No Time to Die

Sunday morning, Jack, Sharon and I went to see No Time to Die at the Arden 14 and XD. This is the first time that Sharon and I have been in a movie theater since February 1, 2020.

No Time to Die is the twenty-fifth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It stars Daniel Craig in his fifth and final outing as the fictional British MI6 agent James Bond.

It is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga [True Detective] from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga and Phoebe Waller-Bridge [Fleabag]. Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw [Q], Naomie Harris [Moneypenny], Jeffrey Wright [Felix Leiter], Christoph Waltz [Ernst Boifeld], Rory Kinnear [M's Chief of Staff] and Ralph Fiennes [M] reprise their roles from previous films. Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armas, David Dencik and Dali Benssalah also star in the film.

Bond has left active service with MI6. He is recruited by the CIA to find a kidnapped scientist.

I enjoyed the movie and recommend it. Overall, I give it a B+. Sharon was not happy with the ending.

The opening sequence was filmed in Matera. When we were at dinner with Holly and Van on Saturday night, they mentioned the movie and the city. They are taking a Southern Italy tour that includes Matera in October of 2022.

I have seen all of the James Bond movies. It has been long enough that I probably need to go back and rewatch a few of them.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Janie came over for a dinner of hanger steak and grilled vegetables. After dinner, Sharon, Janie and I watched On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Starting in 2007, Sharon, Jack and I worked our way through all of the James Bond films. With Sharon and Janie visiting Schilthorn last September as part of their European vacation, we wanted to watch it again. Schilthorn features prominently in the the film.

Released in late 1969, the film stars George Lazenby in his only appearance as James Bond, Diana Rigg and Telly Savannas. My previous summary of the movie is here.

While I remember most of the sequences filmed at Schilthorn, I had forgotten most of the first third of the movie that includes Lazenby and Riggs courtship. I need to go back and watch the Bond films again...

Spectre

After dinner at Cafe Bernardo, Sharon and I went to see Spectre. Over the last few years, I watched all of the Bond films.

Sky fall is the twenty-fourth spy film in the James Bond series. It features Daniel Craig's fourth performance as James Bond. The story features James Bond's first encounter with the global criminal organisation Spectre; it marks the group's first appearance in a Bond film since 1971's Diamonds Are Forever.

In addition to Daniel Craig as James Bond, agent 007, the film includes: Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, a man believed to be dead whose father helped raise Bond after his parents died; Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann, a psychologist working at a private medical clinic in the Austrian Alps and the daughter of Mr. White; Ben Whishaw as Q, the MI6 quartermaster; Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, a former agent who left the field to become M's assistant; Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory, the head of MI6, and; Jesper Christensen as Mr. White, a fugitive from MI6 and a senior figure in the Quantum organisation, a former subsidiary of Spectre.

The plot revolves around the use of electronic surveillance. Spectre conspires to create a global surveillance network.

At almost two and a half hours, it is both the longest and the most expensive Bond film ever made. You can see where they spent the money; the scale and detail of the opening scene set in Mexico City is amazing.

I enjoyed parts of the movie, but felt that it was overwrought. It could have been trimmed down and tightened up a lot. I did enjoy Christoph Waltz's performance and the reintroduction of Blofeld. Sharon was less enthusiastic; in particular, she said that "it was the worst Bond girl ever."  Overall, I give it a B-.  It is definitely the weakest of the four Daniel Craig Bond films.

Skyfall

On Sunday night after Jack's last baseball game, Sharon, Jack and I went to see Skyfall. Over the last few years, I watched all of the Bond films.

Skyfall is the twenty-third spy film in the James Bond series. The film's release coincided with the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series, which began with Dr. No in 1962. It features Daniel Craig's third performance as James Bond. The title refers to the Skyfall Lodge, Bond's childhood home and the setting for the film's finale.

In addition to Daniel Craig as James Bond, agent 007, the film includes: Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva (Tiago Rodriguez), the film's main antagonist; Judi Dench as M, the head of MI6 and Bond's commanding officer; Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory, a former lieutenant colonel in the British Army and now the Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee; Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny; Ben Whishaw as Q, the MI6 quartermaster, and; Albert Finney as Kincade, the gamekeeper of the Skyfall estate.

