For the next one, Octopussy awaits you, a good film and then the last film by Roger Moore as Bond: "A View to a Kill", an almost 60-year-old Roger Moore, a film that I like, it has fans and detractors too, to Roger Moore He didn't like it, not because it's a bad movie, but because of the excess of violence in the third act, where there is a brutal scene where the villain kills all his employees, which were many and in a very sadistic way. very psycho. It's without a doubt the most shocking scene in Moore's Bond movies and it's strange because his movies were always light and enjoyable, not so violent.
I suggest you react to Octopussy first, and then Never Say Never Again. The latter is not a satire, but rather an unofficial remake of Thunderball, and has the merit of being Sean Connery's last film in his iconic role. Both movies came out in 1983, which was a big thing back then, to the point that the press called it "The War of the Bonds." The story of why a different studio was able to make an unofficial Bond movie is a bit convoluted but interesting. On the Wikipedia page you can find the short version, which helps you understand this matter.
Sadly Israeli actor Chaim Topol who plays Colombo passed away last week...RIP. He was best known for playing the lead role in the musical film fiddler on the roof.
It's actually nice seeing Roger Moore starting to get his due. So many only liked Connery for a long time and wrote Moore off as silly and 2nd rate. I thought he played the debonair and smooth facet of Bond perfectly.
The saddest thing is that she thought (correctly) that Pierce would make for a great Bond and championed him for the role, but she died before it she got to see it happen
I met Roger in 2016, he was doing a talk about his career and he was asked which of the cars was his favourite. He said the Citroen 2CV from this movie. I know a few people who have fallen in love with that car. As a kid my brother and I had CORGI toy car version of this. Such a suave gentlemen he was even in real life and actually very self-effacing. He said the proudest work he'd done in his life was when Audrey Hepburn introduced him to UNICEF and he became an ambassador. sadly only a few months later he passed away.
The producers realised that they couldn't top going into space so they decided to go back to basics for this one. At the time I was disappointed but watching it years later I feel it is a superior movie as a result. It's now one of my favourites. I also think Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock is very underrated. IMO she's one of the best bond girls.
That wasn't the real reason. United Artists went vastly overbudget with Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" which was a box-office failure the year before. This ultimately destroyed its reputation with Transamerica and the greater Hollywood community. Hence why they had to trim the budget for the next Bond movie, that being For Your Eyes Only. The next year they would merge with MGM due to their big financial losses, and this would lead to Octopussy once again having a bigger budget under MGM/UA. The back-to-basics was producer PR spin, although FYEO was written to introduce a new Bond, and not Roger Moore who was refusing to sign his new contract.
Whatever the reason, I’m glad they toned it down. It always gets on my nerves when movies are made with the intent of being the next big thing and end up failing because of it. I always prefer it when they’re made as their own thing instead of actively trying to one-up another production. Otherwise, it just comes across as made for the critics rather than the audience.
One thing I've been wondering lately; Moonraker was made to cash in on Star Wars, and For Your Eyes Only is heavily toned down in comparison, probably to make up for the excesses of that film...but in an alternate timeline, what would this movie had been like if it _had_ followed up on The Spy Who Loved Me, as originally intended?
This is one of my favorite Bond flics. Classy, with a real-world villain and stakes. Exotic locations, explosions, gorgeous Melina and good period music.
Columbo is played by Topol, who sadly passed away earlier this month. He had a great career, but I remember him most as playing Hans Zarkov in Flash Gordon (1980). If you love cheesy sci-fi movies, that would be a good one for you to watch at some point.
I was going to mention that myself. I love everything about that movie, and it has a second Bond connection besides Topol - Timothy Dalton plays Prince Baren, leader of Arboria, and of course, was the Bond between Moore and Brosnan. Flash Gordon is so giddily over the top and cheesy, and I love it, as well as the soundtrack by Queen. Brian Blessed, Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff from Rocky Horror), and best of all, Max von Sydow (Father Merrin in The Exorcist). I also wanted to mention that the guy who plays the main bad guy in this was the (spoiler alert) main bad guy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
He's probably most famous for his portrayal of Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, the role for which he was nominated for an Oscar and won the Golden Globe. It's an excellent movie. I was lucky enough to see him in the stage play in Boston on his farewell tour in 2009.
@jodonnell64 Julian Glover also was the AT-AT Commander in The Empire Strikes Back plus played King Richard in a William Hartnell Doctor Who story, The Crusades and later what is considered to be one of the best classic series stories, City of Death with Tom Baker and Lalla Ward which also guest starred Catherine Schell, who was on Space 1999.
