Hello and welcome to Retrospection in this episode We're raising a risque eyebrow and slipping in a sultry new endo as we take a look at live and let die from 1973 The eighth James Bond film in the long-running series. My name's Colin. What are you? Some kind of doomsday machine.
I'm honest Paul and get me a mic on a white poom appeal now I have DB says James Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroine mag date earned of a complex Organization and a reliable psychic tarot card reader But it makes it sound like he has a device that's a tarot card reader like he's a credit card reader Can you just swipe your tarot card in there, please? He does part a treat like he's a device Really true. Yeah, you're first through his property more than one occasion, doesn't it? Yeah, he does Stairs Roger Barra's James Bond Apparently I didn't know Yafet Koto as Kananga James Seema the solitaire Clifton James the sheriff pepper Julius Harris his t-he Jeffy Holder as Baron Samadie They've been headed to see looks like a Gloria Hendry as Rosie birdly as him and Lois Maxwell as money penny It's directed by Guy Hamilton written by Tom Mankey wicks Music is by George Burton with the theme written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by wings Apparently when when Paul McCartney played the song to John Barry origin first he said oh no that's a good demo So what you're gonna do for the real thing?
I see now. Hi. I have a different version of that story I have it that George Martin played it to I don't think it's broccoli or sops man and said it's great But who are we gonna get to sing it? He's a veteran bond director at this point and he'd already done golfing and thumbs up forever.
Yeah. Yeah, what one of those is good Oh, which one part? I like I was a forever I like I was a forever. I got a thing you're obviously both alright I've got from it people people really lay into times of forever, but I think it's okay That I mean this is a whole different subject but the bond film from this period that I'm I'm kind of like I'm about it's fun to bar.
I would say yeah, I would agree with you thunderball or I'm not a big fan of you only live twice either Mmm, my problem with thunderball is there's no matter what you do is underwater sequences at all Yeah, there are we and there's a lot of those things in all the connery bonds, isn't it? It was his thing in the same way that I suppose snow was kind of rogesthing after spotlight wasn't it? Yeah, my problem with them you only live twice It's kind of dull in places, right? But my main problem is I just can't buy when they turn bond into a Japanese person Yeah Yeah, I agree, but is that a modern feeling?
What did you mind when you watched it when you were younger? I probably didn't mind but I probably even then you do a frog it looked a bit comical, you know, like Sean Connery's he's a big guy Yeah, you know, he kind of looks out of place and It's like the Lee playing Fu Manchu exactly. It's not that uncomfortable creepy vibe to it You're not quite you don't quite even understand it when you're a kid, but now you know why it is wrong, you know Yeah, so that always kind of puts me off it a little bit, right? And just as a story standpoint in that film it kills it dead that whole segment kills it dead going back to the music It's a good son, right?
It's a good theme. Yeah, I think it's one of the best. Yeah, so Which of the bond themes do you like the least I would say it's probably a toss-up between Madonna's die another day Okay, or the one I actually Don't like even more than die another day. It's probably the garbage one the world is not enough Right.
Yeah, it just it just rubs me up the wrong way that song. I don't know why doesn't feel like a bond theme either It just feels like a garbage song, you know, you know, they would hire Artists and they would turn in a bond theme that it was one of those songs as well It felt like one of those songs, but it also felt like a bond thing. It felt like a fear Her doing exactly living daylight. It still sounds like a her but it also sounds like a bond theme Probably because she was involved absolutely and even like the modern ones and we won't talk about the modern ones But but even like no time to die to be the Irish song Used to kick it on with those credits at the beginning of that bond movie it feels like a bond theme But even with the credits to world is not enough that garbage song still doesn't feel bonded to me.
Okay. I think it's more of a statement about where the British music thing was at the time rather than Anything else really? Yeah. Yeah, that's a good.
What about you? I actually don't like Rita Coolidge's all-time high Yeah, I could probably I probably agree with you on that one. I don't think I'm like that I find it instantly forgettable and I can never remember which bloody film it's supposed to be attached to Do you think that might say something about the film as well though? Possibly because it's octopus.
Yeah, it's the film. It's a theme for but if you say yeah, if you say to me all-time high, I'm like, oh, I have to think about it for a second Do you find it strange? Octopus II did massive business particularly in the US It was one of the most successful bond movies at the time I find that really strange because it's It's really bad really. It's quite boring.
Yeah. Yeah, and I noticed in the recent documentary about the bomb themes, they totally skipped it Well, there's nothing to say so Yeah, I mean the best thing about it is Steven Burkhov He's the most memorable thing in it really And um, and I think we kind of as much as we don't really like to admit it because we're Roger fans I think we kind of know that he shouldn't have been those last two. He probably shouldn't have done them Yeah, probably. Yeah.
I think he's time's done at that point. I think he knew it as well. Don't you think? They're gonna give him loads of money.
He was gonna do it. He's gonna keep doing it I think he openly says it in his diaries and things like that, right? He does. He doesn't use the When he talks about a view to a kill he realized it was all over when they were using the bed sheets to cover up his breasts rather than the That's right.
