#irma bunt

[ultimate-007]

ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE 1969

Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt

[thealmightyemprex]

…Did I ever ask if you have any favorite Bond ships? If not, do you have any favorite Bond ships? :D If I already did, w h o o p s

You have not asked this .The answers are

Bond and Tracy

Bond and Scaramanga

Jaws and Dolly

Blofeld and Irma Bunt

Mr Wint and Mr Kidd

Franz Sanchez and Dario

[philippageorgiou]

Have you heard any of the Radio 4 James Bond radio dramas with Toby Stephenson as Bond? They've done nine of them so far, with celeb guest stars (Ian McKellen as Goldfinger, Rosamund Pike as Pussy Galore, Alfred Molina as Blofeld, Joanna Lumley as Irma Bunt, Rutina Wesley as Solitaire, et al), based on the Fleming novels rather than the films.

no i haven’t! that sounds intriguing, i’ve been meaning to read the novels but i might just listen to those instead

[phantomlordreshiram]

A complete list of Ronnie's admin team:

- Houndoom, male named Mephis [after the name for the devil, Mephistopheles]

- Mightyena, female named Irma [After the villain Irma Bunt from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Ronnie is somewhat of a film enthusiast].

- Liepard, female named Annie [After Annie Wilkes from Misery].

- Hydreigon, male named Caligula [after the insane emporer].

- Weavile, male named Frost.

- Obstagoon, female named Siegman [After Elena Siegman, the female metal singer who works with Kevin Sherwood for CoD Zombies songs]

His battling style focuses pretty much entirely on offense.

Is he too overpowered?

[thelaserdiscfiles]

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969, Bond no. 6, Dir. Peter R. Hunt)

After a successful run of 5 Bond films, Sean Connery decided to hang up the holster and explore other ventures. This would not be a permanent departure from the series, in fact it would not be his only departure and return to the series, but we'll get into that. After Connery's temporary retirement from the role, series producers Broccoli and Saltzman began pre-production for filming an adaptation of The Man With The Golden Gun, featuring Roger Moore as Bond, intending to shoot it in Cambodia. However, between Roger Moore signing up for another series of the television show The Saint and political instability in southeast Asia at the time, this didn't come to fruition, thus TMWTGG and Moore were shelved for a later day. In fact, OHMSS was originally to be made post-Goldfinger, but the rights legal battle I mentioned a few posts ago was resolved, and EON was able to move forward with Thunderball.

Enter George Lazenby, a 29 year old Australian model who had more or less no acting experience aside from appearing in a chocolate bar commercial. Lazenby is kind of the movie star that was never to be. He kinda lucked into an astonishing amount of potential by starring in this movie, but unfortunately for him, he squandered it by declaring shortly into filming that he would only be starring as James Bond in one film, as he had been convinced by his manager the the Bond franchise would not remain solvent into the seventies. Yes, time has born this out to be an incredibly poor decision, and incredibly ironic, as the franchise has stood the test of time very well. But, going from the tumultuous 60s into the more civilized and freer 1970s, who's to say if it would have been at the time? Yes, hindsight is 20/20. It's easy to, in 2019, laugh at Lazenby's decision as very poor judgment and mismanagement, but at the time it was not known that the Bond franchise would be a titan that transcends decades.

The movie begins with James Bond driving along in his sweet new Aston Martin DBS Vantage, when he gets passed by a totally bitchin' red Mercury Cougar XR-7. Given that the Merc was driven by a pretty woman, Bond naturally takes an interest, and prevents her from drowning herself in the ocean.....and is attacked by two thugs who presumably want the woman. After beating them down, the women takes off as Bond quips "this never happened to the other fellow", and opening credits role.

