Neverending Watchlist James Bond Podcast Collab!

 

I was so excited to take part in The Neverending Watchlist Podcast and their James Bond project! You can listen to hear who I would cast as the next 007! 

A huge thank you to all collaborated on this episode, you're all legends and we owe you all a Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred. #JamesBond #NextJamesBond

Give em a follow😉@heatherjstewart@GelNerd@thereforereview@RevAlmanac@jaylan_88@JackedUpReview@rbritanniapod pic.twitter.com/6K90jIFNAk

— The Neverending Watchlist - Movie Podcast (@NeverendingWL) October 30, 2024

Thank you for having me and thanks for listening! You can keep track of my audio/visual guest appearances with our Podcast and Video labels or hear us regularly on the Women InSession Podcast at InSessionFilm.com. 

Read More on James Bond:

Revisiting Pierce Brosnan as James Bond

Sean Connery as 007

Daniel Craig's Tenure as Bond

Our Top Ten James Bond

Top Ten: James Bond!

Welcome to our new Top Tens series in celebration of I Think, Therefore I Review's Tenth Anniversary! These monthly lists will highlight special themes and topics from our extensive archive of reviews.

This time I Think, Therefore I Review presents in chronological order...

Our Top Ten James Bond Movies!

Dr. No

From Russia with Love

Goldfinger

You Only Live Twice

Live and Let Die

The Spy Who Loved Me

For Your Eyes Only

The Living Daylights

Goldeneye

Skyfall

Please see our Action labels and James Bond Tags or our Bond Overview page for even more!

I Think, Therefore I Review began as the blog home for previously published reviews and reprinted critiques by horror author Kristin Battestella. Naturally older articles linked here may be out of date and codes or formatting may be broken. Please excuse any errors and remember our Top Tens will generally only include films, shows, books, or music previously reviewed at I Think, Therefore I Review.

James Bond Documentaries!

Real World Documentaries on the Fictional James Bond!

By Kristin Battestella

If there’s one thing more magical than analyzing Bond onscreen, then it’s analyzing the analysis of others analyzing Bond onscreen!  So here’s a session of Bondian non fiction and documentaries to delve deeper into Her Majesty’s fictitious Service.

  

Biography: Daniel Craig – From his first school plays, maternal support, and theatre work to edgy independent fair such as Love is the Devil and successful Hollywood turns in Road to Perdition and Layer Cake, this 2007 episode of the long running series illumes the decade of thespian work before Craig’s coveted casting as the first blonde Bond. While it’s great to see childhood photos and early snaps of the handsome young actor, the zooming, panning, angled, and spinning photos can be annoying as they continuously repeat and fill the 45-minute TV time. Of course, most of the 21^st century Biography shows play more like hip, gossipy, entertainment newsbeats instead of the program’s traditional, seemingly official, or sanctioned sit down interview and intimate revelation with the subject. Instead, snippets from other Craig interviews pre and post Bond, chats with old school teachers, and commentary from celeb columnists make for a somewhat awkward presentation. A showbiz reporter informing on Craig’s first marriage, famous girlfriends, daughter, and extreme privacy against intrusive tabloids feels illegitimate – if industry reporters are talking about how he doesn’t often grant interviews or ignores media fodder and he didn’t consent to an interview with Biography…yeah, whoopsie! Short clips from Craig’s early films and television that international audiences may not have seen do much better in showing the actor’s talent, versatility, and penchant for heavy scene chewing material. The popcorn narrator doesn’t paraphrase Barbara Broccoli’s decision on choosing Craig as Bond until the final fifteen minutes, but the encapsulation of the challenging transition and becoming accepted as 007 is interesting to see in retrospect again now. It’s nowhere near all encompassing on Craig’s life and career, no – this episode seems to have more of everyone else but him! Indeed, I’d like to see a new, real Biography conversation someday with The Man Himself reflecting on his Bond tenure, yet fans new to the franchise or Craig’s work can get a quick summary here before diving into his varied filmography for complete Craig appreciation.

Bond Girls Are Forever – Maryam D’Abo hosts this retrospective hour on “The Women of James Bond” with an honest, globe trotting, and fun approach fitting to this fanciful, exclusive club. Footage of each lady in her respective Bond film looks great alongside new intimate conversations on Their Man James and what it means to be a Bond Girl from Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, Luciana Paluzzi, Jill St. John, Jane Seymour, Maud Adams, Lois Chiles, Carey Lowell, Michelle Yeoh, Halle Berry, and Rosamund Pike. Non traditional 007 gals like Judi Dench as M and Samantha Bond as Moneypenny also have their say, and updated editions of this 2002 video include thoughts from Eva Green, Caterina Murino, Gemma Arterton, Naomie Harris, and Berenice Marlohe. Of course, this isn’t exhaustive with every gal in every Bond movie, and understandably, some foreign ladies or retired gals perhaps did not wish to appear. Although this leaves little reflection on From Russia with Love, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, A View to a Kill, Goldeneye, and The World is Not Enough, we can forgive absentees of note such as Diana Rigg, Barbara Bach, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Tanya Roberts, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Sophie Marceau, and Denise Richards. Pity also there’s no outside canon conversation with Kim Basinger, but the major loves and villainesses here give unique cross coverage on the fame, notoriety, expectations, career help or hindrance, and where are they now comparisons. Serious issues on the sexism of Bond then and now, the feminism movement, and the over the top damsel or bitch caricatures are debated as well. This isn’t specifically a classic look or by Bond focus, but the chronological order and clips from all the 007 pictures go along well with the multiple re-releases and companion book. Besides, it’s just dang fun to see how these ladies have only gotten better with age.

