tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post1276291912361564867..comments2024-03-03T10:32:45.969-08:00Comments on Mr. Peel's Sardine Liqueur: Unless One Can Set Up The TargetMr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-51212770967321151342012-11-05T09:08:44.052-08:002012-11-05T09:08:44.052-08:00Your OHMSS piece seems to capture perfectly all of...Your OHMSS piece seems to capture perfectly all of my feelings as well. I was lucky enough to see the movie at the Odeon, Leicester Square, London shortly after its premier and its massive impact has stayed with me ever since. For those of you who ask about its reception at the time – fear not. Audiences loved it and it was (despite the subsequent EON propaganda machinery) very successful. It was much talked-about at school just as Skyfall is now with my kids.<br />Yes, the cinematography, yes the score, yes the action, but what makes this film so brilliant is its combination of phenomenal style coupled with a gritty realism. Playing on all of the fantasy created by previous Bond films, it gave us all a Martini commercial that for two and a half hours we believed we could actually inhabit. Other Bond movies were spectacular but sufficiently unreal that we had to watch from a remote viewpoint. For the first time, this one seemed to allow us to enter and observe right next to the principal players. The ravishing surrealism of Piz Gloria is the film’s real unsung star – surely one of the best locations ever to appear in any film. It’s a place I have been lucky enough to visit, and skied down from. It’s a real place, not a set and the film tells you this time and again (the rising balustrade next to the helicopter pad and the revolving dining area are thrown away as mere background detail – but how delicious!). In the same way, the film offers us a fantasy that feels completely real. That was Peter Hunt’s true genius. Totally immersive escapism. Maybe they’ll start to teach the technique at film schools.Chris at Tamsquite UKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-32814020273254961162012-01-06T13:22:31.933-08:002012-01-06T13:22:31.933-08:00Wow..an article about this film that matches so we...Wow..an article about this film that matches so well with my own feelings. I was lucky enough to have seen it when it opened and it just happened to be on a snow covered - cold as hell type of day that was so well shown in the film. It really set the mood for what I was about to discover. Finally, after the tongue-in-cheek of Goldfinger, the sheer scale of Thunderball and YOLT that used Bond as an action figure, here was a film that reminded me of how good the Bond films could be if they stuck close to the novels. From Russia With Love is another example of this. Though they tried to keep some of the films series "Bond is a playboy who kills" image, it was nice that they kept it to a minimum and showed him as a human being. I credit Lazenby's performance as much as the writer's and director. I always thought his inexperience at acting was probably what made the role more real and refreshing. I really wish he could have done several more films. I was also another teen that had a crush on Rigg since the Avengers. How can one top a woman who not only is so classically beautiful, but who has guts, athletic skills and can turn out such incredible performances? I was smitten then and I always will be. OHMSS will always be one of my favorite Christmas presents that I enjoy re-unwrapping every year at yuletide, making me yearn for the skiing I did in my youth (not to mention my youth!)and allowing me to once again look upon the beauty of Rigg's face that was only matched by the majesty of the alps. Barry's impeccable score will always be my favorite. I always treasured listening to it on my portable tape recorder when I travelled to Piz Gloria during Christmas back in the 70's. If only the weather had been good! It clouded up during my ascent and at the top it was so fogged in and grey you could not see down the mountain past the bottom of the building - let alone the peaks of the rest of the alps. It was almost a milky, claustrophobic experience. I plan on going back someday, and it WILL BE on a crystal clear, brilliant day, I swear!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-20440551924584424492011-08-08T15:36:07.539-07:002011-08-08T15:36:07.539-07:00Ned--
