Tell us all about your BONDATHON

NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
edited April 2019 in Bond Movies Posts: 7,567
I say this because we have all done them, or are planning to do so in the near future.

I for one hadn't watched a Bond film from start to finish for two years until recently when The Community launched and I found we were all talking about Bond again (instead of...gulp...Star Trek). It got me all nostalgic for a Bond flick.

So I gave my lad the choice of films and since then we have watched Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, You Only Live Twice, The World Is Not Enough, GoldenEye and Dr No. Casino Royale is next.

Now it has turned into an official Bondathon.

So this thread is for you all to report what you are watching, what order you have chosen, how the latest Bondathon is effecting your rankings etc etc.

I will update the thread with my own thoughts and comments and hopefully you lot will do the same ;-)
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Comments

  • I am tailing towards the end of my Bondathon and I only have a few movies left. I've been doing it over the last few months. I think I am going to watch TSWLM tonight and then I have CR and TWINE left. I have been ranking them as I go and have not chosen any real particular order. The only stipulation I made was to not watch a films back to back that had the same actor playing Bond. So I didn't watch two Connery's or two Moore's right after one another. I also tried to go from era to era. So for instance I watched TND the other day and then a few days later hit OHMSS. So my basic method was to keep my system fresh so I never tired of a one Bond or one decade. It's worked quite well and so far I've found that I enjoy quite a few films alot more than I used to. I will detail my findings after I've watched them all and then will post my detailed ranking as well.
  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,350
    Well, I still haven't watched a Bond film since June 2008 (apart from Quantum Of Solace in November of course!) and really think I'll be able to hold off now until June next year or later. I'll watch them then in the run up to Bond 23.

    I think getting news on the next film should give me enough excitement for now, though sometimes, this month for instance, has been a real slog Bond-wise in my view. Looking at the past films in a couple of months things should be in full swing.... Rant over. ;-)
  • 006006
    Posts: 159
    Fox Classics over here in Oz recently played all the films in Succession so I recorded them all to my Foxtel Box so in the last couple of months I have watched them all and even a couple twice - GE and TLD this weekend in fact.
    I never tire of watching Bond movies and some I can just watch again and again.
    I have arranged for a lot of personal items to be shipped from the UK to Melbourne when I was back home at Easter, includng by Bond DVD collection so once they arrive I will no doubt watch them again and all the special features
  • Posts: 251
    Me and the wife have just started a Bondathon! We kicked off with Dr No and FRWL, and plan to watch them in order. We both really like Connery, although I think Craig will give him a run for his money in my wifes eyes! The Moore period may prove tough to get through for her also. We are watching the special features too, which I haven`t seen in years. Suprisingly, so far, Dr No is the favourite!!! (for both of us!)
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    Excellent Shoreline. Like @RogueThunderball I have mixed mine up a little. No plans on any order other than the last 6 will be one from each actor. I expect the last 6 to be GF, OHMSS, TSWLM, TLD, TND and QOS.
  • LudsLuds MIA
    Posts: 1,986
    Me and the wife have just started a Bondathon! We kicked off with Dr No and FRWL, and plan to watch them in order. We both really like Connery, although I think Craig will give him a run for his money in my wifes eyes! The Moore period may prove tough to get through for her also. We are watching the special features too, which I haven`t seen in years. Suprisingly, so far, Dr No is the favourite!!! (for both of us!)
    I went through the same exercise with Misses Luds in 2006 pre-CR. I suggest ranking the movies in order of preference as you go and have the misses do the same for fun. You'll be able to keep the list and compare it later!
  • Posts: 2,491
    i plan on doing it this summer
    and i plan on watchin all 24 movies in 2012 in 24 days and at 25th day i will go to see B23 on its debut day in my country
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    i plan on doing it this summer
    and i plan on watchin all 24 movies in 2012 in 24 days and at 25th day i will go to see B23 on its debut day in my country
    Wooaah, good luck with that dragonsky. Make sure you clear your diary, check there are no close family birthdays where parties may lurk round the corner etc. (*)
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    Posts: 15,686
    My last Bond-A-Thon was in Summer 2008, prior to watching QOS in theaters. Will try to do one this summer. I always go through my Bond-A-Thon's in order - watching the 7 Moore movies in succession is one of the most perfect thing in life !!
  • edited July 2011 Posts: 321
    Been directed to this thread due to a post in the "Last Bond Movie You Watched" thread (cheers to NicNac).