 

Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of James Bond – World War II background, lovely post war period footage, and Jamaican home videos inform on Bond creator Ian Fleming’s literary tenacity to start this 2012 hour and a half detailing the history behind the beloved spy. From the earliest, struggling Jimmy Bond adaptations and difficulties in establishing the titular Eon Productions to interviews with Christopher Lee, Fleming family and friends, Barbara Broccoli, the Saltzman family, and Michael G. Wilson, this documentary has a lot of history to cover! Archive footage of Fleming and Cubby Broccoli supplement the hesitation over choosing Sean Connery as Bond and finding the right production team with Maurice Binder and John Barry before the fame, franchise heights, cast fallouts, and more. Quotes from John F. Kennedy, voiceovers with Connery, and more conversations with Maud Adams, Judi Dench, Bill Clinton, Famke Janssen, Rosmund Pike, and Sam Mendes read like a who’s who, and of course, we have retrospectives with 007 men George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig. Whew! Indeed, this feels a little too action movie fast paced as it intercuts and jumps between Bond footage. The time here isn’t a sentimental reflective documentary going deep with Fleming’s genesis, but some film details are skipped over in favor of the bitter, decades long Kevin McClory drama. Thanks to a playing it safe lack of depth beyond how these court cases broke Fleming’s health, viewers who don’t know the franchise’s history may not fully grasp the scale and legal issues created by McClory’s claims. Time is much better spent on the Lazenby switch, trouble between Broccoli and Saltzman in Moore’s early era, Dalton’s darker take on 007, Brosnan’s waits in landing the role, and 21^st century refocus with Craig.  Despite the title, there’s a lot more of the basics then what’s untold – an entire series of documentaries could be done with the story of this franchise. A telefilm per actor, an episode on Fleming, one on Thunderball and the Battle of the Bonds with Never Say Never Again – the billion dollar interest can support it! There are a few pacing hiccups, sure, but ultimately, this nostalgic look serves its purpose in getting both newcomers and longtime audiences hankering for a viewing marathon.

The Real Story: James Bond – The Smithsonian Channel presents this 2009 45 minutes debating how much fact is actually in Ian Fleming’s spy fiction. Did Bond embody his creator’s womanizing and addictive ways? What about those real life secret service efforts and AU commandos orchestrated by Fleming? Expert interviews discuss the literary action, plot formulas, and sexism on the page and how they encapsulated Fleming’s own military life, travels, and espionage experience. Real life card game encounters and officers who would become M inspirations had their twists in Casino Royale while enigma decoding plans become From Russia with Love’s premise, but what wartime heroes could have suggested the 007 character? Was Bond the author’s wish fulfillment or something darker and misogynistic? Through expensive tastes and real world expertise, Fleming used his history and the Cold War topics of the time to draft the perfect fantasy spy for a post war UK still looking for heroes. The segment on fantastic wartime gadgetry, real gyrocopters, and defecting spies becomes a little out of place since the majority of the time here plays more like a Fleming biopic than something about Bond or the film franchise. The re-enactments and narration hyperbole are a bit much at times, and the questions raised sound so overly serious or faux scandalous amid otherwise tender and fresh family angles and period footage. These numerous possibilities, theories, and offshoots on how Bond came to be are nothing new in themselves, and the presentation could have been exclusively about Fleming by going deeper into his exhaustive book pace and it’s increasing tired and ill tasking upon his health. Fortunately, literary purists will like the brief graze upon the films, and the fiction comparisons and digging deep into life imitating art is always interesting to see.

And just in case you’re curious, no, I still haven’t gone through all the multitude of features on the Bond 50: The Complete Film Collection blu-ray box set, tee hee. 

The Spy Who Loved Me

The Spy Who Loved Me One of Bond’s Best

By Kristin Battestella

I took a break from Bond over the winter, which was unusual, actually.  Every year, there used to be a Bond marathon over Thanksgiving, making the opening notes to ‘Nobody Does it Better’ almost a holiday tune.  Fortunately, one needs not a holiday to spend some time with the very fine The Spy Who Loved Me.

