Geoffrey Holder, who plays the “voodoo guy” Baron Samedi, was a spokesman for 7up in the 80’s and appeared in a number of memorable commercials with his distinctive laugh. A few years ago, on an episode of Celebrity Apprentice, some contestants brought him back to reprise his role as a spokesman for an ad they were making, which I believe was also for 7up.
At the beginning that's a New Orleans Jazz funeral they streets with music - a celebration of the person's life as much as a mourning of his or her death. A typical jazz funeral begins at a church or funeral home and leads the way to the cemetery.
Roger Moore is probably the most kid-friendly version of Bond. His time on the series is more light hearted and fun, which isn't a bad thing. I didn't enjoy Connery's Bond much when I was younger, and if not for the Moore era I may not have gotten into the series. I definitely prefer the '60s films as an adult, but I still have a soft spot for Moore for nostalgic reasons.
He's definitively more kid-friendly, but also more charming and less of an asshole lol. Moore's still my favourite bond, even as an adult I just couldn't warm up to Connery. Dalton is someone I've come to see as underrated now.
@@ricardocantoral7672 I agree, the chase was too long and felt like filler, this is imo not one of the best Bond movies either but it does have it’s moments
The stunt of Bond hopping on the gator heads was performed by Ross Kananga, the villain was named after Kananga because of this stunt. While the message in the novel referred to a shark attack, the sign warned rustlers against entering Jamaica Swamp Safari, a crocodile farm owned by Ross Kananga. The farm was the perfect location for a Bond film and would double as the villain’s secret heroin lab on the shores of Louisiana’s bayous. Mankiewicz also liked the name Kananga, so he named the film’s villain after him. Kananga’s farm was located on 350 acres of mangroves in Trelawny, Jamaica. Locals and tourists visited the farm to see where the 1,217 crocodiles and just three alligators lived and bred. But it’s primary purpose was a farm, and Kananga raised the crocs for their valuable skins. He started the farm in late 1970, just two years before performing the famous stunt. Kananga was raised around crocs. He had relocated from Florida, where he performed tricks with his father from a young age. “As a kid, he used to put his head in the mouth of the alligator. And one day [the alligator snapped its jaws shut] and he was in there for twenty minutes before the croc relaxed and let him out,” said Guy Hamilton. His father wasn’t so lucky. Kananga saw his father get eaten alive by a crocodile. “Ross knew which one,” recalled Roger Moore in the documentary, Inside Live and Let Die. “He said, ‘That one got my Dad.'” Nonetheless, Kananga had no qualms about doing the stunt for Live and Let Die. He had already used crocodiles in a film shoot. A year earlier, Papillon, the famed movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, was partly shot on his land. “There was one scene where a guard shoots a crocodile and orders Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman to retrieve it. But when they get there, the croc is still alive. “We tied the croc down and bound its jaws. When the guard fired the blank, I poked it with a stick hidden in the water to make it move around a bit. “Still, McQueen and Hoffman were pretty scared. When they got up to the crocodile, Steve said to Hoffman, ‘You take the head.'” Before Kananga performed the stunt, Roger Moore performed his scenes on the retractable bridge and small islet with Julius Harris, who played henchman Tee Hee. Kananga had relocated most of the crocodiles from the swamp. Many were replaced with foam replicas, but some of the real reptiles remained. While the reduced numbers reduced the threat, there was still a danger. Kananga was on standby in case something went wrong. Crocs can jump 20-30 feet high out of the water, so acting on a bridge wasn’t entirely safe. Moore, who was forever seeing the lighter side of the situation, had asked wardrobe if he could wear crocodile-skin shoes for the sequence. But he soon regretted his decision when a crocodile came straight for him. “Well, gunshots went off. Ross Kananga himself got in,” recalled Jane Seymour who played Bond Girl, Solitaire. “What a mistake. I had the skin of one of their cousins. They were out to get me,” said Moore. Moore got to die another day, and with the shoot over for the principal actors, it was time for Kananga to don Roger Moore’s outfit-including the crocodile shoes. Kananga had tied down the legs of the three crocodiles to reduce risk, but their jaws were unrestrained. One wrong move and Kananga would share the same fate as his father. After two takes, the situation became more dangerous for Kananga. The crocodiles had already seen the act twice, so they were waiting in anticipation for his next attempt. On the fourth take, one of his shoes was caught in a croc’s mouth. “The film company kept sending to London for more clothes,” Kananga revealed in a 1973 interview. “The crocs were chewing off everything when I hit the water, including shoes. I received one hundred ninety-three stitches on my leg and face.” Finally, on the afternoon of December 31st, 1972, Ross Kananga successfully completed the stunt on the fifth take. Kananga received $60,000 for the stunt, which seems hardly worth the effort considering the repeated near-death experience he sustained with each new take. While the crocodiles didn’t get Kananga, a heart attack did. Ross Kananga died on 30 January 1978, while spearfishing in Collier County in the Everglades. He was 32. The crocodile stunt has lived on. And in 2012, director Sam Mendes, who lists Live and Let Die as a favorite Bond film, created his own homage to the crocodile stunt when Daniel Craig leaps off the back of a komodo dragon in SkyFall. This time it was all CGI, but a fun tribute nonetheless.
I really like Yaphet Kotto as Mr. Big in this film. He also had good roles in Alien and the Running Man. He did pass way in March this year at the age of 81.
Funny trivia: Yaphet Kotto was first among many to be considered the role as Captain Jean-Lu Picard in TNG. So I guess Avery Brook wouldn't be the first black captain in the Star Trek series if Kotto was chosen.
Roger Moore's movies were most playful of all, with craziest henchmen, megalomaniac villains and gadgets of all kinds, yet he also did one of most grounded movie too, For Your Eyes Only, that was on similar level as From Russia with Love. Roger Moore was good Bond, different yet same in everything that matter.
@@LuisOrtiz-xo5kc A View to a Kill is so frustrating. Great villain, great theme, but terrible script and a creepy old Bond hitting on barely legal ladies. Dalton would have been great in a better script and Goldeneye.
@@LuisOrtiz-xo5kc while Live and Let Die is my favourite and the next film I'm very fond of, from a critical view I'd say The Spy Who Loved Me was the best film.
He was very nearly picked to be Bond in the first film Dr No but they turned him down as they believed he too young to play Bond (despite him really being older than Sean Connery)
The novel by Ian Fleming is one of the darkest and most violent in the series. It is also much smaller scale than the film. They changed quite a bit for this film, but they did lift several of the more violent scenes from the novel for later films, specifically For Your Eyes Only and especially Licence to Kill.
If you're thinking of "He disagreed with something that ate him", that was in the Thunderball novel. Also Bond get into the ladies' room In OHMSS with the metal strip, rubber and bulldog clip, that is from Dr. No.
Yaphet Kotto is an underrated Bond villain, giving a grounded, quietly intense turn. Kind of a mismatch for the tone of the overall film, Kotto's performance would be well suited for Craig's run.
