The Afterword

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Best and worst Bond movies

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Having recently decided to watch – for some reason – the Bond Movies starring Roger Moore for the first time in something like twenty years, I can´t help but marvel at how poor they are. It suddenly went, comedy wise and elsewhere, very Benny Hill. At least Connery era was silly in an entertaining way.

Live And Let Die (2 out of 5) is a direct result of Shaft. “Hey, let´s use some black actors! It´s seems to be the thing!”) And JW Pepper is just a terrible character.

The Man With The Golden Gun (3 out of 5) has Christopher Lee, which is good. And the scenery is marvelous. JW Pepper appears again. In one scene he points out he´s a Democrat, which is a redeeming quality.

Today I´ve watched The Spy Who Loved Me (2 out of 5), which holds together even worse than the previous two. Jaws is silly in the wrong way, Stromberg has the charisma of a garden fence and well, it just goes on for a while and then it ends. Parts of the movie is like a more expensive Thunderball.

Moonraker is next. I seem to recall For Your Eyes Only and » Continue Reading.

Scott Walker’s lost Bond song

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When Bond was in his 60’s pomp I find it inconceivable that they didn’t approach Scott Walker to have a crack at a theme – although perhaps they did and the wayward talent turned them down, anyone know? – so I would like to suggest that the lost Bond film ‘Best Of Both Worlds’ had this as it’s theme.

With it’s ‘You Only Live Twice’ strings from Wally Stott – Angela Morley, it’s soft echo of the Bond theme in it’s opening moments – dramatic, soaring vocals and lyrics by Bond-meister Don Black it’s a perfect fit

Any other songs that just cry out to be a Bond theme?

What am I missing with the new Bond Film?

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I saw Spectre on Friday evening. I found it OK but I was underwhelmed and a little bored. I certainly can’t see where all the five star press reviews came from. I remember briefly closing my eyes once or twice. What the hell did I miss in those few seconds!

New Bond song singer revealed – UPDATE TO STEERPIKES POST

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I hope that Steerpike does not mind me doing this, but I thought an update on the new Bond Theme thread could be in order.

I know there was some indignation on the blog about Sam ‘plagiarism’ Smith being chosen, but now we have all heard it*, what do you think?

I was expecting it to sound like Free Fallin’ so i was pleasantly surprised that it is a bona fide classic Bond theme. When he drops into the falsetto (his ‘trick’) it sends a shiver down my spine! A great choice in my humble opinion & I think it will be classed as one of the better bond tracks in years to come**.

*If you have not heard it the link is here **FWIIW my favourite Bond track is ‘A View To A Kill’ so what do I know? 🙂

Films: The Way It Is

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Films: The Way It Is

While choosing a film to watch, please remember the following rules (you can thank me later)*:

1. The Thin Red Line must never, ever be watched as it is THE WORST FILM OF ALL TIME and it will be 171 minutes of your life that you will never get back. 2. Action films must be watched on Friday and Saturday nights, with the volume turned waaayyy up. Sub-rule: James Bond films must be seen with your dad, if available (an older uncle is an acceptable substitute). All dads/uncles must say that (a) Sean Connery is the best Bond (this is true) and (b) Ursula Andress is the best Bond girl (this is not true—it’s Barbara Bach from The Spy Who Loved Me). 3. All horror films must be watched at night, with the lights out. No exceptions. 4. Comedies must be watched on weeknights, or on Saturday mornings. Sub-rule: when watching Withnail and I, the greatest comedy of all, do not play the drinking game. You will die. 5. Historical epics (Spartacus, El Cid, Lawrence of Arabia) are reserved for Saturday and Sunday afternoons. A bowl of bonbons or tea and biscuits are optional. Sub-rule: » Continue Reading.