That's one of his lights right there. Yeah But talking I guess we should talk in of the fact that this is Roger Ma's first bombed film A lot of a lot of other actors were offered the role in fact It will be quicker and easier for us to talk about the actors that words offered the bomb role It would it? I mean it was everyone in their dog, wasn't it? Yeah, because I had a life because IMDB says that Clint Eastwood was offered it But turned it down because he said that it should be played by a British actor But wickipedia says that Bert Reynolds was offered the role as bod But turned it down because he said it should have been played by it's like oh, okay So what are these these I've a wrong?
Oh, I suppose it could both be right Yeah, I can't see the only exactly Bert Wells told it is down is because it wasn't enough cash Yeah, I would imagine that they weren't putting up enough money for Bert rounds at the time I mean Bert rounds were gonna huge wouldn't it? He was just starting to be huge. Yeah, 77 was his time Can you see Bert Reynolds as James Bond? Yes, can you?
Yes, I can. Yep, totally In the Roger Master. Yes. No, there's a detective show he did called Dan August it ran for like 26 episodes And I've been watching that and I've and some of the scenes I've been thinking yeah, I could see him as as bomb Ignoring the fact that he's an american.
Yeah, yeah, I I mean it wouldn't be the last time that an american would be considered. I mean Yeah, but there was an american bond in for a tv show, wasn't it? Yeah, that was the Before the movies, wasn't it? Yeah, yeah Just a just a quick side about Bert Reynolds when he was In quin matins office being offered the role of Dan August He told quin that he didn't want to play a detective on a tv show because cops in those shells never get the girl or any funny lines And then apparently as he was leaving the room quin said the magic words which was 50,000 a week That was a that's that's that's what it's fun.
He's a man after your own Roger was 45 when he took on this role Oldest person to play bonding their first film. Yeah, and apparently he was ordered by Uh, a cubby broccoli to lose weight for the role. I think he'd had some very good living previously while he was doing the persuaders Oh, let's go say a figure back Roger bars. He never looked fat.
I've never seen him No, we never looked fat but if you go back and look at towards the end of that series of persuaders He's uh, he is looking a little bit on the uh, fuller side I think he was having some good living on the Riviera with the Tony Curtis Um, but he's in great shape in this movie, isn't he? Probably the best that you'll ever gonna see him as bond really Yeah, judge laserby is apparently the youngest in his 20s early 20s, which when you look at him You're like oh, oh 1970s early 20s where everyone looked like they were farted got it. Yeah, everyone smoked everyone drank I was Australian. I died.
It's a terrible. He was Australian. I think you had quite a hard life as well. Please enough to What are we going with?
I think I mean he talks about himself in that term. He doesn't in that documentary. Yeah, yeah, so This is the first bond film for our jamar First bond film I would say to chase a genre that was popular at the time like exploitation First bond film not to feature bond in the pre-credits Yeah, I was going to talk about that when it when when we get to it, but um It's strange to not not only does it not feature bond in in in the pre-credits sequence But it's kind of a low key pre-credits sequence to what we used to in our bonding, isn't it? Yeah, because uh, what we see is the free spies and we don't really know the spies at this point We just see three men being killed in different locations.
We don't know who they are. We don't know why they're being killed Yeah, that's right And bond doesn't appear until after the credit It's a mysterious opening which is different. No, and the funny thing is that what we think of as a pre-credits sequence for bond now Which is the big smashy explosion explosion explosion? Exposing making me unword it.
Yeah, he's the big crashy smashy stunt based thing that we always get now That really didn't come into it until spy love me probably the first one. Yeah First bond film not to feature Q in person. Yeah, apparently wasn't very happy about it was he doesn't mean Yeah, we do a TV show at the time, wasn't it? Yes.
Yeah First bond film to have a rock track because it's opening three and first bond film to be set in a fictional country Yeah, and um, isn't the only other one licensed to kill? Was I not actually set in Mexico? Is that they make a couple of money? It's a made up country that he's the leader of Sanchez.
Yeah Ah, okay. So this film was successful. Although a lot of people tried It's just a lot of I thought it killed the four people always say that um, I think it's the next one that wasn't as successful I mean the gold and gun didn't do as well. Um, this one was and I put people tend to like to say that that you know People were a bit unsure about more to begin with And he didn't really find his feet completely until spy love me.
Um, but I disagree I think when you watch this film and we'll talk about it at the end I think he was pretty much on point right from the get-go. Oh, it's clear that the script has been rewritten for him Yeah, and there's there's some ad living that he did later that we'll talk about as well Um, but on a seven million dollar budget this film made 161.8 million in the US Really seven million yeah, seven million dollars How much how much bond filled now 200 million plus isn't it? Oh my god, but to make 161 million. Oh, so I have 7 million that's a hit Oh, yeah, definitely.
I mean even when you factor in inflation, where's the money going now? Well, I mean that they spend they must spend a cool five six seven million just on promotional loan probably more than that Yeah, that's true. Yeah, so these these these one movies now if they don't make 300 million, they're considered four up, certainly Yep, just crazy It is it's just not so statement. It's not no we need to go back to making mid-budget movies.
