Ep. 49 - Bonds, all the Bonds! part 4

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[0:00] J.J. and Olaf: Welcome back to the movie theater! This is episode 49, and we're diving into Bonds, all the Bonds! This is part four of our series.

[0:30] J.J. and Olaf: Today, we’re saying goodbye to Sean Connery once again and welcoming Roger Moore to the franchise. We’ll be discussing "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Live and Let Die."

[1:00] J.J. and Olaf: So, dust off your toupee, hop in a speedboat, and join us for more James Bond adventures!

[1:30] J.J. and Olaf: Before we get started, make sure to hit subscribe and follow us on our social media!

[2:00] J.J. and Olaf: You can find us on the web at bttmtpodcast.com, on Instagram at @backtothemovietheater, on TikTok at @backtothemovietheater, and on YouTube at Back to the Movie Theater with J.J. and Olaf.

[2:30] J.J. and Olaf: Alright, let’s jump right into it! First up, we have "Diamonds Are Forever."

[3:00] J.J. and Olaf: This film marks Sean Connery's return to the role after a brief hiatus, and it’s quite a ride!

[3:10] J.J. and Olaf: What are your initial thoughts on "Diamonds Are Forever"?

[3:20] J.J. and Olaf: I think it’s a fascinating mix of camp and classic Bond elements.

[3:30] J.J. and Olaf: The opening sequence is iconic, with that memorable car chase through Las Vegas.

[3:40] J.J. and Olaf: And let’s not forget about the memorable villains in this one!

[3:50] J.J. and Olaf: The film has its quirks, but it definitely has that classic Bond charm.

[4:00] J.J. and Olaf: Now, moving on to "Live and Let Die," which introduces Roger Moore as Bond.

[4:10] J.J. and Olaf: This film takes a different approach, incorporating elements of blaxploitation and a more modern feel.

[4:20] J.J. and Olaf: What do you think about Roger Moore’s portrayal of Bond?

[4:30] J.J. and Olaf: I find him to be a bit more lighthearted compared to Connery, which brings a fresh dynamic to the character.

[4:40] J.J. and Olaf: The theme song by Paul McCartney and Wings is also a standout!

[4:50] J.J. and Olaf: It really sets the tone for the film and has become one of the most recognizable Bond songs.

[5:00] J.J. and Olaf: The action sequences in "Live and Let Die" are thrilling, especially the boat chase!

[5:10] J.J. and Olaf: It’s a great introduction to Moore’s Bond, showcasing his charm and wit.

[5:20] J.J. and Olaf: So, which film do you prefer, "Diamonds Are Forever" or "Live and Let Die"?

[5:30] J.J. and Olaf: I think both have their merits, but I lean slightly towards "Live and Let Die" for its energy and fun.

[5:40] J.J. and Olaf: Agreed! It feels like a turning point for the franchise.

[5:50] J.J. and Olaf: Alright, let’s dive deeper into the plots and characters of both films.

[6:00] J.J. and Olaf: Starting with "Diamonds Are Forever," the plot revolves around diamond smuggling and a mysterious villain.

[6:10] J.J. and Olaf: The film has some memorable moments, but it also has its share of oddities.

[6:20] J.J. and Olaf: What do you think about the pacing of the film?

[6:30] J.J. and Olaf: It feels a bit uneven at times, but the humor helps balance it out.

[6:40] J.J. and Olaf: And the return of Blofeld adds a nice touch for fans of the series.

[6:50] J.J. and Olaf: Now, let’s talk about "Live and Let Die" and its unique setting.

[7:00] J.J. and Olaf: The film takes us to New Orleans and the Caribbean, which adds a vibrant backdrop to the story.

[7:10] J.J. and Olaf: The cultural elements are fascinating, especially how they incorporate voodoo.

[7:20] J.J. and Olaf: It’s a bold choice that sets it apart from previous films.

[7:30] J.J. and Olaf: Plus, the characters in "Live and Let Die" are memorable, especially the villain, Kananga.

[7:40] J.J. and Olaf: He’s a formidable foe with a unique plan, which makes for an engaging conflict.

[7:50] J.J. and Olaf: Alright, let’s wrap up our discussion on these two films.

[8:00] J.J. and Olaf: Both have their strengths and weaknesses, but they each contribute to the legacy of James Bond.

[8:10] J.J. and Olaf: Next week, we’ll continue our Bond journey with more films and fun discussions!

[8:20] J.J. and Olaf: Thanks for joining us today, and don’t forget to subscribe!

[8:30] J.J. and Olaf: We’ll see you next time in the movie theater!

[13:46] J.J.: It still comes up short, it's oh it does but comparatively speaking to what he was doing towards the end of his first run. He's on at one point, he's on this like dirt bike buggy escaping and he like kicks it off. It's him, they don't ever I know it is him, but that thing was so ridiculous. I know but yeah, so there are certain things like that where I was pleased that he was willing to not phone it. It didn't look like he was phoning it in I guess is my point. This movie wasn't as bad as I remember it being that being said it's still not a good movie and it's definitely his weakest outing as Bond, which is a shame since it's technically his last.

[14:29] Olaf: I'd agree. It's his weakest. I don't know if you've noticed this but I have noticed it in my rewatching and as I continue to watch these. I don't know when it started but I really noticed it in this one. The character M has really seemed to develop a real annoyance almost like dislike of James Bond. But it comes off as just M being like I'm so sick and tired of you. The dynamic between M and Bond has always been one of—

[14:59] J.J.: I would see, I would disagree. I would say that it was more just like supervisor and employee at the start, but I respect that you're one of my best. Now it seems more like M's like you're just a freaking know-it-all and I can't do anything about it because you're so good and it drives me insane.

