The James Bond Questions Thread

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  • edited March 2020 Posts: 2,896
    Well your commentary make me think we don't imagine the same gender for the characters of this song. I see that the singer is a woman and the person she talk (and do love with) is a man [with the "it" designate his penis].
    ...Could I be right?

    The nature of the innuendo means the song could be viewed both ways. But I think you might be right, because if she's singing to the man in every verse that's more consistent.
    Are you saying that "Try to keep it up" = Try to keep it in erection (well stretched)? Cause I have saw it like "Try to continue like this"?

    "Keep it up" means continue staying erect (keeping the penis "up"). There are other examples of this in the films. Bond says he is "keeping the British end up" in TSWLM, and in OP he says "Trouble keeping it up, Q?" when Q's Indian Rope trick fails to stay upright.
    So Where has everybody gone? Hard one to translate, part if of because many divergences in the transcription....

    Transcript prob #1 : "I've got this feelin', Goin to end up here on my own" or "I’ve got this feelin’, God, am I here on my own?"

    on my own = "alone" or "left to my own devices"?

    John Barry's official website has "I've got this feeling, God, am I here on my own?"

    "On my alone" means "alone" in this case, with no help.
    "where's the ranks of the strong?"

    What does this mean? Ranks it's like military ranks "colonel", "géneral"? Don't understand.

    "Rank" can also have a more general meaning, such as "people belonging to a group or class." So "ranks of the strong" just means "strong people"
    In this faceless crowd, where can I belong?

    = In this faceless crowd, where can I find my place?

    The singer does not belong in the faceless crowd, because she is an individual.
    Transcript prob #2 : "Everybody's gone insane to catch a plane to help the heavens closer" or "[...] a plane to have their Heavens closer" ?

    Not sure I understand : when you fly with a plane, you get closer from the Heavean/Paradise since you get closer from the sky. So she [the singer] ask if they're mad cause Heaven/Paradise is not a place where you really want to be (since only dead people go to it)?

    Barry's site has "Everybody's gone insane to catch a plane to help the heavens closer," which is probably right, though "have the heavens closer" would be clearer. or perhaps the singer forgot to add "get" in between "the heavens" and "closer."

    The singer means everyone is in a crazy rush to catch a plane, which will help them be more successful. They will literally get closer to heaven and figuratively get closer because someone rushing to catch a plane probably has an appointment overseas.
    Transcript prob #3 : "Because you’re beautiful land, and you’ll soon be long gone" or "Because you’re [or your] beautiful land will soon be long gone."

    "Because your beautiful land will soon be long gone".
    Transcript prob #4 : "Pack your face, save your cases of your place in the Everafter" or "Hack your face, save your case, reserve your place in the everafter" ?

    "Hack your face, save your case, reserve your plane in the everafter".
    Transcript prob #5 : "These hallowed Halls are lined with walls that are cracked by the Myria’s laughter" or "Cause hallowed halls are lined with walls that are cracked with delirious laughter" ?

    Barry's website has:
    "Cause hallowed halls are lined with walls,
    That are cracked with delirious laughter"

    But I hear "by delirious laughter." Furthermore, I think Chrissie Hyde mangles the pronunciation of "delirious," so it sound's like "the myria's laughter," but that would be nonsense. So I would go with the Barry site's version!
    Transcript prob #5 : "You won't survive and soon be long gone" or "Beautiful life/live and soon be long gone" ?

    "You won't survive and soon be long gone". Again, Hyde's pronunciation is very eccentric! Additionally, the lyric is not grammatically correct: there ought to have been a "will" between "and" and "soon." I can understand why this song gave you trouble.
  • edited March 2020 Posts: 850
    Oh, I forgot there is a John Barry website (but let's beware, not officials lyrics : for exemple in TLD we can read "corrections are welcome...").

    Good to know there is two way, so for finish it at all with all theses dick/pussy stories, If ifyou just relax and push it back (if we talk of a man) = Put back [the dick inside the vagina] or make a backward movement ?

    I translated "Everybody's gone insane to catch a plane to help the heavens closer" by french equivalent of "Everyone went crazy for catching a plane to get closer to the heavens" (no sure if a good trad' or not).

    "Hack your face, save your case, reserve your plane in the everafter".

    Hack your face =what does it mean? (Modify your face?)
    save your case = I guess it's register your luggage
    [in the] everafter = what is this? The afterlife?

