The Award Winning : 'Bond...comments while you watch...'

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  • Posts: 19,339
    I think the fact that FRWL train fight is in a really enclosed environment on the Orient Express,and its Robert Shaw v Connery edges it for me but SP is brilliant...plus Bond actually beats Grant,whereas Bond loses to Hinx.....both the highlights of their films for me...
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    finished FRWL

    what a film!
  • Posts: 19,339
    OOOh yes....damn right....always battling with CR for #1 spot....but ultimately i think its my #1....
  • Posts: 19,339
    i'm holding out for OHMSS until December...but i will get to it :)
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    I'm very disciplined in updating. As for Lazenby, I was tempted to put in OHMSS tonight, but of course I had to watch FRWL for the Community Bondathon @birdleson
    next will be GF and then probably OHMSS.
    I will view OHMSS at least another two times, once when the time comes in the Community Bondathon and like every year since 1992 on Christmas Eve.

    OHMSS is in fact the only Bond movie I have seen every single year at least once since 1990.
  • edited October 2016 Posts: 19,339
    I never thought of OHMSS on Xmas Eve,in my 4 years of being single after a 16 year marriage...i will do that this year,nice one BJB...that makes me happy !
    I can do a Xmas Eve 'while you watch' in my thread here...
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    barryt007 wrote: »
    I never thought of OHMSS on Xmas Eve,in my 4 years of being single after a 16 year marriage...i will do that this year,nice one BJB...that makes me happy !
    I can do a Xmas Eve 'while you watch' in my thread here...

    That'll be great!
  • Posts: 19,339
    Mind you I will probably be pissed as a fart and will see at least 3 Blofelds and 4 Bonds...and Tracy with her knickers off....
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Oh yes, she's a bit of crumpet that one.

    Tonight I will catch flies watching Pussy Galore move her bits through the scenery, as usual.
    Can never get enough of her, that's for sure.
    I musht be dreaming...
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    I did a late Bondathon watch of FRWL, and had a Word document open to peck away some thoughts on it that I had as it went on to get some notes for my analysis of it. Here they are, in proper chronology:

    PTS- I adore how Grant snaps a twig as he walks and the music booms in. Great fake-out with dead guy masquerading as Bond. A unique and brilliant sequence.

    I adore this title design. This design is better here than the body projection in Goldfinger, another thing early Connery did better than it did. The score and use of color is immaculate, as is the overall projection choices on the woman’s body.

    Opening chess game is symbolic of spy game Bond plays. I love how Kronsteen knows he’s expected by SPECTRE, so he almost seems to finish his opponent early just to make the appointment. His arrogance is mighty.

    Great symbolic fight scene between the fish. The shot composition and editing as the pair of fish flap violently is amazing, as well as a great visual for what the same fight with Bond and Grant will visually look like later on.

    SPECTRE island- It’s great to get a window into how the organization is run and how the agents are tested. This scene is one of my favorites because it’s not like anything we’ve ever seen to this day in a Bond film.

    Klebb and Tatiana meeting- Tense, awkward, invasive. Emphasis on that last adjective.

    Bond hat toss- I love Bond’s funny failure when he sees he’s playing to an audience of two with his toss, with M looking on indifferent to his attempts at entertainment.

    Q- His love of his work is visible here, even only as “Boothroyd.” He seems so pleased watching Bond play with his creation, testing it out.

    MP scene- Although fast, it’s a sweet and flirty scene, and I love it when Bond tells MP, “let me tell you the secret of the world.” No other actor talked to Moneypenny as well as Sean’s Bond always did.

    Bond’s arrival at the airport in Istanbul is a great retread of DN, where he arrives unsure of who to trust, then is tailed from the airport to his destination.

    Kerim-I love the detail he provides that he grew up breaking chains, bending bars in the circus. He’s right, he has had an interesting life.

    I love the relationship Kerim and the Russian’s have in Turkey-they are overt towards one another and don’t play any games.

    Another fantastic DN callback-Bond investigates his hotel room checking for bugs. These are quiet little moments I adore.

    I’ve never noticed this as much as now, but Grant dresses as Bond would a lot, in the same repeating wardrobe of gray suits with white or blue shirts. His style seems heavily picked up from Bond’s, which makes them feel like proper doppelgangers.

    Kerim views sex as an obligation, it seems, and not a fun recreation as Bond does.

    Great eavesdropping from underneath Istanbul’s streets-Shows Kerim is prepared for anything and I love the image of him and Bond spying on the Russians from underneath their own consulate.

