The James Bond 007 Thread

[mickeba]

Mickeba loved Thunderball. Top 10 Bonds: As Mickeba sees it.

From Russia with Love, Thunderball, Goldfinger, You Only Live Twice, Live and Let Die, Spy Who Loved Me, Goldeneye, OHMSS, Golden Gun (most think it's a stinker, Mickeba does love it) Diamonds are Forever.

A common thread, Sean Connery. Mickeba loves all Connery Bond offerings, except NSN. Watch Thunderball, it's good.

Mickeba

[Heather]

quote : I think that because On Her Majesty's Secret Service wasn't well-received initially

It made 60 mill $....yeah it failed against TB (mega hit $$$) or YOLTs total but in general it did good.

Connery was fed up with Bond after Japanese reporters where on him like piranhas on a chunk of meat....I'm not so sure he'd really care about OHMSS at that point....

Didya know that both Connery & Lazenby dated Jill St John

Bond birthdays coming up :

Holly Goodhead" Lois Chiles 60 April 15th
"Fiona Volpe" Luciana Paluzzi 70 June 10th
"Melina Havelock" Carole Bouquet 50 Aug 18th
"agent XXX , Anya Amasova" Barbara Bach 60 Aug 27th

It's also been 25 yrs since "Karl Stromberg" Curt Jurgens and "Oddjob" Harold Sakata died

[Mayday Malone]

Didn't know that Lazenby dated Jill St. John. He was rumoured to have had a fling with Diana Rigg during filming. Wouldn't be surprised.

For those that dare to read a slip of fiction I've put my opening part of my Bond fan fic (due for publication hopefully in August) on the 'Mayday's Fiction Corner' thread. Enjoy

[Mr Blue Sky]

I wasn't sure which thread to hijack for this peice of disappointing news:-

Connery Rules Out Indy Return

The next Indiana Jones film will not be another father-son affair after Sir Sean Connery said he will not return to play dad to Harrison Ford's globe-trotting adventurer Indy.

Connery played Indy's father in 1989's Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade, the third instalment of the franchise directed by Steven Spielberg and produced by George Lucas.

"I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement," Connery, 76, said in a statement posted on Lucasfilm's Indiana Jones website.

"I thought long and hard about it, and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film.

"I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honour to have Harrison as my son," he said. "But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun."

The fourth Indiana Jones film, not yet titled, is again directed by Spielberg and produced by Lucas. Shooting begins this month, and the movie is due out in the US on May 22 2008.

Lucasfilm also announced that Cate Blanchett, John Hurt and Ray Winstone will be joining the cast, which along with Ford, includes Shia LaBeouf.

Connery - who played the bookish Henry Jones Sr in Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade and affectionately called his son "Junior" - did have some words for the 64-year-old Ford.

"I do, however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low, and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt co-ordinator!" Connery said.

"This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say: 'Break a leg, everyone.'"

Turned down with some class by Mr C, but I'm still quite shocked it didn't tempt him out of retirement given the undoubtedly high salary on offer and the chance to finish his film career on a virtually guaranteed box-office high.

On a more serious note, they begin filming next month and I'm very worried how this will affect the script - I would have assumed a full re-write would be needed? Maybe they'll just replace Henry Jones Snr with a 'long lost Welsh uncle' or something, played by Anthony Hopkins...

[Mayday Malone]

I like the idea of Hopkins as an uncle or something. It'd be quite brill.

But, Sean is 76!?

Don't judge but I had a dream last night I was Bond and not only that but Lazenby's Bond. I wonder what I had before I went to bed.

[Mr Blue Sky]

I like the idea of Hopkins as an uncle or something. It'd be quite brill.

But, Sean is 76!?

I don't think 76 is old for an actor. There are plenty of great actors in their 70s. It just sounds like he actually prefers retirement, unless there's something we're not being told (i.e. contract negotiations didn't go well).

Don't judge but I had a dream last night I was Bond and not only that but Lazenby's Bond. I wonder what I had before I went to bed.

A wank?

Sorry mate, I couldn't resist. Only kidding!

[Mayday Malone]

A Wank!? Not this time

[Moon-Crane]

What's the general opinion about Die Another Day from our resident Bond fans? Apart from the ropey CGI surfing scene, i think it's pretty good fun. Sure, it's over the top, but it doesn't bother me. I think it was the crescendo that led to the 'stripped back' Casino Royale.

The stick in the mud expert Bond 'fans' seem to hate most things about it - including the theme song - which i actually like, and are quick to pick apart any fault they think they can find (although there's plenty of Bond fans who can't stand the fact that they cast Daniel Craig, either - but that's a topic for another day).

Anyway, i say DAD - not as bad as it is perceived... Now, if they could only fix that surfing moment...

[Mr Blue Sky]

What's the general opinion about Die Another Day from our resident Bond fans? Apart from the ropey CGI surfing scene, i think it's pretty good fun. Sure, it's over the top, but it doesn't bother me. I think it was the crescendo that led to the 'stripped back' Casino Royale.

The stick in the mud expert Bond 'fans' seem to hate most things about it - including the theme song - which i actually like, and are quick to pick apart any fault they think they can find (although there's plenty of Bond fans who can't stand the fact that they cast Daniel Craig, either - but that's a topic for another day).