The woman, revealed to be contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, or, just Tracy to her friends, is the troubled daughter of an Italian crime lord. Her father, seeing some kind of potential in Bond, attempts to bribe him into wedding his daughter with a princely dowry of one million pounds. Bond refuses, however, he continues to romance Tracy on the condition that her dad reveal the location of his nemesis, SPECTRE numero uno, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Finally having a shot at Blofeld, Bond returns to London only to be told by his superior M to drop it, and Bond resigns from MI6. Well, tries to, at least, as M's secretary Moneypenny changes the resignation notice to a request for vacation. Bond then makes tracks to Tracy's dad's birthday, where he finds himself in a genuine romantic relationship with her. Inevitably, her father's sources lead Bond to a geneologist for London's College of Arms, and learns that Blofeld is scheming to attain a title of nobility, claiming to be Count Balthazar de Bleuchamp, and that he is holed up in a mountain in neutral Switzerland, running an allergy clinic. Impersonating the geneologist and donning his silliest outfit, Bond heads for Piz Gloria, Blofeld's compound high in the Alps, and, after seducing several of the young patients and finding out that they're being brainwashed to taint the world's food supply, Bond is caught and outed at the spy he is, despite coming face to face with Blofeld, who apparently remembered him looking more like a certain Scotsman. Bond is imprisoned, but escapes by skiing down the mountain with the bad guys, including Blofeld's head henchwoman, Irma Bunt, behind him. Hiding from his pursuers in a mountain town, he comes across, of all people, Tracy, who is in town doing some skating. Together they take flight in her Cougar, and more skiing ensures. Blofeld triggers an avalanche, and manages to abduct Tracy. Along with her father and his men, Bond stages a daring raid on Piz Gloria, and rescues Tracy, but Blofeld manages to escape on a secret bobsled. Later, with M, a weepy Moneypenny and a proud Q present, Bond and Tracy wed, only for Blofeld and Bunt to gun her down in a drive-by shooting, leaving James Bond to weep over the body of his dead wife.

Fifteen or so years ago, when I was first REALLY getting into the series, Lazenby and OHMSS were stalwarts of worst Bond/Bond movie lists everywhere. Contemporary reviews seemed to focus on one thing: George Lazenby isn't Sean Connery. Connery had been the face of the series since the beginning, a series for which the public had a voracious appetite for. In my personal opinion, they just weren't ready for the face of that to change. However, in 2019, as I right this, the movie has undergone considerable reappraisal. Industry bigshots Steven Soderberg and Christopher Nolan have cited it as their favorite of the series. Lazenby himself is still rather polarising. You either like him or you don't. I do. I personally believe that had he stuck with the role, and gone on to make Diamonds are Forever and especially Live and Let Die, and we had not had poor Roger Moore languish in the role til 19-80-fucking-6, we would have had a vastly different franchise. A franchise that I lement the loss of the possibilities of, and had Lazenby been the face of that franchise, matured with it, I think he would be infinitely better remembered. He has a youthful flippancy about him, and a greater physicality than Connery ever had. I genuinely enjoy the dynamic between him and Tracy, who is played by Diana Rigg, who modern audiences will probably NOT (it has been 50 years since OHMSS) recognize and Olenna Tyrell from the HBO juggernaut Game of Thrones. A lot of people didn't like when Bond wept over her dead body. I do agree that Connery probably would not have done that. For me Lazenby balances the quintessential hard drinkin' Aston Martin drivin' PPK shootin' womanizin' tropes that the series had become known for with a healthy dose of humanity. The things he could have done...even though it was literally 20 years before my birth....still bothers me.

The action in this movie is both thrilling and beautifully shot. The skiing scenes put that of Moore-era flick The Spy Who Loved Me, which was made nearly a decade later, to shame. The car chase with the big, brawny Cougar XR-7 is just awesome, a chase made better for me by the fact that it's Tracy, not Bond, behind the wheel. The penultimate bobsled scene is, goofiness aside, pretty damn exciting. The music, including the driving opening theme (the first, and only theme in the series to be an instrumental piece) and the Louis Armstrong-sung tune We Have All The Time In The World are really good and have a great late 60's feel.

If I had to pick one thing that doesnt do it for me....it's easily Telly Savalas....Mo'fucking Kojak, as Blofeld. Savalas, despite being a bigger and more physical and intimidating figure than Donald Pleasence,..I just can't take him seriously. I seriously expect him to say "who loves ya, Bondy" and start sucking on a lollypop at any moment. That said....he is easily the most fun rendition of Blofeld, despite Savalas playing the character deadly serious.

Depsite middling reviews and reception, OHMSS brought in over ten times it's budget of 7 milion, which was 3 mil less than YOLT. But Lazenby was out. Who would fill the tux next? Well....to the great joy of the general public, EON would manage to tempt back Sean Connery for one last (official) Bond film....James Bond would be back in Diamonds are Forever.

[theamazingstories]

DAME ENID DIANA ELIZABETH RIGG, FAREWELL!

DAME ENID DIANA ELIZABETH RIGG, FAREWELL!