After a British nuclear submarine disappears, 007 James Bond (Roger Moore) is sent to Egypt to meet the seller of plans to a new secret tracking device commissioned by Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens), a Swedish shipping baron living on a submarine called Atlantis. He has webbed hands, pet sharks, and is bent on flooding the world and rebuilding civilianization under the sea.  Unfortunately for Bond, a Russian submarine has also disappeared, and MI-6 leader M (Bernard Lee) agrees to work with the Soviets to find Stromberg’s super Liparus tanker.  Bond must collaborate with the beautiful but deadly Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), codenamed ‘Agent XXX’.  Since he is responsible for her boyfriend’s death, XXX tries to remain oblivious to 007’s charms and plans to kill Bond when the mission is through. Stromberg’s seven foot henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel), however, is in pursuit of the pair with deadly intentions all his own.

Well, there just might not be a sweeter pre-title sequence exit than The Spy Who Loved Me’s Union Jack parachute-and it’s followed by even kinkier opening titles.  The fan boys must be in heaven with all that jiggle, those chicks in nothing but boots and Soviet hats sure tame the face of Roger Moore!  Is that nude gymnastics on a gun barrel?  Of course, Carly Simon’s non-titular tune (the series’ first) is probably the most memorable Bond music next to the 007 theme.  Not only is the song in its opening entirety a delight, but it’s great how the medley plays throughout the picture in different instruments and styles, from charming Italian strings to vavavavoom brass.  However, on a down note, I could do without that discofied Bond 77 theme.

Director Lewis Gilbert (the fine You Only Live Twice but also the clunker Moonraker), house writer Richard Maibaum, and new screenwriter Christopher Wood springboard from Ian Fleming in title only and create a tight yarn of spy games, sex appeal, and Sea World gone awry.  Yes, we have plot pieces akin to Star Wars with the ‘stolen data tapes’ scenario and of course the built in aquatic connections to Jaws; but The Spy Who Loved Me borrows these and pieces from previous Bond films and ups the anti.  The unfinished statement about Bond’s late wife and his clipped reaction to the matter does beautifully what On Her Majesty’s Secret Service could not.  The innuendo, quips, and double entrees are on form. The uneasy alliance between 007 and XXX is great fun.  Not only are their names kind of a fun wordplay- triple trumps double, you know- but you can tell Bond doesn’t like having a woman as his equal, partner, or competition.  Yet he seems to enjoy the chase and business excuse to tame such a babe. The interference and cat and mouse from each ups the bedroom anti-not to mention the mission at hand.  The conclusion here is a akin to the finale of You Only Live Twice underwater; but again The Spy Who Love Me does the scenario better.  Its underwater spectacles trump those of Thunderball, too. 

 

How about those, uh, interrogation techniques by Roger Moore in his third outing as Our Man James? Great quips, strength, vitality- Bond uses the same skill and charm on a villain as he does while bedding the babes and it is oh so good.  This has to be Moore’s best outing as Bond. We have his suave, lover boy style and witty jokes; but there’s a seriousness, heavy element, and depth that Moore didn’t have previously.  The Spy Who Loved Me is bigger; epic even in scope and action, but Moore keeps the personal along with the spy game at hand.  Bond’s conflicted just a bit about working with XXX, he’s mixing his business with pleasure much more than usual, but his killing of Sergei Barsov (Michael Billington, UFO) doesn’t seem to be a big deal to him.  At last we have some multi-dimensional to Moore’s Bond instead of just babes and quips. He can love, make allegiances, even regret and keep his cool exterior.  Who knew?  It’s a pity we have more clunkers in his tenure than greats, but even alone The Spy Who Loved Me makes the case for Moore as Bond.  

It’s a little weird that villain Karl Stromberg prefers undersea life and living to people-so much so that he intends to nuke the surface civilization -but he does have a sweet submarine. Curt Jurgens (And God Created Woman) makes the notion seem scary, yes, but also juicy and fun. Stromberg also gets his share of kink by letting his sharks have a deadly feasting over his disloyal lady friend (Marilyn Galsworthy, Backs to the Land). The claustrophobic filming angles mixed with wide seascape shots also visually allude to Stromberg’s intentions.  The sea seems so pretty and peaceful with the relaxing classical scoring, but we know there’s a lot of megalomania brewing in both the sub and Stromberg’s plotting. Richard Kiel- who would return for the subsequent Moonraker- as the aptly named Jaws is somehow both fantastic and also realistically terrifying.  His size, silent pursuit, and vicious bite are preposterous but no less ruthless.

Yes, some of the seventies styles are still back, but maybe Barbara Bach’s Agent Triple X is just that hawt.  Mrs. Ringo Starr’s effortless hair, sexy styles, and vixen charisma still look good thirty years on, and Anya Amasova matches Bond wit for wit.  At last a well-rounded lady who’s completely critical to the plot and not just brief eye candy!  Then again, let’s not forget Caroline Munro (The Adominable Dr. Phibes, Captain Kronos Vampire Hunter, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad). You know Bond is thinking about Naomi for more than just her badass sea, air, and land skills. We also get a little more relaxed and out of the office with Bernard Lee as M, and briefly meet his future successor in the role, Robert Brown as Admiral Hargreaves.  Of course Desmond Llewelyn’s Q balances out the kink and seriousness with fine explanations and humorous cut offs from Bond-and we actually hear him called by his name, Major Boothroyd! That almost makes up for a little less Miss Moneypenny, but Lois Maxwell is always a doll.

