SirHenryLeeChaChing's For Original Fans - Favorite Moments In NTTD (spoilers)

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  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Leaving on an early train, so only 2 quick posts. I just wanted to see if there were a few comments here to get us started. Fantastic response! Well done, chaps. =D>

    Happy to read these comments and I'll read all of them more thoroughly when I have time later. Carry on!
  • Posts: 11,189
    My personal top 5:
    Spy ski jump
    TLD plane fight
    GE bunjee jump
    FYEO cliff fall
    CR crane fight
  • Posts: 12,243
    I think my personal favorite is probably the jump from GE. There's a lot of good ones though.
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    I think it most certainly is up for debate!! Amazing as the ski jump is I have to go with everything Benny says
    Benny wrote:
    Why thanks Wiz, great minds think alike and all.


    When you watch the TLD special features and see the outtakes as BJ Worth nearly gets smashed on the tail of the plane then this goes down as a simply staggering feat.
    Benny wrote:
    Watching those special features, Worth got so close to the tail of that plane. But another reason I love it so much, is because it actually fits into the story of the film so well, instead of being a tacked on action scene for the hell of it. Add to that the almost Hitchcock like tension of not only a bomb ticking down to zero, but the strands of the rope that the men are clinging to, slowing fraying to a final breaking point. It's a wonderfully thought out sequence.
    TB - I find Bond clinging onto the hydrofoil foil to be one of the most underrated stunts of the series. It is clear that at the speed it is going one slip and the water would rip the stuntman off and quite easily send him into the propellers.
    Benny wrote:
    Agreed on this one. A seemingly simple stunt, yet when watching it, you can see quite how dangerous it is. It's one of the better early stunts of the series. Though to be fair I think the dive into camera lens by Bob Simmons in GF in the Fort Knox scene is worth a mention.


    OHMSS - The two moments that stand out for me is the stuntman landing a jump on one ski and when Bond's bobsleigh goes over the grenade and his body is flung clear. Theres also the unscripted bit where he falls off but as it wasnt on purpose can it be classed as a stunt rather than an accident?
    Benny wrote:
    Another of my personal favourites. For anyone who has ever been skiing will know how hard it is to do on two ski's. Skiing on one ski, and performing the jumps and speeds we see, is sheer brilliance. All that has been said about the bob-sleigh fight agreed on. Some excellent camera work on this scene, and it comes as no surprise that John Glen handled the second unit on Majesty's.

    LALD - The Moore era really started to ramp up the big stunts and LALD features some great ones. The bus decapitation, the crocodile jump (that has to be top 5 when you see from the outtakes just how dangerous it was), the boat jump and I also love when the two boats go across the road.
    Benny wrote:
    I recently watched LALD, and the special features, including Ross Kanangas outtakes of running over the crocs backs. What a nutter!
    It's definitely up there with the best stunts of the series. But it's so quick in the film, you almost forget how dangerous and insane this stunt is. The boat work is excellent, including the two boats crossing the road. Look how close they come to hitting the cars. It's some good timing by the stunt guys.

    MR - The PTS is an impressive sequence but I think because it is comprised of so many jumps edited together it cant really make it onto the top of the list. Dickie Graydon throwing himself over the edge of the cable car without a safety harness deserves a mention - although a bit reckless!
    Benny wrote:
    Lunatic would be a word that comes to mind. Dickie Graydon has made so many contributions to the series over the years. The clinging to the cable car is possibly his most insane stunt. Especially as he's not wearing any safety harness. Just his strength to hold on.
    FYEO - Some great driving in the 2CV chase, skiing behind the bobsleigh is very impressive and the cliff drop is spectacular but not particularly difficult to pull off as long as you get your calculations on the rope tension right.
    Benny wrote:
    The skiing sequences are well done, as is the already mentioned bobsleigh, Bond on skis and motorbike in the bob run together. I love the bit on the making of doco, where John Glen is discussing the stunt with Willy Bogner and asks if he would be tied to the bob, and Bogner apparently thinks it's a great idea. It's moments like these, that not only show the team work that goes into making these sequences so good. But the level of commitment the stunt men have for doing them. A true credit to them for a large piece of the success of the films.
    OP - Probably the best train stunts ever filmed (mostly by Martin Grace - at some cost!) and the final work on the outside of the plane by BJ and Jake is as stunning as ever.
    Benny wrote:
    It's yet another of my favourite action scenes from the movies, and one of the reasons I hold OP in such high esteem. The action in OP is near some of the best, and includes so many amazing stunts in one film. The train scenes have never been bettered in my opinion. At least in no film I can think of. Martin Grace work here is incredible. But one cannot forget Paul Weston's contribution to the scene after Martin Grace suffered the well known accident that occurred filming this scene.

