Skip to main content

You Only Live Twenty-three Times


As you know, I'm a bit of a movie lover.

There are classic films that rate very highly and must not be missed: Gone With The Wind, Citizen Kane, Hobson's Choice, The Ten Commandments, The Manchurian Candidate, etc. But just as much a part of the fabric of movie history are the movies that are just plain fun to watch. Stuff like Silver Streak, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, Some Like It Hot, the Police Academy movies and, of course the James Bond series of films. To date, there have been 23 Eon Production films in the James Bond franchise, and here we find out which ones are the best, and the worst.

Ready? Here we go....


1. A View to a Kill (1985)

A stone-cold classic, I don't care what anybody says. I mean, you've got Roger Moore (the best Bond), Grace Jones, Patrick Macnee, Tanya Roberts and Christopher Walken as Zorin, one of the best-ever Bond villains. 'nuff said.

2. GoldenEye (1995)

This is when Bond got really good again. Pierce Brosnan's first two outings (this, and Tomorrow Never Dies) were his best. This is a darker, more serious Bond, but not one that goes too far over the line (like Daniel Craig). And, of course, GoldenEye features the introduction of Judi Dench's M, at her toughest. The best M, bar none.

3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Pure classic Bond, during Moore's late-seventies' heyday. You've got the awesome henchman Jaws, the neat under/above-water base of the villain Stromberg, Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine car, and wonderful Egyptian locales. This movie rocks.

4. Octopussy (1983)

Another memorable score from John Barry helps set the mood for this solid thriller. The clowns, the circus, Octopussy's exotic castle, Louis Jourdan's calm but calculating villain.... it all adds up to one heck of a movie.

5. Skyfall (2012)

One of the series' more classy outings, directed by an Academy Award winner, Craig's third time in the role, Dench's seventh and last time as M, it's a strong story that is well-presented.


So, that's my Top 5. Here, then are the rest...

6. Dr. No (1962)
7. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
8. Thunderball (1965)
9. Moonraker (1979)
10. Goldfinger (1964)
11. Casino Royale (2006)
12. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
13. The Living Daylights (1987) 
14. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
15. You Only Live Twice (1967)
16. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
17. License to Kill (1989)
18. The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
19. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
20. Die Another Day (2002)
21. From Russia With Love (1963)
22. Live and Let Die (1973)
23. Quantum of Solace (2008)


And, there it is. Another list of truth!




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Orby-D

Twenty-four-years ago today, we lost one of the greatest singers of the rock & roll era. While Roy Orbison will be forever known in the pantheon of rock/pop legends, for me he will always be the voice that I melded with during turbulent high school years, and that I love to this day. Roy Orbison wrote and (more importantly) sang about love. Mostly, it was tragic love, not the happy-go-lucky love that so many of his contemporaries sang about. No one could do depressive songs better than Mr. Orbison. This is probably why I identified with his music so much. I mean, we all have had our down times but, during high school, I'd cornered the market.
Post a Comment
Read more

Watching The Hours

A Twitter friend named Paula has asked for folks to submit ideas for a blog-a-thon about what we think will be the classic films of the future. In other words, what relatively recent movies (namely, from the 21st century), do we think will be considered classics in the decades to come, possibly airing on such venerable stations as Turner Classic Movies ? While a number of films come to mind for such a category, one in particular stood out from the rest, and thus is my entry for Paula's blog-a-thon.
5 comments
Read more

The Year in Music

There are times in your life when you will read or watch something, stop for a moment, and think to yourself: "This is truth. This is gospel, right here." For some, it may have been the first time you read the Bible, the Tanakh, or the Koran. For others, it could have been when you read self-help books such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , or Chicken Soup for the Soul . Still, for others, it's going to be this blog post right here. The truth is, dear reader, that 1993 was the best year for music. Full-stop. Some of you already know this. For others, it will be a revelation. Please, allow me to explain. Following are some of the albums released in 1993, with a bit of commentary from yours truly. During or after reading this, I think you'll agree that there's really no question anymore that 1993 was king. Ok, here we go.
Post a Comment
Read more