33 replies to this topic

[Ozzman313]

It seems like everytime I show my disdain for OHMSS that someone has to ask me why!
Whats with people on here?

I just realized I forgot to proof read the thread title!

Edited by Ozzman313, 13 December 2008 - 05:00 PM.

[Bucky]

why?

probably because its a favorite of many and since so many people in the general public unfairly judge it as being a bad movie based only on it being lazenby's only bond film they feel they need to be more protective of it. thats how i feel at least. it has long been one of my favorites and i am probably more protective of that one than i am for FRWL or CR.

Edited by Bucky, 13 December 2008 - 05:07 PM.

[Bondian]

I'm sure it's not aimed at you personally, but your views. (does that make sense? ) I've had a few kicks to the genni's from my views on Quantum of Solace, but it's because there's a lot of passion here on CBn. People defend their favourite Bond films tooth-and-nail.

Anyway. What the *censored* is this thread about. j/k ROFL

Cheers,


Ian

[Ozzman313]

I've seen it at least 3 times, and have never enjoyed it...sure call me cynical but bad acting and a silly plot involving hypnosis makes it too much a spoof in my mind. The only thing I enjoyed was the idea of germ(bio-logical warfare) being slighty ahead of its time.

Your right Bondian, its not aimed at anyone in paticular...mainly it gets irritating for me to be asked the same question again and again.

Edited by Ozzman313, 13 December 2008 - 05:15 PM.

[Bondian]

Your right Bondian, its not aimed at anyone in paticular...mainly it gets irritating for me to be asked the same question again and again.

Maybe your questions will be answered in this thread.

[Ozzman313]

Thanks, strangely enough I own OHMSS on video and the Ultimate Edition DVD

[Tarl_Cabot]

I love OHMSS. It's a classic.

[Ozzman313]

Depends on how 'classic' is defined...it had all the elements of a Bond movie, but it didn't feel Bond to me

[jaguar007]

wait until doublenoughtspy goes all medieval on your

[Ozzman313]

you can't say

wow, this site blocks British and American slang

Crap, can't wait I noticed hes been looking at this Thread for awhile

Edited by Ozzman313, 13 December 2008 - 05:49 PM.

[jaguar007]

you can't say

wow, this site blocks British and American slang

nope. You can't say , or either. You can say Pussy Galore however.

To give you some of my opinions on your original question, it is one of the most faithfully adapted films of one of Fleming's bet books. It is the first Bond movie that really has true romance in it. It has some great action along with a fantastic music score and who can forget...Emma Peel

[Ozzman313]

Things I liked...the music score, Telly Savalas, Emma Peel, the pre-credit sequence and the battle a Piz Gloria


I already stated things I didn't like

[plankattack]

Ozz - let me try to answer your question.

I am a huge OHMSS fan. Anytime we're having an OHMSS debate or a Laz thread, I'll find a way there. Now, OHMSS suffers from underdog syndrome, and I think us OHMSS fans feel a slight chip on our shoulder - we'll defend the movie to the end because we feel that it's never got any respect. Not necessarily from Bond fans, but from the general public.

GF. "Everyone" loves GF. "Everyone" says it the perfect Bond film. All the "critics" cite it as the franchise's cornerstone. You can't criticize GF amongst non-Bond fans. OHMSS? "Everyone" makes jokes about Laz. "Everyone" calls it the one that didn't make any money. OHMSS and Laz end up being a punchline for the general public.

So we defend it with a passion, because the film simply doesn't deserve the reputation it's been saddled with. Whether one likes OHMSS or not, IMHO, there are some facts that are indisputable.
- It's Fleming's story on screen with a great script which some have said even improves on aspects of the source material (Benson?).
- It's the first film-Bond, and maybe the only Bond other than CR, to truly portray a human Bond (falling in love etc) than the more straigtforward, and at times less interesting, hero than he is in too many of the movies.
- It's wonderfully directed.
- Barry's score is terrifc.
- Rigg is, well, what I can say?
- It's plotting works and it has a strong villain and secondary characters. (Savalas is my own favourite Blofeld).
- It's an epic film with classical epic pacing.
- The ending. By sticking to the ending (and there had been a lot of talk of starting the next film with the book's ending) it was unashamedly refusing to stick to the conventions that the film series was rapidly conforming to.

Is it a perfect film? Of course not. But what it's not is the forgotten child that it was for so long (neglected by EON) and what it's not is deserving of being dismissed outright precisely because it's not like GF.

As a committed OHMSS fan, I have no problem with anyone not liking it - but that's different from it being a bad film, or a "mistake" as I've even seen it referred to in the press. OHMSS fans would love everyone to, not necessarily agree with them,but at least give the film a chance. Ozz, you gave it chance - but you'd be surprised how many won't.

