56 replies to this topic

[Publius]

From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice, and Moonraker (Brazil, not outer space ). Spy, For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy are also fairly strong in this regard. All really take you away to another world.

[DaveBond21]

Yes, all take us away to another world, unless you recognise the locations as being in England!!! (eg. the air base in Octopussy, Korean in DAD and the car park in TND!).


But yes, I also love the locations in FRWL, and I love the chess match, the Orient Express and the boat chase - wonderful Cold War atmosphere.

[Judo chop]

No problem, Judo Chop (cool name, by the way).

Why do you think the atmosphere is stifling? Do you mean at Goldfinger's ranch?? Maybe it is meant to be? I know what you mean though, because after the Swiss alps scenery, we don't see anything else in the way of cool locations in GF.

Quite welcome. Goldfinger's ranch is a definite issue, more the exterior and somewhat the interior/sublevel. But even the military grounds outside of Fort Knox (I'm expecting to see Bill Murray and Harold Ramis come marching around any minute now). The golf course isn't all that exciting to me either. Everything about the film just seems a little smaller and more greyish. I think whatever bug infected TWINE got a little piece of GF too.

[crheath]

I would have to say You Only Live Twice. The beautiful scenery, Freddie Francis's cinematography, John Barry's music, the Japanese locations.

It's one of my favorite Bonds just for that reason.

[Vauxhall]

Probably FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE for a real sense of Europe during the 1960s. The classiness of the Orient Express, and the beauty of Istanbul and Venice always amazes me, and urges me to do some travelling.

Also, perhaps surprisingly, MOONRAKER, up until they start jetting off into space. Once again - it features Venice, and also Rio de Janeiro, which strikes me as such an amazing city. Unfortunately, the latter stages of that movie completely destroy the atmosphere.

[Scottlee]

Thunderball for me, even though I would only place it 3rd in my fave Bond films list. Watching those Bahamas scenes just makes me want to jump into my local swimming pool and sing Mr Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

[onthetracksof007]

That's the great thing the early Bonds did -- introduce audiences to exotic places and cultures they had little or no idea about and probably didn't get to travel to very easily. You discovered sports like Thai kickboxing and Sumo wrestling you never knew existed or learned about heraldry or tarot and voodoo from Bond movies.

I totally agree with Turn. The vibe and atmosphere from the early films (I would say DN to OHMSS) will never be matched for the above reasons.
I promise you, visiting the Bahamas in CR will not give you the same feeling as TB did...

My personal pick, although a difficult task, would be FRWL's Istanbul..

[scottright]

I'll take "From Russia With Love" and Istanbul. Having been there, I can safely say the filmmakers really captured the essence of the city - the food, the culture, the people. Oh - and the raki..."filthy stuff" (haha). I couldn't walk the streets of the city and not think of John Barry's music...

As a side note, if you're ever in Istanbul - make it a point to do all the Bond locations in the city because you really will see all the best stuff. I had one of the great meals of my life at Maiden's Tower (which my girlfriend was about to dismiss as "another Bond location"...until she got there ). The food was great, the music was great...

[krypt]

Favorite atmosphere:

New Orleans in LALD

Cuba in DAD

The Keys in LTK

The Carribbean in DN, TB, LALD, and NSNA

Edited by krypt, 26 August 2006 - 10:05 PM.

[drmedula]

This is an area the more recent films have fallen down badly in, perhaps because they think modern audiences aren't interested in it.I think this is a big mistake, because the element of "exotica" is one of the things that seperates Bond from the more generic "action" movies Hollywood cranks out by the dozens.Glamour is more than just expensive clothes and high-tech gadgets! That said,( and regardless of their overall qualities as films ), YOLT, LALD, and FYEO do a really good job of capturing a specific time and place (admittedly LALD's supernatural elements set it slightly apart- but that's one of the reasons I liked it). Oh, and for the record: given that Bond spends most of GF in captivity, I think the slightly claustrophobic feeling suits it well.

[DaveBond21]

Probably FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE for a real sense of Europe during the 1960s. The classiness of the Orient Express, and the beauty of Istanbul and Venice always amazes me, and urges me to do some travelling.

Also, perhaps surprisingly, MOONRAKER, up until they start jetting off into space. Once again - it features Venice, and also Rio de Janeiro, which strikes me as such an amazing city. Unfortunately, the latter stages of that movie completely destroy the atmosphere.

Yes, FRWL is a fantastic film, and really captures the atmosphere of Europe as you say.