This might be my personal favorite of the entire Bond run(at least up to what I've seen), and for sure my favorite Roger Moore outing(Roger was starting to show his age here). After Moonraker(and that big budget), this movie was back to basics, no gadgets, no fancy cars(until it exploded), no world destroying super villain. Just Bond and his wits, on a mission for the Queen. Melina was also my favorite Bond girl as she didn't have the curves most are known for, but she was drop dead gorgeous. The fact that she was just out to avenge her parents was also great, as she didn't need saving, she just needed to get even. This was my 2nd Bond movie at theaters, and for me, it still holds up all these years later. EDIT: and the opening scene is also one of my favs as well, maybe top spot as well.
Love the continuity by making reference to Bond's late wife, Teresa. I always enjoy these more down-to-earth Bonds. They remind me of OHMSS and From Russia with Love.
After the over the top silliness of "Moonraker", this was a welcome return to Bond actually doing "spy stuff". You'll notice there were little to no gadgets in this film and he's on a mission to deal with actual espionage. Most fans and critics think "The Spy Who Loved Me" is Moore's best Bond film, but this is my personal favorite of his. Interesting fact, this is the only Bond film where you see the theme song sung by the artist, Sheena Easton, in the opening credits. Topol, who played Columbo (Pistachios), passed away just around a week ago. The actress who played Lisl, Cassandra Harris, was married to future Bond, Pierce Brosnan.
This is my absolute favorite Bond movie. The cliff elevator. The Reef pull. The Greek guy ally (guess they weren't ever really adversaries - chalk it up to faulty memory). The submarine scenes.
Sheena Easton's performance of the song "For Your Eyes Only" is amazing. It actually gets to me. Not sure why. Definitely the only Bond theme to do so, others are just sentimental or nothing.
There's a video of her performing it in 2014 with an orchestra conducted by none other than Bill Conti himself. I honestly found that better than the song itself. I cried watching it.
I think this song, though simple and basic in some ways, is genuinely romantic in a way that most other love songs aren't. It's expressed from the singer's point of view, but it's about two people who really know and trust each other, and therefore can be completely open and reveal their true selves, but only for each other. It's sentimental, but in a very real and deep way, and Easton made it sound profound, earnest, and sincere. Yeah, it gets to me, too. I like many of the other Bond theme songs, but none of them evoke any actual feelings like this one does. I don't know what all of this has to do with Bond, but as a pop song, it is sheer brilliance! Maybe thematically it would have been a better fit for _On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ , since it had the only true love story for Bond (up to that point). Fortunately, _For Your Eyes Only_ apparently comes right after that movie in the Bond cinematic timeline, with Bond visiting his wife's grave and avenging her death in the pre-credits scene, so I suppose it's better slightly late than never. And it's not a bad fit for Bond's relationship with Melina, either. While that wouldn't end up being true, lasting love, they did have to get to know and trust each other over time, with Melina's anger and thirst for vengeance in the way, and it was more than just hooking up and shagging as soon as they had the opportunity. Like billolsen4360 pointed out, they had become friends, not just lovers. I really wouldn't have minded if Melina had appeared in subsequent Bond movies. They seemed to have this...bond. 😏
007 TRIVIA: Cassandra Harris (who played Countess Lisl von Schlaf in this film) died of cancer in 1991 but her husband Pierce Brosnan would go on to play James Bond from 1995 to 2002.
Roger Moore was 54 when he made For Your Eyes Only and felt very uncomfortable with some of the scenes he shared with the much younger female co-stars. It was because of this, that the overtly sexual script was toned down and this decision actually made this a better movie.
Yes its actually quite endearing the way he reacts to Bebe played by Lynn Holly Johnson in the film. It shows a new side to Bond as a more paternal figure to a female character.
He was older than Sean Connery. IIRC Connery was 52 in Never Say Never Again. Back then they were considered pushing it with regards to playing action roles. Just think of all the action stars in their 50's and above today.
Yes, but that only works in the case of Bibi, because she is written to be 15 or 16. In real life Carole Bouqet (Melina) and Lynn-Holly Johnson (Bibi) are the same age, been 23 / 22 during filming. But yes, the 30years agegap would be to much.
@@zacharylewis2802 Though, Cubby Broccoli was still going to work with Moore on "The Living Daylights" and the script was written for Moore. He had to come in himself and tell Broccoli "I'm too old for this. I can't do it anymore."
The same stuntman who did the Bond rock climbing fall to arrest on the end of a climbing rope was the same stuntman who did the ski jump/parachute at the start of "The Spy who Loved Me." Rick Sylvester was amazing.
