Headlined by the legendary William Shatner, this 1977 horror flick is surprisingly good: – with a decent story line and impressive use of thousands of live tarantulas. In fact, around one-tenth of the entire film’s budget was spent on handling so many spiders, which is an incredible statistic.
My understanding is that tarantulas are fairly docile creatures – especially around humans – so it was quite an achievement for the film-makers to have the spiders appear to chase or attack people in this movie. The use of off-screen fans were utilised to great effect to have the arachnids move in the direction and manner desired, and it certainly paid dividends with some wonderful yet frightening sequences being brought to the big screen.
The story is set in the town of Camp Verde, Arizona where livestock are suddenly dropping dead, and tests later reveal that this is due to lethal amounts of spider venom. The local vet ‘Rack’ Hansen (played by William Shatner) along with an arachnologist soon discover a massive spider hill on a local farm, and the decision is made to set it on fire. Big mistake!
But before we explore the consequences of upsetting thousands of spiders, I should point out that it wouldn’t be a William Shatner movie without a little romance – and the great man is in fine form here!
Anyway, the locals would pay a heavy price for attempting to destroy the spiders’ nest, as a swarm of angry tarantulas descend upon the town; even ambushing some of the folks by crawling into trucks and planes as part of their ultimate revenge!
But the most unnerving moments were saved for the film’s final act, and you have to appreciate how difficult it would have been to pull off some of these scenes. Remember: No CGI involved – only real tarantulas with the odd rubber spider thrown in.
Now as creepy as some of these screenshots are, the following sequence is perhaps the most disturbing in the entire movie. Credit goes to the very young actress here!
‘Kingdom of the Spiders’ is a solid film that builds suspense nicely throughout and goes out of its way to explain the aggressive – and rather unscientific – behaviour of the tarantulas, before delivering a truly exceptional ending that I will not spoil here.
The charismatic but serviceable performance of William Shatner helps the movie along, with second-billing going to the ridiculous number of hairy arachnids that share the screen with him. In summary, this is a movie worth watching, and despite being a low-budget production, I would still rate it seven out of ten!
Screenshots courtesy of Dimension Pictures and MeTV.
I’m referring to the late, great English actor – not the Australian cricketer.
David Warner, who sadly passed away in 2022, was an English actor who popped up in many films and TV shows over the decades. Perhaps his most famous roles would be the villainous Dillinger in ‘Tron’ (1982) and the overly-suspicious bodyguard Lovejoy in ‘Titanic’ (1997). Most movie buffs would probably recognise Warner – and say “Oh, that guy” – but wouldn’t know much else about him, which is unfortunate because he truly was a master of his craft.
However, it is Warner’s performance in the 1976 horror classic ‘The Omen’ that I wish to focus on, and in particular his character’s unforgettable demise.
*** BLOOD AND GORE ALERT ***
I’m about to show some rather spicy screenshots of a decapitation scene that is incredibly realistic, despite these practical effects being filmed almost fifty years ago.
So, let’s set the stage: – Robert Thorn (played by Gregory Peck) throws a mystical set of daggers away in a fit of rage, forcing his colleague Keith Jennings (David Warner) to walk along an alleyway and into a construction site to retrieve them. Of course, as soon as Jennings bends down to pick up the knives, we all know he’s in serious trouble.
The handbrake on a parked truck then slips, and the vehicle begins rolling toward the unsuspecting Jennings – who I have to say is in no hurry at all to pick up the sacred daggers.
Did you see the sheet of glass on the back of the truck? Well, that’s about to come into play…
*** LAST CHANCE TO LOOK AWAY ***
The director of ‘The Omen’ was Richard Donner, who would later helm ‘Superman’ in 1978, ‘The Goonies’ in 1985 and ‘Lethal Weapon’ in 1987, to name but a few of his works. To say that Donner knows a thing or two about camera angles and special effects would be a vast understatement, and this incredible death scene was shot from multiple sides – top, bottom, left and right – and most likely completed over a number of takes.
In the final cut of the movie, some of these sequences are even slowed down a little – a strong indication of how happy the editors were with both the realistic dummy of David Warner and the way these incredible shots turned out.
Even by today’s standards of film-making, I think this holds up pretty well.
I should also point out that the corresponding scene in the 2006 remake is also quite gruesome, with David Thewlis being the actor on the receiving end of a freak accident.
I have added a link below to the 1976 scene – courtesy of La Casita del Horror de PipendorfYouTube channel.
To end on a brighter note, it was great to see David Warner’s likeness appear in ‘Tron: Ares’.
Shame about the rest of the movie.
Screenshots are courtesy of 20th Century Fox, The Walt Disney Company and Paramount Pictures.
David Warner’s portrait is courtesy of Rory Lewis Photography.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a scathing (but accurate) article about the 1993 B-Movie ‘Champagne and Bullets’ – starring the amazing John De Hart.
