wish it was choreographed better.
Have you ever heard of the Emancipation Proclamation?"
Comments
Now, the odd thing is that in many ways this has the hallmarks of a perfect Bond film esp the pre-credits. That opening shot of the dam that seems to go on forever to emphasise its height, for instance. The editing and the perfect intro of Brosnan (wasn't he young back then? X-( Weren't we all?)
And the cinematography by Phil Meyeux is a joy - the film has a sort of metallic sheen, a glow. The dam walls seem to almost sparkle.
But soon enough the sheer stupidity of the film grabs you, like a big sloppy kiss from President Trump.
It's like a woman on a Tinder date who finds him smart, handsome and all the right moves in bed - but also quite thick and more than a little creepy.
If 006 is a double agent and the mission is set up to fail, why not just shoot Bond as soon as he sees him? Why go through the charade of having him plant the bomb, and why would 006 shoot all those Russian soldiers and put himself at needless risk? I know 006 is a ruthless bad guy anyway, but it's all unnecessary.
Why the charade of him kneeling to lure Bond out? He had Bond all along.
But even watching for the first time when you don't know all this it's dumb. All that 'For England, James?' stuff might work if said in a jokey, lads sending it up way. It's so po-faced even England captain Harry Kane would baulk at it prior a World Cup final.
Why would Bond be lured out because 006 is captured, just so he too can be shot? But having been lured out, why do they then shoot 006? And then be unable to shoot Bond jumping back into hiding?
And after the visually spectacular opening bungee, the freefall into the aeroplane is pure rubbish!
Can't get on with Serena Gordon's turn in the Aston, it's too much broad comedy and not funny enough. I can see what they were trying for but the line delivery of both her and Brosnan is all off. 'Very thorough evaluation...' it's creepy.
Then there's the full-on shooting of innocents, not just Russian soldiers but everyone, put alongside naff jokes just makes the film rather distasteful. Shame really, because otherwise the film punches above its weight or budget as a spectacle. As this was a box office smash, how odd that its follow-up Tomorrow Never Dies didn't look more expensive, save perhaps its its - it looked a bit dull and scrappy.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
The setup of faking 006's death only makes sense if the plan is to let Bond escape. It's difficult to tell if that is the plan.
I always thought GoldenEye's video game adaptation was more successful than the film itself.
That way Alec and Ourmov can plot their future shenangans with one of them off the radar.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I think most of this can be put down to Martin Campbell, who delivers one of the series' most dynamic directing turns on GoldenEye. Spottiswoode's contributions to TND, on the other hand, tend to come across as slightly more workmanlike, despite that film's higher budget.
"The spectre of defeat..."
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Ah, that makes a bit more sense. :007) I get what you mean, TND does have one of the more impressive pre-title sequences of the series. The fighter plane duel is an action highlight of the film for me.
"The spectre of defeat..."
I'm still trying to proccess it.i can't believe Sean is gone.
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
How far ahead of its time it was. It could be made today with Daniel and almost no
changes needed. Like the DC tenure Bond shows his vulnerable more human side and
Tracy is a very strong character.
What do you guys think? Christmas movie or not?
https://sistraininggear.com
to be shown on ITV every Christmas day
Now, Connery's Bond actually is more immoral in this than in most. The way he knows Zena Marxhall is about to kill him but goes ahead and shags her anyway is really rather sick but for many years one might think, wow, what a rogue, what a cool dude.
His grey suit in the Crab Key Pussfella scenes is a bit loose fitting isn't it?
Monty Norman's theme uses Beethoven's 5th quite a lot.
Unsung heroes are the Govt agency staff in Crab Key, v understated so much so they are hardly in the film but give Connery's Bond more opportunity to spread his legs.
Bond is a curt so and so to Quarrel. Plus the way he heads off to Crab Key without even a holdall or anything.
