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Post by vanhagar3000 on Jan 15, 2008 21:15:13 GMT -5
Feh. This is a prime example of why I'm very cool on RiffTrax.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 15, 2008 21:35:11 GMT -5
We have a couple of Bond marathons around here (i wrote one of 'em) so I wont go into painful details on the whys again but I think OHMSS is one of the very best Bonds. Lets see if I can remember my top 10
10. The Man With The Golden Gun Strange almost surreal gunfighter tale. Great villain, great stunt with the car (despite that horrid Sheriff Pepper and the stupid slide whistle)
9. The World is Not Enough Big, huge production and story. Though Richards is a bad actress It was pure Bond to do the "Barbie as Brainiac" angle. But it was Electra King that carried the story, Brosnan was outstanding and there's the great Robbie Coultrane!
8. Dr. No The first and still a winner. Honey Rider remains the best Bond girl.
7. On Her Majesties Secret Service Lazenby's not THAT bad and I liked that we get a more human Bond. The love story is well told and the ending is genuinely heartbreaking.
6. You Only Live Twice People are divided, they love or hate it. I love it. Little Nellie's one of the neat gadgets and I love the direction on the rooftop chase when the camera pulls backs and we see 007 surrounded on all sides.
5. Goldeneye Brosnan's first and best
4. The Spy Who Loved Me Moore best is helmed by one the series better directors. Jaws was way cool!
3. Casino Royal Bond's first adventure is slick, violent well told story. I love that attention is given to the even pacing and love story as well as the action. Even the card playing sequence engaged me.
2. From Russia With Love Another great story and cool, memorable villains. Brutal fight on the train will be mirrored later in a Rodger Moore film.
1. Goldfinger Connery has never been cooler and it's just a great flick, 007 or otherwise
The rest...
11. For Your Eyes Only (girl with crossbow = cool) 12. Thunderball (My 2nd fav Bond girl, great villain) 13. The Living Daylights (yeah I actually liked this one on 2nd viewing) 14. Die Another Day (Liked the human aspects at the beginning) 15. Octopussy
The bottom 16. Moonraker (just too damned silly and dumb) 17. Diamonds are Forever (poorly directed, bad pacing, Connery is still cool and he's the saving grace, but he seems bored with it all) 18. A View to a Kill (Moore is too and old lacks zest) 19. Tomorrow Never Dies (Hate the over the top baddie, and all that slapstick comedy crap - like the ride on the bike!) 20. Live and Let Die (Bores the ever loving crap out of me) 21. License to Kill (It's less like a 007 film and more like a run of the mill made for TV movie -with made for TV actors- about a drug lord)
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Post by Chuck on Jan 15, 2008 21:50:41 GMT -5
I saw them in order as they came out.
Dr. No started the bar.
From Russia With Love raised it.
Goldfinger perfected it.
Thunderball was under water. (Under water fight scenes are to movies what drum solos are to music. Thank you, Crow.)
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Post by Krista on Jan 15, 2008 22:26:37 GMT -5
Voted for Casino Royale. Not because it's most recent, but because I thought it was the coolest.