The Egyptian styles, locales, and of course the pyramids looks timeless and authentic in The Spy Who Loved Me.  The pyramid show lighting is somewhat garish, but this mix with the lofty scoring and narration adds an atmospheric filming scheme for the action at hand.   More importantly, the blend between what’s Egyptian real and studio fake is almost indistinguishable.  Jaws’ stunts are also very well done, from the Egyptian shake up to the fast, sexy, and dangerous train battle. Although almost everything in The Spy Who Loved Me holds up, I don’t think all the vehicles and gadgets have stood the test of time.  I mean, why that dang Lotus?  Yes it was a hip car then, but not nearly as timeless as the Aston Martin.  At least this Lotus had sweet underwater capabilities! 

It’s nice that USA Network, Universal HD, and other assorted cable channels are bringing Bond to the masses, but all the dang commercials and trimmings take away a lot of 007 goodness, too.  Though claiming to air Bond uncut, slivers are made on Universal HD, and the infomercial laden commercial breaks are extremely long.  Even if it’s a film I know, I actually forget where the film left off before the break!  I can see how a lot of people probably skip right over these channels because you don’t go by and find Bond.  Familiar fans can enjoy a little 007 background television, but seeing bits missing can be very irksome, too.  Casual fans and newcomers to the franchise should stick with DVDs and blu-ray.  Of course, here’s one of Bond’s best, and yet The Spy Who Loved Me isn’t available on blu-ray.  Typical!

The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the finest Bond pictures, combing all that is good in Bond with top-notch story, action, and mainstream appeal.  For those who think Moore’s tenure was overlong and mostly hogwash, I implore you to reconsider with this one.  After all, ‘Nobody Does It Better’.  Okay, I apologize for that one, but I couldn’t help myself! 

 

A Bond Overview

 
A Bond Overview

By Kristin Battestella

Like Sharpe before him, James Bond has taken over in recent months here at I Think, Therefore I Review. Even after having watched all this 007 goodness in the spirit of review, I still would not call myself a Lover of all things Bond nor a Bond expert. I really like one or two films from each Bond tenure, but I could also leave a lot of these pictures out of my collection.

For quick reference, here’s a list of Bond films in chronological order, with links to our reviews:

1. Dr. No

2. From Russia With Love

3. Goldfinger

4. Thunderball

5. You Only Live Twice

6. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

7. Diamonds Are Forever

8. Live and Let Die

9. The Man with the Golden Gun

10. The Spy Who Loved Me

11. Moonraker

12. For Your Eyes Only

13. Octopussy

--. Never Say Never Again

14. A View To A Kill

15. The Living Daylights

16. License to Kill

17. GoldenEye

18. Tomorrow Never Dies

19. The World Is Not Enough

20. Die Another Day

21. Casino Royale / Revisited Review

22. Quantum of Solace
23. Skyfall 
24. Spectre 

Now, here’s my attempt to rate them all-subject to change, of course. I image there’s a few folks who disagree, so please feel free to comment or visit the individual reviews and critique there. The Top Twelve are the pictures that I recommend for explicit Bond fans and action viewers alike.

24. Moonraker

23. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

22. Thunderball

21. Octopussy

20. The Man With the Golden Gun

--. Never Say Never Again

19. The World Is Not Enough

18. Die Another Day

17. Diamonds Are Forever

16. Quantum of Solace
15. Spectre

14. A View To A Kill

13. Tomorrow Never Dies

12. Live and Let Die

11. Casino Royale / Revisited Review

10. For Your Eyes Only
9. Skyfall

8. License to Kill

7. The Living Daylights

6. You Only Live Twice

5. From Russia With Love

4. The Spy Who Loved Me

3. Dr. No

2. GoldenEye

1. Goldfinger 

Naturally you'll notice I've not reviewed every Bond picture as yet. I debated not posting this overview until I finished, but I didn't want to leave Our Man James hanging on over the holidays! Then again, I might be hanged for my rankings!

Octopussy and For Your Eyes Only

Avoid Octopussy and See For Your Eyes Only

By Kristin Battestella

Some swear by Roger Moore’s tenure as Bond, others loathe him. 1981’s For Your Eyes Only gives us some of Moore’s finest. Unfortunately, 1983’s Octopussy gives us some of his weakest.

In Octopussy, MI-6 agent 007 James Bond (Roger Moore) takes over the wounded 009’s operation after the latter steals a fake Faberge egg. Bond tracks the real egg to an auction house, where Afghan prince Kamal Khan (Louis Jourdan) and his mistress Magda (Kristina Wayborn) bid on the egg. When infiltrating his palace, Bond discovers Khan and Russian General Orlov (Steven Berkoff) are in the business stealing Soviet antiquities and using the wealthy Octopussy (Maud Adams) and her all female island cult as a cover for their nuclear hijinks.