I think don't we? Yeah, and when we talk mid-budget now 30 million is a mid-budget I guess you know and stop chasing a billion dollars return because you're not always gonna get it. No, I think the only Genre that that still manages to pull off sort of mid-budget movies and make a big a big take home on it is the horror genre Yeah, having a researcher to make it's well. Yeah, considering you know, I'm relatively speaking Yes, Sean Connery turned down five point five million to come back as bond for a seven time in this movie I mean when the budget for your film is so brilliant Well, the rest of the film be like just care about He did give his approval to Roger Moore though, and he called him an ideal bond Yeah, but they did go out of the way to separate Moore's bond from Connery Bond.
Yeah, they did He doesn't drink martini in this film. He doesn't smoke cigarettes He's I think might have been suggested by Roger himself because we know we like to see that don't Yeah, yeah, I've just remembered that uh Michael Billington was also In line to play bond for this film. He's actually in the spy who loved me. He's the triplexies Guy that kills in the open pre-pregnant sequences me and he's in an episode of professionals I can see that guys one Yeah, I don't know enough about him as a personality Physically and like visually for that time.
He's definitely oh yeah in line for bonds, but yeah, definitely Can you imagine though? Like I mean, I'm sure the guy's happy and he had a good career and enjoy it You must sit there and think oh I was that close to being bombed. Yeah, there's very few actors who Missed out on bond and then went on to fantastic things I mean, but rails probably never looked at bond and went oh I missed out there because he became like the biggest star ever for Yeah, a decade almost he was like number one box office for like 10 years. He has a record I did need it really so but yeah, yeah, it was just interesting that they Fart about him, but the in the 70s there was clearly a look that they were going for Yeah, um, how can I put it a real man a real 70s man Yeah, yeah, which is if you think about it really Roger doesn't really fit that bill, does he?
No, it doesn't at all really. I mean, he's quite quite feet, isn't it? He's you know, he hasn't got the hairy chest You know, he's um, I think it's fairly high. I haven't looked at it recently.
No, no, no Oh, no, it's just clean shave and yeah, I remember now because he takes his vest off He takes his shirt off quite a lot in this one Well at some points in this film his clothing decisions. Oh Don't we all talk about that? Don't you worry? I'm on full clothing duty on this one.
I'll tell you Okay, a strange thing that I read which It's kind of an indictment of the time really was that all of bonds love scenes with rosy carver Were removed from the release in segna frica because of that government's Policies at the time. Yeah, yeah, and apparently yafakoto Had more on one of more than one occasion said that he was kept from doing press for the movie because the producers were afraid of All the public reaction of having a black bond villain and he wasn't even invited to the premiere If you were that afraid of it why make this kind of movie? Yeah, I've no answer to that If you would scurve it you'd say away from it, wouldn't you? You wouldn't go near it at all.
Yeah, and yafakoto is not exactly a small time act Even at that time he'd been in one of my favorite luck's adaptation films across 110th street. It's a great film. All right, okay So people knew him yeah Um and also tom manquitz originally wrote the lead character solitaire. She was supposed to be black And it was vetoed by the producers.
Okay, which would kind of make more sense? Yeah totally would famously I think you mentioned it earlier roger more kept a production diary for the shoot didn't they? Yeah, we released as a book which I haven't read yet. I keep meaning to it for some reason I I got round to it.
Yeah, I've read his other two i've read his biography And I've also read the I think there's no one called bond on bond where he kind of like yes I've read both those yeah, but I'm not read the diary which is weird for both of us not to read it because we it's right up our street Isn't it really yeah? It is yeah, it was published in 1973 It's not like we have to like it's just come out we haven't had time No, okay before we were born so Apparently it's a warts and all he talks about you know behind the scenes arguments and things like that Are you surprised that the broccoli is allowed it to actually be released as a book because I'm using quite protective of all that kind of stuff, aren't they? Yeah, they are Maybe that says more about Roger Mars status Yeah, possibly possibly and there's also kind of I would imagine that as much as he talks about in the book I'd say we neither has read it, but I would imagine Reading his other books that as much as he's talking about all the stuff from behind the scenes He's kind of doing it in a self-deprecating kind of way from self as well. Yeah, I did hear a good Roger Mars story Recently There wasn't commercial for whiskey Whiskey, let me read friends.
There was a commercial for an alcoholic drink I can't remember it's beer or whiskey or something and they wanted Roger Mars to do it and Roger Mars said yes But you have to film it in island for tax reasons, right? And then we're like fine. That's fine So the scene was that he would enter a pub and the pub would go quiet because he's like Roger Mar and then he'd be like oh the one thing about being probably being famous is that you know this kind of thing happens That was that was and he would be offered a drink could he would take it And that would be it and that was the scene So he turned up and the director was like do you mind if we film the rehearsal because sometimes you know good stuff happened It's like that's a rather good idea. So they got like action Roger Mar enters Audience was quiet he walks to the bear And The guy there's a guy sitting next to him the guy supposed to go oh yeah Can I buy you a drink and then Roger Mar is supposed to say well, this is one of the problems You know that kind of thing so he walks in It walks to the bear sits down the guy goes oh yeah, can I buy you a drink?