For those not aware of this brilliant film, ‘Champagne and Bullets’ is an action/romance/revenge flick that was fully funded by Mr De Hart out of his own pocket. Not only was John the director, but he cast himself as the main star, and also sang most of the songs on the soundtrack. Needless to say, the end product was a masterpiece of poor cinema, and is regarded by fans of bad movies to be one of the all-time greats – with Wikipedia describing De Hart’s performance as “amateur and inexplicable.”
Anyway, I’m not sure what the reasons are, but my John De Hart write-up from 2023 has seen an increase in views over the past few days. With this in mind, perhaps it is time to share a few more thoughts about this one-time action star; focusing more on the man himself and being a little ‘nicer’ this time around.
So, let’s break down the indomitable screen presence of John De Hart – action star, romantic leading man and overall legend – beginning with how smooth this guy is with the ladies.
Romance is clearly one of John’s strongest suits, and he is well-known for punching above his weight. De Hart always follows the same successful routine; kicking things off with a classy dinner – as seen in the photo above – before moving on to more ‘comfortable surroundings.’
It’s all too easy for a man of such talents…
But even a superstar like John De Hart needs a little help sometimes – and it’s great to have a friend close by to hold your champagne flute just as things start to heat up!
I love your work, John – but that extra hand is creepy!
John De Hart is also a certified fashion icon, and throughout ‘Champagne and Bullets’ he graces our screens with some remarkable outfits. It’s best to simply let the pictures below do the talking, but I must say that his black leather costume – as seen in the second photo – is out of this world!
But perhaps the most impressive combination John wears in the movie would be his white and navy blue-striped wedding tracksuit.
Despite his many talents, John De Hart is first and foremost an action man – whether it be fighting the forces of evil or taking to the stage to perform his signature hit song – ‘The Shimmy Slide.’ This man can do it all – hot damn!
When it comes to eliminating the villains, De Hart has a ‘particular set of skills’ at his disposal to get the job done. Be it a crossbow, a gun, or simply his lethal martial arts powers – John De Hart excels in all disciplines and the bad guys should know better than to mess with him!
I will finish off this glowing tribute to one of Hollywood’s quiet achievers by touching on his remarkable acting ability. With a range on par with Pacino or Brando, John De Hart delivers a broad spectrum of emotions – and has been known to recite Shakespeare so flawlessly that even Sir Laurence Olivier would feel belittled by such raw power.
If you haven’t seen ‘Champagne and Bullets’ – which sadly turned out to be the only film John De Hart ever made* – then I strongly recommend that you do. It’s bad – really bad – yet has a magnetic appeal that makes it almost impossible to stop watching. De Hart himself is front-and-centre throughout most of this insanity, yet strangely enough comes across as a likeable guy who just seems to be ‘having a go’ – an attribute that we Aussies appreciate.
I happened to find the full movie on YouTube that has all the nudity blurred out, and trust me – that’s not a bad thing. I have added the link below, courtesy of DDF: Movie Day – but as it is age restricted, you might have to sign in to view it.
*Note: John De Hart made a cameo appearance in the 2006 film ‘The Champagne Gang.’
Released all the way back in 1954, this film is truly a cinematic masterpiece. I’m not comparing this to ‘Casablanca’, ‘The Godfather’ or even ‘The English Patient’, for what I refer to here is the ambition and vision that ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ projects – impressive even by today’s standards.
Of course, this is an adaptation of Jules Verne’s 1870 novel of the same name, which is quite an enjoyable read. The film does differ from the book in a number of ways – particularly the ending – but does remain fairly true to the overall narrative.
‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ is headlined by two legendary actors, with Kirk Douglas playing the harpooner Ned Land and James Mason starring as the mysterious Captain Nemo. The film was directed by the reliable Hollywood helmsman Richard Fleischer, and was produced by Walt Disney Productions.
The movie begins with Professor Aronnax, a famous scientist (played by Academy Award winning actor Paul Lukas) being recruited by the US Navy to assist them in hunting a sea monster that has been destroying vessels. Eventually the naval frigate Aronnax is travelling aboard finds the creature and is promptly rammed and sunk by an enemy that was not all that it appeared to be.
From this point, the film follows the adventures of the rogue submarine Nautilus, as told from the viewpoint of Professor Aronnax, his assistant Conseil, and fellow adventurer Ned Land. All three become ‘guests’ of Captain Nemo aboard his underwater ship as it carries out its mission in the deepest depths of the world’s oceans, whilst countless warships are hot on their tails.
Captain Nemo’s motivations are explored a little in this film, although the book does offer more in the way of his interesting background story. But for the most part, the movie keeps things on a more adventurous and entertaining course, with the special effects and underwater filming being decades ahead of its time. In fact, ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ won the Academy Award for best special effects and art direction, and it’s easy to see why.
Perhaps the most memorable scene in the movie is when the Nautilus is attacked by a giant squid. The battle takes place during the night and in the middle of a vicious storm, which makes the sequence even more terrifying.
We are also treated to a couple of musical numbers from Kirk Douglas during lighter moments in the film, with one of his sea shanties being sung to Esmeralda – Captain Nemo’s pet sea lion.
‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ is storytelling on an epic scale, much like many of the old Hollywood blockbusters from the golden age of cinema. It’s sad that they don’t make movies like this anymore, because with modern day CGI this story could easily be re-imagined into something special – and if produced correctly could earn millions of dollars.
Here’s how I think it should be done.
Firstly, a popular subcontinental actor would be cast as Nemo, for according to Verne’s original story this character is an exiled Indian prince named Dakkar. Then you would need some American star power, and three established Hollywood names could play Ned Land, Aronnax and Conseil. To top things off, I would have someone like Denis Villeneuve or Christopher Nolan as the director, and have the screenwriters keep the story as close to the original work as possible.
Yes, I am aware of what the wages bill alone would be, but surely it would clean up at the box office worldwide!
‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ is available on Disney Plus, and I’m not sure but it might be showing on Amazon Prime Video as well – but perhaps at an extra cost. It really is worth watching, especially if you haven’t seen it before or did so many years ago, and I’m sure you will be surprised as to how a film so old can still look so good.
Many remakes and reboots have come and gone – even as recently as last year with the series ‘Nautilus‘ – but the original 1954 classic is still the best interpretation of Jules Verne’s masterpiece. With two of Hollywood’s greatest leading men in Kirk Douglas and James Mason gracing our screens and special effects that were a generation ahead of its time, Disney’s immortal tour-de-force is in a class of its own.
All images courtesy of Walt Disney Productions and Buena Vista Productions.
‘Diamonds Are Forever’ is often the first name that comes up when discussing the weakest entries into the James Bond series. There are other dubious titles as well, such as ‘Moonraker’ and ‘Die Another Day’, but Sean Connery’s comeback film from 1971 somehow remains in a category of its own.
Are these reviews fair? Does this movie deserve such a reputation? Well, this older version of myself decided to re-watch ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ for the first time in thirty years to find out.
My recollection of ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ over time echoed on a couple of points; the first being that Sean Connery had aged a lot since his last Bond movie (only four years earlier) and my second observation was that some crazy stuff went down in this film. Now having watched it again, I think Connery looks good and the movie is far more insane than I remembered – which is a great thing!
I’m not sure what the production team were smoking at the time, as some of the places and situations James Bond finds himself in are outrageous – especially when compared to the other films in the series. The previous entry – ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ – is the polar opposite to this show, and it’s difficult to compare the movies in any way. For starters, ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ features a campy version of Blofeld as the main villain, two ‘flamboyant’ assassins leaving a trail of dead bodies, countless one-liners that feel better suited to a Burt Reynolds film, and to top it all off most of these capers take place in ‘Sin City’ itself – Las Vegas!
‘Diamonds Are Forever’ was Sean Connery’s sixth outing as James Bond, and he was paid a reported $1.25 million dollars for his efforts. Such a high figure for the time reflected the chaos caused by George Lazenby’s sudden departure – but that is another story. Behind the scenes, the screenplay was written by Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz – with the film being directed by Guy Hamilton and produced by Albert R Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.
John Barry provided the soundtrack, and I thought his modern score worked well with this movie. Shirley Bassey performed the title song, which is a rather catchy tune that follows the older style of opening themes but adds some newer nineteen-seventies sounds.
The film’s pre-credits sequence features Bond on the hunt for Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Having violently dealt with a couple of his minions, 007 eventually squares off with his old nemesis as he is about to undergo face-altering plastic surgery.
Once Blofeld is (seemingly) put away permanently, James Bond returns to active duty and is given an assignment to track illegal diamond shipments out of South Africa, and to discover who might be stockpiling them and why. Bond is sent to Amsterdam and goes undercover posing as the dangerous smuggler Peter Franks, before following the trail to the United States – Las Vegas and California specifically.
Of course it could never be as simple as thieves stealing precious gems, and the plot evolves into a SPECTRE operation where a satellite uses diamond-charged lasers to destroy targets on Earth.
As this film took such a sharp turn away from the usual James Bond formula, I won’t offer too many comments about the storyline or the style of the direction and editing. I think the more interesting aspects of ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ are the quirky characters and bizarre scenes that took place within this movie, so I will focus on some of these instead.
Let’s start with the casting of Charles Gray as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, whose campy portrayal of the super-villain is very different to what we saw from Telly Savalas and Donald Pleasence. This same actor had appeared in ‘You Only Live Twice’ as Bond’s contact in Tokyo, which makes him an odd choice to play the main bad guy here.
Gray is perhaps best known for ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ – particularly the ‘The Time Warp’ song – where he delivers the famous line “It’s just a jump to the left.”
Gray turns out to be pretty good as Blofeld, as he projects considerable menace behind the appearance of a well-spoken British aristocrat. He delivers some cracking lines and in one scene is dressed up in drag (see photo above), making him the most ‘likeable’ incarnation of the SPECTRE boss we have seen.
Moving on, it is now time to discuss Mr Wint and Mr Kidd – two of the most memorable henchmen ever seen in a Bond movie.
