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Post by Broadsword on Feb 13, 2007 20:04:34 GMT -5
The Man With The Golden GunOHMSS made money and received generally good reviews on its release. But Lazenby alienated his Producers and the flick didn't make as much as the Studio wanted - so from this point on the suits got more involved - And as studios do when things don't go exactly as they like, they panic, tamper and mostly screw everything up. They were happy with LALD but when TMWTGG generated low ticket sales, it spelled the end of cool and the beginning of camp for 007. I'm not sure if I've ever seen this movie before. But I'd known of its poor reputation among fans... and maybe it was the low expectations, but I rather dug it. It is far from perfect. There's that damn Sheriff Pepper from LALD, which brings the whole film to a shattering halt. When they spoil one of the series best stunts (The astral spin) by accompanying the jump with slide whistle, I threw up my hands... as well as my lunch. But what I liked is that MWTGG is so damn surreal. There's a palpable skewed texture to it all. Even the sets contribute to the feeling (M-16s base of operations is straight out of Dr. Caligary). And while Roger Moore didn't care for it, I was pleasantly surprised that he was able to pull off being such an SOB when needed. The movie is violent and I liked that. Moore has a real edge and I felt it was his best -almost Connery like- performance in his run. Christopher Lee's assassin, with henchman Nick Nack (Herve Villachez) are perfect together. Lee is so flipping cool as Bonds dark half. The film provides the usual global threat, but that takes a back seat to the actual thrust of the picture. Golden Gun is an old fashioned western "Gunfight", straight out of Shane (In fact, Jack Palance was considered for the role of the baddie). The score has a cool Morriconio (sp?) feel to it (The mellower sequences are accompanied by music that reminded me of music heard in "Once Upon A Time In The West" in similar quiet scenes) - and while fans seem to hate her. I didn't have a problem at all with Brit Eckland's Mary Goodnight. This isn't traditional Bond. There's no Blofeld type evil genius with diabolical scheme. It was very violent (Blood spatter and bullet holes. Though tame by todays standards) and the whole tone is surreal. I can understand how fans would react to this the same way I do to "License To Kill". Because while there is humor, cool gadgets and stunts, MWTGG isn't like any 007 before or after. But I've got a bad brain. I like things that drift slightly off the beam (Not meaning "Goofy", but abstract, other wordily, off kilter etc. Probably explains why I react so favorably to the Russian epics on MST3K) The Man With the Golden Gun isn't for every taste, but it really appealed to my Dada-esque mind. Oh and I'm not sure what I think of the much hated theme song. I know they considered many (I'm an Alice Cooper fan but the theme he wrote, wow, big time sucking there. I haven't heard the others considered to see if I felt they made the right choice) I've revised my top 20 above and now only have one more from the official series. I did watch the unofficial "Never Say Never Again", but I haven't had the strength to review it (it was pretty sorrowful, really poor production values and Sean seemed bored to death) Great review MJ, I've always loved The Man With The Golden Gun, never really knew that it wasn't liked by some of the fans nor truthfully really cared. MJ your reviews are really enjoyable to read keep up the great work.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 14, 2007 15:14:37 GMT -5
I've never been a huge Bond fan. And that will be reinforced by the following comments: I thought Dalton was a close second to Connery as top Bond. One of the first VHS tapes I had as a kid was "Never Say Never Again", and I loved it, knowing nothing of its place in the official canon. I especially liked the video game sequence. When I saw Thunderball much later, I was quite unimpressed. Once, in high school (pre-Brosnan), I watched all of them in order. They all ran together and were immediately forgettable. Except one: Goldfinger. Your weird and should never be allowed in a Bond thread again.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 14, 2007 15:24:32 GMT -5
Well nothing to review until the 13th. So more lists:
Favorite Main Baddies 1. Blofeld (Pleasance version) 2. Scaramanga 3. Goldfinger 4. Karl Stromberg (TSWLM) 5. Dr. No 6. Renard and Elektra 7. Alex Trevlyn (Goldeneye) 8. Hugo Drax 9. Max Zorin 10. Largo (I've updated the henchmen/sub villian list on page 2)
Favorite Gadget 1. The Aston Martin DB5 (Connery) 2. The Lotus Espirit (Moore) 3. Bell Textron Jet Pack (Thunderball) 4. Aston Martin V12 Vanquish gadget (I always find it funny when critics find the invisible car ridiculous, when it has practical applications. In the past year the theory was successfully used to render an item near invisible (As in the movie, there is a slight ghosting effect when you look hard enough) - It's not so outlandish as they think and to all those critics, I will them a years subscription to "Popular Science" 5. The various wrist watches 6. The cell phone that can pick a lock, fire an electrical shock, read fingerprints and helped Brosnan's Bond remotely drive from the back seat. 7. Little Nellie 8. X-Ray Glasses (TWINE) 9. Jet powered Q Boat (TWINE) 10. Cigarettes with rocket powered darts
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Feb 16, 2007 3:06:49 GMT -5
Hey MJ,
I'm a big time Bond fan, and am planning on doing something similar if I ever get my movie website started. (It's going to be a bad movie site, but I'd have features on good movies every so often) I've enjoyed reading your reviews a ton.