Roger Mar is supposed to go fuck off Burgers quiet for a second and everybody starts laughing and then Roger Mar says the director goes Would you like to go again? That was fun David headison who plays Felix Liar he probably the only other actor to play it twice But other than You mean play Felix Liar you mean? Felix Liar to us because he turns up again in the Timothy Dalton license to kill movie as a sangarica He does yeah, and Roger had a few health problems during this production He was hospitalized with kidney stones and also later both he and James Seymour caught dysentery Which was nice. Oh lovely.
I also read that he was actively discouraged from raising his eyebrow Which obviously didn't take did it Do you remember um spit in image in the 80s that was always puppet did was it was a racist eyebrow? They used to call it Roger Marth's And the one thing that I was quite surprised about was um apparently James Seymour is dubbed a lot of the time in the movie by another actress who sounds remarkably like James Seymour Yeah, I never knew that never know this I think it's like and I'm you it's like Sam Jones being dubbed by a guy that sounds exactly like Sam Jones in Flash Gordon isn't it? Yeah, yeah, I'm usually pretty like good at noticing stuff like that because he bothers me No, never knew that Bernard Li was very very unwell during filming and he was almost replaced at one point with Kenneth Moore That would be an interesting choice. They filled in Harlem.
I mean you're gonna talk about that Yes The producers apparently were forced to pay protection money to a gang to ensure that the crew were safe The production crew had to go to halo and to look for locations where to film and harry sultsman considered halo and to be so dangerous That they needed a bodyguard So the production crew were waiting for the bodyguard who never turned up so they just went and did their stuff anyway It turns out the bodyguard had been mugged on the subway train on the way there They stole his ticket his money his wallet and made him undo his pants So they couldn't so we couldn't chase it. Oh, I see because he'd have to do his pants up and put his pants back up and that gave him time to leg it Yeah, I'm guessing you live in New York I'm guessing it's a very different place now than it was back then Well, I did a quick look around at the locations that they filmed in a lot of them are not in harlem They're in New York But not as high up in manhattan as the pretentaby and they must have redressed the street signs And yeah, it's almost unrecognizable now because it's all like fantasy places and bars and nice cafes and stuff There's there's locations in this movie that look like and we'll talk about it They look like war zones. Well, you say that but think about ducalins London in 1970s. Yeah, I mean don't forget that Full metal jacket set in Vietnam while tonne country was filmed in the ducalins of London.
Yeah, the 70s were heard Terry walk with it. Yeah, yes. Yeah And the last thing I was going to say is that according to Roger Moore He's good relationship with Harry Saltzman changed once they became employer and employee He'd always gotten along with him until they did this movie. Yeah, we should also point out that Kobe and harry at this point were not exactly No, it was it was all starting to disintegrate.
I think wasn't it behind the scenes Yeah, and there's a scene early on the film that makes me think It's a dig at harry saltzman. Although I've been told that harry saltzman was The main producer of this film not Kobe, but I'm not the scene we'll talk about in a minute. Okay, should we crack on? Yeah, so I guess we open with like is it a disco theme with the double o seven music?
I think it is. Thank you. It's a bit funky. I kind of like it Yeah, yeah, I appreciate it too.
Yeah, I'm gonna get an aerial shot of New York City and We get the scenes where three different people are killed one in the UN building one in New Orleans Something about that opening United Nations scene just made me think of Batman 66 all over again I was waiting for them to be turned into colored sand At least it looked bigger than the wanted the Batman film, which is just like six people around the table But nobody reacts to it to even collapse it in agony everyone just carries on. Oh, that's the u-head for you Yeah, that's probably it's probably quite true really they do eventually just before it cuts to a sunmane in the Caribbean Well, it's a guy like tied up Or he's gonna be killed by snake. Oh, yeah, mm-hmm Yeah, and that's our opening free credit sequence. Yeah, we also get the guy getting stabbed on the Street call I don't mean new Orleans.
Yes. Yeah. Yep. Yep.
Did you say that the um the other name of the the club feel like a soul? Yeah, that's carried through to the New York location. It's always called the filet of soul. It's um It's like I was thinking you know that funky place keep the fish sort of theme going no What funky place have I basically something here?
Yeah place. It's a fish, isn't it? Oh, oh, that was that was that was what we in the trade call a pond I Thought it more it was to do with like the existential soul. Oh, did you?
That it was being cut? Okay, laid Well, it does have kind of a this movie does have kind of a supernatural vibe to it, doesn't it? Oh totally. Yeah.
Yeah, probably the only time that you ever get that in a bond movie. Mm-hmm. Yeah So after the credit sequence we have bond in bed with a with a woman who turns out to be an Italian spy Caruso played by Madeleine Smith And um, I read that Rogers Overprotective wife was on set during this bedroom. See And I caught it to Maddie Smith that caused quite a few complications on the day in furnace If you were married to Roger and you learned that he was going to be working in a bed scene with Madeleine Smith Let's face it is stunning.