    Gypsy camp bellydance scene-One of my favorite moments of this entire film is how Sean breaks into a laugh during the bellydance; it’s a great genuine moment and creates a sense of camaraderie between Bond, Kerim and all the gypsies. I love how Bond gazes at the dancer like a lion trying to mate in the wild, and I noticed how she pecks a couple of kisses on Bond’s lips before she runs off.

    Gypsy camp fight- A vivid, rousing and fun sequence great for its time. It’s just complete chaos reminiscent of a western shootout, with Bond being a random dick running all over the place and being creative with his takedowns of enemies, often also knocking out gypsies as he attempts to get the Russians out of commission.

    Bond wins both the gypsy women, who it’s implied he slept with- Only ménage à trois in Bond history! I also love how the women hate seeing Bond leave the camp. He really must have done a number on them…

    Krilencu’s death is magnificent- It’s such a great spy idea on Fleming’s part to have a man hiding behind the guise of a billboard depicting a beautiful woman. It’s a nice character detail that Kerim is adamant about wanting to take the shot; he needs to do it on principle to get even for the past attempts Krilencu made to harm him and his family.

    Bond and Tatiana have sex- In this scene, Tatiana almost seems awkward and shy in getting off her clothes, like she isn’t used to this sort of seduction, while Bond wrote the book. If you look at the scene, her clothes are on the floor and the chair was presumably knocked down as she rushed to prepare herself in the bed for Bond. Her desire to impress is endearing, and sort of adorable.

    The sex tape is made in secret, with Klebb looking on. A honeypot spy scheme, a sex tape, Bond has a threesome-this is a very sex-laden Bond film, and that’s saying something!

    Bond and Tatiana on boat discussing Lektor decoder-Great scene that shows Bond frustrated by a love-filled Tatiana, with M and MP having a fun moment-MP must leave by M’s orders because such talk of sex is improper for her to hear? Or maybe it’ll just encourage her in her interactions with Bond later down the line.

    The date for when the Lektor retrieval is to go down (the13th) is a lie Bond tells to make sure the Russians can’t prepare ahead of time-brilliant.

    Lots of great shots of the Istanbul underground here-very in touch with the nature of spy thrillers and agents working below the surface, so to speak.

    Tatiana seems extremely fascinated by western life (I guess as any women would be from the Soviet Union)-she is attracted to Bond’s foreign appeal and once she gets an American name on her passport (Caroline Somerset), she visibly repeats it lovingly over and over again and with enthusiasm as Bond and Kerim make plans for later. A great little character detail. Also, from the moment of their first meeting, Bond always calls her Tania, endearingly, instead of by her full name. For all the times Bond seems frustrated by her, he does seem to get on with her well and genuinely cares about her well-being, until his feelings are questioned as SPECTRE’s hand is revealed.

    Tatiana must feel a sense of freedom with the western culture open to her, enabling her to do what she wants outside of control.

    It’s great how Grant stays in wake like a spectre over Bond, always in the shadows but acting to make SPECTRE’s plan go through, like wear skimpy see-through dresses.

    Kerim’s last words to Bond: “Life in Istanbul will never be the same without you.” A great moment that cements him as a great ally, and it’s a moment underscored with sadness for those of us who know what’s coming.

    Kerim and Benz reunite in a funny scene. I love Bond’s tailor line as he goes off to leave the men to their business. It’s clear by this point in the film that Kerim is a storyteller, torturing people with his big mouth, as he does to Benz here.

    Again, Grant and Bond always seem to match in the suits they wear in many scenes, as if Grant is actively aping Bond, like an animal that studied his prey and tried to fit into its ecosystem to strike at it when the opportunity was prime. One of the many reasons this film feels predatory in nature, with all the scheming, double-scheming and assassination attempts, mating rituals and more beastly acts that are packed into this particular Bond adventure.

    Tatiana has no idea about western customs, and its clear from her ignorance about the dresses she’s wearing. She is now free of Klebb’s hold and blind to her impropriety in dress outside the stricter confines of the Soviet nation she grew up in. It’s become clearer to me than ever, then, that Tatiana is the biggest representation of a culture clash character we’ve got in Bond, not too dissimilar from Kara Milovy in TLD. Both women are also innocent and in over their heads, stupidly in love with Bond. I think Kara was purposely and actively meant to recall Tatiana in how she was characterized and portrayed.