    One of the parts of the scene that really impresses me, and I showed my son this recently, was from 5:13into the clip above. As Bond exits the gorilla suit when Gobinda becomes suspicious and exits onto the roof. Look how close the stuntman is to hitting the bridge. I can't see any special effects wizardry, or camera angle trickery here. It's amazing. The dive over the pipe is another well performed stunt, and of course hanging to the side of the train needs no further mention as to its brilliance.

    TLD - If they had managed to do the PTS parachute out of the back of the Land Rover for real then this could well have been the best of all, sadly it is clearly faked. Some fine work by TD on the roof of the jeep though. Still BJ and Jake hit it out of the park on the cargo net so cant complain. Where the f**k where these guys for the QOS freefall scene?
    Benny wrote:
    Where indeed. It's as I have previously said one of the things that is sorely lacking in recent films. Yes they do have stunts, but not of the same calibre of work that was being done for real twenty five years ago. No offence to the talented stunt performers in todays movies. But I don't want CGI.


    GE - Bungy jump needs no introduction but is probably not as dangerous as it looks. I also really like the single shot of the bike going over the edge of the cliff which is clearly done for real. The tank chase has some good moments and theres a bit at the end on the antenna where Bond dives head first down a metal stairway that looks really difficult to do without injuring yourself.
    Benny wrote:
    That's actually one that always sticks out for me. It's a neat piece of stunt work in a good final scrap with Bond and Trevelyan. Also worth a mention is the fall on the ladder as Trevelyan kicks Bond as he slides down the ladder. Bond (stuntman) falls backward and does a full 360 as he falls, grabbing the rung to stop himself. It always looks very cool.
    DAD - Three men surfing on one massive wave only feet from each other deserves a lot more respect and I think is ignored because of the crapness of the film it is in. Some of the actual driving on ice is looks pretty good too.
    Benny wrote:
    The three men surfing the same wave does deserve more credit that it gets. It's just totally out of place in a Bond film imo. Still a great stunt though.
    CR - The crane jumps and the Aston roll are the standouts (OK safety harness digitally erased for the crane jump but it was still done for real).

    QOS - Some of the Aston work is very good but difficult to see with the shite editing. I find the rope fight to be the most original and well done action scene in the film. Special mention for the moment when DC jumps onto a balcony and nearly smashes his cheekbone on the wall. Thats a pretty fine stunt for someone who isnt a stuntman.

    SF - The bike work on the roofs is very good as is the bike jump onto the train. The highlight of course is the JCB stunt. After the PTS the only thing that really strikes is when Bond vaults up to catch the bottom of the lift. We need better stunts in Bond 24 Mendes as just loading up the PTS and thinking that will do isnt up to scratch.
    Benny wrote:
    The Craig era has some fine stunts. The crane jump and Aston roll are worthy mentions, and as they were done for real, makes them all the more impressive. Aside from the rooftop chase, and the rope fight, so much of the action that follows is either poorly edited or done via CGI and / or green screen. The jump out of the DC3 and CGI used is just not very well done I'm sorry to say. As Wiz mentions the train stuff in the PTS of SF is great and looks good. But after that the action is not upto par. The stuff in the tube is exciting but not anything that puts our hero in danger. To be fair it is an original sequence, and I cannot recall another film using the underground of London for such a scene. We do indeed need better stunts for Bond 24. A look back to work that was done in the 80's would be a good place to start.
    I think my top 5 would be something along the lines of:

    1. TLD cargo net
    2. TSWLM ski jump
    3. LTK waterskiing
    4. OP train stunts
    5. LALD crocodile run

    To be fair - whatever you say about Glen's pedestrian direction you cant complain about the stunts of his era. The 80's was unquestionably the best decade for stuntwork.
    Benny wrote:
    A fine top five Wiz, I think I'd go...

