007 movies

[Luc]

Great thread!

I must add 2 things. The gadgets in the movies were cool but were not in the books. It was James with his Berretta (for most of the books). I remember the Hoffritz reference, it was in the early stuff...

Second, I learned this a few weeks ago. Ian Fleming based James Bond on British Superspy Sidney Reilly. I currently have the biography of mr Reilly and I intend to watch the 6 dvd doco on him eventually (I forget if it was made by the BBC or someone else). Looking forward to the book tomorrow!

 

[philamac]

Best Bond girl...hmmm...I'll have to think about that.

These remarks about Craig being thuggish and being less than suave are off the mark too. Craig's portrayal is certainly in keeping with not only Fleming's character but also holds well with the SAS type which is the sort of individual that MI-6 would have tapped to fill a position like Bond's if he actually existed.

I read a few of the novels after seeing Casino Royale, and the think that Daniel Craig has come closest to the original character. Timothy Dalton also made a great effort to bring the Bond of the novels to the screen, showing some of the doubts and fears and nerves, which are covered over by professionalism, stoicism and a touch of arrogance.

 

[paydepst]

I have a suggestion for those that disliked QoS:

Think of CR and QoS as one BIG movie.

It seemed to help some of my friends understand the meaning and substance of QoS.

Thumbs up brother!

 

[ClubmanRob]

He's not my favorite Bond, but Dalton was the closest to Ian Fleming's Bond in my mind. Cool, quiet, cunning, ruthless, and kind of a reserved masculine. He had a detached sort of suaveness, like he was used to the finer things in life but detested them at the same time. In License to Kill he was showing the "burn out" from the years of violent killing that Fleming started alluding to in the later novels.

He also matched Fleming's physical description of Bond the closest, next to Lazenby. Bond was never as large and muscular as Connery and Craig. I think that's my only gripe with Daniel Craig, he doesn't match the physical description of Bond in the least.

 

[blackfoot]

Second, I learned this a few weeks ago. Ian Fleming based James Bond on British Superspy Sidney Reilly. I currently have the biography of mr Reilly and I intend to watch the 6 dvd doco on him eventually (I forget if it was made by the BBC or someone else). Looking forward to the book tomorrow!

He was one of the inspirations. Another was someone much closer to Fleming. I can't remember his name, but they were friends. A lot of the stories had some origins in Flemming's life, as well. He took instances form his on life and exaggerated them 200X over.

 

[Luc]

He was one of the inspirations. Another was someone much closer to Fleming. I can't remember his name, but they were friends. A lot of the stories had some origins in Flemming's life, as well. He took instances form his on life and exaggerated them 200X over.

I think the other one was Robin Bruce Lockhart. He used to work with Reilly. When he wrote Reilly's bio he had contacts with Ian Fleming in regards of Reilly. Lockhart and Fleming were both editors at newspapers in the UK. Well, that's what the preface of his book says . Great read so far, I'm up to WWI where Reilly is working in Russia to get German plans for Britain...

 

[blackfoot]

I think the other one was Robin Bruce Lockhart. He used to work with Reilly. When he wrote Reilly's bio he had contacts with Ian Fleming in regards of Reilly. Lockhart and Fleming were both editors at newspapers in the UK. Well, that's what the preface of his book says . Great read so far, I'm up to WWI where Reilly is working in Russia to get German plans for Britain...

This book sounds interesting. From what I know of Reilly, you couldn't believe much of what he said, especially in regards to his own adventures. I might have to read this.

 

[Luc]

Here's a link to what I am reading on Amazon. Not the exact same cover but same title/author. I guess I have a British version...

And yes, the author advice in the preface that nobody is really sure of anything but the book was putted together with what he remembered and able to confirm.

 

[blackfoot]

Here's a link to what I am reading on Amazon. Not the exact same cover but same title/author. I guess I have a British version...

And yes, the author advice in the preface that nobody is really sure of anything but the book was putted together with what he remembered and able to confirm.

I guess I assumed that. I'll have to check it out sometime.

 

[Muirtach]

I have taken, after spending November watching each one in order all over again (yay unemployment spare time), to looking at each of the actors as different age progressions of Bond. Not in order mind you. Craig is the young guy figuring out out and still fresh from his other background. Connery comes after, more sophisticated and a little less rough and tumble. Then Brosnan (not great, but he worked in some ways) followed by Moore. Lazenby being a great casting in many ways, but comming off quite poorly on screen and Dalton being a complete travesty.