I can’t really put my finger on what makes Octopussy a sub par Bond picture. It feels like a film of contradictions and almosts, but no gems or follow through. The opening song ‘All Time High’ by Rita Coolidge is lovely, but my goodness is that ice dancing along with our 007 motifs? Even the title tries for that cheeky innuendo, but the term and its use in the film are just silly. “That’s my little octopussy!” For such a scandalous title, Octopussy is actually a rather tame Bond picture, centering most of its plot on silly gags and flat humor. Octopussy, does however, have one thing going for it: India. Perhaps trying to capitalize on Indiana Jones and more adventure styled films, the Southeast flavor here gives a more exotic feeling than the previously merely classy spy pictures. The looks, speech, and dress of the henchman and extras are a touch stereotypical, but the Indian palaces are wonderful and enchanting.

Villain Kamal Khan might also be an asset to Octopussy, but the suave performance from Louis Jourdan (Gigi) is hindered by a convoluted script and scheme. What the heck is his plot to take over the world, anyway? After all the babes and circus shenanigans, the viewer could really careless about Khan and Russian nuclear plans. Also wasted is the titular Octopussy. Instead of revealing Maud Adams as an intelligent woman and international player at the start, Octopussy delays her reveal and plays up the later relationship with Bond. Although I love Adams and Moore’s scenes together-they are perhaps the best in the film-it takes us half the movie to get all that. Adams looks as lovely as she did in The Man with the Golden Gun, and once we spend some time with her onscreen, we forget about her previous turn. I’ve noticed most Bond pictures will favor a gadget or an action plot device before a character, but veteran Bond editor and director John Glen (For Your Eyes Only, A View to A Kill) should have recognized his leading talent and chemistry.

They still have one more film to go, but Roger Moore and Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny are beginning to show their age and disinterest. The simple gesture of Bond not tossing his hat is a small symbol of how much this series has changed. In Connery’s tenure, it was perfectly acceptable for him to have a hat about his suit. In 1983, the only time I saw even women wear hats was in church. The eighties styles on the ladies haven’t stood the test of time, either. I do, however, wonder what happened to Miss Moneypenny’s new assistant and presumed replacement Penelope Smallbone (Michaela Clavell, who never appeared to do anything else, either). She’s young and enamored with Bond, of course, and Smallbone certainly seems better than the bespectacled ninny Moneypenny during Dalton’s brief time as 007. Just another quirk in the franchise, I suppose.

Although Moore’s final appearance as Bond in 1985’s A View To A Kill is less than perfect and a guilty pleasure more than anything; I’m glad he did not end his tenure on the sour note here. Perhaps after such success with The Spy Who Loved Me, screenwriter George MacDonald Fraser (Red Sonja) and house writers Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson were trying to put a different spin on things with Octopussy’s original screenplay. But the elephants, the backgammon, the circus, the gorilla suits-come on. Though the Octopussy siege at the end is kind of cool, it seems a little preposterous that these cirque de sol women can take out the bad guys. At least it looks like good old Q gets the girls. Unfortunately, it’s all too little, too late for Octopussy.

Fortunate then, that Moore did give us a fine turn in 1981’s For Your Eyes Only- this quieter, darker blend has revenge, sports-oriented chases, and a realistic outing by the third official Bond. After a British ship and its Automatic Targeting Attack Communicator sink, Bond is sent to investigate the ship’s whereabouts and the murder of Timothy Havelock, a British archaeologist contracted to find the wreckage. In Spain, 007 meets Melina Havelock, the vengeful daughter of Timothy. Together with Greek smuggler Milos Columbo (Chaim Topol, Fiddler on the Roof) they tail dirty businessman Aris Kristatos. Will they find the ATAC before him and expose his nefarious dealings and KGB connections?

It seems no one liked For Your Eyes Only’s sf-ication predecessor Moonraker, and we begin this semi return to Bond’s roots with a nice opening reference to the late Mrs. Bond. Sure, we like 007 on the prowl, but mention of Tracy Bond is something we don’t see enough. It’s nice to know Bond has a few issues beyond being a detached spy who loves and leaves because of his job. Some kitschy kitties, allusions to Blofeld, and some hair-brained piloting also keep a touch of humor in the pre-titles sequence. However, it is strange to see singer Sheena Easton actually singing the theme song during the titles. Unique and it all looks good, but the song itself is sub par compared to ‘Nobody Does It Better’ before and ‘All Time High’ after.

Where Octopussy meanders and grows silly and confusing, For Your Eyes Only’s script and story is deep and complex- yet behind the scenes man and director John Glen keeps the mission easy to follow. There’s the usual red herrings and turncoats, but this Macguffin mystery seems more like a spy’s tale then other Bond pictures coughmoonrakercough. For Your Eyes Only is in many ways akin to Lazenby’s one off On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. We have solid literary sources from Ian Fleming, dark and complicated folks onscreen, and a Bond we are familiar with and like. Perhaps For Your Eyes Only is the perfect combination between book and onscreen Bond?