Bottom line - we're overprotective because we are fanatical about it. And how many films in the series can really generate that much passion?

[Ozzman313]

License To Kill

[plankattack]

License To Kill

And I like that one too.....

[Eurospy]

Bottom line - we're overprotective because we are fanatical about it. And how many films in the series can really generate that much passion?

It seems that the list includes:

OHMSS
LTK
GE
TWINE
QOS

Am I missing one?

And I have to admit that GF didn't work as well for me as I'd like.

[Fiona Volpe lover]

Ozz - let me try to answer your question.

I am a huge OHMSS fan. Anytime we're having an OHMSS debate or a Laz thread, I'll find a way there. Now, OHMSS suffers from underdog syndrome, and I think us OHMSS fans feel a slight chip on our shoulder - we'll defend the movie to the end because we feel that it's never got any respect. Not necessarily from Bond fans, but from the general public.

GF. "Everyone" loves GF. "Everyone" says it the perfect Bond film. All the "critics" cite it as the franchise's cornerstone. You can't criticize GF amongst non-Bond fans. OHMSS? "Everyone" makes jokes about Laz. "Everyone" calls it the one that didn't make any money. OHMSS and Laz end up being a punchline for the general public.

So we defend it with a passion, because the film simply doesn't deserve the reputation it's been saddled with. Whether one likes OHMSS or not, IMHO, there are some facts that are indisputable.
- It's Fleming's story on screen with a great script which some have said even improves on aspects of the source material (Benson?).
- It's the first film-Bond, and maybe the only Bond other than CR, to truly portray a human Bond (falling in love etc) than the more straigtforward, and at times less interesting, hero than he is in too many of the movies.
- It's wonderfully directed.
- Barry's score is terrifc.
- Rigg is, well, what I can say?
- It's plotting works and it has a strong villain and secondary characters. (Savalas is my own favourite Blofeld).
- It's an epic film with classical epic pacing.
- The ending. By sticking to the ending (and there had been a lot of talk of starting the next film with the book's ending) it was unashamedly refusing to stick to the conventions that the film series was rapidly conforming to.

Is it a perfect film? Of course not. But what it's not is the forgotten child that it was for so long (neglected by EON) and what it's not is deserving of being dismissed outright precisely because it's not like GF.

As a committed OHMSS fan, I have no problem with anyone not liking it - but that's different from it being a bad film, or a "mistake" as I've even seen it referred to in the press. OHMSS fans would love everyone to, not necessarily agree with them,but at least give the film a chance. Ozz, you gave it chance - but you'd be surprised how many won't.

Bottom line - we're overprotective because we are fanatical about it. And how many films in the series can really generate that much passion?

Well said mate I couldn't have put it myself. Although the film's general reputation has improved,OHMSS did seem to be a bit of a neglected film at one time. It's poor reputation seemed to be based solely on the fat that it starred George Lazenby. When I was going with my now-wife ten years ago,we watched all my Bond films on video,and she never wanted to see OHMSS. Finally we'd seen all the others and I basically made her watch it against her will. She loved it,cried bucketloads at the end [I didn't tell her about the ending and she had not picked up on the odd references in other films]and We Have All The Time In The World became our first dance at our wedding!

[sharpshooter]

I feel protective of OHMSS. So that’s why I’d get out the pliers and blowtorch when it's slagged off. It’s erroneously been done for too long, it's time for people to see the light. It's a real gem.

[Publius]

Bottom line - we're overprotective because we are fanatical about it. And how many films in the series can really generate that much passion?

It seems that the list includes:

OHMSS
LTK
GE
TWINE
QOS

Am I missing one?

Among the general public, I'd swap out TWINE (and maybe even GE) for DAD and CR. Probably even throw in MR.

[dogmanstar]

I've seen it at least 3 times, and have never enjoyed it...sure call me cynical but bad acting and a silly plot involving hypnosis makes it too much a spoof in my mind. The only thing I enjoyed was the idea of germ(bio-logical warfare) being slighty ahead of its time.

I think a lot of fans stand up for it because these elements, many of them anyway, are direct from Fleming. If memory serves, the hypnotism scene in the novel has clucking chicken sounds in it--which Peter Hunt wisely kept out of the film! That would have been parody.

Additionally, after putting up with some of the silliness of MR and of DAF, it is nice to see a film that took Bond seriously!

[Harmsway]

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is rabidly defended precisely because it was slagged off for so long.

But, frankly, I don't think ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is either the disaster some think it to be, nor the masterpiece Bond fans want it to be. It's one of the very best Bond films for a variety of reasons, but it's not a particularly great film in its own right.

[HildebrandRarity]

OHMSS was the 'Black Sheep of the Family' until the mid 1980s. When AVTAK hit theatres there was a final backlash against the Goldfinger Style of OTT Bond movies that included DAF and Moonraker and Moore's Clown disguise in 'pussy. Thus OHMSS, one of the few that was made in the FRWL Style, gained some cachet.