    1. TLD cargo net
    2. TSWLM ski jump
    3. OP plane scene
    4. OP train stunts
    5. LALD croc run

    One thing I'm sure we can all agree on is the Bond series has some of the most impressive stunts ever seen in film. We might not all agree on certain aspects of the films. And our love of some films might not be the same as others. But the stunts in the Bond series are where most will agree on similar jaw dropping spectacles of a stunt man risking his life to give us a massive thrill in the cinema. Credit and praise to all the stunt performers of the Bond series from DN-SF.

    Great post @TheWizardOfIce I've enjoyed going through your post and have to agree with all that you've said.
  • edited September 2014 Posts: 3,564
    Very thorough and impressive post, Wiz! Thanks for that... and you do bring up a couple of points that I'd like to see others expand on. For example, when you say:
    YOLT - Some of the Little Nellie stuff is good and the final attack when all the ninjas rappel down from the crater is impressive but nothing to really blow you away.

    I wonder if the passage of time has robbed that particular sequence of some of its power? I remember being blown away by that sequence the first time I saw it...but since then, I wonder if other, similar sequences such as the big battle inside the supertanker in TSWLM may have stolen some of the thunder that YOLT held in its first go round?

    Additionally, re: the crocodile jumping sequence in LALD ... for me, this was when the Bond series nearly "jumped the shark" and this was actually before Fonzie had ever met the original shark that led to the coining of that phrase! In the context of that time, the humor of the Bond series was being taken to a new level in the first of Roger Moore's portrayals of 007. I personally was not pleased with the direction of the series at that time, and this particular move impressed me as being too cartoonish. Given the "stiffness" of the crocs' performances, and their obliging natures in all lining up for Bond's convenience, I harbored the notion that these were all actually manufactured props. Watching the "behind the scenes" footage today, I realize that they were all real crocs chained in place for the scene, and that stuntman Ross Kananaga is indeed risking life & limb with every take...and that the scene is actually much more impressive than I originally gave it credit for.

    I guess what I am essentially asking is this: are there some sequences, such as the fight between Bond and Grant in FRWL or the cargo net sequence in TLD, that you feel have become timeless classics...while others (like the ninja crater attack in YOLT) that were more impressive in the context of their time than they are today? Are there some sequences that impress you more now than they did when you first saw them, like the crocodile rock of LALD for me?
  • Posts: 11,189
    For me I always enjoy knowing that the stunt was done in one continuous take and not edited together in post production. That's partly why I rate the GE bunjee jump and the Spy ski jump so highly.
  • Posts: 2,341
    @Bain123 about the crocodile rock stunt, seeing the Youtube video impressed me with the fact that it was real. Sure the crocodiles had to be tied down and lined up perfectly for stuntman Kanaga to do his death defying walk, but one can appreciate it that it was real crocodiles and the number of takes it required. Hell, like Mankiwicz said after a few takes the reptiles were getting wise to the stunt and were waiting on Mr. Kananga making it more dangerous.
    Nowadays, they would CGI the reptiles (like SF).
  • Posts: 11,189
    Yeah the crocodile run was great. I should have given that a mention too.

    I think it's made slightly more macabre by the fact that the stuntman's father was apparently eaten by crocodile's too.

    You just don't hear attention grabbing stories like that anymore :(
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Very thorough and impressive post, Wiz! Thanks for that... and you do bring up a couple of points that I'd like to see others expand on. For example, when you say:
    YOLT - Some of the Little Nellie stuff is good and the final attack when all the ninjas rappel down from the crater is impressive but nothing to really blow you away.

    I wonder if the passage of time has robbed that particular sequence of some of its power? I remember being blown away by that sequence the first time I saw it...but since then, I wonder if other, similar sequences such as the big battle inside the supertanker in TSWLM may have stolen some of the thunder that YOLT held in its first go round?