From walking hand-in-hand, to finishing each other’s sentences; what was going on between these two was evident after their opening scene in the film. This never-seen-before dynamic for a Bond movie added more layers to the bizarre treat that is ‘Diamonds Are Forever’.
But make no mistake, this pair were ruthless killers and built up quite a body count throughout the movie. As far as the plot was concerned, Wint and Kidd were tasked with eliminating anyone who came in contact with the diamonds, and they did so via a number of effective measures – from scorpions to explosions.
Mr Wint, seen in the photo above, was played by Bruce Glover who sadly passed away only a few weeks ago in March this year. He is the father of actor Crispin Glover.
Mr Kidd was played by jazz musician Putter Smith, and was cast in the role after director Guy Hamilton saw him performing on stage.
The list of memorable characters in this movie does not end there, for who could forget the weird fight scene between Bond and the fearsome duo of Bambi and Thumper?
Just when you thought this film could not go any further off the rails, they come up with something like this. While this scene was completely bonkers, it added a ton more fun to what was already an enjoyable spectacle.
By this point, any idea that this was a run-of-the-mill 007 flick had long gone out the window.
Then there is the moon buggy chase scene. Yes, you read that correctly.
What happens here is Bond interupts a lunar landing simulation and steals the astronauts’ buggy, after which he is pursued through the Nevada desert by goons in cars and three-wheeler bikes.
We also have the mobsters working for Morton Slumber, the Las Vegas funeral director and part of the diamond smuggling operation. These are really cool characters, and I should point out that the thug in the back seat (see photo below) is played by horror movie legend Sid Haig.
The main gangster, played by Marc Lawrence, is credited as ‘Slumber Inc Attendant’ in this film. However, he would appear three years later dressed in similar attire in the opening scene of ‘The Man With The Golden Gun’ – but this time the character was named as ‘Rodney’.
Is it the same antagonist in the Bond universe, or is this a case of casting the same actor to play the same type of role in two separate movies?
Then there is the infamous gorilla scene.
This is a great trick, provided it is taken with a grain of salt as the lightweight carnival act that it is supposed to be. However, in this day and age the idea of a black woman transforming into a primate – regardless of the context – would scare the wits out of any major movie studio.
And last but not least, I have to mention the Bond girls, especially Jill St John who starred as Tiffany Case. This character is quite a departure from 007’s previous love interests, and delivers some outrageous lines in this film, perhaps none more so than “Blow up your pants!” – which was directed toward a pesky kid at the Circus Circus casino.
Interestingly, both actresses who starred in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ – Jill St John and Lana Wood (who played Plenty O’Toole) – share an off-screen connection to the actor Robert Wagner. Lana Wood is the younger sister of Natalie Wood, who was famously married to Wagner until her drowning death in 1981. St John tied the knot with Robert Wagner in 1990 and they are still together today.
Moving on, I also have to mention some of the oversized and futuristic sets featured in this film. I felt a bit of a Stanley Kubrick vibe whilst appreciating these aesthetics, and I now have to wonder if the simulated moon landing scene in this movie was perhaps a nod to the master director.
‘Diamonds Are Forever’ is somewhat of an anomaly in the James Bond series, as the original playbook was well and truly discarded, forever changing the way these films would be made. Part of this would have been the producers wanting to quickly move on from George Lazenby, doing so by re-hiring Connery and throwing caution to the wind when it came to the writing and casting of this movie.
It was a huge risk at the time, but one could argue that this dramatic change in direction worked as James Bond films went from strength-to-strength throughout the seventies and eighties, and are just as popular at the box office today.
‘Diamonds Are Forever’ was not the movie I remembered from my previous viewing back in the early nineteen-nineties. I have to say that all these years later it was far more enjoyable and entertaining than I expected it to be, possibly as a result of experiencing it with an older and more appreciative mindset.
However, I still found a few issues, with some of the characters becoming a bit of a blur, due to so many things happening at once. For instance, the motivations of the part-time comedian Shady Tree and the delightful Plenty O’Toole were not entirely clear to me, and I got a little muddled with the fast pacing of this film. However, these are tiny gripes and I probably missed a few key plot points as I was laughing too hard.
Perhaps the most obvious flaws in this film come via some fairly ordinary dubbing, and this is most evident in the pre-credits sequence. Connery’s voice sounds too loud and out of place, and in one scene has been possibly sped up. Then there is the Japanese guy who manages to tell Bond that he needs to go to Cairo, despite being choked and having his mouth wide open at the time.
Some of the special effects are a bit slack as well; mainly the explosions that were added in post production. I don’t recall these types of shots being as noticeable in previous Bond films, but it didn’t detract from my overall enjoyment of the movie.
‘Diamonds Are Forever’ was one of the most entertaining flicks I have seen in a while. To be fair, I went into this with very low expectations – which might have swayed my opinion slightly – but nevertheless I found this to be an excellent entry into the Bond series.
