October 18, 2008

The Bond Countdown #2

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , |
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From Russia With Love (1963)
Terence Young
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Red Grant (Robert Shaw)
Bond Girl: Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi)

From Russia With Love (1963)

From Russia With Love (1963)

The second in the series of Bond films, From Russia With Love, takes Bond to newer places and heights. In this version, Bond has to capture a decoding machine built by the Russians called Lektor. For this he has to go to Istanbul, Turkey and evade the attempts of SPECTRE to kill him and get their hands on the machine. SPECTRE, the secret organization introduced to us in the previous film, is lead by the unknown Number 1 who will only be revealed in You Only Live Twice (1967). SPECTRE has assigned a female commander, Rosa Klebb, to terminate Bond and avenge the death of Dr. No. Bond is to meet up with Tatiana Romanova, the Embassy official and get the machine from the consulate. They manage to board the Orient Express with the machine. Just as they think they have done their work, they come to know that Klebb is not through yet.

Famous for the absence of the “Bond, James Bond” quote, From Russia With Love lives up to the prequel with more action, more technology and more style. The title sequences, the grand photography and thematic music add up the charm. Many call it the best in the series and the film does live up to all that hype. The film’s premise is so befitting to the cold war era it was made in and no wonder JFK loved this film! A very memorable film as a whole.

 

October 17, 2008

The Bond Countdown #1

Posted by Just Another Film Buff under All Posts, Hollywood, Marathon | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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Dr. No (1962)
Terence Young
Bond, James Bond: Sean Connery
Arch Rival: Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman)
Bond Girl: Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress)

Dr. No (1962)

The film that started it all – Dr. No. Set in the West Indian country of Jamaica, the film follows a British secret agent Bond who is on the mission of solving the mysterious killing of another fellow British man John Strangways. He eventually arrives to know that a certain island called Crab Key, an arcane place of mysterious happenings, possesses deposits of radioactive rocks and tat Strangways was after the same thing. He also meets Honey Ryder, a shell collecting damsel and as Bond makes way into the island with Honey, he finds out that a huge organization has its base there and is led by Dr. No. After Bond and Honey are captured by the men there, he gets a rendezvous with Dr. No that reveals the organization as SPECTRE. Can bond escape the clutches of Dr. No and save the American rockets from being destroyed by him?

Apart from becoming a historical piece, Dr. No is a damn interesting film with great scenes and a superb score. My favorite Bond title track “Three Blind Mice” is in this film. Sean Connery is the embodiment of style and had already set a very high standard for all the Bond heroes to follow. Although more mellow and deliberate than the subsequent Bond films that had action taking the driver’s seat, Dr. No still remains a must watch for all action fans for the intensity of lead and for the significance of introducing us to quirky yet suave world of Bond, James Bond.