[15:18] Olaf: Yeah, so whatever you're gonna say don't just take the assignment move on. Don't let this guy about whatever—

[15:27] J.J.: Yeah, year of brandy you're drinking, right? That's what it was, right?

[15:31] Olaf: Yeah, so yeah, it's we I've noticed that it's become a thing. So definitely pay attention because it comes up again in the next movie. So overall, I mean because I think you and I both agree that this Bond is not that good.

[15:45] J.J.: I didn't think a lot of people feel that way too. There aren't a whole lot of highlights.

[15:50] Olaf: And it has another redhead.

[15:55] J.J.: It does and it's a popular thing with these Bond movies. Jill St. John to me is not a bad Bond girl. She's not given a whole lot to do but I do like the fact that they try to make her a strong character in terms of like what she's doing. She's kind of like a Catwoman-esque thief sort of, right? If she doesn't need to be saved even really as the end, you know, kind of goes. She knows what she's doing to a certain degree. So I did like that about her character.

[16:23] Olaf: It was hard to watch Connery and then hard to imagine that he's only like 41 in this movie or 40.

[16:31] J.J.: Yes, 41 looks in his 60s, oh my goodness. He looks so—like I said, he's one of those actors that caught up to his age, you know?

[16:38] Olaf: Yeah, but he was 41 in Diamonds Are Forever. His toupee in this didn't help either.

[16:49] J.J.: No, it made him look older. Well, and he wasn't like in that Bond shape, you know? Like even for him, even for his standards, he was—

[16:56] Olaf: Yeah, but I think he was like, I don't need to be. You're paying. Yeah, you're gonna give me this.

[17:00] J.J.: Yeah, so this is an interesting nugget. Prior to the filming of this movie, Guy Hamilton had just gone to Disneyland and he wanted this whole story to be like Bond is at a theme park and Specter agents are in Disney costumes. Like Bond is basically having to fight Mickey Mouse.

[17:17] Olaf: Yeah, because they're Specter agents. What I love is that they squash that idea.

[17:24] J.J.: Well, Disney squashed that, right? Disney squashed that.

[17:27] Olaf: Well, I think the screener was like Disney's not even gonna go for this anyway, so what? Mickey Mouse is not an assassin. But apparently the carryover is we're gonna name these two femme fatales that Bond encounters towards the end of the movie named Bambi and Thumper.

[17:35] J.J.: Yeah, and he's gonna have to fight these two women for information.

[17:42] Olaf: Yeah, which not a great fight.

[17:46] J.J.: No, but I think it was kind of interesting seeing interviews, you know, the women that played these two characters.

[17:53] Olaf: Yeah, they almost drowned.

[17:54] J.J.: Yes, but it was also very empowering too because one of them being African-American, being Black, I was able to choreograph some of their own fighting to be, you know, sort of—I want to say that for the first time, a woman of color being in that type of role, certainly being in a strong physical role. That was sort of a nice step in the right direction in terms of that sort of inclusivity.

[18:16] Olaf: But you know, the fight scene was—and this whole movie is like a time capsule of the 60s era Bond in the 70s, right? It doesn't have the intensity or quite the impact that On Her Majesty's Secret Service had.

[18:42] J.J.: Here's one of my main issues with this movie. There's a lot of them. The quote-unquote bad guy that we're supposed to think is bad is this guy named Willard White, who we never see because he's this recluse Howard Hughes. But you find out that it's really not him. It's really just Blofeld who didn't really die and somehow kidnapped Willard White and he's got this voice box that— which is ridiculous, by the way. Whenever they use it, when they actually use it, it's terrible.

[19:12] Olaf: I would have much rather have them killed Blofeld off at the beginning and then just introduced Willard White as a bad guy or somebody else as a bad guy. There was a moment there where I thought Willard White was gonna be bad. He and Bond are in his like lair, like they were in his office and Bond is walking over the map of the world. I lost Superman before Superman, you know, trying to figure out where Blofeld went.

[19:31] J.J.: And Willard White sits on the couch almost like, well, I don't know what's going on. You figure it out. I'm thinking, are you about to tell us that you're the bad guy?

[19:43] Olaf: You actually thought there was a moment there where you could think that, but I was like, they're not that clever.

[19:51] J.J.: No, I know. I know. This guy Willard White, he's just constantly like, I don't know what's happening. I've been stuck in a basement for years. Who, what, where?

[20:02] Olaf: Yeah, so that's really all we got from him. We also get Blofeld in drag.

[20:10] J.J.: Ah.

[20:12] Olaf: When he escapes Las Vegas unnecessarily, he didn't have to be in drag.

[20:16] J.J.: No, but he was. Why? Like this is another thing. It's like, first of all, could have gotten the cat out somewhere else. But I see you want to show us the cat so you can show—okay. But does anybody know who— is anybody in this casino looking for him?

[20:34] Olaf: No, the scene where they're in Blofeld's office and we get the two Blofelds, that scene is well done. It's shot well.

[20:46] J.J.: Agreed. It doesn't look weird or like fake. I felt like it belonged in a Bond movie. There are a lot of things that don't feel like they belong in a Bond movie in this movie. That one did.

[20:55] Olaf: And then figuring out who was the real Blofeld, right? All of that stuff, so that was good. But yeah, then it's followed up by Blofeld in drag, which is—

[21:01] J.J.: Yes, any sort of—any sort of ability to get us back in, they lose by showing him walk through the casino and then in the car in drag.

[21:16] Olaf: Yeah, now despite this movie being the stinker that it is upon release, this movie broke Hollywood's three-day gross record.

