That's No Moonraker: From Russia with Love

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Date

May 30th, 2020

Summary

Pete and Alex take a look at the second installment of the James Bond franchise: 1963's "From Russia with Love".

Duration

1:41:33

Notes

Film

• 2nd film based on the 5th book.
• Blofeld first appears in this movie.
• Both female leads had all their dialogue dubbed.
• Introduction of the Q of record.

Podcast

• Mentioned: Pete's 1980s James Bond Prestige VHS collection.
• Pan still life covers.
• Cold open with fake death of James Bond.
  • Morzeny ==> Walter Gotell, who is in 6 different James Bond movies playing the same character in 5 of them (after this) and just a ton of other things.
    • Mentioned: Jack Purvis.
  • Star Wars crossover: {{{2}}} (John Ketteringham). Also pops up later in Thunderball.
  • Robert Shaw (Quint from Jaws) is the main antagonist.
  • Continuity from the last movie.
• Top Secret used a lot of real James Bond actors. Mentioned: "You can cut that out".
• This movie is more meta-conscious about James Bond.
• Referenced: Curtis Armstrong (Booger from Revenge of the Nerds).
• The financial success of this movie.
• Mentioned The Apple.
• How do you play Baccarat?
  • The SPECTRE henchman has perfect chess timing.
• Blofeld is the Wedge of James Bond.
  • The geologist from last movie plays the body of Blofeld in this and other movies.
  • Shoutout to Matt Gourley. Is there a James Bond expanded universe?
    • Mentioned: Gourley's Look Out For This Twitter account.
• Rosa Klebb
  • Her sexuality. Mentioned: the Bechdel test.
  • Behind-the-scenes.
    • Married to Kurt Weill (of "Mack the Knife" fame). She is name-dropped in Louis Armstrong's version.
  • Her name is a pun on the Soviet phrase for women's rights: Хлеб и розы (Khleb i rozy).
• How does Tatiana know who James Bond is?  Why the fake out? Referenced: Star Trek II and the death of Spock.
• Sylvia Trench (from last movie was supposed to be another through character.
• Daniela Bianchi.
  • Former Miss Universe runner-up, and was cast based on her looks.
• There was lot more wholesale replacement of actors lines in old movies than you would think, less so nowadays.
• Q.
  • He was called Boothroyd in the last movie, in the script for this movíe, and in the FRWL novel as well.
  • Desmond Llewellyn was Q in no less than 17 Bond films.
  • There have since been two other (extremely English) Qs.

Meta Notes

• Alex's Star Wars alternate title has a misquote. It should be "Love has blinded you".
  • The scene from Attack of the Clones that Alex is referring to is in minute 36.
  • I can't believe they didn't go with From Rancor with Love
• This episode aired prior to No Time to Die being pushed back from its original release date at the end of the Summer 2020 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Pete and Alex had planned to schedule the end of That's No Moonraker to coincide with the release of the 25th James Bond film, but that didn't end up working out.

Quotes

• Alex and then Pete: "Doctor Nose-Gross".
• Pete: [Klebb]'s still got her fingers in SMERSH, if you'll pardon the... [trails off]
• Pete: ...It [No Time to Die]'s going to end with James Bond hiring James Bond to kill James Bond.
• Alex then Pete: "Threepenny Opera" was the Superman 2 of From Russia with Love.

Star Wars names

Star Wars pun names for From Russia with Love
Alex	Totally forgot about doing this. From Russia with [sic] "Love has made you blind" From Russia with [insert Attack of the Clones reference]
Pete	From Russia with Lobot From {{{2}}} with Love From Russia Wilhuff

Link (Patreon supporters only)

https://www.patreon.com/posts/thats-no-from-37689069

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