Skyfall is the last film of the series for Judi Dench who played M; a role which she had played in the previous six films. The position is subsequently filled by Ralph Fiennes' character, Gareth Mallory. Sean Connery was almost approached to play the gamekeeper role as part of the 50th anniversary of the film series. I would have loved to have seen Connery in the film.

The plot centers around a stolen hard drive that details almost all undercover NATO agents in terrorist organizations and the villain's attempts to get back at M for sins of the past. The film makes heavy use of hacking and cyber attacks.

I complained that the last movie--Quantum of Solace-was almost non-stop stunts and special effects. It had less plot and more action than probably any of the other Bond films. Skyfall definitely had a better balance between the action and the story. Sharon commented that Skyfall actually had a plot that you could follow. We enjoyed the film and are looking forward to the next one in the series!

Die Another Day

While Sharon was with Janie in Napa in August, Jack and I watched Die Another Day. Released in 2002, this is the twentieth spy film in the James Bond film series and the fourth and last to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond.

Die Another Day marked the franchise's 40th anniversary. The series began in 1962 with Sean Connery starring as Bond in Dr. No. Die Another Day includes references to each of the preceding films and also alludes to several Bond novels.

In the film, Bond leads a mission to North Korea. He is exposed, captured and imprisoned. After spending a year being tortured in prison, Bond is released as part of a prisoner exchange.  Surmising that someone within the British government betrayed him, Bond follows a trail of clues from Cuba to an ice hotel in Iceland and back to North Korea in an effort to earn redemption by finding his betrayer. Along the way, he stops an invasion of South Korea by North Korea.

In addition to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond 007 and Judi Dench as M, the film stars Halle Berry as Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson (an NSA agent), Rosamund Pike as Miranda Frost (a double agent who initially poses as Bond's ally), Toby Stephens as Gustav Graves (a British entrepreneur, the main antagonist and a North Korean General) and John Cleese as Q (MI6's quartermaster).

In early 2007, I started an effort to watch all of the James Bond movies in order. Watching Die Another Day completes that project. I am going to go back and watch Casino Royale again in the near future.

The World is Not Enough

When Sharon was in Washington D.C. over the Memorial Day weekend, Jack and I watched The World Is Not Enough. Released in 1999, this is the nineteenth spy film in the James Bond film series and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond.

Bond is asked to play bodyguard to an oil heiress whose father was murdered in MI6 headquarters. The heiress was once a captive of a terrorist who is slowly dying and cannot feel pain. Unbeknownst to Bond, the heiress and the terrorist are working together to change the dynamics of oil supplied from Russia and Central Asia. The pair plan to explode a nuclear submarine in the Caspian Sea.

In addition to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and and Dame Judi Dench as M, the film stars Sophie Marceau as Elektra King (an oil heiress who wants to make her mark on the world by sealing an oil trade route with a nuclear explosion), Robert Carlyle as Renard (a Soviet terrorist, Elektra's kidnapper and her father's killer), Denise Richards as Dr. Christmas Jones (a nuclear physicist assisting Bond in his mission), Desmond Llewelyn as Q and John Cleese as R (Q's assistant and successor).

I am getting closer to completing my quest to watch all of the James Bond films.

Tomorrow Never Dies

Continuing our quest to watch all of the James Bond Films in order, we watched Tomorrow Never Dies on Saturday night. Released in 1997, it is the eighteenth spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond.

In the film, Bond tries to stop a media mogul from engineering world events and starting World War III. The media mogul uses a stealth ship and a GPS encoder to try and start a shooting war between the British fleet and the Chinese.

In addition to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and and Dame Judi Dench as M, the film stars Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver (a media mogul modelled on Robert Maxwell), Michelle Yeoh as Colonel Wai Lin (a Chinese spy) and Teri Hatcher as Paris Carver (a former girlfriend of Bond who is now Carver's trophy wife).

This is a flim that I saw in the theater; I have some strong memories of the scenes with the BMW in the parking garage. In fact, I am pretty sure that Sharon and I saw it together in the theater.