I do disagree with you on a couple of points though. I liked Alice Cooper's song better for the MwtGG. I also disagree that LALD is dull, to be honest I though you would rank it bottom for the racial overtones in the movie as some do. I think Savallas makes the better Bloefeld. I liked FYEO more than TSWLM (which I think is overrated).
Most importantly, I liked Dalton. I think he kind of brought a different edge to Bond after the years of Moore, and updating to the 80s. Some of the best sequences of the entire Bond series were at the end of Licence to Kill. Tp be quite honest I've now been looking down at Bronsan's films, but I also realize I haven't given some of them a look for years.
I disagee also about Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill, as I found it incredibly disappointing! He's CHRISTOPHER F'N WALKEN and he made an insanely dull Bond villain. He had some moments, and maybe I was expecting too much. I don't know how you can rank him above Largo though.
And just so you don't think I'm being a dick and disagreeable, I do agree with you on some points. Everything about the Connery movies you said I would agree with, including the top two rankings in that order. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who got a big hoot out of Q's lines in Octopussy.
Maybe if I ever do get my website you can scrutinize and analyze every opinion I have as much as I did. ;D
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Feb 16, 2007 3:19:33 GMT -5
License To KillNot a bad flick but too dark and nasty. I like some fun with my 007! Also, I never felt like I was watching "Bond" in action, or a Bond movie for that matter. Dalton's not very funny, not very suave, cool or charismatic. He's just... there. Sub par theme song, Bond girl is bland... all told it's an okay action movie, but it's not a James Bond film, it doesn't "fit" and I will from this point on ignore it (and Dalton's other entry) as part of the series. How can you not love Dalton, MJ? Why just look at this "Living Daylights" outtake of Dalton romancing a sexy older Bond girl. www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjOhe-Wk0CMLOL Enjoy! God after that I would never try comedy either. After that I'd quite acting and join the MI6 if I really needed to.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 16, 2007 13:09:35 GMT -5
Hey MJ, I'm a big time Bond fan, and am planning on doing something similar if I ever get my movie website started. (It's going to be a bad movie site, but I'd have features on good movies every so often) I've enjoyed reading your reviews a ton. I do disagree with you on a couple of points though. I liked Alice Cooper's song better for the MwtGG. I also disagree that LALD is dull, to be honest I though you would rank it bottom for the racial overtones in the movie as some do. I think Savallas makes the better Bloefeld. I liked FYEO more than TSWLM (which I think is overrated). Most importantly, I liked Dalton. I think he kind of brought a different edge to Bond after the years of Moore, and updating to the 80s. Some of the best sequences of the entire Bond series were at the end of Licence to Kill. Tp be quite honest I've now been looking down at Bronsan's films, but I also realize I haven't given some of them a look for years. I disagee also about Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill, as I found it incredibly disappointing! He's CHRISTOPHER F'N WALKEN and he made an insanely dull Bond villain. He had some moments, and maybe I was expecting too much. I don't know how you can rank him above Largo though. And just so you don't think I'm being a dick and disagreeable, I do agree with you on some points. Everything about the Connery movies you said I would agree with, including the top two rankings in that order. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who got a big hoot out of Q's lines in Octopussy. Maybe if I ever do get my website you can scrutinize and analyze every opinion I have as much as I did. ;D As I stated at the beginning of this whole thing, more so than even MSTies, Bond fans rarely agree. I've never seen such a diverse and complete difference of opinions from a fan base. Aside from a handfull of films which often (though not always) rank among the top (Goldfinger, From Russia With Love and The Spy Who Loved Me) No two lists of favorites are ever the same. It all comes down to what each fan wants from 007, and my reviews reflect what I want and enjoy in this series. I will say, after watching them all, there are only two I will not buy when they are released as singles. "Live and Let Me Snore" and "License to Suck" BTW- I thought Walken was hilarious. He cracked me up and made the movie for me.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 16, 2007 13:32:29 GMT -5
Yay! Casino Royale is playing at our $2.00 theater tonight - If I have the energy (This damn flu knocked me out and I'm planing on seeing Ghost Rider in a few hours) I'll be there.
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Feb 16, 2007 13:37:15 GMT -5
You lucky dog
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 16, 2007 13:48:02 GMT -5
It's funny, It willl be out on DVD on the 13th, but it's cheeper to see it at this theater than it will be to rent it.
At least this way I can find out if it's one I want to buy stright out.
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Feb 16, 2007 13:49:43 GMT -5
Yeah, that is odd, but good news for you. I wish it would play around here again.