A large part of that was due to the fact Yaphet was cast at UA's and their president David Picker's insistence. He was still relatively unknown then besides doing Across 110th Street for UA which they loved and became a hit before LALD; he got hired off the dallies from that movie. The producers had someone else entirely in mind for it (never found out who but they said he was American. My guess is William Marshall aka Blacula.) He and Guy Hamilton despised each other due to the fact he had no role in picking him, and it lead to his banning from the royal premiere. One of the main points of their feud was that Yaphet wanted more scenes to develop Kanaga and they said no to him.It turned out good for Yaphet though he had steady roles in films and did Blue Collar and Alien at the end of the decade. I love how he played Kananga though he's honestly the first real multi layered Bond villain. He played Kanaga as human with faults; he has a respect for Bond and I think enjoyed both his nature and company but at the same time he was a grade A lunatic and could flip the switch to "I wanna kill you," in a second like in the climax. I do agree with Yaphet that he needed some more time to develop him.. if this was a modern Bond film they would have and he woulda been amazing vs Craig. But for that era was just as solid of a pick.
Always liked Yaphet Kotto. His supporting role in Midnight Run is also great and doesn't get mentioned enough. The joke when I was a kid was that he was always the second most famous jewish black man in show business, after Sammy Davis, Jr. lol
@@efan2012 I agree with you and Yaphet; his character was worth developing. However, I also think the weakness of the Craig movies has been the imbellished character profile of the villains. So, I side with Guy Hamilton's judgement.
Love Live Let Die! Jane Seymour one of the top Bond girls! The boat jump was a record breaker at the time. If you grew up in the 70s Roger Moore was all around. In the cinema he was Bond, on tv The Saint reruns played all the time, as well Maverick reruns, Moore was the 3rd Maverick.
Roger Moore builds a new character, essentially. Cigars, bourbon, that gorgeous chesterfield coat, no tuxedos, no casinos...it's 70s Bond. The song, the boat chase, the crocodiles, Jane Seymour, the black humor (no pun intended), voodoo, and manages to convey an eerie atmosphere. It's a solid film, and very original in the franchise .
I think that’s actually Geoffrey Holder’s laugh and he was kind of known for it. He was also famous for a series of 7-up commercials. A very talented man.
The main theme of this one is my favorite out of all the films; Skyfall and You Only Live Twice themes tie at 2nd. This is definitely my favorite Bond film in the Rodger Moore era.
The henchmen in Guy Hamilton's films are usually insanely memorable, but I guess you could argue that they're not very competent. I do love the variety in these henchmen, though. Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi scared the shit out of me watching this as a kid and watching it now, I love him for his extravagance.
That speedboat Moore's piloting.....I remember those were pretty cool. I think they were called 'Sidewinders' and were a fairly new model. I saw one at the big San Francisco boat show that year.
Spending much of my childhood and early teens in the 80's, I can't help but love Roger Moore's Bond films. He may not be as intense as Sean, but he does have his moments. The speedboat chase is my highlight from Live and Let Die.
Guns N' Roses did a cover of the song in 1991. The original, for the film, was done by the Mcartney's. I am really enjoying your look at this film series. I've seen most of the films piecemeal over the years, but seeing a dedicated viewing by a real fan is giving me a better appreciation of the series. Also, I share your love for practical explosions.
I am a fan of the films I seen all of them multipel times. I Have friends that was sure it was a Guns N' Roses song and I had to explain that Guns N' Roses did not even exist when this song came out. I like the cover but The Wings version is the one I prefer
Live and Let Die was only the second Bond novel after his debut in Casino Royale and it became clear very quickly that Fleming was writing two very different types of Bond story, the straight espionage thriller such as Casino Royale and From Russia With Love and the more escapist fantasy stories such as Dr No and Moonraker. The Voodoo elements of the film, Solitaire's ability to read the Tarot cards, Baron Samedi and keeping the supernatural aspects deliberately ambiguous just like the film are all taken from the novel. I haven't read the novel in years but of all Fleming's James Bond books, I do remember this being one of my absolute favourites. Live and Let Die was also the very first Bond movie I ever saw and it completely blew me away, confirming me from the opening gun barrel scene as a lifelong Bond fan. I had a feeling you'd like this one and a very good debut for Roger Moore, a hugely underrated actor who like Connery and Lazenby before him and Dalton, Brosnan and Craig after him, hit the ground running with his first outing as James Bond imo.
@@reesebn38 It would be thought of so much better if they cut out all those filler scenes that go nowhere. There's a great film in there but it's widely unfocused.
I mean, it's the most unusual. It's more a parody of the Connery era than a Bond movie in its own right. But it's definitely got some of the best stunts in the Bond franchise ever--including that car stunt, *which was 100% real!* But honestly, it's better than a few of the Roger Moore films--far and away better than You Only Live Twice, slightly better than Diamonds are Forever, and (to me) on the same level as Dr. No and Goldfinger (the latter which is, to me, the most overrated Bond film).
Roger Moore really is good, a light-hearted attitude toward playing 007 with a great deal of verbal inventiveness, and he articulates the English language clearly and in a pleasant way.
I enjoyed your interesting and thoughtful reaction. I saw this at the theater as a kid and remember what a big deal it was that there was a new Bond. (My first Bond in a theater was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the first non-Connery Bond). Even then I could see how the Bond films were heading into the 1970s and leaving behind some of the class and elegance of the older ones. Mrs. Bell's "Oh, sh**!" was the first such curse word in a Bond film, and I remember thinking at the time, "Did they have to cut to an extreme closeup of her saying that?" I don't know if you noticed or not, but longtime Beatles' producer George Martin wrote the score for the film, incorporating Paul's theme song into much of it. One Bond book I read pointed out how many story similarites there were between Moore's debut and Connery's in "Dr. No", even including Quarrel's son. Moore's run in the role, I feel, has its ups and downs and, along with some fairly good entries, veers toward rock bottom on some occasions (especially the dreadful "Octopussy"). My favorites are "The Spy Who Loved Me", his one great Bond epic, and "Moonraker."
The Spy Who Loved Me is Moore's best and IMO a top 5 Bond film. For Your Eyes Only is also really good. Moore movies kinda get hated on and some of it's justified but they're all pretty good and underrated.
Also "That voodoo man" is supposed to be Baron Samedi. A very power spirit in the voodoo (or voudo). Baron Samedi has the power of life and resurrections. Hence why he keeps coming back in the movie.
Michael - I liked View to a KILL , because it was partially filmed in SF Bay Area, and I was a TEEN when they were Filming. nice to see several Landmarks in the Film.
@@markplott4820 Grundy is one of my favorite DC characters (especially in the DCAU) but I'll never not hear his line in the Cartoon Network ad for the super friends .... "Solomon Grundy want pants too!" 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Adapting a Bond film alongside the Blaxpoitation film era was an interesting choice. British Bond sticks out like a sore thumb in many of the locations, but a spy's gottta do what a spy gotta do.
Everybody has a soft spot for the current Bond when they were kids. Roger Moore was my Bond growing up. Connery can't be topped and I liked the heck out of Brosnan but Moore was really kind of funny and debonair so I liked him a lot as Bond.