GoldenEye

Continuing our glacial quest to watch all of the James Bond Films in order, we watched GoldenEye on Saturday night. GoldenEye is the seventeenth James Bond movie and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. Released in 1995, the film is unrelated to any of the works of novelist Ian Fleming.

GoldenEye was released after legal disputes forced a six-year hiatus in the series. During this period, Timothy Dalton resigned from the role of James Bond and was replaced by Pierce Brosnan. M was also recast with actress Dame Judi Dench becoming the first woman to portray the character replacing Robert Brown.

In the film, Bond fights to prevent an arms syndicate from using the GoldenEye satellite weapon against London in order to cause a global financial meltdown. GoldenEye was the first Bond film made after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War which provided a background for the plot.

In addition to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond and Dame Judi Dench as M, the film stars Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan (an MI6 agent who fakes his death and establishes a crime syndicate), Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simonova (a programmer who helps Bond disarm GoldenEye), Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp (Trevelyan's henchwoman), Joe Don Baker as Jack Wade (a veteran CIA agent), Gottfried John as General Ourumov (a renegade Russian general) and Desmond Llewelyn as Q (head of research and development).

Llewelyn was the only actor to reprise a role from a previous Bond film.  Samantha Bond made her first of four appearances as Moneypenny.

GoldenEye was the first film bound by a three picture deal with BMW. Although used in a very limited role, the BMW Z3 was featured in the film months before its release.

This is one of the James Bond films that I remember seeing in the theater. At this point in the series, the stunts start to get a lot bigger. I distinctly remember several of the stunts, including the sequence where Bond skydives into a plane and scenes where he is driving a tank through St. Petersburg. The opening sequence of the film includes a 720 feet bungee jump shot at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland.

Licence to Kill

With Sharon out of town, Jack and I watched Licence to Kill in Blu-ray on Saturday. This is the first Blu-ray movie I have seen.  I was impressed with the quality enough that I will probably sample a few more films in Blu-ray in the future.

Released in 1989, Licence to Kill is the sixteenth James Bond film. It is the first film not based on an Ian Fleming novel. More violent and darker than its predecessors, it was the first James Bond film to be given a PG-13 rating in the United States. Due to the rating and some marketing problems including a last minute title change, Licence to Kill grossed only $34 million domestically. Adjusted for inflation, it is the lowest grossing of the James Bond films. It is also a film that I had definitely never seen.

The second Bond film starring Timothy Dalton, it turned out to be his final performance in the lead role. Legal wrangling over control of the series and James Bond character created a years-long delay in production of the next Bond film which resulted in Dalton deciding to not pursue a return.

In the story, Bond resigns from the secret service to avenge the attempted murder of his CIA friend, Felix Leiter. The early parts of the film are set in the Florida Keys, including a pivotal scene in the Hemingway House. The latter parts of the film are set in the Republic of Isthmus, a fictional South American country based on Panama. Mexico was used to double for this location.

In addition to Timothy Dalton as Bond, the film stars Robert Davi as Franz Sanchez (the most powerful drug lord in Latin America), Carey Lowell as Pam Bouvier (an ex-Army pilot and CIA informant), Talisa Soto as Lupe Lamora (Sanchez's girlfriend), and Wayne Newton (Sanchez's middleman and TV evangelist for Olimpatec Meditation Institute).

Sharon is looking forward to moving on to the Pierce Brosnan films.

The Living Daylights

Continuing our glacial quest to watch all of the James Bond Films in order, we watched The Living Daylights on Saturday night.  Released in 1987, it is the fifteenth James Bond movie and the first to star Timothy Dalton in the title role. The film's title is taken from Ian Fleming's short story The Living Daylights.

The movie has a fairly convoluted plot. Bond is sent to act as a counter sniper to protect a defecting Soviet. After successfully getting the Soviet defector to a safe house in England, he informs the British secret service that head of the KGB is systematically killing British and American spies. When the defector is seemingly snatched back by the Soviets, Bond follows him across Europe, Morocco and Afghanistan. Much of the last part of the film is set in Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation.

In addition to Timothy Dalton as James Bond, the film stars Jeroen Krabbé as General Georgi Koskov (the Soviet Defector), Maryam d'Abo as Kara Milovy (Koskov's girlfriend), Joe Don Baker as Brad Whitaker (an American arms dealer) and John Rhys-Davies as General Leonid Pushkin (head of the KGB).