    As I stated there I watched Dr No last night as part of a Bondathon I'll be having over the next month or so (1 a night but at times 1 every other night, from DN to QOS in release order).

    Watched DN many times and still rank it very highly (although I do need to do a simple ranking of the Bond movies for the relevant thread on here). Great movie, Connery is great in first outing, great Bond girl and great locations. Also, one of my favourite Felix Leiter's.

    As for Dr No, one of the more menacing villains in a Bond movie, made more menacing by the fact that we don't see him until later in the movie.

    Great stuff

    Next: From Russia With Love
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,418
    Great stuff @007JamesBond!

    My last bondathon was Dec 09 until Mar 10. Im itching to do another one, although I'm fairly certain I can last until pre Bond 23. I think...

  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    My Bondathon has so far been Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, You Only Live Twice, The World Is Not Enough, GoldenEye, Dr No and Casino Royale.
    It has been a completely random choice, but the next up will be one from the 70s, probably Golden Gun.

    Anything changed in my opinions? No not really....there's time though
  • Posts: 1,497
    I've been on a 2 year Bondathon with my wife starting in June '09 with a theatre screening of Goldfinger. We've covered all of Connery except for DN (but including NSNA), OHMSS (twice), all of Moore (except for LALD & Golden Gun), TLD (not LTK), and both Craig films. Still on deck: DN, LALD, TMWTGG, LTK, GE, TND, TWINE, DAD.

    It's a bit of a long time to consider it a Bondathon, but we've spaced it out a bit. I always try to set it up for the right mood. I'm planning to do a DN/LALD double next since it's summer time and cook up some Jamaican faire: grilled red snapper, rice and beans, Red Stripe Lager.

    The most surprising changes for me were my new found appreciation for YOLT and AVTAK--two films I had writtten off for the longest time. YOLT is classic over the top Connery Bond. AVTAK actually has a good story and is down to Earth.
  • edited July 2011 Posts: 321
    Part 2 of my Bondathon last night which was From Russia With Love. After watching DN and loving it as I always do when I watch it, this movie improves on it. Great action all the way through, a fantastic thrill ride. Connery is great, having found his feet first time around and he looks like he is really enjoying himself all the way through. Bianchi as Tania shows why she is one of my favourite Bond girls as well as being an absolute beauty, and with the characters of Grant and Klebb it all adds up to a great Bond outing. Is this my favourite? Not sure, but I'll be compiling my (simple) list as soon as my Bondathon is over.

    James Bond will return in Goldfinger ..................... in a couple of nights time.
  • Posts: 36
    I've always wanted to do a back to back Bondathon, but I really don't think I could manage staying up for that long.

    I did manage to watch all the films over the course of 6/7 weeks. I travelled to uni by train, and always took my portable DVD player along, watching a film over the course of 2 or 3 journeys. I've never watched all of the films back to back in that sort of time frame, so it was interesting to see how they evolved film by film. I noticed nice little recurring features which I hadn't noticed before, but can't recall at this moment.

    It also made me realise that my favourite director of the lot was John Glen, his films always consistently delivering (yes, even AVTAK in places, although Moore's showing of age seemed to jump dramatically from OP to AVTAK). I also replaced DC with TD as my favourite Bond. I could just visualise him as Fleming's Bond. It's a real shame he wasn't able to do more.
  • Posts: 4,762
    I'd like to, at some point, watch all 22 Bond movies in order from Dr. No all the way through to Quantum of Solace. It would be cool to note how the series changed from year to year.
  • edited July 2011 Posts: 321
    Part 3 of my Bondathon took place last night - Goldfinger. In my opinion, not quite the thrill of FRWL but still one of the best. Love the gadget-laden Aston Martin for starters and the scene with Bond and Q was the first of many great interactions between the pair (I know they had a scene in FRWL but I hope you know what I mean). Honor Blackman makes a seriously sexy and more mature Bond girl. Larger than life villain in Auric Goldfinger and a great henchman in Oddjob ("Aaagh Aagh!).

