That's No Moonraker: Diamonds Are Forever

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Date

July 4th, 2020

Summary

Alex and Pete return after a brief stint elsewhere to discuss the 7th James Bond film.

Duration

1:41:00

Notes

Film

• 7th movie based on the fourth book. First time we're jumping back to an earlier book. It's almost like a prequel.
• Filmed in April and released in December '71.
• Written by Tom Mankiewicz (of clan Mankiewicz). They wanted an American screenwriter since so much of the film is set in Las Vegas.
  • The novel provided material for about 45 minutes of screen time (it was 15 years old at this point). Makes one want to read the book.
• The gun barrel sequence in this movie is a re-use of footage from fourth & fifth films (the second time the sequence was filmed, as you'll recall it was stuntman Bob Simmons for the first three movies) as the film aspect ratio had changed and they used Connery for the re-shoot.
  • Black and white but with a weird blueish tint.
  • This is the last gun barrel sequence where Bond is wearing a hat.
• Connery was paid a record-breaking $1.25 million to come back to the role.

Podcast

• This movie is the awkward transition period between the 1960's and 70's. It's the awkward adolescence of the Bond franchise.
  • The more rooted in the 'present' a James Bond movie is (au currant), the worse it holds up. See also: things from 1985.
• Google plot summary.
  • We almost side with Blofeld here; he steals from rich diamond producers to force the world into peace. Many people do the opposite (steal from the poor and instigate violence).
  • But his plan is very dumb like many supervillain plans.
• Bond takes great sadistic pleasure in killing Blofeld (we know why if we saw the previous film, but no hint given in this movie).
  • Codename Theory: He's getting revenge on behalf of his friend and successor (former 077 stepped up) since Lazenby can't go back to the job since he's so broken up after his wife is murdered.
  • Connery Bond feels responsible because the guy he spent years trying to take down Blofeld. And the first scene of the cold open is in Japan (where he retired to) (Note: see last week).
• What is actually happening in the gun barrel sequence? It has its own wikipedia page. It should be a scope rather than the barrel.
• Production: re-using things from Goldfinger.
  • OHMSS came out and broke the mold (fan response wasn't as strong as they wanted), so they wanted to put the band back together to recapture the magic.
  • Guy Hamilton, Shirley Bassey, Connery all back. Connery wasn't super interested, but UA said he could have whatever he wanted if he'd do it.

Other actors considered

• John Gavin (a regular TCM guy), Adam west (post-Batman) and Burt Reynolds (none of whom are British).
  • West and Reynolds both turned it down because they were American and didn't think they could do it.
  • Gavin was signed with Eon, but the producers wanted Connery and told him they'd get him for the next one. But Adam West was right; they can't have an American playing Bond, and Eon backed out.
  • Also Michael Gambon (new Dumbledore) (Irish).

Meta Notes

• This is the second week in a row that Alex has assigned James Bond an amusing middle name.
  • Notably, the middle name of Tiberius is shared with (and likely inspired by) a certain starship captain.
• $1.25 million in 1971 is equivalent to $8,070,795.75 in 2020.

Quotes

• Alex: (as Sean Connery) <in pretty good Scottish brogue> I'll do it for free if you let me say "brakefast".
• Alex: He [Gavin] is the George Lazenby [...] to George Lazenby's George Lazenby. Pete: Exactly. He's a real "George Lazenby's George Lazenby".
• Pete:Maybe you get those confused: "deceased" and "Irish".

Star Wars names

Star Wars pun names for Diamonds are Forever
Alex	Name 1 Name 2 Name 3
Pete	Name 1 Name 2 Name 3

Link (Patreon supporters only)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/thats-no-are-38758513

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