The Ultimate 007 James Bond Thread

[FilmKoala]

I've always found it incredibly absurd when someone tries to say that ***** Galore was obviously a lesbian. What film were you watching? There's nothing there that states it or even really implies it. But whatever, I don't want to be dragged into that mess of an argument.

I think that how little we see of Dr. No is one of that title film's biggest strengths, but also it's biggest weakness. In terms of the story they were trying to tell it was perfect, he was the big luming threat that was only talked about in a hushed tone, the man that even other bad guys were scared of. But he was such a great character that I almost feel robbed that he wasn't on screen more.

[LegacyCosts]

I didn't get the lesbian vibe at all in Goldfinger either. Like many others have mentioned the barn scene and what results in her motivations after ruined the film for me. Not so much the insanely stupid rape but that one sexual encounter caused her to botch that amazing scheme. Bond's lackluster way of taking down oddjob left me cold too.

Agreed on Dr. No, hes a bit wasted in the last few minutes too. More screentime with him would have been nice.

[Markgway]

Originally Posted by ZoetMB

I suppose you also think that being named "***** Galore" was just a coincidence - that her father's name was Irving Galorski and she shortened it and that she was named after the house kitty cat.

Sure, and Plenty O'Toole has a giant penis.

[Geoff D]

Named after her father no doubt.

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Named after her father no doubt.

But not course she is

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Veiled digs over my lack of sophistication aside... when I watch the film I don't see a lesbian converted. I see a hard-nosed feminist won over. She's resistant to Bond not because she's a lesbian but because she's independent. That's what I take from the film.

Perhaps I'm being 'obtuse' because I don't see any evidence that's she's lesbian. I'm not sure what your certainty is based on other than Fleming's novels (which most of the time were nothing like the films). Maybe the filmmakers intended something else? Maybe your guess is correct? I just don't see the evidence. All I can go by is what's on the screen (and not what's on the page). Frankly, I hope I'm right, simply because the idea of a literal roll in the hay turning a homosexual is pretty repellent.

I say you're being obtuse because you keep analyzing a film from 1964 with a 2015 mindset. In 1964, a strong, independent, feminist would be Hollywood's way of saying "she's gay". You can't watch a film from 1964 and expect a lesbian character's sexuality to be spelled out for you literally because the censors just wouldn't allow that. And as abhorrent as it may seem to us fifty years later, yes, the prevailing belief was that homosexuality was a deviate mental illness that could be cured by just having good old-fashioned heterosexual sex with the right person. You know what? For me to enjoy the film today I have to put the blinkers on as well and pretend that she's just fiercely independent and that she's just playing an extreme version of hard-to-get during that romp in the hay, but in 1964 the mindset of audiences would have been much, much different. You just have to accept that.

[StingingVelvet]

Terminated posted this in the Spectre thread:
http://screenrant.com/james-bond-pie...n-career-over/

Works better here.

I replied:

That sucks pretty bad, but I am sure Wilson sees it as a business decision and just did what had to be done. Sounds like Hollywood to me, but it is pretty lame. Brosnan saved the franchise with Goldeneye, no one can claim otherwise. It was pretty much dead before that movie came out.

And while Casino Royale made a hundred million more than Die Another Day, I think that's more about (unfortunately) embracing the MODURN AKTION MOVIEZ tone that Bourne started than anything Daniel Craig did.

[imsounoriginal]

That's an old story, it was never easy for EON to let Brosnan go. But the realities of filmmaking and the fact that no one can be Bond forever meant they had to find someone new. I don't think anyone underestimates how important Brosnan was to the franchise, he just had really bad luck with getting the part and then being let go from it.

To quote Skyfall: "Not everyone gets to leave this job cleanly."

[levcore]

Yeah i was going to say that's old news, i remember it from the Everything or Nothing doco.

[Makarov]

Everytime I see Brosnan in a new movie I think he should still be playing Bond. He's still doing spy/action roles. Get him back on the horse, no better time than now since the Craig arc is kind of wrapped up..

[Doctor Jack]

Originally Posted by Makarov

Everytime I see Brosnan in a new movie I think he should still be playing Bond. He's still doing spy/action roles. Get him back on the horse, no better time than now since the Craig arc is kind of wrapped up..

If Roger Moore, on step away from a wheelchair, can still play Bond, Brosnan sure as hell still could.

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

If Roger Moore, on step away from a wheelchair, can still play Bond, Brosnan sure as hell still could.

Bring back Brosnan as a badass veteran Bond. As said upthread, he could have really pulled off Skyfall as well, although his Bond didn't treat Judi Dench's M as a mommy.

