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DAD by a whisker, but I’m not keen on either song. The last title song I really, really like is Nobody Does it Better, and that was over 40 years ago. Ah well
Everything in Rome (in Spectre) I just love. The interaction between Bond and Lucia in her home is just such wonderful style I think: the music, the long take to the pool, Bond dispatching the two assassins, the drinks inside, the throwing of the flutes, "Bond... James Bond"... it's like a dance. Many don't like Bond's "gangster" suit in Rome but I like it too.
You'd think I was a Spectre die hard, and I do like it, but my order of the relevant films are:
Skyfall
Spectre
Die Another Day
Good shout, Nobody Does It Better is probably the greatest Bond theme IMO (and probably IMPOs).
Anyone who describes Craig's outfit like that doesn't know much about style. The culmination of the suit with the pin collared shirt with cocktail cuffs (originally seen in Dr. No) make this a welcomed change to a traditional tuxedo, IMO. It also makes sense that Bond would wear a B&W outfit in the scenes where it's seen.
I also need to get myself a pair of the Crockett & Jones Camberley shoes which he wears with this particular suit.
I have to vote for Severine: Both women are Beautiful and deserved more (Severine)/much more (Lucia) screen time.
As mentioned by @NickTwentyTwo , Lucia's scene right before the kissing (the walk and the two killers waiting) is cool but I wouldn't count this here. The love scene doesn't work for me, simply because it feels very akward that she wants to make love to her husband's killer. It isn't obvious to me that she hated Sciarra or that they weren't a real couple or that he treated her badly etc... I had a bad feeling when I watched it the first time in the cinema.
Bond directly "surprising" Severine under the shower is also a bit "unusual" but it works much better for me.
DAD:
It was a nice coincident that WOTW was played on the radio yesterday. It showed again that I like the song more than most fans. I don't love it but it is alright. BUT it doesn't work with the titles. The mentioned "octopus porn" is indeed a bit strange but no the Problem for me: SPECTRE should have a song that shows the power and and danger that Comes from this organisatin. The love song isn't a good match to the titles and isn't fitting for the organisation.
I would never listen specifically Madonna's song but I don't skip it when I'm listening to a sample of the titles songs either. I don't like the song as a standalone but it works surprisingly well with the titles. The atmosphere that is generated in the first few seconds of the title sequence is satisying. The whole DAD title sequence is pleasantly different from its prodecessors. The torture combined with silhouettes and the beats is one of the best bits of this film!
Agree with everything about this post.
+1 ;)
I must also give a shout out to the score here. What a beautiful, sweeping piece of music. It's such an emotional moment. Bond has come to save her. She's putting all her trust in him, which isn't easy for her to say the least. Is she using him? Is he using her? It's the life of a secret agent. Now, with all that being said, sexual abuse is no laughing matter. While I can see how Mendes was going for a big, emotional moment (that worked for me personally), perhaps some more thought should've been put into Bond just walking into the shower of a such a battered woman. I agree that there was probably a better way to handle it.
As far as the SP scene goes... my biggest problem with it is that I just don't think Craig and Bellucci had good chemistry. That more than anything else makes this scene feel more awkward to me. I can't feel the passion between these two like I did with Bond and Severine. It really feels like a case of Bond "pumping" her for information if you will. I love Monica and I really appreciate that they casted an older woman for a Bond film, but it's a mismatch imho.
The second option is more difficult, but in the end I'll take the Die Another Day title sequence. Madonna's song was never a favorite, but at least it has a good beat to it and I can appreciate the story it's trying to tell. It was rather revolutionary at the time to progress the story during the title sequence. I wasn't a big fan of it in 2002. I think it's aged rather well now (sans special effects of course), especially as I just watched it back to back with SP's T(entacle)S.
The SP Title Sequence is about sex and an octopus and perhaps sex including an octopus. Then we are hammered over the head with images of the past films to remind us that it's all connected. I wasn't a big fan of that in 2015 and I discovered not in 2020 either. Then over Smith's "vocals" we are presented with the idea that Bond and Madeleine are in love. Everything feels so forced to (I can't believe I'm saying it) compared to DAD's natural flow.
I'm not a Sam Smith "hater" either. While it's not my personal style of music, he has made some good songs that I enjoy. This was just wrong for Bond. Not that Madonna's effort was inspiring either, but if forced to pick one... what another great quandary from our host!
They'd been trying to work Belluci into a Bond film for years, I know Brosnan really wanted her for TND and we got Terri Hatcher instead. That scene we got in SP is good, but kind of anti-climactic as we never learn of her fate, just kind of Bond needs to get a girl, here's the widow of an enemy and she's a bit of a loose end when it's said and done.
For the song and credit sequence I think DAD works better. The song sucks as a standalone, one of the least exciting for Bond. I recently posted in the controversial opinions thread I like Writing's on the Wall better than Skyfall and think it's a bit underrated.
I like the SP credit sequence, but it just doesn't do seem as effective as watching Bond get tortured, scorpions and the famous silhouettes surrounding him as opposed to watching octopuses flail and the sort of OHMSS flashbacks to previous villains.
BONUS OBSERVATION: Not to hijack the topic, but something occurred to me while thinking about the many comments about Bond's treatment of Severine in light of her being a victim of the sex trade. Why does nobody ever feel the same about Andrea Anders in TMWTGG? She's basically a sex slave to Scaramanga, and may have an equally tragic backstory for all we know.
True, she lived a luxurious lifestyle as a compensation, but she's a victim as well who uses Bond as a white knight to try to free her as Severine did and both paid the ultimate price for it. Is it because nobody thought anything about it in the 1970s and we are more sensitive to the problem in this age? Is it also in part due to SF being seen as a modern classic and very well received Bond film and TMWTGG is viewed as a lesser Bond film?
