122 replies to this topic

[elizabeth]

the casino scene from goldeneye is cool. the way bond and xenia lock eyes...priceless.

[DaveBond21]

the casino scene from goldeneye is cool. the way bond and xenia lock eyes...priceless.

It was nice to see Bond back in a casino so early on, after a big break between movies.

[Judo chop]

the casino scene from goldeneye is cool. the way bond and xenia lock eyes...priceless.

It was nice to see Bond back in a casino so early on, after a big break between movies.

The problem with that scene is that the casino gets no attention whatsoever. Almost like Campbell was ashamed of it. We don't see Bond enter and make his presence felt. There's no expansiveness to the shots and no time or room to absorb the atmosphere.

I like the dialogue, and I've always loved Xenia, but the casino is treated like an unwanted 5th wheel.

[plankattack]

the casino scene from goldeneye is cool. the way bond and xenia lock eyes...priceless.

It was nice to see Bond back in a casino so early on, after a big break between movies.

The problem with that scene is that the casino gets no attention whatsoever. Almost like Campbell was ashamed of it. We don't see Bond enter and make his presence felt. There's no expansiveness to the shots and no time or room to absorb the atmosphere.

I like the dialogue, and I've always loved Xenia, but the casino is treated like an unwanted 5th wheel.

Judo my friend, I'm not sure I entirely agree! We see Bond pull up (hence the "Bond can't drive a stick headlines that seem to follow every Bond!), Brozza do his little thing with the parking attendant, and then his lean-legged stroll through the casino. Yes, he sits down, plays a hand, and then it's straight to pun-time with Onatopp, but there's definitely more to it than say, TMWTGG, or FYEO.

[Gustav Graves]

Which is your favourite scene of Bond in a casino out of all the ones?


Dr No

Thunderball

OHMSS

DAF

TMWTGG

FYEO

Octopussy

LTK

Goldeneye

TWINE



??????Have I missed any out??????

How on Earth can you forget 'Casino Royale'. From all Bond films it's by far the most Casino-packed Bond film. But so is the novel off course .

[PrinceKamalKhan]

the casino scene from goldeneye is cool. the way bond and xenia lock eyes...priceless.

It was nice to see Bond back in a casino so early on, after a big break between movies.

Indeed. The first half-hour of GE makes the most entertaining part of the film.

[Judo chop]

The problem with that scene is that the casino gets no attention whatsoever. Almost like Campbell was ashamed of it. We don't see Bond enter and make his presence felt. There's no expansiveness to the shots and no time or room to absorb the atmosphere.

I like the dialogue, and I've always loved Xenia, but the casino is treated like an unwanted 5th wheel.

Judo my friend, I'm not sure I entirely agree! We see Bond pull up (hence the "Bond can't drive a stick headlines that seem to follow every Bond!), Brozza do his little thing with the parking attendant, and then his lean-legged stroll through the casino. Yes, he sits down, plays a hand, and then it's straight to pun-time with Onatopp, but there's definitely more to it than say, TMWTGG, or FYEO.

Well, this being the month of what I'm calling my 'homework' Bond, I will add GE to my list of films needing study (which, for the curious, also includes TND and LTK). I made that call about the GE casino from memory, which is at least 18 months removed from the last time I saw the film.

It seems my memory has been challenged. I'll be back, plank! Until then, have a happy T'giving.

[DaveBond21]

Which is your favourite scene of Bond in a casino out of all the ones?


Dr No

Thunderball

OHMSS

DAF

TMWTGG

FYEO

Octopussy

LTK

Goldeneye

TWINE



??????Have I missed any out??????

How on Earth can you forget 'Casino Royale'. From all Bond films it's by far the most Casino-packed Bond film. But so is the novel off course .

Because this thread was started before Casino Royale was released.

Duh.

[Judo chop]

The problem with that scene is that the casino gets no attention whatsoever. Almost like Campbell was ashamed of it. We don't see Bond enter and make his presence felt. There's no expansiveness to the shots and no time or room to absorb the atmosphere.
I like the dialogue, and I've always loved Xenia, but the casino is treated like an unwanted 5th wheel.

Judo my friend, I'm not sure I entirely agree! We see Bond pull up (hence the "Bond can't drive a stick headlines that seem to follow every Bond!), Brozza do his little thing with the parking attendant, and then his lean-legged stroll through the casino. Yes, he sits down, plays a hand, and then it's straight to pun-time with Onatopp, but there's definitely more to it than say, TMWTGG, or FYEO.