    Kerim and Benz- Their bout is a visual recall of the earlier scene in Blofeld’s office depicting the two fighting fish, and the one fish that laid in wait to strike. Kerim and Benz may have fought before Grant even showed up, and, while the survivor (Kerim) was weak after the fight, Grant swooped in for the kill just as the fish did. Bond’s sadness at Kerim’s passing is palpable.

    I love how Bond acts around Tatiana after Kerim dies. In his mind, she is the one who’s been playing him and he has reason to think she helped engineer the man’s death, consciously or unconsciously.

    Bond’s face after Tatiana says “I love you” after their confrontation says it all. He’s been here before, you see it in his eyes.

    The shot of Bond walking along the track in Belgrade station while Grant tails him through the train windows is immaculate. It’s funny that Shaw would go on to star in ‘Jaws’ as the hunter of the beast, because here he’s very much a predatory shark preying on Bond, to a tune of tense music not unlike John Williams’ iconic theme for the film in question.

    At this point in the film Bond knows he’s caught in something bad, but doesn’t quite know the full extent of the trap. Connery’s performance is filled with paranoia, as Bond expresses the feeling like he’s being watched.

    When the train stops at the Zagreb station, the scene that plays out is a clever reversal of the previous station stop in Belgrade. This time Grant gets off the train, while Bond prowls from the carriages. With the code words known to him, Grant tries to act British/like Bond, further underscoring the doppelganger feeling he gives off as Bond’s equally deadly match.

    I’ve never noticed until this watch just how much Grant uses those gloves. He puts them on before every kill he makes, which is funny when you consider the old adage about clean hands. Grant gets his hands dirty without actually getting his hands dirty.

    Another first time notice: As Grant walks away from the murder he has just committed, Bond spots him with the attaché case of the sort given to all British agents by Q Branch, which makes him think Grant is the man he has to talk to, unaware of the trap as of yet.

    I love how all the conversations the character have at the Zagred station are muted to nothing by the rattling of the carriages, the steam puffing from the trains halted on the tracks and all the voices of the pedestrians milling about.

    Grant, Bond and Tatiana are now sitting for a meal in the train car. Grant has said many an “old man” too many already. He’ll regret that later.

    Tatiana is lost trying to decide what to order on the menu, so Bond decides to just order her what he’s having. Again, she is culturally blind to anything non-Russian.

    Grant’s attempts at seeming British by being overtly British is almost painful to watch. If he’d kept his cool and calmed down a bit in his performance, Bond would’ve played right into his hand.

    The entire train exchange between a Bond on his knees and Grant with his gun pointed square at him is amazing, one of the best in the whole franchise. The plan all comes into the clear here and Bond’s ego is done in a bit by Grant. Bond has been had, and even in the face of death itself, he’s interviewing Grant about the kind of tactics he employed to learn about how he slipped up and got in the rough spot he now finds himself in. Then the conversation turns more sick when Grant seems to be enjoying himself a bit too much, which Bond responds badly to. The increasing levels of anger and disgust on Sean’s face here is the stuff of legends. Bond can’t wait to kill this bastard.

    Grant really has it in for Bond, like it’s personal. He was a great pick by SPECTRE. He has studied Bond and gets a kick out of stringing him along, making him wait for death. He’ll regret that soon too.

    I now understand the comparisons some make between Shaw and Daniel Craig. Uncanny in performance and expression, at times.

    The fight, oh the fight. So claustrophobic and no-holds-barred, just straight-up messy. Bond and Grant are truly like two animals going at it in the wild for supremacy. And Bond’s payback to Grant at the end by calling him “old man” is the cherry on the top of a very tasty cake.

    Tatiana is tough to pin. As Bond is wrestling with Klebb in the hotel room, Tatiana wavers the pistol between shooting Bond or Klebb, when the choice should be easy for her to make at this point, since she’s been shot with Cupid’s arrow. Maybe she thinks that if she kills Klebb, SPECTRE will have her head on a pike in retaliation?

    Ah, the closing scene in the boat. Corny as can be, but I’ll let it go after all the great stuff that comes before this. I still have no idea to this day what Bond means when he says. “He was right you know”/”I’ll show you” while he’s looking at the “sex tape” of him and Tania before chucking it into the water.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    GOLDFINGER

    Only 15 minutes into the film and I already know this is the high point of the Connery era.

    "I'm so glad" The way Connery delivers that line to Jill Masterson when he realised she doesn't have sex with Goldfinger, is sheer bliss and perfectness.