Figure 1 – Diana Rigg as Mrs. Peel

Last week I talked about the death of actor Chadwick Boseman; this week it’s my sad duty again to talk about another icon of stage and screen, Dame Diana Rigg. Figure 1 shows how most of us who were young men in the sixties would remember seeing her first: as Mrs. Emma Peel, partner of John Steed (Patrick Macnee) in the British series The Avengers, a…

[thejamesbondcomplex]

"You Only Live Twice" by Ian Fleming

https://anchor.fm/the-james-bond-complex/episodes/You-Only-Live-Twice-by-Ian-Fleming-e2ksne

For centuries people have endeavoured to build public attractions for almost every possible human interest like music, visual arts, architecture, parades, food, Disney…EXCEPT DEATH! Yes, that’s right, it’s back to books this week as Mathieu and Edgar bask in the glory of Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, featuring what must be Ernst Stavro Blofeld’s zaniest plot yet, the Garden of Death. Of course, the novel offers so much more than just that. Over the course of the discussion we cover how awesome it is to be a kamikaze pilot, the respectability of whore houses, the usefulness of getting your business partners as drunk as humanly possible, and the delicacy that is kobe beef. So get your tea leaves ready and discover early 1960s Japan with us. Haiku: You only live twice. Once when you are born, and once when you discover The James Bond Complex.

[mathieuauclair]

La trilogie “Spectre”

En tant que co-animateur du podcast “The James Bond Complex” je dois non seulement lire chaque Roman pour pouvoir en discuter de fond en comble. Je doit par la suite concevoir les images pour promouvoir chaque épisode. Voici les images que j’ai conçu pour la trilogie Spectre. Cette série d’aventure qui force James Bond a affronté Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Dans ce premier chapitre de la saga “Spectre” James Bond doit retrouver deux Bombes nucléaire qui ont été volés. 

Pour cette image je voulais présenter une héro en détresse. 007 n’a pas d’arme à feu, il est vêtu que d’un simple costume de bain. Le vilain, à bord de son yacht tien en otage la pauvre Domino, une jeune femme qui s’est amouraché de l’agent secret. 

La seconde confrontation entre 007 et le Spectre est connu pour sa fin tragique.  Dans cette histoire James Bond infiltre la clinique de recherche des allergies du comte de Bleuchamp. Le comte est en réalité le sinistre Blofeld. Durant cette palpitante aventure, 007 tombe amoureux d’une jeune veuve et épouse celle-ci sans se douter du destin tragique qui l’attend. 

Pour cette image je voulais mettre en avant l’élément clés: Le marriage de James Bond, la fuite à ski de 007 et le perfide Blofeld. 

8 mois après la conclusion de “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, James Bond n’est plus le même homme. Il a fait rater plusieurs missions. Pour le secouer, M, le chef des services secret lui impose une mission avec de minces chance de succès; convaincre le chef des service secrets Japonais de partager un réseau d’information avec les services Britannique. Le chef en question, Tiger Tanaka, demande à 007 une petite faveur, l’assassinat du Gaijin Dr. Shatterhand, une homme qui a construit un jardin de mort où des centaines de Japonais se rendent pour se suicider. Le sinistre Shatterhand est en fait nul autre que Blofeld. Le meurtrier de la femme de James Bond.

Pour cette image, l’important était de présenter un James Bond déterminé et qu’on soit en mesure de ressentir le côté japonais du récit, le choix de couleur, et le logo contribuent à donner cette impression. La lecture de gauche à droite met sur le chemin de 007 Blofeld et sa femme, Irma Bunt avant de pouvoir rejoindre la douce Kissy Suzuki. Le sinistre château perché sur une colline est également un élément qui contribue à la touche Japonaise de cette image.

[ultimate-007]

ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE 1969

Ilse Steppat as Irma Bunt

[dorminchu]

Yes, I made another of these. I have no self-control. This one is not really about the individual film/show/media as it is the actors’ performances within said media. Some of them are specifically Bond-related, some not. But it’s all about the vibe, baybee! Incidentally, each four-chapter Act of Insult to Injury is centered around a character + theme; Act I [Madeleine] is about remorse, Act II [Safin] is about vengeance, & Act III [007] is about honor and loyalty.

I think I will also swap out Irma Bunt for Colonel Klebb with Rampling in mind (though I have not seen Red Sparrow). I love a good generational clash (in this case, between Klebb and Safin through the decades).

[ljones41]

"ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) Review

"ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE" (1969) Review At least ten years or more must have passed since I last saw the 1969 Bond movie, “ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE (OHMSS)”. EON Production’s sixth entry in the Bond franchise has the distinction of being the only movie that starred Australian male model-turned-actor, George Lazenby. It was the first EON movie that did not star Sean Connery – already fixed in the public’s mind as the only actor who can portray James Bond. And it was the only movie that was directed by former film editor, Peter Hunt.

