Best Bond Double-Feature ELIMINATION GAME

Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
edited January 2022 in Bond Movies Posts: 1,006
Which is the best commonly suggested double-feature in the Bond franchise? Films that have some actual continuity or just generally some connective tissue that make them a logical pairing. I will need some more suggestions before we start, but I was thinking:

1. Dr. No / From Russia With Love
2. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service / Diamonds Are Forever
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service / For Your Eyes Only
5. The Spy Who Loved Me / Moonraker?
6. The Living Daylights / License to Kill?
7. Casino Royale / Quantum of Solace
8. Spectre / No Time To Die

What else makes sense? Let’s have a few more.
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Comments

  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 13,879
    My first Bond film was FYEO, backed with TSWLM on TV. I think I've seen this pairing a few times over the years, what are considered by many to be Moore's two best.
  • Some suggestions, including some less-common pairings but with strong thematic links:

    Dr. No / Live and Let Die
    Dr. No / No Time to Die
    From Russia with Love / The Living Daylights
    Goldfinger / Thunderball
    Goldfinger / A View to a Kill
    You Only Live Twice / The Spy Who Loved Me
    On Her Majesty's Secret Service / No Time to Die (get the tissue box ready for this pairing!)
    Diamonds are Forever / Die Another Day
    The Man with the Golden Gun / Skyfall
    The Spy Who Loved Me / Tomorrow Never Dies
    For Your Eyes Only / Octopussy
    Licence To Kill / Quantum of Solace
    GoldenEye / Casino Royale
    The World is Not Enough / Skyfall
    Die Another Day / No Time to Die
    Skyfall / Spectre
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    My original Drive-In pairings in the '60s were GF/DN and YOLT/TB.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,598
    YOLT / OHMSS.
    I saw this on a double bill back in the early 1980's, so to me they are always linked by that experience. Plus, you have Bond still chasing down Blofeld in OHMSS after the events of YOLT ("...something of a must with me..."). **

    ** In somewhat of a surprise OHMSS / DAF - given roughly the same setup as described above, doesn't work (at least after the PTS it doesn't). In comes down to tone.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    edited January 2022 Posts: 2,161
    Dwayne wrote: »
    YOLT / OHMSS.
    I saw this on a double bill back in the early 1980's, so to me they are always linked by that experience. Plus, you have Bond still chasing down Blofeld in OHMSS after the events of YOLT ("...something of a must with me..."). **

    ** In somewhat of a surprise OHMSS / DAF - given roughly the same setup as described above, doesn't work (at least after the PTS it doesn't). In comes down to tone.

    Best way I figured to make it work, if that is one's goal, is to divide the early part of the series into two.

    DN>FRWL>TB>OHMSS (>FYEO, optional)

    and

    GF>YOLT>DAF (>NSNA, optional)

    Everything works out so cleanly that way. In the first group, not only is it tonally more consistent, Blofeld and Bond actually do meet for the first time in OHMSS.

    The second group make a fine, fun, isolated Connery run that fits together nicely.

    And each set gets the Thunderball story.
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    edited January 2022 Posts: 1,006
    Thanks for the suggestions! Didn’t think about some of these.

    So far I’m thinking:

    DN/FRWL (obvious continuity)
    DN/LALD (Caribbean themes)
    FRWL/TLD (Russians)
    GF/TB (iconic Connery)
    YOLT/OHMSS (Blofeld)
    OHMSS/FYEO (Tracy/Blofeld)
    OHMSS/NTTD (death/tragedy)
    TSWLM/TND (world domination at sea)
    LTK/QOS (revenge tales)
    CR/QOS (obvious continuity)
    SF/SP (continuity)
    SP/NTTD (Madeline arc)

    Should probably get a few more before we start.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    edited January 2022 Posts: 2,161
    To be honest, I think this works better as a conversation starter/list compilation thread than any kind of game. I'd rather just keep coming up with cool double -features. I do this on my own anyway. You've actually listed most of my favorite combos already.

    TSWLM/MR (Jaws' story)
    GF/GE (what they are and what they meant in their time; TSWLM and SF could easily fit in there as well)
    GE/SF (renegade ex-MI6 Agent)
    CR '67/SF (M dies)
    CR '67/NTTD (Bond comes out of retirement, Bond meets his daughter, Bond dies in an explosion)
  • Junglist_1985Junglist_1985 Los Angeles
    Posts: 1,006
    Yea I’m realizing how challenging this might be… we could maybe tighten the criteria a bit to “best double bill featuring two separate Bonds” only. Either way, it’s fun to spit these ideas around.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson Moderator
    Posts: 2,161
    But if you do decide to go forward with the game, then please, please include my last one. I find that to be hilarious, the way that all lines up.
  • marcmarc Universal Exports
    Posts: 2,608
    I think this is a good idea for an elimination game.
    DAF and MR could be paired as the arguably silliest of Connery and Moore. Hamilton's Moore films LALD/TMWTGG could make a double bill, also the first Brosnans GE/TND. I've read somewhere here that FYEO was Moore's FRWL, so these two could be combined. Or FYEO and TSWLM as those with a comparable soundtrack.
  • DN/GF
    FRWL/GE
    OHMSS/CR

    I’m sure I can think of more, but these are some that spring to mind
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited January 2022 Posts: 4,415
    If you only whant two then GE/Twine and Twine / SF, but Goldeneye / Twine / SF can be intresting.

    SF refer to pen of GE by new introduced Quatermaster and M died.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    edited January 2022 Posts: 7,518
    NTTD / SP, but in that order.