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Jan 16, 2008 5:26:52 GMT -5
We have a couple of Bond marathons around here (i wrote one of 'em) so I wont go into painful details on the whys again but I think OHMSS is one of the very best Bonds. Lets see if I can remember my top 10 10. The Man With The Golden GunStrange almost surreal gunfighter tale. Great villain, great stunt with the car (despite that horrid Sheriff Pepper and the stupid slide whistle) 9. The World is Not EnoughBig, huge production and story. Though Richards is a bad actress It was pure Bond to do the "Barbie as Brainiac" angle. But it was Electra King that carried the story, Brosnan was outstanding and there's the great Robbie Coultrane! 8. Dr. NoThe first and still a winner. Honey Rider remains the best Bond girl. 7. On Her Majesties Secret ServiceLazenby's not THAT bad and I liked that we get a more human Bond. The love story is well told and the ending is genuinely heartbreaking. 6. You Only Live TwicePeople are divided, they love or hate it. I love it. Little Nellie's one of the neat gadgets and I love the direction on the rooftop chase when the camera pulls backs and we see 007 surrounded on all sides. 5. GoldeneyeBrosnan's first and best 4. The Spy Who Loved MeMoore best is helmed by one the series better directors. Jaws was way cool! 3. Casino RoyalBond's first adventure is slick, violent well told story. I love that attention is given to the even pacing and love story as well as the action. Even the card playing sequence engaged me. 2. From Russia With LoveAnother great story and cool, memorable villains. Brutal fight on the train will be mirrored later in a Rodger Moore film. 1. GoldfingerConnery has never been cooler and it's just a great flick, 007 or otherwise The rest... 11. For Your Eyes Only (girl with crossbow = cool) 12. Thunderball (My 2nd fav Bond girl, great villain) 13. The Living Daylights (yeah I actually liked this one on 2nd viewing) 14. Die Another Day (Liked the human aspects at the beginning) 15. Octopussy The bottom 16. Moonraker (just too damned silly and dumb) 17. Diamonds are Forever (poorly directed, bad pacing, Connery is still cool and he's the saving grace, but he seems bored with it all) 18. A View to a Kill (Moore is too and old lacks zest) 19. Tomorrow Never Dies (Hate the over the top baddie, and all that slapstick comedy crap - like the ride on the bike!) 20. Live and Let Die (Bores the ever loving crap out of me) 21. License to Kill (It's less like a 007 film and more like a run of the mill made for TV movie -with made for TV actors- about a drug lord) What? Oh, MJ, this list just wants to make my head explode. LTK had great stunts, a great lead (Just because Dalton didn't raise his eyebrow all the time, doesn't mean he can't emote), and a great new direction. Benicio Del Toro is not someone who I consider a made for TV actor either. Then you got Golden Gun in the top ten? Hey, I like Clifton James and Christopher Lee enough, but they weren't enough to save that movie. Maybe if they would have cut out Moore, Villichez, and Eckland the movie could have been saved. Now that would be a movie- Dracula Conquers the Bayou, no, Fu Manchu in Lousiana, or Frankenstein Meets the Louisiana Sheriff.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 16, 2008 9:24:25 GMT -5
It's not worth an exploding head. I hate LTK loved MWTGG... big deal.
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Post by Jack Burton on Jan 16, 2008 10:03:15 GMT -5
Huge James Bond fan here, so allow me to weigh in with my thoughts.
The Best to Worst:
1. Goldfinger: THE definitive Bond movie. All the elements came together on this one. The pre-title action sequence complete with sarcastic one-liner, cool credit sequence, multiple Bond girls, maniacal villain bent on conquering the world, larger than life henchman with a unique method of killing people, the car with a zillion gadgets, chicks with sexual innuendos in their names, Felix Leiter, breaking into an impenetrable fortress, and CONNERY. I like all the Bonds equally because each film is tailored to their specific strengths and weaknesses, but Connery set the standard and is absolutely perfect in this film.
2. Licence to Kill: Say what you will about Dalton, but he's pretty much a badass in this movie. What makes this movie work is his smoldering performance. LTK is first and foremost a REVENGE picture. Bond is lashing out at the drug dealer because he maimed his best friend. He even loses his licence to kill to get the job done. That's dedication. I also loved the way that Bond uses his wits instead of gadgets to foil the villains and plays them against each other Fistful of Dollars style. People say Dalton's performance was closer to Fleming's Bond but actually he's more like Donald E. Westlake's Parker. Cold, caculating and ruthless, Bond is a bastard in this movie, and I like it. Plus the kills (death by shark, death by decompression chamber, death by cocaine shredder) and great, making this one of the hardest PG-13 movies ever made.
3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service: Say what you will about Lazenby, but he's the only actor who's played Bond that you could actually buy getting married. Connery's great, but his cockiness and gruffness makes me think he wouldn't be the marrying type. With Lazenby, you can totally believe that the eternal bachelor would settle down and her name is Diana Rigg. Rigg would've been Connery's equal, but here she actually outshines Lazenby, which makes you believe that she would be marriage material for him. Blofeld's caper in this one is kinda weak (mass sterilization?), but those skiing scenes set the standards for all Bonds to come. And the ending is one of the most depressing, sudden, and heartbreaking ever made. A classic.