Well, this being the month of what I'm calling my 'homework' Bond, I will add GE to my list of films needing study (which, for the curious, also includes TND and LTK). I made that call about the GE casino from memory, which is at least 18 months removed from the last time I saw the film.

It seems my memory has been challenged. I'll be back, plank! Until then, have a happy T'giving.

Well, I stand partially corrected. Or, perhaps I kneel fully corrected?

(Hmm… not sure I care for the sound of that. Let’s go with the former.)

You are right, Plank. GE’s casino does get a decent treatment at the onset. Rewatching just the intro to GE this weekend it occurred to me that somehow I never really ‘saw’ Brosnan’s entrance sequence, at least not in a way that committed it to memory. However, I do think Campbell tends to progressively squeeze the life out of the casino setting to make way for a rather gratuitous focus on the dialogue. At this point of the film he’s got a decent script on his hands, and it seems to me like Campbell just can’t wait to get to it. He’s got no patience for elegance. Too bad, too, because it’s a lovely casino. At least as lovely as the one in Montenegro a decade or so later, to which he was much kinder with his camera.

[DaveBond21]

it’s a lovely casino. At least as lovely as the one in Montenegro a decade or so later, to which he was much kinder with his camera.

It's a very similar-looking casino. I remember thinking that when the Casino Royale trailer came out. It had the look of Goldeneye and Thunderball.

[double o ego]

Dr.No - I'm sorry but there's not a bad thing about it. It's a casion of it's time and everything Bond says and does just oozes swagger of the highest order. The timeless introduction, whilst smoking a ciggy as the bond theme kicks in and just being cool about everything, from the way he gets up to leave the table and have his winnings changed to setting up a date with Sylvia.

TB - Barry's music setting in as Bond arrives on the boat to awkwardly obstructing the path of some random woman just before he enters the casino and of course the ballsy exchange between himself and Largo.

Great scenes and great atmospheres that give the movies overall a sense of character.

CR also gets a mention too. A very lively and vibrant casino with so much happening in various areas of the venue. Splendid.

[Double-Oh Agent]

Here are my rankings of the Bond series' casino scenes:

1. Sean Connery flirting and playing chemin de fer with Sylvia Trench in Dr. No -- Terrific 007 introduction and the best use of THE line in the series.

2. Roger Moore out-foxing and out-cheating Kamal Khan at backgammon in Octopussy -- Great scene and I love the way Bond states that he's won without even looking at the dice. Very cool, and Bond has rarely, if ever, been better on screen at out-cheating the villain.

3. Sean Connery playing chemin de fer with Emilio Largo amid verbal jabs in Thunderball -- Great lines and tension throughout with both men letting the other know that they're on to them.

4. Daniel Craig vs. Le Chiffre and eight others in a Texas Hold 'Em tournament in Casino Royale -- There are many gambling/casino scenes in this film, all of which are solid, but the best is the finale when Bond wins everything. Also great is the scene when Bond loses everything.

5. Daniel Craig playing Texas Hold 'Em against Alex Demetrios in Casino Royale -- Nice scene with Bond winning Demetrios' Aston Martin. Great final line by Bond too.

6. George Lazenby watching Tracy di Vicenzo play chemin de fer against the Greek tycoon and then bailing her out in On Her Majesty's Secret Service -- Nice shots of Tracy's cleavage It's cool how Bond bails her out, but overall it's not as good as the casino scenes above.

7. Sean Connery playing craps alongside Plenty O'Toole in Diamonds Are Forever -- Nothing too exciting, but some great one-liners make this scene enjoyable--well that and seeing Plenty.

8. Sean Connery punching the Egyptian gambler in Diamonds Are Forever -- Very short, but very funny. It's a hit!

9. Pierce Brosnan watching Elektra King and Valentin Zukovsky conduct a best card draw wager in The World Is Not Enough -- Bond's entrance and bar fight alone would rank this casino scene at #5, but the actual gambling scene between Elektra and Zukovsky is a lackluster one that I would place at #12. As a result, I rank the combination of both elements at #9.

10. Pierce Brosnan flirting and playing baccarat with Xenia Onatopp in GoldenEye -- Nothing too special here although Xenia looks great.