Gluhwein is wine with sugar, fruit and spices, served hot. They drink it in Germany when it is cold. That's what the bearded guy offers to James Bond at the ski place. The "coffee heater" you saw was a little hot plate for keeping the gluhwein warm. Usually it is made of red wine, but white wine can be used as well.
Also, that was a real thing in Greece. I only know the short story, but the king wanted to side with the axis powers in WW2 but the prime minister wanted to side with the Allies so there was a bit of spat until the king abdicated. So pistachio would have been on the allied side. Goatee McBackstabber was clearly on the opportunist side. Whichever side made him more money. Flip flop back and forth in a fancy suit.
This was the first Bond movie to show the singer of the opening score, and the singer, Sheena Easton was from Bellshill in Scotland, literally a few miles outside of where I live here in Glasgow. She was the 2nd Scottish singer to start a Bond movie, the other being Lulu who sand "The Man With the Golden Gun", who coincidentally, although being born in Stirling, was raised here in Glasgow. Hopefully this is NOT the single most useless piece of information among your replies. 😁😉
I saw this at age 13 when it was on HBO fresh out of the theaters, and I never missed a showing of it. I still consider my all time favorite Bond film and also with the most beautiful Bond woman. ❤️💕❤️💕
The Countess is played by the late Cassandra Harris. During this films production, Cassandra's young husband first came to the attention of the Bond producers, a young bloke named Pierce Brosnan.
So glad I found your channel. Currently going through your Bond stuff, with a little side trek to watch your Exorcist vid (heehee), but have to say that I've been enjoying my visit so far. Take care
The climbing scene reminded Jen of "Cliffhanger" but it was really a homage to "Guns of Navarone" with Gregory Peck, and I hope that Jen will do a video on that one in the future.
@@jenmurrayxo I love your james bond reactions ;) I just wanted to remind you that you should react to "never say never again" (1983) between octopussy and a view to a kill. It is a james bond film not made by EON with Sean Connery BACK AS JAMES BOND ! And come on, you can't say no to another james bond with sean connery :) It was released the same year as octopussy with roger moore but only few months after
@@marievjing Agree! And it's better than the last two Roger Moore ones. The writing, plots were terrible. I honesly have a hard time deciding which of those two movies I hate worse, Good thing it's Jen reacting. That will make them watchable.
It was a known fact that in N.Y.C. during that time, many a Lotus was stolen. So the theft protection system of Bond's Lotus in FYEO was 'a wish fulfillment' as an joke. Less theft, more boom.
Bond fact- your saying you didn't know bond had climbing skills. In bond's family background his father was a famous mountaineer and both bonds mother & father died in a climbing accident.
Fun fact: the music during the ski chase was the theme used for the first season of the TV show "Lifestyles of The Rich & Famous" composed by Bill Conti.
The singer is Sheena Easton, and she had a fantastic career in the late 1970s, all the way through the 1980s. This is actually one of the best Bond opening songs. Milena marks a strong shift toward more assertive and competent Bond girls, and the trend continues in the future films. This one also has one of the most satisfying plots and endings. It's my close second favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films. Gluwein means "warm wine." It's heated and spiced red wine; they drink it frequently in the winter, on the European mainland.
@@reesebn38 She was certainly attractive enough, but I don't think she'd had any acting experience at the time they made this movie. She did okay as Sonny Crockett's wife in Miami Vice for a short run, but you could tell her talent lay in her voice, not in her acting talent.
4:00 That's an under water naval ship bomb, from WWII. They float a few meters under water, and are attached to the sea bed, with a chain hooked to a weight, so that they don't drift away. Even up to the 1990s,there have been vessels and small boats sunk, by hitting one of these by accident, because they were not discovered earlier. Many have been killed post WWII, just as many have been killed by land mines, not discovered. It's no more than maybe 10 years ago, that the last bit of coast of the Danish western coast, was cleared of mines, in the sand dunes, near the water.
Jen, the beautiful actress and singer Sheena Easton is the only performer of a Bond theme song, to actually appear in the title sequence of a Bond movie.
4:15 and 4:31 Jen earns even more awesomeness points for conversationally using the words "methinks" and "'twas" less than a minute apart. Best UA-cam reactor ever!