4. Goldeneye: Bronson may have been the perfect Bond because he combined Connery's sex appeal, Lazenby's romantic qualities and Moore's sense of humor. The action was more amped up in this entry (the opening airplane stunt and the tank chase are among the best of the entire series) and Bond showed that he didn't necessariliy need the Cold War to be relevant.
5. Moonraker: Another Bond that gets a bad rap that I love. We have the best pre-title action scene. We have one of the best Bond girls in Lois Chiles. We got the excellent Bond vs. Jaws on the cable cars fight. It may be silly and the villain may be a bit stiff but Moonraker is never boring and is a lot of fun. People who chide Moore for being a buffoon and a punster forget about the awesome scene where he's trapped in the gravitational machine. After he escapes, he doesn't make any quips, just adjusts his tie, letting you know that the world's greatest secret agent has his share of close calls. It's a brilliant, mannered gesture and reminds you that even though he may get involved in a lot of goofy laser battles, Bond is human after all.
6. Dr. No: The first one is still one of the best. Lean, mean and tough, Dr. No set the table for what's to come. Namely beautiful locations, hot women, crazy villains, and Connery, Sean Connery. It may get a tad goofy (like the "Dragon") but it still holds up well 45 years later.
7. Diamonds Are Forever: After the seriousness of OHMSS, Bond lightens up a bit and has a groovy Las Vegas adventure. I enjoyed the opening scene where Connery ruthlessly searches for Blofeld (the part where he strangles a girl with her bikini top is a nice touch) and Jill St. John is one of my favorite Bond girls. This one deftly meshes action (the car chase on the Strip is great), suspense (the close quarters elevator fight is one of the more unheralded classic moments of the series) and humor (St. John asks Connery if he prefers blondes or red heads and he replies "As long as the collars and cuffs match.") to make this one of the most enjoyable out of the series.
8. From Russia with Love: A low key, low tech adventure that was truly a product of it's time and still has an incredible kick four decades later. Suspenseful rather than fanciful, FRWL is a great white knuckle thriller that's at it's best when Bond is playing cat and mouse on the train. It kinda loses it's way once Bond gets off the train, but the fight scene between Bond and Red Grant is still the greatest fight in movie history.
9. Octopussy: In a word: fun. Breezy entertainment that can't be taken seriously for a moment (an all female army of harem girls?), but it's damn good times throughout. Moore delivers one of his best performances here but never lets things get too silly. Louis Jordan is great as the villain and his henchman's yo-yo of death is cool as all get out. This film also has some of Q's more memorable moments as well.
10. For Your Eyes Only: After the sky high shenanigans of Moonraker, Bond settled down for one of his more realistic adventures. A return of sorts to the days of From Russia with Love (Bond's mission is to recover a decoding device) where perilous situations (Bond spends most of the third act hanging off a cliff) take presedence over outlandish gagets. It also features a brief scene where Bond stands over the grave of his wife which lets us know that he may be played by a different actor, but the death of his wife still haunts him.
11. The Spy who Loved Me: This is one of those classic examples where the big budget of the Bond film actually helps. While some of the later Bonds get bogged down in spectacle, TSWLM is expertly mounted. Jaws makes his first appearance here and he still remains the definitive henchman of all time. The film's biggest debit is the weak villain and overly familiar plot (it's essentially a rehash of Thunderball), but Moore essays one of his best performances of the entire series.
12. Live and Let Die: A lean, mean adventure, one that introduced Moore and assured audiences that Bond was in good hands despite Connery's absence. The blaxploitation craze was at it's zenith when this was released, so all the villains are black. They also happen to be pretty memorable. Baron Samedi is still chilling and Bond's fight with the claw armed Tee Hee is some of the best action ever seen in a Moore movie. It sometimes descends into silliness (the psychic Solitaire loses her ability to see the future after Bond deflowers her), but it never ceases to entertain. (Person note: Is it me or was the scene where Bond runs along the crocodiles backs the inspiration for Pitfall?)
