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ChickenStu on the Moore Era


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#1 ChickenStu

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Posted 21 October 2013 - 08:00 PM

In some ways, I think Moore is perhaps the most important Bond. You see, Connery had such command of the role, I'm guessing that audiences found it difficult to imagine anyone else in the part at that time. Lazenby tried, and failed (although time has been kind to that movie) and after that didn't work - Connery had to be bought back into the fold to put things on the right course again.

 

However, after he declared that Diamonds Are Forever really WOULD be his last turn as our man, I can imagine that Broccoli and Saltzman were dismayed to find themselves back in the position they were in at the end of You Only Live Twice. From what I understand, Roger Moore was already quite a big name before he got the role as our man, unlike Lazenby who was an unknown. People liked Moore. He probably bought in even more fans, who were perhaps uninterested in these movies before he stepped into the role.

 

The reason I think Moore was probably the most important Bond is because he so successfully established himself in the role, and put such a unique stamp on it - that he proved that this movie series COULD continue without Connery. He in effect, succeeded where poor old George Lazenby failed, and gave the movie series a new lease of life as he continued in the role for quite a good few more movies. I think that thanks to Moore, audiences were able to accept Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig - and that is key reason why we still have new Bond movies to this day. So whilst Connery originated the role, Moore paved the way for new actors to take it over. In someways I think the latter is a greater legacy.

 

Anyway without further ado...

 

Live And Let Die

 

You know, my opinion changes on this one virtually every time I watch it. Sometimes I enjoy the absolute hell out of it, others I find it mean spirited and a bit stereotyped. My opinion after having just recently watched the blu ray falls somewhat in between those extremes.

 

I love Moore as Bond. He doesn't fall into the Lazenby trap of trying to imitate Connery. Whilst his performance is a tad foppish, he does have a unique charisma different from Connery's that shines through on its own. Despite any misgivings (the Moore era does have it's fair share of critics) one cannot deny that the man completely made the role his own. Anyone who criticises him for not taking it seriously enough misses the point. Generally speaking those films weren't supposed to be taken seriously and I feel that Moore is just working with what he is being given (many of those same critics have obviously not seen For Your Eyes Only either but we'll get to that in due course).

 

Moore's victory here is that he makes the role his own despite the screenplay working against him. This was blatantly written for Sean Connery and it really shows (I offer you the scene of our man slapping Rosie Carver about as an example). Moore however does not seem to let this bother him though and does a fine job.

 

The movie itself isn't bad. Seems to be a fairly straightforward adaptation of Fleming's original, despite a few omissions and added bells and whistles. Yaphet Kotto as Mr Big/Kananga is a fine heavy - and one of the more memorable villains. He's got some great lines (names is for tombstones baby) and it quite witty. Jane Seymour too is lovely to look at although it's a little unbelievable that our man would go for someone who is so naive - so much in fact his seduction of her seems cruel. 

 

So whilst opinion may vary, this film is important because it gave the series a new lease of life that it would ride on for the next 14 years. In that regard, it deserves any serious Bond fans' respect. 


Edited by ChickenStu, 21 October 2013 - 08:01 PM.


#2 Double Naught spy

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Posted 23 October 2013 - 06:50 PM

Great observations!  I never made the connection about Moore getting physical with Rosie as being originally written for Connery though.  I have to admit, I'm not the best when it comes to the timeline of the films regarding who they were written for, etc. but I thought (and I could be wrong) that after DAF, everyone pretty much knew Connery was done and that the search was on for the next actor.  Either way, Moore getting physical with Rosie is somewhat of an anomaly during his tenure as 007. 

 

Conniving his way into Solitaire's pants and taking away her virginity (as well as her mutant power! - Way to go James!  I'm sure MI6 has NO NEED for a pre-cog in their organization to predict what the next villain is up to!) however, as unfortunate as it is, is somewhat a staple in the Moore-era.  For example, except for Lisl the high-class prositute in FYEO, Moore is very-rarely given the opportunity to grieve over the loss of a lover (no remorse over Andrea's death in TMWTGG, not a care in the world about Corrine's fate in MR, etc.) which makes his 007 sort of a douche-bag upon reflection (even Connery got to go all ape-S*** over Paula's death at Largo's compound!)   Despite the blemishes on celluloid-007's character, these examples are even more of a shame considering how truly wonderful I've often heard Roger Moore is in real life.