[21:24] J.J.: Yeah, that's crazy.

[21:29] Olaf: Yes, and that's all because of Connery.

[21:29] Olaf: Yeah, that doesn't— they're like, oh he's back, we'll go watch because they—I think—did I say it was common knowledge that he was only coming back for one? Like maybe that—

[21:31] J.J.: Yeah.

[21:37] J.J.: That's what it was too. It's like this is it, we're not getting him for anything else.

[21:42] Olaf: Yeah, but that's Diamonds Are Forever. I mean, I will say this because we sort of glossed over the assassins of this movie. We get this one last scene at the end where they try to get him, unsuccessfully of course.

[21:56] J.J.: Yeah, these two characters are wildly bizarre. I feel like they might have worked maybe in a later Bond movie down the road. Maybe they were ahead of their time, I'm not sure. They just weren't given a lot because they show up a lot at the beginning, but then they're not around for a large portion of it, and then they show up again at—

[22:15] Olaf: Well, that's not true. They're always kind of around.

[22:18] J.J.: They just, I guess, not always doing a lot, but they're always popping up, right? It is a strange thing.

[22:24] Olaf: I don't have an issue with them. I like how strange they are because they are very strange. You never know that they're working for Blofeld. You just have to make that assumption that they're guns for hire.

[22:37] J.J.: Well, they kind of—they can't—you kind of figure that out near the end. We do get in classic Connery Bond form, he gets to finish the movie on the ocean, except now he's got a large upgrade that he's not in this sort of dinghy boat. He's actually on a cruise ship.

[22:53] Olaf: Yeah, gets to finish off his Bond career out to sea in first class.

[22:58] J.J.: Yeah, and the diamonds are in space. Still don't understand the diamonds. They're in space? Something happens.

[23:03] Olaf: It was a lot of going—there was a lot of stuff going on that—

[23:07] J.J.: Yeah, it was really bizarre. Definitely not a great Bond outing in general and certainly not Connery's best, but I would have rather have not had him come back and seen George Lazenby do another Bond.

[23:22] Olaf: I don't know what he would have been able to do with this one. I mean, this movie is not good.

[23:26] J.J.: Well, I mean you have to think, would it have been this one exactly? And if it was, how different would it have looked? Because, well, budget would have been totally different. It would have been bigger for sure.

[23:39] Olaf: But that's why they got Guy Hamilton back too, is like they went back to, okay, we're gonna bring back Guy and we're gonna bring Connery, Shirley Bassey, and Guy Hamilton—all Goldfinger.

[23:48] J.J.: But if they were trifecta, if it had been George, I don't think he might not have been back.

[23:55] Olaf: No, I agree. It would have been a totally different—

[24:00] J.J.: So we've said goodbye to Connery officially in the Eon productions of Bond. Officially he's gone.

[24:06] Olaf: This was his last official Bond. And so now we are having to find a new Bond. I feel like at this point they're combing the desert here for everybody. They talked to Burt Reynolds even and they talked to a couple of Americans. They're like, no, he needs to be British.

[24:21] J.J.: And so, of course, they went through their list of people and finally landed on Roger Moore, who they've always had an eye on, who I wanted before. Because of schedules and contracts, he couldn't.

[24:29] Olaf: So yeah, we get Roger Moore, who despite his age when he starts as Bond looks way younger than Sean Connery.

[24:40] J.J.: Yeah, he's 45 for everybody keeping track at home.

[24:45] Olaf: Yeah, he's 45 and if Connery had come back, Connery would have been 43, so he's only two years older than Connery.

[24:52] J.J.: Yeah, but he looks like 10 years younger. He looks like he's easily in his early 30s.

[25:01] Olaf: So it's amazing to think he's doing—he's starting his Bond career at the age that he's starting it, older than Connery ended his.

[25:08] J.J.: Yeah, it's crazy. The next one up is Live and Let Die, 1973. It has a Metascore of 55. That's really low.

[25:20] Olaf: I'd say the numbers across the board are low. Rotten Tomatoes is 67.

[25:25] J.J.: That's entirely too low.

[25:30] Olaf: And then the audience score was 64 and I don't understand.

[25:33] J.J.: I don't know. I feel like these are all—like if they were to poll people now, I feel like the Rotten Tomatoes score should be at least in the 70s.

[25:37] Olaf: Yeah, I would think because it is one of Roger Moore's better Bond movies.

[25:41] J.J.: I agree with that completely. We've got Hamilton's bad guy Hamilton again, which is a smart move, I think, by the production.

[25:49] Olaf: Yeah, look, if we're gonna change Bonds, we're not only gonna keep the same director, we're gonna keep the same screenwriters. Tom Mankiewicz, which we didn't mention, wrote Diamonds Are Forever, but he also writes this movie.

[25:55] J.J.: I was worried about Guy Hamilton coming back because with the last one it just seemed like he wasn't really interested in evolving, but that's not the case with this one. Our composer is not John Barry.

[26:09] Olaf: No, it's not, but it is the amazing, iconic George Martin.

[26:14] J.J.: He is the Beatles' legendary music producer and they tapped Paul McCartney to do the Bond's theme song, which from what I understand based on interviews, George Martin is talking to Harry Saltzman.

[26:29] Olaf: Yeah, Harry Saltzman and Saltzman's like, I like the song, so we'll figure out who's gonna sing it.

[26:39] J.J.: And McCartney's like, I'm gonna—George Martin's like, I don't think you quite understand. It's gonna be Paul McCartney.

[26:44] Olaf: And Saltzman's like, no, we'll find somebody that will sing this. He's like, yeah, if it's not McCartney, it's not the song.