Anyway, i say DAD - not as bad as it is perceived... Now, if they could only fix that surfing moment...

It was good fun on first viewing but for me hasn't aged well these last 5 years. It seemed like a return to the latter-Moore days of excess and ridiculousness that are just too daft to be funny. In Octopussy we had the 'Tarzan' yodel; the Barbara Woodhouse "SIT" and the game of 'Tennis' with Vijay Amritraj. In AVTAK we had the Beach Boys pre-title 'surfing' scene amongst others. DAD's surfing moment and invisible car were a throw-back to those times IMO, possibly due to it being both the 20th Bond flick and the 40th anniversary, and they wanted to pay tribute to the franchise.

As I say, I didn't mind it at the time but now, especially after the release of Casino Royal, it just seems a bit of a silly kids film. Oh and Madonna - I didn't mind the song half as much as her wooden performance in the film...

[Cake for Brains]

Considering getting Casino Royale on DVD. Does it matter that I've not really seen any other Bond films or is it a good place to start?

[Moon-Crane]

Considering getting Casino Royale on DVD. Does it matter that I've not really seen any other Bond films or is it a good place to start?

Shouldn't matter one jot. This film was seen as a sort of 'rebirth' of the character anyway - in a Batman Begins type way?

It would be interesting to hear an opinion from somebody with no preconceptions, based on the baggage of previous films and actors to play the role. I recommend it, it's a decent film.

[Cake for Brains]

Considering getting Casino Royale on DVD. Does it matter that I've not really seen any other Bond films or is it a good place to start?

Shouldn't matter one jot. This film was seen as a sort of 'rebirth' of the character anyway - in a Batman Begins type way?

It would be interesting to hear an opinion from somebody with no preconceptions, based on the baggage of previous films and actors to play the role. I recommend it, it's a decent film.

In that case I shall make sure to pick it up next week. Everyone seems to be raving about it at school - so I feel quite left out!

[Mayday Malone]

Casino Royale is considered by the makers a reboot of the franchise and made it as if it's the first of the series which in a way it is considering it shows how Bond got his 00 status.

[Mayday Malone]

I am the author of this thread...I just realised.

[Heather]

Anniversaries :

June 12th YOLT 40
June 29th TLD 20
July 7th TSWLM 30

[Mayday Malone]

The Living Daylights is the best out of them three.

My second favourite Bond film after OHMSS.

[Moon-Crane]

I think i'd rate TSWLM as my fav Roger Moore film, just over LALD

[Mr Blue Sky]

I think i'd rate TSWLM as my fav Roger Moore film, just over LALD

Just the other way around for me.

[Stratman]

Is Casino Royale considered a great movie by Bond standards? Personally, I thought it was pretty average stuff with the exception of the opening chase scene.

[Mr Blue Sky]

Is Casino Royale considered a great movie by Bond standards? Personally, I thought it was pretty average stuff with the exception of the opening chase scene.

Hmm, that's tricky. I think it's generally considered a brilliant re-invention of the character, and Daniel Craig's performance has received possibly more critical praise than any Bond actor before him. But your summation is quite accurate I reckon - the movie can't live up to the breathless first 15 minutes or so. One Bond fan (Charlie Higson, who writes the 'young James Bond' novels) described the movie as the longest pre-title sequence in history. Pretty spot-on I think, I'm hoping DC's next movie will really take things up a notch.

[Moon-Crane]

I'd rate it nicely above average. It took a second viewing to take everything in. I thought it dragged towards the end the first time i saw it, but it made more sense on repeat.

I liked all the slower, casino based stuff. They paced it pretty well, imho. I actually like Die Another Day a lot more than your average Bond fan, i think, but it was ridiculously over the top and self indulgent - and Casino Royale was the perfect antidote. If they can keep the CR style for the next film i'll be more than happy.

[Mr Blue Sky]

I'd rate it nicely above average. It took a second viewing to take everything in. I thought it dragged towards the end the first time i saw it, but it made more sense on repeat.

I liked all the slower, casino based stuff. They paced it pretty well, imho. I actually like Die Another Day a lot more than your average Bond fan, i think, but it was ridiculously over the top and self indulgent - and Casino Royale was the perfect antidote. If they can keep the CR style for the next film i'll be more than happy.

I'm a big fan of the card scenes too. But I used to gamble a ridiculous amount when I was younger and enjoyed Casinos in general, so that probably helped. I love the card game in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels as well.

[Stratman]

The casino stuff was great. The worst part of the film was when Bond and his girl deconstructed each others personas, I couldn't help but groan. But that opening chase blew my mind, were all those stunts real?

[Mr Blue Sky]

Absolutely. It was part of the 'back to basics' approach they decided upon - no more (or very little) fancy CGI. The movies were historically stunt-based anyway. Two of the most celebrated were in The Man With The Golden Gun (car twists over bridge) and The Spy Who Loved Me (Union Jack parachute). Virtually all the action in Die Another Day was CGI, I think the audience just got bored of it.

The free running stunts were performed by Sébastien Foucan, the founder of the discipline. Apparently it's quite easy to tell on the HD DVD that it's not Daniel Craig doing his tricky bits.

[Mayday Malone]

that free running bloke annoys me. Show off.