This film is very self-aware; from the odd characters and loose dialogue, through to the strange locations and crazy action sequences. Avoiding the usual 007 settings such as the Bahamas, or a classic European city – not counting Amsterdam – also works an absolute treat.
When Bond does visit the gaming floor of a casino, instead of playing Baccarat he tries his luck on the Craps table. In fact, there is very little class and style in this movie that you would normally associate with James Bond, with everything from the fight scenes to the car chases being bigger and louder than what we are used to seeing.
The historical significance of ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ should not be understated either, for this entry moved so far away from a winning formula – at great risk I might add – and ended up serving as a ‘reboot’ that paved the way for Roger Moore and a more lighthearted and action-comedic take on the dashing secret agent.
The best advice I could give anyone wanting to revisit this film is to take it on face value, and enjoy it for the outrageous caper that it is. If you try and compare it to any of the previous films in the series and hope for something similar, you will be disappointed – as I was back in my younger years.
I’m going to rate ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ purely on how much I enjoyed the film, and not take into consideration the essential ingredients needed for a James Bond feature, as everything is turned on its head here.
With that being said, I give this movie a score of 8 out of 10 – with an extra half a point added for the hovercraft!
All posters and screenshots courtesy of Eon Productions and United Artists.
Robert Wagner and Jill St John photograph is courtesy of Getty Images (2014)
Image from ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’ is courtesy of 20th Century Fox.
Directed by Ryan Coogler and starring Michael B Jordan and Sylvester Stallone, ‘Creed’ easily makes my list of the top five movies released over the past decade.
The film revolves around Adonis Johnson – the illegitimate son of Apollo Creed – who decides to follow his dream to become a professional boxer. His journey takes him from Los Angeles to Philadelphia, where he seeks out his father’s best friend Rocky Balboa to guide him.
I won’t go into great detail about the story, because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has not yet seen this film. However, what I can reveal is that this movie is a masterpiece and Coogler is a director at the top of his game. How ‘Creed’ was not nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars is beyond me, and how Sylvester Stallone did not win the Academy Award for his performance as an elderly Rocky Balboa is even more baffling.
Supporting Stallone and Jordan is a solid cast, with Tessa Thompson as Adonis’ love interest Bianca, Phylicia Rashad as Mary-Anne Creed, and Graham McTavish as Tommy Holiday – trainer/manager of the film’s antagonist Ricky Conlan.
There are a couple of real-life boxers appearing in the film, most notably British fighter Tony Bellew who does a great job playing the nasty and arrogant world title holder ‘Pretty’ Ricky Conlan. Former super-middleweight world champion Andre Ward also appears in a smaller role as Danny ‘Stuntman’ Wheeler.
The fight scenes in this movie are incredible, especially the Creed v Sporino bout that takes place in the middle of the film. What is amazing about this sequence is that it is filmed in one continuous shot – or at least appears to be – and the way the audio switches about depending on where the boxers are standing is pure genius.
It wouldn’t be a Rocky movie without a training montage, and this one is pretty good: – gritty, emotional, and powerful. Bill Conti’s famous ‘Gonna Fly Now’ theme is infused into the musical crescendo as the action transforms into an awe-inspiring slow motion sequence that tugs at the heartstrings. Truly incredible and must be seen to be believed.
Here’s some trivia about ‘Creed’ that you may not know: – Sylvester Stallone made a surprise appearance on the big screen at Goodison Park during the halftime break of an Everton game and asked the crowd to chant and cheer while a film crew recorded them. These sounds were later incorporated into the final act of the movie; during the intense ring walks and also throughout the Conlan v Creed title fight.
One does not have to be a boxing fan – nor someone who enjoyed the Rocky series back in the day – to really appreciate this movie. It is brilliantly written, masterfully directed, and the performances from the entire cast are powerful and convincing.
Almost a decade on, this movie has lost none of its original punch and has actually aged quite well. ‘Creed’ has since spawned two sequels that are quite appealing in themselves, but neither live up to the raw power and emotion of the first film.
It’s a perfect five out of five from me!
If you are still not convinced, below is a link to the training montage I mentioned earlier, courtesy of the Crucifixus YouTube channel. Although it works better when watching the film in its entirety, it remains quite powerful as a standalone scene.
My latest James Bond review takes me back to 1981, and to revisit a film that I had not seen in years – around thirty years in fact. I will be honest, ‘For Your Eyes Only’ was a movie that I could never get into when I was younger, so it will be interesting to see if I still think it’s crap, or if it manages to rise dramatically up the ranks.
‘For Your Eyes Only’ followed on from 1979’s far-fetched ‘Moonraker’, and promised a return to a more classic, grounded Bond adventure. Instead of space shuttles and laser guns, we now have a plot involving lost military equipment, with Greek smugglers and the good old KGB thrown into the mix.
I think what initially put me off this film was the age of Roger Moore, who was really starting to wrinkle up. He was becoming less-believable as the suave secret agent – and what was more ridiculous were all the women half his age falling all over him. Moore was getting by purely on charisma and charm at this stage – as well as huge box office takings – and would actually go on to make two more Bond films after this.
