Jump to content


This is a read only archive of the old forums
The new CBn forums are located at https://quarterdeck.commanderbond.net/

 
Photo

FYEO Fans only


153 replies to this topic

#121 Miles Miservy

Miles Miservy

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 683 posts
  • Location:CT

Posted 25 September 2012 - 07:05 PM

FYEO certainly ranks amongst the best of Sir Roger Moore's efforts. What grabbed me initially was the significant distinction between the set designs of Peter Lamont & his illustrious predecessor Ken Adam. FYEO was everything that MOONRAKER was not; not that there's anything wrong with the over-the-top stylings of MOONRAKER. I just keep reminding myself that FYEO was originally slated to follow TSWLM as is evident in the latter's closing credits. That they departed from that idea to maximize cinema's fascination with space proved to be a most worthwhile notion.

It stands out as one of the more emotionally driven stories since OHMSS. In fact, I'd be one to say that Melina Havelock's role in the plot is more of a driving force in it than that of OO7.

If the film were to have any flaws at all, I would find one in the 2-dimentional, cardboard cut-out that is Bibi Dahl. I felt that she added NOTHING to the story, other than to remind the audience that James Bond ain't getting any younger. The other thing I might've changed was the length of the ski chase. I felt it went on for far too long.. and we could have done without the Hockey / Zamboni sequence altogether.

Aside from that, it remains, still, one of my favorites. I first saw it when I was 15.

Some people have pointed to TLD as the least sexy Bond picture, but there was at least a romance between Bond and Kara if no real sexual activity.



There was sexual activity between Bond and Kara . . . in Afghanistan, at Kamran Shah's place.


"...back end of horse!!!"

Edited by Miles Miservy, 25 September 2012 - 07:06 PM.


#122 numan

numan

    Cadet

  • Crew
  • 7 posts

Posted 25 September 2012 - 09:48 PM

I watched the film for the first time on release when I was 14 - and was pretty much disappointed as there was no villain's hideaway that exploded at the end. But after that it has grown steadily, I would rank it as the second best Moore Bond after TSWLM. Last summer I was on holiday in Corfu and could visit some of the locations. My family wasn't always amused but it was worth it.
Topol was brillant, and without Miss Johnson and with a John Barry score the film would even have been better.

#123 Armand Fancypants

Armand Fancypants

    Sub-Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • Pip
  • 121 posts

Posted 19 October 2012 - 10:09 PM

I have an irrational love for FYEO, probably because it's the Bond film I've seen the most times. I had a taped copy of it off TV - Channel Ten were showing Bond films in primetime around 99/00 every Saturday night and I resolved to record them... only remembered to do it for the first one which was FYEO (for some reason).

There's some stupid stuff in there no doubt, but the low-key nature of the story, the thumping Conti score, Topol, and Moore's performance make for a great mix, IMO. A pretty robust debut from Glen - the film has very few genuine lulls.

#124 Nick Bone

Nick Bone

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 35 posts
  • Location:Finland

Posted 04 November 2012 - 07:28 PM

FYEO has always been one of my favorite Bond films (actually it´s in my TOP 5). I´ve loved it since I first time saw it when I was nine or ten years old.

I´ve always been into those character and plot driven Bond movies and FYEO is a fine example of those. OK, FYEO has its flaws: "Blofeld", Bibi and that hockey fight also was not so impressive :) But those are minor flaws IMO. The film has a quite simple plot and a down to earth approach which I ilke very much (I hate MR, could you imagine?)... characters are strong and Melina Havelock played by Carole Bouquet is a true centerpiece or highlight of the film.
The action is very enjoyable, especially that ski chase. Locations? Well, I´ve always loved the Mediterranean... I´ve visited Corfu once. I lured my wife there because of FYEO. Thank god she liked the place :D

Overall a very enjoyable film, one of the best in the series. Nice to see it on Blu-ray for the first time (I purchased the Bond 50 Blu-ray Boxset).

#125 DaveBond21

DaveBond21

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 18026 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia (but from the UK)

Posted 09 September 2014 - 07:51 AM

I think I will watch this one again tonight.