    Additionally, re: the crocodile jumping sequence in LALD ... for me, this was when the Bond series nearly "jumped the shark" and this was actually before Fonzie had ever met the original shark that led to the coining of that phrase! In the context of that time, the humor of the Bond series was being taken to a new level in the first of Roger Moore's portrayals of 007. I personally was not pleased with the direction of the series at that time, and this particular move impressed me as being too cartoonish. Given the "stiffness" of the crocs' performances, and their obliging natures in all lining up for Bond's convenience, I harbored the notion that these were all actually manufactured props. Watching the "behind the scenes" footage today, I realize that they were all real crocs chained in place for the scene, and that stuntman Ross Kananaga is indeed risking life & limb with every take...and that the scene is actually much more impressive than I originally gave it credit for.

    I guess what I am essentially asking is this: are there some sequences, such as the fight between Bond and Grant in FRWL or the cargo net sequence in TLD, that you feel have become timeless classics...while others (like the ninja crater attack in YOLT) that were more impressive in the context of their time than they are today? Are there some sequences that impress you more now than they did when you first saw them, like the crocodile rock of LALD for me?

    I do agree with you on the crocodile scene. I've never really liked it as the crocs lining up in a row is far too conspicuously staged and the whole thing is a bit over the top. However what cannot be denied is that is a phenomenal feat of agility and courage.

    I think the ninja attack on the crater loses a lot not being on the big screen. I think it would still be pretty impressive in a cinema.

    I do worry that its been a long time since we had a really jaw dropping stunt. The crane jump in CR is the closest but compared to the 70's and 80's when there was one (often more) unbelievable stunt done for real per film its thin gruel these days. Theres not really much in QOS or SF (and to a lesser extent CR) you havent really seen before.

    I just listened to that Reunion thing on Radio 4 which was Richard Kiel's last interview and John Glen made the point that these days they simply would do the TSWLM ski jump for real. He said they'd film a guy jumping off something onto an airbag and then CGI on the massive chasm on afterwards. Babs and MGW were both sat there and didnt utter a word to the contrary.

    The thing thats so perfect about the ski jump is that its just one camera and one take and your eye simply knows its real. It doesnt matter how good your CGI is the human eye can always tell the difference.
  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,948
    Some great stunts mentioned, and indeed I guess the glory days are over since the advance of the greenscreen. Still, there are some sequences worth mentioning. The crane-jump in CR is one, but I'd like to mention the Alfa 159 - DBS chase in QoS. Yes, it's all shakey cam, but still, the chase is impressive and, as we know from newsreports, was very dangerous indeed. I really love that sequence.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    I'd like to mention the Alfa 159 - DBS chase in QoS. Yes, it's all shakey cam, but still, the chase is impressive and, as we know from newsreports, was very dangerous indeed. I really love that sequence.
    Yeah, that was great. No real CGI involved.

  • One thing that is apparent to me from our discussion of stunts in the Bond series: humor and stunts often are an uneasy mix. The crocodile stroll of LALD, as amazing a stunt as it was, gets an uneasy reception from some (myself, not least among them) because of the undercurrent of humor in what should be a very tense scene. The astonishing automobile corkscrew jump of TMWTGG is reviled by many solely because of the slide whistle sound effect added to the soundtrack in postproduction. I have to say, this seems a little unfair to me even though it is an opinion that I can entirely sympathize with. The corkscrew jump itself is a world class stunt, no two ways about it…and yet it gets little respect from Bond fandom as a whole, simply because of a few notes in the soundtrack, an effect that John Barry himself long ago publicly repudiated. It seems that we take our stunts very, very seriously!

