Roger Moore as James Bond escapes via hang glider in Moonraker (1979)
Might be my favorite escape!
So where is Hugo Drax’s gargantuan mansion in Moonraker (1979) in real life?
Read More»Ever wondered what the name of the song that Drax plays on his Steinway the first time he meets 007? It’s Frederic Chopin‘s “Prelude No. 15 (Raindrop)”.
Check out a full performance of the piece by world-reknown Chinese pianist Yi Lundi below:
I see Jaws’ costume from Moonraker (1979) in my nightmares.
Villain Hugo Drax and his dorky henchmen from Moonraker (1979)…they couldn’t have worn any other kind of helmet???
Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) is merciless in Moonraker (1979). In this scene, he’s had enough with his incompetent employee Corinne Dufour (Corinne Clery) who slept with Bond and led 007 to the safe in Drax’s study. She was an easy mark for Bond – giddy chatting him on the helicopter ride to the Drax estate and a asinine glance at the safe’s location in Drax’s study. Her fate was inevitable – a simple snap of his fingers and henchmen Chang (Toshiro Suga) releases the hunting dogs to maul her to death.
Oddly enough, the subsequent dog chase scene in the eerie forest and its accompanying harrowing music feels more like a horror movie than a James Bond movie.
This scene single-handedly elevates Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale) one of the best James Bond villains. His ostentatious estate, his delicate Chopin piano-playing, his even-keeled demeanor and monotone voice – yet he exudes extreme power over everyone that he interacts with, even his two doberman pinscher dogs. His lack of ego is offset by his stoic brutality, and his “see that some harm comes to him” line is an ultimate villain quote!