I first became aware of “OHMSS” back in the mid-1980s. I had seen it on television once, when I was a child. But ABC Television’s botched editing had turned me off from the movie. I eventually became a fan during repeated viewings of the movie during the mid and late 1980s. By the beginning of the 1990s, “OHMSS” had been fixed as my favorite Bond movie. For years, it remained in this position, despite repeating viewings of other Bond movies, the release of the Brosnan films and my own mysterious reluctance to watch “OHMSS”. It seemed as if I was afraid to watch it again, fearful that my earlier adulation of the film might prove to be misguided. And then EON Productions released “CASINO ROYALE” in the theaters back in 2006. "CASINO ROYALE" had impressed me so much that my doubts about “OHMSS” increased even further. After seeing “CASINO ROYALE” for the third time and 2008's "QUANTUM OF SOLACE", I finally decided to watch “OHMSS” for the first time in years. In the end, my fears seemed groundless. My latest viewing of “OHMSS” proved that I had every right to view it as one of my all time favorite Bond movies. After 41 years, the movie still holds up as one of the finest Bond movies in the entire franchise, if not the finest. And it also one of the few Bond films to closely follow its source, namely the 1963 novel penned by Ian Fleming. What makes the latter remarkable is that the previous Bond entry, “YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE” barely resembled its literary source, aside from a few characters and the setting. “OHMSS” picks up with Bond searching for Blofeld, now wanted by various governments for his past forays into international terrorism and extortion. His search leads to meeting the most important woman in his life other than Vesper Lynd – Teresa (Tracy) Draco di Vicenzo. Not only will his meeting with Tracy lead to a serious change in his private life, it will also affect his professional life, thanks to Tracy’s father, Marc-Ange Draco when he provides Bond with information leading to Blofeld. Of course, Draco was only willing to provide this information, if Bond courts his daughter. In the end, Bond not only tracks down Blofeld, but destroy the latter’s latest attempt to extort the United Nations. But as many know, Bond’s latest professional conflict will result in tragedy for his private life. I only have a few problems with “OHMSS”. One of them was the director Peter Hunt’s decision to have actor George Baker (portraying the real Sir Hilary Bray), dub Lazenby’s voice, while Bond is impersonating Sir Hilary at Piz Gloria. Why they had decided to do this confounds me. It seemed very unnecessary, unless the director was aiming for Sir Hilary to sound like a cliché of a British scholar. Another problem I had were some of the jokes that came out of Bond’s mouth. I consider this problem minor, since “OHMSS” – like many other Bond movies had its share of good and bad jokes. One particularly good joke was the St. Bernard who came to Bond’s “rescue” after the latter had survived his bobsled fight against Blofeld. And last, but not least, there were a few moments when the editing seemed a bit . . . questionable. A good example would be the scene that featured Bond’s first meeting with Draco. There is a moment when it seemed that Bond had asked Draco for Blofeld’s whereabouts. It seemed as if Lazenby had spoken too soon, cutting off actor Gabriele Ferzetti’s lines too soon. Another viewing seemed to reveal that poor editing might have been at fault and not Lazenby’s acting. And another review seemed to agree with my findings. Aside from the previously mentioned quibbles, I had no problems with “OHMSS”. In fact there is so much to enjoy about this movie – including the main star, George Lazenby. Many critics and fans either tend to dismiss his performance as wooden or give him minor credit for his valiant attempt at a decent performance. Frankly, I think that he was a lot better than many give him credit for. I must admit that he has a rather odd voice (which I suspect has been influenced by his Australian accent), but so did most of the other Bonds – including Connery’s tendency to indulge in pre-adolescent diction, Moore’s drawl, Dalton’s Welsh accent and Brosnan’s . . . well, I cannot really describe Brosnan’s voice. I just find it odd. But despite Lazenby’s odd voice, his acting comes off very natural and he seems to project Bond’s emotions with an ease that should not have come easy to him. But he does. And instead of portraying Bond as some kind of action/sexual icon, he portrays the character as very human. This is very obvious in the following scenes: -Bond’s growing impatience with Tracy’s antics -Bond’s surprise that M had given him leave instead of accepting his resignation -Bond’s breakthrough with Tracy -the Piz Gloria dinner sequence -Bond’s fear of capture during his escape from Piz Gloria -Bond’s proposal of marriage to Tracy -Bond’s quarrel with M over Tracy and Blofeld -Tracy’s death