[26:57] J.J.: Yeah, well, and I guess Saltzman had turned down like A Hard Day's Night a decade earlier, like some sort of involvement with that with the movie or something, and so he wasn't about to turn Paul down again.

[27:08] Olaf: Well, and at this point Saltzman is in a lot of trouble, financial trouble. He's in a huge amount of trouble behind the scenes and yeah, Cubby Broccoli is just completely over him.

[27:20] J.J.: And oh yeah, there's a lot of drama there worth checking out in another history type thing that you can—

[27:29] Olaf: Later, yes, absolutely.

[27:32] J.J.: I'll gloss over that history in the next episode because that's when it sort of comes to a head and dissolves. But yeah, at this point, Saltzman is hemorrhaging money because of other things, and so I don't think he has any room to sort of make any sort of mistakes, which is good because the theme song to this is arguably one of the top. We hadn't had a rock song Bond theme yet, so this was something. The cast, like we said, Roger Moore is now our James Bond. We have a very young Jane Seymour as Solitaire. She's like 21 in this movie. Yeah. Not enough words for Jane Seymour. She's gorgeous in this. Love Jane Seymour. She's still gorgeous now. She's still, but crushing hard on Jane Seymour. Yafit Koto.

I love Yafit Koto. He plays Kananga. I love the name Kananga. Yeah, he's great. I like him in everything that I see him do. Clifton James as Sheriff Pepper, who doesn't show up until like the last 20 minutes of the movie. And it's like, he's like, it's a fun little side piece. Yeah. Jeffrey Holder as Baron Semedi. Yeah. What a wild iconic Bond character. Oh, he's great. And for those of you who don't know Jeffrey Holder, you might know him. He played Poonjab later in Annie. Yeah. That's where a lot of, I think a lot of people are like, oh, Poonjab. But he, in this movie, 10 years prior, Live and Let Die. Yeah. He's not in a lot, but he's iconic. Just an iconic look. He choreographs his own dancing in the film.

It's, he's awesome. Yeah. Yeah. Just a fun Bond character. It's. Yeah. He's not even a villain. He's just sort of like. He's not really a villain, but he's not good. Right. He's on the bad guy team, but he's not. Yeah. It's very strange. It's hard to classify him. I don't dislike him.

[30:04] J.J.: Yeah. And then we get Gloria Hendry as Rosie. The problem with Rosie was not, not the performance. I mean, not the actress, but the performance, the script, her characterization was just so poorly done. In her defense, she even has gone on record as saying, when I got, cause she's a theater, she was a, initially she was a litigator. Yeah. That's right. Yeah. For the NAACP before she got into acting, but she on record has said, I got the script and I was like, what am I supposed to do with this character? Like what's on the pages? Poorly put together. And it's not her fault. It's not her fault. She's just doing her job, but man, she's, she's an agent, but she's a double agent. And, but the whole time she's just like helpless flighty whimpering.

Uh, it it's yeah. So she's sort of our connector to the superstition, superstitious element of the main backdrop, which is this voodoo and the magic and the tarot cards. And so she's supposed to be our look into why we're supposed to be scared about these things. Yeah. But it's, it just didn't work. It wasn't portrayed. Well, while they were shooting this, there were rumblings that they were going to try and keep her character alive. Like they would keep going to her guy, Hamilton, Tom Hanks, but we're still, we're, you know, we're trying to figure out if maybe you're going to live. And then they just sort of decided, Nope, dead. Nope. Sorry. Yeah. It was for the best.

[31:30] J.J.: Now, fun fact, even though we've moved on Roger Moore is our Bond and it's new times, they still tried to get Connery back. They tried to get him back and they offered him five and a half million dollars, which is what is it in today? And like close to like 32 million in the late two thousands, like 20, 20, 19, 20. Clearly he didn't want to do it. He didn't need the money. So he said no, he, and he sort of gave his approval like Roger Moore is going to be fine. Yeah. I think he even said he would be an ideal Bond. Yeah. He's an ideal Bond. Okay. They don't bring back Q for Desmond Llewellyn because they felt it was the movies were getting too gadget centric. So they just, they didn't bring him back, but they bring back Lois Maxwell and Bernard Lee for one scene at the beginning where we get to see Bond's apartment for the first time.

And we get to see him just despising Bond more. Now I think in Bernard Lee's defense, he wasn't, he was sick. Like when they were filming, they only shot that for over two days. I'm just talking about what we see on camera. And it is just complete distaste of this man that M just shows up at Bond's flat at like five 45 in the morning and just walks in like, Hey, you know, I don't even, I was going to say, I don't, I don't know why he's hiding the girl, but then I realized, no, wait, she's a, she's an agent that they're looking for. Right. But it's still, it's just like, the first time we see Roger Moore is James Bond. He's not in the cold open. Nope. It doesn't happen very often, but this is one of those times we were establishing that these people are getting killed.

[33:00] J.J.: And then the song amazing McCartney. I love how they, the whole New Orleans funeral, they kill the guy on the street and then they hide him in the casket that they were carrying. And then it's a big parade. I loved that. That was really good. You get a sense of a vibe where you said this, the first, uh, Diamonds Are Forever didn't feel like the seventies. Yeah. It felt like a time capsule of the sixties, this movie, they really lean into what the seventies are. They were not trying to be a black exploitation movie. That wasn't it. They were just leaning into what was going on in the time of the time. And it was embracing all of those things. Now, mind you, they set it under this voodoo, you know, sort of supernatural backdrop, but you, you get in the dialogue all rich and gritty and real. And I really, really liked that.

