1962 Dr. No
Sean Connery first says the famous line "Bond, James Bond" at the Baccarat Table before flying off to Jamaica. This movie introduced and hooked us on a love for exotic places, women and villains. Honey Ryder was the first infamous Bond Girl. Dr. No and his metallic hands, minions and evil plot set the tone for many villains of the 007 future. And we all learned how to put pillows under blankets to let others think we were fast asleep. From experience this rarely works in the real world. But then again giant spiders are not really poisonous and yet this movie is one of many why I am terrified of anything with eight hairy legs.
BOND - Sean ConneryBOND GIRL - Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)
VILLAIN - Dr No (Joseph Wiseman)
MAIN ALLY - FELIX - Jack Lord
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Peter Burton
MUSICAL THEME - The original :JAMES BOND THEME" written by Monty Norman; Performed by John Barry & Orchestra
BOND TOYS - .32 Walther PPK (replacing the sissy Beretta 418), Geiger Counter, Self Destructor Bag, Rolex Submariner,
1963 From Russia With Love
SMERSH (acronym for Spetsyalnye MEtody Razoblacheniya SHpyonov meaning Special Methods of
Spy Detection) always seemed less scary than S.P.E.C.T.R.E. More like the parody version you might find in Austin Powers decades later. Funnier, SMERSH actually existed in Russia in the 1940s. KGB sounds better, no? But put SMERSH against S.P.E.C.T.R.E.... well lets just say you never want to be #2. Ever watch the History Channel's "Cities of the Underworld?" Well we get a great look at the underbelly of Turkey.
We start to learn of SPECTRE's (can you deal w/o the periods - I can) extensive network of spies and maniacal scientist and megalomaniacs. #1 (Later called Blofeld) puts #3 (Ex SMERSH and one of two inspirations for Frau Farbissina in Austin Powers) in charge. #3 / Klebb sends Tatiano Romanova, followed by Donald "Red"Grant.
SPECTRE is playing SMERSH against MI6. Red Grant kills a Russion Driver. Russia bombs Station T in retaliation... etc etc etc Eventually Bond, w/ Ali Kerim Bey (Turkey Station Chief ) meet up with Romanova and a stolen Lektor (Soviet cryptographic device) and escape the back and forth revenge plots on the Orient Express. Grant attacks, kills Bey, almost kills Bond, but trusty exploding brief case from Q allows Bond to get the upper hand.
Bond & Romanova escape to Venice, where Romanova saves Bond by shooting Klebb dressed as the hotel maid.
BOND - Sean Connery
MAIN VILLAIN - Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya)
PRIMARY HENCHMAN Donald "Red" Grant (Robert Shaw)
BLOFELD (#1) - Anthony Dawson (Petting Cat) & Eric Pohlman (Voice)
MAIN ALLY - Ali Kerim Bey
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
MUSICAL THEME - "From Russia With Love" by Lional Bart (Bway fans perk up) Sung by Matt Monro. John Barry compsed score based on original Bond Theme - adding that famous THE BOMB IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE music that always proceeds the classic surf guitar licks.
BOND TOYS - Exploding Brief Case of Nerve Gas (Disguised as Talcum powder, AR-7 Survival Rifle, Bug Detector, Camera with hidden audio recorded, pager, radio phone in car,
1964 Goldfinger
This is probably my favorite Bond movie of all time. From the BOND CAR, iconic theme, amazing cast etc etc etc this movie is flawless and it is this movie that guaranteed us a life of Bond that seems endless...
FIRST PRE-CREDIT ACTION SEQUENCE
FIRST MAJOR BOND GADGETS / FIRST Q-BRANCH SCENE
FIRST MAJOR POP HIT BOND THEME
FIRST to truly inspire spoofs and knock offs....
FIRST LAZAR to almost cut Bond in half "I expect you to die Mr Bond!"
007 is on the trail of Auric Goldfinger. After catching Goldfinger cheating at the card table, Bond follows to Switzerland where we see the first ever BOND CAR. Bond is captured and brought to Kentucky - NO not to be tortured by BlueGrass and Moonshine...
Bond meets and hears the most famous Bond Girl name - Pussy Galore - "OF COURSE YOU ARE!" Still wonder how that made it pass the censors of 1964 LOL
In the US Goldfinger assembles the top Mafia Made Men to break in and rob Fort Knox. Captured, Bond seduces and convinces Ms Galore to get word to the Americans. They break in, the Calvary arrives, kills odd job and saves the day. Trying a last ditch revenge effort, Goldfinger fails to hijack Bond's plane and gets sucked out the window. Decompression really sucks...
