They don’t make cast-packed comedies like The Cannonball Run anymore. That doesn’t mean it’s all good, but it is damned enjoyable. Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds were coming off Smokey and the Bandit and Hooper, and this road movie was a fun next step. Originally designed as an action film for Steve McQueen, when the…
Tag: roger moore
The Wild Geese (1978) – Andrew V. McLaglen
The Wild Geese has a horrible title song, but then as I watched the credits I saw that it had production design by Syd Cain, and its opening title sequence was done by Maurice Binder. It also has a very impressive leading cast, Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore. Not bad. And while the…
The Saint (1997) – Phillip Noyce
Val Kilmer absolutely owns the role of Simon Templar in this big-screen adaptation of the classic novels and 60s television show. And while the film isn’t as strong as it could have been, Kilmer is nicely on point, and shares some wonderful chemistry with his co-star, Elizabeth Shue. Simon is a high-profile thief that can…
Live at Five (1999) – Raymond Benson
007 is back. Raymond Benson wrote a short story, just in time for the premiere of The World is Not Enough. It was published in TV Guide and gives a brief glimpse of a Cold War defection that James Bond was involved in. Set in the United States following a botched attempt in London, Bond…
James Bond and Moonraker (1979) – Christopher Wood
Christopher Wood brings us the novelisation of his screenplay for 007’s adventure in Moonraker, here titles James Bond and Moonraker so as not to be confused with the original Ian Fleming tale. Once again, Wood makes efforts to find a happy balance between the literary version of the spy and his silver screen incarnation. And…
Never Say Never Again (1983) – Irvin Kershner
Sean Connery returns to his iconic role of James Bond, in this non-canon film that is basically a beat for beat remake of the classic 007 film, Thunderball. And there’s a reason for that. Going head to head with Roger Moore’s Bond outing of Octopussy, Warner Brothers had the rights to make a 007 film…
The Living Daylights (1987) – John Glen
It’s time for another Bond film to join the 007 on the book shelf. And we come to one of my favourites, and the first one I ever saw in the theatre. Until this one came along, I had worked my way through the James Bond films in no semblance of order, as I was…
A View To A Kill (1985) – John Glen
Since there was a James Bond novel on the book shelf this week, it means I get to revisit a Bond cinematic adventure that I haven’t previously covered for the blog, and that brings me to 1985’s A View To A Kill. This is a bit of a mixed bag for me, and will always…
Octopussy (1983) – John Glen
Roger Moore’s sixth outing as James Bond, 007, licence to kill, in Octopussy is this week’s Bond film. 55 at the time of filming, producers decided to stick with Moore when they learned of a rival production company luring Sean Connery back to the secret agent life with the remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never…
Moonraker (1979) – Lewis Gilbert
Oh Moonraker. Sigh. When I was first getting into Bond films, at the age of twelve, I thought Moonraker was great – I didn’t see it during its original release in ’79, but I remember seeing images, and some of the toys and cards – because space, and lasers, gadgets and James Bond! Coming to…
The Mind Reels 