Absolutely. Yes, you would be on edge, but I wouldn't turn up on set I would hopefully trust my husband enough Especially it's like a working environment. It's not like he's taken it out for a day. This is true.
This is true You're surrounded by grips and lighting crew and you know, yeah It is Madeleine Smith. Yes, and we love Madeleine Smith. Oh, do we ever wait? Am I allowed to say that?
I think so. I think that's perfectly fine to say And we see um bond splat and it's a very very nice. Not the first time. Is it not?
It's a different flat. No, we see it in Dr. No, because he goes home and finds yes, he does. Yes, he does.
Yeah, because he has in Dr. No, doesn't he have a Oh, wait, I may be confused at the actual book where he has like a maid I don't remember having a maid in the movie Right, but in the book Sorry in the film he goes home and he finds the woman that he met earlier at the casino Sylvia trench You still be a trench. Thank you. Who was gonna be his like girlfriend in multiple bond films?
I think is she in the beginning of from Russia with love the next one. Yeah, yeah, it would have been a nice idea to be going It would have been yeah, I'll take this 70s bachelor pad any day over Daniel Craig's Spartan flat that he's got in his movies And then em turns up and he bond us to hide Is it tell you it's like a ruse up and then there's a scene where he's making coffee? Yeah, and We're espresso machines kind of like a new thing back then because they treat they film it like it's a gadget like like it's a bomb gadget Yeah, well This makes me feel like it's a dig at Harry Saltzman. Oh, okay.
Cool. And I'll explain why Harry Saltzman was the producer of the ipcrest file Okay, which yes has a scene in the very beginning where Michael can spend a lot of time making coffee Why has that seen the ipcrest file because Harry Saltzman had invested in that coffee machine? the very famous thing as well, right? Yeah, so Is this a dig at Harry Saltzman's failure at that infestment because em says is that all it does?
I never thought about that. Yeah, could be I was curious. It's a very um open way to have a dig at your business partner. I was not Yeah, it is.
But I mean they were at war, but on the other hand apparently saltzman was producing this film hands-on So would he have allowed that? I don't know. Maybe he just didn't see it. I mean, maybe he didn't see that it was a dig at the song Yeah, maybe maybe he learned that the the scene were a bond Undressed his caruso using the magnetic power on his watch.
They took 29 times to get that scene right? Yeah, yeah 29 times. Are you saying there was some ulterior motive there? Yeah, yeah, no one I wonder his wife was on set Can we go again just one more time?
It's a very very low-tech way they did it. It was just like a thin wire attached to it and they just pulled it down Wasn't there a blow conjure a dress or something? Yeah, a piece of string Yeah, how many hands went up do you think when they said do who wants to do this? It's like I'll do it.
I'll do it. I'll do it. I thought you were talking about hands. Uh, It says the German German guy.
Yeah, that's a lot in our podcast, isn't it? He does. Yeah. Yeah, always at the wrong moment.
He does. So yes, always at the wrong moment. Isn't it weird though the end goes to Bond's house? I read that that again was a conscious decision to Separate it from the Connery era.
So rather than him having his briefing in that room where he always goes. They're gonna try and do it something different with it It's still weird. Can you imagine your boss throwing up at your house? You wouldn't open the door would you?
No, you wouldn't. No. You pretend you're asleep and you've not heard it Yep, exactly. When Roger steps out of that airport when he's long co-ed and suit on, how cool does he look?
Yeah, very cool. Yeah. Yeah, that's the moment he becomes Bond. It is but that music over the top of that scene.
That's it. Yeah. Yeah. So he's making his way to Manhattan to meet Felix Leiter and we get a little chase sequence.
There's a car drives alongside and shoots Bond with like a weapon from the wing mirror. Yeah, why did they kill the driver with the dirt? Why not? They've got that and they just want Bond dead.
Why not just shoot it at Bond? Job done. So it looks like an accident. Well, they'll find the dirt on his head.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Scratch it. Delete that bit. Let me think about this.
No, no. There's a lot of that in this film, Colin. Wait, wait. His window is open.
Bond isn't. So it wouldn't have it was just bounced off the glass is what you're saying. Okay. All right.
Let's go with that. It's just fiery bolt of the wiles and stuff like that. Like, bounce it off the wing. It was like, why don't you win?
What? Could you why? Wind up? Why?
Why? Because, because, yeah. I need to actually directions. Oh, hold on then.
Yeah. Yeah. Wind it down. What?
That's what we're about. Yeah. All right. I'll go with that.
I'll go with that. But there are instances all through this film of they could just kill Bond and they do these elaborate things. But that's Bond, doesn't it? I suppose.
Yeah. Yeah. I look forward to you pointing them out the rest of them. It was very cinematic.
It's all bit that doesn't it? This car scene. That helps. That was a film.
I mean, shot very well. Guy, Guy, I'm a little bit of a second unit, wasn't it? Yeah. Guy's started home smoking cigars.
And then we see Yafakoto. First, his first scene. I think he's great in this movie. He's like really calm, collected.
But when he goes, it's really quite jarring because he's so quiet most of the time. Yeah. Apparently, Roger Moore said he was heard to work with. Which he pushed his back on, doesn't he?