13. Thunderball: Coming off the heels of Goldfinger, an essentially perfect movie, Thunderball leaves something to be desired. The first hour or so is more or less flawless, but as soon as Bond goes into the water, things get waterlogged pretty fast. Still, it features some of the best action and memorable imagery (Bond in the flying suit is priceless) and Connery is excellent as always.
14. The Man With the Golden Gun: Bond vs. Dracula and Tattoo. What's not to like? Well, there's the extended J.W. Pepper chase. While he was OK in Live and Let Die, Pepper's appearance here is rather grating. The fact that it's dated as all get out (SOLAR power! How futuristic!) doesn't help and there are not one, but TWO pretty lame Bond girls, but despite these major handicaps, the film has stretches of greatness. Like Bond playing cloak and dagger in Hong Kong, his run-in with a nightclub singer in Beirut, and the final showdown between the three nippled Christopher Lee is a lot of fun.
15. A View to a Kill: The weakest of all Moore's movies isn't benefited by his ever escalating age. I could've done without the infamous "California Girls" snowboarding scene, and the script mercilessly cribs from Goldfinger (microchips are the villain's goal, not gold) but AVTAK still has it's charms. Namely Christopher Walken as the villain Max Zorin and Grace Jones as his lady in waiting May Day. The steeplechase of death sequence is also a lot of fun as is the scene where Bond drives HALF a car through Paris. (Suggested drinking game: Take a shot you see Moore's obvious stuntman in action.)
16. You Only Live Twice: A great theme song, dynamite opening and incredible finale can't make up for the flabby midsection of this movie. It's as if the filmmakers thought that the beautiful scenery would somehow be enough to hold the audience's attention. We do get Donald Pleasance is the scarred Blofeld, another top notch performance by Connery and a beautiful Bond baddie played by Karin Dor whose role is unfortunately trunicated when she gets turned into Pirahna Chow.
17. Casino Royale: Whatever doubts I had about Craig as Bond were erased moments into the film. He brings a raw, tough, brawniness to the role that works. I liked the fact that they stuck close to the book (for the most part) and the final scene where he utters "Bond, James Bond" sent chills down my spine. The free running stunts: Breathtaking. But... like most Bond films it suffers from severe over length and runs about 20 minutes too long. And I still can't buy the fact that Judi Dench is M when she was first hired in Goldeneye as Bond's superior, and now she's training him in this one.
18. The World is Not Enough: Despite earning points for being the most romantic and character driven Bond since On Her Majesty's Secret Service, it doesn't help when the movie runs too long, the villain is weak, and Denise Richards plays a Bond girl. The skiing scenes are well done (as in OHMSS, which is where the movie gets it's title from) and the opening motor boat on the Thames chase scene is great. Bronson once again is aces as Bond.
19. Tomorrow Never Dies: Bringing in Michelle Yeoh was an inspired touch, but this is one of the weakest of all Bond movies. The villain is lame, and his scheme is worse, making this one of the least memorable Bond outings. I still like the innuendo though (my favorite: "You're a cunning linguist!") and some of the action scenes are fairly spiffy (like the helicopter stunt).
20. Die Another Day: In a word: GOOFY. Invisible cars. Ice hotels. Halle Berry cutting fruit in bed. Madonna's cameo. The face swapping. The extended fencing duel. The sniveling villain. Never boring. Just goofy.
21. Never Say Never Again: Not many people consider this Bond canon since it's just a remake of Thunderball, but I still say any Bond movie with Connery in the role is worthy of note. Too bad the movie is as flabby as his phyisque. This one goes on waaaay too long and the fact that it doesn't feature many of the Bond hallmarks (like the pre-credit sequence and theme song) and the overall feeling of deja vu factor doesn't help any. Also, the gratuitously unfunny comic relief provided by Rowan (Mr. Bean) Atkinson is out of place to say the least. I also hate that they updated Bond playing Baccarat with the villain and made them play A VIDEO GAME aginst each other. Still I LOVE Barbara Carrera as Fatima Blush, one of the best femme fatales seen in a Bond flick and to see Connery play the role again is worth the price of admission alone.
