The Criterion Collection

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by bwdowiak

nice use of the word "badassery," Scottie!

Thanks haha.

I may do a double feature of Maria Full of Grace / The Forgiveness of Blood today. Any fans of these two?

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by iScottie

As far as the actors playing Bond go, I will have to say that after Roger Moore, who I find to be the most relaxed and humorous Bond, I will say that Sean Connery is my favorite Bond. There's no denying the badassery of Connery and without him, I don't know how well the films would have been received at their beginning. After Connery, I would have to say Daniel Craig because not only is he a bad-to-the-bones type of deal, but his stories seem a lot more polished than some of the other ones in the past. Pierce Brosnan, the first Bond that I ever saw, is my fourth favorite, followed by Timothy Dalton, whose films I did not really enjoy, and lastly George Lazenby, who stars in the longest and most boring Bond film.

I think that Timothy Dalton was underrated. The Living Daylights is one of my top 10 Bond movies, and Licence To Kill was a great prototype movie for the Daniel Craig stories that followed. Timothy Dalton's Bond was quite reflective of the literary Ian Fleming character.

[The Great Owl]

I'm teleworking today, and the mailman just knocked on my door with my Criterion shipment of Persona, The Freshman, and The Great Beauty.

All three digipaks are in perfect condition.

Somebody is going to be watching some awesome movies this week, and that somebody is going to be me.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by iScottie

It's hard for me to pick my bottom choices of Bond films, but I'd have to say that it's at least Die Another Day, Moonraker, and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (in that order).

The worst for me is, no question, A View to a Kill. Slightly less bad is Die Another Day, and slightly less bad than that is Octopussy.

The Lazenby film is the absolute worst for me and just about killed me.

It was the first Bond film I saw in its initial theatrical run (I saw previous Bond films in the theater, but not first run), and I remember enjoying it. For the next two decades, I would defend the film against its naysayers. Then I picked up the widescreen LD. After watching it, I said to myself, "OK, this really isn't very good."

Telly Savalas -- God bless the man -- was an unbelievably bad choice to play Blofeld. And the fight sequences were laughably bad.

On the other hand, it had Diana Rigg (and Joanna Lumley -- another Avengers gal -- in a bit part). And the assault on the chalet is still a remarkable action set-piece, probably my second favorite after the scuba fight in Thunderball.

followed by Timothy Dalton, whose films I did not really enjoy

I like Licence to Kill more than most. I thought Dalton was terrific as Bond, Carey Lowell was a great Bond Girl, Robert Davi was a great Bond Villain, and Benicio del Toro was a great Bond Villain's minion. The only sour note for me was Wayne Newton.

I didn't like The Living Daylights, though. It seems clear to me that it was written for Roger Moore, and Dalton was a bad fit.

Rewatching the Pierce Brosnan films honestly did nothing for me, but I still think GoldenEye is pretty cool!

As I said before, Tomorrow Never Dies is one I can watch endlessly. The World Is Not Enough isn't particularly good overall, but it has Brosnan's best performance as a stone-cold-killer Bond, and Sophie Marceau and Robert Carlyle made great villains. GoldenEye I'm benignly indifferent to. It's the kind of film that if I was up in the wee hours, and it was airing on a cable channel, and there was nothing else interesting on, I might watch it. But it not one I feel compelled to have on my BD shelf.

[GenPion]

On the subject of the James Bond films, Sean Connery is certainly my favorite of the bunch. The earliest James Bond films are just about universally the best in the series.

I never liked Roger Moore as much as a Bond character... as for Brosnan, I enjoyed three of the four he made (Die Another Day was pretty awful - laughably bad) but none are all that great or 'classics'. Goldfinger was the best one though. For some reason I have not liked the Daniel Craig ones very much - except for Skyfall (which is one of the best in the series). I normally am a big fan of Craig but sometimes I feel he misses the mark and for some reason - filmmaking and performance-wise - I never felt he was a perfect casting choice for Bond. He won me over with Skyfall though.

Having said my piece on Roger Moore, It's been a long time since I saw the Bond films that he's in. Same with Timothy Dalton (who I recall liking as Bond). I need a refresher course on these films. Also, as a side note, it's humorous to me seeing the Criterion thread turning into a James Bond discussion.

[Ausjdm]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Thanks haha.

I may do a double feature of Maria Full of Grace / The Forgiveness of Blood today. Any fans of these two?

I loved Maria Full of Grace when it came out haven't seen since but it's great movie. Crazy story what people do to survive/for money.

[bwdowiak]

Originally Posted by jayembee

The worst for me is, no question, A View to a Kill....

forgot about that one.. thought I didn't have a favorite Bond song, but that DEFINITELY is it. love me some Duran Duran

[The Great Owl]

Originally Posted by GenPion

On the subject of the James Bond films, Sean Connery is certainly my favorite of the bunch. The earliest James Bond films are just about universally the best in the series.

I never liked Roger Moore as much as a Bond character... as for Brosnan, I enjoyed three of the four he made (Die Another Day was pretty awful - laughably bad) but none are all that great or 'classics'. Goldfinger was the best one though. For some reason I have not liked the Daniel Craig ones very much - except for Skyfall (which is one of the best in the series). I normally am a big fan of Craig but sometimes I feel he misses the mark and for some reason - filmmaking and performance-wise - I never felt he was a perfect casting choice for Bond. He won me over with Skyfall though.

