87 replies to this topic

[John Steed]

As a diabolical madman once said -

"Steed! John Steed... what a horses **** of a name."

However, Sir August DeWynter was defeated by that so-called horses ****, therefore making Agent John Steed the person who saved the world in style (with a little help from Mrs. Peel, of course).

Steed is quintisentially English, always wearing a three-piece suit topped off with a bowler hat and umbrella-sword. He is classy, clever and witty, always luring the enemy in before devestating their plans and leaving them helpless. That is why Ministry agent John Steed is my favourite spy... ever.

Sorry, but James Bond 007 comes second.

[CommanderBond]

james bond comes second....SAY WHAT!! juss messin i havent heard anyone bring up Austin Powers.....

[John Steed]

That is because he is played by an American, a rip-off of the Great British James Bond 007. American spies are quite terrible when compared to the suave, civilised, charming and deadly Great British agents.

No offence to any American users, but your country has yet to produce someone worthy of defeating Bond (and Steed)!

[CommanderBond]

whoa..... First of all MIke Myers is canadian and Second of all of course we cant come up with a good spy. neither can the British for the same reason because he is going to be compared to james bond. Face it,James Bond is known all around the world even more than John Steed!

[fladragon321]

Hey you guy are forgetting Maxwell Smart (Get Smart) LOL :-P

[John Steed]

American... Canadian... same difference, surely?

The British have come up with a great spy - James Bond, the entire reason we are all here. Fans of the British spy, I believe? I know John Steed is not as well known as Bond, but I never said that.

[TheSaint]

Fave film/tv spies other than 007?
Matt Helm
Napoleon Solo & Illya Kuriyakin
Modesty Blaise
Ethan Hunt
Carlton Dial
Fave literary spies other than 007?
Simon Templar(he did espionage work for the US gov't during WWII under a man named Hamilton)
Matt Helm
Modesty Blaise
Sam Durell
Charles Hood

[JackChase007]

What about Jason Bourne? Well, he is something more of an assassin, but still. I think that would actually be an interesting match-up: JAMES BOND VS JASON BOURNE...

[CommanderBond]

i havent read the Bourne books yet but i do like the movie .. so i cant really put any imput on Bourne

[JackChase007]

Bourne was actually more violent in the first novel (have yet to finish the second - lost interest, what can I say) - he actually physically took Marie hostage and smacked her occasionally. Although, granted, she was a whiny little ***** (free to interpretation, anyone...)...

[Solex Agitator]

IPCRESS FILE. Harry Palmer. Masterful. Not a bad group of collaborators on this one as well. Ken Adam, John Barry, Harry Saltzman, Peter Hunt, Guy Doleman . . .

[007luvchild2]

Now ,as I see it, Alexander Hamilton and his Counterstrike team,
Derek Flint, John Steed (MacNee) and Emma Peele(Riggs), Jack Ryan(Ford), and the Mission Impossible Crew(from 60's TV).

[CommanderBond]

Finally Ive met someone in this site that likes Derek Flint!!

[Bon-san]

Derek Flint is very cool. But Jonathan Hemlock is badass. Check out the books by Trevanian (The Eiger Sanction, The Loo Sanction, and for that matter, Shibumi which features renaissance man- assasin Nicolai Hel)

[DLibrasnow]

At the top of the pack:
Fathom -- who can resist Racquel Welch in a jumpsuit?

And the rest:
John Steed
Simon Templar
Jonathon Hemlock
Harry Palmer

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Derek Flint(arguably the precursor to the 1970s Bond) and (would you believe?) Maxwell Smart, 86 times funnier than Austin Powers IMHO. And since I mentioned Max, I would be remiss not to mention the delectable 99 .

[Qwerty]

I recently saw a 'Flint' pack for sale at a store nearby, but am hesistant about buying it. Can anyone give me some info on the films and if they are worth the money. I do realize their conjunction with the character of James Bond, but I want to know a little bit about them before I buy, and it looks like some of you know about them.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Sure. This will contain some SPOILERS:

The Flint movies were made in 1965 and 1967(the TB-YOLT era in the Bond film timeline) and the premise was that Flint was America's answer to Bond. Since it was a spoof, the idea was to take Bond's formula and make it more OTT and exagerated. Flint was basically an independent adventurer recruited by the Zonal Organization of World Intelligence and Espionage(ZOWIE! Get it?) to save the world in both films. Also, whereas Bond might have 3 girls per film, Flint in fact has his own live-in harem of 3 or 4 girls who dote on him and absolutely adore waiting on him. Whereas the Bond girls often(at first, anyway) don't like Bond and he often has to schmooze and win them over and even then he's not always ultimately successful(Miss Taro, Fiona Volpe, #11, Miranda Frost, Elektra King come to mind), Flint never fails to win a woman to his side.

