49 replies to this topic

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

*Connery's lil' pink tie.

*Plenty O'Toole's - um - "plenty of tool."

*Kick-*** PCS.

*Sean "the pieman" Connery's love handles.

*Wint and Kidd, who paved the way for the "homosexual bad guy" overtones of AVTAK;P.

*That cheezy but great stunt with the sweet red Mustang.

And most of all...

It proved that the "Bond comedies" of the '70s were the work of the producers, NOT Roger Moore!!!

[Righty007]

There was a homo-sexual villain in AVTAK? I just finished watching it the other day. It is not Connery's best, but it is certainly better than From Russia With Love. Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) is hott! Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are funny. LOL! I didn't like how Bambi and Thumper kicked Bond's *** for a whole five minutes. I really hate how Bond doesn't react to Tracy's death. That made it seem like it wasn't a part of the series. I give it a 8/10, B+.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

ms. case is the very reason i love daf, that and the opening song which i think is great

[Ed King]

I love Tiffany. But I think that Blofeld is so stupid in this movie... he faced Bond a million times, he should know a little about Bond's tricks.

[David Somerset]

I don't mind Connery in this so much now. Mainly because I detect early symptoms of fat-balding-old-git syndrome in myself and a certain empathy is beginning to stir.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

Originally posted by Ed King
I love Tiffany. But I think that Blofeld is so stupid in this movie... he faced Bond a million times, he should know a little about Bond's tricks.

yeah you would think so, but they fumbled the football with this movie on so many things untill what could have been a great movie just turned out silly

[Genrewriter]

I agree. The first hour of the film is great, strong storytrelling. The second hour starts off well but the final thirty minutes are stupendously boring. I never thought I would be bored while watching a satellite destroy things but I was. Apart from that, I like Connery and the scene where Bond climbs up the Whyte House is classic Bond.

[David Somerset]

It's the oil-rig finale that falls flat. Of all the big battle set pieces in the series, this is the weakest.

[Turn]

I love DAF because it was the first Bond film I saw when it was new in the theater. Yeah, it has its problems.

But I can look past a lot of them because it has a lot of things I like in it and am willing to wear the rose-colored glasses to appreciate them. Like holding on to something old you've had for years and everybody else thinks you're nuts for sticking with it but you love it anyway. It's kind of like that.

[freemo]

Diamonds Are Forever. Tried to be the Bond film that had it all, succeded.

Those who don't have it, go out and get it now. Those who do, go buy another copy, you can never have too many, aim to have one for each room of your house.

[Bond111]

This one just rubs me the wrong way. It just seems so irrevelant compared to OHMSS. It's not terrible, quite to the contrary, but it rarely finds its way into my DVD player. I guess the only word I could describe it is as I mentioned above: irrevelant. I respect everyone's opinions, but I just don't like this one as much as the others. Furthermore it leaves me feeling dirty after seeing it :eek:.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

"futhermore it leaves me feeling dirty after seeing it"



i have never heard it talk about like that before....interesting

[1q2w3e4r]

Im still shocked about the claim it's better than FRWL!

But I kinda get the feeling sometimes that i've wasted two hours of my life. Though there is certain adequate compensation at having a good look a Jill St John.

[Kingdom Come]

I agree, Diamonds is one of the all time classics - best screenplay in years - even today it hasn't been beaten. Stunning choice of locations. Great atmosphere created.

[Se]

I think Lana Wood is far more interesting than Jill St John. But that is of coutrse personal taste.
This movie has a few things that ruin it all:
- Blofeld dressed as a woman. (whyyyyy???)
- The lame effects when the satelite blows things up. (even for that time)
- The end is so so boring!!!
- The elephant in the casino.

[booyeah_]

DAF was entertaining movie. Overall, a good entry into the series. Very similar in ways to it's predecessor, LALD. BTW, I just bought it on DVD today.

[booyeah_]

After watching DAF for the first time in a while, I've realized a few things:
-The title song is great(never really noticed it before.)
-Connery was NOT too old to play Bond. He was still in Bond form.
-They should have kept Sammy Davis Jr.'s cameo because it fits well into the movie. When Bond was in the hot tob looking at the magazine he sees a photo of Shady Tree and on the opposite page is a photo of Sammy Davis Jr., so it makes since he would be at the same hotel/casino as Shady Tree. Just a little thing I noticed.