Or he did? Yeah. He says he was just quiet. But he was respectful and polite to everybody.
Yeah. Maybe Roger liked my fun, didn't I think? I think maybe it's just a different working style. I think that's probably how it is.
Different acting method. Yafakoto did say that he didn't feel like he had much to work with script wise. So he had to find a character himself in a way. Right.
And I think also he felt he had something to live up to because he was the first black bond villain. I think there probably was a lot of that I would imagine. Yeah. And I don't say that.
He says that. He says like, because he'd been the first black person in space in Alien. Yeah. The first one.
Yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. So Bond goes to the shop, doesn't he? He does.
Yeah. Yeah. The shop that sells voodoo stuff in Manhattan. I think I've gone go shopping.
How much you have? Yeah. Looking for ritual schools and things to. Yeah, it's gone.
There's a great gag when he asks for the lady to wrap the snake lengthwise. Yeah. Well, take a love guess. It gives it time to sneak up back.
But he's a snake. How could you wrap it? You don't have to wrap it lengthwise no matter what you do. I like my sausage is wrapped lengthwise.
So I went to like my snakes the same way. Where it at? Okay. I really like the scene when all the undercover cops are tracking Bond and they're just they're just kind of like just taking the piss out of him, aren't they?
Oh, now this is interesting because I didn't think they were undercover cops. I thought they all were a network that worked for Kenanga. No, because one of them ends up talking to the guy that helps him later. Is his name Sir Eichor, Strata?
That guy. He's obviously one of Felix's guys. This is interesting because I've seen this film like hundreds of times and I've always assumed it was Puerto Kenanga's network. No, I assumed that it was the guy who's tracking him.
All right. So he's making his way up to Harlem. And so he follows the car to the nightclub, which is called the Philadelphia Soul, like the one in New Orleans and he enters and obviously he's the only white dude in the entire place. They all kind of make fun of him, don't they?
Yeah, because he orders a drink and then he's like without ice and they're like, well, that's extra anyway. Yeah. And the boot spins around, doesn't it? It does.
This is where we get to meet T. He. I love a Bond villain with a gimmick, don't you? In fact, it was nice to see it, a return to it in no time to die.
We got a little bit of a gimmick with the robotic arm. Yeah. And this guy's gimmick is his metal cloth. Although in this scene, you can clearly see that he's holding the metal thing inside his sleeve.
I think you can see that in every second. Well, this is just like later because he takes Bond's gun and bends it and you can also see the seam in the gun where it's going to bend. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. This scene does not do well in HD. I was going to say, you probably couldn't see that originally, could you?
Right now, because it was quick and everything but in Farket, you're like, oh, yeah. I could see that's a fake gun. I touched the problem. I have with Derek Meddins, miniatures in Bond movies, 4K and even back with Blu-ray.
Didn't do it anyway, I don't think. Especially water stuff. Yeah. Why does stuff is always tricky for this kind of thing?
Because the waves always look too big. Yeah. Yeah. Nobody does the James Bond line quite like Roger that, did they?
What do you mean? He's when he introduces himself to Solitar, I get goosebumps every time. He says that line for the first time when he does the hold my name's Bond's James Bond. It just flows in a way that no other actor doing it, even Connery.
It just doesn't feel as good as when Roger does it. But then Dalton? Dalton never really says it, does he really? Apart from it, he says it at the beginning of living daylights to the lady on the boat, doesn't he?
Yeah. And he kind of tosses it off for line. I think that's done on purpose, right? Yeah.
And then in license to kill, he tries to say it to Sanchez and Sanchez just cuts him off. Right. And there's a cutting off in this film too, as well. Yeah.
Yeah. And Daniel Craig, I think they went the opposite way just because they felt they had to. Of course. Yeah.
Obviously. Yeah. I think Brosnan enjoys it though. Yeah.
Well, Brosnan is kind of an amalgamation of more and Connery, isn't he? And a little bit of Dalton. He's a mix of everything that's come before, I think. He's a mix of everything that's come before, but he wants to be Daniel Craig.
And I don't mean Daniel Craig as in a sense of Daniel Craig, I mean that kind of gritty bond. Yeah. And I don't think he was ever allowed to be, was he? No.
Because he really wanted to do it because he's not right out of it. I think he was quite gutted when you get to do it. Yeah. And the last one he did is no, that's not service to him whatsoever.
And if you want to hear what we think about that, we've done that episode, so check it out. He's in our back catalogue. Yeah. Yeah.
Back to this movie. What are you going to give Mr. Big's makeup then? I mean, I think it's fine because it's not like he's supposed to be another person, he's supposed to be a guy with makeup.
I don't think I saw through it the first time I ever saw this movie as a kid. I don't think I knew that the twist was that he was the same thing as he was carrying in disguise. Right. So it works?
I think. Yeah, I think so. Yeah. I'm happy with it.
So the next scene is the goons take Bondo, it's 90 Killeen. Yeah. And this alleyway was actually it's 118th Street kind of and that's in Harlem. And you know those cables dangling down and then bond like pushes them aside?