While definitely dated, and they do not contain the same production values of the Bond films of the same time period, they are nonetheless highly entertaining thanks to James Coburn's supercool and confident performances in the title role, Jerry Goldsmith's terrific music scores, and a gallery of lovely ladies especially Gila Golan and Yvonne Craig(TV's Batgirl). In some ways, they are the precursor to the 1970s comical Bond films.

[Qwerty]

Ah, I see. Yeah, they looked like a nice cross between James Bond and Austin Powers. I knew they were apart of the late 60's spoof era, but I wasn't sure if there were any other better spoofs. I may check them out at a local Blockbuster store before I think of buying them.

Many thanks for the review!

~Devin
--Qwerty--

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Ah, I see. Yeah, they looked like a nice cross between James Bond and Austin Powers. I knew they were apart of the late 60's spoof era, but I wasn't sure if there were any other better spoofs. I may check them out at a local Blockbuster store before I think of buying them.

Many thanks for the review!

~Devin
--Qwerty--

You're welcome. I recommend renting them or catching them on the AMC channel first to see if you like 'em. At the very least, you'll find them worth the price of a rental.

[DLibrasnow]

I never really liked the Derek Flint movies....I thought they were a little too campy....You know like "The Man from UNCLE" on speed!

[Qwerty]

I actually haven't seen that one either. I know about all thjese spoofs, but I've never really gotten into them! One day, I should just go out and try some, which is what I might do with the Flint series.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I never really liked the Derek Flint movies....I thought they were a little too campy....You know like "The Man from UNCLE" on speed!

That's actually not a bad description of them, DLibrasnow ! Jerry Goldsmith actually composed the theme music for both Flint and U.N.C.L.E. so that may help explain the similarity. Nonetheless, I'd still watch Flint over Austin Powers anyday.

Edited by PrinceKamalKhan, 10 January 2004 - 09:41 PM.

[Methos]

I've always been keen on Jason Bourne/ AKA David Webb. Yet, I should say that while I enjoyed the film 'Bourne Identity', I was appalled at its blatant disregard of Robert Ludlum's original novel. The film has very little to do with the novel. Yet, both convey that Jason Bourne is the ultimate covert action machine. Someone in this thread had mentioned that they were less than thrilled with reading 'Bourne Supremacy'. I actually read 'Supremacy' before 'Identity' and I could'nt put that book down!!! I happened upon it on a rainy day, while at a beach condo in my teens. I started reading the book at roughly 4pm that afternoon and finished it at roughly 5am, the next morning!!! 'Bourne Identity' had much the same effect, which I discovered the next summer, at another condo in the same complex!!

Besides, Jason Bourne, I'm most keen on Nathan Muir, as portrayed so brilliantly by Robert Redford in 'Spy Game'. Nathan Muir was the epitome of a real world spy who had served throughout the duration of most of the Cold War. 'Spy Game' is perhaps the greatest spy film I've seen in as long as I can remember!! I like my espionage cinema gritty and as realistic as cinema can get, for a genre and reflection of reality enshrouded in so much obfuscation.

[Dr. Tynan]

Are you Methos from Nightlynet?

I like Napoleon Solo and your guy who helps him.

[Methos]

I am indeed 'Methos' from www.Nightly.net !!! Ya mean Ilya Kuriyakan Dr. Tynan??? I always enjoyed 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' myself...if only because it embodied detente so far ahead of its time!!!

[Xenobia]

Welcome to the board Methos from one immortal to another!

You make some great observations, especially how it is possible to love both the novel and the fil, especially when they could be two different entities all together.

-- Xenobia

[Dr. Tynan]

I am indeed 'Methos' from www.Nightly.net !!! Ya mean Ilya Kuriyakan Dr. Tynan??? I always enjoyed 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' myself...if only because it embodied detente so far ahead of its time!!!

I've posted with you on Nightlynet, I'll be starting up that quote topic again.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

after sir james i like bondfinesse 007, he is dashing and super smart and good looking and the ladies all swoon for him, and he's one hell of a super spy and he's got it going on all over the place

[DLibrasnow]

Actually I am surprised The Man from UNCLE hasn't been more mentioned.