My take, double-posted from the "50 Years of Bond" thread in the main forum...

I believe that each of the Bond actors reflected Ian Fleming's vision of Bond in special and unique ways. Here's a quick breakdown of my thoughts on each with respect to Ian Fleming's Bond...

Sean Connery brought the cold-as-ice Bond traits to the screen with great success. Watch the scene in Dr. No when Connery says, ""That's a Smith and Wesson, and you've had your six.", before dispatching a villain. Connery's Bond was fun and magnetic, but he was also one cold and ruthless killer.

George Lazenby wonderfully portrayed the emotional side of Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service with the story of Bond discovering true love and loss. Lazenby only starred in this one film, but it is a film that reverberates throughout the rest of the series to this day. Lazenby was not the best Bond, but nobody else could have played Bond in this particular Fleming adaptation.

Roger Moore was adept at showing the undercurrent of humanity in Fleming's original Bond character, and he made it clear that Bond only killed for the protection of his country, and not for pleasure.

Timothy Dalton looked and acted like Fleming's Bond, and his two films took a more serious turn that reflected the Fleming stories in straightforward way.

Pierce Brosnan was sort of a collage of the attributes of all the Bond actors that came before him. I'll touch on this in my reviews, but Brosnan was almost too perfect and flawless for the role. He did do justice to Fleming's character at all times, though, even if the films that he starred in gradually strayed from the Fleming spirit.

Daniel Craig may not necessarily be the best Bond actor, but he has that emotionally-detached Fleming character trait down to a science, and watching his character arc over his three films is not far removed from reading the Fleming novels in sequence. His three movies are the most consistently good since the first four Sean Connery Bond films, and this is why I've posted before that the Craig films are the "second golden age of Bond."


(I know that this has jack to do with Criterion, but it's a fun discussion.)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by GenPion

Also, as a side note, it's humorous to me seeing the Criterion thread turning into a James Bond discussion.

Well, Criterion did release the first three Connerys on laserdisc.

[GenPion]

Prior to Skyfall, Daniel Craig as Bond provided all of the seriousness of the character and none of the fun (relatively speaking). I don't think the performance he delivers as the character feels particularly compelling. Especially in Casino Royale, which happens to be one of my least favorites (after more preposterous ones like Die Another Day, Octopussy, and Moonraker). It's just not that well-done, IMO. The action set pieces were some of the most over the top in the series and the plot and storytelling strayed far from the book. I liked the book a lot more than the movie. Of course, I haven't read much in the way of these James Bond books and would like to read more. Hopefully in doing so I don't zap some of my enjoyment down for the other films...

When you say that Connery's Bond is "fun and magnetic" I think that's the thing that appeals to me the most about his performance as the character. It's something that seems to be missing and/or not as effective from the other performers. Perhaps for this very reason I prefer the television series Chuck to James Bond and would take that show over the entire Bond franchise any day. (Well, there are other reasons too, but that's one of 'em.)

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by The Great Owl

Pierce Brosnan was sort of a collage of the attributes of all the Bond actors that came before him. I'll touch on this in my reviews, but Brosnan was almost too perfect and flawless for the role. He did do justice to Fleming's character at all times, though, even if the films that he starred in gradually strayed from the Fleming spirit.

Good analysis (actually, all of the analyses were good, even if I disagree on some specific points). Brosnan surprised the hell out of me. Based on his character/performance in Remington Steele, I was expecting a return to the Roger Moore style of Bond film. I was not expecting GoldenEye to show him as a really good action film star.

[GenPion]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Well, Criterion did release the first three Connerys on laserdisc.

I did not know this. Cool bit of info. The early ones are actually good enough to qualify as Criterion titles, so that's cool that at one point they were actually in the collection.

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jayembee

Oh, dear. I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement.

How come? You think the other film is far better? I recommend seeing this one ASAP. It's near perfection in my opinion.

[jayembee]

Originally Posted by jw007

It's up there on par with The Royal Tenenbaums but not as funny.

Originally Posted by jayembee

Oh, dear. I'm not quite sure what to make of that statement.

Originally Posted by jw007

How come? You think the other film is far better? I recommend seeing this one ASAP. It's near perfection in my opinion.

It's just that I didn't find The Royal Tenenbaums to be especially funny, so if this one is "not as funny"...

[jw007]

Originally Posted by jayembee

It's just that I didn't find The Royal Tenenbaums to be especially funny, so if this one is "not as funny"...

You know, now come to think of it, I didn't think The Royal Tenenbaums was funny either. His films aren't "funny". Why did I even think that. Maybe I meant to say "witty". Well, this film, Grand Budapest Hotel, is nearly as witty as TRT.

Speaking of hotels, tonight I am going to see Neutral Milk Hotel live!

Which hotel shall win? Results will be posted later tonight.

[Rich Pure Doom]

So jealous of everyone's Persona acquisition...

[dmarvin]

[movieben1138]

That man is obviously saying, "Out damned spot!" And as much as Criterion likes Polanski...I think we're getting his version of MACBETH!!

[dmarvin]

Could it be the Orson Welles version??

[blkhrt]

Originally Posted by dmarvin

Could it be the Orson Welles version??

I was just about to post the same thing!