BOND - Sean Connery
MAIN VILLAIN - Goldfinger (Gert Frobe)
PRIMARY HENCHMAN Oddjob (Harold Sakata) and his famous deadly hat
MAIN ALLY - FELIX - Cec Linder
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
THEME MUSIC - CLASSIC SCORE/SONG by John Barry sung by Shirley Bassey
BOND TOYS - Astin Martin DB5 - THE ORIGINAL BOND CAR w/hubcap slashers, ejector seat, bulletproof shield, Machine Gun, Smoke & Oil Slicks - Inspiration for Spy Hunter!!! Dry Tuxedo in dry wet suit, homing beacon, Exploding Attache Case (AGAIN!), Signature Rolex,
1965 Thunderball
Movie open with possibly the funniest of all PreSequence scenes as SPECTRE #6 attends his own funeral in drag (as his own widow). Men in dresses make funny action sequences if you ask me... Might be my least fave of the Sean Connery 7. But unlike most I love the underwater sequences...
On forced vacation (by M) at health clinic , Bond stumbles onto SPECTRE operatives having Angelo (SPECTRE henchman) transformed via plastic surgery to become Francois Derval, French Pilot for NATO. Angelo - as Derval - hijacks a plane (Avro Vulcan) equipped with Nukes.
In the Bahamas, Angelo lands plane on water. Emilio Largo (#2), kills Angelo (trying extort more money) and recoups the bombs and hides plane. Most of the rest of the film as Bond with Felix and crew looking for plane & bombs, while trying to avoid SPECTRE henchman, fast driving killer woman, Mardi Gras type parade and sharks.
Climax features famous underwater battles of CIA Calvary and Largo's team. Complete with harpoon guns, knives, underwater submarine tanks and more.
Largo nearly escapes in his hyper speed boat that ejects from larger yacht (I always watch this and expect to see the scene where Bond & Bond Girls are dragged over coral reef - but that is years later with Roger Moore). Bond sneaks on board, Domino kills Largo, and they both jump off just in time before boat explodes into island chain.... Bond and Domino are flown away by tow line this time.
BOND - Sean Connery
MAIN VILLAIN - Emilio Largo AKA #2 (Adolfo Celi) Voice Dubbed by Robert Rietty (This seems to happen a lot in Bond Films WTF?) - OH AND Kevin McClory - producer that made it hard for us at times to get even more Bond. (Just to see who is really reading and paying attention LOL)
PRIMARY HENCHMAN Fiona Volpe (Luciana Paluzzi) & Vargas (Philip Locke) who is killed way to easy considering he gives up "alcohol, smoking and sexual intercourse" to focus on being a killer
BLOFELD (#1) - Anthony Dawson (Petting Cat) & Eric Pohlman (Voice)
MAIN ALLY - FELIX - Rick Van Nutter
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
THEME MUSIC - Music by John Barry; Additional Lyrics Don Black; by sung by Tom Jones - not unusual at all if you ask me
BOND TOYS - Rocket Belt, Astin Martin in Opening Sequence now with Water guns, Underwater Camera / Geiger Counter, Under Water breather, Suped up jet pack Scuba tank w/spear gun etc, sky hook, distress beacon, flare gun... Homing Pill, Book with hidden audio recorder,
1967 You Only Live Twice
Another of my top 007 faves, this movie is full of action - Starting with James Bond faking his own death and buried at sea... And teaming up with my favorite Bond ally - Tiger Tanaka. Of course script by Roald Dahl had no Chocolate, Peaches or Foxes. Many complain but I love all the cool gadgets including Autogyro attack copter...
Cold war tension is at its height when both American and Soviet space craft disappear. Bond travels to Japan to find the infamous Ernst Stavro Blofeld himself. Until now we have only seen his cat petting and maniacal order giving skills.
Teaming up with Tiger Tanaka, the Japanese secret service leader who assures 007 Japan is not behind the hijackings, Bond investigates Osato Chemicals. Mr Osato orders Helga Brandt to kill Bond. Bond escapes. Aki is killed as they discover Osato's roll in securing rocket fuel. After Bond escapes, Blofeld kills Helga in pool of Piranha.
Bond now pairs up with Kissy Suzuki. Disguised as a Japanese Man (Not to convincingly if you ask me) Bond pretends to marry Kissy. They discover a secret rocket base in the Volcano (possibly the most parodied set of Bond history) housing BIRD ONE. While Kissy alerts Tiger, bond attepmts to sneak onto Bird One. Blofeld captures 007.