[34:09] Olaf: Yeah. At what point in this movie do you feel like I can embrace Roger Moore's James Bond? I think I just was always accepting of it. I think it was a natural fit. He just seamlessly slides into the role. I did think it was a little strange, but I guess it makes sense where they really wanted to differentiate his Bond from Connery. So there was no vodka martinis. He drank bourbon. He smoked, doesn't wear a hat, smoked cigars, doesn't wear a hat. I thought they did a really good job of writing to his strengths.

[34:57] J.J.: Yes. Because he's not trying to be Connery. No. And this is the first time because subsequently, as he continues to be Bond, they're going to really lean into his, what he does well. Right. But in this movie, it was very subtle and very natural for him to sort of just play to his strengths. They brought in Tom Mankiewicz again on purpose because they said it in America largely, and he was really good at writing for that voice, but also in the style that Roger Moore plays too.

[35:39] Olaf: Yeah. Well, we're entering an era of way less physical Bond. This Bond is more upper-class. I don't want to say delicate, but he's, yeah, but he's, he's definitely not brutish or rough around the edges. He's not rough around the edges at all. He does get a little physical with the women, but it's not quite as much. He doesn't fight as much and famously doesn't run. So as we'll talk about more, as we go through these movies, Roger Moore doesn't like to run on camera. It is said that the way he runs is a little silly. So whenever you see Bond running and you can't see his face, it is a stuntman.

[36:15] J.J.: That's interesting. I don't know if I'll have to really be mindful of that on rewatch as we continue to move through these things. The stuntmen really become way more obvious as we go on, not so much now, but in the later films, you're going to be like, Oh, Roger Moore has blonde hair suddenly.

[36:32] Olaf: So you mentioned this, uh, prior to us getting on and I, it's something that I'd never knew that they dubbed Jane Seymour's voice, which I had no idea till you mentioned it to us. I found out in my own research. I was like, well, I could have swore even now, even watching it, like that's her.

[36:48] J.J.: Yeah. It was just one of those creative choices because I've always loved her voice. And maybe it's because I'm biased because I love Jane Seymour. Like I'm telling you, man, like crushing on Jane Seymour is easy to crush on.

[37:04] Olaf: Oh, absolutely. It was like, you know, these Bond movies so far are huge on dubbing people. So I know they were just like, we have this budget for dubs. You mentioned Yafet Koto. And I think I would, I wanted more of Yafet Koto in this movie. It's interesting that he is the main villain, but it also feels like he's not in a lot. I know he's playing two different characters. He plays Mr. Big and then he plays Kananga.

[37:30] J.J.: It was awful. But the explanation is, is that Kananga is, is got the drugs. I love the dual identity and the reasoning behind it. But when he dresses up with the makeup and the prosthetics, it's just, it's really goofy because it still looks like Yafet. But if you, yeah, I mean, I guess so. But if you, if you don't know, then, you know, then, then when he does the reveal, you're like, okay. I mean, I think, and I think I remember the first time, the first time I saw it, I was like, oh, and again, I'm a kid watching this movie. So it's not, I don't have the adult eyes. I've got this sort of like, oh, he's the same guy. What?

[38:07] Olaf: Yeah. I don't remember having that reaction. And you get to see it because it's not faked. Like it's him pulling off the prosthetics and right in front of everybody. He, I think, enjoyed this experience, but obviously hated how he died at the end of the movie, right? Because it's ridiculous. It was very silly.

[38:27] J.J.: So we get to watch a voodoo ceremony a few times, a few times, and it's always kind of the same. But in the first one, Baron Semundi shows up and they've got a snake and they bring it up to this guy and the guy dies, but the snake clearly never touches him. So I don't know if he died from fright or if they were trying to suggest that he was bitten by the snake.

[38:47] Olaf: It's suspension of disbelief, man.

[38:50] J.J.: OK. Or he had a heart attack. Who knows?

[38:55] J.J.: Before we go on too much, because I don't want to we've run down some of this cast. We failed to mention that Felix Leiter is in Diamonds Are Forever.

[39:04] Olaf: Oh, yeah.

[39:05] J.J.: And it's a bit of a joke. I don't know why they felt like and you're right. Ever since Jack Lord, they just felt like anybody that they cast as Felix Leiter opposite Sean Connery had to be this old crotchety washed up guy who's barely hanging on, which is a far cry from what we get in Live and Let Die. And I love the casting of Felix Leiter.

[39:25] Olaf: Yeah. In Live and Let Die, we get Felix back and it is David Hedison who we get to see again in License to Kill.

[39:32] J.J.: Seventeen years later.

[39:33] Olaf: But this is the only I think this is the only Roger Moore film where we get Felix.

[39:38] J.J.: Yes. We did not see him again until Timothy Dalton.

[39:41] Olaf: This iteration of Felix.

[39:43] J.J.: The best one.

[39:44] Olaf: Is the best one. He's better than Jack Lord and he's given more to do than Jack Lord.

[39:49] J.J.: He's got charisma. He's got charm.

[39:51] Olaf: And he's it's a shame that we don't get more of him in Roger Moore, Bond, because he and Roger Moore, I thought, played off each other really, really well.

[39:58] J.J.: Yeah.

[39:59] Olaf: We get and I feel like this is a connection to Dr. No, but Bond always has this like other sidekick character that helps him that usually dies. In this case, he doesn't. And it's the boat driver Quarrel Jr., which is a nod to Dr. No, the character of Quarrel and Dr. No, who is the gentleman who helps Connery with a red shirt, the same character plays basically the same character.

[40:29] J.J.: But are we supposed to maybe assume that that's his kid or not the same person or same character?