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Feb 17, 2007 2:43:23 GMT -5
Hey MJ, I'm a big time Bond fan, and am planning on doing something similar if I ever get my movie website started. (It's going to be a bad movie site, but I'd have features on good movies every so often) I've enjoyed reading your reviews a ton. I do disagree with you on a couple of points though. I liked Alice Cooper's song better for the MwtGG. I also disagree that LALD is dull, to be honest I though you would rank it bottom for the racial overtones in the movie as some do. I think Savallas makes the better Bloefeld. I liked FYEO more than TSWLM (which I think is overrated). Most importantly, I liked Dalton. I think he kind of brought a different edge to Bond after the years of Moore, and updating to the 80s. Some of the best sequences of the entire Bond series were at the end of Licence to Kill. Tp be quite honest I've now been looking down at Bronsan's films, but I also realize I haven't given some of them a look for years. I disagee also about Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill, as I found it incredibly disappointing! He's CHRISTOPHER F'N WALKEN and he made an insanely dull Bond villain. He had some moments, and maybe I was expecting too much. I don't know how you can rank him above Largo though. And just so you don't think I'm being a dick and disagreeable, I do agree with you on some points. Everything about the Connery movies you said I would agree with, including the top two rankings in that order. I'm also glad I'm not the only one who got a big hoot out of Q's lines in Octopussy. Maybe if I ever do get my website you can scrutinize and analyze every opinion I have as much as I did. ;D As I stated at the beginning of this whole thing, more so than even MSTies, Bond fans rarely agree. I've never seen such a diverse and complete difference of opinions from a fan base. Aside from a handfull of films which often (though not always) rank among the top (Goldfinger, From Russia With Love and The Spy Who Loved Me) No two lists of favorites are ever the same. It all comes down to what each fan wants from 007, and my reviews reflect what I want and enjoy in this series. I will say, after watching them all, there are only two I will not buy when they are released as singles. "Live and Let Me Snore" and "License to Suck" BTW- I thought Walken was hilarious. He cracked me up and made the movie for me. I wouldn't consider myself as of yet a hardcore Bond fan (still have only seen fragments of the last three Bosnan movies), so I didn't know about the difference of opinion. I enjoyed Live and Let Die, but I think the quality is kinda low (cheesy at times). I think this was actually ranked on some magazines (Entertainment Weekly, maybe) as the number three movie, but I wouldn't put it that high. License to Kill was actually one of my favorites when I last watched it.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 17, 2007 12:35:13 GMT -5
That's what I'm saying A flick like Live and Let die will run the gamut, from being praised to vilified. From critics and fans alike. 007 like the wind baby, he can't be pinned down. Casino RoyaleI didn't know what to think of this at first. For one, it goes back and tells of 007 first adventure with his License to Kill. But it's not a true prequel because it's set in the here and now, post 9/11 world. The cold war James Bond is gone. It's like they erased all that came before and just began anew. Which I thought kind of sucked, But... And let me get it off my chest, Daniel Craig is an ugly, ugly man. He's short, light haired and has these squished up features with jug ears that make Alfred E. Numan's look tiny. I wish they would have signed that guy from "I'll Sleep When I'm Dead", but.... It all works. The movies freaking great! For one, ugly or not. Craig is a hell of an actor, the best to take the role since Connery. Watching his Bond transform from a blunt instrument to the refined, sharp double O we all love and know is outstanding, the man certainly has the chops to bring subtle layers to the character. And the little introductions, from meeting Felix to seeing him dressed to kill, all make this a joy to watch. The humor is there, but gone is the over the top cartoony stuff. This is refined, with slick production and an incredible score (Though I don't remember hearing the familiar guitar heavy theme?) The song by Chris Cornell is incredible as is the title sequence. Recently I've felt the title sequences have gotten too busy with the CGI, this is clean, crisp and cool. Though light on the gals. The acting is above board. Judy Densch really got to show off her talents, the baddie Le Chiefe (sp?) was suitably creepy (with those tears of blood) and Bond Girl Vesper was a heart breaker (And for us male pigs, if you want to see, much, much more of her. Check out "The Dreamers") - She's not a plastic Hollywood beauty, but she's beautiful never the less and as an actress she's second to none. She goes toe to toe with Craig and, hell, at the end I was seriously choked up. Great, great movie, I'd rank it either #2 or #3 (I hate to push From Russia With Love back) - Unlike License to Kill which only gave lip service to delivering a fresh new Bond. Casino Royale is the real deal, it's multi-layered, comes off wholly original but stays true to the character established by Sean. Highly recommended. Ugly Bond or not, this is a classic.
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Post by Captain Hygiene on Feb 17, 2007 12:48:51 GMT -5
Hey MJ. I"m glad you liked it - I think our top 3 our the same now. I just don't feel quite as bad as you about Craig's looks, but that's just personal. I'm also glad you liked the title sequence - I had heard some bad reports about it back before I saw the movie, but I thought it was well done.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 17, 2007 19:54:48 GMT -5
I hope we see Moneypenny and Q in the next film. It sounds like it's going to continue on with the same storyline as Bond. I actually want to go see Casino Royale again and it's made me really want to seee the next one.
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Post by mightyjack on Feb 18, 2007 13:13:40 GMT -5
Opps, typo above, should have read "as Bond seeks revenge" for what occured in Casino Royale. Here's the Cornell music video. In the comments at Youtube some boneheads knock the song. Those people are fools and wrong; as is anyone here who disagrees with me and says this isn't a great Bond theme (I'm teasing, I'm teasing... kind of) ;D You Know My Name - It sounded very powerful on those big theater house speakers and set the tone of the film up perfectly.
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