The Silver Screen Oasis

A very literate script. James Bond is thoroughly ensconced in the Japanese culture.

This is my favorite of the books for that very reason. The cultural experience is as interesting as the adventure!

For a European, you are exceptionally cultivated.

"Oh, the things I do for England!" I actually prefer "Diamonds" to "Twice." The full scale battle sequence that began with THUNDERBALL is a little too much for me. With "Diamonds," Guy Hamilton pulls back a little bit, returning to the smaller, more contained confrontation. One movie book described this entry as more like a Saturday afternoon serial than a spy film. That's pretty accurate.

I think everybody's favorite scene is that glorious car chase! Still the best in movies, Popeye Doyle not withstanding. Nice picture of Miss St. John. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see my cardiologist!

"It looks like you've caught me with more than my hands up!"

My wife inherited her father's copies of the Bond novels by Fleming. Now I have to go read some of them again. I hate having three books going at once. No, make that 4 but at least they're different topics.

I have sweet memories of the paperbacks released in the 1960's. Colorful, sensational covers, but definitely not pictures from the movies. These, no doubt, were second editions. But they're the ones remembered by my generation.

That's another good one. It has the classic line, "Wait here, Honey. I have to kill a few people." Now that's confidence! I attempted to read this one even before I saw the movies. At ten years old, it was a little over my head. But I've since enjoyed this and many other Bond adventures. I'm looking high and low for some readable copies of the Matt Helm books. Worn, yellowed pages won't serve my purpose. But if it greets my aging eyes with lenience, I'm there! Love the irony. Once I was too young for these novels. Now I'm too old!

[u][color=#4000BF]MOVIEMAN1957[/color][/u] wrote:I'm with you on "You Only Live Twice." The climactic battle may be a bit too big but it's exciting.

Too big? I say go big or go home, James Bond.

We're pretty close on "Diamonds Are Forever" too. ... The drawback to the car chase in Vegas for me was it felt like too many times they were running up and down the same street.

You know, you’re right. I thought I saw the same casinos going back & forth.

John Barry is my favorite film composer. The few times he didn't do the music always felt like something was different. I think he eventually gave his blessing on David Arnold to take over the Brosnan series.

I love him as well MM. What I notice is that they now put a score underneath a Bond one-on-one fight scene, whereas before ( e.g. Odd Job, Osata office ) they let the fight speak for itself.

[u][color=#800040]RED[/color][/u] [u][color=#800040]RIVER[/color][/u] wrote:"Oh, the things I do for England!" I actually prefer "Diamonds" to "Twice." The full scale battle sequence that began with THUNDERBALL is a little too much for me. With "Diamonds," Guy Hamilton pulls back a little bit, returning to the smaller, more contained confrontation. One movie book described this entry as more like a Saturday afternoon serial than a spy film. That's pretty accurate.

“THUNDERBALL” is my favorite James Bond film and I love its underwater action sequence; John Barry’s music adds so much to its urgency. In “DIAMONDS...” the sequence on the oil derrick was pretty good. My own reaction to not liking the movie as much as I used to is a surprise to me.

“I think everybody's favorite scene is that glorious car chase! Still the best in movies, Popeye Doyle not withstanding. Nice picture of Miss St. John. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to see my cardiologist!”

No doubt, “THE FRENCH CONNECTION” ( and may I add “BULLIT” and "THE SEVEN-UPS") had helluva car chases. And re: cardiology, I just saw “DIE ANOTHER DAY.” There’s only one word for Halle Berry coming out of the water: FLAWLESS.

A First Edition sounds pretty fancy schmancy and impressive, Miss G. Don't let the boys climb all over it in your library. In the early 70’s ( 1973 ) I bought, from the Salvation Army, used paperback books of Ian Fleming's James Bond. I think the most I paid was $2.00 each. And read 'em all. I must search my old bookcase to see if my Mom hasn’t thrown them away in her effort of getting me to keep my room clean.

[u][color=#800080]RED[/color][/u] [u][color=#800080]RIVER[/color][/u] wrote:Once I was too young for these novels. Now I'm too old!

Oh Red. What a card you are. STAT!!!!

More great reviews, T! I wonder if seeing all the movies within weeks of each other put you off Diamonds? When movies in a series came out it was always so exciting, and one didn't get to go back and rewatch them on video before the premiere.

I hate to think what you will say of the Dalton films. Maybe they'll seem better on the big screen.

Thank you Wendy.

No, I don't think seeing the Bonds together in such close proximity to each other has affected anything. I believe I'm taking them as I see 'em and not really comparing them to each other. You're right, when the movies came out it was exciting. In fact I thought of them as an event! I'd often stay in the theatre at least twice, three times to watch the movies ( in the days b'4 vcrs and dvds. ) It was a special world.

I hate to think what you will say of the Dalton films. Maybe they'll seem better on the big screen.