 

As for Moore filling Connery's big shoes...  I recently discovered The Saint TV show and I've come to appreciate how well (not that I'm an expert on the Simon Templar character) Moore is an awesome 'fit' for that role and, in some ways, was born to play Templar more that he was to play Bond.  I certainly don't mean to imply any disparaging notions on Moore's tenure as 007 with that comment, but it strikes me that, given his memorable performance on the six seasons of The Saint, I wonder if any older posters on this site had the same problem back in 1973 as I did when Brosnan (who I could only think of as Remington Steele) when he first portrayed 007?  (Side note on Moore as Bond and Templar -  I swear that Moore's 'fighting style' in The Saint (the arms extended outward in a "let's grapple" motion as he squares-off against his opponent) is carried over into his 007 tenure.)

 

As for LALD itself - I think it's a great vehicle to introduce Moore as Bond.  That said, I think one scene defines the entire film.  It's when Kanaga and his posse enter his offices in NYC and they change into their "pimp/villain" clothes.  I understand the plot-point that Kananga is posing as "Mr. Big", but do all of his men need to don clownishly-comical Blaxploitation costumes to achieve this 'transformation?'   Just put on the mask and be done with it.  Aside from making me laugh every time I see it considering it's "Clark Kent hops into a phone-booth"silliness, that scene is the epitome of LALD's internal battle - is it a serious film or is it a campy drive-in movie flick?   This "dual-personality" theme resonates even in Moore's script - is he a virginity-stealing, female-beating cad or is he the suave, debonair character we all know and love (and have seen him play in The Saint)?

 

BTW, congrats for joining the rest of us in the literary 007 ranks - hope the journey was worth it!   Aside from my previous recommendation of picking up the newspaper dailies of the Fleming novels, don't forget about the Moneypenny Diaries (all of which occur during the timeframe you just read) while the Fleming novels are still fresh in your head.  Between the two of these, they might serve as "extended versions" or "director's cuts" for the novels you just read.


Edited by Double Naught spy, 23 October 2013 - 06:57 PM.


#3 Guy Haines

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Posted 24 October 2013 - 07:32 AM

In reply to doublenoughtspy, I was brought up on, amongst other programmes, "The Saint". When Sean Connery quit Bond the second time, Roger Moore had already departed from the Simon Templar role, had just finished "The Persuaders", and seemed the obvious choice as the next James Bond. So obvious you wonder why they had auditions for the part, although they did (I understand one those tested at the same time as Moore was future Bond villain Julian Glover). As far as the UK media was concerned at the time, no one else appeared to be in the running - with his TV commitments out of the way, it was only a matter of time before Moore became Bond.

 

That said, I had a hard time getting Moore's "Saint" role out of my head when he first played Bond. I think it was because, if you look at the way Moore played Bond in those first two films of his, it wasn't just that LALD was most likely written with the Connery of DAF in mind, but Moore still seemed to be playing Bond as a combination of Templar with some of the previous Bond added. Which, for me, worked, even if it made me think of Templar as much as Bond.



#4 ChickenStu

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Posted 24 October 2013 - 02:52 PM

The Man With The Golden Gun

 

I have nothing really to say about this. I put the blu-ray on, yeah nice quality blah blah, but I think this is one of the top three worst of the movies. It's boring and dull, Britt Eckland is annoying and Christopher Lee is criminally under used. I can't say I really watched it, stuck it on and ended up going out in the car and leaving it playing. I really have nothing more to say about this movie. It just stinks. 



#5 glidrose

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Posted 24 October 2013 - 11:02 PM

Paging Dr. Loomis... Dr. Loomis?



#6 Guy Haines

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Posted 25 October 2013 - 08:41 AM

The Man With The Golden Gun

 

I have nothing really to say about this. I put the blu-ray on, yeah nice quality blah blah, but I think this is one of the top three worst of the movies. It's boring and dull, Britt Eckland is annoying and Christopher Lee is criminally under used. I can't say I really watched it, stuck it on and ended up going out in the car and leaving it playing. I really have nothing more to say about this movie. It just stinks. 

I enjoyed it at the time, more so than LALD, but I place the latter film well ahead now. Christopher Lee was an excellent villain in it, but I think the problems were:-

 

(1) the leading lady, Britt Ekland, being more comic relief than anything. Surprising, given she was something of a 70s sex symbol.