    Thunderball next!
  • edited July 2011 Posts: 321
    The 4th part of my Bondathon was watched last night. Thunderball. The first "aquatic" Bond film as I've read it to be known as. Obviously lots of underwater scenes which are quite fantastic to watch and make this movie a great spectacle.

    The villain of the piece, Largo, while being pretty menacing at times, I don't feel he has the presence of someone like Goldfinger. However, one scene that does give him a bit more menace is after he has one of his goons thrown in the pool of sharks and walks away kissing his ring. Shows utter devotion to Spectre and gives the impression he will do anything to succeed.

    The Bahama's as a location is just beautiful, as are the Bond girls of the piece. Arguably the greatest line up of Bond girls in one movie? Pat Fearing (shame that window was steamed up), Domino, our runner up in the best Bond girl tournament and of course the awesome-ness of Fiona Volpe who, despite not winning the Bond girl tournament, certainly was highly popular on here (and was certainly killed off too soon).

    Once again there is the interaction between Bond and Q, which I always enjoy. And I love how M sticks up for 007 a couple of times in the movie when others aren't as confident in his success?

    All in all another great outing.

    Next up - You Only Live Twice ....................... sometime this week!

    Edit: My apologies for the double post and my apologies for not being as good with the words when typing a kind of review. Things like this have never been my strong point.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    No worries @007JamesBond, keep 'em coming.

    I watched TMWTGG over the weekend. Clumsy in places and half hearted at times. The climax was crying out for a mini army for Bond to dispatch, but it is what it is. Roger Moore is in top notch form though.

    Next up for me is either AVTAK or LTK
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,418
    @007JamesBond

    Like NicNac said, keep 'em coming. We Bond fans love reading about other Bond fans opinions.

    @00Beast

    You should do, it's very interesting to watch the series grow and evolve.

    I was thinking of doing them in pairs; you know OHMSS and TLD for example, or maybe GF and TSWLM...
  • Posts: 11,189
    @00Beast

    I had a Guy Hamilton double bill yesterday of GF and LALD. Pairings are certainly worth doing.
  • Posts: 1,092
    Just finished mine the other day. Quick thoughts:

    -Connery's first four are still the Gold Standard of the series, they stand tall above all others, classic, classic, classic
    -Moore is the most enjoyable to watch in the role for me, time and time again, even though some of his films were less than stellar
    -OHMSS continues to go up in my rankings, solid film from top to bottom
    -Dalton got robbed; it's painful to not have more films from him as Bond; he is soooo good
    -Brosnan's four have become a chore to get through, I zone out when they are on, though they all look great on BD
    -Craig is the man! Can't wait for Bond 23, this will be his shining moment
    -YOLT and DAD were better than I remembered them being, not sure why but I liked them more this time
  • Posts: 251
    Hey there everyone, been away for a bit....but now back on track with my Bondathon!
    Having last watched Thunderball, the bar has been risen dramatically.
    For me, this film captures the tone of Fleming brilliantly, including all the best bits of his larger than life writing. Interestingly, this is the one book that was based on a screenplay by McClory....
    Connery simply looks amazing too, and anyone who thinks that the underwater scenes are too long or boring (that will be you QOS fans!) should just listen to the incredible score by the master John Barry.
    10 out of 10. No question.
    So, my ranking now looks like this...
    1. Thunderball
    2. Dr No
    3. FRWL
    4. GF
  • Posts: 321
    Got back to my Bondathon last night. Part 5 - You Only Live Twice. Of the first 5 Connery movies this is arguably (?) the weakest of them, especially after the spectacle of Thunderball. If I was to compile my list of the first 5 movies, unfortunately this would be in 5th place. That's not to say I think its a bad movie but I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as previous efforts. I kinda got the impression Connery was going through the motions before leaving (temporarily) the franchise.