. I saw "THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS" on Saturday. Held up well. I won't be seeing "LICENCE TO KILL" until next week. I'll have to re-read your review; I remember your thoughts on the cheese factor. It's Vegas man...Vegas! What happens in Vegas should stay in...in 1989 perhaps. But as crazy as this sounds, I'm approaching these films as though I've never seen them before... keeping my mind open. I just saw "DIE ANOTHER DAY" last nite. Those last twenty minutes of non-stop action is shattering! The adrenaline, the assault on your senses is gripping...invigorating. Boy, I don't mean to sound high-falutin' and hyperbolic. But those actions sequences in recent Bonds are amazing. I swear I'm in a tunnel; I totally block out everything; even the man eating his Panini wrap next to me. ( I'm going to break the rules and bring half a Subway sandwich tonite and I dare the little old lady next to me to say something!!! Why...I'll run off with her walker! )

I'm not sure what happened to me with "Diamonds Are Forever." Funny how a "movie" changes...when you go grow up.

It is funny, isn't it? and a little sad, but maybe it will come around to the place where you like it better again someday.

LIVING DAYLIGHTS is a worthy effort. One of very few that can be compared to the originals and still look good. It has a couple of tense, exciting fist fights. When you come down to it, that's the meat and potatoes of this exceptional series.

...Continuing with the screenings of the Museum of Modern Art's "50-Years of James Bond: A Full Retrospective Celebrating The Ultimate Spy."

A NEW ERA

With firmness, finality and much difficulty, I accept the fact that Bond Connery is no more. ( “Never Say Never Again” was a mistake. You really can't go home again. ) The leisure-suited era of Roger Moore is behind me and that Aussie was really a pit stop; it was an unsuccessful herculean task for anyone to be asked to follow Sean Connery ( ...but it was fantastic to see "Mrs. Peel" up on the big screen. ) It is time for me to let a new James Bond genuinely open my heart. Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan sound like a good start to me.




TIMOTHY DALTON

Like Cassius, he has a lean and hungry look. I love that TIMOTHY DALTON is dark and flinty. He looks like a shark. His thin mouth with its upturned corners gives him this slight perpetual smirk. ( Yes, I do see the Heathcliff in him. ) Dalton has the acting chops, so dialogue comes easy to him. He has a good strong voice. He is athletic and...shows exasperation. I liked that. He also brought a warmth to Bond; he was protective of the women involved with him. But he was deadly too. I am happy he has strapped on the mantle.

PIERCE BROSNAN

This is my guy.

To be Secret Agent 007, PIERCE BROSNAN’s drop-dead gorgeous, Black Irish looks is almost enough. ( Enough to melt my cornea, but that’s just me liking tall-dark-&-handsome. ) Looking past all that is easy ( no it’s not ) because Brosnan brings more than his good looks, ( that my shallow fickled heart sees ), to the Bond legacy. He fills out a Brioni tuxedo nicely ( there I go again, as Ronnie Reagan would say ) and looks upper crust enough to know a Bollinger ‘53 from a ‘59. He handles the action scenes with the aplomb of a deadly assassin.

It’s good he didn’t get The Role in his “Remington Steele” days. He looked too thin, too pretty then. By the time of his trilogy as Bond, he was older, a little wizened...seasoned, as a man should be, not a boyish-faced pup. I find Brosnan’s acting top-notch; he doesn’t hit the one-liners with a sledge hammer. I like how he sometimes purses his mouth...and the soft velvety way he speaks, his brogue faintly brushing over his pronounciation. Make no mistake, when Brosnan has to portray deadly, he does. He has an economy of motion; no flourish. I love how he runs. I can tell whether it’s a stuntman or not by how he runs. And check out his “gun barrel” film opening: he swirls to the camera, stops on a dime and shoots! But he’s also thespian enough to show regret and remorse. Brosnan does very well as a man who physically gives his all, but emotionally holds it all in...for Queen and Country.

Well done. It's hard to disagree with anything you said. They all bring their own "thing" to Bond. More often then not it works. It boils down to can you believe them when they're in bed or on the run. Roger Moore seemed to me to be the least athletic of all. He certainly was smooth enough. Sometimes maybe too smooth.

I like a tougher Bond. One strength for Bond is he can kill without thinking about it or on it afterward. When Connery shoots the scientist in his room in "Dr. No" it's all business. It's the same for Brosnan in "The World Is Not Enough." He's been hurt by Sophie Marceau but even though he warns her when it comes time he does it.

But then they always care about the girl. The lengths they can go to is pretty extensive. Whether it is Craig in "Casino Royale" trying to pull Vesper from the elevator underwater or Dalton "missing" his shot it "The Living Daylights" it is enough to show that he is not completely without feelings. 30 seconds of Bond and Moneypenny are enough for that.

It’s good he didn’t get The Role in his “Remington Steele” days.

Indeed it is. 007 is no cutie-pie teenager!

I was watching The Private Life of Henry the Eighth, the Korda film starring Charles Laughton. There's some great comic relief when he's getting ready to marry Anne of Cleves, played by Elsa Lanchester. She's strong-minded and isn't the least bit interested in the marriage. After the union is solemnized and is moving on towards the consummation phase, Laughton sighs and says, "The things I do for England!"