    A shame there is so much back projection in the Miami scene, I wish they had flown Connery and Fröbe to the location, they did it with Felix, it doesn't make sense.
    Anyway I said this before, I never mind the back projections very much, they are almost part of the charm I'd say. I also never had any problems with bad CGI there's enough of that in the films since DAD. Such minor things should never ruin the overall experience, I don't get people who claim it does.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited October 2016 Posts: 9,020
    The golf sequence is, sorry to be repetitive, perfect.
    They all do such a great acting job. How Bond outwits Fröbe is priceless. And that hat throw to the statue...iconic...

    yes I like the term iconic and with some Bond movies I seem to use them a lot, but with Goldfinger it certainly is right.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Unfortunately he has a pressing engagement.

    I love that line, knowing what happens next.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    The score in the Fort Knox sequence is just marvelous.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    He loves Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooold.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    edited October 2016 Posts: 9,020
    It's pretty lonely in this thread lately.

    But hey here I go talking to myself again:

    CASINO ROYALE

    but not what you think, Jason.

    It's the fabulous 1967 version.

    Let's see...David Niven...actually quite perfect as an older retired Bond, seemingly strange but surrounded by so many even stranger, crazy people that he seems rather normal.

    15 minutes in and already Pussies Galore, one hotter than the other...alone for those it's worth watching this!!

    Have fun with it Jason!

    Yes, I will, thank you.
  • Posts: 19,339
    If you think im commenting about that shit Jason,think again !!! meh meh and MEH !
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Funny you mention Deborah, as I just wanted to comment on her. An Affair To Remember is one of my favourites. I cry every time.

    I find Deborah hilariously fantastic in CR67. I'm laughing my ass off.

    How all those stars, past their prime, still kick ass is marvelous.

    Also I realise now, this is British absurdity at its best. I haven't seen it in 10 years I think, and never in High Definition, this is the first time.

    The level of satire of the typical mid-sixties swinging-cool with the in-crowd is staggering.

    Also the music is OH MY GOD I LOVE IT so great. I have always been a sucker for Burt Bacharach, and Herb Alpert for that matter.

    The Look Of Love is definitely the best Bond theme ever, if only it was "official"...what a shame.

    Ok, pushing the play button again, only 25 minutes in and I'm already in comedy Heaven.

    PS: This is also the start to my Peter Sellers-athon which will be 16 films strong.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Boy am I glad I decided to watch this!
    What a wonderful journey into 60s British satire, absurdity.

    Seeing the casino scene with LeChiffre, the kidnapping of Vesper and the torture in the chair at LeChiffre's lair was a real treat, as I have never seen it since CR came out in 2006.

    And there is a carpet beater attached to the chair!! Now I get that joke having read the novel. Priceless!!

    Oh and those songs, the end title song is musical GOLD. I'm ashamed to admit I don't even own the soundtrack (I own Burt Bacharach's work though), but as of NOW IMMEDIATELY I just ordered it, the 45th Anniversary double-CD edition. YAY!
  • Posts: 19,339
    Soundtrack excellent...the rest ...shite.
  • Posts: 19,339
    shite
  • Posts: 11,189
    Peter Sellers in an Adolf Hitler costumer saying "I'll show you mine if you show me yours".
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    I love Peter Sellers, tonight The Party my favourite film of him. A Shot In The Dark closely followed.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Now those 2 films,The Party and A Shot in the Dark is brilliant...especially Shot...one of my favourite films and the best of the Panthers...
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    So it's Saturday.
    So I'm alone.
    So nothing planned for tonight.

    This means....BOND TIME....

    with only CR, OHMSS and TWINE left in my yearly Bondathon it seems to be a simple matter, but it's not...

    What is anyone watching tonight?
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Say hello to Jill Masterson for me. I just saw her the other day.
  • edited October 2016 Posts: 19,339
    CR just been popped into the player...been a while...already brilliant..hello chaps.

    The score is the best since dear John Barry left us ,even until today...the film just feels immense,powerful,BOND !!

    It really does put so many other films to shame including Craig's 3 others....

    A powerful,solid,complete Bond film ,and im only on the crane fight ....what a classic..and im not even pissed yet..!!
  • Posts: 19,339
    This is DC at his best...what a debut !!!
  • Posts: 11,189
    As great as the crane fight is, the Miami airport sequence is my personal favourite.

    I know many people say it's a rip off of Raiders of the Lost Ark but a). I've never thought that while watching it and b). I think it's even better.

    The final moments when the bastard blows himself up is great. I love how Craig doesn't even blink.
  • Posts: 19,339
    Time for the Richard Branson cameo that i missed all those years ago...
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