    After I hade finished my translation of the movie, I was like "eh, why not do the Grand Chelem while I'm it". So I has also translted the Bond's video-game song. No big difficulty on them, just few points and we have finish once for all :

    On Nearly civilized (Nightfire) :

    We will throw this building up
    Just so we can tear it down…again


    "We will throw this building up" = We will build/erect/construct this building?

    In When nobody loves you (Quantum of solace), big problem on the chorus :

    Burn down to the ground - > What do it mean ? Don't understand it.
    Be discreet, create no sound -> I undertand, no need explaination.
    Elements all around -> I see it literraly, that these is elements (like water, fire, air, earth) all around you : but what does it mean ?
    I need to rise again : rise again is in the sens get highter, gain height or in the sens of reborn?

    + "If nobody loves you, I do" = If nobody loves you, it's not my case (not me) ?

    In I'll take it all (Bloodstone) :

    "Put your all on the line"

    = Put yourself fully into play ?

    There’s no escaping time

    = There is no opportunity to escape

    Let go of fate and be mine

    = Drop/abandon the fate and be mine

    And since I have no problem with Everything or Nothing and Do you know how Christmas tree are grown? ; with this it's should be the end of it :)

    Brief question on FRWL "But oh, you haunted me so" = "you haunted me so much" or " you also haunted me"?

  • edited March 2020 Posts: 1,009
    This is more a personal question than anything. So we love Bond, no doubt about it, but... Have you ever had the temptation to get up and scream to the baddie, at the top of your lungs: "KILL HIM, YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN!" when she or he has the upper hand?

    I know it's a classic between non-fans, but what about us?
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited March 2020 Posts: 7,526
    This is more a personal question than anything. So we love Bond, no doubt about it, but... Have you ever had the temptation to get up and scream to the baddie, at the top of your lungs: "KILL HIM, YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN!" when she or he has the upper hand?

    I know it's a classic between non-fans, but what about us?

    Nope. I've posted this somewhere before, but Bond villains are megalomaniacal in schemes and behaviour. If villains acted like small time criminals / murderers, they'd be small time criminals / murderers. The megalomaniacal nature of these villains come with a great deal of bravado and self adoration, and it's part and parcel to their nature that they must show off.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,970
    This is more a personal question than anything. So we love Bond, no doubt about it, but... Have you ever had the temptation to get up and scream to the baddie, at the top of your lungs: "KILL HIM, YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN!" when she or he has the upper hand?

    I know it's a classic between non-fans, but what about us?

    Some movies I am tempted to say this. There are some egregious ones in the Moore era for me. The Alligator farm how they leave him on an island and then all leave the area. Stromberg not killing Bond and Amasova on Atlantis when he had the chance and letting them get to shore. Blofeld in OHMSS not killing Bond after he discovers him and instead puts him in a room where there is a way to get to the outside?

    But overall I tend to overlook them. Might be fun to create a "When the Villain could have killed Bond but failed thread."
  • Posts: 2,896
    thedove wrote: »
    Blofeld in OHMSS not killing Bond after he discovers him and instead puts him in a room where there is a way to get to the outside?

    Blofeld did not want to kill Bond at that time. As he tells Bond, "Meanwhile, I will keep you here as my guest. You'II be useful in helping to convince the authorities that I mean what I say and l'II do what I claim."

    But of course plenty of other Bond villains are guilty of the sin you mention. Most villains in pop culture are. Back in the 1940s practically every decent villain had countless opportunities to shoot Dick Tracy or Batman but instead frittered away their upper hand on unsupervised elaborate death traps.
  • Posts: 1,009
    What Nick says is the very spirit of our series: even the most ruthless Bond villains have flair, style, and prefer to overthink rather than ask. But, still, sometimes, I still go, like [-( XD

    Revelator, there’s no doubt about yout statement: Bond movies are, like Star Wars or Indy, nothing but the natural evolution of serials like Louis Feuillade's or The Perils of Pauline.

    Dove, shall I open the post you propose, or you'll do it yourself? It looks lika a fun idea!
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited April 2020 Posts: 7,526
    thedove wrote: »
    This is more a personal question than anything. So we love Bond, no doubt about it, but... Have you ever had the temptation to get up and scream to the baddie, at the top of your lungs: "KILL HIM, YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN!" when she or he has the upper hand?

    I know it's a classic between non-fans, but what about us?