Connery was more of a badass, but to me always came across as a bit wooden/one-dimensional. Moore was (IMO) more confident and suave with the women. I blame my pun-rich sense of humor on him. Moore was always the Bond I wanted to be.
Yes, definitely a generational thing. My dad likes Connery best because that's the Bond he's most familiar with. I like both Brosnan and Moore because they were funnier than previous Bonds. Lazenby I really liked even if he only appeared in one Bond film. Tim Dalton and Danny Craig.... they're o-kay I guess.
As originally scripted Bond was going to use the magnet to get the boat, but when the alligator trainer demonstrated that he could run across their backs the producers decided to use that instead.
People absolutely hate that I can do that impression so well, but the fact the same gag was made into three “Smokey and the Bandit” movies just goes to prove that stereotype made for a good joke back in the day. “That must be one of them new-fangled car-boats!”
Yaphet Kotto is so awesome as the villain, check out Midnight Run with him, Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin. It’s a hilarious road movie from the 80’s.👍😂
My elderly neighbour met Roger Moore while they were both waiting for a flight to Australia. They had a rather nice chat by all accounts. She loved the film "Gold" which he was in. She sadly passed away last week.
Late comment, but I just got here attracted by Bond reviews! Moore, regardless of how "out there" some of the films got, was Bond when I was growing up and so will always be Bond to me.
The film says that Solitaire’s mother was Kananga’s tarot card reader before her. If loss of virginity takes away a person’s ability to read the cards, does that mean Kananga had no reader between when the mother conceived Solitaire and Solitaire became old enough to do the reading?
Parents owned this on VHS growing up, so this was actually the first bond film I’d ever seen. Thanks so much for reviewing this one - BIG dose of nostalgia for me. Also, I love your channel and ALL your reviews. You have an equal balance of critical thinking and emotional response. Your one of my mew favorite humans. ❤️🤗
(Someone probably already said this but I'm posting instead of scrolling through comments.) "Quarrel Jr." was Quarrel in the original novel, which was written prior to _Dr. No._ Since Quarrel dies in _No_ they invented "Jr." to take the same position in this film.
The person who ferries Bond to the island the first time is Quarrel Jr, supposedly the son of the Quarrel character from Dr No. In the two books it's the same character as Live and Let Die was published before Dr No in which Quarrel died.
Roger Moore was my first introduction to James Bond when I watched this on t.v., but "The Spy Who Loved Me" was my first Bond movie in the theater when my father took me to see it. I did not see anyone else play Bond until many years later when I finally watched "Dr. No". I have been a Bond fan my whole life. :D
Weird movie but still pretty cool! Great theme song and Jane Seymour is crazy beautiful. I love Roger Moore and the lighter vibe he brings to this spy fantasy universe. You'll see later how truly good of an actor he is too. I also like how we get to see film production advance through his run of the 70s and 80s. So fun!
To begin with, Roger Moore is the closest to Ian Fleming's idea of James Bond. Ian envisioned Cary Grant when writing the Bond novels. Mr Big was named Dr. Kananga after Ken Kananga, the owner of the alligator park. It was Ken who did the stunt walk over the alligators. Quarrel Jr is the son of Quarrel Sr. who died in Dr. No. The boat chase was a really dangerous stunt. Once the boats hit land there was no steering, with some crashing into trees .
I have a soft spot in my heart for '70s blacksploitation movies. There's some modern comedic versions such as Black Dynamite which is freaking beyond hilarious and my name is dolomite starring Eddie Murphy. Both of those are absolutely great. Undercover brother is another really good one.
Shan I highly recommend you go and look up the out takes of the alligator run scene. The owner of the alligators did it for real and he had to do it over and over again. He triped once and I have no idea how he didn't lose his legs.
While Connery is without a doubt iconic, but Moore was always my favorite, he brought a bit more comical element that I suppose I always enjoyed. Love your reactions Shan, keep them up
I think the guy with the hat that laughs at the end was supposed to be the voodoo equivalent of the devil named Papa Legba. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this film. However, I think the next one is "The Man with the Golden Gun" and just might be my favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films. It's strange though and not for everyone. Christopher Lee never disappoints.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Bond film. It's my favorite. Yaphet Kotto was the man! This is the 'Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster' of the Bond franchise. And I adore it.
I was 8. My family was on vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the time and my dad was a huge Bond fan. We saw this film in Rapid City and there are few things that I remember as I left the theater. 1) Jane Seymour...OMG! 2) I was so scared of black people for awhile...that laugh!! 3) I loved the boat chase sequence the most.
There is a reason, why Moore is most peoples favourite. He had his charme and great way to play the role. Yes the films are more comedic and 200% 70s^^ but sooo good.... specally "The Spy who loved me" and "Occtopussy" are by fare the best Bond movies
Moore might have taken a little while to really fit into the role, but I think that was mostly due writers still writing Bond like Connery was going to play him. From his third film "The Spy Who Loved Me" onwards Moore makes the role his own. Next Bond film is not one of the best ones imo but it does have one my favorite Bond villains.
I started with Roger Moore growing up. He became my favorite bond over time then Pierce Brosnan is number 2 for me. I love the bond films so ridiculous and crazy. Tons of fun!!!
Moore's Bond has the widest range of quality. This is a good one: A great contribution to the franchise, showing a different mixture of humor and adventure.
Clifton James @15:57 has been a law enforcement person in this movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, Superman II, and Silver Streak, to say the least. 'Live and Let Die' was the first Bond song nominated for an Oscar.
Losing your "powers" with your Virginity is as old as the ancient Greeks and Romans. The "Vestal Virgins" and all that. It has many interpretations. Thanks for your very insightful reviews.
This was the first Bond movie I watched as a child courtesy of my mum ( a diehard Roger Moore fan). I loved it and watched Bond movies from then on. In my view Roger Moore was a great Bond.
New Orleans funerals are done in this way. They march to the cemetery as a brass band plays a dirge. The play happy music, usually, upbeat jazz as they leave the cemetery. The dirge is for the living, because we remain in this world. The happy music is celebrating a life lived and the spirit moving on.
I'm glad you enjoyed this one man! I figured you would. I do disagree with some of your points but all in all good review. I do consider the henchmen here as some of the best; in fact they went out of their way to make them their own characters which wouldn't have happened any other time before. They even let Julius Harris pick his gimmick and he wanted the hook; that was badass. Holder as the Baron was genius casting as he just nailed the persona and darkness of it; he grew up in voodoo so he knew his stuff. He was also the chorographer and setup all the dance scenes; Jane Seymour spent a lot of her spare time with him dancing as she loved it and him, and Roger adored him too due to the fact he knew him and his brother Roscoe before. You can hear him beaming in the commentary about them. This movie was a huge barrier breaker for black actors and filmmakers.. they wanted to give them spots of power and chances to shine in the acting roles. Even the guy who played Whisper nailed it. Khotto was one of the best baddies and gave the first layered performance as a lead baddie. He has many different sides to his personality and had the balls to fight Bond. Legend in my book. The stuntwork is top notch as are the effects and score (Martin's neck and neck with Barry's work from OHMSS as the best in the series imo,) and it has plenty of action and suspense thought the movie. In terms of being a fun escapist Bond movie; it's one of the best if not the best for it. Sadly the next one's quite a step down.. granted I enjoy it. One of the best villains but a weak plot and meh Bond girls. Things will get better for Roger though!