Plaudits to the woman who dubs Ursula Andress cos she puts a lot of expression into it, it's good work.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
You'll know I watched it finishing up the last of the Christmas meal I suppose.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I think Goldfinger is on Weds
https://sistraininggear.com
This is how all of Connery's suits fit in his first three Bond films. It's a common misconception that Connery wore "slim" fitting suits. His lapels were narrow, and his trousers (that were cut full in the hips) tapered to a fairly narrow hem. In the 1990s I remember thinking that the suits looked quite trim. Today we're used to a close fit. They were all cut fairly full not only because it was the style at the time for English tailors but also because Sinclair cut them to be able to conceal the Walther PP. Not again until Dalton was Bond would the character wear a suit cut full enough to conceal a gun.
Not just suits of Bond but everything anyone wore.
From Russia With Love
(Languid English drawl): "Quite right, Mister chrisno1, you guessed correctly that I would tune in to ITV4 again this evening...'
I watched this with two family members who hadn't seen it for a bit, and it benefits from that first-time viewing vibe. 'What's going on?'
The whole pitting the Russians against the British in Istanbul is a bit confusing and maybe even unnecessary from Spectre's pov unless it's to raise the temperature so things will really kick off once Bond is found dead. It's misdirection but really I can't see it helps Spectre because Bond of course nearly gets killed. Guess they're trying to get Kerim killed too. The latter's death might assist them as it leaves Bond relatively alone but the former's death too soon will mess up the whole plan.
I was interested to read Calvin Dyson's piece on cut scenes posted about this forum, in particular the howler that almost made it into FRWL, where the bloke with the beret is in a key scene shortly after we've seen him killed by Red Grant at St Sophia!
Pleasing repetition - Bond at the airport being suspicious at being met on arrival, as he was in Dr No previously! And in his hotel he checks out the crystal chandelier for bugs, in much the same way as years later he'd gaze up at Tiffany's chandelier in Diamonds are Forever.
Isn't that 'run along Miss Freelance' the photographer from the Daily Gleaner in Dr No as one of the gypsy girls in the fight?
Why doesn't the train stop at the crossroads after Kerim dies, leaving his sons gaping in puzzlement? Might have helped if it had. Did it need Kerim's say-so in person?
Those one-liners get a bit heavy. 'Where's there's smoke there's fire' would make more sense if Kerim Bey had used that line to voice his suspicions earlier in the film, then Bond saying it would have real clout.
Why have Tanya under the truck? Seems a bit precarious.
It's all good stuff of course, very enjoyable and John Barry's score is excellent in an appropriate and unobtrusive way when necessary.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Annebel Chung, the freelance photographer, was played by Marguerite LeWars.
She doesn't seem to have any other acting credits but she was a Miss Jamaica.
The two gypsy girls in FRWL were played by Aliza Gur and Martine Beswick. Beswick was also Paula in Thunderball. Maybe she's the one you think looks familiar?
Kerim's ladyfriend was played by Nadja Regin, who was also the dancing girl in the precredits scene from Goldfinger.
Both Beswick and Regin were in plenty of episodes of Danger Man, The Saint, The Avengers and other such shows. Gur on the other hand must have been an American actress, and appeared in episodes of the Man from UNCLE and Get Smart.
Thanks for that, caractacus
When you see three Bonds in the space of a week, you notice recurring tropes or things, really.
Of course, with Connery now gone, it has a different vibe. He's now in movie legend like Bogarde in Casablanca. He's alive, and not alive. It's slightly wrong to say you appreciate him more - I did at the time - but you are less blasé watching. It's like you're looking back on the day and it's over, whereas before you were living it.
Anyway! Recurring things. Lots of people get knocked out in this, including Bond himself a few times. There's a symmetry as the pre-credits dancer gets knocked out (care is taken to ensure a) She deserves it, as she's in on the scheme to knock Bond out and b) She's shown to be alive and not really hurt afterwards, that would kind of spoil the mood.
Within a very short time, however, Connery himself takes a knock from our Korean friend and is out for the count. This might redress a sort of balance for viewers who might have felt Bond had behaved badly earlier, like when Brosnan says 'Kill her! She means nothing to me! in GE, and has the same done to him later by the same woman.
