Ep. 37 - Bonds, all the Bonds! part 2

This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:01] J.J.: As you know, when we record these episodes, we're generally recording them kind of far in advance.

[0:13] Olaf: Absolutely. On purpose.

[0:15] J.J.: And then, of course, sometimes we have technical problems.

[0:19] Olaf: Which we've had a few times.

[0:21] J.J.: This has been a learning process, adapting and growing in this medium, and through that we've made some mistakes.

[0:29] Olaf: And today is one of those days that, ultimately due to technical issues, we're going to have to redo.

[0:37] J.J.: We're redoing this episode of Goldfinger and Thunderball, and if it sounds a little different from the other episodes, that's why.

[0:47] Olaf: A little peek behind the curtain.

[0:49] J.J.: There it is. Well, we can't talk about Goldfinger and Thunderball until we get into the movie theater.

[0:54] Olaf: So, let's go back to the movie theater.

[0:58] J.J.: This is our ongoing series of James Bond, and we are now at Goldfinger and Thunderball.

[1:24] Olaf: And I'm excited because Goldfinger is number one on my list.

[1:29] J.J.: It's the gold standard.

[1:31] Olaf: Rightly so. I still think, even now, over 60 years, it still holds up, in my opinion, for the most part.

[1:38] J.J.: Yeah, it ultimately is one of the greater James Bond movies that have come out in our time.

[1:45] Olaf: And that's no small feat, considering it came out in the early 60s.

[1:49] J.J.: Right. And movies are definitely made a lot differently, shot differently, edited differently now.

[1:55] Olaf: So, for a movie this old to keep up with more modern films says a lot.

[2:02] J.J.: And arguably, I would say that James Bond as a character and a property completely locks in on the fourth movie.

[2:10] Olaf: By the fourth movie, we get every element that we know and think of Bond.

[2:16] J.J.: Yeah. But Goldfinger really took a huge leap forward from the first two and nearly got us to the finish line of a complete James Bond.

[2:28] Olaf: I tried watching it again with unbiased eyes because it is my number one. It's not without problems.

[2:36] J.J.: No. We're going to talk about it as we sort of dive into the movie.

[2:39] Olaf: Yeah, like the last half.

[2:44] J.J.: How about we start with the first half?

[2:46] Olaf: Yeah.

[2:47] J.J.: And talk about it. So, let's jump in and start with Goldfinger.

[2:52] Olaf: Number three in the Bond franchise came out in 1964, has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 96 percent.

[3:03] J.J.: Okay.

[3:04] Olaf: Which is very solid.

[3:05] J.J.: That is solid.

[3:06] Olaf: And has an audience score of 88 percent, which is still great, but kind of surprising that it's that much lower.

[3:13] J.J.: Yeah.

[3:14] Olaf: The Rotten Tomatoes.

[3:15] J.J.: Right. Because 96 is unbelievable, I think, even now.

[3:18] Olaf: Well, that's an A.

[3:19] J.J.: Oh, yeah. But it's a solid A. 88 is a little low, I think, for Goldfinger.

[3:24] Olaf: Yeah, I agree. But, you know, that's what it is.

[3:26] J.J.: That's what it is. This was directed by Guy Hamilton.

[3:31] Olaf: And this is when John Barry was given full reign of the music.

[3:38] J.J.: He was able to arrange it how he wanted to and write it how he wanted to.

[3:42] Olaf: And your first time being given carte blanche, and you come out with Goldfinger.

[3:47] J.J.: Not only that, but the theme song is probably one of the best Bond theme songs.

[3:53] Olaf: It's definitely in the top five.

[3:55] J.J.: It is up there. It's one of the most popular Bond songs, I think. Whether you like it or not, everybody knows it.

[4:02] Olaf: Right.

[4:03] J.J.: And it's the first time we're going to get Shirley Bassey, because she's going to come back for subsequent Bond films.

[4:08] Olaf: For the cast, we've got Sean Connery, once again.

[4:10] J.J.: Gert Frobe as Goldfinger.