The opening sequences of the film have some interesting footage of Rock of Gibraltar. I have added it to the list of places that I would like to visit someday.

A View to a Kill

Sharon, Jack and I watched A View to a Kill during the Labor Day Weekend. Released in 1985, it is the fourteenth film of the James Bond series, and the seventh and last to star Roger Moore. Although the title is adapted from Ian Fleming's short story "From a View to a Kill", the film is the third Bond film after The Spy Who Loved Me and Octopussy to have an entirely original screenplay.

Bond investigates a high-tech firm, Zorin Industries, and uncovers a plot to corner the market on microchips by manufacturing an earthquake that would drown Silicon Valley (and all of Zorin's competition).

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the film stars Christopher Walken as Max Zorin, Grace Jones as May Day (Zorin's lover and chief henchwoman), Tanya Roberts as Stacey Sutton (granddaughter of an oil tycoon whose company is taken over by Zorin) and Patrick Macnee (from the Avengers!) as Sir Godfrey Tibbett.

This was last film to star Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. She played the role in fourteen films, from Dr. No (1962) until her final performance of the character in A View to a Kill (1985).

Much of the first half of the film was shot at Château de Chantilly in France. It is kind of an interesting location and I might add it to my places to try and visit someday.

I had not seen this Bond movie before and was looking forward to it. I enjoyed Christopher Walken in the film, but overall was very disappointed. Sharon and I had a spirited debate afterward about which of the Roger Moore films was the worst. She could not decide which one was worse between Live and Let Die, Moonraker and A View to a Kill. In general, I think that I enjoyed the Sean Connery films a lot more than the Roger Moore films.

Never Say Never Again

Continuing my glacial quest to watch all of the Bond films in order, Sharon, Jack and I watched Never Say Never Again on Saturday night. Released in 1983 by Warner Bros., the film is a non-EON Productions remake of the 1965 James Bond film, Thunderball. It stars Sean Connery in his final film performance as British Secret Service agent James Bond 007. Although not part of the official series, it is the seventh "Bond" movie to star Sean Connery and was made 12 years after he started in Diamonds are Forever. It was the first Bond movie to use a non-Ian Fleming originated title.

In the story, a SEPCTRE agent infiltrates an American military base in England and orders the dummy warheads in two cruise missiles replaced with two live W80 nuclear warheads during a test. SPECTRE intercepts the cruise missiles and uses the warheads to extort billions of dollars from the governments of the world.

The film takes place in an alternative timeline compared to previously released films. It ignores the events of the previous six Sean Connery films. In particular, Blofeld is active and apparently previously unknown to Bond and MI6.

In addition to Sean Connery as James Bond, the movie stars Kim Basinger as Bond's primary love interest Domino Petachi, Barbara Carrera as Largo's henchwoman Fatima Blush and Klaus Maria Brandauer as Maximillian Largo.

I believe that this is the first Bond Film that I ever saw in the theater. I can remember seeing it in a packed theater in 1983 with Alison and spending part of the film listening to a crying baby. I am ambivalent about the movie; I don't really like it or dislike it.

Quantum of Solace

We have been slowly working our way through the Bond Films in order, but I was interested in seeing the most recent one so we skipped ahead. Released in 2008, this is the 22nd spy film in the James Bond series and the second to star Daniel Craig as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The title was chosen from a 1960 short story in Ian Fleming's For Your Eyes Only, though the film does not contain any elements of the original story.

Quantum of Solace is a sequel to Casino Royale. The story picks up minutes after the end of the previous film. In the movie, Bond battles Dominic Greene, a member of the Quantum organization. Posing as an environmentalist, Greene intends to stage a coup d'état in Bolivia to take control of its water supply. Bond seeks revenge for the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd, and is assisted by Camille Montes, a Bolivian Secret Service Agent, who is also seeking revenge for the death of her family.

In addition to Daniel Craig as James Bond, the cast includes Olga Kurylenko as Camille Montes, Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene, Judi Dench as M, Gemma Arterton as MI6 Agent Strawberry Fields and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. This marked the first time the same actor played Leiter twice in a row.