    Donald Pleasance as Blofeld is nice to see and he comes out with a nice little performance, as well as being the first actor to show us the face of Blofeld, which was pretty great.

    As for the Bond girls, Helga Brandt make a fine villainess and Aki a great ally, however Kissy just didn't really do anything for me. Don't get me wrong, she's a beauty but as a Bond girl, I wasn't convinced.

    To be honest I can't quite put my finger on it, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as any of the previous 4 movies.

    The best thing about the movie? Probably Blofeld's volcano lair. Great set for the final battle.
  • Posts: 251
    Hey, we are pretty even, I`m gonna watch YOLT tonight. Are you ranking as you go?
  • edited July 2011 Posts: 321
    Certainly am @Shoreline. Got my first 6 now in my order of preference (I just try to rank them in order of pure enjoyment), after I watched OHMSS last night (was going to have a break but thought, why not? and popped it on).

    On Her Majesty's Secret Service - after reading through the opening post of this thread - http://www.mi6community.com/index.php?p=/discussion/71/something-of-a-must-with-me-ohmss-appreciation#Item_19 - I have a new found appreciation for this movie. I have always enjoyed it but, after reading that post, I watched it ever closer last night. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's not perfect but we saw a whole new 007 in this movie, which is not a bad thing at all. Lazenby comes across as someone who would have made a very good Bond if he had made a few more movies after this one. It's a shame that we didn't get to see him on a revenge mission in DAF. If Connery had stayed for this I don't think we would have got anywhere near the same movie. I, personally, don't think SC could have pulled off the emotional scenes (in particular the ending). Plus the scenes with Tracy (horse riding, staring in to each others eyes in the car with Draco in between them etc), I don't think SC would have shown the same emotion as GL did. Just my opinion.

    Savalas as Blofeld was all good (any one else think it strange how he held a cigarette when smoking it though?), Diana Rigg (our Best Bond Girl winner) showed why she won it (I don't think I've appreciated fully how good a Bond girl/wife she is until watching this last night) and the locations, Piz Gloria of course, is just wonderful.

    Couple of things that I wasn't keen on in this movie - the nods to the first Connery era such as "This never happened to the other fella", the office scene bringing out the "keepsakes" and the janitor guy whistling Goldfinger. I just got the impression they were a bit of a smack in the face for GL as things like that just make people think of what has come before and take a little away from a good GL performance.

    Overall though, this is a very good addition to the franchise and one that is gonna rank very highly on my list. I feel it's a shame we never got to see George do any more, even just DAF.

    Hey ho - here we go on to Diamonds Are Forever. May wait a few nights for that though as I want to savour OHMSS a little more.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    This weekend I'm settling in to watch AVTAK and possibly LTK. A double header and two of my least favourites, so plenty of coffee required.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,882
    There isn't enough coffee in the world to keep me awake through AVTAK. Why not just follow Moore, and sleep through the film?
  • Posts: 2,491
    and anyone who thinks that the underwater scenes are too long or boring (that will be you QOS fans!)
    i think that and i dont like QoS :)
    This weekend I'm settling in to watch AVTAK and possibly LTK. A double header and two of my least favourites, so plenty of coffee required.
    why you dont like them?
    There isn't enough coffee in the world to keep me awake through AVTAK. Why not just follow Moore, and sleep through the film?
    actually that is how i feel about most of the Moore movies but i like AVTAK mostly cause of Zorin,he is great villain
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    I like all Bond films dragonsky, but AVTAK seems a little flat after the lush and exciting OP. LTK is too hard-nosed, bitter and grim for me. The elements of LTK I dislike tend to be the same elements most of my esteemed colleagues on these boards like. In fact I'm so much in the minority I'm starting to wonder if I'm wrong about LTK!!!

    Imagine! Me wrong! Unthinkable. ;))
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