    Some movies I am tempted to say this. There are some egregious ones in the Moore era for me. The Alligator farm how they leave him on an island and then all leave the area. Stromberg not killing Bond and Amasova on Atlantis when he had the chance and letting them get to shore. Blofeld in OHMSS not killing Bond after he discovers him and instead puts him in a room where there is a way to get to the outside?

    But overall I tend to overlook them. Might be fun to create a "When the Villain could have killed Bond but failed thread."

    Would probably work as some kind of an elimination thread: Villain's best chances to kill Bond perhaps?

    @Revelator Batman is an interesting example. The theatricality of the hero determines the theatricality of the villany? Might not apply so much to Bond.
  • edited April 2020 Posts: 2,896
    Apologies for my late response!
    Good to know there is two way, so for finish it at all with all theses dick/pussy stories, If ifyou just relax and push it back (if we talk of a man) = Put back [the dick inside the vagina] or make a backward movement ?

    Push the penis back against the vagina, which has moved in the opposite direction. Normal sexual intercourse, in other words.
    I translated "Everybody's gone insane to catch a plane to help the heavens closer" by french equivalent of "Everyone went crazy for catching a plane to get closer to the heavens" (no sure if a good trad' or not).

    Sounds fine to me.
    "Hack your face, save your case, reserve your plane in the everafter".

    Hack your face =what does it mean? (Modify your face?)
    save your case = I guess it's register your luggage
    [in the] everafter = what is this? The afterlife?

    "Hack your face" is a bad line, and I don't know what it means. But your explanation is fine.
    The "case" in "Save your case" might refer to a couple of different meanings of the word, such as "one's circumstances or position" or "an incident or set of circumstances under police investigation."
    The everafter is eternity, the afterlife.
    On Nearly civilized (Nightfire) :

    We will throw this building up
    Just so we can tear it down…again


    "We will throw this building up" = We will build/erect/construct this building?

    Yes. It's not idiomatic English but it was chosen for being the exact opposite phrase of "tear it down."

    In When nobody loves you (Quantum of solace), big problem on the chorus :

    Burn down to the ground - > What do it mean ? Don't understand it.
    Elements all around -> I see it literraly, that these is elements (like water, fire, air, earth) all around you : but what does it mean ?
    I need to rise again : rise again is in the sens get higher, gain height or in the sens of reborn?

    Burning something down to ground means completely destroying something. A building that has been burnt all the way to the ground no longer exists. The singer is telling the subject to destroy everything that limits its freedom.
    The elements are the general things the subject needs to rise again.
    "To rise again" means to become successful and powerful again, after having fallen.
    "If nobody loves you, I do" = If nobody loves you, it's not my case (not me) ?

    Even if nobody else loves you, I will.
    In I'll take it all (Bloodstone) :

    "Put your all on the line"

    = Put yourself fully into play ?

    Yes, put all your effort (and yourself) into this dangerous task
    There’s no escaping time

    = There is no opportunity to escape

    There is no escape from time and its effects. Your plans cannot escape from time.
    Let go of fate and be mine

    = Drop/abandon the fate and be mine

    Stop caring what your fate might be and love me instead.
    Brief question on FRWL "But oh, you haunted me so" = "you haunted me so much" or " you also haunted me"?

    The first one.
  • Posts: 2,896
    @Revelator Batman is an interesting example. The theatricality of the hero determines the theatricality of the villany? Might not apply so much to Bond.

    In Bond's case, his anonymity and ordinariness is meant to contrast with the villain's flamboyance and theatricality. This is true of melodrama in general--good is banal, evil is spectacular.
    In real life most villains are boring, especially when they are efficient and effective. They don't call attention to themselves. Instead of devising an elaborate deathtrap for your enemy, you hire an out-of-town hitman who shadows your enemy and shoots him in a lonely place when he isn't looking.
    And nowadays if you want to make lots of money by screwing people over, you don't need to join the mafia or Spectre. You join a corporation. Why break the law when you can buy it instead?
  • Posts: 850
    No problem, we are at the end of the tunnel, well thanks to your explainations, want just to go back on two points before finish.
    The "case" in "Save your case" might refer to a couple of different meanings of the word, such as "one's circumstances or position" or "an incident or set of circumstances under police investigation."


    Well we need to dig. If I understand right, one sens would be "spare me your justification". Can you provide me phrases like this, synonym, with all the possibles sens that make sens?
    The elements are the general things the subject needs to rise again.

    Same for this one cause I don't understand.

    And I forgort une line in Nearly Civilised.