Those cables were somewhere else and Guy Hamilton was like, oh, let's have those cables in the shot and then bond could just push him aside. So they cut the cables down and reposition them. And as they were about to film, the telephone company turned up and they were like angry because they were like, all the phones have gone out. They were working on yesterday.
I was going to put all the production crew were like, oh, I've no idea. They all pretended not to know what it happened. Basically, they've cut the telephone cables for the neighborhood. Oh, wow.
It looks like a war zone this place. Yeah. I mean, New York in the 70s was on its knees. Yeah, I've heard that.
Yeah. So this character that turns up in the next scene that helps Bond, he, I would quite happily watch a spinoff with this character. Oh, he's great. Yeah, he's good, right?
He's so miserable and sarcastic. I can see why he peels to you. I would have thought he'd appeal to you. You will call in.
It's no need to desperately turn it on to me. You turned it on to me first. Because you're the one who loves him. Anyway, I was quite sad when he dies later in the movie.
Oh, spoiler. Is there anyone who hasn't seen this movie? So, so we get to see Jeffrey Holder as Baron Samadie. Is it Samadie?
Samadie? What's French for? Samsung. He's fantastically over the top, isn't he?
Yes. Apparently hated snakes in real life. That's unfortunate considering his writing in his film. And apparently when he had to fall into the casket with real snakes, apparently, I don't know why they use real snakes because you can't see them.
No, see them. Apparently they were real snakes. You really didn't want to do it, but he did it because the set was getting a royal visit that day and he didn't want to look loose face. Personally, I would have been like, no, I'll just make him rubber.
Or I'll just see him. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. That's my need.
You didn't feel like he could speak up. Maybe. I always love a good Bond hotel scene where he uses gadgets to locate all the listen devices in the room. Something feels very, I mean, that goes all the way back to Connery, doesn't it?
I think he does that in the very first one. He does. Why does he stand at the window and pointing out the window and press it? Isn't he singing in the boat?
Oh, is that what he's doing? So this device that detects bugs also solves the same device? He's got a device that he's going to send because he's about to do the signaling to the boat. And then he sort of stops and thinks better of it, doesn't he?
And then he takes out this other device and looks around for listening devices. Ah, okay. I missed him switching devices. Yeah.
But yeah, I always think it's something very Bond about watching him walk around a room trying to find all these listening devices and cameras and things. So you're doing every hotel room you stay at? Oh, absolutely. No, I put them in.
You put bring me home. You pull the devices in people's hotel rooms. Yeah. Hang on a minute.
That's what you do as a pal. All right, that's interesting. Video cameras behind the mirrors. We'll leave that one there.
So they try and kill Bond with a snake? Yes. Yes. They release it from events.
Why he's having a shave in the bathtub. Is that it? It's a 70s name. It's how I think people do the 70s.
You run the bath. You got it. You had a shave and then you got out. And he doesn't watch his hair already.
Does it? No, watch anything. Just as a shave and then gets out. You're like, you're going to have a shave or I'll go run the bath first.
All right. Everything about this looks 70s. Doesn't it? It does feel 70s.
Yeah. But why don't they just shoot it? I mean, that whisper guy even brings him a bottle of champagne in a minute. So why doesn't he just shoot it?
Why go to all this trouble of pushing a snake through the thing to buy him? Oh, here we go. Come on. Because then somebody will investigate the crime.
Well, if he's bitten by a snake, stop crying. It's just bitten by a snake. So this again, you're using the same reasoning for why they want it to make it look like an accident with the with does. No, because you cut that out because that was a silly finger set.
Oh, no, I haven't got it out. Oh, OK. Yeah, but this would look like an accident if it was a snake. I mean, who are you going to be going to rest the snake?
I mean, it's said to put a hunk of some snake, but just slide out. It would probably throw a hissy fit anyway. All right. Thanks for listening.
I'm out. Every time you're out, you get pulled back in and got it right by the ass. See, get out yourself. Mark, and that is very true.
It's got me into trouble. Many a type. Well, I'll leave it in that. That's dating.
So after he blasts the snake, he calmly squirts a bit of the aftershave, what he's facing walks into the bedroom. Classic bond. It's classic bond, but it's a weird kind of cologne. Who has a spray cologne?
We don't know. It could be a 70 day. Yeah. Yeah.
But that sums up the character for me. That's how you bond should be played. That's the adjusting your necktie underwater, kind of thing. Exactly.
Exactly. I know that now it's it. Bond is all about trying to make him feel more real, but which always seems ridiculous to me because it's James Bond. Yeah, it's a spy who uses his name.
Exactly. And oh, he needs to be a more emotional person. I'm pretty sure that being an emotional person as a spy is going to get you killed. Yeah.
Yeah. They burn that area of you in your training. Which it calls you to make incorrect decisions. Exactly.
Exactly. And going back to when we were talking about Timothy Dalton, people, one of criticisms of Dalton's bond is they say he was an emotional cold machine. But you watch those movies. He's not.
In fact, he's probably seething in... He's the younger respond that we have. Yeah. Yeah.
But you never feel that those emotions that he's feeling are going to get in the way of what he's got to do. Right. Yeah. I mean, he even quits being an agent in Master's to kill, but he still gets the job done.