    Perfectly understandable…and yet…aren’t there a few stunts that actually benefit from the humor in them (especially during Moore’s tenure as 007?) I’m thinking specifically of Bond’s battle with Gobinda from OP as both cling to the roof of an airplane in flight. When Kamal Khan instructs Gobinda to “go outside” and remove Bond from the plane, the expression on Gobinda’s face is just hilarious to my mind! “Come on, Boss!” he seems to be thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding!” Here he’s been a first class henchman all through the film…and now Kamal Khan is practically ordering him to commit suicide! Or the final moment of the submersible Lotus in TSWLM, with Moore rolling down the car’s window as it wheels back onto dry land and fastidiously removing a dead fish from the vehicle. Surely there must be some moments in the franchise in which a stunt actually benefits from a moment of humor at some point in the proceedings. Does anyone out there have any other nominations in this regard?
  • Posts: 7,653
    Some great stunts mentioned, and indeed I guess the glory days are over since the advance of the greenscreen. Still, there are some sequences worth mentioning. The crane-jump in CR is one, but I'd like to mention the Alfa 159 - DBS chase in QoS. Yes, it's all shakey cam, but still, the chase is impressive and, as we know from newsreports, was very dangerous indeed. I really love that sequence.

    Too bad then that there was a need for editing the chase to dead that is where it lost its strength, as well as editing out another vehicle in the chase.

    The car chases in Ronin were far more impressive and had a similar energy without the stupid editing. I still feel the editing was so rigorous to hide the fact that the whole was a bit pedestrian so it needed some spice.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    Briefly back, just popping in as I have a little time this morning. I want to say a great big"Thanks!" to all the very nice posts here. This is a fun topic, one that has special meaning to Bond fans as stunts have been such a great part of the films and have often set such high standards - and I'm happy to see photos, videos, debate going on as well as general agreement. =D>

    Personally, I'd be happy for there to be no CGI in films, but I understand why at times the decision may be made to use it. I'd like it to be done quite sparingly and not when a stunt can be performed for real. Although I still hesitate to risk a stunt person's life. I think there is a point where a stunt can be too risky, even for a Bond film. But from what we have had in the past, and realizing that this is their area of expertise, I say let's have stunts done for real as much as is truly reasonable. I don't mind some humor being involved in a tiny way in a stunt; it just has to be well done, and that is a tricky balance. As for the car flip in TMWTGG, I think Bond fans in general (and on this forum) appreciate the stunt for the spectacular stunt it actually is, and only deride the slide whistle (which, as has been said, Barry regretted). That stunt is genuinely amazing.

    And good point for bringing up editing - it is crucial, as evidenced by the lack of good editing in QOS.

    Okay, off to check a few other things. Do carry on, everybody! :-bd
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    One thing that is apparent to me from our discussion of stunts in the Bond series: humor and stunts often are an uneasy mix. The crocodile stroll of LALD, as amazing a stunt as it was, gets an uneasy reception from some (myself, not least among them) because of the undercurrent of humor in what should be a very tense scene. The astonishing automobile corkscrew jump of TMWTGG is reviled by many solely because of the slide whistle sound effect added to the soundtrack in postproduction. I have to say, this seems a little unfair to me even though it is an opinion that I can entirely sympathize with. The corkscrew jump itself is a world class stunt, no two ways about it…and yet it gets little respect from Bond fandom as a whole, simply because of a few notes in the soundtrack, an effect that John Barry himself long ago publicly repudiated. It seems that we take our stunts very, very seriously!

    Perfectly understandable…and yet…aren’t there a few stunts that actually benefit from the humor in them (especially during Moore’s tenure as 007?) I’m thinking specifically of Bond’s battle with Gobinda from OP as both cling to the roof of an airplane in flight. When Kamal Khan instructs Gobinda to “go outside” and remove Bond from the plane, the expression on Gobinda’s face is just hilarious to my mind! “Come on, Boss!” he seems to be thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding!” Here he’s been a first class henchman all through the film…and now Kamal Khan is practically ordering him to commit suicide! Or the final moment of the submersible Lotus in TSWLM, with Moore rolling down the car’s window as it wheels back onto dry land and fastidiously removing a dead fish from the vehicle. Surely there must be some moments in the franchise in which a stunt actually benefits from a moment of humor at some point in the proceedings. Does anyone out there have any other nominations in this regard?

    I largely agree with your points.

    The thing is there's a difference between laughing with the film and laughing at the film.

    Gobinda being told to go outside and Moore throwing the fish are the former.

