Bond, James Bond

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MissGoddess
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by MissGoddess »

No! It's the one and only Baron Felix von Kitten. :D
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movieman1957
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by movieman1957 »

April:

Casino Royale was the first Craig as Bond picture.
Chris

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MissGoddess
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by MissGoddess »

Oh! I forgot...that's the one with the girlfriend drowning? I used to confuse all the titles of the ones with Pierce Brosnan, too. :D
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CineMaven
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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MissGoddess wrote:No! It's the one and only Baron Felix von Kitten. :D
You said a meowthful, kid!
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Professional Tourist
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by Professional Tourist »

My favorite Bond is, and probably will always be, Pierce Brosnan. When he was replaced with Daniel Craig I went to see the first one, then gave up on the franchise. I didn't care for the new direction they were taking, with Bond as more ruffian than sophisticate. [I must admit I don't really care for Daniel Craig in general.]

Roger Moore was Bond when I first started seeing these pictures in high school. I thought he was all right at the time, but didn't know anyone else as Bond yet. In retrospect I'd say he was a little too cool, emotionally detached.

I've only seen Connery's original Bond pictures recently. He was good, but I still prefer Brosnan.

Lazenby's single fling as Bond, which I just caught a couple of weeks ago, I thought was very good. I never knew that Bond got married at one point. I didn't think Bond could form an attachment to one woman like that, but Lazenby played it well.
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CineMaven
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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Isn't it great, everyone has a favorite Bond? For me, as a baby boomer, I grew up with Sean Connery playing James Bond. He's my Bond. Yet I really liked Timothy Dalton's and Pierce Brosnan's foray as 007. I thought Dalton had a danger about him, but I thought Brosnan was a laser beam of efficiency, and had the sophistication down pat. ( Lucky lucky Halle Berry! ) I think that the succeeding actors who played Bond after Sean Connery were an amalgam of Sean Connery; like they had the bits and pieces of the man whose DNA initially stamped James Bond. I loved the way Brosnan used to run. And of course, he was drop dead gorgeous. I've seen all the Bond films, and will continue to see 'em all no matter who plays Bond, no matter how old I get. Wheel me down to the front and center of the theatre, and shove a pack of Twizzlers into my gnarled grizzled little hands. I'll be happy.

You know the one thing I think is sorely missing from these recent Bond films, that breaks my heart by their absence, is actually three things:

( * ) Shirley Bassey........... The Voice
( * ) John Barry................... The Music
( * ) Maurice Binder.......... The Title Sequence

I haven't really "felt" a Bond movie was a Bond movie without those three elements together in one film. Yeah, I'll live. But barely.

Some enterprising editor created a clip on YouTube of Brosnan's "Tomorrow Never Dies" using its opening sequence, but the end title's song sang by k.d.lang. I think it was a great mashup:

[youtube][/youtube]

Also, check out this twenty-minute documentary on the great Maurice Binder:

[youtube][/youtube][youtube][/youtube]

I've fully accepted Daniel Craig as the new James Bond, and can't wait to see "SKYFALL." Javier Bardem is the villain. Hmmmm, I wonder who will be THE James Bond for my nine-year old nephew when he becomes a man. Guess I'll have to come back from the hereafter to find out.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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"T" (there's "M", there's "Q" and now there's "T"!),
totally agree that the 007 films were made extra special by the contributions of shirley, maurice and john. i love to listen to my cd of 007 title songs! my favorite is "Goldfinger" followed closely by "Thunderball".

personally, i also miss "Q" and "Miss Moneypenny". :D

i feel like the 007 movies now are not as truly "British" anymore. They don't make little references to British culture and personality like the originals, such as personified in the presence of characters like "Q" (quiet, efficient, dryly sarcastic but you don't realize it until long after he's spoken) and Moneypenny (quick, understated, can read Bond like a book and still adores him). now it seems like every functionary has to be a bit of a "star" in their own right. hey, wait! that's how it really is now. :)

so who does everyone think made the best 007 villain?

i watched a "Get Smart" episode this weekend. i haven't seen the show in ages, but it's really a witty send up of these delightful spy movies.
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by stuart.uk »

It suddenly struck me that most of the Bond's have made westerns, if you also include David Niven's piece in Around The World In Eighty Days.

