Thursday, 10 January 2008
Last Call: Bond DVDs/Books For Free!
posted @6:14 p.m. by Richard Kelly
A reminder that this weekend is the deadline if you'd like to avail yourself of a freebie. I just happen to have copies going spare of the ‘Special 007 Edition’ DVDs of: DR NO, GOLDFINGER, THUNDERBALL, ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, and MOONRAKER. Reader, I will be pleased to send you the film of your choice from that little selection, PLUS a copy of KEN ADAM: THE ART OF PRODUCTION DESIGN (edited by Christopher Frayling), a handsome tome in which the genius designer of umpteen classic Bond sets (as well as some of Kubrick’s finest – Dr Strangelove, Barry Lyndon et al) discusses his life and work with some fine illustrations. How do you win this game? Very simple, riddle me this: What is your Favourite Thing in the entire history of Bond movies? Is it a particular gadget, an action set-piece, a theme song, a villain, a girl? In case you don’t see where I’m coming from, I offer my own personal ten on the next page – just click Read More. So write me an email in which you make your own selection (and this can be one ‘thing’ or 5 or 10 or however many, whatever is your pleasure), then nominate which of the 7 Bond DVDs you’d like to receive, and please email the completed entry to webmaster@faber.co.uk by the closing date of Friday January 11, with 'Bond DVDs’ in the subject line. There will be a prize draw for each title that weekend. Now, that selection of mine...?
TOP 0010 BOND THINGS
10. The underwater Lotus Esprit in The Spy Who Loved Me
Because I had the toy version with retractable fins when I was 6.
9. The Pierce Brosnan/Toby Stephens sword-fight in Die Another Day
Because of the convincing sense of peril in those clashing blades. And Stephens’ sneer.
8. A-Ha’s theme song for The Living Daylights
Okay, no-one’s idea of the best, but one I remain fond of, like a lot of their fine Norwegian pop tunes.
7. Robert Shaw’s wristwatch garrotte in From Russia With Love
The first time I heard the word ‘garrotte’, and boy did it stay with me...
6. Yaphet Kotto and his flesh-mask in Live And Let Die
Just one of many bits of bad craziness in this movie, but Kotto is one of the most interesting character actors in the history of American movies.
5. The golf scenes in Goldfinger
C’mon! Connery’s putting! The gold bar on the green! Odd-Job’s razor-sharp hat! Must have been a fun day on set that day.
4. Blofeld’s volcano HQ set in You Only Live Twice
The genius of Ken Adam. Case rested.
3. Daniel Craig’s fists and elbows in Casino Royale
Testosterone frenzy. Just about every time Craig shoulders his way into shot you think he’s minded to bash someone, be they male or female.
2. Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
There can hardly be a man alive who didn’t feel the vast cosmic injustice of this movie’s denouement.
1. Carey Lowell in License To Kill
I could as easily put Eva Green here – but she’ll be fabulous in many more movies surely, whereas this elegant scion of the Boston Brahmin family never really improved on her fabulous turn as a CIA agent in this underrated Bond entry that had its title very foolishly changed from ‘License Revoked’ at a very late stage. Ms Lowell of course became Mrs Gere in due course, and put all things Bond behind her, as so many don’t...
Comments
I've just submitted mine. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed putting it together.
I'm not actually a massive fan of the Bond films in general. I enjoyed the change of direction for Daniel Craig's outing and "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" stands out amongst the others, but it's Sunday morning, the girls are watching Barbie's Fairytopia (!), my team lost yesterday rendering the sports sites unreadable so what else could there be to do?
10. Judy Dench - Great in everything
9. Desmond Llewellyn - RIP
8. Scant regard for human life - To be in Bond's line of work how useful it would be to regard another's life with such contempt that the only concern after killing them was whether a post-murder zinger could be effectively delivered
7. Locations - How convenient that the world should come under threat from such exotic locations as the Bahamas, Barbados, or any location that features fine, seasonal skiing.
6. Chicks - Who wouldn't want to bump into a seductress named Pussy Galore, Honey Ryder, or Head McBangyou?
5. Daniel Craig as James Bourne - Changing the tone was the much needed shot in the arm for the longest running film franchise, re-imagined post Jason Bourne.
4. Blofeld's Cat going mental - in You Only Live Twice Donald Pleasance is calmly stroking his cat whilst his volcano based headquarters is being destroyed around him. Unfortunately the cat is slightly more perturbed by the explosions than he is.
3. Aston Martins - Just that!
2. Not actually bond but Alan Partridge's rendition of "The Best Film Ever Made", The Spy Who Loved Me. Necessary after his video of said film has been taped over with America's Strongest Man turning him into Norfolk's Maddest Man (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0CCmuMdfms).
1. Diana Rigg's death - a Bond film that doesn't end with everyone's favourite serial rapist drifting off into the sunset, mid-pork with a woman with him to thank for her sexual awakening is a rarity and lends a gravitas to On Her Majesty's Secret Service missing in all the other films.
Certainly the moment of maximum bad taste was the opening sequence of For Your Eyes Only (1981) in which Roger Moore, piloting a helicopter, picks up a man (admittedly a very bad man) in a wheelchair and drops both man and chair down an industrial chimney-stack. 1981 was the International Year of the Disabled.
Film has to be Goldfinger. (Or maybe Thunderball for the Tom Jones song.)
Your thoughts