Who knew James Bond could have been on the British Olympic Team? Though mature in his fifth picture as 007, Roger More has the right blend of action, fun, and seriousness here. Some think Moore is too humorous at times, but his one-liners and comebacks are the perfect breath amid this sporty, global escapade. Perhaps the miscasting of his leading ladies makes him appear older, but in For Your Eyes Only, we don’t have a geriatric Bond just yet. He has the uppity style for some intense skiing, and he can handle the busy babes and hard liquors. What’s not to love?

For Your Eyes Only is also special for its somewhat abstract villains. For most of the picture, car bound henchman Emile Locque (Michael Gothard, Arthur of the Britons) doesn’t even speak. Instead of having a quipping, hung up, faulty and clichéd bad boy; we have a bespectacled weirdo pursuing Bond and a charming Julian Glover (The Empire Strikes Back, Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade) as Greek big wig Aristotle Kristatos. We know he must be up to know good, but Glover doesn’t play his crooked hand too soon. Kristatos is sleek, international, suave. He’s as good at what he does as Bond, and the slow reveal of his KGB ends is a welcome change against all the villains who put Bond in an easily escapable situation and then tell him all their plans. John Wyman is also lean and mean as Kristatos’ steroid-esque KGB man Erich Kriegler. It’s not a new notion to this franchise, but seeing Bond take down a toughie is always a pleasure.

Let me get the bad about Award winning French actress Carole Bouquet out first. Her Greek heiress Melina Havelock is no doubt beautiful in that quintessential exotic seventies way, but she’s too young against Moore. Bond likes his women younger, but she’s the grown daughter of a murdered ally. It’s too weird, as is Bouquet’s thick accent and re-dubs. Pity all that, for she has plenty of presence, acting skill, and a nice vendetta storyline. The tragic revenge damsel has been used in these films before, but when done well, it works. Bizarre then that Lynn-Holly Johnson again shows her figure skating prowess (Ice Castles, anyone?) when Octopussy has the ice dancing motifs. Maybe she was the it girl of the moment, but Johnson’s aptly named Bibi Dahl is also too young and pouty for Moore’s elder suave. Still, she can do all the skating and skiing needed, that’s something.

By contrast, Countess Lisl von Schlaf seems too old against the young hotties. It seems bad to say of Cassandra Harris-the late first wife of future Bond Pierce Brosnan. She’s actually just the right age for Moore’s Bond-and we can’t have that! The Countess serves her Bond Girl purposes, and there’s plenty of women and skin about. This time out, however, Moore’s lover boy Bond isn’t as…productive…as he usually is. Unlike the awkwardness in Octopussy, it’s great to see Lois Maxwell’s Moneypenny in For Your Eyes Only- and she’s putting on lipstick for Bond no less! Despite some heavy deaths before and a serious debriefing after, Moneypenny’s quips go a long way in keeping Bond lighthearted. Respectfully we have no M due to the death of Bernard Lee; but Desmond Llewelyn is his ever-lovable Q. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same for those old computers, oiy!

Also trying to be hip and eighties latest is Bond in his Lotus Esprit. Give him a DeLorean why don’t you? It’s understandable that 007 needs to keep up with the times, but a classy ride is more in keeping with our Martini man, don’t you think? Thankfully, there’s plenty of female eye candy. The hair and bathing suits are also victims of the decade, but I doubt the boys are complaining. The new wave synthesizer music isn’t the best either, but like the car, it serves its purpose. The James Bond theme makes its presence known, thankfully, too. The sports oriented action in For Your Eyes Only is a little absurd, but it’s also fast paced and entertaining. A backwards car chase in a yellow clunker capped with a fairly late ‘Bond, James Bond’ again keeps the balance of Moore’s humor and house writers Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson’s tight adaptations of Fleming’s short stories. The ski chases are silly in a good way, too, with original moves and plenty of suspense. Yes, the music and some stylings in For Your Eyes Only are dated, but it doesn’t hinder the wit, complete story, and fine action. There’s ice hockey, I really can’t complain.

Although perhaps regionally close, For Your Eyes Only’s various European locations provide an assortment of beauty and danger. Greek Islands, biplanes and ships, shooting and skiing amid the Swiss Alps, congested Spanish cities, and stuffy London offices add to the chases and bikinis. Eyes also has some fine, well lit, fast-paced but no less claustrophobic below the surface action. Some of the sappy music and hand signaling because of Scuba gear is very silly, but Glen uses the natural dangers to build the audience’s underwater suspense. I’m sure Jaws had a lot to do with adding the sharks, but the deadly rock climbing looks good and quickens your pulse.