He never feels like he's like an interfere with what's happening. Well, he quits so he can get the job done. Exactly. But I don't know.
I think, you know, Daniel Craig, he's one step away from the first entertainers a couple of times in those movies. Yeah. He's a modern guy. Yeah.
He's in touch with his feelings. Yeah. Yeah. Right.
You call him. Right. Oh, I thought you were saying you like me. That was a bit weird.
I don't know. Every second. This is a little too touchy feeling. Roger says the line.
I'm sure we'll be able to lick you into shape. And all I can think of was Anne. So the Roger era begins. That's because he's met Rosie Carver.
Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of Rosie Carver, I mean, she's not going to sleep with him at first. She's quite strong.
I mean, I know we're going to find stuff out of her. Well, she's not that strong. No, that's true. Yeah.
She's like strong for what? Five seconds. And then she sees like a hat with feathers as a blood in it. And he's just like, what does Bob say?
He says, oh, it's just a small headed bad. Who's had a floss to fight with a chicken. And then, and then she's like, oh, stay with me, James. Don't leave me to like.
And he's like, oh, don't worry, darling. Yeah. But I mean, she at first, you think to yourself, oh, she's she's playing it like, you know, she's a bit dim, isn't she? But then you know, spoilers, you find out later that that's an act.
Yes. Yeah. So he's not what it appears to be at first. Well, there's no stretching it.
I know. You are stretching it, but this does go back to our age old discussion about the idea of Bond women being Arnhemons is not exactly accurate. And it's been misused over time because for the time period that these films were made in, some of the Bond women have actually been the strongest characters of that period. Absolutely.
Triple X in Spy Love Me. I beg your pardon? Triple X, sorry. Or Holly.
Good head in Moonraker. Yeah. The names of the problem, like Pussy Galore, for example, it's a stupid name. And that's a name that causes an issue.
Well, the character itself, she was a leader of pilots. She was a pilot for a start, which was unusual at that time period. And she led a squadron of female pilots. And she gives Bond as good as she gets.
Yeah. I mean, there is that issue where he, was just where she crossed that great speed. You'd have slept with Sean Connery, wouldn't you? Oh, God.
Yeah. Yeah. Wait, what am I saying? Yeah.
I mean, he'd have slept me if I did it. I suppose I have to stretch a little bit to try to get some sort of character out of Rosie. Because Solid Ter is the one that's, yeah, there's nothing there. Is that really?
No, that's not. But we'll talk about that. Yeah. So it's the next morning.
And this is where we can talk about Rogers clothes, I guess. So he's wearing denim pants, right? He's wearing denim jacket as well. And he's wearing denim jacket.
And is it a string vest or is it just a vest? It's just a vest. Yeah. It's not a great look, is it?
I don't know. This is going to be my summer 2023 look. Yeah. Really?
I think we've got great. Okay. Yeah. You don't like being with other people then.
What do you say? In fact, there's actually an improvement of what you usually want. You can imagine me wearing that vest, you know? I tried arcing.
No, with those nipples. You dream about it tonight. I won't. You will.
Let's have a nightmare. Like my duck had its first nightmare the other day howling during the night. Now I know what he was thinking about. I think it's a great look.
I like it. No, it's it's the worst. I'm going to say right now without thinking too deeply about the other costumes that this is the worst bond lock. Worse than a safari suit.
No, I like the safari jacket. I think that's quite good. Okay. Because he's ruined it.
No, no, I know. You can't in hindsight. Bond is always on the hunt. So a safari jacket is perfect.
Oh, okay. Okay. It's a shame that Cananga drops the line about Rosie being efficient, isn't it? Because I don't think it would have been a bigger moment for us as an audience to figure it out with Bond rather than get the hint up front.
Yeah. Yeah. Plus after Cananga's line, the actress starts to play Rosie a bit more shifty. Oh, maybe she knows the game's up where she's trying to get around her.
Right. So they they go and take a boat out, don't they? Because they're going to go to the island where Byron's commande is and we get to meet Quarle, Judea. I love Bond's removable black trousers and reversible jacket.
Oh, you do? Yeah. It's better than the denim look. He's got some good looks.
So we get like, I get we get a cuts between solitaire explaining to Cananga that bonds approaching the island and then we got between shots of him approaching our own. Let's be honest, she's out of a job now, right? In the modern world. Because she's like, the plane is arriving.
And he's like, yeah, I've got an app. That is true. Yes. Don't need you.
Yeah. Yeah. So he goes to the island and he sees her. meets her again for the second time.
Yeah. And so this little switcher with the cards that he pulls on her. Oh, so all the cards and Max's lovers. Right.
So that he can do the business. Well, let's let's investigate this and be a little thorough to Bond. Maybe he's just using that to win her over not to actually get her into bed. Maybe because he's thinking of the mission.
Yeah, yeah. You could say that. All I'm saying is that we're highly looking back on it now. It doesn't play very well.
No, no, I'm surprised I could say that with a straight face, to be honest. Well, that's about the whole right. Okay. You're doing very good in this episode, Colin.