With US/USSR On the brink of nuclear war, BIRD ONE closes in on another American Space Craft. Tanakas ninjas attack the mountain. Bond is able to get the hatch open. Ninjas battle Blofeld's private army. Blofeld kills Osata before escaping. Bond fights and kills Hans. (Eat German Henchman perform great with most evil deeds but never quite get the job done wen it comes to 007). Bond hits self destruct button on BIRD ONE. Blofeld activates the base's self destruct button but all get out in time.
BOND - Sean Connery
MAIN VILLAIN - BLOFELD (#1) - Donald Pleasence (first time we see is face)
PRIMARY HENCHMAN: Hans (Ronald Rich), Mr Osato (Teru Shimada), Helga Brandt (Karin Dor),MAIN ALLY:Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba)
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
THEME MUSIC - Music by John Barry; Additional Lyrics Leslie Bricusse; by sung by Nancy Sinatra Oe of my faves for sure!!!)
BOND TOYS - LITTLE NELLIE - AUTOGYRO - Mini Helicopter with lots of ammo. Ninja stuff, Cigarette Gun, Safe Cracker,
1971 Diamonds are Forever
This movie is totally ridiculous. But every time I want to call it my least fave of the SC 7, I realize the ridiculousness as a certain charm.
The opening sequence has Bond fighting and killing Blofeld Clones. Blofeld drowns boiling in hot mud.
Mr Wint & Mr Kidd are sadistically campy.
Willard Whyte is a bit 2 - dimensional as Howard Hughes type reclusive tycoon (Played by Jimmy Dean)
Turns out Blofeld survived and is pretending to be Willard Whyte, using a device to change his voice.
Blofel uses diamonds for a "LASAR" satelite that destroys Nukes in China, USSR and US. Auction is open to highest bidder.
Final Battle on Oil rig used as Blofeld's base.
Not done yet Witt & Kidd fail to kill Bond in the final scene and die trying.
I enjoy this movie bt it feels more like EON's answer to Casino Royale Spoof.
BOND - Sean Connery
MAIN VILLAIN - BLOFELD (#1) - Charles GreyPRIMARY HENCHMAN: Mr Wint (Bruce Glover) & Mr Kidd (Putter Smith),Bert Saxby (Bruce Cabot)
MAIN ALLY - Felix Leiter (Norman Burton)
MONEY PENNY - Lois Maxwell
M - Bernard Lee
Q - Desmond Llewelyn
THEME MUSIC - Music by Jon Barry, Sung by Shirley Bassey
BOND TOYS - Fake Fingertips/prints, Suction cups to scale wall of casino, Grappling Gun, Gambling Ring (Slots Jackpot guaranteed), Grappling Suspenders, Water Sphere,
1983 Never Say Never Again
Remember Thunderball? Pretty Much same movie. I recently caught second half of Thunderball and thought of this movie's first half...
But as I remember I like this movie better. Bond is once again at health clinic, semi retired. This time, Domino's brother (Domino Derval is now Domino Petachi) is coerced into helping SPECTRE rather than replaced by double. He is given a fake eye to resemble US President to gain access to replace practice bombs with real nukes. They steal the nukes and hold ransom for billions.
Remember that classic scene where Bond pretends to be masseuse?
How about comic relief form Rowan Atkinson as Nigel Small-Fawcett (A penis joke I think)
Fiona Volpe is replaced by Fatima Blush, as the femme fatal. Kills Jack Petachi, captures Bond, demanding he write her as his #1 in bed in his memoirs, gets killed by pen gun.
Emilio Largo is replaced with Maximilian Largo. 3D World Domination Game is pretty cool and a bit ahead of its time.
Bond chases Largo to Bahamas, Nice, North Africa and finally to the TEARS OF ALLA. Calvary once again engages in shoot them out battle with SPECTRE. This time under Oasis instead of under water. Well until Bond fights with Largo.
Domino once again kills Largo. Bond and Domino return to Bahamas. Bye Bye Sean Connery as James Bond.... SINGLE TEAR...
BOND - Sean Connery
PRIMARY HENCHMAN: Fatima Blush (Barbara Carrera)
BLOFELD (#1) - Max Von Sydow
MAIN ALLY: Felix Leiter (Bernie Casey)
MONEY PENNY - Pamela Salem
M - Edward Fox
Q - Alec McCowen
THEME MUSIC - Music by Michael Legrand, Lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman, Performed by Lani Hall.
BOND TOYS - Pen Gun, Rolex w/Lasar, Cigarette Case w/motion Sensing Bomb
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