73 replies to this topic

[Digitarius]

The whole film was diabolical. First, there's Sheriff Pepper, who was supposedly holidaying in Thailand (!), and then, as Bond pursued Scaramanga, he 'hijacked' a car in a shop, and there's Pepper in there! What's he doing there, I mean, trying to buy a car in Thailand! And then the stunt where the car flipped 180 degrees and then landed on the other side of the river was totally ruined by the cartoony music.
And then there was Mary Goodnight. Scatterbrained and absolutely ridiculous. How on earth could she possibly be working for MI6?
And Nick-nack, the pint-sized man. Watching him fight Bond at the end was just painful.
The best gadget Bond had was possibly the third nipple. Oh dear.
The Bond song was awful too.
What a disgrace. This is the worst Bond film I've ever seen.

[Blue Eyes]

I liked Sherrif Pepper, but I can't recall him in TMWTGG, I know he was in there but it's been a while since I saw the film.

I loved him in Live And Let Die, he just had that American country bumkin feel about him.

[Blue Eyes]

And I know Mary Goodnight was a practical deadhead - I think she was very poorly written. But boy was she sexy!

[Digitarius]

Mary Goodnight looked alright (rhymes there), but she's a bimbo. Worse than Christmas Jones and almost as bad as Sutton.
Sheriff Pepper, oh well, what more can I say. All I can say about his character was that he was holidaying in Thailand, and as Bond hijacks a car he just happens to be buying it, trying it out. What on earth is he trying to buy a car in Thailand? And how on earth did he afford to go on holiday to Thailand on a sheriff's pay?

[mrmoon]

I don't think anyone is particuarly bothered why Sheriff Pepper is buying a car in thailand much the same as no one is bothered how Jaws survives his cable car crash into the 7up building. There are too many idiosyncrasys to point figures at one.

[Blue Eyes]

mrmoon (19 May, 2001 02:40 p.m.):
I don't think anyone is particuarly bothered why Sheriff Pepper is buying a car in thailand much the same as no one is bothered how Jaws survives his cable car crash into the 7up building. There are too many idiosyncrasys to point figures at one.

I was never bothered with why Pepper was looking at the car. I just always thought he was bored with his wifes shopping sprees so he went off to do something more his style, look at cars!

[Digitarius]

That's the first time I saw Sheriff Pepper and style in the same sentence.

[White Persian]

>for true Bond fans all 19 films are masterpieces...<
Sorry, Mr Moon, can't agree. As fans of the series, we still need to retain our critical faculties. And knowing the films better than most viewers we are in a better position to discuss their shortcomings ( as well as appreciate their virtues). The fact is some Bond films are better than others.
The controversy comes because we all have differing ideas of which are good and which are bad. That's why swapping opinions in these forums is so much fun.
Personally I don't rate Golden Gun highly,for similar reasons to those listed by Digitarius. However I do like the scene in Lazar's workshop - "Speak now or forever hold your piece"- and the interplay between Roger Moore and Christopher Lee. I'd love to see the duel as originally shot - where they BOTH cheat, and there's a bit of cat and mouse amongst the rocks on the beach, with Bond improvising a Molotov cocktail to try to smoke Scaramanga out.
And yes the scenery IS lovely.

[Digitarius]

Which is why Bond films are so successful.
For me, The Man With The Golden Gun is the worst out of the lot, but still there are saving graces, such as the performance of Christopher Lee. A View To A Kill (probably 2nd worst) has the superb soundtrack and Walken playing Zorin, while even NSNA has its ups, if only because Connery was there.

[White Persian]

I've just learned that Christopher Lee has been made a CBE in the Queen's birthday honours list ... though I dont suppose it was for playing Scaramanga.
Actually Commander of the British Empire sounds more the sort of thing Bond should be awarded.

[Digitarius]

Lee was made a CBE for his various performances in horror films such as Dracula, I believe.
But how could Bond be given a CBE when he is fictional? That's unfortunate. I think Moore already has a CBE/OBE and Connery is a 'sir'. Dalton has nothing (because he is nothing other than Bond in two films) and Brosnan has still a long way to go.

[Jim]

The scene with Andrea Anders, the Hong Kong hotel room, the shower, the water pistol, Bond being somewhat rough and the cracking line about Scramanga having to use one of the little golden bullets on Andrea Anders, which would be a shame because they're very expensive (or something of the sort)...even though it's surrounded by the remainder of The Man with the Golden Gun (which is, frankly, dross), this is a top Bond moment, and for me, Moore's finest.

Perhaps it was because it was a touch Connery, but hey ho.