 

(2) J W Pepper was amusing in his own back yard (back swamp?) but a bit much second time around. Bringing him back strikes me as a bit of audience focus group influence - "Which bits did you like in LALD? The dumb redneck sheriff? We'll make sure he's in TMWTGG. Never mind it's set in Thailand rather than Louisiana - he can always be a tourist." And why would an American tourist want to test drive an American car from a Bangkok car showroom?

 

(3) the impression that TMWTGG had jumped on another passing bandwagon - Kung Fu movies. Yes, its predecessor had quite a bit of a "Blaxploitation" about it too, but at least one could point to the novel as to why all the villains were blacks. TMWTGG, by contrast, could have been filmed almost anywhere other than the original location in the novel, because the screenplay was supposed to have been about a duel between Bond and the world's greatest assassin. You get the impression it was filmed in the Far East to cash in on the Bruce Lee trend. In fairness, there's a strong argument for saying the Craig reboot has been influenced by the Bourne films, but isn't that more a style of film-making, rather than a passing genre?

 

(4) I think the script lost its focus. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't it originally going to be simply about Bond being challenged to a duel, as mentioned at point three above? Then we had all the solar energy stuff included. It's as if the Bond -v- Scaramanga duel wasn't enough, there had to be a villain's HQ, a fancy world blackmail plan, and the bad guy's HQ blown to bits at the end - without even the numerous minions inside running for cover when it did. If the story was going to be about Scaramanga the assassin - as opposed to him suddenly being master of a solar energy project - wouldn't it have been better to have Bond follow a trail of killings - of fellow agents, Double 0s, VIPs - with Scaramanga challenging Bond to try and stop him? (A bit like the Clint Eastwood film of the 1990s, "In The Line Of Fire", I know, but it would have made it a race against time mission, say if Scaramanga was planning to kill someone really important, and a duel to the death with Bond.) Also, the actual staged duel in the film goes from a bit when Bond loses his gun in the funhouse to Bond, as the dummy of himself, turning round and shooting Scaramanga. Did we miss a scene or two in between?



#7 Hockey Mask

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Posted 25 October 2013 - 03:14 PM

Two things the producers and Moore did right...

 

1.  Moore had his own take on Bond and wasn't a Connery clone.

2.  Longevity.  Moore secured the Bond franchise after losing Connery.

 

Roger Moore is THE reason we still have Bond movies in the 21st century.



#8 ChickenStu

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Posted 25 October 2013 - 08:59 PM

The Spy Who Loved Me

 

This may be the first one I can remember seeing as a kid you know. Think I watched in telly with my older brother. Watched it with the girls and they were pretty much rapt the way through. It truly is awesome. Stromberg is a bit of a weak villain, but Jaws is just awesome. Barbara Bach is a stunner - and Roger Moore finally makes the role his own. Not only does he wrestle it away from Connery - he adds his own unique brand of star power.

 

For obvious reasons its useless to compare this to Fleming's book - but this is a big silly one done right. It's tightly paced, funny - has a great story. The Moore era will just never top this one. After his iffy first two movies in the series - Moore finally shines. 

 

A triumph.



#9 Double Naught spy

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Posted 25 October 2013 - 09:52 PM

I think that TMWTGG jumped on the Kung-Fu bandwagon but totally dissed it at the same time.   When Moore, without breaking a sweat, renders his opponent unconscious at the "school", it's as if the film-makers were attempting to establish their franchise's "alpha-dog" status by saying to the audience, "All of your new-fangled karate-chopping and kicking action heroes like Bruce Lee are nothing compared to "our" far superior hero, who is smarter, craftier, etc.."   And to further illustrate this point, who ends up defeating the small army of karate goons?  Two school girls - Ouch!

 

Regarding TSWLM - Aside from a really fun film that stands up to the test of time, it certainly was a watershed movie for Moore's tenure as 007.  I'm too young to know for sure, but I suspect that all thoughts by the audience of him being Simon Templar were erased within the first few minutes.  It also raised and set the bar of expectation for the pre-title sequence that remains to this day, brought back the gadget-riddled car, gave us the first "equal to Bond" Bond Girl, and cemented the tuxedo as Bond's de facto uniform (at least in the movie posters.) It was also the first film to officially thaw-out the Cold War in the series, which led to 007 being though of as the World's Secret Agent (as opposed to merely being the most famous British Secret Agent) by the international audience.


Edited by Double Naught spy, 25 October 2013 - 09:52 PM.


