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PappyVanWise

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Every so often I'll get on a James Bond kick and start watching as many as I can, until my appetite is sated. On this latest binge session, I've decided to watch at least one from each actor. It's hard to separate the man from the quality of the movie, but the Brosnan era movies are not aging well. There's a heavy reliance on early internet jargon and quasi technological plots from the villians. The Dalton movies are interesting, you can tell the 80s action movie influence. I think they do hold up pretty well. The Connery movies are real slow for the most part, and by the end of his run you can tell he's just cashing his paycheck. Lazenby is Lazenby, its basically just a silly movie. Which leaves us with Moore and Craig. The three Craig movies are very good movies, not just good Bond movies. When his run is over, he could top the list. But now, in my opinion, Roger Moore leads the pack. I've watched live and let die and a view to a kill, his first and last, this time around, and he does a great job of portraying Bond. From 1973 to 1985, he was James Bond, an impressive streak for any actor to hold down a role. He was also the first Bond I saw, which is why I hold his version in such high regard.

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Every so often I'll get on a James Bond kick and start watching as many as I can, until my appetite is sated. On this latest binge session, I've decided to watch at least one from each actor. It's hard to separate the man from the quality of the movie, but the Brosnan era movies are not aging well. There's a heavy reliance on early internet jargon and quasi technological plots from the villians. The Dalton movies are interesting, you can tell the 80s action movie influence. I think they do hold up pretty well. The Connery movies are real slow for the most part, and by the end of his run you can tell he's just cashing his paycheck. Lazenby is Lazenby, its basically just a silly movie. Which leaves us with Moore and Craig. The three Craig movies are very good movies, not just good Bond movies. When his run is over, he could top the list. But now, in my opinion, Roger Moore leads the pack. I've watched live and let die and a view to a kill, his first and last, this time around, and he does a great job of portraying Bond. From 1973 to 1985, he was James Bond, an impressive streak for any actor to hold down a role. He was also the first Bond I saw, which is why I hold his version in such high regard.

You forgot someone!

nivenbond08-11-13.jpg

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There are something like 10 James Bonds in the original Casino Royale, but I was just counting the official Broccoli releases. If Niven is your man, please let us know why.

Niven is most certainly not my man.

C'mon, I just went through all 80 episodes of Star Trek (TOS) - who do you *think* is my man?

Of course it's Sean Connery, who is to British Spying what William Shatner is to Star Fleet Captaincy.

However, Roger Moore is my Patrick Stewart - suave, elegant, intellectual - who had a huge advantage, even on Connery, with his experience in The Saint - a great TV show that few people remember.

This is precisely what I don't like about the James Beard (not James Bond; James Beard) Award voting: a judge can vote on a restaurant that they've been to, even if they haven't been to the others. In other words, if someone visits California, and goes to only 1 out of 5 restaurants nominated for Best Chef, then they can vote for that one restaurant, but cannot vote on any of the others - that hardly seems fair to me.

I say this because I lost much of my Bond expertise after Connery and Moore (I have a lot of catch-up work to do), and don't feel qualified to say who's "the best" Bond only being familiar with two - does that make sense? If so, then why doesn't it make sense to the James Beard Committee?

That said, anyone who seduces Honor Blackman (who played the outrageously (and hilariously) named Pussy Galore) and the absolutely stunning Ursula Andress (who played the almost-as-outrageously named Honey Rider) wins by a walkover.

Something many people don't know about Sean Connery is that he was a competitive bodybuilder in the 1950s:

8d5cbff26721478401a65f6f75e47fbd.jpg

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That said, anyone who seduces Honor Blackman (who played the outrageously (and hilariously) named Pussy Galore) and the absolutely stunning Ursula Andress (who played the almost-as-outrageously named Honey Rider) wins by a walkover.

I don't know about that, Moore got to seduce Jane Seymour, Barbra Bach, Maud Adams, and Carole Bouquet.

However, by this criteria, the clear winner is Brosnan with Hallie Berry as Jinx Johnson [!] in Die Another Day.

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For those of you needing a refresher on just how bad and good these movies can be, the Cinemax family appears to be playing them all this month on their various channels.  A handful of them are also on Cinemax on Demand.  Caught some of Goldeneye last night, and wow, the techno-jargon alone is worth the price of admission.

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George Lazenby

Trivia: In the "Strange But True" category, George Lazenby married tennis player Pam Shriver and they have three children together.

The Spy Who Shoved Me - that's ... perversely funny (The Legend Of Lutherville is at least six-feet tall, extremely athletic, and 22-years younger than he - that's why it's somewhat funny - she might be able to kick his ass).

In the "Even Stranger But True" category, a mutual friend once wanted to set me up with Elise Bergin (hey, she took down Navratilova).

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Back when I was in university, right around final exam time, some TV station (maybe TNT?) would show Bond marathons.  A bunch of us on the dorm floor would gather in front of the TV, books in tow, and try to study during the commercials.

One of my dormmates thought Dalton was (and last I heard, still is) the best Bond ever.

Personally, I'd say Connery is the best because he was the first and set the standard.  I think Moore lasted too long (I'd say more, but I'll spare everyone).  Lazenby?  Can't really give an opinion.  Brosnan?  I think he was pretty good.  Craig?  I thought Casino Royale was 30 minutes too long, but if you want a serious Bond he's your guy.  Plus there's all the really modern technology.

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On 2/8/2014 at 11:20 PM, PappyVanWise said:

But now, in my opinion, Roger Moore leads the pack. I've watched live and let die and a view to a kill, his first and last, this time around, and he does a great job of portraying Bond. From 1973 to 1985, he was James Bond, an impressive streak for any actor to hold down a role. He was also the first Bond I saw, which is why I hold his version in such high regard.

On 5/20/2014 at 10:22 AM, lperry said:

Only one James Bond was on the Muppet Show.  Roger Moore.  The clear winner.

You must ... must ... MUST get onto Hulu, and watch Season 2, Episode 19 of "The Saint" from Jan, 1964, titled "Luella."

I've watched every "Saint" in sequence through this episode, and this is - by far - the finest comedic effort in the series thus far: a mixture of slapstick, mistaken identity, and just general hilarity. It all sounds very much *not* in keeping with "The Saint," but it works, and it works brilliantly - somehow the British troupe in this episode just clicks, and it is uproariously funny.

And you simply will not believe your ears when you hear one particular line of the dialogue. Do everything you can to find and watch this episode, all of you reading this.

I post this here for a reason. Trust me.

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