That's No Moonraker: Live and Let Die

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Date

July 11th, 2020

Summary

Pete and Alex are back for Moore, this time to discuss the 8th James Bond film.

Duration

1:18:30

Notes

Film

• 8th movie based on the 2nd book.
  • Although major plot elements from the novel will be included in future James Bond movies For Your Eyes Only and License to Kill.
• Second film in a row that takes place mostly in America. They also brought Tom Mankiewicz back to write it.
  • They did scout around in Haiti a lot and thought about filming there but it was too politically unstable at the time.
  • They were also scouting in Jamaica where they found a crocodile farm with a sign that said "Warning:trespassers will be eaten" and they loved that.
    • It was owned by a man named Ross Kananga. That name should sound familiar.
• Q does not appear in this film. Only film without Q until the new Casino Royale (2006).

Podcast

• Google brief.
• The producers tried to throw even more money at Sean Connery to get him to come back but he said no.
  • If he had been game, how long would they keep going with him?
  • What else was Sean Connery doing around this time.
    • In addition to his truck load of money for doing Diamonds are Forever Connery was also promised that he could to do two films all his own.
• Other actors considered (besides the ones mentioned last movie):
  • Michael Billington (front-runner) if Roger Moore couldn't do it (recall they wanted Moore since at least On Her Majesty's Secret Service if not as early as Dr. No, though he would have been a little too young for that one).
    • They screen tested him for this, Moonraker, and Octopussy. He was there every time Roger Moore was thinking about asking for more money.
    • He does actually appear on screen in a later film in the series.
  • United Artists still wanted an American but the producers said "no has to be British".
  • Also considered: William Gaunt, John Ronane, Simon Oates Jeremy Brett (TV's Sherlock Holmes), John Gavin (mentioned last time) and Julian Glover (General Veers).
• Prior to this project, Roger Moore was definitely Pete's James Bond of record.
• Kananga is very guilty of the James Bond trope of letting him escape from an elaborate execution. Flash forward to Octopussy.
  • The way that Bond escapes from the Crocodile Island was suggested by and performed by the real Kananga. Referenced: Pitfall.
• Cold open: the best way to introduce a new James Bond is in bed with a woman.
  • Contrast with how they introduced George Lazenby Bond.

Recall that, for Diamonds are Forever, Moneypenny wanted more pay but they didn't give it to her and she ended up relenting and filming her scenes later. During the filming of this movie, a technical error resulted in them having to delay shooting two days and that amount of pay was more than the increase she was asking for in the last movie.

• This movie suffers very badly from the xenophobia we see in other James Bond movies and exoticism of black people. Blaxploitation was huge at the time. It's very of the time: James Bond in: blaxploitation. Yaphet kotto in particular was not pleased with his portrayal in the movie.  solitaires tarot reading skills. The King Kong vibe. her power and her virginity.

Quotes

• Alex: Farewell to my bad Sean Connery impression, say hello to my bad Roger Moore impression.
• Pete: Whatever principality was willing to supplicate themselves the most, they get it.
• Pete: "Go Ahead and Die": that's the 17th film, I think.

Star Wars names

This is Red Five; I'm going in!Star Wars pun names for Live and Let Die
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-live-38826834

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