Thank you so much for that. It means a grea...Ned--<br /><br />Thank you so much for that. It means a great deal. And even if you hadn't ever seen it until recently, well, you've seen it now. And it sounds like you'll be seeing it again. All the best.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-9157072865660551372011-08-04T09:34:54.510-07:002011-08-04T09:34:54.510-07:00Beautiful piece, Peel. My pal Brian who is the bi...Beautiful piece, Peel. My pal Brian who is the biggest Bond fan I know considers this the Bond film without peer. Not having seen all the Bond films growing up, I didn't see this, I'm ashamed to say, until quite recently. I wish I could have been there to see Lazenby speak and I only hope that MGM's fiscal situation is resolved adequately enough so that we can get the damn Blu-ray already! I'm quite fan of the obvious Connery choices and even several of the Moore entries, but none reach the emotional heights and pathos of the one and only Hunt and Lazenby contribution to the series. I look forward to revisiting again and, yes, I, too, would love to visit that fateful stretch of road immortalized in the final, shattering scene.Ned Merrillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15436251586131278302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-82881477050497358312011-07-31T14:16:54.192-07:002011-07-31T14:16:54.192-07:00SteveW--
Well said, particularly your observation...SteveW--<br /><br />Well said, particularly your observations about Peter Hunt and you're absolutely right about the later films! Thank you very much!Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-44777138749438040602011-07-28T17:34:25.464-07:002011-07-28T17:34:25.464-07:00My favorite Bond as well. Rigg is fantastic of cou...My favorite Bond as well. Rigg is fantastic of course, as are Ilse Steppat and Gabriele Ferzetti in supporting roles, but most of the credit for this one I think goes to Hunt. This strikes me as easily the best paced, best directed Bond film. Other Bonds--even FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and GOLDFINGER--have their draggy sections where you feel the movie is killing time till the next action set piece. Not so here. The original Fleming plot is very strong, and Hunt directs it fluidly, so that when the action scenes come, they're not only beautifully shot and edited but they seem to flow organically from the story. Lazenby isn't great, but he does bring a human quality to Bond that was lacking in, say , Moore or Brosnan's overly suave characterizations. Lazenby aside, though, I can watch this one over and over again just for Hunt's stylish direction. Pity he never got another chance with the series. You can feel his absence (even as editor) in the cruder, sloppier Bond films that followed.SteveWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-75379285528443223762011-07-25T14:27:11.182-07:002011-07-25T14:27:11.182-07:00Jonee--
Thank you very much, I'm glad you lik...Jonee--<br /><br />Thank you very much, I'm glad you liked it. Always good to hear from another OHMSS fan! As you said, it really does have it all!Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-40015673077343849702011-07-22T14:01:44.427-07:002011-07-22T14:01:44.427-07:00Very nicely put, Mr. Peel. This has always been my...Very nicely put, Mr. Peel. This has always been my favorite Bond film because I feel like it has it all. Terrific action sequences, a bevy of beautiful women, the best Blofeld, and a great love story. Lazenby is the most human 007. He's vulnerable, sensitive; at one point even desperate. That moment at the skating rink when he's rescued by Tracy may be the most touching scene in any Bond film outside the end of this one. Incredibly underrated movie. It's nice to hear it was so well received at the Egyptian. I've seen it on the big screen a couple times, but I'm sorry I missed that screening.Joneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11393404761584104092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-17055036745520547152011-07-21T08:18:19.344-07:002011-07-21T08:18:19.344-07:00Bob--
I'd listen to it anywhere!
Mrs. Peel--...Bob--<br /><br />I'd listen to it anywhere!<br /><br />Mrs. Peel--<br /><br />Thank you so much for saying that, I can't tell you what it means. And have a wonderful time in Portugal, you'll be in my thoughts!Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-25284728830235733562011-07-20T19:46:18.202-07:002011-07-20T19:46:18.202-07:00Your passion for this film is absolutely inspiring...Your passion for this film is absolutely inspiring. I am not ashamed to say that on top of all the lovely nuances of Diana Rigg's performance, which I appreciate, I LOVE her clothes. Every outfit is simply stunning.<br /><br />I happen to be going to Portugal this Friday, and I will keep this film in my heart in honor of Diana's birthday.Mapeelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12149683683413237283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-43552047501582988962011-07-20T12:53:18.552-07:002011-07-20T12:53:18.552-07:00The soundtrack for "OHMSS" is the absolu...The soundtrack for "OHMSS" is the absolute best for navigating the streets of L.A.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00274916206944493165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-83581711141518969922011-07-19T14:14:08.754-07:002011-07-19T14:14:08.754-07:00Fred--