22. The Living Daylights: Okay, as much as I LOVE Licence to Kill, The Living Daylights is a complete mess for me. I enjoyed half of the film, but once Bond got to Afghanistan, the wheels came completely off. The film has one or two memorable action sequences (the car chase and the fight in the airplane), but the film's biggest folly is they never knew how Dalton should play things. The film was originally written for Moore, but Dalton looks uncomfortable mugging next to Jerome Krabbe. Add that to Bond's one liners aren't very good ("He got the boot.") and there is zero chemistry between him and Myriam D'Abo. We're also privvy to THE WORST VILLAIN (Yes Joe Don Baker I'm talking to you!) who essentially sits around playing with toy soldiers and the worse Felix Leiter (where did they get that dude from?) ever seen. The film also suffers from the producer's meddling with the essence of Bond to fit with the times. (In wake of the AIDS epidemic, Bond only sleeps with one woman. What's next Q gives him a gadget filled condom?) Speaking of Q, he does deliver his greatest gadget in this movie: The Ghetto Blaster.
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TomServo69
Moderator Emeritus
Gone but not Forgotten
Nothing ever changes........
Posts: 5,467
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Post by TomServo69 on Jan 16, 2008 10:11:44 GMT -5
I went with Goldfinger. I have seen all of them multiple times, excluding Casino Royale which I bought the other night and have yet to watch. But, Goldfinger is the epitome of Bond. The classic lines, the over-the-top villains. Just great. The Man With the Golden Gun is a close second though.
James Bond: Do you expect me to talk? Auric Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.
Classic.
Servo
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Post by General Tom Servo on Jan 16, 2008 12:24:11 GMT -5
Casino Royale is IMO a very weak film. I appreciate the attempts at reviving the more serious bond of early Connery and Dalton eras, but it doesn't feel like a Bond film. The opening action scene in Africa was well-done but they others were anemic. The villains - lame as could be. Eva Green was hot, but that's small consolation. Daniel Craig was a good Bond hopefully he'll get a better film his second time out. My biggest problem was that the majority of the movie centered around a game of Texas Hold 'Em - not exactly the best way to build tension. A 6/10 at most.
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Jan 16, 2008 14:18:07 GMT -5
Since everyone is listing best to worst here is mine from the EON productions only (note: I haven't seen Tomorrow Never Dies since it was in the theaters and I never saw Die Another Day) Bad Bond: Moonraker- Seriously, only Moore's Bond could be this retarded. A View to A Kill- Even if Moore was 30, this movie would still have stunk. Seriously, Grace Jones is the highlight over Christopher Walken. He was so disappointing, then you got Tanya Roberts, bad move. Octopussy- What the flapjacks happened in this movie. I've seen it twice and I still don't know. Man with the Golden Gun- Most boring Bond movie, but Lee almost saves it, almost.
Below Average Bond: Living Daylights- Dalton playing Moore's Bond, not pretty. You Only Live Twice- Connery was just going through the obligations. The World is Not Enough- I think I liked this more than Tommorrow Never Dies.
Average Bond Pictures: Diamonds are Forever- Not too great, but the Las Vegas setting, Connery being back, and the comic book attitude kinda save it. Live and Let Die- Another experiment from the attmpted Americanization of Bond. Moore was still the Saint.
Very good Bond Pictures: On Her Majesty's Secret Service- Great story, follows the book almost to a tee, would have been the best if not for Lazenby. Not that he's as bad as people say, but it's not a good story to start with. Goldeneye- Brosnan's Bond coulda been great, but this was his only decent material. A great way to get back Bond to the top. Licence to Kill- I've made my opinion. From Russia with Love- Good character development movie, definately the most different of all the movies. Thunderball- SPECTRE comes to a head, Largo, Domino, just classic Bond. Yeah, it's the cause of all the over the top Bond, but this one did it first and best. The Spy Who Loved Me- Moore finally stops being the Saint, and become's not Fleming's but his own Bond. Casino Royale- A return to form, a new direction, hope the next one can live up to this. For Your Eyes Only- Great underrated low-key movie, Moore is badass for a change. Dr. No- This set the template for future Bond movies, but also wasn't as formulatic as the rest. Had there been no series, would have been one of the best action films of the 60s. Goldfinger- GOLD FINGA!