    The slide whistle and the pigeon are the latter.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    The slide whistle and the pigeon are the latter.
    Were YOU there, back in the day? 1974? The slide whistle was acceptable fare back then, a sort of musical *Holy s**t!*.
    I am so old.....
    :))
  • BennyBenny In the shadowsAdministrator, Moderator
    Posts: 14,811
    Perfectly understandable…and yet…aren’t there a few stunts that actually benefit from the humor in them (especially during Moore’s tenure as 007?) I’m thinking specifically of Bond’s battle with Gobinda from OP as both cling to the roof of an airplane in flight. When Kamal Khan instructs Gobinda to “go outside” and remove Bond from the plane, the expression on Gobinda’s face is just hilarious to my mind! “Come on, Boss!” he seems to be thinking, “You’ve got to be kidding!” Here he’s been a first class henchman all through the film…and now Kamal Khan is practically ordering him to commit suicide! Or the final moment of the submersible Lotus in TSWLM, with Moore rolling down the car’s window as it wheels back onto dry land and fastidiously removing a dead fish from the vehicle. Surely there must be some moments in the franchise in which a stunt actually benefits from a moment of humor at some point in the proceedings. Does anyone out there have any other nominations in this regard?

    Well I'd add the "He got the boot." Line from TLD after Bond has disposed of Necros. It's perfectly said by Dalton, as he notices the huge cliff face fast approaching, leaping into action yet again after his experience on the outside of the plane moments before.
    I recall seeing this in the cinema, and it getting a big laugh.
    Another instance I can think of, would be the PTS of TND, after all the mayhem and explosions, and the co-pilot and other fighter trying to kill Bond, OO7 ejects the rear co-pilot into the other plane above him, with the line "Back seat driver." Not quite as good as the boot line, but it still got a laugh.
    Not sure if "See you back at the lodge." should get a mention. I don't know about this one. It's a bit of an oddity. Nothing wrong with it, but I hate Brosnan's delivery and smugness as the para-hawk shoots off the edge. Actually I'm not a big fan of the whole scene, so that probably doesn't help.

  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,948
    SaintMark wrote: »
    Some great stunts mentioned, and indeed I guess the glory days are over since the advance of the greenscreen. Still, there are some sequences worth mentioning. The crane-jump in CR is one, but I'd like to mention the Alfa 159 - DBS chase in QoS. Yes, it's all shakey cam, but still, the chase is impressive and, as we know from newsreports, was very dangerous indeed. I really love that sequence.

    Too bad then that there was a need for editing the chase to dead that is where it lost its strength, as well as editing out another vehicle in the chase.

    The car chases in Ronin were far more impressive and had a similar energy without the stupid editing. I still feel the editing was so rigorous to hide the fact that the whole was a bit pedestrian so it needed some spice.
    I'm not too happy about the editing either, but you can still see the action is very impressive. Yes, Ronin was amazing, but then again, that's one of the best chases in cinematocraphic history.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,459
    The French Connection, Ronin, Bullitt - all great car chases! No doubt about that.

    @chrisisall, I am older than you - Re TMWTGG, I remember the slide whistle being accepted by the audience just fine and, honestly, it did not bug me at the time so much as take me out of the sense of seriousness awe of the stunt a bit. It did do that. I became more thoroughly annoyed with it with further viewings.

    Okay, folks, any more favorite Bond film stunts to discuss and show via links? I still love the climbing of St. Cyril's in FYEO even though that was not a massively difficult stunt.

    Let's take one more day for stunts, then we shall move on.

    Cheers! :-bd
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    @chrisisall, I am older than you - Re TMWTGG, I remember the slide whistle being accepted by the audience just fine and, honestly, it did not bug me at the time so much as take me out of the sense of seriousness awe of the stunt a bit. It did do that.
    Yeah, and that irritated me more upon repeated viewings as well. A stupid post-Sixties Batman-esque addition to an otherwise impressive stunt. But then, that was the leftover silly from the previous era, and it carried on through many of Moore's films.

  • CommanderRossCommanderRoss The bottom of a pitch lake in Eastern Trinidad, place called La Brea
    Posts: 7,948
    The French Connection, Ronin, Bullitt - all great car chases! No doubt about that.

    @chrisisall, I am older than you - Re TMWTGG, I remember the slide whistle being accepted by the audience just fine and, honestly, it did not bug me at the time so much as take me out of the sense of seriousness awe of the stunt a bit. It did do that. I became more thoroughly annoyed with it with further viewings.