[40:33] Olaf: No, I don't. I don't even think I put the two together just like, oh, he's just a copy of.

[40:38] J.J.: No, well, it's the same name, because he says this is Quarrel, Quarrel Jr. And I'm like, this got to be a son, I guess. I just like that.

[40:45] Olaf: And I like that he didn't die. I'm like, this dude is going to live.

[40:48] J.J.: We also get another classic Bond thug where he's got a claw for a hand.

[40:52] Olaf: Tee Hee.

[40:53] J.J.: Tee Hee is his name.

[40:54] Olaf: Yeah, the classic henchman.

[40:56] J.J.: Oh, man.

[40:57] Olaf: Again, another character I wish we would have seen more. I mean, he does get to do some stuff. There is a fight scene at the end.

[41:02] J.J.: He's in a lot. He shows up whenever Kananga is there. And I think even a couple of times he's without Kananga.

[41:07] Olaf: He takes him to the alligator farm. He takes him to the alligator farm. You know who I like?

[41:12] J.J.: Whisper.

[41:13] Olaf: Love Whisper.

[41:14] J.J.: He's great. He doesn't do anything, but.

[41:16] Olaf: He doesn't, but I love it. He comes in as the waiter and he's like, what was that? Do you want me to open up the bottle?

[41:21] J.J.: Yeah.

[41:22] Olaf: You want me to open up the bottle of shit or whatever he says. You want me to open up the bottle?

[41:26] J.J.: Yeah. Other than that, he does nothing.

[41:29] Olaf: When Bond is escaping, you know, Whisper's trying to warn Kananga. He's like, look out.

[41:34] J.J.: Look out.

[41:35] Olaf: Yeah.

[41:36] J.J.: That's all he can do. I love Whisper.

[41:39] Olaf: And I think he lives. He just gets put in the little missile thing, but he doesn't go anywhere unless he suffocates in there.

[41:45] J.J.: I don't know. I don't remember. We get James Bond in a full denim suit.

[41:18] JJ Gonzalez: I know, I feel like they pay him back in a good way by dressing him all in black at the end.

[41:23] Olaf Adzit: Because he looks really sharp, all dressed in black at the end.

[41:26] JJ Gonzalez: Because that denim is, oof, that's rough.

[41:28] Olaf Adzit: That was a lot.

[41:29] JJ Gonzalez: That was a lot. That was the 70s, I guess.

[41:32] Olaf Adzit: Oh, man. He's the only Bond that gets to hang glide.

[41:35] JJ Gonzalez: He hang glides twice, Roger Moore.

[41:37] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, and he looks so cool when he's doing it. Like I said, there were moments...

[41:40] JJ Gonzalez: He's got a cigar and everything. I was trying to put myself in this position of seeing Roger Moore for the first time, being very heavily invested in Connery.

[41:48] Olaf Adzit: Because we've already had to live with Lazenby, for better or for worse. And there's moments where they really do a deliberate...

[41:56] JJ Gonzalez: Like, we're going to stick Roger Moore in a lot of action. We're going to stick Bond in a lot of action.

[41:59] Olaf Adzit: The boat chase is hardcore.

[42:03] JJ Gonzalez: It's a little long, but you're putting him in these situations. The hang gliding scene too, where you're like, okay, I'm buying him. He may be, like you said, he's upper class Bond.

[42:16] Olaf Adzit: But he can still do these things in a believable way.

[42:19] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, because he's just controlling something. He's not actually like being physical.

[42:24] Olaf Adzit: The boat is being physical.

[42:26] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, but that's like him doing it. We get a plane car chase that is with a student driver.

[42:36] Olaf Adzit: The old lady. This is the first Roger Moore movie, and they're already trying to creep in silly.

[42:43] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, a little tongue in cheek. They start letting in more and more as Roger Moore's movies go.

[42:48] Olaf Adzit: Because we get that, and then we also get Sheriff Pepper.

[42:52] JJ Gonzalez: I would take more of the old lady as the plane student, flying student, than Pepper. But it's just that both of those moments are just so silly.

[43:03] Olaf Adzit: Now, what's interesting to me about the plane sequence in The Hangar is... Both this movie and Diamonds Are Forever, directed by Guy Hamilton.

[43:12] JJ Gonzalez: To me, it looks exactly like the car chase in the parking lot. You know, when Connery and Jill St. John are basically maneuvering through the car in the parking lot, trying to get away.

[43:26] Olaf Adzit: It's exactly the same idea of this plane just flying around.

[43:30] JJ Gonzalez: Well, I think Guy Hamilton's like, don't worry guys, I've got a great idea. I've already got this storyboarded with cars. We'll just add a plane. Just put some wings on it.

[43:39] Olaf Adzit: I would agree, though, that the boat chase is incredible. It's high-paced, high-action, but it really does start to go on and on and on.

[43:49] JJ Gonzalez: It's long. You're like, oh my gosh. When I was re-watching it not that long ago, I had to step away for a second. And when I came back, I was like, oh, it's still going. They're still chasing him. We haven't even gotten to this stunt yet. Oh my gosh.

[44:02] Olaf Adzit: Which I feel is one of the first things they shot. They shot a lot of that boat action stuff first to see how it would look with Roger Moore. Because they've got the camera attached to the boat, and it's him driving the boat in some of those scenes.

[44:12] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, he does a lot of the boat driving. But we have to talk about the biggest stunt in the movie. The classic, iconic stunt. Bond running across the back of alligators.

[44:24] Olaf Adzit: Which is funny that that's the biggest stunt in this movie.

[44:27] JJ Gonzalez: Well, it's just so iconic.