If you compare the screenshots above – taken four years apart – one could argue that Moore was already showing his age in 1977’s ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’. He was around fifty then, which meant that he was aged fifty-three during the filming of ‘For Your Eyes Only’.
My other criticism of this movie would be the musical score, which was arranged by the legendary Bill Conti. The disco beats are so out of place at times, and they even ‘funk up’ the Bond theme itself, which I think dates the film instantly. Conti’s score is very similar to some of his work in ‘Rocky III’ – particularly the training scenes – and it doesn’t work in a Bond movie.
However, the theme song by Sheena Easton is a different story altogether. This would have to be one of the best Bond tunes of all time, and so popular was Easton during the early 1980’s that she actually appears in the opening sequence – the only singer ever to do so.
‘For Your Eyes Only’ was directed by John Glen – in his feature film debut – and would be the first of five consecutive Bond movies where he was at the helm. The screenplay was written by Bond stalwarts Richard Maibaum and Michael G Wilson, with Albert R Broccoli producing.
The film starts with an opening sequence featuring some impressive helicopter stunt-work and the implied return of an old Bond villain, although his name is never mentioned. As great as this scene is, I still can’t get my head around the ‘delicatessen in stainless steel’ line. I can only assume it was intended to be a joke, for I have no idea what it means.
The locations in this film are superb, and the story moves between Spain, Cortina in Italy, and then onto the Greek Isles before the exciting finale at a mountain top monastery. Each setting features some incredible action sequences, with car chases, ski pursuits, underwater fights and insane rock-climbing all brilliantly brought to the big screen.
The cast supporting Roger Moore is solid. Carole Bouquet plays Melina Havelock, the love-interest who knows how to handle a crossbow. Topol and Julian Glover star as rival Greek smugglers Columbo and Kristatos respectively.
What gives this film added depth are the handful of secondary villains – or henchmen – who are quite ruthless and nasty, so a lot of credit must go to these actors, one of whom was Charles Dance in one of his earliest roles. In fact, the performances of Dance, John Wyman and Michael Gothard are simply superb, even though their characters have little to no dialogue.
This film would also serve as a changing-of-the-guard for the character of ‘M’, with Bernard Lee – who had been in the role since ‘Dr No’ – passing away in 1981. For this movie, the boss of MI6 was Chief-of-Staff Bill Tanner (James Villiers), and ‘M’ would be reintroduced in the following movie ‘Octopussy’, where he was played by Robert Brown.
Moving onto the structure of the movie itself, the pacing and plot of this feature are brilliantly executed, and the direction of Glen – as well as the editing – brings everything together neatly. It must be said that there is a ton of action in this film – with chases and fights coming at almost every turn. The stunts on show here are second-to-none, with no CGI back in those days, so what you are seeing is real – except for the green-screen action close-ups of Roger Moore.
Of particular note are the underwater scenes, for they were outstanding and pretty much had everything – from submarines, to shipwrecks, to submerged temples and man-eating sharks. There was some incredible cinematography here, even by today’s standards.
It wouldn’t be a Bond movie without a few laughs thrown in, or at least attempted-laughs as is the case here. I felt that the gags were a little off in this film – or perhaps they are just dated – from odd lines such as the delicatessen remark to overacted and goofy near-misses.
The one moment that I found genuinely funny is when Bibi – a teenage ice-skater with a crush on James Bond – sneaks into his hotel room and throws herself at him. Of course, nothing happens but Bond’s throwaway line about ‘buying her an ice cream’ is priceless!
At the other end of the scale, the Margaret Thatcher spoof is ridiculous, although it probably got a few laughs back in the day. Let’s just say this scene hasn’t aged well.
But despite the hit-and-miss humour, ‘For Your Eyes Only’ gets top marks for its explosive sequences, stunning locations, exceptional villains and brilliant direction and cinematography. However, the bizarre-at-times disco/funk score, combined with a lead actor that was too old for the role, does take a little shine off what is otherwise an excellent movie.
Don’t get me wrong, I really like Roger Moore as Bond. However, there is no denying that he was showing his age in this movie.
So, after watching ‘For Your Eyes Only’ again for the first time in more than thirty years, my opinion of this film has risen considerably. It is nowhere near my favourite Bond outing, but it no longer resides in the same sphere as ‘Die Another Day’ or ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ – or dare I say it – ‘No Time To Die’.
This movie had thrills and high-octane stunts aplenty, and was able to seamlessly move from one location to the next without skipping a beat. Roger Moore is a top leading man, although I stand by my comments about his age, and the supporting cast deliver great performances in this film. The underwater scenes are amazing, the bad guys will get under your skin, and if you love disco music then you will enjoy the soundtrack as well.
I don’t like disco so much, but ‘For Your Eyes Only’ gets a solid 7.5 out of 10 from me.
An out-of-shape middle-aged leading man takes on sword-wielding Satanic priests, demons, gun-toting villains and more in this 1991 horror/action thriller!