Sean Connery did Shalako, as did one time Bond girl Honor Blackman

George Lazenby turned up in a supporting role in Quest episode -Welcome To America Jade Snow

Roger Moore replaced James Garner in Maverick and did the movie Gold Of The Seven Saints with Clint Walker.

Timothy Dalton was in Centennial

Pierce Brosnan was in Greyowl

I'n not sure, but I think Daniel Craig might have made one too
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movieman1957
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by movieman1957 »

If you count "Cowboys and Aliens" then - yes.
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RedRiver
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by RedRiver »

GOLDFINGER set the standard for the sensational opening sequence. Something clever, exciting, explosive. Often having nothing to do with the story to follow. Just our hero at work! This concept, more than anything, defines the series. What is a Bond film? Something with a KICK-ASS teaser! Are you going to get up and leave after that?

Those title sequences. Holy wow! The song creeps in. The visuals burst onto the screen. The colors dazzle you. So 60's! The songs used to be so much better. "You Only Live Twice." "From Russia With Love." Old Tom Jones simply wailing out "Thunderball." Those were some singers.

Best villain? Boy. That's a tough one. Auric Goldfinger is devilishly manipulative. A bad guy who enjoys his work. Red Grant a slick imposter whose wrist watch tells more than the time. But I like Dr. No, with those hands. He's like a comic book character. "You are nothing but a stupid policeman, Mr. Bond." We'll see about that!
Last edited by RedRiver on September 25th, 2012, 1:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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MissGoddess
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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"You are nothing but a stupid policeman, Mr. Bond."

LOL! I forgot about that line!
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
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MissGoddess
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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Beginning October 5th, the Museum of Modern Art is screening several 007 movies in celebration of the 50th Anniversary (of Dr. No):

http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/film ... 92812_film
"There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."
-- Will Rogers
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CineMaven
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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Having seen "DR. NO" at the film festival this April made me realize that the big screen is...THE...ONLY...WAY to appreciate and take in the locations, gadgets and grandeur of James Bond. Thanxx for the F.Y.I. Guess I'll be the Maven at MoMA in Mid-Town. And I see a martini or two in my future at the Hilton. Of course shaken...never stirred. 8)

By the by, your avatar of Vivien Leigh is great!
"You build my gallows high, baby."

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RedRiver
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Re: Bond, James Bond

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"You play very well, Miss Maven."
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JackFavell
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Re: Bond, James Bond

Post by JackFavell »

Hey, I came across Timothy Dalton as 007 in License to Kill this weekend, and tried to watch as much as I could.

I thought Dalton was good, not great, and I am a big fan of his - but this movie totally got in his way. It was SO eighties, like an extended and brutal episode of Dynasty... you had the good girl and the bad girl, and even though some of the sets were luxe, they were luxe in a cheesy way, again very eighties. I stopped watching when the bad guy with bad hair and skin microwaved a guy to death. There was very little style to this movie, and the menace of this bad guy reminded me of a small time pimp or drug dealer who wandered in from Al Pacino's Scarface, not a real foil for Bond. Same with the leading ladies - nothing interesting to them at all. A Bond girl doesn't have to be a great actress, but she should be the the most beautiful or best the time period has to offer - Ursula Andress, Barbara Carrera, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Maud Adams, Halle Berry yes.... Carey Lowell and Talisa Soto no. They really fell short for me. It didn't help that the writing was just plain bland and in some places ludicrous. Again, some of it was so patently glitzy that it had the opposite effect than intended, It seemed less sophisticated rather than more, something like an expanded TV show.

I totally agree with you T, that all the subsequent 007's have all been just a part of Sean Connery.
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