Personally, I thought that Lazenby really shined in the marriage proposal scene, those scenes that featured Bond’s quarrels with M and the Piz Gloria dinner sequence. Despite having his voice dubbed by George Baker in the latter, Lazenby managed to express Bond’s emotions during that scene effortlessly without having to say a word. The movie also benefited from the presence of Diana Rigg, who had recently left “THE AVENGERS” to begin a movie career. What can one say about the great Diana? Not only did she effortlessly combine all the complex personality traits of Tracy di Vicenzo – witty, emotional, sad, brave, determined, etc. Is it any wonder that Tracy is viewed by many actresses as the ultimate Bond woman? Even better, both Rigg and Lazenby managed to create great chemistry together as the romantically doomed pair. Not only did “OHMSS” benefited from both Lazenby and Rigg’s performances, the pair was ably supported by a fine cast that included the warm and charismatic Gabriele Ferzetti as Tracy’s father, the talented Ilse Steppat who portrayed the intimidating Irma Bunt shortly before her death (she never lived to experience the movie’s release), the always dependable Bernard Lee as M – giving one of his better performances, and the charming and fun Angela Scoular as Blofeld’s English patient, Ruby. Of course one cannot forget the legendary Telly Savalas, who became the second actor to portray Ernst Blofeld on-screen. And as far as I’m concerned, he was the best. He was not impeded by Donald Pleasance’s ridiculous scar and questionable accent or Charles Gray’s foppish portrayal. Instead, he radiated intelligence and menace, making him the only Blofeld (in my opinion) worthy of being Bond’s nemesis. I also have to commend Peter Hunt’s direction. “OHMSS” was his first time at bat as a director. Any other inexperienced director could have turned one of Ian Fleming’s best novels into a hash job. Fortunately, Hunt proved to be a talented director and did justice to the novel – although I did have a problem with the editing of a few of his scenes. Hunt was not only ably supported by a fine cast, but by screenwriter Richard Maibaum, editor and future director John Glen, and John Barry’s marvelous score and Hal David’s haunting lyrics to the song, “We Have All the Time In the World”. Cinematographer Michael Reed superbly recaptured the majesty of the Swiss Alps and the exotic elegance of Portugal with his photography. And one cannot forget skier Willy Bogner Jr. and Alex Barbey for creating the first and probably best ski chase in the Bond franchise. I could probably go on about how much I love “OHMSS”, but I do not want to sound repetitive. What can I say? After 39 years, I consider to still be one of the best Bond movies in the franchise . . . and definitely one of my favorites. And I am happy to see that “OHMSS” is finally being recognized by many as the fine film it is. If you have not seen this film, I suggest that you rent or buy it as soon as possible. Or else you might miss something special. 

[thealmightyemprex]

1960′s Bond films ranked

,1960′s was the era of Bond mania ,and it was the decade with the most movies ,with 7 movies(Second to it is the 80′s with 6 movies ,then the 70′s with 5 ,90′s and 2000′s both only had 3 each ,and 2010′s only had 2 ) ,and since the 60′s is the most classic era of Bond ,I decided  to rank the 60′s Bond films 

7.Casino Royale(1967)

Yup I am counting the unofficial movies too  and this is the only film on the list I would say is baaaaaaaaaaaaaaad.This is  a crappy movie,pure insanity  with no clear vision and it commits the biggest sin of a comedy :ITS NOT FUNNY .....Woody Allan as a Bond Villain is a funny joke though 

6.Thunderball(1965)

Only Bond film in which I have read the book.It’s an OK book ,love some of the characters  but it was just fine  .....But I like it better then the movie  .This is a boring movie  to me ,Largo is only remembered fondly cause he has an eyepatch as he is a lame villain  ,Domino is a lot less interesting then her book counterpart ,there is a cringeworthy scene with Bond blackmailing a physiotherapist into sleeping with him ,there is a random character who is important to the plot but the film doesnt treat him this way ,the Q scene feels less playful and more meanspirited  and underwater battles sound cool in theory ,but are dull in practice .That said I do like aspects ,Connery  is good ,I like the SPECTRE scene (Love Shadowy Blofeld ) ,the pre title action scene is great (Complete with ACTUAL WORKING REAL JETPACK ),The theme song performed by Tom Jones is AMAZING ,and  I do love the films main henchwoman Fiona Volpe ,she is such an awesome baddie I wish she was the MAIN villain  .I know it’s considered a classic but I just cant get into it 

5.You Only Live Twice (1967)

THis one I am .....Mixed about . I think it’s directed well ,there are some cool camera movements,the Little Nellie gyrocoptor is awesome  ,the fight scene against the driver (Played by Peter Maiva ,the grandfather of Dwayne “The Rock “ Johnson ,which is awesome )  is pretty badass , The Volcano Lair is SPECTACULAR (PRobabbly the best villain lair in the series ) ,Tiger Tanaka is a likable ally ,Aki is a great Bond Girl,Nancy Sinatras theme song is good ,it’s cool seeing a snapshot of 1960′s Japan ,the final battle is epic ,and Donald Pleasence is FANTASTIC as Blofeld ,bringing such a creepiness to a character who has been built up for 5 movies .....But  what holds it back for me is Connery looks so damn bored throughout the entire movie ,the plot I dont really care about ,Helga is just a rehash of Fiona and not even in a interesting  way ,KArl is such a boring henchman ,Aki is killed off just to be replaced by Kissy who is less interesting and I dont know why they didnt just have one Bond girl ,DOnald Pleasence is barely  in the movie ,and then you have Bond going undercover as a Japanese man......Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah.This is just such a mixed bag of a movie for me 

