22 replies to this topic

[Miles Miservy]

I have tried... believe me.
I have repeatedly... tried to endure this train wreck and I just cannot do it. I get that it's a parody; I understand that it's a spoof & not to be taken seriously. But, I find it thoroughly unfunny.

That being said, I did infact, enjoy AUSTIN POWERS - INT'L MAN OF MYSTERY. It was cute but I did not feel there was a need for 2 subsequent sequels. I only watched THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, because Heather Graham was in it. (Didn't even bother w/the 3rd one.) Most recently, I caught Leslie Neilsen's SPY HARD on cable this weekend & laughed my @$$ off. THAT was a cool spoof movie.

This provokes the question, "Was NSNA supposed to be a parody?" I was 16 when I 1st saw it in the theater and I thought is was a serious project ("The 1983 Battle of the Bonds" and all that.) But as I watch it over time, the more I get the sense that the movie just makes fun of itself... to the point of almost collapsing under the weight of all the stale humor.

Edited by Miles Miservy, 08 May 2012 - 07:30 PM.

[AMC Hornet]

CR 67 has its moments - but they're buried amid a lot of rubbish. You have to strain the highlights out and discard the rest, which leaves you with a distillation running anywhere between 65 - 93 minutes (there is at least one thread on these boards on the subject).

My version leaves out MacTarry's wake through to the end of the pheasant hunt, the recruiting of Mata and subsequent Berlin spy school sequence - except for Bernard Cribbins at the cabby ("East or west? West? That's o'right then"), Vesper's double-cross and everything after Sir James enters #10. I put Evelyn's tour of Vesper's flat at the end, with the line "Do you get many complaints from the neighbors?" as a lead-in to the credits.

NSNA wasn't so much a spoof as an attempt by Kevin McClory to stick it to EON, therefore there were a lot of changes and semi-sly pokes at the EON series, without directly referencing anything outside what appeared inThunderball itself.

The death of 'Blofeld' in FYEO looked like an attempt on Cubby's part to stick it to McClory, in retailation for interfering with TSWLM and to undermine Blofeld's reappearance in NSNA. McClory's response was to introduce a Blofeld who bore no resemblance to the established character (and, despite Cubby's expectations, most moviegoers were intelligent enough to understand the difference).

NSNA doesn't make as much fun of itself as Moonraker does, and any film production that went through as much money as NSNA did has to be regarded as a 'serious project.'

As for Austin Powers: IMOM yes, the other two BLAGH!

Edited by AMC Hornet, 08 May 2012 - 08:42 PM.

[marktmurphy]

It's utterly watchable because it's gloriously insane.

[MarkA]

Yes Casino Royale is without a doubt a train wreck but it has so many inspired moments not least its wonderful score that I find it more watchable than NSNA. That film I abore for its sheer waste of talent and above all it's incredible mediocrity.

[Single-O-Seven]

Yes Casino Royale is without a doubt a train wreck but it has so many inspired moments not least its wonderful score that I find it more watchable than NSNA. That film I abore for its sheer waste of talent and above all it's incredible mediocrity.

I have to agree. I'd much rather watch CR 67 than NSNA; though the former is certainly a mess, it's enjoyable at times and Mata Bond is adorably hot (or was). I enjoyed this movie quite a bit before Eon's CR was developed and I remember loving the start of the gambling sequence (before it got silly) between Welles and Sellers' "Bond", wondering if it would be the only time I'd see any version of the sequence in a Bond film (CR 54 aside).

[larrythefatcat]

The music! Dear God, the MUSIC!!!

There are a few funny moments strewn about the whole thing, as well. I also love the fact that it's (as stated above) utterly insane and is/was a total trainwreck throughout production up until the final product... I, personally, can't look away!!

As for AP, I love the first two films and I can appreciate the third... probably only because of Michael Caine.

If you want some ridiculous old school spy movies: watch the Flint movies or the Matt Helm flicks!

Edited by larrythefatcat, 09 May 2012 - 01:23 AM.

[S K Y F A L L]

CASINO ROYALE 67
I never really liked it, I did enjoy some scenes but it just wasn't for me. Then again I don't think it was meant for my age demographic or expected to be such a success that its still watched today. The great thing about the DVD I got of this film though was that it also had the 1954 made for television version of CASINO ROYALE, which I enjoyed more then the spoof. I wish EON would buy the films and add it as special features on the Blu Ray release of CR, and why not get NSNA and put it on the OP Blu Ray?
NSNA
I haven't seen for a long time I'll have to try and find it on DVD cause I don't feel like hooking up the old VCR to watch it. I remember thinking the last part of the film really dragged on though and I don't remember thinking it was anything like a spoof film.
AUSTIN POWERS
I loved all the films and found the sequels very interesting and somewhat original compared to other sequels being made. Its one of my favourite spoofs along side THE NAKED GUN films.

Edited by S K Y F A L L, 09 May 2012 - 02:32 AM.