[4:13] Olaf: Yes. As most people in the early Bond films is dubbed.

[4:19] J.J.: The whole thing. But even now, like watching it with older eyes and knowing that, there are certain moments in the film where you can be like, ah, yeah.

[4:27] Olaf: Or they cut away where the camera's not on him while the dialogue's being delivered.

[4:32] J.J.: But other than that, they do a fantastic job of making it look like it's him doing all of the dialogue.

[4:39] Olaf: I think unless I was really just focused squarely on that, I don't think it's really hard to tell.

[4:47] J.J.: Honor Blackman joins the cast as the incredible, iconic Pussy Galore.

[4:54] Olaf: And then we've got Harold Samara as Oddjob.

[4:58] J.J.: Yes. Love Oddjob. Probably, again, one of the top henchmen.

[5:02] Olaf: I mean, also, I think this is when we really start to get henchmen.

[5:07] J.J.: Yes, because in From Russia With Love, the villain kind of starts out as the henchman or is it Cleb? They're kind of one and two or interchangeable.

[5:16] Olaf: Yeah. They are henchmen in every form of the word. I feel like in Goldfinger, it just really – this is when it's set in and you're like –

[5:25] J.J.: He's number two.

[5:26] Olaf: Yeah. He's the heavy.

[5:27] J.J.: He's the muscle.

[5:29] Olaf: He's the heavy. He's the one that is going to hurt you because I don't have to. I am the thinking man's villain.

[5:36] J.J.: Right. It's very clearly defined that that's who he is.

[5:39] Olaf: When this movie came out, unfortunately, Ian Fleming passed away less than a month before its release.

[5:47] J.J.: So this was the last movie that Ian Fleming was a part of where he was able to come visit the set, give any feedback or input.

[5:56] Olaf: And like you said, we had Shirley Bassey singing the iconic theme song over the opening credits.

[6:02] J.J.: Yeah. We still have Bill Simmons in the gun barrel scene.

[6:08] Olaf: I know. This is another thing, and I know we've talked about this a little bit, but I don't understand why it took so long for Connery to decide to do it.

[6:15] J.J.: Well, in Thunderball, they had to reshoot that scene because they were using different cameras.

[6:21] Olaf: Right. So that was when they were like, Sean, why don't you just do it? You should be doing it anyway.

[6:28] J.J.: But if they hadn't changed cameras and had to reshoot that, it would have just been him the whole time.

[6:34] Olaf: Him the whole time. It's so awkward, too, because he doesn't even.

[6:37] J.J.: Does a little hop. It's like when movies substitute the actor for the stunt guy.

[6:42] Olaf: And it's a blatant switch where you're like, that is not the actor. That is the stunt guy.

[6:46] J.J.: That's exactly what this looks like. It's like, did you see Sean Connery doing the gun thing? No, I didn't.

[6:52] Olaf: I mean, it's so far away.

[6:54] J.J.: It's so obvious.

[6:56] Olaf: This guy's like five inches shorter.

[6:58] J.J.: I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.

[6:59] Olaf: He's so awkward.

[7:00] J.J.: I know. It's not.

[7:02] Olaf: No. This is also the movie where we get a real cold open with Bond in the middle of the action.

[7:10] J.J.: With Bond.

[7:11] Olaf.: Yes, a solid cold open. Like in For Russia With Love, Sean Connery's in the cold open, but he's not really James Bond.

[7:18] J.J.: It's this sort of training exercise and all this other stuff.

[7:21] Olaf: But in this one, he comes out of the water, pulls off the wetsuit, and he's in the white tux jacket, which Cameron would later steal in True Lies with Schwarzenegger.

[7:31] J.J.: What drives me nuts about that scene, though, he comes up and on the top of his hat is this little fake bird.

[7:38] Olaf: Yeah.

[7:39] J.J.: And he swims up to the ladder he's about to climb, and he takes it off and throws it, but it's sped up.

[7:47] Olaf: Yeah. I think the director or the producers thought this will save some time, which probably didn't even shave like a second off of the runtime.