You'll note by the gunbarrel the solidification of the idea that the lead did not curry favour with Eon. He resigned after shooting and in post production his silhouette is purposely "wiped out" when the blood pours down over the white iris of said gunbarrel. It was an "in joke" with Cubby, Harry and Maurice Binder...they wanted to symbolically "wash away" any "memory" of the Ausie.

Check the other 21 gunbarrels and you'll see that all of them, from Dr No to Quantum Of Solace, have the outline or silhouette of James Bond behind the blood.

Further, it's the most downer of all Bond films and when my parents saw the movie on release, they wondered where James Bond was.

Personally speaking, it's one of the better Bonds and it's been a staple on Christmas Eve in my household - for at least the past 15 years.



But to maintain some sense of 'joy'/'happyness' around the Holy Night, I have tended to stop the dvd when the camera pans over the flowers when Bond and Tracy drive off after their wedding ceremony.

[dee-bee-five]

It seems like everytime I show my disdain for OHMSS that someone has to ask me why!
Whats with people on here?

Because some of us are fans of Ian Fleming first and the movies second. And the film of OHMSS is the closest to the original Fleming source of all the films (FRWL included). So it's a no brainer, really.

It was my favourite Bond movie, by a mile, for decades. CR and QoS have overtaken it now, but those three remain, for me, far superior to any other film in the series. The script, peformances (yes, including Mr. Lazenby) and direction are all splendid, and it has the best score save, perhaps, for You Only Live Twice. OHMSS is a classic - in my eyes at least - and I'm passionate about it. I suspect one or two others on here feel the same.

[HildebrandRarity]

It was my favourite Bond movie, by a mile, for decades. CR and QoS have overtaken it now, but those three remain, for me, far superior to any other film in the series.

I'm not as generous as D-B-5 because I rate Thunderball - as well as CR and Q0S - higher but i'd put OHMSS somewhere in the 4th, 5th or 6th Best category as it battles back and forth with The Spy Who Loved Me and From Russia With Love.

[Mr. Blofeld]

You'll note by the gunbarrel the solidification of the idea that the lead did not curry favour with Eon. He resigned after shooting and in post production his silhouette is purposely "wiped out" when the blood pours down over the white iris of said gunbarrel. It was an "in joke" with Cubby, Harry and Maurice Binder...they wanted to symbolically "wash away" any "memory" of the Aussie.

Check the other 21 gunbarrels and you'll see that all of them, from Dr No to Quantum Of Solace, have the outline or silhouette of James Bond behind the blood.

I thought it was just to be unique?

[HildebrandRarity]

You'll note by the gunbarrel the solidification of the idea that the lead did not curry favour with Eon. He resigned after shooting and in post production his silhouette is purposely "wiped out" when the blood pours down over the white iris of said gunbarrel. It was an "in joke" with Cubby, Harry and Maurice Binder...they wanted to symbolically "wash away" any "memory" of the Aussie.

Check the other 21 gunbarrels and you'll see that all of them, from Dr No to Quantum Of Solace, have the outline or silhouette of James Bond behind the blood.

I thought it was just to be unique?

Yea...they uniquely disliked the Ausie and wanted to uniquely get rid of anything to do with him after the shoot was over and for years to come. Obviously they still had a movie to market and to release. But that one year was the begining and end of that particular actor.

You see Moore and Dalton at official Eon events. Connery and Brosnan hate Eon so you won't see those two anywhere near a Bond premiere...but the Oz man is persona non grata as far as Eon are concerned.

[[dark]]

You'll note by the gunbarrel the solidification of the idea that the lead did not curry favour with Eon. He resigned after shooting and in post production his silhouette is purposely "wiped out" when the blood pours down over the white iris of said gunbarrel. It was an "in joke" with Cubby, Harry and Maurice Binder...they wanted to symbolically "wash away" any "memory" of the Ausie.

I know it may (in hindsight) symbolise this, but I've never heard that it was a conscious decision by the filmmakers. Do you have a source for this?

[doublenoughtspy]

He doesn't Matt,

It's only in his own twisted mind.

I've spoken to Peter Hunt, as well as an assistant to Binder about the filming of the gun barrel and the credit sequence - there is no truth to Hildebrand Rarity's idea that the blood covering up Bond has any significance or was an attempt to "wash away" Lazenby.

HR - if you bothered to do any research, you'd know that Lazenby told producers half way through filming that he wasn't going to do another film.

[[dark]]

He doesn't Matt,

I didn't think so.

[HildebrandRarity]

I'll dig up the proof in due time.

The descending blood erasing Bond's image in OHMSS is symbolic of Eon being done with GL given he left the roll before filming was in the can.

It's the only time out of 22 instances it happens.