11. Sean Connery dueling Maximillian Largo on a video game in Never Say Never Again -- Unique gaming choice, but other than the competitors' animosity, there is little excitement to the scene.

12. Timothy Dalton playing blackjack against the house in Licence To Kill -- The best part of the scene is hearing the casino pit boss say that Bond is plying like "a real jerk-off"--that and seeing a nice shot of Lupe Lamora's cleavage.

13. Roger Moore beating Bunky at chemin de fer in For Your eyes Only -- Not only is the scene average at best (thankfully there is the discussion with Aris Kristatos about playing/not playing the odds), but the film's editor screwed up and showed one of Bond's hands as a losing five instead of the stated winning nine.

14. Roger Moore staking out Lazar while he plays a Macau gambling game while waiting for his contact (Andrea Anders) in The Man With The Golden Gun -- Short and nothing special. The best part is Bond doing some actual spying.

[Perilagu Khan]

I'll go with TWINE, oddly enough. One of Pierce's coolest and toughest scenes, no doubt.

[Ambler]

Has to be Dr No. It's a highly skilled character introduction.

[DaveBond21]

Has to be Dr No. It's a highly skilled character introduction.

I agree that it's one of the coolest introductions to a movie character.

[Aris007]

Has to be Dr No. It's a highly skilled character introduction.

I agree that it's one of the coolest introductions to a movie character.

Agreed! The best, no doubt!

[O.H.M.S.S.]

it’s a lovely casino. At least as lovely as the one in Montenegro a decade or so later, to which he was much kinder with his camera.

It's a very similar-looking casino. I remember thinking that when the Casino Royale trailer came out. It had the look of Goldeneye and Thunderball.

Yes but, the GE casino is one of the most famous in the world, it's the Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. I think it's the most beautiful casino Bond has been to. Still the Casino Royale is beautiful too, but I don't think it really exists, does it?

[elizabeth]

Still the Casino Royale is beautiful too, but I don't think it really exists, does it?

actually, i think it does, somewhere in montenegro.


and i agree with you guys on the casino scene in dr. no. awesome.

[DaveBond21]

Still the Casino Royale is beautiful too, but I don't think it really exists, does it?

actually, i think it does, somewhere in montenegro.


and i agree with you guys on the casino scene in dr. no. awesome.

I don't think they conducted any filming in Montenegro. The Czech Republic was used instead.

[bondrules]

I love CR's, it's a masterpiece.

In a close second, Thunderball's. The dialogue is brilliant!
You wish to put the evil eye on me, eh? We have a way to deal with that where I come from

[Aris007]

Still the Casino Royale is beautiful too, but I don't think it really exists, does it?

actually, i think it does, somewhere in montenegro.


and i agree with you guys on the casino scene in dr. no. awesome.

I don't think they conducted any filming in Montenegro. The Czech Republic was used instead.

That's right! They didn't do any filming in Montenegro. Instead they used Czech Republic for the shooting. Even Hotel Splendide doesn't exist. It's called Hotel Pupp in real life.

[O.H.M.S.S.]

Still the Casino Royale is beautiful too, but I don't think it really exists, does it?

actually, i think it does, somewhere in montenegro.


and i agree with you guys on the casino scene in dr. no. awesome.

I don't think they conducted any filming in Montenegro. The Czech Republic was used instead.

That's right! They didn't do any filming in Montenegro. Instead they used Czech Republic for the shooting. Even Hotel Splendide doesn't exist. It's called Hotel Pupp in real life.

Indeed, you can even see Czech words (instead of Montenegrin) on the shops surrounding the hotel.

[AMC Hornet]

The cleverest part of changing CR's game to a poker tourney is that Bond never really had to beat LeChffre at baccarat - he only needed to ensure that LeChiffre didn't win. He could have gone 'avec' (half the bank) every time, and distributed the winnings among the other players. With Hold 'em, the only way to ensure that leChiffre lost was to beat him himself. CR's casino scene was the longest, most dramatic, and arguably the best in the series.

Until now, OHMSS was my favorite, and still is for its swank factor.

As for DAF, those who complain that Bond was lucky winning with his sucker bets are missing the point: Bond was receiving Peter Franks' $50,000 payoff, to replace the counterfeit money he was almost cremated with. Remember he shows Bert Saxby the 'Slumber Inc' envelope and Saxby says "Mr. Franks' credit's good." This also confirmed that the whole Willard White organization was in on the diamond smuggling caper.