4.Dr No (1962)

Now lets get to the good ones.This is a lowkey Bond adventure(As they couldnt afford to do one of the bigger stories ) ,and I imagine that can be jarring for someused to the high octane globe trotting adventures of the other films,and I have seen some calll it Vanilla  .....And I kind of like the simpler vibe of this film .Connery comes out the gate swinging ,he is suave and with moments of  brutality.Both the Bond girl and villain arent in the film long but Ursula Andress is memorable as Honey Ryder  and Joseph Wiseman as Dr No while only getting really one scene to show off has a cold  detached delivery to his lines that makes him extremely eerie (Would’ve preferred a Chinese actor  and am distressed none were even considered but thats the 60′s for you ) .Anthony Dawson  makes for a good secondary villain as Professor Dent  ,Jack Lord is a cool Felix Leiter ,John Kitzmiller is great as Bonds ally Quarrel ,the film sets up Bonds dynamics with both Bernard Lee’s M and Lois Maxwell’s Miss Moneypenny ,both making strong first impressions ,the film is brutal with it’s action ,and overalll it’s a good introduction to the world of Bond  

3.Goldfinger(1964)

The iconic Bond film .This film is fun ,plain and simple. It has flaws (Mainly there being a whole section of the plot involving gangsters that makes absolutely no sense and how Pussy Galore turns good is REALLLY cringeworthy) but I feel like the rest of the film is awesome  .The villain Auric Goldfinger is one of the best  (Easilly my second favorite in the series )ruthless and greedy but with an odd sense of charm ,I just love watching him .The films main henchman Oddjob   is also awesome  ,a super strong  silent loyal thug  who kills people with a toss of his killer bowler hat .Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore  is fantastic ,easily one of the best Bond girls,and while I dont like how her arc is handled,I do like that she starts off as a baddie .The film is full of classic moments from Goldfinger and Bonds golf game ,the laser scene (And the classic exchange “You expect me to talk”*Chuckles*”No mr Bond ,I expect you to DIE!!”),the fight between Bond and Oddjob in Fort Knox (Which is a gorgeous set by Ken Adam ) and of course the iconic image of the dead woman painted gold .I also have just a personal fondness for this film as when I was a kid we had a whole bunch of Bond films on VHS (From Dr No to Live and Let Die ) and this was the one I watched the most 

2.From Russia With Love (1963)

I flip flop on whether I like Goldfinger or From Russia With Love more ,and I think I prefer From Russia With Love ,for one simple reason :Goldfinger is a fun action romp .....From Russia With Love is a genuinely intriguing spy movie .It’s also cool cause it is a direct sequel to Dr No which is an anomaly in the classic Bond films. There isnt one villain in this film ,it’s an organization ,SPECTRE ,meaning we get a whole ensamble of villains (Including creepy evil genius Kronsteen and SPECTRES head thug Morzeny),but the stand outs are Red Grant  played by Robert Shaw of Jaws fame, a sadistic assassin who is sort of Bonds dark mirror  and Lotte Lenya as Rosa Klebb ,a former SMERSH agent now working for SPECTRE ,who is commanding in every scene .....EXCEPT fore when she is around the films true villain Blofeld,in those scenes  she is TERRIFIED ,and thats a detail I love cause it adds to Blofeld mystique,that if he can scare KLEBB he is a force to be reckoned with  .I also love that we dont actuallly SEE Blofeld beyond his hands stroking his cat  ,and yet personality wise we get everything we need to know (That and his deep commanding voice which I LOVE ) .We also get Kerim Bey who is hands down the BEST Bond sidekick ,he is so lovable and charming,it’s hard not to like him.Connery is excellent  as usual ,all the action is awesome including Bond evading a helicopter ,a climatic boat chase,an encounter with a deadly piece of footwear,and a absolutely brutal fight between Grant and Bond on the Orient Express .If I have one  complaint I am not that fond of how the Bond Girl Tatiana  is written but  Daniela Bianchi does a good job .Overall this is a great movie  