As I said above, Diamonds Are Forever is a very entertaining Bond movie.

[Scottlee]

I enjoy watching DAF whenever I see it, but Charles Gray's interpretation of Blofeld really makes me cringe. I think they should have brought Pleasance or Savalas back for this one, provided either one of them would have been willing to do it.

Other minus points......
# - Connery's lack of fitness
# - Blofeld's fate is too ambiguous
# - Bond doesn't show enough emotion when confronted by Blofeld. He acts as though he has completely forgotton that Blofeld killed his wife
# - The red car stunt has to be one of the biggest ****-ups ever made in the history of cinema. Poor show.
# - Tiffany Case gets right on my tits.

Plus points......
# - Wint and Kidd are superb. I love the tune which accompanies their little appearances, too
# - The Bambi/Thumper/Bond scene is a good idea
# - The Bond/M scene is a masterpiece
# - Bond climbing up the side of that tower is riveting
# - Love it when Bond poses at Dr Burgenshiemer (or whatever it was)
# - The fight in the lift is brilliantly filmed
# - Morton Slumber - hilarious!
# - Shady Tree and his acorns - hilarious!

[Jmart007]

Diamonds are Forever really never did click with me. I still like the movie, but there are some really slow points to the movie.

The things I did like

1. Jill St. John- 3rd favorite Bond girl
2. Lana Wood- 7th favorite Bond girl
3. Connery
4. John Barry's score (listen to the remastered soundtrack, my favorites are tracks 12, 13, and 14.
5. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd- They are very good

Things I didn't like

1. Blofeld
2. Not enough action (even for a Bond film)
3. Jimmy Dean
4. The fact that the movie is a little boring to watch.

My overall grade for this movie even though I did like it, C+. The movie has some slow points, there isn't enough action, but 007 and the girls make up for it.

[Brix Bond]

Urgh! How can you claim this film is better than FRWL?! Huh?! Firstly, the opening sequence which is abysmal. I mean, why does guard two not shoot at Bond when Bond kills guard one with the scalpal? Not killing him, shooting *at* him? And yes, the lack of emotion after his wife being killed really bothers me.

Secondly, the dramatic change in Tiffany Case's character from strong willed diamond smuggler to "Ahhhh! Jaaaaaymesss!". Who said it was well written?

Thirdly, everyone talks about how great Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint are. They aren't! If you want someone showing their sexuality to the extreme, see Xenia Onatopp. They had the potential to be great but failed.

Fourth, the uninspiring locations. Las Vegas - the tackiest town ever at the height of the tackiest era ever. It really is a recipe for distaster. There's nothing to look at in the film, especially at the end on the oil rig where we see some helicopters buzzing round an oil rig with Connery wheezing.

Fifth, Felix Lighter is fat and balding?! Ok...

Sixth...oh you get the idea. It just falls flat on it's face. Definatly the weakest Bond film ever.

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

"Urgh! How can you claim this film is better than FRWL?!"

Well, I'm not sure who in this thread made that dunderheaded point, but it certainly wasn't me. FYEO is my favorite Bond movie of all time . This post was my facetious way of pointing out to the Connery snobs that DAF is an extremely '70s Bond film that was actually made somewhat worse by Connery's presence. It would take Roger Moore to bring style and substance back into the role even as the movies' producers (ahem - Guy Hamilton, Harry Saltzman and Tom Manciewicz (sp?)) were intent on committing artistic and commercial suicide.

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

Oops - sorry. All these abbreviations are getting disconcerting. I confused "FRWL" with FYEO" although FYEO was the movie I was talking about.

[Tarl_Cabot]

I'd rather have seen George in DAF.I agree that the producers are accountable for the silly 70's films and not Roger Moore but he didn't exactly demand smarter films so he takes a beating from the purists.

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

"I'd rather have seen George in DAF.I agree that the producers are accountable for the silly 70's films and not Roger Moore but he didn't exactly demand smarter films so he takes a beating from the purists."