[zencat]

I recognize that TMWTGG is not the best film in the series, but I do like it. In fact, not long ago I went on a TMWTGG binge...I just had to watch the movie over and over. There's something about seeing Bond in the Far East that I really enjoy. And maybe I'm just a sexist pig, but I like Mary Goodnight. She doesn't seem so dumb to me, she just comes off as a loose '70s hippy girl in Hong Kong. And I remember the "energy crisis" so I kind of get a chuckle out of the solex plot. And M's slanted office aboard the sunken Queen Elizabeth is very Bond, and Anya sitting dead with her eyes open... Hey, I really like TMWTGG! Oh boy, I'm getting the madness. Time to go on another binge.

[mrmoon]

I know exactly what you mean. I think me and you are the only ones who like it.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Live And Let Die & The Man With The Golden Gun were virtually made back to back.
Cubby Broccoli produced LALD in '73, and Harry Saltzman produced TMWTGG in '74.
It's the only instance where 2 Bond movies were only 1 year apart, to the detriment of Gun, I feel.
Saltzman wanted Thailand as a location for LALD but Cubby had other ideas, so they both "did their own thing".
As far as the music is concerned, I feel that it was John Barry's least memorable score. He only had 2 weeks to write it, and it showed.
Saltzman then sold his stake of EON to Cubby, and left (with his tale between his legs, I would think).
Not a fitting going away present to the Bond world!

[Simon]

Jim (09 Aug, 2001 01:38 p.m.):
The scene with Andrea Anders, the Hong Kong hotel room, the shower, the water pistol, Bond being somewhat rough................this is a top Bond moment, and for me, Moore's finest.

Totally agree - I also love this film, the scenery was wonderful, the occasional toughness from Moore and Lee and not filled with explosions - it really is a chilled out film. Nick Nack was comic relief in a tone a whole lot less cringeworthy of the later Q scenes while Goodnight was abit painful, but hey, it was the '70s.

I've also had the pleasure of visiting Scaramanga's island and it really is quite magical - a true Bond location.

[Blofeld's Cat]

I never liked the scene where the two school girls shove Bond back then proceed to kick 'n' chop away at the guys in the 'pie-jammas'. Very un-Bond like.

As a side bar, I remember reading newspaper articles in Sydney in which George Lazenby criticised the lousy martial arts action in the movie.
At the time he was promoting his own kung-fu flick, The Man From Hong Kong.
I'm sure we all remember that one.

[Mister Asterix]

I have to agree with both of the white cats. The Man With The Golden Gun was a wonderful film--albeit with some flaws. Scaramanga is, to me, the last great Bond villain and Nick-nack is one of the series' great henchmen.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Completely agree with on everything you said there, WP (don't know about Judy Geeson, though ).

In 1974, I was only 13 (unlucky year for Bond, unlucky age for me?) when I saw my first Bond movie at the cinema.

I thought it was fantastic! Spectacular islands, Scaramanga's snazzy house, kung-fu fighting, 360^o car stunt, flying car, mini sea-plane, cool looking laser canon.

It was around the time of that super excellent kung-fu movie Enter The Dragon with Bruce Lee. For some reason I found many similarities between the two: oriental locations, action on an island, and of course, kung-fu fighting.

I loved it! Then I grew up, but still appreciate TMWTGG as my entry into the Bond cinematic universe.

[White Persian]

When I first saw TMWTGG on the big screen back in '74, kiddies, I remember thinking "This is a vast improvement on LALD". John Barry was back, Christopher Lee was the baddy, Peter Murton's art direction had a Ken Adam feel to it, Roger Moore seemed more comfortable in the role...and then Britt Ekland appeared.

It isn't a Bond movie that I've revisited all that frequently (I doubt whether I've watched it more than a dozen times), but I did sit through it again when it popped up on Optus, and I enjoyed it more than I expected.
If you remove a few seriously miscalculated elements - the slide whistle, Sheriff Pepper, the schoolgirls, and Mary Goodnight- what remains is pretty good.
The hidden Service base in the wreck of the Queen Elizabeth is a wonderful conceit that Fleming would be proud of. The scene with Lazar is terrific. The fight in Saida's bedroom is nicely done by Moore movie standards. The scene with Andrea in her hotel room shows a hard edge to Bond.

It would have been better still, if the original duel, in which both men cheat (as you would), had been retained.

But what on earth made them decide to write Mary Goodnight as a comic role? It isn't as if comedy was Britt Ekland's strong point, though she'd done several due to her marriage to Peter Sellers. Did they feel that a Secret Service secretary wasn't interesting enough as a character? I keep thinking how much better the whole film could have been with someone like Judy Geeson in the role.

[AusBond]

Add another person to the list who likes TMWTGG - because I rekon it was good too. (Reasons the same as all the other fans). You cant call yourself a Bond fan if you slam one of the movies as much as you slam this one.