Written, directed by and starring Steve Barkett (who sadly passed away in 2023), this feature has all the hallmarks of a vanity project – re Neil Breen or John De Hart – but turns out to be a pretty solid flick. One simply needs to see beyond the flaws of this ambitious low-budget film to be able to enjoy the spectacle that it truly is.
Barkett stars as Richard Flynn, who while working as a cop, enters through a portal into Hell to rescue his ex-girlfriend’s baby son before he is sacrificed by devil worshippers. The film then skips twenty years to when Flynn is now a private eye, and is forced to battle the evil acolytes of Satan once again!
Barkett clearly considers himself to be an action man, and his screenplay and direction suggests as much, as he is constantly killing bad guys and romancing women way out of his league. However, he delivers a lot of tongue-in-cheek comments and one-liners, hinting that he is aware of his physical shortcomings, and decides to run with it anyway. What this does is bring a lot of charm and character to the film, and you end up really liking the guy and cheering him on.
The soundtrack to this movie – from composer John Morgan – is quite good, from the opening theme to the catchy incidental music featured throughout the film. I have watched bigger – and supposedly better – productions whose musical scores were nowhere near as memorable as this effort.
The special effects were decent in places, especially the modelling of the hellish caves and wooden bridges and platforms within the underground labyrinth. However, the stop-start animation that brought the main demon to life was a bit ‘how ya going’, as we say in Australia. Perhaps ‘questionable’ might be a more widely-recognised term, but you can appreciate what the film-makers were trying to do.
As far as action goes, ‘Empire of the Dark’ delivers the goods. There is an endless supply of hooded evil disciples trying to kill our hero, who fights them all off with either a gun or a sword, while less-than-gracefully executing moves that are awkward and sluggish yet somehow appear on screen as poetry in slow-motion. It’s comedy through and through, and Steve Barkett is right on point here; really hamming things up and breaking the fourth wall on at least one occasion.
‘Empire of the Dark’ has a 4.8 rating out of 10 at IMDB, and I think this is just about right. This is not a great movie, especially with the poor acting and ridiculous plot, but nor is it a complete dud. This film is watchable and quite entertaining, and as mentioned earlier it has a certain charm – or affability – that gets it across the line.
It’s a solid 3 out of 5 from me. Yes, it’s a ‘bad’ movie but it’s one you can laugh along with. I also think it’s a shame we didn’t see Steve Barkett in more mainstream movies over the years.
There was an episode of ‘So Bad It’s Good’ on YouTube a few years back, where they reviewed this movie and seemingly enjoyed it as well. It’s worth watching, so I’ve added the link below.
But if you are feeling a little more adventurous, the entire film is also available on YouTube. I’m not sure if the link will work due to age restrictions, but it is provided below – courtesy of Jacohsc Films YouTube Channel.
Screenshots courtesy of the Nautilus Film Company.
Following Roger Moore’s final appearance as James Bond in 1985’s ‘A View To A Kill’, the search was on to find the next actor to play agent 007. After an extensive auditioning process, Eon Productions decided on Pierce Brosnan, but he was unable to take the role due to a contractual situation with the television show ‘Remington Steele’ and NBC.
With the producers back to square one, they turned to Timothy Dalton; an actor who had been on their radar since the 1970’s. Eventually they would get their man, and a new incarnation of James Bond was ready to grace our screens.
The promotional material for ‘The Living Daylights’ suggested that the Bond franchise was heading into darker territory, moving away from the lighter tones of the Roger Moore era. I particularly like the phrase “The most dangerous Bond. Ever.” and Dalton’s expression on the poster was certainly encouraging for Bond fans hoping for a more serious turn.
‘The Living Daylights’ starts off with an explosive chase scene in Gibraltar, confirming Dalton’s standing as a great action man and proving that he was up to the task. It was an impressive sequence that set the plot of the movie up nicely, whilst keeping a fast pace and delivering plenty of thrills.
The film’s story revolves around the defection of KGB superior Giorgi Koskov, who makes contact with British Intelligence and personally requests James Bond to oversee his extraction from Bratislava to London.
It all sounds like a lifetime ago, when the Iron Curtain and Eastern Bloc countries were still around (in that form), but this part of the movie is quite entertaining – as well as nostalgic – and the method used to help Koskov escape to the West is most ingenious.
Of course, things never go so easily in the world of espionage, and before the British have a chance to find out everything Koskov knows, he is snatched back by a KGB agent posing as a milkman – and armed with explosive milk bottles!
At this point we are thirty-five minutes in, and so far so good. However, from here onward the pace of the film does slow a little, but the steely performance of Dalton and well-executed action scenes are more than enough to propel things along.
From Czechoslovakia to Vienna and then onto Afghanistan (and also Tangier) for the third and final act, the movie progresses neatly within an ideal running time of just over two hours.
Timothy Dalton is supported by a decent cast in this film with Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbe as Koskov, John Rhys-Davies as General Pushkin, Joe Don Baker as arms dealer Brad Whittaker and Maryam D’Abo as Kara Milovy.