Say what you will about DAF as a whole, but there was still some clever writing going on there.

"Hi! I'm Plenty."
"But of course you are."
"Plenty O'Toole."
"Named after your father, perhaps?"

[O.H.M.S.S.]

I like DAF as a movie for what it is, however with the casino sequence I have a problem. It's not Bond's style to enter a Las Vegas casino with all the kitsch and the glitter and all that. Just doesn't work for me. It's too middle class for Bond, it's the complete opposite of 'Le Cercle' in Dr. No, 'Monte Carlo Casino' in GoldenEye or the Casino Royale. I like the 'Of course your are.' line, but the character of Plenty O'Toole is also much too cheap for Bond's tastes, I'd say (nothing compared to the style and charm of a Sylvia Trench for instance).

Edited by O.H.M.S.S., 18 January 2010 - 11:41 AM.

[DaveBond21]

I like DAF as a movie for what it is, however with the casino sequence I have a problem. It's not Bond's style to enter a Las Vegas casino with all the kitsch and the glitter and all that. Just doesn't work for me. It's too middle class for Bond, it's the complete opposite of 'Le Cercle' in Dr. No, 'Monte Carlo Casino' in GoldenEye or the Casino Royale. I like the 'Of course your are.' line, but the character of Plenty O'Toole is also much too cheap for Bond's tastes, I'd say (nothing compared to the style and charm of a Sylvia Trench for instance).

I agree. It's far removed from those elegant European casinos. But I guess Bond had to visit Vegas at some point and in the 1970's was as good a time as any.

[DaveBond21]

I love the entire casino sequence in Skyfall - from the moment we see Bond arrive to the moment he leaves.

[AMC Hornet]

I agree, after I finally saw it in person, that the Las Vegas casinos are pretty low-rent compared to the European Casinos of earlier and later films, but for me, ConneryBond brings the class with him wherever he goes - he made the Whyte House classy just by being there.

 

As for NSNA, I loved watching Connery stroll through the casino (ditching a purloined pistol in an ice bucket). This was Bond in his element. The enjoyment only ended when he followed Domino into a video arcade (answering John Gardner's concern, when Bond was horrified to see slot machines in a Monte Carlo casino in Role of Honour, about whether Space Invaders would be next. As the film was released before RoH was published, I suspect this was a deliberate dig against the movie that required Gardner to rewrite his own video game sequence).

 

At one viewing, the two kids sitting in front of me were sliding out of their seats with boredom during the casino scene, until Domino entered the arcade - then they perked up. Sign of the times (sigh).

 

My opinion of the casino scenes in LTK and TWINE is this: no matter how elaborate the decoration, any casino built on drug money or Russian mafia connections is going to lack class. The filth will be visible right under the veneer of forced sophistication, and I think Bond recognized this. (the same could be said of the mob-owned casinos in Vegas, even as late as the early 70s - El Dollarado indeed). Besides, the scenes at l'Or Noir were too brief. High card? What grade level was this film intended to cater to?

 

For me, OHMSS still tops the list, followed by Dr. No and Thunderball. Hell, even CR '67 had its moments, before the free-for-all started.

[Guy Haines]

As a fan of The Rat Pack, I just wish they had added the Sammy Davis Junior cameo to the finished film. It would have fitted in - if anything made the scenario more realistic since the Pack had been a fixture in Las Vegas for years, and it wouldn't have particularly detracted from the rest of the film.

 

Following it I'd have left in the scene when Wint & Kidd visit Shady Tree, point the gun at him which fires a flag marked "Bang!" - and then shoot him for real. It was no more daft than anything else going on in the movie, imho.

[dtuba]

Although I'm pretty far from being a card shark, the casino scenes in SF seem to be the best representation of the "sweat and smoke" atmosphere that Fleming wrote about, since the films of the 60's.

 

CR has the best action, but the scenes are just too brightly lit - and smoke free. Don't they still smoke like chimneys back there in Central Europe these days?

[DaveBond21]

Although I'm pretty far from being a card shark, the casino scenes in SF seem to be the best representation of the "sweat and smoke" atmosphere that Fleming wrote about, since the films of the 60's.

 

CR has the best action, but the scenes are just too brightly lit - and smoke free. Don't they still smoke like chimneys back there in Central Europe these days?

 

Nowhere near as much as they used to. There are more and more smoke-free areas.