And I agree that Moonraker has some great locations, and I also love the atmosphere, camera work and music when Corinne Duffour is hunted by Drax's dogs - an incredible sequence, which actually belongs in a horror movie rather than Bond.

[Double-Oh Agent]

I'd say Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Octopussy have the best atmosphere with You Only Live Twice getting the top nod.

[DaveBond21]

I love the carnival scenes in Thunderball and Moonraker.


And must add the Christmas chase in OHMSS and the "shopping" scene with Bond and Melina in FYEO.

[DamnCoffee]

I think MR has a good atmoshere - on set anyway has anyone seen the documentary on the DVD where during the end credits there are outtakes, anyway theres one with Bond and Holly looking out of a window into space and a window cleener pops up and starts to wash the windows also a scene where Roger Moore is wearing foil in his mouth to look like jaws and another one where richard kiel walks past and grabs Roger Moores cheeks (not his bottom his face ) a very good atmosphere IMO it would be cool if we saw more funny stuff like that

[DaveBond21]

I like the look of the atmosphere in the trailer for CR. Especially the beach scenes and the casino.

[Double-O Eleven]

Moonraker I find one of the most atmospheric, mostly because of the consistency of Adam's art design. I find the same true for Goldfinger.

Edited by Double-O Eleven, 25 September 2006 - 11:13 PM.

[DaveBond21]

Moonraker I find one of the most atmospheric, mostly because of the consistency of Adam's art design

Some of the films in the 60s and 70s had such beautiful locations and set designs. In fact some of them rushed away far too early without really showing the work that went into it.


One of my favourite sets is the chess match from FRWL. Amazing.

[Turn]

I think MR has a good atmoshere - on set anyway has anyone seen the documentary on the DVD where during the end credits there are outtakes, anyway theres one with Bond and Holly looking out of a window into space and a window cleener pops up and starts to wash the windows also a scene where Roger Moore is wearing foil in his mouth to look like jaws and another one where richard kiel walks past and grabs Roger Moores cheeks (not his bottom his face ) a very good atmosphere IMO it would be cool if we saw more funny stuff like that

Not to get off topic, but I'm surprised they haven't done some kind of blooper reel with all the funny stuff over the years. Roger's era alone has a ton of these with all the gags he's played or been a victim of. There's a priceless scene I saw on the Tonight Show when OP came out that show Maud Adams turning around to quickly and hitting Roger where it counts.

[DaveBond21]

Yeah, we need a Bond blooper montage on one of the DVDs!!!

[00Twelve]

Loved the atmosphere of the Swiss Alps in OHMSS. Breathtaking locale, breathtaking girls, breathtaking danger.

Also, in second place, the Bahamas atmosphere in Thunderball.

[Double-O Eleven]

Loved the atmosphere of the Swiss Alps in OHMSS. Breathtaking locale, breathtaking girls, breathtaking danger.

Also, in second place, the Bahamas atmosphere in Thunderball.

I agree on both. For me, these two seem the most like "Fleming" in terms of atmosphere. They partake of something special about his literary world. (But I'm still a Moonraker booster based on the pure "coolness" of its design.)

[Matt_13]

I like thunderball...no clue why.

[quiller]

frwl. always!

[License To Kill]

Licence to Kill, by far. Everything from the gritty realism to the soundtrack give the film an unsafe, no limits feel, which I find very effective.

Oh, agreed, sir! LTK just screams bad 80's cop drama. The music especially adds to the great overall flavor of the film!

What about Octopussy?

I always liked the vibe of that one...

This too, has incredible flavor. The scenes in India, obviously. But, clearly the Germany scenes take the cake, especially the entire train sequence.

[DaveBond21]

The knife-thrower chasing the clown through the woods in Octopussy is a really eerie and atmospheric scene.

As is Corinne Duffour running from Drax's hounds in Moonraker. Along with the music, it could almost be from another movie.

[Skudor]

The knife-thrower chasing the clown through the woods in Octopussy is a really eerie and atmospheric scene.

As is Corinne Duffour running from Drax's hounds in Moonraker. Along with the music, it could almost be from another movie.

Yeah, the dog chase through the woods is amazing. I think some of that atmosphere came back in the Rio carnival scenes.

[DaveBond21]

Yeah, the dog chase through the woods is amazing. I think some of that atmosphere came back in the Rio carnival scenes.

As Corinne falls, the shot moves upwards and then we are suddenly transported to Venice and the bells of St Mark's Square. It is really well done. That whole scene belongs in an eerie horror movie.