[44:29] Olaf Adzit: It is. They really did it.

[44:31] JJ Gonzalez: It wasn't fake.

[44:32] Olaf Adzit: No, Roger Moore didn't do it. The owner of the crocodile farm did it. Kananga.

[44:37] JJ Gonzalez: But they had to shoot it a few times. They had to do several takes. And he definitely was getting nipped at here and there.

[44:46] Olaf Adzit: Oh, yeah. There's a really cool, and I think it's still streaming, but it's called Icons Unearthed. And it's James Bond. And it's a whole, from beginning, the franchise. And for that particular moment, you can see, they've got actual footage of the alligator wrangler, Kananga, getting nipped or slipping off one of the alligators, not quite making it to the finish line.

[45:10] JJ Gonzalez: They did six takes. And apparently, one of the big problems was the shoes. Roger Moore decided he wanted to wear these alligator loafers.

[45:21] Olaf Adzit: The stunt man's wearing it, and they're very slippery.

[45:25] JJ Gonzalez: Slippery, yeah. But yeah, they really did that stunt for real. Only took six takes.

[45:31] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, he did. His whole life, apparently, was eaten by an alligator.

[45:35] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, yeah. We've kind of glossed over a lot of these things, and it's been really good. I mean, this movie is my second favorite. I mean, it's in my top ten, I think, top ten. I mean, as far as Roger Moore movies go, it's definitely up there for me.

[45:50] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, it is. It's one of his best. He's very every other hit or miss. I think he was maybe, I mean, he did so many. As a jump off for him, as we're moving into this era, this is the Roger Moore era, I think this is a fantastic film from top to bottom.

[46:07] JJ Gonzalez: It's got some issues. Nothing super glaring. If anything, it's just because of the time. The timing when it was made, not because of any sort of story. Some things don't age well in it, but it does have some cool effects.

[46:20] Olaf Adzit: I was going to ask you, there's a moment where Roger Moore and Jane Seymour's characters are running around trying to find where the voodoo happens. And they're not able to locate it. Even Roger Moore says, it's just poppy fields. Blah, blah, blah. It's that and the other. But then all of a sudden, they know exactly where it is. Like, Felix and Quarrel and Bond show up at night for the last final part of it. And they already know where it is.

[46:43] JJ Gonzalez: How do they know? Because they didn't know before, but they seem to have stumbled upon where the voodoo happens.

[46:52] Olaf Adzit: I think they just remembered.

[46:53] JJ Gonzalez: Who? Roger Moore?

[46:55] Olaf Adzit: Bond had never seen it?

[46:56] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, I know. Like, who told them?

[47:00] Olaf Adzit: I don't know. I think one of them just was like, oh wait, I think I know.

[47:04] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah.

[47:06] Olaf Adzit: But we get to the big finale with the voodoo ceremony going on. Jane Seymour is going to be sacrificed.

[47:14] JJ Gonzalez: Sacrificed? I guess, or fake bitten by a snake.

[47:18] Olaf Adzit: Or fake bitten.

[47:21] JJ Gonzalez: I think you do get to see the teeth of this snake. So maybe she was going to get bit this time.

[47:26] Olaf Adzit: Maybe.

[47:27] JJ Gonzalez: Bond looks great in his all black and he's got the holster. But man, the hand cannon that he is carrying. I'm like, that is not a Walter PPK.

[47:38] Olaf Adzit: Well, I think.

[47:40] JJ Gonzalez: He's like Dirty Harry.

[47:42] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, he's rocking the Dirty Harry for whatever. Because the whole movie, he carries a magnum. He's not even carrying a Walter PPK, I think on purpose too. Much like the other differences. This gun doesn't show up until this scene. And it is massive.

[47:52] JJ Gonzalez: I know. This thing is huge. It looks like the 44 magnum from Dirty Harry.

[47:57] Olaf Adzit: It's incredible. But then there's a really cool effect where Baron Samedi shows up out of the grave.

[48:04] JJ Gonzalez: Rises out of the grave. Which is a very cool scene. And then Bond shoots him in the head.

[48:09] Olaf Adzit: But he just shatters like pottery. And then he shoots him some more and he just falls apart. And then Baron Samedi pops up again. And it just was, however they shot it, however they did it, it just looked fantastic.

[48:22] JJ Gonzalez: What made the effect cool is that they stay on Baron's face. And you see his eyes look up to the corner of the missing piece. And I'm like, that is wild. That whole scene was so cool.

[48:34] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, because then he shatters. And then yeah, Baron comes back up. Does his signature laugh, which is awesome. Baron dies in the snake pit.

[48:42] JJ Gonzalez: We think. He falls in the snake pit. And then he rides around. And then we get to the underground lair. Which, if you're a villain in these movies, you have to have an underground lair.

[48:52] Olaf Adzit: It's just part of the MO.

[48:54] JJ Gonzalez: And sharks. You have to have an underground lair and you have to have sharks. And we've got this ridiculous weapon that shoots these air capsules that inflate whatever it hits.

[49:06] Olaf Adzit: This is where we finally get to see Kananga be Kananga. And this is what I wanted more of throughout the whole movie.

[49:10] JJ Gonzalez: He's so charming.

[49:16] Olaf Adzit: Yes, that's what it is. I was going to say panache. Same thing. Certain amount of charm. Certain amount of panache that he has. That I want. He doesn't chew the scenery up. But he looks like he's having the best time. And he looks like he's in control the whole time.

[49:30] JJ Gonzalez: Even when Bond is like, you're going to do this. And he's like, that's great. I mean, you're just a minor nuisance and we're going to take care of you. We're going to suspend you over the shark infested water, but we're not going to rush it.