[Macca]

I also like TMWTGG. The title music is awful of course; but that has no bearing on the movie. The scenes involving scaramangas playhouse maze are amazing!! As a kid I used to wish I could go into there and shoot all those 'dick tracy' type villains!

There's more comedy in this film than most bonds; I think Moore was probably seeing how far he could go with humour in the bond format.

People just love slagging off J W Pepper - I can see why, but I don't think he was THAT bad. It would be interesting to see how the 'flipping car over the water' scene would have worked if it was just Bond in the car..

This is probably Rogers 2nd worst film after AVTAK; but it's still enjoyable.

[scaramanga]

I love TMWTGG! Its not the best film in the series granted, but the films has many enjoyable moments, as well as some dire ones.
Francisco Scaramanga is probably the last great Bond villain. An outstanding performance by Christopher Lee. Tall, dark and handsome, reminds me of his role as Dracula, especially when you see him asleep on his Chinese junk. The golden gun is probably one of the most original and best loved gadgets in the series. The locations are wonderfully exotic, with the exception of Beirut. The scenes with Lazar in Macau and Andrea Anders in Hong Kong are superb. I love the way Bond constantly puts down Miss Anders as a "nobody" and that she is "worthless". Its not often we get to see Bond's chauvinism anymore. The scene at the 'karate school' where Bond kicks the guy in the head as he is bowing is classic, spoilt only by the appearance of Hip and his nieces and that fact that Hip drives off without Bond! The only other problem I have is the car jump (with whistle sound) and Scaramanga's "Flying" AMC Matador. But apart from that and a few lines of dialogue you wish had never been wrote, the film is one of the most light-hearted and enjoyable. It my opinion it is better than Moonraker, AVTAK, LTK and TND and should be considered a classic.

[Mister Asterix]

scaramanga (15 Nov, 2001 10:59 a.m.):
I love TMWTGG

Really, I never would have guessed.

[scaramanga]

Mister Asterix (15 Nov, 2001 03:04 p.m.):

scaramanga (15 Nov, 2001 10:59 a.m.):
I love TMWTGG

Really, I never would have guessed.

lol. Somewhat narcissistical of oneself would'nt you say?

[Mister Asterix]

scaramanga (18 Nov, 2001 05:58 p.m.):

Mister Asterix (15 Nov, 2001 03:04 p.m.):

scaramanga (15 Nov, 2001 10:59 a.m.):
I love TMWTGG

Really, I never would have guessed.

lol. Somewhat narcissistical of oneself would'nt you say?

Most definitely.

[White Persian]

mrmoon (19 May, 2001 03:40 p.m.):
I don't think anyone is particuarly bothered why Sheriff Pepper is buying a car in thailand much the same as no one is bothered how Jaws survives his cable car crash into the 7up building.

Actually both examples annoy the hell out of me.

That said, parts of TMWTGG are fine. The scene with Lazar is terrific. The fight in Saida's room is probably Moore's best (though that may be damning with faint praise). The scene where Bond smacks Andrea around (not that I approve, of course) shows a hard edge to Moore's Bond.
If they hadn't rejigged the original end where both Scaramanga *and* Bond cheat in the duel, and had made Mary Goodnight a worthy partner to Bond [and ditched the wretched slide whistle], then I think TMWTGG would be better regarded.

[White Persian]

Blofeld's Cat (02 Oct, 2001 03:47 p.m.):

As a side bar, I remember reading newspaper articles in Sydney in which George Lazenby criticised the lousy martial arts action in the movieThe Man with the Golden Gun.
At the time he was promoting his own kung-fu flick, The Man From Hong Kong.
I'm sure we all remember that one.

Actually, B.C. I do, and with considerable affection.
Jimmy Wang Yu to Rebecca Gilling who is lying in blissful afterglow after some bonkage:
"Well, what did you expect, acupuncture?"

[freemo]

I don't think its quite as simple as that, TSWLM is a pretty good film, perhaps it doesn't have quite as good a villian but it has a few aspects that are better than TMWTGG.

[Bon-san]

To say that TMWTGG is worse than AVTAK is beyond my comprehension. For one thing, Roger's not looking 65 years old in TMWTGG. I just can't get past the distraction of his facelifted-yet-still-geriatric appearance in AVTAK. Also, TMWTGG has that "1974 era" thang going for it, which is very key if you were born before 1970. If not, then you are out of the loop as far as truly appreciating TMWTGG. Oh, and Britt Ekland is too quintessential a Bond Girl to be dissed by anybody. She's the last great Bond bimbo!! And she's way hot in that bikini. I could go on and on about the virtues of TMWTGG. It's not From Russia With Love. It's not OHMSS. But I like it, like it, yes I do.