 

Any other fans of FYEO?



#126 ggl

ggl

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 620 posts
  • Location:Spain

Posted 09 September 2014 - 08:44 AM

I think I will watch this one again tonight.

 

Any other fans of FYEO?

Best Bond Moore. I have no doubt about that. B)



#127 Call Billy Bob

Call Billy Bob

    Lt. Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPip
  • 2917 posts
  • Location:Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Posted 09 September 2014 - 01:41 PM

Of all the pre-Craig Bonds, THIS is the one I can most see Craig being in.



#128 DLibrasnow

DLibrasnow

    Commander

  • Enlisting
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 16568 posts
  • Location:Washington D.C.. USA

Posted 10 September 2014 - 01:45 AM

I also really like "For Your Eyes Only". My favorite Roger Moore 007 is "The Spy Who Loved Me" but this one comes a very close second. I like the back to basics approach and think that it has some great action sequences on the snowy slopes and underwater. I particularly like the assault on the monastery for being a small-scale affair compared to the large battles in the two previous entries - and the climbing action is excellently staged.



#129 DaveBond21

DaveBond21

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 18026 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia (but from the UK)

Posted 10 September 2014 - 07:39 AM

I also really like "For Your Eyes Only". My favorite Roger Moore 007 is "The Spy Who Loved Me" but this one comes a very close second. I like the back to basics approach and think that it has some great action sequences on the snowy slopes and underwater. I particularly like the assault on the monastery for being a small-scale affair compared to the large battles in the two previous entries - and the climbing action is excellently staged.

 

Great to see you again DLibrasnow, how are you?

 

Yes, after the spectacular climaxes in TSWLM and Moonraker, the monastery assault is a nice change, although it's a shame it couldn't have all been filmed on location instead of some of it being clearly Pinewood.

 

_



#130 Call Billy Bob

Call Billy Bob

    Lt. Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPip
  • 2917 posts
  • Location:Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Posted 10 September 2014 - 02:11 PM

My favorite sequence in that film has to be Bond on skis vs. the motorcycle riders. Conti's score here (I know some harp on it for being too electronic) is my favorite of any "chase scene" in the series and the overall feel of the sequence is edge-of-your seat excitement! I may have just convinced myself to watch it this weekend...



#131 tdalton

tdalton

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 11680 posts

Posted 10 September 2014 - 05:02 PM

 

Any other fans of FYEO?

 

It's definitely the best of the Moore films.  

 

Unlike most, I tend to enjoy the later Moore films as opposed to the earlier ones.  For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill are his three best films, IMO.  The Spy Who Loved Me is one that I've always found to be a bit overrated, even though it's an entertaining film.  Still, nothing in the Moore era can really touch For Your Eyes Only.  It has the perfect blend of serious, From Russia With Love-style espionage and just enough of the wit and charm that the other Moore films are famous for, so it kind of has a little bit for everyone, and the blend of those two styles is done very well.



#132 HoneyDiamond

HoneyDiamond

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 60 posts

Posted 11 September 2014 - 05:14 AM

I LOVE FYEO! 

First off, I love Melina and Greece. 

I love his car blowing up and his face when seeing her car. 

I love the mountain climbing sequence at the end. 

I love the song. 

And the skiing is cool.

 

It just really comes together as an interesting, unique movie.  ;)



#133 DaveBond21

DaveBond21

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 18026 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia (but from the UK)

Posted 12 September 2014 - 07:20 AM

I LOVE FYEO! 

First off, I love Melina and Greece. 

I love his car blowing up and his face when seeing her car. 

I love the mountain climbing sequence at the end. 

I love the song. 

And the skiing is cool.

 

It just really comes together as an interesting, unique movie.  ;)

The skiing is indeed cool.



#134 Call Billy Bob

Call Billy Bob

    Lt. Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPip
  • 2917 posts
  • Location:Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Posted 12 September 2014 - 12:07 PM

Though I prefer OHMSS' ski scenes, FYEO can hold it's own any day of the week.



#135 Guy Haines

Guy Haines

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 3075 posts
  • Location:"Special envoy" no more. As of 7/5/15 elected to office somewhere in Nottinghamshire, England.