    Do it with every sin you strain -> Do it with every sin that you stretch/tender ?
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited April 2020 Posts: 45,489
    thedove wrote: »
    This is more a personal question than anything. So we love Bond, no doubt about it, but... Have you ever had the temptation to get up and scream to the baddie, at the top of your lungs: "KILL HIM, YOU LOUSY EXCUSE FOR A VILLAIN!" when she or he has the upper hand?

    I know it's a classic between non-fans, but what about us?

    Some movies I am tempted to say this. There are some egregious ones in the Moore era for me. The Alligator farm how they leave him on an island and then all leave the area. Stromberg not killing Bond and Amasova on Atlantis when he had the chance and letting them get to shore. Blofeld in OHMSS not killing Bond after he discovers him and instead puts him in a room where there is a way to get to the outside?

    But overall I tend to overlook them. Might be fun to create a "When the Villain could have killed Bond but failed thread."

    There is a thread quite similar to that somewhere. "Coach the Bond villains to victory" or something like that.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,970
    Revelator wrote: »
    thedove wrote: »
    Blofeld in OHMSS not killing Bond after he discovers him and instead puts him in a room where there is a way to get to the outside?

    Blofeld did not want to kill Bond at that time. As he tells Bond, "Meanwhile, I will keep you here as my guest. You'II be useful in helping to convince the authorities that I mean what I say and l'II do what I claim."

    But of course plenty of other Bond villains are guilty of the sin you mention. Most villains in pop culture are. Back in the 1940s practically every decent villain had countless opportunities to shoot Dick Tracy or Batman but instead frittered away their upper hand on unsupervised elaborate death traps.

    Okay he didn't want to kill him, but why put him in a place where there is a clear exit? Why not put him in a closet? Or another room within the Piz Gloria compound. Clearly there is an underground part to the place. Why put him in the cable car room? Never makes sense other then it gives the writers an easy out for his escape.
  • Posts: 2,896
    Every space in Piz Gloria probably has a clear exit though. But there's only one with a bottomless chasm between it and the exit. And the exit itself is extremely hazardous and involves Bond having to re-enter the building to get supplies. Perhaps Blofeld could have confined Bond in the underground section, but that's where his scientists were working--Bond could cause a lot of havoc there in an escape attempt. So Blofeld's decision makes sense. His mistake was not having a guard stationed to watch Bond.
  • Posts: 5,808
    And that's a mistake Goldfinger didn't make twice ;)
  • edited April 2020 Posts: 2,896
    If I understand right, one sens would be "spare me your justification". Can you provide me phrases like this, synonym, with all the possibles sens that make sens?

    The lyric is so vague that it's difficult to pick one meaning. You'll have to choose whatever you think is best. "Spare me your justification" is a valid interpretation.
    I would be inclined to go with "case" as "an incident or set of circumstances under police investigation" (in the sense of "an arson case" or a "murder case"). To save a case means to win it and avoid being charged with a crime. "Save your case" would mean something like "Clear your name from suspicion," or "Show your innocence before they jail you."
    It's an unclear lyric.
    Same for this one cause I don't understand.

    "Elements" is being used in a pretentious way to mean "basic, essential things," the things the singer needs to rise again.
    Do it with every sin you strain -> Do it with every sin that you stretch/tender ?

    Yes, the singer wants her partner to "do it" (have sex with her) by sinning so much he strains his ability to sin. "Sin a lot" in another words.
  • Posts: 850
    Thanks, I'm definitly done with Where is eveybody gone, thanks to you. I have two questions about Kerli song :

    Burn down to the ground = Reduce to ash something (like do it), or it's mean that I'm I reduced to ash ? So it's like a order or it's tell my state ?

    For :

    Burn down to the ground
    Be discreet, create no sound
    Elements all around
    I need to rise again


    Can't we see it differently ? Like : for rise again, I need to burn down to the ground (reduce to ash) the elements/things (that are) all around (and doing this while being discreet, with no sound) ? Would be something like start over from scratch.
  • Posts: 1,965
    Regarding question about Campbell in OHMSS. Why was he so eager to get up to the top and see Bond? Bond was doing just fine in the mission and didn't need Campbells help.
  • thedovethedove hiding in the Greek underworld
    Posts: 4,970
    He wanted to check in and see if Bond was okay? I find it odd that he "mountain climbed up" and yet we really never see a place for someone to mountain climb as it's all ski hills. Though I suppose you can mountain climb a ski slope wouldn't you be obvious to the cable car?