Tonight for the first time I saw Bond in his towelling suit and Leiter in his grey suit standing in the distant background surveying Goldfinger as he talks his pigeon through his card game.
Bond uses the same demeaning line to both Jill Masterton and Pussy Galore about how personal they are with Mister Goldfinger.
Watching the subtitles offers a new slant. Dink is called Denk (again, that actress died last year too) and Jill Masterton is called Masterson, as in the book but not in the film.
Note how Connery's action with her gun case mirrors his with Klebb and the Lektor at the end of FRWL: 'Here, I'll take that...'
Lake Toplitz? Where the hell's that? It's where the Nazi hoard of gold is. I thought they were mythical. Maybe a late 1960s Indiana Jones could uncover it in his next flick.
Now, I love this film but damned if I can see what is going on really at the end. Those troops are falling over as the planes fly over, fine, but are they acting or is it a fake drug? If Pussy Galore has tipped them off then why the hell is Goldfinger even being allowed near Fort Knox. It makes sense at the time as we don't know what's been going on but no sense in retrospect.
Of course, watching folk storm a US landmark with troops doing nothing - was glad to watch this knowing nothing iike that could happen in America today!
Is Oddjob the only villain with his own side-effect - those golden notes? Other villains like Wint and Kidd and Nik Nak have their themes. Jaws never had a theme did he. However, that Spectre henchman whose name temporarily escapes me had a theme of sorts.
GF is a more straightforwardly enjoyable film than FRWL and as a kid you could follow most of it. I enjoyed it as a kid seeing it on a black and white telly in the mid 1970s. I enjoy it today in remastered colour but it hits a snag - the digital sound is not great and some of the notes grate. One day they'll knock it out with a digital visual and analogue sound and we'll all fork out again.
The dubbing of Gert Frobe by someone called Michael Collins is nothing short of brilliant. Shirley Eaton's dubbing is great too. Funnily enough having the same actors doing the dubbing assists with this odd continuity in the series and controversially I'd say it makes the film more accessible to Brits and Americans because they simply sound less foreign. It's Disneyland foreign.
Sad to say I think Shirley Eaton is now the only surviving member of the cast? Ironically, as her character is the first to die on screen. Or what about Wai Lin on the plane?
The American vibe of this film for the last furlong puts me in mind of JFK where nothing is quite as it seems.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I watched the first half of Thunderball the other night on ITV4.
I'll do a lengthy takedown of this film at some point but let's not forget that this and Goldfinger were the two that set me on to Bond at an early age when they got shown on telly. The first two I didn't get to see until I was past 10 years of age - oddly they were never reshown on telly at all, I first saw Dr No at a movie screening at the London Pavilion and FRWL after that. The old Connery films were like the Dead Sea Scrolls, with no DVD or anything at all. You couldn't even be sure how many of them there were and in what order.
TB is fun to begin with but it's a heavy going affair compared to its predecessors. John Barry's score has real class to it, and has at the same sound as his Ipcress File score around the same time. But if a film is a bit heavy going, Barry isn't the one to lighten it up, is he? He is the thickener in the soup, he lends gravitas. This works well with the first three, and Moonraker, and AVTAK but less so imo with films like OHMSS, OP, TLD or even YOLT. Not saying his scores are bad for those, far from it.
Anyway, I enjoyed it before switching over. I do love the look of the pre-credits. IMO it goes off about 20 mins after reaching the Bahamas.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I liked that London was used for more than establishing shots. The PTS remains one of my favourites.
The Spanish scenes are great as well. Apart from the detonator glasses for the flashbang gun, Bond has no gadgets on hand. He has to think on his feet,as the police are knocking on the door. Using a blind cord to abseil from the window,using a knocked out goon as a weight,having the goon waking up halfway through,stopping Bond's descent, was thrilling. David Arnold's Bond theme punctuating the action,was awesome.
Although Renard couldn't feel any pain, i wish it was used more during the final fight with Bond.
One thing that bothers me about the fight, i wish it was choreographed better.
" I don't listen to hip hop!"
ITV like to get their money's worth out of Bond.