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Jan 16, 2008 16:41:33 GMT -5
It's not worth an exploding head. I hate LTK loved MWTGG... big deal. Uh, but calling Dalton and Del Toro (among other good actors) made for TV level actors is not right. That's just wrong.
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 16, 2008 22:48:46 GMT -5
It's not worth an exploding head. I hate LTK loved MWTGG... big deal. Uh, but calling Dalton and Del Toro (among other good actors) made for TV level actors is not right. That's just wrong. I guess you'll have to learn to live with it. lmao. Despite those you mention I stand by my statement.
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Post by vanhagar3000 on Jan 17, 2008 16:14:31 GMT -5
Since I don't plan on finishing my Bond reviews, I'm gonna do my best of lists similar to MJ's in his thread. Best Bonds 6) George Lazenby- He was a little stiff in his debut, but not as bad as some say. Likely would have improved by the next movie, some guys got it right away, others it took a movie or two. 5) Daniel Craig- I really liked Craig in his debut. He'll probably move up the list with experience. 4) Timothy Dalton- Him and Brosnan are interchangable in the middle spot. I like his uber serious approach to the material, and he got it down in LTK 3) Pierce Brosnan- Lighter Bond in the vein of Moore, but takes elements of Dalton and Connery's seriousness. 2) Roger Moore- Was still playing the Saint in his first two movies, but finally found his Bond. While he had some bad movie, I always liked his lighter approach compared to Connery's more serious demenor. It moved away from Fleming's character more, but he could play the part and it was a natural evolution given Connery's character was a little bit more comedic than Fleming's. 1) Sean Connery- Perfect. He is James Bond.
Best Directors 5) Peter Hunt (only directed OHMSS, but it was a good movie) 4) Martin Campell (director two of the all time classic Bonds, did a great job at hitting the reset button twice) 3) John Glen (really kept Bond from going into blockbuster mode that it eventually did in the 90s, his middle three scripts suffered from bad scripts and other problems, but the outside ones are classics and really brought the badass Bond back to form) 2) Lewis Gilbert (directed a couple of middle of the road ones, one really bad one, but the best of them all. Plus he finally gave Q motivation and gave that character life he probably never would have) 1) Terrance Young (he made Bond, directed both the low-key beginning (Dr. No) and first big budget spectacle (Thunderball))
Villains 5) Dr. No 4) Le Chiffe 3) Rosa Klebb (yeah, I know she could fit as henchman for Blofeld, but she was the focus) 2) Emilio Largo 1) Savalas as Blofeld
Bond Girls 5) Tiffany Case 4) Tatiana Romanov 3) Tracy Bond 2) Pussy Galore 1) Honey Ryder
Henchmen 5) Irma Bunt 4) Red Grant 3) Dario (Benicio Del Toro in LTK) 2) Jaws in the TSWLM 1) Oddjob
Favorite Recurring Characters 5) Jaws 4) Miss Moneypenny 3) The Male M 2) Blofeld 1) Q
The Songs 5) Tom Jones- Thunderball 4) Louie Armstrong- We Have all the Time in the World 3) Shirley Bassey- Goldfinger 2) Duran Duran- View to a Kill 1) Wings- Live and Let Die
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Post by braindeadzombie on Jan 20, 2008 0:10:28 GMT -5
It's not worth an exploding head. I hate LTK loved MWTGG... big deal. Uh, but calling Dalton and Del Toro (among other good actors) made for TV level actors is not right. That's just wrong. Doesn't the movie also feature the actor Anthony Starke, and apart from this, his only notable film role was in Return of the Killer Tomatoes?
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Post by Mighty Jack on Jan 20, 2008 6:10:40 GMT -5
So what I do on my Saturday night alone, without a girlfriend and the bars are closed... Aloserdoeswhat? He builds a 007 website... The Bond MarathonNo fancy banner, I just collected and modified my reviews and lists. Enjoy!
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