This is the one that introduced screenwriter TOM
MANCIEWICZ's sense of humour to the BOND films,
something that poor old ROGER MOORE inherited and
was unfairly blamed for in later years. True, Bond films
had always had humour, but Mankiewicz upped the
level almost (arguably) to the point of farce.
Had SEAN CONNERY continued in the role, the
films would've gone in the same direction they did with
Moore - simply due to the demands on each new entry in
the series to top the previous ones. However, it has to be
admitted that DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER remains
an enjoyable romp, and is one of my favourites.
Here's the trailer to refresh your memory.
I'd have to say I enjoyed this film's trailer more than I did the film. :) But I'm a big fan of Charles Gray, and at the time I thought it interesting that he was able to be cast in a Bond film as a villain when he was working with Bond as something of a fellow agent in You Only Live Twice. Gray is so recognizable as an actor (and in particular his voice) that I imagine some of the audience likely did the same double-take that I did.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw the films, CF, they weren't necessarily screened in sequence, so I have a vague memory of wondering if Charles was supposed to be playing the same part in both films. Obviously I wasn't paying much attention to the fact that he was called Henderson in YOLT and was a good guy.
ReplyDeleteCharles Gray was a pretty good actor, could've been a good Blofeld but this film is tat, it goes on my dvd frisbee list.
ReplyDeleteOch, panties, DSE - it's better than Thunderball, YOLT, OHMSS and the Timothy Dalton snore-fests.
ReplyDeleteApparently the white cat that sat on Charles Gray's lap would piss itself when all the pyrotechnics stated doing their stuff. Could you take a master villain seriously if he smelt like a cat litter? Not the kind of welcome feline encounter that had 007 utter that immortal line in Goldfinger when Pussy Galore introduced herself. "Pussy Galore! I must be dreamin!"
ReplyDeleteKen.
I've seen a couple of folk making a case for The Living Daylights as the best Bond flick recently. I don't see it myself, it seems a bit mediocre to me, although I nearly had to leave during the flippen aeroplane fight, I got a bit of vertigo thing going on while that was playing. That chick's nice though, do you remember her from the ad? the one with Jessie Birdsall lugging ice upstairs, can't remember what it was for.
ReplyDeleteMore like Pissy Galore, eh, Ken?
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I found the Dalton films completely unremarkable, DSE - apart from a couple of the burds and the fact that Q got a bit more (well-deserved) screen time in the 2nd of them. Starting with A View to a Kill to Licence To Kill, the films lost their sparkle, I think.
You know I don't mind A View... that fire tender chase is unnecessary and the whole Grand Slam rip off is a bit tatty, then there's the airship that keeps changing size and Grace Jones, who can't act and had no screen presence, then May Day becomes a sympathetic character, it should be just the worst pile of dross out there but it does build tension quite well at the at the stables.
ReplyDeleteI just felt that John Glen's 'point and shoot' style of direction failed to impart any real sense of drama or danger to the stunts, which we'd seen in other films years (in some cases, decades) before. The films were derivative and looking a bit tired. Where Bond movies had once led, now they were reduced to following. Ol Rog had to bow out with a whimper instead of a bang.
ReplyDeleteWhat is your favourite Bond villain? I always found Rosa Kleb in her sensible shoes that transform into something rather more menacing, rather frightening. There again I was about six when I saw From Russia With Love. Oddjob is another favourite but I guess this mainly because I loved the first four Bond movies all of which (bar Dr No) I saw on release. OHMSS was on telly the other night and really it is about an hour too long. I am sure many Bond fans enjoyed it but... Apparently Telly Savalas enjoyed filming as several of those lovely ladies in the clinic fell for his charms off camera!
ReplyDeleteKen.
Ah, that's a tough one, Ken. Major villains? Probably Dr. No because he set the pattern, followed by Goldfinger, then Blofeld. Henchmen? Oddjob, Red Grant, then Rosa Klebb. The others (in both categories) tended to be variations of the ones named.
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