Dianna Riggs is my favorite bond girl by far. Something about her just fits perfect.

 

[blackfoot]

I have taken, after spending November watching each one in order all over again (yay unemployment spare time), to looking at each of the actors as different age progressions of Bond. Not in order mind you. Craig is the young guy figuring out out and still fresh from his other background. Connery comes after, more sophisticated and a little less rough and tumble. Then Brosnan (not great, but he worked in some ways) followed by Moore. Lazenby being a great casting in many ways, but comming off quite poorly on screen and Dalton being a complete travesty.

Dianna Riggs is my favorite bond girl by far. Something about her just fits perfect.

I would have to put Moore at the bottom of the heap. Something about Bond in a leisure suit and I will never forgive him for Moonraker.

Lazenby's problems started when he put on that ruffled shirt. Interestingly enough, he was the most like Bond in his real life.

 

[theperfectstorm]

I really liked Brosnan--so sue me. He had an amazing intensity level as Bond. Craig is sort of doing the same thing.

Movie: From Russia with Love

Girl (Good): Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach, The Spy Who Loved Me)

Girl (Bad): Fiona Volpe (Luciana Palluzi, Thunderball)
Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike, Die Another Day)

Villian: Fraqncisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee, The Man with the Golden Gun)

Allies: Valentin Dimitrovich Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane)

 

[Brodirt]

I really liked Brosnan--so sue me. He had an amazing intensity level as Bond. Craig is sort of doing the same thing.



Girl (Good): Major Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach, The Spy Who Loved Me)

Girl (Bad): Fiona Volpe (Luciana Palluzi, Thunderball)
Miranda Frost (Rosamund Pike, Die Another Day)

Villian: Fraqncisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee, The Man with the Golden Gun)

Allies: Valentin Dimitrovich Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane)

 

[Muirtach]

I would have to put Moore at the bottom of the heap. Something about Bond in a leisure suit and I will never forgive him for Moonraker.

Lazenby's problems started when he put on that ruffled shirt. Interestingly enough, he was the most like Bond in his real life.

Moore and Dalton both suffered a great deal from the time periods they were made during. Trying to cater to the expectations and opinions of the time. Better directors and support for the films could have helped avoid that, but spilt milk and all. Actually the same could be said of the action sequences and Bourne-ish feeling of the current ones. To compete they have to fit in with the market.
Lazenby could have been great. Sad he did not get more than one film to figure out his character.

 

[blackfoot]

Moore and Dalton both suffered a great deal from the time periods they were made during. Trying to cater to the expectations and opinions of the time. Better directors and support for the films could have helped avoid that, but spilt milk and all. Actually the same could be said of the action sequences and Bourne-ish feeling of the current ones. To compete they have to fit in with the market.
Lazenby could have been great. Sad he did not get more than one film to figure out his character.

I agree completely with your assessment of the expectations. I also agree with Lazenby's potential. Not only was he a ski champion and the highest paid male model at the time, he used to be a martial arts instructor for Australian Spec. Ops. If I remember correctly, he accidentally broke a man's arm while filming that movie. Unfortunately, it sounds like he was a a**bag and was not wanted back on the next movie set.

 

[ClubmanRob]

George Lazenby was the reason that George Lazenby wasn't recast as Bond. He was pompous, and arrogant, even considering that he was expected to carry off a certain degree of arrogance as the "man who would be 007". There's a million little anecdotes about the magnitude of Lazenby's arrogance while filming OHMSS, and they all lead to him not being asked to return. The way he tells it, he turned the producers down, so who knows?

As an actor though, I think he did a pretty bang-up job for having never acted prior to the movie. I think given time to grow he would have been an excellent Bond. Heck, we may have avoided the Roger Moore era completely.

 

[strat1117]

OHMSS has always been one of my favorites for some reason (although I'm still partial to Goldfinger).

 

[blackfoot]

OHMSS has always been one of my favorites for some reason (although I'm still partial to Goldfinger).

I used to dislike OHMSS until I read the book. It has to be one of the absolute closest stories to the original.

 

[Brodirt]

OHMSS has always been one of my favorites for some reason (although I'm still partial to Goldfinger).

Its Telly Savalas' shaved head!

Or Tracy's Cougar.

Or, like me, its Tracy in the Toreador outfit.

 

[strat1117]

Tracy in the Toreador outfit.

Definitely could be that!