#10 ChickenStu

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Posted 25 October 2013 - 11:36 PM

Regarding TSWLM - Aside from a really fun film that stands up to the test of time, it certainly was a watershed movie for Moore's tenure as 007.  I'm too young to know for sure, but I suspect that all thoughts by the audience of him being Simon Templar were erased within the first few minutes.  It also raised and set the bar of expectation for the pre-title sequence that remains to this day, brought back the gadget-riddled car, gave us the first "equal to Bond" Bond Girl, and cemented the tuxedo as Bond's de facto uniform (at least in the movie posters.) It was also the first film to officially thaw-out the Cold War in the series, which led to 007 being though of as the World's Secret Agent (as opposed to merely being the most famous British Secret Agent) by the international audience.

 

Wise words in dude old chum. I'd say this one hit the nail on the head. I'd also say it's the first of the "comebacks". For example followed on from an either commercially or critically dissapointing previous movie and a hiatus of a few years to come back and hit the ground running. In more recent years Goldneye and Casino Royale did pretty much the same trick. In fact, maybe even Skyfall aswell come to think of it. 



#11 ChickenStu

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Posted 26 October 2013 - 02:27 PM

Moonraker

 

Maybe a bit of a controversial opinion here but I absolutely adore Moonraker. I mean, Bond in space! What's not to love? This one is not meant to be taken seriously at all and Roger Moore knows it, keeping his performance on the right side of silly. Michel Lonsdale as Drax is an enjoyably boo hiss panto villain - camp as Christmas. Lois Chiles and Corrine Clery are a bit bland - but this is hardly a film that needs oscar worthy female leads is it?

 

The final third of the movie set above the Earth's orbit is awe inspiring and in my opinion this has the most stunning out of all John Barry's scores. The lazer battle between the astronauts is one of the most exciting action sequences I've ever seen. And Richard Kiel almost steels the whole film as Jaws.

 

For pure, exciting turn your brain off entertainment - you just can't go far wrong with Moonraker. From start to finish its a complete joy. 



#12 ChickenStu

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Posted 26 October 2013 - 05:18 PM

For Your Eyes Only

 

Despite the misjudged comedy ending, I do actually quite like this one. It's nice to see Moore taking it all a bit more seriously than usual. To see our man finally dispatch that rotter Blofeld at the start is quite satisfying. The story is a pleasing mishmash of the Fleming stories For Your Eyes Only and Risico. Both stories are done justice here. As wonderful as Moonraker was - it's nice to see something that is more faithful to Fleming.

 

Julian Glover's villain is a bit weak but Carole Bouqeut is a beautiful leading lady. Melina Havelock has a core of steel underneath her soft feminine exterior - and proves to be as capable an action hero as our man. Topol is a delight as Columbo, in a performance pleasantly reminiscent of Kerim Bay. Also, I love Bill Conti's soundtrack (although, along with the ending - it does date this movie a bit). It's very cheesy, but sort of makes you glad to be alive aswell! 

 

Yeah man, generally speaking I don't have any problems with For Your Eyes Only. It's pretty good. 



#13 ChickenStu

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Posted 26 October 2013 - 08:47 PM

Octopussy

 

Oh dear. This would probably be a pretty good film if someone else was playing our man. Moore is just way too past it in this one. I'm not ageist, but he's just not convincing here. Louis Jordan is too hammy as the villain. Maud Adams is sultry and sexy in the title role (and I must thank her if I ever meet her, she helped get me through some difficult teenage years  ;) ) but generally speaking this is just one big old pile of "meh". A shame, cause maybe with a different actor in the part it could've been more intriguing. The way it is, it just doesn't sit right. Not a fan. 

 

The more I think of it the more of a shame it is. Something really interesting could have been done here. Maybe when I do the 2014 marathon I'll see this differently. No promises. I really want to like it. 


Edited by ChickenStu, 26 October 2013 - 11:53 PM.


#14 ChickenStu

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Posted 28 October 2013 - 08:28 PM

A View To A Kill

 

Utter rot. Apart from a nice score by John Barry, a fairly decent title tune from Duran Duran - and a pretty fair performance from Christopher Walken I really have nothing good to say about this movie at all. What a disastrous not for Moore to end his tenure as our man on. A disgrace. 