Posted 17 September 2014 - 03:25 PM

The Margaret & Denis Thatcher scene at the end was silly, unnecessary and dates it. The end of the PTS could have been better handled - though up to Bond scooping up Blofeld and dropping him down the chimney I thought it was pretty good.

 

But in between FYEO isn't a bad Bond film.. It manages to link the main elements of For Your Eyes Only and Risico into a single story, adding enough action and drama as well.  Columbo and Kristatos are a bit more sophisticated than their paper based equivalents and whether it was intentional or not Bond is faced with the moral dilemma of what a man in his early 50s does when a much, much younger woman has a crush on him.  In other words probably for the first time his age is an issue in a Bond film - NSNA deals with it in a different way of course.

 

On release I thought it was a relief after the excesses of MR. Also, even before filming started I had watched a TV drama documentary about the Czechosolvakian reform communist leader Dubcek, and a certain episode of Dr Who, and the actor Julian Glover appeared in both. At the time I thought that he'd make a pretty good Bond baddie. Well, as the late Frankie Howard used to say - "And it came to pass".



#136 Call Billy Bob

Call Billy Bob

    Lt. Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPip
  • 2917 posts
  • Location:Lawrence, Kansas, USA

Posted 17 September 2014 - 03:30 PM

It manages to link the main elements of For Your Eyes Only and Risico into a single story, adding enough action and drama as well.

I also like including the keelhauling from Live and Let Die.



#137 DLibrasnow

DLibrasnow

    Commander

  • Enlisting
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 16568 posts
  • Location:Washington D.C.. USA

Posted 17 September 2014 - 10:10 PM

 

I also really like "For Your Eyes Only". My favorite Roger Moore 007 is "The Spy Who Loved Me" but this one comes a very close second. I like the back to basics approach and think that it has some great action sequences on the snowy slopes and underwater. I particularly like the assault on the monastery for being a small-scale affair compared to the large battles in the two previous entries - and the climbing action is excellently staged.

 

Great to see you again DLibrasnow, how are you?

 

Yes, after the spectacular climaxes in TSWLM and Moonraker, the monastery assault is a nice change, although it's a shame it couldn't have all been filmed on location instead of some of it being clearly Pinewood.

 

_

 

 

Thanks. Yes, I have been away from CBn for a long time. It's hardly recognizable now. 

 

The climax is very obviously a set, and it shows so painfully but I actually think it adds to the charm :)



#138 dtuba

dtuba

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 573 posts
  • Location:Tacoma, WA, USA

Posted 18 September 2014 - 09:23 PM

I've always thought FYEO is pound for pound the best Roger Moore film. Although it does have far too many silly bits to accurately be called a "gritty" thriller, it is very down to earth (Literally, after MR). John Glen's debut is an exciting and muscular film and I appreciate how he tried to inject as much Fleming as possible ( as he did in most of his films, the exception being maybe AVTAK). Roger is a bit old but the film addresses this in an appropriate manner. Well, except for the (implied) sex between him and Melina Havelock at the very end. I wish that they would have kept that relationship as a father-daughter sort of thing. Otherwise, we see an aged Bond huff and puff up stairs, rebuff a horny teenager, and lay flowers at his late wife's grave. I appreciate the continuity with OHMSS and the beach scene with Lisl reallly hits this home. I have to fight back tears when Bond says, for perhaps the second time, "Goodbye, Countess."

 

Although it may be his "best" , I tend to enjoy the far sillier LALD a bit more these days. Hence I rank it just a bit lower.

 

FYEO is also my most-viewed Bond at the cinema (six times, IIRC).


Edited by dtuba, 18 September 2014 - 09:25 PM.


#139 FlemingBond

FlemingBond

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 610 posts
  • Location:Phoenix, Az U.S.

Posted 19 September 2014 - 03:04 PM

For Your Eyes Only has always been one of my most favorite Bond films. Favorite Moore film, i might even go so far to say my favorite Bond film since the  60's up until Casino Royale. Drama, action, realism, great characters and twists in the story.