1.On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

This is my favorite Bond movie .It is at it’s core a love story and a damn good one .Diana Rigg steals this entire movie as Tracy  ,she is the best Bond girl .Telly Savals is charming ,intelligent ,but also tough as hell as Blofeld ,he is my third favorite Bond villain  and hands down my favorite Blofeld .I think the film contains one of the best evil plans (And surprisingly relevent over 50 years later ),Irma Bunt is a terrific henchwoman ,Gabriele Ferzetti is  entertaining as Tracy’s criminal father Draco ,Louis Armstrongs We Have All The Time In The World is a terrific love song  ,I love the setting of the Swiss Alps ,the film somehow makes a BOBSLED chase badass ,and the ending  is unforgettable .Now the one common complaint people have is George Lazenby ,and while I agree he isnt great ......He is a good Bond ,and he hits the dramtic  notes when he needs to .I adore this movie and reccomend it to non Bond fans  even

[mig15universe]

OHMSS Irma Bunt Horak.jpg

[365jamesbondcharacters]

Day 268/365 of my daily creative project titled "365 James Bond Characters". Featured Character: Blofeld's Main Lieutenant, Irma Bunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

[aion-rsa]

For Your Eyes Only Was Not Supposed to Star Roger Moore

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For Your Eyes Only, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this week, was a transitional James Bond film. Released in 1981, this 12th entry in the long-running series, and Roger Moore’s fifth outing as the man in the tuxedo, was deliberately styled as a return to the 007’s roots after he went to space in the over-the-top Moonraker (1979): the one where series producers did their best to compete with Star Wars. By contrast Eyes seemed stripped down and also marked the debut of John Glen in the director’s chair—a position he would hold for a series-most five entries. He received that promotion after working on several previous installments as a second unit director.

But Eyes was also meant, at one point, to usher in the most important change in any Bond movie: the introduction of a new actor in the role of 007.

Roger Moore’s original contract was for three films, with his participation going on a film-by-film basis starting with Moonraker. Following the completion of that film, rumors surfaced that Moore was ready to retire from the role, leading 007 production company Eon Productions and producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli to begin the search for a new Bond.

But Moore himself suggested that he wanted to continue in the role, and that the highly publicized audition process was all part of the negotiations to bring him back.

“I understand that Eon had been holding casting sessions where would-be James Bonds were tested with a view to replacing me,” Moore was quoted as saying in The James Bond Archives. “It didn’t bother me, as I knew Cubby would never find anyone who would work as cheaply as I did.”

Moore added, “To be honest, I did want to do another film. But this was all part of the bargaining ploy on Eon’s side: let it be known that they were testing others so I’d take the deal on the table for fear of losing the part. Fair enough, we all enjoy a game of poker.”

Ploy or not, Eon and John Glen did proceed with a series of screen tests that included a number of actors who were well-known in England (and in some cases internationally) but relatively obscure in the U.S. Those included Ian Ogilvy (Witchfinder General), Lambert Wilson (the Merovingian in the Matrix sequels), Lewis Collins (The Professionals), David Warbeck (The Beyond), David Robb (Downton Abbey), Michael Jayston (the 1986 Doctor Who arc “The Trial of a Time Lord”), and Nicholas Clay (Excalibur).

“We searched high and low,” said Glen in The James Bond Archives. “I tested no end of people. Roger was in the background with a smile on his face, waiting to be called.”

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There were three notable candidates for the job that stand out now. One was Timothy Dalton, who had been considered for the role as far back as 1968 when Sean Connery first vacated the tux. He allegedly declined a shot at For Your Eyes Only because he had seen Moonraker and thought the series was going for more of the same. He would get his chance six years later.

The second was Michael Billington, a British actor who was often used as a Bond stand-in to screen test leading ladies and even had a role in The Spy Who Loved Me as the Russian agent 007 kills in the opening sequence. Billington tested for Bond five times—he was reportedly on standby for Eyes if a deal couldn’t be closed with Moore—but ended up always a bridesmaid.

The third and most fascinating name was James Brolin. It’s a little unclear when Brolin’s involvement with the 007 franchise began, but he was apparently considered for Eyes and was later given a full screen test and even hired for 1983’s Octopussy after Eon and Moore began another game of chicken about Moore’s return. Brolin—a respected actor, not to mention husband of Barbra Streisand and father of Josh Brolin—was the second American thespian who came close to playing the British agent; John Gavin was signed in 1971 before Sean Connery came back for an encore in Diamonds Are Forever.

But that’s another story. In the end, Moore did come back for Eyes, although his contract was not completed until well into production. Glen for one was glad to have the dapper Moore back.

“As it happened, I was very pleased that Roger did it, because it helped me enormously in the fact that he was an established James Bond,” the director said in the “making-of” documentary on the Eyes Blu-ray. “If I had to take someone new and establish them in the role, it would have been quite difficult for me, I think.”