    I love how people all justify Bond getting locked in a room with a clear escape route in this movie but are quick to jump on other films in the series for the same stuff. Fact is he should have tied up Bond and put him in a room with 3-4 guards. Why put him somewhere you have no eyes on what he's doing. You don't bind him and you don't even bother putting any other measures in place. Plus Bond and Blofeld were known to each other. As Bond says "how many millions do you want this time Blofeld?"

  • edited April 2020 Posts: 2,896
    thedove wrote: »
    I love how people all justify Bond getting locked in a room with a clear escape route in this movie but are quick to jump on other films in the series for the same stuff. Fact is he should have tied up Bond and put him in a room with 3-4 guards.

    As I wrote earlier, stationing guards around Bond is indeed what Blofeld should have done, but aside from Goldfinger, villains rarely do that. It's a convention of genre fiction--without it deathtraps would be impossible to escape from. And the cable car room isn't a very clear escape route, since making it the chasm and grasping the cable was extremely hazardous and Bond could have easily been spotted by the cable car operators or outside guards. Furthermore, Bond would have had to re-enter Piz Gloria to fully escape, yet again an extremely risky move.
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    I would like your help with something. I discovered a wonderful audio interview from Ken Adam on the commentary from Dr No that I would like to include within an essay I am writing. The trouble is, there's just a single part I can't understand due to his accent. Here's what I have:

    I tried to give M a traditional background of a good taste English panelled office, with since he had been ex-Navy, ship models and naval pictures. On Dr No, because we had such a low budget, I used the old technique of using paper, you know, teak paper or whatever it was. And then we had to (word unintelligible), it's a big job. And I used plastic material for the doors, which I wanted covered in leather and so on. And then when I did Goldfinger, I kept the same look, except I used real wood paneling and real leather for the doors, but we always kept that traditional-looking office, and Moneypenny's was just a simple outside office.

    If you want to try and help, have a look at the commentary on the Blu-ray (should be on the DVD too if you haven't got the Blu-rays) when M briefs James on Dr. No.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    edited April 2020 Posts: 13,930
    @PropertyOfALady

    He says, "and then we had to overgrain it - it's a big job."
  • PropertyOfALadyPropertyOfALady Colders Federation CEO
    Posts: 3,675
    Thank you very much! :D
  • edited April 2020 Posts: 1,009
    A classic question due to lazy writing IMHO: Who sent Bond the Queen of Cups card on LALD.

    At first, I thought that it was Solitaire, and the big High Priestess card on the Tarot shop's window seems to hint so, but several scenes before Bond is apparently morse-signaling something to someone. Was he trying to say something to Junior, the man who shares his hairbrush? Aboard his boat, he already seems to treat Rosie as a foe.

    So who was it?

    Edit: Let me say that Gloria Hendry is competent and funny on Black Belt Jones. The big problem with Rosie is not her actress, precisely...
  • edited April 2020 Posts: 1,009
    Another from LALD: Is there an explanation for Solitaire provoking and attacking Bond at the NOLA airport? Is she trying to create a distraction for him to run away knowing that Kananga's goons will not touch her? Buying time for Bond and herself? Jealous of Bond looking at that pretty hostess? Betraying his saviour to save her sorry but shapely ass?

    My guess is that she's trying to help Bond given that Solitaire's stunt allows him to temporarily dispose from a certified badass like Adam rather easily, but I have my doubts. It doesn't help that my personal feel is that Jane Seymour makes a rather distant performance.
  • goldenswissroyalegoldenswissroyale Switzerland
    Posts: 4,397
    For the first question: check out what @QBranch wrote in the thread “never noticed before“
    The second: I undestand it as a distraction.
  • Posts: 1,009
    For the first question: check out what @QBranch wrote in the thread “never noticed before“
    The second: I undestand it as a distraction.

    That makes two of us, then. Now, I'll check on your recommendation. Thank you.
  • Posts: 1,965
    Was Sanchez part of the cartel?
  • edited April 2020 Posts: 1,009
    fjdinardo wrote: »
    Was Sanchez part of the cartel?

    That's an excellent question i never stopped to ask myself. I guess he must have some kind of connection, and even be the leader himself, given that he's the "de facto" president of a whole country, much to the chagrin of the well intentioned but weak and cowardly Gen. López.
    Guess he got Lupe and eased his conscience at the end, but pretty sure he lost the next elections.
  • Posts: 5,808
    What elections ? As Sanchez himself said, Lopez was only presidente for life.
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