Two random comments about the movie... First, it is almost non-stop stunts and special effects. It has less plot and more action than probably any of the other Bond films. Second, Sharon and I visited Siena in 1996. We were reminded by the scenes shot there early in the movie that we wished we had spent more time there.

Octopussy

Continuing my quest to watch all of the Bond films in order, Sharon, Jack and I watched Octopussy on Saturday night. Released in 1983, this is the thirteenth spy film in the James Bond series and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from an Ian Fleming 1966 collection of short stories titled Octopussy and The Living Daylights. However, the film's story is original.

The murder of Agent 009 and a forgery of a Fabergé egg leads Bond to Kamal Khan, a wealthy Afghan prince, and Octopussy, the leader of an all-female octopus cult. Khan ends up betraying Octopussy and teaming up with a rogue Russian general. Octopussy owes Bond a favor for having helped her father long ago. They ally to stop a plot to force disarmament in Europe with the use of a nuclear weapon.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Maud Adams as Octopussy, Louis Jourdan as Kamal Khan and Robert Brown as M. Octopussy is the first movie to have Robert Brown as Bond's boss M due to the death of Bernard Lee in 1981. This is second appearance for Maud Adams as a Bond Girl; her previous character was killed in The Man with the Golden Gun.

Jack loved the opening sequence where Bond ends up piloting a 12 foot jet airplane through an open hangar. Overall, this may be one of my least favorite James Bond films. I found the plot slow and plodding.

For Your Eyes Only

Sharon, Jack and I watched For Your Eyes Only. Released in 1981, this is the twelfth spy film of the British James Bond series and the fifth to star Roger Moore as the British secret agent James Bond. The screenplay takes its characters from and combines the plots of two short stories from Ian Fleming's collection For Your Eyes Only: the title story and Risico. It also includes elements inspired by the novels Live and Let Die (the keelhauling sequence), Goldfinger (the identigraph sequence) and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (the opening at the graveyard).

After killing Blofeld in the opening sequences, Bond becomes tangled in a web of deception spun by rival Greek businessmen against the backdrop of Cold War spy games. After a British spy ship sink off the coast of Albania, the world's superpowers begin a feverish search for its valuable lost cargo: the powerful ATAC system, which will give its bearer unlimited control over Polaris nuclear submarines. Bond's investigations leads to Greece where he meets Melina Havelock, out for revenge for the murder of her parents.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock, Julian Glover as Aristotle Kristatos and Chaim Topol as Milos Columbo.

The movie includes some great scenery in Italy and Greece. The climatic scenes are filmed in Metéora, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Greece is definitely on my short list of countries to visit.

Moonraker

Continuing my quest to watch all of the Bond films in order, Sharon, Jack and I watched Moonraker on Friday night. Released in 1979, this is the eleventh spy film of the British James Bond series and the fourth to star Roger Moore as the British secret agent James Bond. The film takes its title from the third novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. The script for the film was significantly from the book to include outer space.

Bond is sent to investigate the mysterious theft of a space shuttle, leading him to Hugo Drax, billionaire owner of the shuttle-manufacturing firm. Along with space scientist Holly Goodhead, who later is identified as a CIA agent also investigating Drax, Bond follows the trail of clues from California to Venice, Italy, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the Amazon rain forest, and finally into outer space in a bid to prevent a genocidal plot to wipe out the world and re-create human existence with a master race.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Michael Lonsdale as Sir Hugo Drax, Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead and Richard Kiel as Jaws.

Of all the Bond films that we have seen to-date, these are probably my least favorite villain and Bond girl. Michael Lonsdale's biography indicates that he has appeared in over 180 films and television shows, but I thought that his performance was wooden and uninspiring. Lois Chiles performance as the Bond girl left me cold.

The Spy Who Loved Me

Continuing my quest to watch all of the Bond films in order, Sharon, Jack and I watched The Spy Who Loved Me. Released in 1977, this is the tenth spy film of the British James Bond series and the third to star Roger Moore as the British secret agent James Bond. The film takes its title from the tenth novel in Ian Fleming's James Bond series. Though as Ian Fleming requested that only the title of the novel be used, the film does not contain any elements of the novel.