[7:58] J.J.: And it just looks unnatural and stupid. I always hate it when they do stuff like that.

[8:03] Olaf: I'm like, you don't think we're going to see that?

[8:05] J.J.: Well, then they didn't. But I feel, too, that that was I feel like a stylized way of shooting things back then, because it's used quite a bit, not only in early Bond films, but in other movies where they're just speeding up the action.

[8:17] Olaf: I know, but he's just taking his hat off.

[8:19] J.J.: I agree. It's not an action sequence.

[8:21] Olaf: It's not like he's doing anything amazing.

[8:23] J.J.: Right. It's not a boat sequence or a helicopter. People aren't walking out of the theater afterwards going, but did you see how he took that hat off?

[8:31] Olaf: So fast.

[8:32] J.J.: Yeah. So fast. But then he sneaks into this compound and we don't know anything about what's going on, but it's very stylized and cool and secret passages.

[8:45] Olaf: And he sets some bombs.

[8:47] J.J.: And then next thing you know, yeah, he's in his tux at some party and he's lighting his cigarette using the light to check his watch and the explosions go off.

[8:59] Olaf: It's great. And then we get that classic line when the thug attacks him in his room with a girl who also turns out to be a bad girl.

[9:06] J.J.: Right. Throws a guy in the tub, electrocutes him.

[9:09] Olaf: Oh, yeah. We kind of get sort of started getting the little one liner quips from Bond.

[9:13] J.J.: Yeah.

[9:14] Olaf: Shocking.

[9:15] J.J.: Just so subtle, though.

[9:16] Olaf: So subtle. It works. Then we jump into the theme song.

[9:20] J.J.: Jimmy Page actually plays rhythm.

[9:22] Olaf: He's one of the rhythm guitar players in the theme song.

[9:24] J.J.: Yeah. Which I thought was really cool.

[9:26] Olaf: Yeah. He was a session player. He's done on things like James Bond movies and stuff like that.

[9:32] J.J.: And yeah, that's a fun little fact.

[9:35] Olaf: Yeah. One of the major differences from this movie, from the start, from the jump, is that everything sort of falls into place.

[9:42] J.J.: There are no real pacing issues at the beginning.

[9:44] Olaf: You know, they kind of know what they're wanting to do, especially with when you compare it to From Russia With Love.

[9:50] J.J.: That is a very espionage-y pace to a Bond movie, From Russia With Love. Where this one, they didn't overcorrect as much as they just found a way to make it fun overall.

[10:01] Olaf: Yeah. It's not as heavy.

[10:03] J.J.: It's far more interesting and engaging.

[10:06] Olaf: Yes. It's not as heavy as From Russia With Love and it's not as slow and draggy as Dr. No.

[10:10] J.J.: Yeah. Considering that this movie and Dr. No have the same exact run time, which blows my mind.

[10:18] Olaf: Yeah. Because in this movie, things are happening throughout.

[10:22] J.J.: The whole time.

[10:23] Olaf: Yeah. You don't have an hour of nothing happening.

[10:27] J.J.: Ugh. This movie, we really get Q.

[10:31] Olaf: We get Q Branch.

[10:33] J.J.: Finally.

[10:34] Olaf: He was there From Russia With Love.

[10:36] J.J.: Right. But now he has arrived.

[10:39] Olaf: He has planted his flag with his Q Branch and his gadgets.

[10:44] J.J.: Yes.

[10:46] Olaf: And that has been solidified at this point.

[10:50] J.J.: Okay. From now on, that's how it is.

[10:53] Olaf: We also get the return of the character of Felix Leiter.

[10:57] J.J.: But not the return of Jack Lord as Felix Leiter.

[11:00] Olaf: No. Felix Leiter is not in From Russia With Love at all.

[11:03] J.J.: So the last time we saw him, he was being played amazingly by the almost too perfect Jack Lord.

[11:09] Olaf: The cool cat.

[11:10] J.J.: Yeah. The cool cat Jack Lord.

[11:12] Olaf: Yeah. I feel like it was a bit of...

[11:15] J.J.: For a while.