The best title songs to Bond films, IMO, are those that detail the spiritual and soul-destroying cost of Bond's occupation: "Thunderball", "Live and Let Die", "You Know My Name" (Casino Royale).
When you were young and your heart Was an open book You used to say live and let live (You know you did, you know you did) (You know you did) But if this ever changing world In which we're living Makes you give in and cry Say live and let die (Live and let die) Live and let die
The main villain Kananga was named after Ross Kananga who owned the alligator/crocodile farm, where they shot that impressive stunt. And guess who did the stunt as Moore's double? Jup, Ross Kananga. It took him 6 takes or something until he got it right and one time one of the animals bit through his shoe.
Rodger Moore was pretty much already primed for this character by way of another character that he played on a television series in the 60s called The Saint!! In that series he played a very bond-like character so he seemed like a Natural Choice when Sean Connery stepped away!!! Personally it took me a minute to grow into Rodger Moore as 007 because I grew up with Sean Connery as Bond but nowadays I definitely appreciate him as one of the top Bond actors!!!
Love the boat chase.... they set the world record for the longest boat jump filming this movie ! Watched this movie about a dozen times as a kid.... in a real movie theater with balcony & everything ! I bet the movie screen was a min. of 30 X 50 feet , so much better than the tiny 1/3 of a size multi-movie plex places that came after...... I think the admission was .75 cents aprox.
Shan - in the opening scene in New Orleans, that is the FAMOUS Funeral jazz band, and they still play today , with a NEW leadership, with a Decendant of the original band.
I always liked Moore as Bond, but it's probably because that's who I grew up watching when those films came out. His one liners were a little more playful than other Bonds. He wasn't my favorite, but IMO he gets a lot of hate that he doesn't deserve. Great reaction, Shan!
Moore was coming off of his turn as Simon Templar in a TV version of The Saint that was very popular. Much like how everyone expected Pierce Brosnan to take over because of his high profile on Remington Steele, but NBC wouldn't let him out of his contract.
Lennon wasn't happy that McCartney chose to do a song for the Bond franchise. Prompted him to write the song "How Do You Sleep," which somewhat mimics the style of Live and Let Die.
The books were filmed out of order. Quarrel first appeared in Live and Let Die and then returned for Dr. No. Since Quarrel died in Dr. No, the screenwriters had to invent Quarrel Jr. for the film version of Live and Let Die. Not that this film is a particularly faithful adaptation of the book. Major set pieces from the book would later end up in the films For Your Eyes Only and Licence to Kill.
Geoffrey Holder, who plays the “voodoo guy” Baron Samedi, was a spokesman for 7up in the 80’s and appeared in a number of memorable commercials with his distinctive laugh. A few years ago, on an episode of Celebrity Apprentice, some contestants brought him back to reprise his role as a spokesman for an ad they were making, which I believe was also for 7up.
"Crisp and clean no caffeine "
Hahahaha! The Un-cola!
First comment on the list and there it is! The 7 Up commercials. That guy really pitched it well back in the day.
I loved him in Boomerang.
"This is a cola nut. *This* is an uncola nut... A ha ha ha ha"
At the beginning that's a New Orleans Jazz funeral they streets with music - a celebration of the person's life as much as a mourning of his or her death.
A typical jazz funeral begins at a church or funeral home and leads the way to the cemetery.
I still find it hard to believe that Moore was five years older in this movie than Connery was in _Diamonds._
Roger Moore is probably the most kid-friendly version of Bond. His time on the series is more light hearted and fun, which isn't a bad thing. I didn't enjoy Connery's Bond much when I was younger, and if not for the Moore era I may not have gotten into the series. I definitely prefer the '60s films as an adult, but I still have a soft spot for Moore for nostalgic reasons.
Same here.
The best one… Octopussy.
Moore is charismatic but he was never convincing when it came to the rough stuff.
I agree. Simply put, the Roger Moore Bond movies are the most "fun."
He's definitively more kid-friendly, but also more charming and less of an asshole lol. Moore's still my favourite bond, even as an adult I just couldn't warm up to Connery. Dalton is someone I've come to see as underrated now.
The boat scene is one of the best things ever put to film in a Bond movie!
and that jump set a record at the time too
That chase went on WAY too long.
@@ricardocantoral7672 I agree, the chase was too long and felt like filler, this is imo not one of the best Bond movies either but it does have it’s moments
Overall, I think the Roger Moore Bond was more known for his wit and relaxed confidence.
I saw Sean Connery as a man’s man. Roger Moore was definitely a ladies man
The stunt of Bond hopping on the gator heads was performed by Ross Kananga, the villain was named after Kananga because of this stunt.
While the message in the novel referred to a shark attack, the sign warned rustlers against entering Jamaica Swamp Safari, a crocodile farm owned by Ross Kananga. The farm was the perfect location for a Bond film and would double as the villain’s secret heroin lab on the shores of Louisiana’s bayous. Mankiewicz also liked the name Kananga, so he named the film’s villain after him.
Kananga’s farm was located on 350 acres of mangroves in Trelawny, Jamaica. Locals and tourists visited the farm to see where the 1,217 crocodiles and just three alligators lived and bred. But it’s primary purpose was a farm, and Kananga raised the crocs for their valuable skins. He started the farm in late 1970, just two years before performing the famous stunt.
Kananga was raised around crocs. He had relocated from Florida, where he performed tricks with his father from a young age. “As a kid, he used to put his head in the mouth of the alligator.
And one day [the alligator snapped its jaws shut] and he was in there for twenty minutes before the croc relaxed and let him out,” said Guy Hamilton. His father wasn’t so lucky. Kananga saw his father get eaten alive by a crocodile. “Ross knew which one,” recalled Roger Moore in the documentary, Inside Live and Let Die. “He said, ‘That one got my Dad.'” Nonetheless, Kananga had no qualms about doing the stunt for Live and Let Die. He had already used crocodiles in a film shoot. A year earlier, Papillon, the famed movie starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, was partly shot on his land.
“There was one scene where a guard shoots a crocodile and orders Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman to retrieve it. But when they get there, the croc is still alive.
“We tied the croc down and bound its jaws. When the guard fired the blank, I poked it with a stick hidden in the water to make it move around a bit.
“Still, McQueen and Hoffman were pretty scared. When they got up to the crocodile, Steve said to Hoffman, ‘You take the head.'”
Before Kananga performed the stunt, Roger Moore performed his scenes on the retractable bridge and small islet with Julius Harris, who played henchman Tee Hee. Kananga had relocated most of the crocodiles from the swamp. Many were replaced with foam replicas, but some of the real reptiles remained.