[49:41] Olaf Adzit: No. No, no.

[49:44] JJ Gonzalez: So, yes, you mentioned the capsules in this gun, which Bond describes to Kananga right before. Well, Kananga even uses it and demonstrates it. Shoots the couch that Whisper is sitting on.

[49:57] Olaf Adzit: Foreshadowing.

[49:59] JJ Gonzalez: Oh, man. So then we get into the fight and it's silly.

[50:03] Olaf Adzit: It's silly.

[50:04] JJ Gonzalez: It's over too quickly.

[50:05] Olaf Adzit: It's very underwhelming.

[50:06] JJ Gonzalez: Kananga deserved more.

[50:08] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, because Kananga was so physically impressive the way he handled himself and moved around. You'd think the fight would have been more, but it wasn't.

[50:19] JJ Gonzalez: Because even when Kananga is with a knife before they fall into the water, I'm like, this is going to be nice. This would be a really cool fight. But he falls in the water and James Bond puts a capsule in his mouth and he inflates, flies up into the air.

[50:35] Olaf Adzit: Even Yafet Kota goes on record as saying, this is ridiculous how I end up dying.

[50:40] JJ Gonzalez: The execution of it was very bad.

[50:42] Olaf Adzit: It's anticlimactic.

[50:43] JJ Gonzalez: It is, because we then resolve we're on the train scene for one last battle with Tihi, with the man with the claw.

[50:51] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, and it's so funny too, because that battle, that fight in the train car is pretty intense. It's very physical. And Jane Seymour's character has just been lifted up into where the bed folds up. So it's not like she can't hear what's going on. But when she's brought back down, she's just like, what are you doing? Stop messing around. Why did you do that to me?

[51:17] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, we were talking. Hello.

[51:21] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, so that was a little silly. But we get our final shot of the movie on the front of the moving train.

[51:28] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, just sitting there laughing. And I loved that. That's a great ending.

[51:34] Olaf Adzit: The idea here, I think, is they wanted to bring him back for a future Bond movie. They just never did.

[51:40] JJ Gonzalez: If he'd been brought back as the main villain in another movie.

[51:44] Olaf Adzit: Would have been cool.

[51:46] JJ Gonzalez: I agree. I even like how they ended it, where he's laughing, and then it cuts to the skull on fire. It replaces him, and then you get the song again. From top to bottom, this is a very solid movie. And a very solid first outing for Roger Moore.

[51:59] Olaf Adzit: Oh, absolutely. Everyone who saw this, they're on board. They're ready to go. We're ready for this Bond.

[52:07] JJ Gonzalez: Well, and not to jump ahead, but they don't waste any time either. Because the next movie comes out the next year.

[52:13] Olaf Adzit: Yeah, I think they were just like, he's 45. We need to get as many of these as we can.

[52:19] JJ Gonzalez: Well, and they signed him to a three-picture deal initially. They already knew, well, we're going to make another one anyway. But, we're not getting to those yet.

[52:27] Olaf Adzit: Nope. No, we're just putting our feet into this bog. Going back to why this is not a slog for me at the moment. Because I enjoy Live and Let Die.

[52:35] JJ Gonzalez: So do I.

[52:36] Olaf Adzit: And so I'm enjoying it. I don't feel like it's this. But I'm not looking at it as, I don't know what's next. I know what's next. I know how many are next. And I'm like, oh, I gotta get through all of these.

[52:49] JJ Gonzalez: It's almost like if I were to look at his 70s run, every other Bond movie is good and the other ones aren't.

[52:56] Olaf Adzit: So for me, yeah, the next one, but then the one after that.

[53:00] JJ Gonzalez: I don't mind the next one.

[53:01] Olaf Adzit: I know. And the one after that is probably his best. But then sure, it gets rough again. And then we get into the latter half, the back half of his run.

[53:11] JJ Gonzalez: And it's rough. It's hard. But it's a lot of things, which we'll get into for sure. But yeah, Live and Let Die for me has always been one of my top 10.

[53:20] Olaf Adzit: It's in my top 10 for sure. I hope you guys loved hearing about these. We still have more to go. This is one of our bigger franchises to tackle. It's a lot.

[53:30] JJ Gonzalez: Hopefully, if you guys are enjoying Bond, I'm not sure if these are available anywhere at the moment. They're kind of hit or miss. We both love this franchise, but like Olaf said, there's a lot of them to cover. And here we are. We're doing it for you.

[53:46] Olaf Adzit: That's right. And hopefully, through the conversation, you've learned some stuff. You've maybe wanted to re-watch to see what we're talking about. Or maybe you have a vastly different opinion on these than we do. And I want to hear about it.

[53:58] JJ Gonzalez: Yeah, let us know. Because JJ will take your queries. Especially if you want to hear all about the history that we've talked about before. There's some fascinating stuff. I find it interesting because I love this franchise so much.

[54:11] Olaf Adzit: But listen, don't forget to like and subscribe. Don't forget to follow us on our social medias. And catch our podcast wherever you listen to your podcast.

[54:21] JJ Gonzalez: And until then...

[54:22] Olaf Adzit: To be continued.

[54:28] Johnny Clay: Back to the Movie Theater is hosted by JJ Gonzalez and Olaf Adzit. Produced by me, Johnny Clay. JJ Gonzalez and Olaf Adzit. Theme song and incidental music by The Dimes. Visit us at www.bttmtpodcast.com for trivia play-alongs, merch, and more. That's www.bttmtpodcast.com. Follow us on Instagram and TikTok. And find us on YouTube at Back to the Movie Theater with JJ and Olaf.