Whenever Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) is onscreen in Live And Let Die (1973), you’re in for something wild.
In the case of the above scene, we get a glimpse into Samedi’s “musical extravaganza” live show, coincidentally at Bond’s (Roger Moore) hotel in San Monique. Surely Bond has no idea what he’s in for at such an establishment? Kananga’s influence and power over the island is obviously everywhere.
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The evening train sequence from Spectre (2015) is arguably one of the best sequences of any James Bond movie. It’s often compared to the train sequence in From Russia With Love (1963), but I’d argue this one has it beat.
The look and feel of the start of the evening dinner with Bond (Daniel Craig) and Swann (Lea Seydoux) is visually stunning. Cinematographically, the dim and understated lighting on the dining car gives the scene an authentic, vintage look that would transport any Bond fan to their favorite 1960’s Bond movie.
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An impromptu early morning visit by M at Bond’s home leads to a funny scene in Live And Let Die (1973). Moore’s first on-screen appearance as 007 doesn’t start out great. After bedding an Italian agent Miss Caruso at his place, he bumbles and fumbles as he tries to distract M (Bernard Lee) from running into the woman. Bond makes M some coffee, and knows his way around an espresso machine, much to M’s surprise and a test of his patience.
The personal visit by M is warranted, of course, as the murders of three MI6 agents (Baines, Dawes and Hamilton) make it an urgent matter. But who knew Bond could moonlight as a barista? And it’s pretty cool we get a glimpse into his personal home. Yes, it’s the 1970’s – and I still can’t get over the atrocious kitchen wallpaper, but Bond’s vintage orange sandwich maker on the counter looks pretty sweet!
Live and Let Die (1973) – Bond the Barista
Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James) returns in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) for more comic relief after his first stint as the bumbling counterpart to Roger Moore’s James Bond in Live And Let Die (1973).
This time around, even a vacation in a foreign country won’t detract from his ego or sense of authority. The above short clip exemplifies this – an overzealous J.W. almost blows Bond’s element of surprise (or any remaining he had, at least) on the chase for Scaramanga. Bond’s disappointment is obvious, and his reaction one of Moore’s most animated.
Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James) in The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
This scene from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) has to be one of the weakest a Bond villain has ever looked. Who signed off on having the end of this scene? Cringe!
I’ve always thought that Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) Tomorrow plot in TND is one of the most realistic/plausible villain plots of the entire series – controlling information and the media is a very powerful thing (hat-tip Elon Musk/Twitter). I’ll give credit to the double-entendre anchorman quote to Carver, but his end “imitation” of Wai-Lin’s (Michelle Yeoh) fighting skills is nothing short of the “pathetic” word he elicits himself. Gross!
The above scene from You Only Live Twice (1967) is one of those moments where Blofeld makes clear that he lives up to the parts of the S.P.E.C.T.R.E. (Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion) acronym. In this case, extortion.
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Despite its fragmented/choppy editing (and maybe the overdone shuffling shoe noises), the final countdown scene in Goldfinger (1964) is great. The anxiety buildup as the clock winds down is palpable, and every time I watch I’m invested in Connery’s fate.
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I love the way that Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) bets “300 grand” in Casino Royale (2006).
Sure, splashing the pot is poor poker etiquette, but who can blame our brother from Langley? The way the chips gracefully exit his hand and spin perfectly to the pot…man, he looks cool!
Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) bets 300 grand in Casino Royale (2006)
This BAM! moment from Diamonds Are Forever (1971) always reminded me of the old onomatopoeia words from fights in the live-action Batman television show from the 1960s.
It doesn’t involve a fight with Sean Connery’s Bond, but only serves to convey Bond’s quick departure from his phone call with Q when Bond realizes he has to cover his tracks with a newly escaped Peter Franks. While Bond congratulates Q on his successful fingerprint scam gadget, it’s kind of neat to check out what’s going on in the background at Q Branch. It looks like one of the few instances where we see a Q Branch Bond car – in this case some sort of an Aston Martin – getting serviced (they’re installing its stinger missiles).
And it’s funny because in the next scene, Bond *does* fistfight Peter Franks ithat could get away with using some BAMs! POWs! or THWACKs! Oh well…
Every six months or so, as I re-watch and analyze all of the James Bond movies for fun, I always find myself temporarily forgetting, and then remembering, the awesomeness of Dr. No (1962). Yes, it’s the first James Bond movie, and yes, Sean Connery’s Bond sets the stage for the remaining movies, and there is definitely a reputation it has since it’s the first James Bond movie. But more often than not, I’d say Dr. No is underrated in fans’ top Bond movies lists, and the above Professor Dent (Anthony Dawson) interrogation scene is one of the many reasons why I’d argue as such.
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