[lemonski]

Originally Posted by Doctor Jack

If Roger Moore, on step away from a wheelchair, can still play Bond, Brosnan sure as hell still could.

I thought he was pretty great in The November Man. IMO he'd be a better Bond at his age now than when he was younger.

[Kevin Holly]

Originally Posted by lemonski

I thought he was pretty great in The November Man. IMO he'd be a better Bond at his age now than when he was younger.

Yes, Brosnan got screwed by the screenwriters, he has admitted so much himself. The November Man was great, I love the idea of an old, washed-up Bond who's amusing functioning alcoholism has descended into "just stealing liquor from people's fridges and not caring about making a fancy drink out of it" and such.

[imsounoriginal]

November Man was horrible, Brosnan was the only good thing about it. Survivor was another turd but Brosnan made it watchable.

[StingingVelvet]

Yeah I thought November Man was pretty shit but Brosnan almost makes you think it's a good movie. He's a compelling screen presence, and it's a shame he hasn't ever really hit A status.

[Riddhi2011]

Originally Posted by FilmKoala

Since we're on the subject, I think Camille is one of the best Bond girls in the entire series. I don't love QoS but I loved Camille.

Plus that moment where Bond knocks that thug off of his dirtbike is one of my favorite little Bond moments in the whole series.

The best Bond Girl in my opinion would be Eva Green's Vesper. Nobody has been able to melt James's heart like she did and he has never been able to forget her and never will. I also think they should play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on stage once; they look very good together.
Olga really looks very beautiful, but her accent made it a problem, though not by much.
I love that scene in QOS where he does that with the bike thug. His bike riding in QOS was more Bond-like than in Skyfall. I kinda dislike the fact that since Skyfall, we don't see Bond in Tees anymore. He's always wearing a suit. It doesn't go well with the rugged looks of Craig; doesn't make him feel very tough. He's a broken man and Skyfall and Spectre (mostly) tried to make him more like Connery who was always a more balanced individual. This is why it doesn't work mostly. Craig and Connery are like completely opposites. One tough, rugged, brutal, but human, the other cold, calculative, suave and less believable as a "real" person.

[Riddhi2011]

Originally Posted by StingingVelvet

Yeah I thought November Man was pretty shit but Brosnan almost makes you think it's a good movie. He's a compelling screen presence, and it's a shame he hasn't ever really hit A status.

In Hollywood, once somebody gets typecast, their careers are basically over in one sense. They mostly get offers to do either the same kind of films or films with variety but poor script/director, etc. Look at Sam Neill, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Jason Statham, Sly Stallone. Of course there are exceptions who make it just fine, doing supporting roles in great movies. But a star per se has a hard time being taken seriously, as a, you know, serious actor. This is why Leonardo DiCaprio distanced himself from mainstream Hollywood and did loots of whacky off-beat stuff after Titanic. He did Inception so many decades later and that too because the story was completely "whacky" (in a good sense). Ford kept on juggling between Indy and Star Wars and other action-man roles. He has done very few serious work. I mean once you become suddenly famous (read "too famous") in Hollywood, without having an established resume in theatre or films beforehand (like Michael Fassbender, Christian Bale, etc), you'll have a hard time being accepted in other roles by the audience and eventually by the studios because they'll always be looking at you as "that man from those films."
I may be wrong, but that appears to be the case with Hollywood at least.

[Kevin Holly]

Your right. A shame too, in Ford's case at least, because his best film by a good 12 parsecs is The Fugitive.

[Rich65]

Originally Posted by Riddhi2011

The best Bond Girl in my opinion would be Eva Green's Vesper. Nobody has been able to melt James's heart like she did and he has never been able to forget her and never will. I also think they should play Macbeth and Lady Macbeth on stage once; they look very good together.
Olga really looks very beautiful, but her accent made it a problem, though not by much.
I love that scene in QOS where he does that with the bike thug. His bike riding in QOS was more Bond-like than in Skyfall. I kinda dislike the fact that since Skyfall, we don't see Bond in Tees anymore. He's always wearing a suit. It doesn't go well with the rugged looks of Craig; doesn't make him feel very tough. He's a broken man and Skyfall and Spectre (mostly) tried to make him more like Connery who was always a more balanced individual. This is why it doesn't work mostly. Craig and Connery are like completely opposites. One tough, rugged, brutal, but human, the other cold, calculative, suave and less believable as a "real" person.

My favorite Bond girl is Diana Rigg's Tracy, she did more than melt his heart, she totally captured it. She was also resourceful, tough, smart and beautiful. The ending to On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the most wrenching scenes in Bond history. I love the fact she is mentioned in the following films, especially For Your Eyes Only.