While the reduced numbers reduced the threat, there was still a danger. Kananga was on standby in case something went wrong. Crocs can jump 20-30 feet high out of the water, so acting on a bridge wasn’t entirely safe. Moore, who was forever seeing the lighter side of the situation, had asked wardrobe if he could wear crocodile-skin shoes for the sequence. But he soon regretted his decision when a crocodile came straight for him. “Well, gunshots went off. Ross Kananga himself got in,” recalled Jane Seymour who played Bond Girl, Solitaire.
“What a mistake. I had the skin of one of their cousins. They were out to get me,” said Moore.
Moore got to die another day, and with the shoot over for the principal actors, it was time for Kananga to don Roger Moore’s outfit-including the crocodile shoes. Kananga had tied down the legs of the three crocodiles to reduce risk, but their jaws were unrestrained. One wrong move and Kananga would share the same fate as his father.
After two takes, the situation became more dangerous for Kananga. The crocodiles had already seen the act twice, so they were waiting in anticipation for his next attempt. On the fourth take, one of his shoes was caught in a croc’s mouth. “The film company kept sending to London for more clothes,” Kananga revealed in a 1973 interview. “The crocs were chewing off everything when I hit the water, including shoes. I received one hundred ninety-three stitches on my leg and face.”
Finally, on the afternoon of December 31st, 1972, Ross Kananga successfully completed the stunt on the fifth take. Kananga received $60,000 for the stunt, which seems hardly worth the effort considering the repeated near-death experience he sustained with each new take. While the crocodiles didn’t get Kananga, a heart attack did. Ross Kananga died on 30 January 1978, while spearfishing in Collier County in the Everglades. He was 32.
The crocodile stunt has lived on. And in 2012, director Sam Mendes, who lists Live and Let Die as a favorite Bond film, created his own homage to the crocodile stunt when Daniel Craig leaps off the back of a komodo dragon in SkyFall. This time it was all CGI, but a fun tribute nonetheless.
"Trespassers Will Be Eaten" wasn't in the novel, that I recall -- it was an actual sign on Ross Kananga's crocodile farm.
That stunt was insane, there is footage of the outtakes and the guy had balls galore.
@@ninjavigilante5311 I mean, he also owned the crocs. :-P
@@blofeld39 yeah but still crocs are unpredictable.. he almost got his leg taken off
@@ninjavigilante5311 He flat-out told the director the crocs trusted him. :-P
I really like Yaphet Kotto as Mr. Big in this film. He also had good roles in Alien and the Running Man. He did pass way in March this year at the age of 81.
Funny trivia: Yaphet Kotto was first among many to be considered the role as Captain Jean-Lu Picard in TNG. So I guess Avery Brook wouldn't be the first black captain in the Star Trek series if Kotto was chosen.
same with julius harris. Who played tee hee. He died back in 2004. In Los Angeles.
@@Renegade2786 He was offered the role, but, to his later regret, turned the part down.
Roger Moore's movies were most playful of all, with craziest henchmen, megalomaniac villains and gadgets of all kinds, yet he also did one of most grounded movie too, For Your Eyes Only, that was on similar level as From Russia with Love.
Roger Moore was good Bond, different yet same in everything that matter.
For Your Eyes Only is the best Bond film from the Moore's era, at least for me. I like Octopussy and A view to a Kill as well.
@@LuisOrtiz-xo5kc A View to a Kill is so frustrating. Great villain, great theme, but terrible script and a creepy old Bond hitting on barely legal ladies. Dalton would have been great in a better script and Goldeneye.
@@LuisOrtiz-xo5kc while Live and Let Die is my favourite and the next film I'm very fond of, from a critical view I'd say The Spy Who Loved Me was the best film.
Starting with 'The Spy Who Loved Me', his films were better.
Roger Moore is my personal favourite Bond to date. The way he carried himself was just more unique, had this underlying joy to him.
My favorite are octopussy and my all time for your eyes only
He was very nearly picked to be Bond in the first film Dr No but they turned him down as they believed he too young to play Bond (despite him really being older than Sean Connery)
Roger Moore was the best Bond for me, growing up watching his version of Bond in the 80s.
The boat owner, Quarrel, is the son of Quarrel, the boat operator who helped Sean Connery in Dr No.
The novel by Ian Fleming is one of the darkest and most violent in the series. It is also much smaller scale than the film. They changed quite a bit for this film, but they did lift several of the more violent scenes from the novel for later films, specifically For Your Eyes Only and especially Licence to Kill.
If you're thinking of "He disagreed with something that ate him", that was in the Thunderball novel.
Also Bond get into the ladies' room In OHMSS with the metal strip, rubber and bulldog clip, that is from Dr. No.
@@kenchristie9214 it’s definitely in Live and Let Die. If I weren’t at work I could screenshot it in my copy.
Yaphet Kotto is an underrated Bond villain, giving a grounded, quietly intense turn. Kind of a mismatch for the tone of the overall film, Kotto's performance would be well suited for Craig's run.
Agreed. Kotto may be in my top 5to7 villains.
A large part of that was due to the fact Yaphet was cast at UA's and their president David Picker's insistence. He was still relatively unknown then besides doing Across 110th Street for UA which they loved and became a hit before LALD; he got hired off the dallies from that movie. The producers had someone else entirely in mind for it (never found out who but they said he was American. My guess is William Marshall aka Blacula.) He and Guy Hamilton despised each other due to the fact he had no role in picking him, and it lead to his banning from the royal premiere. One of the main points of their feud was that Yaphet wanted more scenes to develop Kanaga and they said no to him.It turned out good for Yaphet though he had steady roles in films and did Blue Collar and Alien at the end of the decade.
I love how he played Kananga though he's honestly the first real multi layered Bond villain. He played Kanaga as human with faults; he has a respect for Bond and I think enjoyed both his nature and company but at the same time he was a grade A lunatic and could flip the switch to "I wanna kill you," in a second like in the climax. I do agree with Yaphet that he needed some more time to develop him.. if this was a modern Bond film they would have and he woulda been amazing vs Craig. But for that era was just as solid of a pick.
Always liked Yaphet Kotto. His supporting role in Midnight Run is also great and doesn't get mentioned enough. The joke when I was a kid was that he was always the second most famous jewish black man in show business, after Sammy Davis, Jr. lol
@@efan2012 I agree with you and Yaphet; his character was worth developing. However, I also think the weakness of the Craig movies has been the imbellished character profile of the villains. So, I side with Guy Hamilton's judgement.
Terribly silly death though. Kotto hated that ending.
Love Live Let Die! Jane Seymour one of the top Bond girls! The boat jump was a record breaker at the time. If you grew up in the 70s Roger Moore was all around. In the cinema he was Bond, on tv The Saint reruns played all the time, as well Maverick reruns, Moore was the 3rd Maverick.
The more times I watch this movie, the more I'm impressed by it and the more I enjoy it.
Oh how I've been looking forward to this! I really enjoy Shan's reactions and his unparalleled love of explosions!!
yeah, Connery will always be the best for me, but Roger Moore is a really great bond in his own right.