 

Though dated and not without its faults, For Your Eyes Only is a believable, entertaining, well rounded Bond picture-unlike the mishmash that is Octopussy. Clear-cut action and honest story will always last longer than a laughable and convoluted successor. Had Moore departed with Eyes and Timothy Dalton debuted in a streamlined Octopussy (Could we take the good parts of Never Say Never Again, too?), the overall opinion of Moore as Bond might be very different. A promising debut in Live and Let Die, a good villain saving The Man with the Golden Gun, a delightful The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only, and the abomination that is Moonraker-not bad if you think about it. Collectors will have to wait for Octopussy on blu-ray, but several DVD sets and blu-ray editions of For Your Eyes Only are available now. Save yourself from Bond mediocrity, skip Octopussy and enjoy the younger, witty, hip For Your Eyes Only.

Live and Let Die

Stereotypes Taint Live and Let Die

By Kristin Battestella

Generally considered at the low end of the James Bond franchise, I like Live and Let Die for its introduction of new Bond Roger Moore and slick performance by Yaphet Kotto. Unfortunately, stereotypical portrayals of Harlem and New Orleans along with a hefty dose of blaxploitation styling make some portions of Live and Let Die too dated and out of touch with the rest of the series.

MI6 Agent 007 (Moore) travels to America to investigate several murders, including the death of a fellow agent. Clues at Mr. Big’s New York Club lead Bond to New Orleans and Caribbean dictator Kanaga (Yaphett Kotto). Along with CIA agent Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry), Bond travels to San Monique, where boatman Quarrel Jr. (Roy Stewart) helps him rescue the lovely Solitaire (Jane Seymour) from Kanaga’s voodoo practices and drug trafficking.

Some Bond pictures tend to drag or go on too long, but the short length of Live and Let Die is just right. Bond does what he has to do and that’s that. We’ve got the action and the babes, but Moore’s lighthearted tenure begins here with quick pacing and tongue in cheek scenarios. Though Live and Let Die has its faults, Roger Moore isn’t too bad here. Using a magnetic watch to unzip an Italian hottie in his opening scene puts Moore in the cool column. Some of the crocodile sequences and voodoo displays are silly, yes, but these are not his fault. Had Moore been given a tighter, darker script, maybe his sardonic portrayal and less rugged Bond might have developed differently. 

Also charming up the cast for Live and Let Die are Yaphet Kotto (Homicide: Life on the Street) and Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman). I like both, so even in the weaker parts of the film, Seymour and Kotto show their talent. Again, some scenes are very silly, from Kotto’s obvious dual role as Kanaga and Mr. Big to Solitaire’s virginal end at the hands of Bond. Solitaire is beautiful and Kanaga is slick, but their dialogue isn’t very strong. Both are merely vehicles for Bond to do his outlandish things. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz (Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun) and director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, Diamonds Are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun) focus more on black stereotypes and seventies motifs of the day rather than giving what could have been an exceptional leading trio something truly meaty. Drugs and tarot cards definitely seem weak after all of SPECTRE’s world domination plans.

Now, some blaxplotation pictures are less derogatory than others and are still pretty good. Unfortunately, Live and Let Die is not one of them. Not only are all the seventies afros and dress very dated, but every black cliché has its moment. Turncoat agent Rosie Carver sports an afro wig and meets her demise after spending the night with WASP Bond. But of course, we don’t see Kanaga bagging Solitaire, do we? I don’t know how accurate the voodoo motifs are, but they don’t look authentic. In fact, all the snakes and skulls rising from the ground are laughable. Even if the opening funeral and jazzy murder are done right, the depictions of Harlem, New Orleans, and the Fillet of Soul restaurants are just too, well, racist. Bond likes some chocolate love on the side while rescuing the white virgin from the big black badass! I don’t know how this could have been acceptable in 1973, and you definitely could not get away with making so blatant a picture today. Even redneck cops make an appearance!

On a better note, who doesn’t love Paul McCartney and Wings’ thunderous Live and Let Die theme? The voodoo title sequence leaves something to be desired, but this is definitely one of the more famous Bond tunes. However, I do wish there was a little less of this gem and a little more of the traditional Bond theme spotlighting throughout the picture. In one scene, a sultry black woman sings Live and Let Die in part of a set up against Bond. It’s not bad, but again it’s a touch of stereotypical blackness that Live and Let Die doesn’t need. After such success with previous Bond vocalist Shirley Bassey, I think this little scene is a slap in the face. Black Bond girls are bad and only good for their jive turkey music for the white boy secret agent! I’m so glad that with kick ass girls like Michelle Yeoh and Halle Berry, this franchise has resolved its early Black and Asian stereotypes. Live and Let Die certainly has its faults, including a weak story and racist overtones. Thankfully, there are some fine action sequences. Even though we traded the loveable Q for bad voodoo, Bond still has great chases-including cool uses of a double decker bus and an extensive boat chase. Bond gets the babes, of course, and the bad guys get their due. In the end, there isn’t much else to ask for in a Bond picture, is there?