Never thought about the possible lack of chemistry between Craig and Belucci but you are probably right, there. I'm still happy that they finally casted Belucci. Amazing woman who deserved a bigger role. It would have been fantastic seeing her as Paris in 1997. Her death would have been much more dramatic and Brosnan defintiely would have liked to cop off with her.
When I thought about the title for this round (awkward love scenes), TMWTGG came to my mind, obviously. But I thought it would be difficult to compare to Craig because it was a different time...and Roger Moore who was allowed to do much more;) I think we are much more sensitive about such topics today and we can't judge it the same without looking at the specific time and the different perceptions in the 70s. I wasn't even born these days and have no idea how people feeled about scenes like the one with Goodnight in the cupboard (?).
I wouldn't call Andrea a sex slave but the scene with the golden gun in the bedroom is definitely "special" and she doesn't look happy at all. Maybe we should use this scene for one of the next polls. Moore stealed the villain's girl in the first two outings.
Times have a changed for sure.
Sex/Love Scene: Lucia wins against Severine: 9 : 7
Song and title sequence: DAD wins against WOTW (SP): 11 : 5
Two movies feature the sinking of a ship in the first scene after the title sequence.
A) Which scene do you prefer? Sinking of the St. Georges (FYEO) vs. Sinking of the HMS Devonshire.
You can argue with whatever you want (better music, more dramatic, more violent, better for the plot, better direction…)
I miss the good old days where Bond had to escape from real (!) and hungry animals.
B) Which scene do you prefer: sharks in the pool (TB; Bond fights in the pool while Largo opens the gate for his Sharks vs. surrounded by crocodiles (LALD)
Sean Connery, sharks, a real confrontation and reaction from Connery, TB all the way. I now do like the LALD scene (never did as a kid, found it too slow, and hoaky-- although Tee-Hee was great in the scene; I also love the fact that Bond tries to use a gadget but it can't save him (the boat he tried to magnetically drag over to him was tied up). Connery and his sharks win the day...
TB
I’ll go with the sinking of st George, it’s a great first shot with the Royal Navy officer on deck of a fishing boat, hang on what’s he doing there? Oh THAT’S what he’s doing there! And the race to destroy ATAC sets up the importance of Bond recovering it later nicely.
LALD, love Roger, love Tee-Hee, love the banter about disarming a croc, love Bond frantically trying to distract the crocs with the chickens and his look of withering disappointment when the watch trick doesn’t work, and love the outrageousness of the actual escape. My kind of entertainment.
LALD. A tough one, as TB is a personal favourite. But the shark scene just feels a bit bland. The LALD scene on the other hand has real jeopardy. And it has a proper pay-off too, because JB then lures the crocs into Tee He’s building, nicely turning a trap intended for Bond into am ambush for the baddies.
The TB scene is great, but I will give it to LALD as it is more unique and the finale is as iconic and memorable as it gets. The best scene in the whole film.
Animals in the water is much tougher. Both scenes suffer instances of Batman '66 syndrome in that the bad guys arrogantly leave before knowing for sure Bond is disposed of, allowing him to escape again.
I like the originality of the crocodile farm, it puts Bond in a tough predicament with animals he hadn't been menaced by before, and like Peter said, the gadget not helping him is a nice touch. Even if he was in the little canoe, would it really have helped him at all? And we get to see Moore Bond sweat it out and look worried rather than just have the confident twinkle in his eye.
As a big TB fan, my choice is the shark tunnel. What's funny is the shark isn't even the scary part for me. When I saw TB as a small kid it was that covering over the pool that scared the crap out of me in that it would basically drown Bond even if he survived the SPECTRE guard.
Knowing Connery was in there with real sharks is what clinches it for me. It was also the first time sharks were a threat in the series before they became a standard part of it.
Sharks
I feel the sinking of the Devonshire probably goes on for a bit too long. Plus, the villains are revealed straight away. So now we have to watch Bond try and figure it out instead of being in the dark with him. I much prefer it the other way.
The TB shark scene is good, but the LALD croc farm is sublime. I love the dialogue between Bond and Tee Hee. Love how he tricks Bond into walking onto the island. The tension of Bond trying to find a way out. Moore's Bond is really sweating it for once! And then that stunt... totally awesome.
I do enjoy the TB scene. The shock of the pool cover closing. Largo happily sending his own man to his death for a chance to kill Bond. My only nitpick is being able to see the glass between Connery and the sharks, but overall very entertaining. I just prefer the croc farm.
The glass mentioned by @pachazo doesn't bother me. Cool that Connery was in the pool with the sharks for real and we see his real fear.
I have to write this on my phone therefore it will be a shorter comment.
The sinking St. Georges wins for me because of the mentioned “mystery“ and what stands out for me is the violent and abrupt ending of the scene. The scene in TND is showed in a more “classic dramatic“ way with slow-motion and emotional score. It works well but isn't as shocking as in FYEO. Stamper's mass murder feels a bit like a mediocre copy of the (shocking but strong) Severnaya scene.
The croc scene is awesome! Perfectly described by some of you, for example by @Max_The_Parrot.
So I go with the sinking of the St. Georges in For Your Eyes Only.
And surrounded by crocodiles in Live and Let Die.
I never knew that. Thanks for the tip. The things you learn on here.
I think it may have been the Marvel Comics adaptation that had a line in it that said something like a reminder of the second world war or something that led me to believe it was coincidence. Also kinda' risky on Kristatos' part. What if they had pulled that self-destruct lever in time?
Was it a scene with snakes, then?
Good point @RichardTheBruce . We can't be sure but it looks like Kristatos was the “author of all the pain“...