The movie’s soundtrack is also impressive, and would be the final Bond film for composer John Barry. The main theme by Norwegian band a-ha has a great eighties beat, and there are two songs performed by The Pretenders – one of which is the haunting and moody ‘If There Was A Man’, that is played during the end credits.
‘The Living Daylights’ opened to reasonable reviews in June 1987, and did very well at the box office – earning $190 million from a $40 million budget – and easily eclipsing the takings from the previous Bond film ‘A View to a Kill’ released two years earlier.
I always found this to be a gritty and mature entry into the Bond series, but the seriousness of Dalton’s performance did take a little adjusting to – especially after more than a decade of Roger Moore’s humour and tongue-in-cheek antics.
My only criticism of the film is that the plot does become a little complex and the main villains come across as lightweight, even comical at times. That being said, the plans of these bad guys are a lot more grounded and realistic compared to previous Bond foes who usually wanted to take over the entire world.
This is one of my favourite Bond films, and I have grown to appreciate it even more over the years. I think what has helped raise this movie’s wider appeal – as well as cast Dalton’s portrayal of Bond in a new light – would be the success of Daniel Craig and his similar approach to the role in recent years.
Dalton would play James Bond one more time – in 1989’s ‘Licence To Kill’ – and I will share my thoughts on that film at a later date.
A link to the theatrical trailer for ‘The Living Daylights’ is below, courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers YouTube Channel.
Screenshots and photos courtesy of United Artists and Eon Productions.
I will put this out there right away; this film was panned by critics and seriously bombed at the box office when it was released in 1998.
Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson (Mortal Kombat, Event Horizon, Resident Evil), the movie is based around the genetically modified – but ageing – futuristic soldier Sgt Todd 3465 (played by Russell) who is literally dumped like unwanted garbage onto a distant planet inhabited by scavengers and refugees.
I thought the film was okay when I first watched it around twenty-five years ago. The cast was pretty good – with Gary Busey and Jason Isaacs starring alongside Russell – and the special effects and battle scenes were more-than-passable.
Kurt Russell was in amazing shape for this film, as the requirements of his character dictated. Over his career, he would have been in decent condition for some of his roles – Snake Plissken in ‘Escape From New York’ springs to mind – but his physique in this movie is on another level. Check out the screenshots below.
But perhaps what is most intriguing about ‘Soldier’ are the references to ‘Blade Runner’, posing the question: – Are these two films set in the same cinematic universe?
I know this discussion is old hat for science-fiction aficionados, but I shall continue to present some evidence for those unaware of the possible connection.
The first thing I will point out is that David Peoples – the writer of ‘Soldier’ – also co-wrote the screenplay for ‘Blade Runner’. With that in mind, let’s move on to the film itself and see where the crossovers take place.
If you follow the arrows in the above capture you will note ‘Nexus’, ‘Tannhauser Gate’ and ‘Shoulder of Orion’ – and for most sci-fi fans, there is no explanation required here.
But for those unaware; the term ‘Nexus’ is used in ‘Blade Runner’ to categorise a series of replicants and the two places named are mentioned in Roy Batty’s famous monologue at the end of the film – which is one of the greatest passages in cinema history.
In this screenshot, you can see what looks like a ‘spinner’ from ‘Blade Runner’ among the rest of the garbage on the planet Arcadia 234.
There is also a conversation that takes place between the two settlers Mace and Sandra (played by Sean Pertwee and Connie Nielsen) who shelter Sgt Todd in their home. Once again, ‘Tannhauser Gate’ is mentioned.
However, if you once again look at Todd’s military record and focus on where the arrow is, you will see four references to characters Kurt Russell has played in other movies. In my opinion, this comedic touch all but removes any seriousness with the connections to ‘Blade Runner’.
For the record, and for those who aren’t movie buffs, I will explain exactly where these tongue-in-cheek commendation names originated from: – Russell played Gabriel Cash in ‘Tango and Cash’, Snake Plissken in ‘Escape from New York’ and ‘Escape from LA’, Jack O’Neil in ‘Stargate’, and R. J MacReady in ‘The Thing’ (but spelled incorrectly in the screenshot).
In one last piece of trivia regarding ‘Soldier’ – Kurt Russell’s son Wyatt played the twelve-year-old version of Todd 3465 in the movie.
My understanding is that ‘Soldier’ has become a little more appreciated over the years, which is good to know as it is a fairly solid sci-fi flick – and definitely worth watching.
It’s good value just for Kurt Russell alone, but looking back I have to say that this movie has more of a ‘Pitch Black’ or ‘Riddick’ vibe to it – and not so much ‘Blade Runner’.
As far as the action sequences are concerned, the combat scenes, firefights and explosions are right up there – a lot better than what we see today and less reliant on CGI effects.
I would have given this film a solid pass mark when it first came out, but now I’ve upped the score to a 3.5 out of 5.
See the official trailer below, courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers YouTube Channel.
Screenshots and photos courtesy of Morgan Creek Productions and People.com
Sean Carslake 