[11:16] Olaf: Yeah. I feel like it was a huge overcorrection when they cast the actor to play Felix in this movie.

[11:23] J.J.: Because they went from cool cat Jack to this guy who they pulled out of retirement.

[11:28] Olaf: And he's just too old for this.

[11:30] J.J.: Yeah. And he's walking around trying to keep up.

[11:33] Olaf: But I tell you what, his kind of like old man, jovial acceptance of who James Bond is works.

[11:42] J.J.: It was a cross between a beat cop and a beat reporter. He's just a guy working his beat.

[11:48] Olaf: And he's assigned to anything Bond does. He's the CIA guy that's got to be along for it.

[11:55] J.J.: But the overcorrection was Jack Lord and Connery, almost like we said earlier in the previous episode, Jack Lord is possibly going to overshadow Connery in a lot of the departments.

[12:01] Olaf: Yeah.

[12:07] J.J.: So they wanted somebody that was less attention grabbing.

[12:09] Olaf: Woo. And success.

[12:12] J.J.: Job well done. Let's see, we get the iconic death by gold paint.

[12:21] Olaf: Yes.

[12:22] J.J.: The rumor was that, you know, the actress who played, you know, that character died filming that scene.

[12:28] Olaf: Not true.

[12:29] J.J.: Not true. Didn't happen. In fact, I think science has proven that you can't actually suffocate from having your body painted.

[12:38] Olaf: Right.

[12:39] J.J.: The Bond girl formula is finally solidified as well in the sense that he's going to meet the Bond girl and 99.9 percent of the time end up with her.

[12:49] Olaf: But along the way, he's going to run into some other ladies.

[12:52] J.J.: True. I will say that they're more impactful from here on out than they were in the first two movies.

[12:59] Olaf: Yeah, they do. And it does start with this movie.

[13:02] J.J.: You're right. Obviously, the girl who dies with the gold on the bed sort of catapults us to the next Bond girl and her motives and her reasoning, because she's not the Bond girl either, but she's given enough to do.

[13:16] Olaf: Well, I think they're all Bond girls.

[13:18] J.J.: Well, they are. I'm just saying, like, this particular character, Tilly Masterson, is the actress who plays Tanya. She's not going to be the one alone with him on a raft in the middle of the ocean like every other James Bond ending.

[13:31] Olaf: She's not ending the movie with him, but she's a Bond girl.

[13:34] J.J.: Welcome back to the theater! We're diving back into the world of James Bond today.

[14:04] Olaf: That's right! We're continuing our discussion on two iconic films from the franchise: Goldfinger and Thunderball.

[14:08] J.J.: Absolutely! Goldfinger is often regarded as one of the best Bond films. What do you think makes it stand out?

[14:12] Olaf: Well, for starters, it introduced us to some unforgettable characters, like Auric Goldfinger himself and the iconic Oddjob.

[14:16] J.J.: And let's not forget about the famous line, "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!" It's become a classic moment in cinema.

[14:20] Olaf: It really has! Plus, the whole plot revolves around gold, which is just so fitting for a Bond film.

[14:24] J.J.: Right? And the gadgets in this film are top-notch. The Aston Martin DB5 is legendary.

[14:28] Olaf: Definitely! That car has become synonymous with the Bond franchise. It's hard to imagine Bond without it.

[14:30] J.J.: And speaking of iconic, we can't overlook the gold-painted woman. That scene is both memorable and a bit controversial.

[14:36] Olaf: For sure! It raises some interesting discussions about representation and the portrayal of women in film.

[14:40] J.J.: Absolutely. But moving on to Thunderball, this film took the action to a whole new level with its underwater sequences.

[14:48] Olaf: The underwater battles are groundbreaking for their time. It's impressive how they pulled off those stunts.

[14:54] J.J.: And the plot involving the stolen nuclear warheads adds a layer of tension that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[15:00] Olaf: Plus, we get to see Sean Connery really embody the character of Bond in this film.

[15:08] J.J.: He truly is the quintessential Bond. His charm and wit shine through in every scene.