Well, if you're going to condemn Roger Moore for not pushing for smarter films, then in the interests of quid pro quo you should blame Connery for not pressuring them to make a smarter and less overtly-'70s film than DAF. The Bond-going public has always been so enfatuated with Connery that they would have paid the average GDP of a third-world country to see anything he was in anyway - why couldn't they have least tried to make a good film if they had such assurance?

[Wade]

DAF has always been my favorite Bond because it was the first one I ever saw, and I can exactly remember my reaction to it. My favorite part of the film is Barry's score, along with the title tune. There's such a melancholy and loneliness to the song, the way the woman forsakes men for diamonds, saying "I don't need love." There's the unspoken feeling that she's been hurt bad before and she's going to cut herself off from people to keep from being hurt again. And the music ... atmospheric, resonating, echoing ... as Bond swings from the roof of the Whyte House, the night sky of Vegas lying beneath him. Say what you will: this stuff thrilled the hell out of me when I first saw it [TEXT GARBLED] years ago.

[Blox]

I can see that Morty still has his knickers in a knot over Sean Connery, DAF, etc.

Several things conspired against DAF. First the producers deliberately set out to make a lighter film after OHMSS and its downer ending. Next, they hired Guy Hamilton, who declared way back in 64 that he wanted to punt Terence Young's Superman-Bond, and lighten things up. Then they hired Tom Mankewicz to script. And finally, the studio brass wanted to Americanize the films. Connery was a last minute hire, and went into the shoot without the benefit of his usual workout.

DAF has jokes, but LALD was an outright comedy. Roger Moore didn't help things along with his penchant for improvised one-liners. They tended to be dirtier than Connery's, lacking subtlety, more puerile.
Here was an actor who felt it was funny to call Stromberg "Fishfinger" during the climax of SWLM. The editor saved the scene. Moore stated in interviews that he hadn't read any of the books, and didn't take himself or the Bond character seriously. The results show up on screen.

FYEO, which some here hold out as the best Bond film, etc, was Glen's attempt to recover from the juvenile excesses of MKR. Not surprisingly, Moore wasn't very cooperative at attempts to tougen up his Bond. He resisted some of the best scenes, including kicking Locke's car off the cliff. He told Glen his Bond wouldn't do something like that. He was right. Fortunately Glen prevailed.

B l o x

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

"The editor saved the scene. Moore stated in interviews that he hadn't read any of the books, and didn't take himself or the Bond character seriously."

I watched something on TV recently (people, back me up here -- it was on TV recently but I can't remember what it was called) in which Moore says that his version of Bond was very much based on Fleming's character. Where has Moore ever said that he never read Fleming's books? If that's true, it's the producers' faults, not his (ever heard the story about how Jane Seymour was chastized by, I think, Guy Hamilton for reading a copy of LALD on the set?).

[Blox]

Morty again: I watched something on TV recently (people, back me up here --

...If you're going to go on as you have in another thread, spouting nonsense about Sir Sean being a megalomaniac, whining about his money while he worked etc -- you better be prepared to do your own backing up.

Where has Moore ever said that he never read Fleming's books?

...In response to a question by "BondAge" Editor, Richard Schenkman, who did a print interview around the time of the release of FYEO.

If that's true, it's the producers' faults, not his

...That's right Morty. Actors needn't have any insight into the part they're playing. I recall a Terence Young interview where he recalled how Connery devoured literature. He would read the whole of Proust, and would come back, asking questions. He read Fleming, and raised a few drinks with him as well.

(ever heard the story about how Jane Seymour was chastized by, I think, Guy Hamilton for reading a copy of LALD on the set?).

...Pity she wasn't playing the part of James Bond....eh?

B l o x

[Dr.Carl Mortner]

Where are the much-ballyhooed Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Roger Moore when I need them? I may be the organization's blunt instrument, but I'm calling in some back-up...

[Xenobia]

Mr. Blox...I realize you are a great fan of Sir Sean's but I really must wonder why you find Moore's portrayal of Bond so lacking. Can you boil down your problems with Sir Roger to a few key points, and maybe we can debate about this, in the Roger Moore forum?

-- Xenobia