Roger Moore builds a new character, essentially. Cigars, bourbon, that gorgeous chesterfield coat, no tuxedos, no casinos...it's 70s Bond. The song, the boat chase, the crocodiles, Jane Seymour, the black humor (no pun intended), voodoo, and manages to convey an eerie atmosphere. It's a solid film, and very original in the franchise .
I think that’s actually Geoffrey Holder’s laugh and he was kind of known for it. He was also famous for a series of 7-up commercials. A very talented man.
He waa more well known as a world-class dancer, not as much as an actor.
Yes, his familiar laugh was his trademark and a big part of the commercials and acting roles that he did.
This is without a doubt my favourite Bond movie, everything is perfect and the soundtrack is killer!
The main theme of this one is my favorite out of all the films; Skyfall and You Only Live Twice themes tie at 2nd.
This is definitely my favorite Bond film in the Rodger Moore era.
The henchmen in Guy Hamilton's films are usually insanely memorable, but I guess you could argue that they're not very competent. I do love the variety in these henchmen, though. Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi scared the shit out of me watching this as a kid and watching it now, I love him for his extravagance.
Loved his voice as a kid. He was the 'face' for 7-Up, proudly declaring it the 'un-cola' in commercials.
@@Carandini Indeed he was. I never saw those commercials growing up in Germany, but I learned about them later on. He was a real legend. Rip
That speedboat Moore's piloting.....I remember those were pretty cool. I think they were called 'Sidewinders' and were a fairly new model. I saw one at the big San Francisco boat show that year.
Spending much of my childhood and early teens in the 80's, I can't help but love Roger Moore's Bond films. He may not be as intense as Sean, but he does have his moments.
The speedboat chase is my highlight from Live and Let Die.
Guns N' Roses did a cover of the song in 1991. The original, for the film, was done by the Mcartney's. I am really enjoying your look at this film series. I've seen most of the films piecemeal over the years, but seeing a dedicated viewing by a real fan is giving me a better appreciation of the series. Also, I share your love for practical explosions.
I am a fan of the films I seen all of them multipel times. I Have friends that was sure it was a Guns N' Roses song and I had to explain that Guns N' Roses did not even exist when this song came out. I like the cover but The Wings version is the one I prefer
@@ThomasVanhala I had a similar experience in the mid 1980s trying to explain that "Helter Skelter" was a Beatles song not a Mötley Crüe original.
"Live and Set, Dye" will be the name of my future hair salon.
Live and Let Die was only the second Bond novel after his debut in Casino Royale and it became clear very quickly that Fleming was writing two very different types of Bond story, the straight espionage thriller such as Casino Royale and From Russia With Love and the more escapist fantasy stories such as Dr No and Moonraker.
The Voodoo elements of the film, Solitaire's ability to read the Tarot cards, Baron Samedi and keeping the supernatural aspects deliberately ambiguous just like the film are all taken from the novel. I haven't read the novel in years but of all Fleming's James Bond books, I do remember this being one of my absolute favourites.
Live and Let Die was also the very first Bond movie I ever saw and it completely blew me away, confirming me from the opening gun barrel scene as a lifelong Bond fan. I had a feeling you'd like this one and a very good debut for Roger Moore, a hugely underrated actor who like Connery and Lazenby before him and Dalton, Brosnan and Craig after him, hit the ground running with his first outing as James Bond imo.
Roger Moore has always been my favorite Bond. Her we have the overly campy villains like Jaws. And gadgets that got a little more zany.
Even tho it's rated quite low, the next Bond movie The Man With The Golden Gun, is probably my favorite from Moore's era.
Anything with Christopher Lee Is good!
@@reesebn38 It would be thought of so much better if they cut out all those filler scenes that go nowhere. There's a great film in there but it's widely unfocused.
I would say the revisit of a certain side character is my favorite part of it, but i have to say.
@@matsv201 There's way too many scenes like that, or the dojo segment that go on endlessly and just distract from the really good central plot.
I mean, it's the most unusual. It's more a parody of the Connery era than a Bond movie in its own right. But it's definitely got some of the best stunts in the Bond franchise ever--including that car stunt, *which was 100% real!*
But honestly, it's better than a few of the Roger Moore films--far and away better than You Only Live Twice, slightly better than Diamonds are Forever, and (to me) on the same level as Dr. No and Goldfinger (the latter which is, to me, the most overrated Bond film).
Roger Moore really is good, a light-hearted attitude toward playing 007 with a great deal of verbal inventiveness, and he articulates the English language clearly and in a pleasant way.
For many years before becoming Bond, Roger Moore played Simon Templar,aka "The Saint" on TV, This was thought to be a dry run for Bond.
Loved that show.
I love his Bond, but I feel like Roger was more comfortable as the Saint. He didn't care for firearms. (He did use them on the Saint but not as often)
My 8th grade math teacher bought the Volvo P1800 that Moore drove in The Saint. He even went on Jay Leno's show with it.
"Wings? They're only the band the Beatles could've been" Alan Gordon Partridge, 1997
One thing to point out, being a year older than Connery, Roger is still the oldest actor to debut as Bond and ironically had the most films.
Both Moore and Connery did 7
I enjoyed your interesting and thoughtful reaction. I saw this at the theater as a kid and remember what a big deal it was that there was a new Bond. (My first Bond in a theater was "On Her Majesty's Secret Service", the first non-Connery Bond). Even then I could see how the Bond films were heading into the 1970s and leaving behind some of the class and elegance of the older ones. Mrs. Bell's "Oh, sh**!" was the first such curse word in a Bond film, and I remember thinking at the time, "Did they have to cut to an extreme closeup of her saying that?" I don't know if you noticed or not, but longtime Beatles' producer George Martin wrote the score for the film, incorporating Paul's theme song into much of it. One Bond book I read pointed out how many story similarites there were between Moore's debut and Connery's in "Dr. No", even including Quarrel's son. Moore's run in the role, I feel, has its ups and downs and, along with some fairly good entries, veers toward rock bottom on some occasions (especially the dreadful "Octopussy"). My favorites are "The Spy Who Loved Me", his one great Bond epic, and "Moonraker."
The "Happy music" in New Orleans is called "The Second Line." Let the good times roll.
And the sad funeral music is "Just a Closer Walk with Thee", which is also a standard for New Orleans jazz funerals
The Spy Who Loved Me is Moore's best and IMO a top 5 Bond film. For Your Eyes Only is also really good. Moore movies kinda get hated on and some of it's justified but they're all pretty good and underrated.
Yes this 2 films are Moore best films!
The Spy Who Loved Me is the best film from a critical standpoint, but Live and Let Die is without a doubt my favourite.
@@francisbartoszewski2284 gondola scene in moonraker was good too.
Moore was the first Bond I saw as a kid. "A View To A Kill" with Moore, and Walken :)
Also "That voodoo man" is supposed to be Baron Samedi. A very power spirit in the voodoo (or voudo).
Baron Samedi has the power of life and resurrections. Hence why he keeps coming back in the movie.
Michael - I liked View to a KILL , because it was partially filmed in SF Bay Area, and I was a TEEN when they were Filming. nice to see several Landmarks in the Film.