[15:14] Olaf: And let's not forget about the Bond girls in Thunderball. They play a significant role in the story.

[15:20] J.J.: They do! The dynamic between Bond and the women in these films is always a key element.

[15:30] Olaf: It's interesting to see how the portrayal of these characters has evolved over the years.

[15:42] J.J.: Definitely! Each film reflects the time it was made, and it's fascinating to analyze those changes.

[15:54] Olaf: So, which film do you prefer, Goldfinger or Thunderball?

[16:00] J.J.: That's a tough choice! I think I might lean towards Goldfinger for its iconic status.

[16:30] Olaf: I can see that. Goldfinger really set the standard for what a Bond film should be.

[17:00] J.J.: But Thunderball has its own merits, especially with the action sequences.

[17:30] Olaf: Agreed! Both films have their unique strengths, making them classics in their own right.

[18:00] J.J.: And they both contribute to the legacy of the Bond franchise, which is still going strong today.

[18:02] Olaf: It's amazing to think about how many actors have taken on the role of Bond since Connery.

[18:04] J.J.: Each one brings something different to the character, which keeps it fresh for audiences.

[18:06] Olaf: Exactly! And with the recent films, we've seen a more modern take on Bond.

[18:08] J.J.: It's a great evolution of the character while still paying homage to the classics.

[18:10] Olaf: Speaking of which, are there any other Bond films you think we should cover in future episodes?

[18:12] J.J.: Oh, definitely! There are so many to choose from. I think we should explore some of the more recent ones as well.

[18:14] Olaf: That sounds like a plan! There's so much to discuss in the Bond universe.

[18:24] J.J.: For sure! And we want to hear from our listeners too. What are your favorite Bond films?

[18:26] Olaf: Yes! Let us know on social media or through our website.

[18:28] J.J.: We love hearing your thoughts and opinions on these classic films.

[18:30] Olaf: And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for more cinematic adventures!

[18:32] J.J.: Thanks for joining us today as we explored Goldfinger and Thunderball!

[18:34] Olaf: Until next time, keep watching those movies!

[18:36] J.J.: See you at the theater!

[27:08] J.J.: Welcome back to the theater! We're diving back into the world of James Bond.

[27:38] Olaf: That's right! We're continuing our discussion on two iconic films, Goldfinger and Thunderball.

[28:08] J.J.: So, let's kick things off with Goldfinger. This film really set the standard for what a Bond movie could be.

[28:38] Olaf: Absolutely! It introduced so many elements that became staples of the franchise, like the iconic theme song and memorable gadgets.

[29:08] J.J.: And let's not forget about the villain, Auric Goldfinger. He's one of the most memorable adversaries Bond has ever faced.

[29:38] Olaf: For sure! His obsession with gold and that infamous scene with the gold paint is just legendary.

[29:48] J.J.: Speaking of which, what did you think of the overall plot? It’s a classic heist story with a twist.

[29:58] Olaf: I loved it! The way Bond infiltrates Goldfinger's operation is so clever. It really showcases his skills.

[30:08] J.J.: And the introduction of Oddjob, with his deadly hat, added a whole new level of danger.

[30:18] Olaf: Definitely! Oddjob is such a unique henchman. You really feel the threat he poses throughout the film.

[30:28] J.J.: Now, moving on to Thunderball, which took the underwater action to a whole new level.

[30:38] Olaf: Right! The underwater sequences were groundbreaking for their time. It was like nothing audiences had seen before.

[30:48] J.J.: And the stakes were high with the whole nuclear threat. It really kept you on the edge of your seat.

[30:58] Olaf: Plus, the introduction of SPECTRE as a major player in the franchise was a game changer.

[31:08] J.J.: Absolutely! They really expanded the Bond universe with that organization.

[31:18] Olaf: And let’s not forget the music! The themes for both films are iconic and really set the tone.

[31:28] J.J.: They truly are! The music is such a big part of the Bond experience.

[31:38] Olaf: So, which film do you prefer, Goldfinger or Thunderball?