#15 Double Naught spy

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Posted 28 October 2013 - 11:34 PM

Utter rot?  How can you say such a thing about AVTAK?  Allow me to post my (short-version) list of why you are so horribly wrong -

 

1) The out-of-the-blue Beach Boys cover.  Nothing says, "Oh no!  007's fleeing for his life in the Arctic" like "California Girls."

2) Q-Branch's best-ever gadgets - the polarizing sunglasses that NOT ONCE make our hero look like an aging "queen."

3) The much-needed "blimp" improvement on Lex Luthor's scheme to submerge California in 1978's Superman movie.

4) 007's team-up with Charlie's most-recognizable Angel - Julie Rogers.  "Two heroic equals, fighting bravely side-by-side..."

5) The conclusion to "The Avengers" trifecta where Steed gets his comeuppance. (007 already "had his way" with Gale and Peel in previous films)

6) Elevating Bond to the pantheon of "cinematic greats" like Keaton, the Stooges, etc. with the "out-of-control fire-truck" chase.  Bravo!

 

All kidding aside, this one truly deserves to be in the trash bin.  Seeing poor Sir Roger in his swansong reminds (angers!) me like when I see an aged prize fighter being coaxed back into the ring "one last time" by the promise of a hefty purse.  But, you really can't blame the fighter as much as you can the shadowy "money-men" who lured the once awesome fighter back with the big "one last payday", can you? 

 

Oh well, onward to the "Dalton era"....


Edited by Double Naught spy, 28 October 2013 - 11:37 PM.


#16 ChickenStu

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Posted 29 October 2013 - 12:19 AM

Dude, when you opened your salvo I was expecting you to defend A View To A Kill and I was getting ready for a right royal row! Yet, as I got further into it and began laughing, I was pleased to find your opinion on this piece of excrement is a fairly traditional one! The amazing lows that these movies can come back from... still astounds me! 



#17 MooseWithFleas

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Posted 29 October 2013 - 12:28 AM

 

 

And Richard Kiel almost steels the whole film as Jaws.

 

I see what you did there ;)

 

I adore Roger Moore. His whole era is so fun and the tone of those films are just so classic and I can't help but smile from ear to ear when one of his films are on.



#18 Double Naught spy

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Posted 29 October 2013 - 12:35 AM

Ha-Ha!  Glad I made you chuckle.  It's the least I could do in repayment for hitching a ride on your recent journey into the literary and cinematic worlds of 007. 

 

Side note - my computer "misbehaved" while typing my list the first time and what you read about AVTAK was a 'second draft' based on my "Oh no, something's wrong with my computer" mindset.  In the brief confusion,  I forget to retype one last entry to my original (pre-crash) list....

 

7) Bond cooking quiche.  Finally, the long-awaited reference to Thrilling Cities, because it's a clear 'nod' (and a modern-day update) to us fans who've read 007's scrambled eggs recipe.



#19 ChickenStu

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Posted 29 October 2013 - 04:18 PM

You know, I may try to make that Scrambled Eggs recipe. Just for the hell of it. Let's all eat like Bond! Hmmm, could be a thread in that... 



#20 ChickenStu

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Posted 29 October 2013 - 04:31 PM

 

 

 

And Richard Kiel almost steels the whole film as Jaws.

 

I see what you did there ;)

 

 

I wish I could say it was deliberate...  :blush:  :wub:



#21 Colossus

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Posted 09 November 2013 - 03:08 AM

Good observations Stu. Moore is the best Bond. Connery may have had the better movies. It is always some tradeoff i suppose in life. 



#22 Double Naught spy

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Posted 02 December 2013 - 10:18 PM

Not sure where to post this, so I've picked this topic since I've posted on it previously.  And it does dove-tail somewhat with my previous comments on how 'brilliant' TSWLM is.....

 

Probably most of you have already noticed this, but I was watching TSWLM for the umpteenth time over the weekend and I just now finally noticed the severed woman's arm in Stromberg's aquarium.  Considering Moore's (clearly obvious) facial expression to the audience that there's 'something in the water for us to notice' I honestly can't  believe it's taken me this long to spot! 

 

For my fellow 'unobservant' (which I'm certain that (embarrassingly) there are few... if not none) CBN posters who never spotted it - Bond spots the severed arm seconds before he first meets Stromberg (i.e. right before the whole awkward "I don't shake hands"/"Can you name that fish?" scene.) 


Edited by Double Naught spy, 02 December 2013 - 10:19 PM.