#140 sharpshooter

sharpshooter

    Commander

  • Executive Officers
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 8996 posts

Posted 20 September 2014 - 12:30 PM

I've always thought FYEO to be on the dull side, with the 'fantasy haters' holding it up as what the Moore era should have been. I prefer the spectacle of TSWLM, MR and OP, but FYEO isn't without merit. The rock climbing sequence is undoubtedly one of the best in the franchise. It has real skill and tension. The yellow Citroen chase is a humorous twist on the usual exotic vehicles present in Bond films. While not to OHMSS's standard, the skiing sequence is well done. The night raid and car kick, most definitely are standouts. As is keel-hauling scene. 



#141 FlemingBond

FlemingBond

    Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • PipPip
  • 610 posts
  • Location:Phoenix, Az U.S.

Posted 20 September 2014 - 09:09 PM

I actually think the skiing scene in FYEO is the best of the series. The one in OHMSS had the drama and the great music backing it, but by the time of FYEO they had a lot more experience with skiing sequences, and it went on much longer. Kind of sad they havn't really had a a great one in so long.



#142 sharpshooter

sharpshooter

    Commander

  • Executive Officers
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 8996 posts

Posted 21 September 2014 - 12:52 AM

The talk about the PTS is usually only centred around the 'delicatessen in stainless steel' line. However that's completely underselling the overall concept. It's James Bond hanging on for dear life from a remote-controlled helicopter. I myself love this opening. FYEO is more grounded, but he Moore era really went all-out with the spectacle. 



#143 DaveBond21

DaveBond21

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 18026 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia (but from the UK)

Posted 06 November 2014 - 07:08 AM

The talk about the PTS is usually only centred around the 'delicatessen in stainless steel' line. However that's completely underselling the overall concept. It's James Bond hanging on for dear life from a remote-controlled helicopter. I myself love this opening. FYEO is more grounded, but he Moore era really went all-out with the spectacle. 

 

Yes, me too and it would be better without any dialogue and just the music.



#144 Double Naught spy

Double Naught spy

    Sub-Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • Pip
  • 169 posts

Posted 09 November 2014 - 02:18 AM

I am a big fan of FYEO and consider among the best of Roger Moore's outings.  However, a thought just occurred to me while browsing this thread - is there some 'inside joke' significance to the of the delicatessen offered being made out of 'stainless steel' that I'm not getting?  I've heard the line (and winced) more times than I can recall, but it wasn't until tonight that it suddenly hit me:  "Why, specifically, stainless steel?"   I get that stainless steel is a easy surface to clean, but was it somehow particularly fashionable material in Great Britain in the early 1980s? 

 

Am I missing something or am I just over-analyzing a throwaway line?



#145 DaveBond21

DaveBond21

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 18026 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia (but from the UK)

Posted 24 November 2014 - 06:09 AM

I am a big fan of FYEO and consider among the best of Roger Moore's outings.  However, a thought just occurred to me while browsing this thread - is there some 'inside joke' significance to the of the delicatessen offered being made out of 'stainless steel' that I'm not getting?  I've heard the line (and winced) more times than I can recall, but it wasn't until tonight that it suddenly hit me:  "Why, specifically, stainless steel?"   I get that stainless steel is a easy surface to clean, but was it somehow particularly fashionable material in Great Britain in the early 1980s? 

 

Am I missing something or am I just over-analyzing a throwaway line?

 

I heard that Cubby Broccoli thought the line was funny and insisted that it was used.



#146 George Kaplan

George Kaplan

    Sub-Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • Pip
  • 118 posts

Posted 05 December 2014 - 05:55 PM

Big fan of FYEO; I count it as my favorite Moore bond film.  Love Melina as a character, love the assault on the compond, love how it takes its time to develop. 