    Okay, folks, any more favorite Bond film stunts to discuss and show via links? I still love the climbing of St. Cyril's in FYEO even though that was not a massively difficult stunt.

    Let's take one more day for stunts, then we shall move on.

    Cheers! :-bd

    Perhaps not the most difficult stunt, but definately one of the most breathtaking. All stunts with hights give me goosebumbs. The crane jumps, the climbing, the ski jump.

    anyway, I think we're quite spoilt these days with so many great stunts in Bond history.

    oh and I must say I found the fight on the train in SF very cool as well. and the rooftop chase with bikes. However the CGI-face of Craig does take away a bit of the excitement, just like the slidewhistle does.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited October 2014 Posts: 12,459
    Yes, @CommanderRoss, I think as a whole we have been spoiled with great, amazing stunts in Bond films over the years. I have really enjoyed our look at stunts this past week, but now I am moving us to a new topic.

    Today, let's think about a different category of characters, one that is discussed from time to time, especially when thinking of Bond girls (but not always a female). Thanks to @OHMSS69 for suggesting this topic. Today we begin discussing a character in Bond films sometimes called a:

    Sacrificial Lamb

    That character who i is inevitably killed, often early on, as part of the story's emotional arc or plot point. Recently, with Skyfall, Severine has been talked about in that way. As much as many of us would have enjoyed her character living a lot longer (or not dying at all), she was killed - and is a good example of a "sacrificial lamb."

    How do you feel about these kind of characters? And can you name other characters that would fit this category? There are quite a few in Bond films!

    I'll be leaving in about an hour, but will check back much later on.
    Do carry on! B-)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited October 2014 Posts: 17,687
    Never liked the sacrificial lamb thing. My least favourite instance was Aki. :(
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    edited October 2014 Posts: 12,459
    Yes, Aki's death really bugs me! Sad. I am still irritated by it. I think it's so not necessary. =((

    There are lots of others in Bond films, too. (Waiting for @OHMSS69 to chime in as soon as he gets back, as he has an entire long list he can share with us!) :)
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    Paris bugged me too, but I can see how it was necessary.
    Fields was a bit gross...
    The hat toss to Tilly nearly made me hate the film as a kid.
    Andrea's off screen expulsion and Bond's acceptance of it was a bit cold.
    Severine's death still grates...
  • How does one qualify a sacrificial lamb? Is it any character who gets killed off to make life tough for Bond, or does that have to be their sole purpose? Depending on the definition, my favorite would be Kerim Bey or Jill Masterson.

    Kerim's the best primarily because he's just a great character, but Jill does the most in terms of being a sacrificial lamb. Her mode of death is certainly memorable, and it's as effective as anybody's role.

    @chrisisall, Paris's death would have been much better/worse if it had been a returning Natalya, rather than a blatantly shoehorned in Teri Hatcher.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    @chrisisall, Paris's death would have been much better/worse if it had been a returning Natalya, rather than a blatantly shoehorned in Teri Hatcher.
    It would have been worse. More painful. Better a throw away character from the past IMO.
    Kerim was in the game big time, and he paid for it- I can deal.
    Jill was logical (given the givens).
  • chrisisall wrote: »
    @chrisisall, Paris's death would have been much better/worse if it had been a returning Natalya, rather than a blatantly shoehorned in Teri Hatcher.
    It would have been worse. More painful. Better a throw away character from the past IMO.
    Kerim was in the game big time, and he paid for it- I can deal.
    Jill was logical (given the givens).

    It would have been much sadder for sure, but that's what I meant by better and worse. More effective, but...under no circumstances do I want Natalya to die.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    It would have been much sadder for sure, but that's what I meant by better and worse. More effective, but...under no circumstances do I want Natalya to die.
    So. Better the TV Lois Lane, right?
    B-)
  • Paula's kind of bugged me...mostly because it was self inflicted, taking her cyanide capsule like a good little spy. If she'd only waited for a bit and had a little patience, Bond would have rescued her! Quarrel's "Death by Dragon" is one of the best, certainly among the early films.
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