@@michaelriddick7116 - SOLOMON GRUNDE one ups Barron Sarmendi.
Moore in Moonraker was my first Bond movie (as a kid), so Moore will always be the original Bond for me. 😊
@@markplott4820 Grundy is one of my favorite DC characters (especially in the DCAU) but I'll never not hear his line in the Cartoon Network ad for the super friends ....
"Solomon Grundy want pants too!" 🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
Adapting a Bond film alongside the Blaxpoitation film era was an interesting choice. British Bond sticks out like a sore thumb in many of the locations, but a spy's gottta do what a spy gotta do.
Everybody has a soft spot for the current Bond when they were kids. Roger Moore was my Bond growing up. Connery can't be topped and I liked the heck out of Brosnan but Moore was really kind of funny and debonair so I liked him a lot as Bond.
agreed
Connery was more of a badass, but to me always came across as a bit wooden/one-dimensional. Moore was (IMO) more confident and suave with the women. I blame my pun-rich sense of humor on him. Moore was always the Bond I wanted to be.
Yes, definitely a generational thing. My dad likes Connery best because that's the Bond he's most familiar with. I like both Brosnan and Moore because they were funnier than previous Bonds. Lazenby I really liked even if he only appeared in one Bond film. Tim Dalton and Danny Craig.... they're o-kay I guess.
As originally scripted Bond was going to use the magnet to get the boat, but when the alligator trainer demonstrated that he could run across their backs the producers decided to use that instead.
A pity you had to cut Bond's meeting with Sheriff Pepper after the boat chase: "Secret agent?? On *whose* side???"
People absolutely hate that I can do that impression so well, but the fact the same gag was made into three “Smokey and the Bandit” movies just goes to prove that stereotype made for a good joke back in the day.
“That must be one of them new-fangled car-boats!”
My dad loved that sheriff. He quoted that scene a lot.
This is the Bond that I grew up with. "Live and Let Die" is the best Bond song! And Jane Seymour was so beautiful.
Nothing gets me more hyped than seeing another Shan Bond reaction
Yaphet Kotto is so awesome as the villain, check out Midnight Run with him, Robert DeNiro and Charles Grodin. It’s a hilarious road movie from the 80’s.👍😂
Yaphet Kotto's best role was as Lieutenant Al Giardello in "Homicide - Life on the street". R.I.P Lt.
I respectfully disagree, I have to go with Agent Mosley in Midnight Run.
I love Geoffrey Holder's voice!
I'm genuinely excited for you watching "the spy who loved me" it's one of the best Moore-Bond and non Connery-Bond movies in general. Imho
And it's full of awesome explosions!
to be honest, I think that one is my #1 film. It was MASSIVE when it came out. That Lotus Esprite :)
My elderly neighbour met Roger Moore while they were both waiting for a flight to Australia. They had a rather nice chat by all accounts. She loved the film "Gold" which he was in. She sadly passed away last week.
Late comment, but I just got here attracted by Bond reviews! Moore, regardless of how "out there" some of the films got, was Bond when I was growing up and so will always be Bond to me.
Ah, the Roger Moore Bond years. Roger is my favourite Bond. I love all of his Bond films.
The film says that Solitaire’s mother was Kananga’s tarot card reader before her. If loss of virginity takes away a person’s ability to read the cards, does that mean Kananga had no reader between when the mother conceived Solitaire and Solitaire became old enough to do the reading?
Also..... "How does Bond escape THIS mess?"
Has always been a joy to us. He always does it in unexpected ways. Whether magical or by luck/skill.
Parents owned this on VHS growing up, so this was actually the first bond film I’d ever seen. Thanks so much for reviewing this one - BIG dose of nostalgia for me.
Also, I love your channel and ALL your reviews. You have an equal balance of critical thinking and emotional response. Your one of my mew favorite humans. ❤️🤗
*you’re
Apparently when they filmed in Harlem they had to actually pay protection money which only guaranteed everyone's safety for a limited window of time.
(Someone probably already said this but I'm posting instead of scrolling through comments.)
"Quarrel Jr." was Quarrel in the original novel, which was written prior to _Dr. No._ Since Quarrel dies in _No_ they invented "Jr." to take the same position in this film.
The person who ferries Bond to the island the first time is Quarrel Jr, supposedly the son of the Quarrel character from Dr No. In the two books it's the same character as Live and Let Die was published before Dr No in which Quarrel died.
You beat me to it so I'll add that Strangways, who dies at the very beginning of _Dr. No,_ also has a small part in the book _LALD_ too.
Roger Moore was my first introduction to James Bond when I watched this on t.v., but "The Spy Who Loved Me" was my first Bond movie in the theater when my father took me to see it. I did not see anyone else play Bond until many years later when I finally watched "Dr. No". I have been a Bond fan my whole life. :D
Weird movie but still pretty cool! Great theme song and Jane Seymour is crazy beautiful. I love Roger Moore and the lighter vibe he brings to this spy fantasy universe. You'll see later how truly good of an actor he is too. I also like how we get to see film production advance through his run of the 70s and 80s. So fun!
LOVE Sir Roger Moore as Bond, My generation as a child of the 70's.
Roger Moore's run produced some of the most fun Bond movies.
Running over the crocs heads actually happened. Stunt guy did it and nearly lost his leg on one of the takes if I remember correctly
The guy who did it was the guy who owned the alligator farm. His name was Ross Kananga.
Yes. Here’s the link: czcams.com/video/EDeUzB12ln8/video.html
To begin with, Roger Moore is the closest to Ian Fleming's idea of James Bond. Ian envisioned Cary Grant when writing the Bond novels.
Mr Big was named Dr. Kananga after Ken Kananga, the owner of the alligator park. It was Ken who did the stunt walk over the alligators.
Quarrel Jr is the son of Quarrel Sr. who died in Dr. No. The boat chase was a really dangerous stunt. Once the boats hit land there was no steering, with some crashing into trees .
Live And Let Die is such a great Bond song, they play Paul McCartney's version on classic rock radio pretty frequently
I have a soft spot in my heart for '70s blacksploitation movies. There's some modern comedic versions such as Black Dynamite which is freaking beyond hilarious and my name is dolomite starring Eddie Murphy. Both of those are absolutely great. Undercover brother is another really good one.
DY-NA-MITE! DY-NA-MITE!!!
The animated series is pretty funny, too. I like that one of the the antagonists is Dr. Wu's Tang Clang of ninjas.
Shan I highly recommend you go and look up the out takes of the alligator run scene. The owner of the alligators did it for real and he had to do it over and over again. He triped once and I have no idea how he didn't lose his legs.
Here’s the link: czcams.com/video/EDeUzB12ln8/video.html
Amazing.
While Connery is without a doubt iconic, but Moore was always my favorite, he brought a bit more comical element that I suppose I always enjoyed. Love your reactions Shan, keep them up
Same here.
I think the guy with the hat that laughs at the end was supposed to be the voodoo equivalent of the devil named Papa Legba. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed this film. However, I think the next one is "The Man with the Golden Gun" and just might be my favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films. It's strange though and not for everyone. Christopher Lee never disappoints.