#147 seawolfnyy

seawolfnyy

    Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPipPip
  • 4763 posts
  • Location:La Rioja

Posted 13 December 2014 - 02:33 PM

For Your Eyes Only is certainly a great film and one of Moore's best, though in my eyes will always be second to The Spy Who Loved Me. I love this shift in tone from the awful Moonraker. The sets are gorgeous: Greece and Cortina d'Ampezzo are among the series' best and most exotic. Colombo is my 3rd favorite Bond ally after Kerim Bey and Jack Lord's Dr. No. There are two things, however, that keep this film from being one of the absolute best: Lynn-Holly Johnson and the final scene with Margaret Thatcher (cringe). Otherwise though, this is a great film through and through. Also, has one of the best theme songs and title sequences. Sheena Easton looks downright stunning.



#148 bond_azoozbond

bond_azoozbond

    Sub-Lieutenant

  • Crew
  • Pip
  • 383 posts
  • Location:Portland,OR

Posted 14 December 2014 - 03:46 PM

Every bond actor have a classic bond movie in my opinion and I think FYEO is the one for Roger Moore .. I like this movie alot and dont feel bored ever from it , its have been my bond movie whenever I travel .. I always wanted to see a bond game based on FYEO Lol .. I think it will be perfect with being able to play as Sir Roger . 



#149 Professor Pi

Professor Pi

    Lt. Commander

  • Veterans
  • PipPipPip
  • 1430 posts

Posted 14 December 2014 - 06:28 PM

While not my favorite (LTK) or the best in my mind (OHMSS), I may have seen FYEO more than any other Bond film, to the tune of 60 or 70 times, thanks to the timely invention of the VCR.  It was the third Bond I saw released in the theater.  Being a teenager, I still loved TSWLM and MR and wasn't quite ready to appreciate the non-fantasy realism of an aging Bond, but now it's like fine wine. 

 

The PTS was originally written to introduce a new actor but served as a vehicle to touch on Moore's maturing secret agent, even more so than the two successors.  Symbolically transitioning from the outlandish villainy via the dispatching of Blofeld, it also grounds Bond with the poignant opening scene.  This seasoned cynical Bond is able to navigate through the intrigue of the double crosses that follow, and use his experience to temper a vengeful heroine and cultivate an ally.  Then it gives us everything we love in Bond--car chases, ski chases and winter sports, underwater scenes, and a tense mountain climbing climax (itself a subtle connection to the passing of his parents.)  The screenwriters were also adept at combining short stories and unused elements from the Fleming novels that hallmarked the Bond scripts of the 80s.  And its treatment of General Gogol as an adversary more than as a villain ala Blofeld mirrors life more than fantasy.  It picks up from OHMSS as if 70s Bond never happened.



#150 west

west

    Midshipman

  • Crew
  • 36 posts
  • Location:Sydney, Australia

Posted 15 December 2014 - 12:02 AM

Great summary there Professor Pi, particularly regarding the juxtaposition between the over-the-top PTS and the violent nature of the post-title opening scenes. The tone shift always seems a bit jarring to me when viewed in isolation, but in the context of coming straight after Moonraker it's a great way to transition this film into a more grounded style than it's predecessor.

 

For Your Eyes Only is my favorite Moore film and really proved that Moore was capable of producing some more serious Bond moments, whilst still blending in his humor.

The action sequences are fantastic, and again as Professor Pi surmised, features classic Bond elements- car chases, snow scenes, underwater scenes. The mountain climbing scene is also one of the more suspenseful (and perhaps underrated?) in the series.

 

With the exception of the Bibi character, the cast is brilliant. Melina is a great and capable Bond girl. Kristatos is a good, dislikable villain that is perfectly juxtaposed by the likable ally Columbo. The fact that these two characters were introduced in switched roles of villain and ally was a great move that served to cement our like/dislike of them after the reveal of their true allegiances.

I'm also particularly fond of the use of General Gogol in this film. Having Bond and the Secret Service go up against an adversary as opposed to an evil villain, and the apparent presence of a mutual respect between the two sides, makes it feel like Bond's engaged in a battle of wits or a high stakes game of chess. The scene where Bond destroys the ATAC, and Gogol's humored reaction is great.

 

The only changes I would perhaps make would be to the PTS, removing Bibi and the Thatcher ending. However, this is one of my favorite Bond films, and my favorite Moore film. The Locque chase and death scene is one of the defining moments of Moore's run and of the series.