[AMC Hornet]

AUSTIN POWERS
I loved all the films and found the sequels very interesting and somewhat original compared to other sequels being made.

You obviously haven't seen any Carry On movies yet.

[S K Y F A L L]

AUSTIN POWERS
I loved all the films and found the sequels very interesting and somewhat original compared to other sequels being made.

You obviously haven't seen any Carry On movies yet.

Nope, should I have? I also haven't seen the Flint films either, for what thats worth.

[SecretAgentFan]

The music! Dear God, the MUSIC!!!

Really? I always thought the music was the best part of this film.

[hilly]

If you try and follow the plot, or attempt to find a coherent story,then yes, it is pretty much unwatchable. Instead, simply sit back, revel in the fantastic cast, the cool soundtrack and the sheer 60's-ness ( I know that's not a word) of the whole thing and, given the production nightmares that made Apocalypse Now or Titanic seem straightforward, just marvel at the fact that it got made in the first place...

[marktmurphy]

I love that in one of the film's few sequences where they do actually try to spoof a Bond movie, they do a Q gadget briefing scene and Bond is given a gadget pen. He cracks a rubbish joke about it being good for writing poison pen letters; the joke doesn't go down well and Q rolls his eyes. Then years later the official Bond series actually used the same gag for Octopussy. Who's spoofing who?

[doublenoughtspy]

"My doctor says I can't have bullets enter my body at any time."

Great music and Barbara Bouchet are two big highlights for me.

I'll admit it is an aquired taste, but once you have it, there is literally nothing else like it.

And Miservy, if you like Austin Powers, I hope you realize that Mike Meyers came up with the character after hearing "The Look of Love", from Casino Royale.

I love how one critic characterized it as "The film that tried to destroy cinema."

[AMC Hornet]

I love that in one of the film's few sequences where they do actually try to spoof a Bond movie, they do a Q gadget briefing scene and Bond is given a gadget pen. He cracks a rubbish joke about it being good for writing poison pen letters; the joke doesn't go down well and Q rolls his eyes. Then years later the official Bond series actually used the same gag for Octopussy. Who's spoofing who?

Wot about a machine gun hidden inside a bagpipe?

"We all have to pay the piper sometime."

[DR76]

Actually, the '67 "CASINO ROYALE" is quite watchable, despite the flood of in-jokes and inconsistencies regarding Sir James Bond and Mata Bond's ages. For me, the last 15 minutes inside Casino Royale is the real mess. Other than that I find a good deal of the criticisms about the movie hard to accept.

[hilly]

I love the surreal range of cast, from Ursula Andress to Bernard Cribbins and Orson Welles to Ronnie Corbett.
For me, Barnes and Hearn's "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" book sums things up perfectly
" We're glad it exists....but we're equally glad that it could never happen again...

[Pussfeller]

I agree that it's unwatchable as a film, but bits of it are amusing. It's basically a cinematic curiosity.

[marktmurphy]

I love how one critic characterized it as "The film that tried to destroy cinema."

I'd put that on the poster, wouldn't you?

[AMC Hornet]

The end of

CASINO ROYALE

James Bond will return in

EON's next production, not ours

(unless we ruined it for them)

[The Dove]

The film is not entirely un-watchable, in my opinion...ok, granted the sequences at McTarrey's castle in Scotland are a struggle, especially during the dinner scene where everyone gets pissed drunk and collapses. I usually find myself quoting Mike Myers from "So I Married An Ax Murderer" "WE HAVE A PIPER DOWN!! I REPEAT A PIPER IS DOWN!!" LMAO!! Other than this, provided you have an adequite supply of adult beverages on hand, (a glass or two of brandy does the trick for me), watching Casino Royale '67 is a real hoot!

[AMC Hornet]

... provided you have an adequite supply of adult beverages on hand, (a glass or two of brandy does the trick for me), watching Casino Royale '67 is a real hoot!

I wonder what would happen if you tried to watch it stoned?

("My eyes! My eyes!")

[larrythefatcat]

The music! Dear God, the MUSIC!!!

Really? I always thought the music was the best part of this film.

Sorry for the confusion with that post. It's meant as: "Dear God, the music is amazing!" It's the primary reason I upgraded to the Blu-ray: uncompressed audio ftw!

I love that in one of the film's few sequences where they do actually try to spoof a Bond movie, they do a Q gadget briefing scene and Bond is given a gadget pen. He cracks a rubbish joke about it being good for writing poison pen letters; the joke doesn't go down well and Q rolls his eyes. Then years later the official Bond series actually used the same gag for Octopussy. Who's spoofing who?

Yes, one of the many reasons I don't care for Octopussy... the only Bond film that is worse is AVTAK.

[AMC Hornet]

Yes, one of the many reasons I don't care for Octopussy... the only Bond film that is worse is AVTAK.

Fascinating, how I can agree with the second half of your statement, but not with the first.

Octopussy rules!