One leftover from the “will Moore or won’t he” era of Eyes’ pre-production was the opening sequence, in which we see Bond visit the grave of his wife Teresa “Tracy” Bond, who was murdered by arch-villain Blofeld and his accomplice Irma Bunt at the end of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The sequence initially shows Bond from the legs down, placing a bouquet of flowers on Tracy’s grave, before cutting to a shot of his face, which ostensibly would have been the new actor.

Eon Productions

The scene was meant to establish that this was the same Bond, even if the face was different.

“It was John Glen who came up with the idea of going to Tracy’s grave,” said executive producer and co-screenwriter Michael G. Wilson on the Eyes Blu-ray. “He wanted to show a continuity of the Bond stories and show that he’s still the same character, he’s still going on, and he has a history.”

The rest of that sequence after that somber opening takes a turn for the ridiculous as Bond is trapped in a remote-controlled helicopter by a bald, wheelchair-bound villain. The bad guy is clearly meant to be Blofeld in all but name—Eon at the time had lost control of the rights to Blofeld and certain story elements involving him and criminal organization SPECTRE—but that too is an entirely different tale.

In the end, everyone involved seems glad that Roger Moore did in fact return in For Your Eyes Only: the $28 million movie earned a healthy (for 1981) $195 million around the world. While reviews for the film then and now remain mixed, the retro approach to the plot—more espionage and realistic action, less gadgets—plus Moore’s harder-edged-than-usual performance have managed to place it in the upper ranks of Moore’s seven outings, arguably second only to The Spy Who Loved Me. To coin a phrase, the more things were meant to change, the more they stayed the same.

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[ryanbarwick]

“This Never Happened to the Other Fellow”

#6 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Bond: George Lazenby (first and only appearance as Bond)

Villain: Blofeld’s back, baby

Location: The Swiss Alps

Silly names: Irma Bunt, Grunther (I’m reaching a bit)

It is so obviously clear in the 30 minutes of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service that no matter how many times Sean Connery told the folks at Eon that he wasn’t getting in that damned tuxedo again, nobody considered the franchise without him.

So when Conney did drop out, audiences were left with generic label Bond: The australian George Lazenby, in his only performance in the franchise. And as is a consistent theme here at Thunderblog, when in doubt, the Bond franchise will almost always opt for the least subtle approach to addressing anything. 

Tonally, the film’s first half is lazy and as limp as they come, unclear whether to look back at previous films with a wink or to look ahead to the future.

An example: When Bond break’s the fourth wall before the credits role and reminds the audience “This never happened to the other fellow!”

Yeah, we’re aware, George. Sure, that Scottish guy was better...but you don’t have to remind us so soon into the film! 

(And the fact that it was Lazenby’s only film makes it all that more awkward—there’s another example where he’s rifling through his desk and the film literally plays the theme from each movie.)

Maybe I’m being too harsh. For his first film, Lazenby survives as a pretty face with shoulders broad enough to throw a believable punch. 

But he isn’t helped by an incredibly boring first half, inwhich Bond romances the daughter of a gentle terrorist for intel on Ernst Blofeld, our favorite baddie from the first two films, now holed up in the Swiss Alps posing as the director of an “allergy-research” institute. Oh, an Blodfeld’s trying claim some sort of medieval title too? Sure.

One thing leads to another, and before you know it, we’re given Winter Sport’s Bond, nay Christmas bond (!), skiing between bullet sprays. 

Eventually, as is tradition, we wind up in the warm, nostalgic jacuzzi of an evil lair followed by a high speed chase. The action itself is entertaining, least because Lazeby doesn’t have to say too much. 

Sidenote: Her Majesty’s could arguably be called a Christmas movie as the snowfall provides a perfect winter wonderland. Even Blofield’s office has a Christmas tree ordained with (what else?) gold tinsel.

Did we mention that Blofield has a haram of women from every background? But of course he does.

Lazenby is helped immensely by an old face, Bond’s arch nemesis (so far) Enrest Blofeld, this time played by a younger, more agile, more...bald, Telly Savalas, who in fact, might actually be evil. 

Outside of Goldfinger’s Gert Fröbe, Savalas is the best, most demented villain in the franchise yet and I was bummed to learn it was his only film. 

Outside of Goldfinger’s Gert Fröbe, Savalas is the best, most demented villain in the franchise yet and I was bummed to learn it was his only film. 

Save for some of the more dramatic moments, most of the underlying soundtrack comes from what sounds like a cheap synthesizer and I’m not sure I would have noticed it had Connery been playing the part. Ultimately, Lazenby is no Sean Connery, but is anyone?