Dated and imperfect, Live and Let Die still has a fine cast and solid action. The stereotypical blaxplotation style is not for everyone, but I imagine die-hard Bond fans can dismiss this fault as a sign of the times. Oft aired on television and affordable as an individual DVD, Live and Let Die is available in several collections and bluray sets as well. I really wish the Bond collections were packaged by Bond. The Volume 1 Bluray set hails Dr. No, Live and Let Die, and Die Another Day. Which fans is this set for, and why do they always have a consensus clunker stuck amid the good ones? Collectors no doubt own Live and Let Die, but fans of the cast should also give this one another chance. Some of it is certainly better than the rest, but one can say that about the Bond franchise itself, can’t he?

A View To A Kill

A View to A Kill Still A Guilty Pleasure

By Kristin Battestella

Despite my better judgment, I like the 1983 swansong of Roger Moore as British uber spy James Bond in A View To A Kill. Taking nothing but the contrived title from an Ian Fleming short story, A View To A Kill boasts very dated computers, Duran Duran music, a freaky Grace Jones as May Day, and a senior citizen Moore. Oft considered one of the worst Bond outings, for me A View To A Kill is so bad, it’s good.

007 (Moore) tracks computer microchips to Zorin Industries and uses Zorin’s (Christopher Walken) interest in horses to infiltrate the ex KGB agent’s annual horse sale as James St. John Smythe. Bond-now as Stock, James Stock- and oil heiress Stacey Sutton (Tanya Roberts) trail Zorin to San Francisco and uncover his ‘Main Strike’ plan to blow the San Andreas Fault and destroy Silicon Valley. Along the way, Bond wrestles with henchwoman May Day (Grace Jones) and attempts to turn her sway from Zorin.

Well, let’s get the biggest hang up about A View to A Kill out of the way first. By golly, Roger Moore looks old. Old and what we would today call Botoxed. Perhaps in knock down drag outs with the boys, Moore’s elderly Bond might stand a chance. Unfortunately, against the strong and hard-core May Day and the soft and svelte Stacey Sutton, Moore looks too out of touch. When people claim that Moore is ‘sleepwalking’ through his tenure as Bond, this is the film they mean. Bond is almost a non-factor here. Being out witted by a juiced horse and a trick race track-in some ways I feel bad for Moore. Again his villain upstages him.

Best Supporting Actor Winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter) steals A View To A Kill as megalomaniac Zorin. He plays the part to a T, and yet it so eighties clichéd and over the top. His platinum hair is still a delight a quarter of a century later. Zorin’s bizarre relationship with Grace Jones’ (Conan The Destroyer) strongwoman May Day adds to his creepiness, along with his unusual blend of insane genius and gentlemanly style. Unfortunately, Zorin’s use and abuse of May Day doesn’t leave room for the henchwoman to shine. Although her style was a little harsh then and still is now, Jones does make a few scenes play in her favor. Her penchant for death and strength is a little too frightening to be sexy, but it’s certainly memorable.

You can tell I’m an eighties baby since I think Tanya Roberts (The Beastmaster, That 70s Show) is a cool chica. Another Bond girl who doesn’t have much to do and actually doesn’t have a whole lot of screen time, but Roberts’ oil heiress turned geologist Stacey Sutton is one of the few pretty things in A View To A Kill. Her voice is a bit too husky marshmallow to be sprouting tech babble geological talk. But come on, by time we get to Sutton’s analysis of the plight, are you really paying attention to the plot?

Though the snowboarding styled opening sequence is still cool, A View To A Kill is in may ways, not just the end of the Moore era, but the changing of the Bond guard. Lois Maxwell shows her age and retires her role as Miss Moneypenny here. The neon opening credits mixed with the very popular at the time Duran Duran are trying too hard to be hip, and A View To A Kill’s closing tags do not mention which film is coming next. It’s as if veteran director John Glen and screenwriter Richard Mailbaum (late penner of 13 Bond pictures) peaked with a very old and proper Bond in his English riding boots and teeny saddle and little riding hat and didn’t know what to do next.  

Even though the dates of the films rollover, Connery was very much the Sixties ideal, Moore the seventies suave, and Dalton the eighties man in his brief appearances. Already Brosnan’s tenure is dated, and we’ve moved on to Daniel Craig-whose currently hot reboot will fall along the wayside in about fifteen years, too. In 1983, A View To A Kill was quite a violent picture, but the franchise has definitely gotten darker and more brutal since.

Yes it’s a little hokey, dated, and silly, and nearer the bottom of the Bond barrel, but A View To A Kill also exemplifies this long standing franchise. With all its faults, there is something about the innuendo, memorable scenes, and catch phrases that bring viewers back. Knowing how weak this outing is, I can still tune in to A View To A Kill, leave it play in the background, and take pause at the better scenes. Through all its good and bad, changes, and redos, I do believe there is something Bond for everyone.

A View To A Kill looks tame today on the violence and sex front, but its not quite viewing for the entire family. Older action fans can appreciate the early computers and Silicon Valley premise, and no doubt Bond fans already have A View To A Kill in their collections. If you’re a closeted Bond fan, come out with this one for some late night viewing. No one will know, I promise. Look for the DVD or forthcoming bluray if you dare.