12 replies to this topic

[Jaelle]

Over the years I've been collecting certain issues of the quarterly magazine Films in Review, published by the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures and based in NY. It was founded in 1909. They have their own website: www.filmsinreview.com

In 1992-3, they did a terrific multiple part article tracing the history of the James Bond films, written by Nicholas Anez. I've been trying to track down all the issues that contained this article (so far I have only two). I was re-reading part 2 of the article a couple of days ago and was really struck by its vigorous defense of OHMSS and Lazenby's performance. Since both the film and Lazenby are routinely dismissed and ignored in the entertainment press, it's nice to see that both have their staunch defenders among professional, serious film critics. I share it here with you now, starting from the point at which Anez begins discussing OHMSS (he starts off by discussing Casino Royale and YOLT). I hope this isn't old news to you. And it is quite long.
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Intro: "Squaring off against the many critics of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Anez feels it is the crowning achievement of the series and George Lazenby, critics de damned, gave a compelling performance as 007."

By 1969, the spy boom appeared to be over with even Bondmania on the wane. Anti-war movies were popular, making a government agent with a license to kill pass

[doublenoughtspy]

Hi Jaelle,

Yes this is one of my favorite OHMSS reviews (I quoted it for my Maibaum presentation at the Indiana Univeristy Bond conference) and James Chapman quotes it in "License to Thrill: a cultural history of James Bond"

What is really interesting though - is to contrast it with the same publication's January 1970 review (with Lazenby on the cover no less) - where they savagely attack the film.

[DLibrasnow]

I think OHMSS is a true classic, it is one of my favorite James Bond films and I always though it had gotten a raw deal from the critics of the time...I'm glad to see that some in my profession have set about putting the record straight

[Tarl_Cabot]

It's a great film and George was a cool customer as Bond; he was a cocky bastard that was genuinely threatening(unlike 2 very popular men who have played the role). He had room for improvement but a follow up would have been the trick. DAF is a such a vapid film by comparison.I loved the pretitle sequence. It cost almost nothing to make-less can be more...OHMSS has something most Bond films don't:a *conversation* between two characters, Bond and Draco. Most Bond films are in such a hurry to get to the chases we don't get to meet human beings...just stock Bond villian/henchmen/girls...I like the Laz just fine. He needs no defense!

[Triton]

Very interesting article, thank you for posting it Jaelle! Not many reviewers or film historians consider the political and social changes that were occuring across the globe when On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released to partially explain why the film did so poorly at the box office. It seems to me that it was very popular at that time to be anti-establishment, and James Bond certainly represented the establishment as a Secret Service agent of the British Government. I think it is also very interesting to compare the tone of this film to the tone of Diamonds Are Forever. I really think that Tom Mankiewicz created the James Bond action comedy with Diamonds Are Forever.

But I think that it's wrong for Nicholas Anez to heap unwarranted praise on the film to some how make up for its past unfair treatment and the almost hateful comments made about George Lazenby. Don't get me wrong, I really like On Her Majesty's Secret Service and George Lazenby's performance as James Bond, but I would hardly describe it as "a perfect film and the crowning achievement of the series." Let's not go to the opposite extreme. This film is not perfect. It has its high points and its low points.

[Turn]

Originally posted by doublenoughtspy
Hi Jaelle,

Yes this is one of my favorite OHMSS reviews (I quoted it for my Maibaum presentation at the Indiana Univeristy Bond conference) and James Chapman quotes it in "License to Thrill: a cultural history of James Bond"

What is really interesting though - is to contrast it with the same publication's January 1970 review (with Lazenby on the cover no less) - where they savagely attack the film.

Ironically, I also found an interesting attack on OHMSS from Feb. 1970 from the New York Times. That reviewer, who they didn't give a by-line for, claimed the film was way too violent compared to the other films and tries to draw parralels to Vietnam, and to his friends being beaten in the Chicago riots of '68 and other such stretches.

He claims Lazenby's Bond is way too horny also. Wow, hard to believe people living in the age of Woodstock would make that kind of claim.

[Triton]

Originally posted by Turn


Ironically, I also found an interesting attack on OHMSS from Feb. 1970 from the New York Times. That reviewer, who they didn't give a by-line for, claimed the film was way too violent compared to the other films and tries to draw parralels to Vietnam, and to his friends being beaten in the Chicago riots of '68 and other such stretches.

He claims Lazenby's Bond is way too horny also. Wow, hard to believe people living in the age of Woodstock would make that kind of claim.

Sounds very interesting from a historical perspective.

Regarding the reviewer's claims that Lazenby's Bond was way too horny, it's possible that the reviewer realized that the movie was rated M for teenagers. (Remember the PG rating came later).

My parents told me that Midnight Cowboy (1969) with John Voight and Dustin Hoffman was originally rated X, before the pørno industry acquired the X and applied XXX to their films. It was re-rated in 1970 as an R.

The point of my comment is free love in the age of Woodstock was thought of as OK for consenting adults, but not for teenagers and children who would see the film with accompanying adults.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
I think OHMSS is a true classic, it is one of my favorite James Bond films and I always though it had gotten a raw deal from the critics of the time...I'm glad to see that some in my profession have set about putting the record straight

well i have seen it 6 times and when i get it on dvd i plan on watching it more, the reason i dont watch it a lot now is because the tape has a squeak in it and its annoying to listen to the squeak, but i am sure when i see it more i will like it very much.



just some trivia for you snowie, who said in ohmss "knock him out of the way"

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by BONDFINESSE 007
well i have seen it 6 times and when i get it on dvd i plan on watching it more, the reason i dont watch it a lot now is because the tape has a squeak in it and its annoying to listen to the squeak, but i am sure when i see it more i will like it very much.



just some trivia for you snowie, who said in ohmss "knock him out of the way"

Not sure about that one....I feel like I should know it though..

You'll enjoy the DVD 'Finesse, it has a screen specific audio commentary by the late Peter Hunt and I personally thought it (the commentary) was one of the best produced for the Bond movies!

[bonded56]

Crusing ebay and found this to be interesting. OHMSS is one of 4 laserdiscs being auctioned. The front cover has the poster art, but no Bond or Tracy! (They must have sped off):

http://cgi.ebay.com/...&category=18845

Also is this CBNs Blofelds Cat about the OHMSS DVD?:

http://www.blofeldsc...o_dvdohmss.html

[Turn]

Originally posted by bonded56
Crusing ebay and found this to be interesting. OHMSS is one of 4 laserdiscs being auctioned.  The front cover has the poster art, but no Bond or Tracy! (They must have sped off):

http://cgi.ebay.com/...&category=18845

Also is this CBNs Blofelds Cat about the OHMSS DVD?:

http://www.blofeldsc...o_dvdohmss.html

I'm at a place where I can't look up the link, but if it's the one I was thinking of, it's from the old CBS/Fox videodisc collection. I had the VHS of the same cover. You'd never know it was a Bond film unless you knew the poster or saw the 007 logo on it. It was something of a controversy when it was released I remember reading in a video magazine.

[CommanderBond]

OHMSS is the one time you see bond as a compassionate human being. I think they did a good job following the book and it will always be a bond classic to me. OHMSS it for lack of a better word ,awesome.

[daman3755]

"Knock him out of the way" eh? Oh that's easy, Irma Bunt when she and the SPECTRE henchmen are driving on the racetrack.

Oh I'm sorry, didn't mean to intrude...but I saw a chance to bring myself back to the CBN Forums hehe.