The plot involves a reclusive megalomaniac named Stromberg who develops a technology for tracking submarines and then captures British and Russian submarines. Stromberg plans to use the nuclear weapons on the subs to destroy the world and create a new civilization under the sea. Bond teams up with a Russian agent Anya Amasova to stop him.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Barbara Bach as Anya Amasova (Agent Triple X), Curt Jürgens as Karl Stromberg and Richard Kiel as Jaws.

The movie includes a number of scenes that have always stuck in my head. A Lotus Esprit is featured in a long chase sequence, drives off the end of a pier into the ocean and turns into a submarine. Jaws spents the movie trying to kill Bond and Amasova by biting them with his metal teeth and walking away unscathed from situations where he should have been seriously hurt or killed. Additionally, I have always enjoyed the scenes in Egypt; some day I would like to visit the pyramids.

The Man with the Golden Gun

Continuing my quest to watch all of the Bond films in order, we watched The Man with the Golden Gun. Released in 1974, this is the ninth spy film of the British James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the British secret agent James Bond.

Filmed during the 1973 oil crisis, the film features a plot about solar lasers and circuitry. An adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel of same name, the film has Bond sent after the Solex Agitator, a device which can harness the power of the sun. He teams up with agent Mary Goodnight against Francisco Scaramanga – The Man with the Golden Gun. The action culminates in a duel between them.

The film was shot on location in Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok, and Phuket. The scenes featuring the island hideout of Scaramanga are pretty spectacular and were filmed in Phang Nga Province in Thailand. The wreck of the RMS Queen Elizabeth in the Hong Kong harbor is also used as a location.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Christopher Lee as Francisco Scaramanga (an assassin), Britt Ekland as Mary Goodnight (Bond's assistant in the Far East), Maud Adams as Andrea Anders (Scaramanga's mistress), and Hervé Villechaize as Nick Nack (Scaramanga's servant).

Live and Let Die

Sunday night, we watched Live and Let Die. Released in 1973, this is the eighth spy film of the British James Bond series and the first to star Roger Moore as the British secret agent James Bond. Moore was 46 years old when the film debuted.

It departs from the former plots of the James Bond films about megalomania and instead focuses on drug trafficking. The film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming. The plot revolves around a drug lord known as Mr. Big who plans to distribute two tonnes of heroin free so as to put rival drug barons out of business.

Live and Let Die was released during the height of the blaxploitation era. It depicts many blaxploitation archetypes and cliché, such as afro hairstyles, derogatory racial epithets, black gangsters, and pimpmobiles.

It is set in African American cultural centres such as Harlem, New Orleans, and the Caribbean Islands. It was also the first James Bond film featuring an African American woman romantically involved with 007.

In addition to Roger Moore as James Bond, the cast includes Jane Seymour as Solitaire, Gloria Hendry as Rosie Carver and Yaphet Kotto as Dr. Kananga and Mr. Big (A corrupt Caribbean Prime Minister who doubles as a drug lord).

After the movie was finished, Sharon said "that was awful."

Diamonds Are Forever

We are continuing to slowly work our way through the James Bond films in chronological order. Saturday night, we watched Diamonds are Forever. Released in 1971, this is the seventh film in the James Bond Series. It is the sixth starring Sean Connery.

The story has Bond impersonating a diamond smuggler to infiltrate a smuggling ring, and soon uncovering a plot by his former nemesis Blofeld to use the diamonds and build a giant laser satellite that would be used to hold the world to ransom.

A large part of the film takes place in and around Las Vegas. It was interesting to see Las Vegas as it was more than 35 years ago. This includes a chase scene through the old downtown in a 1971 Mustang.

In addition to Sean Connery as James Bond, the cast includes Jill St. John as Bond girl Tiffany Case, Lana Wood as Plenty O'Toole and Jimmy Dean as entrepreneur Willard Whyte. The cast also includes Bruce Glover as Mr. Wint and Putter Smith as Mr. Kidd as two obviously gay hit men.

Of the seven James Bond movies that we have seen to date, this might be my least favorite.