[31:48] J.J.: That's a tough choice! I think Goldfinger edges it out for me, but Thunderball has its own charm.

[31:58] Olaf: I can see that. They both have their strengths, but Goldfinger is definitely a classic.

[32:08] J.J.: Well, that wraps up our discussion on these two Bond films. What a ride!

[32:18] Olaf: It really was! Thanks for joining us, everyone. Be sure to subscribe for more cinematic adventures.

[32:28] J.J.: And don’t forget to follow us on social media and check out our website for more content!

[32:38] Olaf: Until next time, keep enjoying those movies!

[32:48] J.J.: See you at the theater!

[40:42] J.J.: Welcome back to the theater! We're diving right back into the world of James Bond.

[41:12] Olaf: That's right! We’re continuing our discussion on two iconic films, "Goldfinger" and "Thunderball."

[41:42] J.J.: Let's start with "Goldfinger." This film really set the standard for what a Bond movie could be.

[42:12] Olaf: Absolutely! It introduced so many elements that became staples in the franchise, like the iconic villain and the memorable theme song.

[42:42] J.J.: And who can forget the famous line, "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!"?

[43:12] Olaf: Classic! It’s such a great moment that showcases Goldfinger's character perfectly.

[43:22] J.J.: Plus, the whole gold paint scene is just unforgettable. It’s both shocking and memorable.

[43:32] Olaf: Right? It’s one of those moments that really sticks with you. The visual impact is just incredible.

[43:42] J.J.: And let’s not overlook the gadgets! The Aston Martin DB5 is a character in itself.

[43:52] Olaf: For sure! The gadgets in "Goldfinger" really elevated the action and made it feel more adventurous.

[44:02] J.J.: Speaking of action, the fight scenes in this film are top-notch. The choreography is just fantastic.

[44:12] Olaf: I agree! The fight with Oddjob is particularly memorable. It’s intense and really showcases Bond's resourcefulness.

[44:22] J.J.: And then we move on to "Thunderball." This film took the underwater action to a whole new level.

[44:32] Olaf: Yes! The underwater sequences were groundbreaking for their time. It was a whole new way to experience a Bond film.

[44:42] J.J.: The scale of the underwater battles was impressive. It really added a unique element to the spy genre.

[44:52] Olaf: And let’s talk about the villain, Emilio Largo. He’s a great foil for Bond.

[45:02] J.J.: Definitely! His character adds a layer of complexity to the story, and the stakes feel very real.

[45:12] Olaf: Plus, the whole concept of SPECTRE and their plans is just classic Bond.

[45:22] J.J.: It really is! The way they weave in espionage and action is just masterful.

[45:32] Olaf: And the theme song for "Thunderball" is another classic. It’s so catchy!

[45:42] J.J.: It really captures the essence of the film. Both films have such strong musical elements.

[45:52] Olaf: Absolutely! The music really enhances the overall experience of the films.

[46:02] J.J.: So, which film do you think holds up better today?

[46:12] Olaf: That’s a tough question! Both have their strengths, but I think "Goldfinger" has a slight edge due to its iconic status.

[46:22] J.J.: I can see that. "Goldfinger" is often regarded as the quintessential Bond film.

[46:32] Olaf: Exactly! But "Thunderball" is still a fantastic entry in the series, especially for its action sequences.

[46:42] J.J.: Agreed! It’s great to see how the franchise evolved over time.

[46:52] Olaf: And it’s fun to revisit these classics and see what made them so special.

[47:02] J.J.: For sure! So, what’s next on our Bond journey?

[47:12] Olaf: We’ll be diving into more films and exploring different eras of Bond.

[47:22] J.J.: Can’t wait! There’s so much to cover in this franchise.

[47:32] Olaf: Absolutely! And we hope our listeners are enjoying this journey with us.

[47:42] J.J.: Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to subscribe and follow us on social media.

[47:52] Olaf: Yes! We love hearing from you, so don’t hesitate to reach out.

[48:02] J.J.: Until next time, keep watching those films!

[48:12] Olaf: And keep enjoying the magic of the movies!