This blog is best viewed using Internet Explorer. If you are using Mozilla Firefox, click View, Page Style and select No Style.
Click here for The Summer of '05
Links
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Lazenby. George Lazenby.
*Spoilers*
=========
Film Review:
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Directed by Peter R. Hunt
=========
George Who?
I am talking about George Lazeby, the second James Bond. Yes, my friends. After Connery and before Moore, Aussie George Lazenby starred as the suave British superspy in the 6th Bond installment: On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Some of you may not have known it while some others hate to even think about it. Lazenby has a lot of critics, but there are a number of people who think that OHMSS may well be one of the best Bond movies in the series. Some Bond aficionados even claim that Lazenby's portrayal of James Bond is the closest to the Bond in creator Ian Fleming's books. Perhaps he was much younger than Connery and Moore, or maybe he was inexperienced as an actor. Still, I have to say that this is a movie worth watching, very enjoyable, exciting, and even heartwarming. It's not Connery, but still good fun.
This film also stars The Avengers's Diana Rigg as Teresa "Tracy" Draco...James Bond's wife! I bet you didn't know that James Bond had a wife! When I was younger, I used to flip through dusty old issues of LIFE magazine. I once came across a James Bond anniversary issue. At that time, Timothy Dalton was the latest James Bond, and he posing in a set filled with James Bond memorabilia and movie props. One prop was a tombstone that read, "R.I.P. Teresa Bond." It said that Teresa Bond was James Bond's wife. It was only until I watched this movie did I fully understand what that meant. Actually, Tracy only marries Bond in the tragic, bittersweet ending. I shall impart that to you later on.
I personally loved this movie. I have to say that, as it rarely used the classic "Dr. No./James Bond" theme, it's own mod 60's score was equally good and fitting. The villian, Ernst Blofeld, is probably the basis for Dr. Evil in the Austin Powers series. This and other factoids make this movie such an interesting watch.
I shall relate some of this trivia to you. Most of them I got from IMDb.com
George Lazenby, then a car salesman working as a part time model, got the part by using up most of his money in buying a Saville Row suit and a Rolex and in getting a James Bond-ish haircut. It was during this particular haircut session that the Bond producer spotted him.
In one interesting scene, when Bond clears out his desk, he comes across certain items from different missions. As he picks out a particular item, the theme song from the movie in which that item appeared plays in the background.
It is common misconception that this movie didn't do well. It did. In fact, it outgrossed its nearest competitor almost two to one. The only thing was that it didn't do as good as the Connery Bond flicks.
It's not true that Lazenby was never offered the role again. He was actually offered a multi-picture deal, but he declined (though he would later regret it).
This is the longest of all the Bond movies.
The only time in the whole James Bond series that Q ever calls Bond "James" is during the wedding scene in this movie.
It is only in this movie wherein the "fourth wall" is broken in the whole series. In the first scene, Bond faces the camera and says, "This never happened to the other fellow," referring to Connery.
It is in this movie wherein we are told that the Bonds's family motto is "The World is not enough."
It is the first Bond movie wherein Bond kisses Moneypenny on the lips.
This movie contains one of the most violent scenes in the series.
The movie contains the only gun barrel sequence at the beginning of the credits wherein Bond drops down on his knees while shooting at the audience.
The first take of the scene where Tracy is killed, Lazenby cried. Director Hunt retook the scene because he said, "Bond does not cry." The scene took only 2 takes.
Well, I just blurted it out didn't I? Yes, right after the wedding, on their way to their honeymoon, Tracy is killed by the villian whom we thought had already died. This is one of the very few movies that I know of that have sad, tragic endings. The movie ends with her death, a rare glimpse of Bond's human side. Louis Armstrong renders a song in movie. The song's title is the movie's ironic last line, uttered by Bond--"We have all the time in the world."
In a more positive note, of all the Bond girls, my favorite would be Ms. Moneypenny. I'm not sure of M's trusted secretary is actually a Bond girl, but I just like her so much. No, it's not because I'm Secretary (or maybe it is...). For one thing, I firmly believe that, aside from his late wife, Moneypenny is the only woman whom Bond respects. He may treat every other Bond girl as a mere fling, but his world would come to an end if not for Moneypenny.
I find the Bond and Moneypenny's relationship so cute. It's so cute how they jokingly flirt everytime Bond visits. It's so cute how Bond just thinks of it as all in good fun while Moneypenny (deep down inside) genuinely likes Bond. It's so cute how Moneypenny gets worried when Bond doesn't show up for a long time. It's so cute how Moneypenny is so essential in Bond's missions. It's so cute how Moneypenny cried in Bond's wedding (because "Weddings make me cry" or because she was brokenhearted?).
With this, I would like to announce that I am aspiring to be the first Asian Moneypenny. By the time I put on the role of course, we will also be introduced to the first Black James Bond. In fact, it's Jamaal Bond, James's distant relative.
Nah...
posted by
Ana,
sgtpepper72687@yahoo.com
7:30 AM
9 Comments:
Great work!
[url=http://lnlotyfn.com/zxlb/tqkj.html]My homepage[/url] | [url=http://klokbyht.com/yzdu/tkwv.html]Cool site[/url]
Great work!
My homepage | Please visit
Nice site!
http://lnlotyfn.com/zxlb/tqkj.html | http://wzuzwfwk.com/iaoz/ndng.html
Thank you!
[url=http://wmeyqwaf.com/gbzn/fapg.html]My homepage[/url] | [url=http://mzgdxgfq.com/oxcg/zsfs.html]Cool site[/url]
Great work!
My homepage | Please visit
Good design!
http://wmeyqwaf.com/gbzn/fapg.html | http://lrrkheju.com/lxrj/yicj.html
Nice site!
[url=http://llaoewvt.com/sqib/dqdc.html]My homepage[/url] | [url=http://szxucrfl.com/drob/juzx.html]Cool site[/url]
Good design!
My homepage | Please visit
Nice site!
http://llaoewvt.com/sqib/dqdc.html | http://tnjmzhrd.com/zcmg/nnbd.html
, at
4:29 AM