James Bond & Bond Girls Discussion Thread

[Greenman]

Daily diary?
Hmm(shoots a dart from it) deadly daily diary!

Ah yes the great Sir Roger Moore, the first Bond to die which is a real shame as he was a gentleman, a great actor and of course the longest reigning James Bond-that title now passes to Sean Connery, not that he would want it like that. He had a wicked sense of humour and could do a few impressions including Sean. I only just watched him in a few re-runs of 'The Persuaders' with his side kick Tony Curtis, who was the one who got the top billing "Curtis & Moore" as the caption says in the opening title sequence. Some people found his later Bonds to be too jokey and I think he realised the jig was up when Octopussy came out and he looked too old to play 007. He was very good in 'North Sea Hijack' as the cantankerous Rufus who didn't like women but loved cats! And he tried to be ruthless as a German in the comedy war film 'Escape to Athena' He was very funny in 'The Cannonball Run' where he sent up his James Bond persona as 'Seymour' When he reaches those pearly gates I am sure he will still "keeping the British end up" RIP Sir Rog.

[philips25]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X1ugbpkusA

[Greenman]

It would appear that Daniel Craig may have been enticed back to play James Bond for a fifth and final time. Story in the paper seems to suggest this will happen thanks to Barbara Broccoli, the co-producer of the Bond films. My best guess is that she must have offered him a very nice cash incentive...no official word yet but they better hurry up as it will be three years since the last film, Spectre, and fans are eager to see what happens next.

[G-Type]

As Greenman says, Daniel Craig will certainly being offered a satisfying monetary package in order to sign the contract for the next movie.

Being a long-term James Bond-fan, I have never understood why Craig has been offered the role after Pierce Brosnan resigned.

IMO, Craig is lacking elegance and suaveness respectively whereas his physical aspects (even though being not tall) and gross-motorics are over-emphasized.

Sean Connery certainly had a good mixture of male-ness and elegance, Sir Roger Moore brought in handsome-ness and cosmopolitic behaviour...whereas for me, Craig is just a "bulldozer" and has nothing in common with the figure of "James Bond by Ian Fleming".

For me personally, I could imagine Benedict Cumberbatch to be a "good" Bond.

Some might say, given his past history of playing Sherlock Holmes, he might not fit the role.

However, apart from Sherlock he also played brillantly in other films and when I see pics of him during public occasions (red carpets etc.), I always think: yep, he has something special..call it charisma or aura.

...and he is 6ft b.t.w....which is "minimum-criteria" to play Bond

[pharoahegypt]

It's amazing how opinions differ...

For me Daniel Craig makes a great Bond; the BEST Bond in fact.

And I can think of no one less suited to taking on the role than that arrogant Cumberbatch moron. Great as Holmes, but totally NOT ever going to make a convincing James Bond.

Of course; this is a differing opinion to the one offered above, & VEF.com officially endorses neither view due to legal issues.... They are solely the view of its members.

[Greenman]

Slightly off topic it appears that Barbara and Michael(co-producers) are going to produce a new film called 'The Rhythm Section' a 'female-driven' thriller starring Blake Lively based on a british book by Mark Burnell - a woman becomes an assassin to avenge the deaths of her family. Can anyone name another film that they have produced other than the Bond films, because I don't remember any.

[scorpion_111151]

Originally Posted by Greenman

Can anyone name another film that they have produced other than the Bond films, because I don't remember any.

According to the IMDb, there are a couple of movies listed: "The Silent Storm" and "Radiator", both from 2014. The are also a few projects said to be in development. So mainly Bond or associated stuff.

[Greenman]

Nice stuff Scorpion.
I read in the Times this morning that 'Tiger' Joe Robinson has died at 90. I didn't know it was he, an ex wrestler, who played Peter Franks whose persona would be taken by Sean Connery(007) in 'Diamonds Are Forever' and is unceremoniously thrown six floors to his doom. His brother was Doug Robinson who also was a stuntman-arranger in the later Bond films. He opened a judoka in Brighton and one of his pupils would go on to be British and World Superstars champion as well as Olympic medalist , Brian Jacks. One of his children Polly Hardy-Stewrart became Brtish judo champion in 1990 and one of his 11 grandchildren Kyra is an IBJIF Jiu Jitsu champion whilst another, Phoebe is a stunt woman and fitness model recently appearing in Marvel's Wonder Woman film.

[scorpion_111151]

Originally Posted by Greenman

Nice stuff Scorpion.
I read in the Times this morning that 'Tiger' Joe Robinson has died at 90. I didn't know it was he, an ex wrestler, who played Peter Franks whose persona would be taken by Sean Connery(007) in 'Diamonds Are Forever' and is unceremoniously thrown six floors to his doom. His brother was Doug Robinson who also was a stuntman-arranger in the later Bond films. He opened a judoka in Brighton and one of his pupils would go on to be British and World Superstars champion as well as Olympic medalist, Brian Jacks. One of his children Polly Hardy-Stewart became Brtish judo champion in 1990 and one of his 11 grandchildren Kyra is an IBJIF Jiu Jitsu champion whilst another, Phoebe is a stunt woman and fitness model recently appearing in Marvel's Wonder Woman film.

Joe and Pete also taught Honor "Pussy Galore" Blackman self-defence for her part in "The Avengers". Joe was also up for the part of the Rank "gong man". Coincidentally some else was telling me about Joe on another forum, regarding his part in "A Kid for Two Farthings", which keeps appearing on Talking Pictures TV.

[Lurk_D]

While it is neither recent, nor actually Barbara and Michael, Albert "Cubby" Broccoli produced "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", based on the children's thriller authored by Ian Fleming. He went overboard in an attempt to "Disneyfy" the property, making major changes to the storyline and how the characters interact, going so far as to hire the Sherman Brothers, a known Disney composing pair, to write the songs and other music.

In some ways, it was an effective effort. From the age of 5 to about 25, I had an undefined loathing for the film that I only realized the source of when I watched it again at the older age. The character of the Child-Snatcher (other sites call him the Child-Catcher) terrified me so much as a small boy I had blotted him from my memory, and it was this fear that made me unwilling to rewatch the film for two decades.

Incidentally, I had the opportunity to ask Dick Van Dyke if Disney had had anything to do with the making of the film soon after my seminal rewatch. He said "No, and it would have been a better film if he had!"