I envy anyone who gets to visit that spot ...Fred--<br /><br />I envy anyone who gets to visit that spot and can't help but hope that maybe I'll get to do it myself some day. Thanks for sharing that.Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-36645337333108352982011-07-15T18:13:25.187-07:002011-07-15T18:13:25.187-07:00OHMSS may or may not be my favorite Bond, but it w...OHMSS may or may not be my favorite Bond, but it was my first. My Dad took my brothers and the 5 year old me to see it in '69 at the long since shuttered Freeport Theater (where I also saw House of Dark Shadows, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Walkabout and Bednobs & Broomsticks during their first runs). I think the film captured the love story perfectly and it was one of the first Bonds where the "Bond girl" wasn't just someone pretty to drape on Connery's arm. I remember when this came out on video in the 90s and I immediately grabbed a copy to share with my Dad and brothers (and their wives). It's leisurly pacing seemed to turn-off my sisters-in-law, and even my brothers walked out after awhile (although my brother the train nut stayed for his favorite scene when one of the skiers pursuing Bond and Tracy falls into a snowblower being pushed by a train).<br /><br />By the way, in the Summer of 1989, durig a trip to Switzerland, I spent the night at the hotel which served as the setting for Blofeld's hideout in Piz Gloria (it was a happy accident since I was on a bus tour of Europe and this happened to be the hotel on the itinerary). It was very cool staying on top of an Alp, and I got the most amazing sunrise picture the next morning. You should definitely seek this out on a trip to Europe.Fredhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05768886260813823765noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-20616394844936705012011-07-15T11:04:30.771-07:002011-07-15T11:04:30.771-07:00le0pard13--
Thank you so much for your comments, ...le0pard13--<br /><br />Thank you so much for your comments, it's good to hear from another fan. Your one issue didn't occur to me although I did wonder why Draco's men would be trying to kill Bond in the opening scene and what purpose that would serve--I think some of this section may have been rearranged slightly from how it was in the book but it still isn't airtight. I guess I've stopped worrying about it. <br /><br />Baskingshark--<br /><br />Another fan of Diana Rigg and Tracy, good to know. I always liked the occasional mention the series would make of Tracy. Since I like CASINO ROYALE '06 a great deal I don't know if what you mentioned bothers me all that much but I understand. Eva Green may not be Diana Rigg, but I had no real complaints. Thanks for commenting!Mr. Peel aka Peter Avellinohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10553482286909862975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-39277062608885959442011-07-13T11:04:19.398-07:002011-07-13T11:04:19.398-07:00You truly hit the nail on the head with regards to...You truly hit the nail on the head with regards to Diana as Tracy. Both she and the character are incomparable. My personal favourite line is "Tell Mr. Bond what he wants to know. (beat) Tell him, Papa, or you will never see me again." Becuase you KNOW she means it! <br /><br />Actually one of the things that irked me about Casino Royale is that in a way, rebooting robs the modern Bond series of Tracy, however ridiculous it is that she died in 1969 and Bond is still the same age as when he married her. Eva Green's Vesper Lynd is nowhere near as compelling as Rigg's Tracy. <br /><br />Nice to see a shoutout to the late Angela Scoular too - she is great in the film (and in others) and was always far too under-rated.Baskingsharkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04291271082726171915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2118574901486983093.post-67163364524482648702011-07-13T10:06:48.227-07:002011-07-13T10:06:48.227-07:00I think you've written the finest and meaningf...I think you've written the finest and meaningful write-up for this particular Bond film I've read, Mr. Peel. While Lazenby is not my favorite in the James Bond role, the man did have a pretty impossible task of following Sean Connery, I have to give it to him for what he pulled off (even in later interviews, George is pretty self-effacing and honest about his mistakes in the production). Still, this is my absolute favorite <i>story</i> of the entire series, and it has one of my all-time favorite Bond girls in Diana Rigg. I prefer FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and GOLDFINGER and think they're better <i>films</i> overall, but over the years since, OHMSS has steadily risen to the third slot. This is surprising to me from my initial reaction to the film. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the film. Thanks for this.<br /><br />p.s., the one thing that's always bugged me about this movie is the fact, that Blofeld doesn't immediately attempt to kill Bond after he initially meets him. I mean, the character (Donald Pleasence in the role) in YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE unmasked Bond -- "<i>You only live twice, Mr. Bond.</i>" -- and tried to shoot him, for chrissakes. Could be just me, but I didn't think Bond's disguise that altering. Oh, well.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.com