It should be noted that Roger Moore could have being Bond during the late 60s, but he was still contracted to do the TV series The Saint at the time.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this Bond film. It's my favorite. Yaphet Kotto was the man! This is the 'Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster' of the Bond franchise. And I adore it.
I was 8. My family was on vacation in the Black Hills of South Dakota at the time and my dad was a huge Bond fan. We saw this film in Rapid City and there are few things that I remember as I left the theater. 1) Jane Seymour...OMG! 2) I was so scared of black people for awhile...that laugh!! 3) I loved the boat chase sequence the most.
There is a reason, why Moore is most peoples favourite. He had his charme and great way to play the role.
Yes the films are more comedic and 200% 70s^^ but sooo good.... specally "The Spy who loved me" and "Occtopussy" are by fare the best Bond movies
Getting so close to my favorite Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me. (I enjoy watching The Man with the Golden Gun, too.)
Possibly the best intro song in the bond series as well
Mine Too!
Same, man.
Spy Who Loved Me was the first 007 my mom took me to in the theater... great film to start with, and still my all time favorite.
Great bond for Roger Moores first outing one of the best.
Moore's my favourite Bond. He has this British humour in his genes.
Moore might have taken a little while to really fit into the role, but I think that was mostly due writers still writing Bond like Connery was going to play him. From his third film "The Spy Who Loved Me" onwards Moore makes the role his own.
Next Bond film is not one of the best ones imo but it does have one my favorite Bond villains.
MWGG and spy who loved me are my favorite Moore films and amongst the best
I started with Roger Moore growing up. He became my favorite bond over time then Pierce Brosnan is number 2 for me. I love the bond films so ridiculous and crazy. Tons of fun!!!
That boat jump over the cop car set a world record.
Moore's Bond has the widest range of quality. This is a good one: A great contribution to the franchise, showing a different mixture of humor and adventure.
Clifton James @15:57 has been a law enforcement person in this movie, The Man with the Golden Gun, Superman II, and Silver Streak, to say the least. 'Live and Let Die' was the first Bond song nominated for an Oscar.
Losing your "powers" with your Virginity is as old as the ancient Greeks and Romans. The "Vestal Virgins" and all that. It has many interpretations. Thanks for your very insightful reviews.
Someone really walked over those crocodiles for real and almost got bitten while doing it, unbelievable.
This was the first Bond movie I watched as a child courtesy of my mum ( a diehard Roger Moore fan). I loved it and watched Bond movies from then on. In my view Roger Moore was a great Bond.
Baron Samedi has my favorite Bond villain design.
This movie is also one of the reasons I purchased a nickel plated model 29 with the same kind of shoulder holster Moore used in this film
Fun fact, the running on alligators was real, not an effect. Their wrangler wasn't a pro stuntman but he did it himself.
And his name was Ross Kananga which was the inspiration for the antagonists name.
New Orleans funerals are done in this way. They march to the cemetery as a brass band plays a dirge. The play happy music, usually, upbeat jazz as they leave the cemetery. The dirge is for the living, because we remain in this world. The happy music is celebrating a life lived and the spirit moving on.
I'm glad you enjoyed this one man! I figured you would. I do disagree with some of your points but all in all good review. I do consider the henchmen here as some of the best; in fact they went out of their way to make them their own characters which wouldn't have happened any other time before. They even let Julius Harris pick his gimmick and he wanted the hook; that was badass. Holder as the Baron was genius casting as he just nailed the persona and darkness of it; he grew up in voodoo so he knew his stuff. He was also the chorographer and setup all the dance scenes; Jane Seymour spent a lot of her spare time with him dancing as she loved it and him, and Roger adored him too due to the fact he knew him and his brother Roscoe before. You can hear him beaming in the commentary about them. This movie was a huge barrier breaker for black actors and filmmakers.. they wanted to give them spots of power and chances to shine in the acting roles. Even the guy who played Whisper nailed it. Khotto was one of the best baddies and gave the first layered performance as a lead baddie. He has many different sides to his personality and had the balls to fight Bond. Legend in my book.
The stuntwork is top notch as are the effects and score (Martin's neck and neck with Barry's work from OHMSS as the best in the series imo,) and it has plenty of action and suspense thought the movie. In terms of being a fun escapist Bond movie; it's one of the best if not the best for it.
Sadly the next one's quite a step down.. granted I enjoy it. One of the best villains but a weak plot and meh Bond girls. Things will get better for Roger though!
One of my favourite Bond movies, and Moore is my favourite Bond.
The best title songs to Bond films, IMO, are those that detail the spiritual and soul-destroying cost of Bond's occupation: "Thunderball", "Live and Let Die", "You Know My Name" (Casino Royale).
When you were young and your heart
Was an open book
You used to say live and let live
(You know you did, you know you did)
(You know you did)
But if this ever changing world
In which we're living
Makes you give in and cry
Say live and let die
(Live and let die)
Live and let die
The main villain Kananga was named after Ross Kananga who owned the alligator/crocodile farm, where they shot that impressive stunt. And guess who did the stunt as Moore's double? Jup, Ross Kananga. It took him 6 takes or something until he got it right and one time one of the animals bit through his shoe.
Rodger Moore was pretty much already primed for this character by way of another character that he played on a television series in the 60s called The Saint!! In that series he played a very bond-like character so he seemed like a Natural Choice when Sean Connery stepped away!!! Personally it took me a minute to grow into Rodger Moore as 007 because I grew up with Sean Connery as Bond but nowadays I definitely appreciate him as one of the top Bond actors!!!
Love the boat chase.... they set the world record for the longest boat jump filming this movie !
Watched this movie about a dozen times as a kid....
in a real movie theater with balcony & everything !
I bet the movie screen was a min. of 30 X 50 feet ,
so much better than the tiny 1/3 of a size multi-movie plex places that came after......
I think the admission was .75 cents aprox.
Shan - in the opening scene in New Orleans, that is the FAMOUS Funeral jazz band, and they still play today , with a NEW leadership, with a Decendant of the original band.
I always liked Moore as Bond, but it's probably because that's who I grew up watching when those films came out. His one liners were a little more playful than other Bonds. He wasn't my favorite, but IMO he gets a lot of hate that he doesn't deserve. Great reaction, Shan!
The boat jump and the song were the best part of this
Moore was coming off of his turn as Simon Templar in a TV version of The Saint that was very popular. Much like how everyone expected Pierce Brosnan to take over because of his high profile on Remington Steele, but NBC wouldn't let him out of his contract.
Lennon wasn't happy that McCartney chose to do a song for the Bond franchise. Prompted him to write the song "How Do You Sleep," which somewhat mimics the style of Live and Let Die.
The books were filmed out of order. Quarrel first appeared in Live and Let Die and then returned for Dr. No. Since Quarrel died in Dr. No, the screenwriters had to invent Quarrel Jr. for the film version of Live and Let Die.
Not that this film is a particularly faithful adaptation of the book. Major set pieces from the book would later end up in the films For Your Eyes Only and Licence to Kill.
Favorite bond movie as a kid. Great work Shan