    EDIT: Didn't mean to propose this as "the best", but one I like.
  • NTTD / SP, but in that order.

    The ol' Pulp Fiction approach, eh?
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    My best obvious pick: TLD & LTK.
    My best off the wall pick: DN & QOS.
    My just-for-fun pick: TMWTGG & TND.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    NTTD / SP, but in that order.

    The ol' Pulp Fiction approach, eh?

    What do you mean? Been ages since I’ve seen it.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    The Roger Moore tribute in theaters was a treat.

    TSLWM / FYEO

    It had the benefit for the first film ending promising "James Bond will return in For Your Eyes Only". Then he did.

    tswlm50.png?fit=300%2C128&ssl=1

  • NTTD / SP, but in that order.

    The ol' Pulp Fiction approach, eh?

    What do you mean? Been ages since I’ve seen it.

    Just that Pulp Fiction shuffles the order of scenes around so that a character who dies midway through the movie still plays a prominent part in the third act. I guess this is kind of a Tarantino thing in general.

    You could do this with Craig's entire run in fact, working your way backwards from film to film. Or segue from Madeleine's "let me tell you a story" into CR-SP.
  • Posts: 462
    OHMSS / LTK

    Bond gets married and watches his wife get murdered on his wedding day. Years later, he witnesses the same thing happen to Felix.
  • RichardTheBruceRichardTheBruce I'm motivated by my Duty.
    Posts: 12,914
    Or segue from Madeleine's "let me tell you a story" into CR-SP.

    Oh!

  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,687
    CrzChris4 wrote: »
    OHMSS / LTK

    Bond gets married and watches his wife get murdered on his wedding day. Years later, he witnesses the same thing happen to Felix.

    Awesome double feature choice. I will do this!
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    NTTD / SP, but in that order.

    The ol' Pulp Fiction approach, eh?

    What do you mean? Been ages since I’ve seen it.

    Just that Pulp Fiction shuffles the order of scenes around so that a character who dies midway through the movie still plays a prominent part in the third act. I guess this is kind of a Tarantino thing in general.

    You could do this with Craig's entire run in fact, working your way backwards from film to film. Or segue from Madeleine's "let me tell you a story" into CR-SP.

    Ah, fair enough.

    I just like the end of NTTD going into the PTS of Spectre. And then it's sort of like NTTD introduces these mysterious characters, and in Spectre you see them in action. And then you get the happy ending.
  • JohnBondJohnBond France
    Posts: 20
    Some suggestions around Craig's first two:

    CR > TB
    To see young badass Bond turning into peak badass Bond. Plus: great Italian and French Bond girls, the Bahamas, Casino scenes, vibrant cinematography with strong blues and greens, a lot of hotel sequences, Bond in black polos…

    QOS > TB
    A "dry" film set in the desert followed by a "wet" film set in the water. After finding water/solace in the desert, Bond gets the full thing in the next one. (I also recommend the trilogy CR > QOS > TB.)

    QOS > TWINE
    A villain scheme based on oil and pipelines is teased in QOS, then expanded in TWINE. Also, the relationship between Bond and M continues to develop. After finding his solace, Bond "enjoys" a very classic mission. Still sensitive to a French leading lady, but this time, he doesn't fully fall for her and kills her when he realizes she is a "femme fatale". A good substitute for those who don't like Bond's evolution in SF. This one is the original!

    QOS > SP
    After QOS, Bond is at his peak and enjoys a "fun", classic Bond mission. Mr White returns. "Old dog" from SF is ignored. Bond gets his gunbarrel at the end of the first film and the next one opens on it. No family drama from SF and NTTD (except for "Brofeld"…).
  • JohnBond wrote: »
    QOS > SP
    After QOS, Bond is at his peak and enjoys a "fun", classic Bond mission. Mr White returns. "Old dog" from SF is ignored. Bond gets his gunbarrel at the end of the first film and the next one opens on it. No family drama from SF and NTTD (except for "Brofeld"…).

    That's a very logical pairing!
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,002
    DN - LALD
    The Quarrels

    FRWL - TLD
    Espionage tales of defectors and blond assassins with a penchant for strangling their victims.

    GF - DAD
    Bond gets the laser treatment.

    DAF - TMTGG
    The Rodney saga. a.k.a fake nipples & fingertips

  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    R1s1ngs0n wrote: »
    FRWL - TLD
    Espionage tales of defectors and blond assassins

    Nice one

  • marcmarc Universal Exports
    Posts: 2,608
    My best obvious pick: DN & TLD
    My best off the wall pick: YOLT & LTK
    My just-for-fun pick: FYEO & NTTD
  • Goldfinger and A View to a Kill: Mad business tycoons trying to corner the market on something in America! You can stick Diamonds are Forever in there for a triple feature, too.

    On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and The World is Not Enough: Watch Bond ski and fall in love. Each romance ends in tragedy but TWINE gives a cruel spin on the expectations OHMSS set up.

    The Living Daylights and GoldenEye: The latter film has always felt more like a follow up to TLD than LTK did, with its emphasis on Cold War fallout and larger scope.

    Thunderball and The Spy Who Loved Me: Aquatic themes, high stakes, and loads of fun iconography.
  • NickTwentyTwoNickTwentyTwo Vancouver, BC, Canada
    Posts: 7,518
    The Living Daylights and GoldenEye: The latter film has always felt more like a follow up to TLD than LTK did, with its emphasis on Cold War fallout and larger scope.

    Start with FRWL from a previous FRWL > TLD double bill, and it's an evening.

  • Hey, I’d be there.
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