Terrific review as always! After the excesses of MOONRAKER (1979), the producers decided to bring Bond back down Earth (pun intended) in this lean, taut action-thriller where Moore's Bond proves that he can be a cold-blooded killer when need be. Big props to new director John Glen--who would helm all of the '80s Bond movies, as well as composer Bill Conti (ROCKY) for an updated, rock-influenced score. Melina was portrayed by the very lovely French actress Caroline Bouquet with great supporting turns by the late, great Topol (fresh off his entertaining role as Dr. Hans Zarkov in 1980's FLASH GORDON--another fun flick you should screen) as the charismatic Colombo and the wicked Kristatos, played by Julian Glover (fresh off a role in 1980's THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as General Veers). The Countess was portrayed by the late Casandra Harris, who was future Bond Pierce Brosnan's first wife. And one last note: M is absent from this one because Bernard Lee (who portrayed the head of MI6 since 1962's DR. NO) had recently passed away. So, a new M will appear in the next outing, OCTOPUSSY (1983). All in all, FYEO is one Moore's very best outings. And, he's got two more to go!
Excellent info. By the way, does anyone else remember Carole Bouquet as the Chanel No. 5 (legendary perfume) ad girl during much of the 1980s? She has a very distinctive look, obviously, and I always got a kick out of seeing "Melina" on TV ads and posters. That was before they started using multiple better-known celebrities to advertise. She pretty much was the face of the product for years and years, as I recall.
( I am not a Moore fan Timothy Dalton plays the part closest to Flemming's Bond) but I think this is the best story line in the Moore movies. Great job as always, Jen!
@@Robert-un7br yeah, Sean was great! He made the part his own, (which wasn't exactly what Ian Flemming had in mind lol) That is why I say Dalton played the character closest to what Flemming wrote in the books. Don't get me wrong, Sean WAS James Bond, just like many actors played Sherlock Holmes, but Jeremy Brett WAS Sherlock Holmes! Even though Flemming did not initially approve of the Scott, Sean, playing the role, he did warm up to Sean after a while, & even gave Bond a Scottish mother in the next 007 novel! Haha
The fun sidekick Pistashio is Topol. He was known by 1 name like Madonna and Cher. My favorite film of his is Flash Gordon. Super fun 80s film with a Queen soundtrack based on the comic strip orriginaly from the 1930s. Has Timothy Dalton who plays the next 007.
The opening helicopter sequence was filmed at Beckton gas works which was also used as a filming location for the city of Hue in the last third of Full Metal Jacket.
Carole Bouquet (Melina) had a sinus problem that made it impossible for her to dive or hold her breath underwater, so all of her underwater scenes had to be done "dry for wet" with wind machines, slow motion, and lighting effects, the air bubbles were added in post production. Her voice was also dubbed, similar to some of the earlier Bond girls, however she dubbed herself in the French version. She was only a year older than Lynn-Holly Johnson (Bibi) in real life. She was also the face of Chanel No. 5 in the '80s. I think this is the film where Roger Moore had his first thoughts of leaving the role, as playing love scenes with girls young enough to be his granddaughter made him uncomfortable (he still has the most films in the official series, though Daniel Craig had a longer run in years; he was also the deadliest Bond up until Craig blew up Blofeld's base in SPECTRE.)
YES, another Bond reaction. I thought "I'm sure Jen releases a Bond reaction on a Friday", then a couple of hours later I get a notification. I'm excited and I haven't even watched it yet. Also loved the 300 reaction.
Hello from Greece Jen! This was my first bond film, and it blew my mind back in the summer of 1982! As for the locations, there was no shooting in Spain and Madrid. All these places are located in Corfu. The monastery is in a fantastic location called Meteora in central Greece. It's always a pleasure to watch your reactions! I hope you visit Greece soon!
Great job Jen! As mentioned by another commenter, Topal played the Low Key MVP Milos character. Sadly he did just pass away last week. He is best remembered for his role in 'Fiddler on the Roof' on stage and screen.
Bright Angel Miss Jen while bringing witty, humorous and charismatic are all traits that come to mind first, another important characteristic is the ability to be delightful and fun. No matter what film she can make you smile and laugh, or even shed a tear. We need more subscribers and Patrons for our reactor Queen. She works hard to bring us joy. It’s so worth it. Can’t wait for her next adventure.
My favorite Bond opening with a killer theme song by the lovely Sheena Easton! And of course the magnificent Jen to add the commentary/reaction! Who could ask for more?😁
Your love of explosions and evil lairs had me doubting your Canadian-ness... until you started calling foul play on the hockey dudes trying to murder Bond! It just doesn't get more Canadian than THAT. 🤣🤣🤣
Possibly the most memorable line in Bond, up there with 'Shaken, not stirred' - Blofeld's "Mr Bond! We can do a deal! I'll buy you a delicatessen! In stainless steel" - memorable for its sheer weirdness. You'd have thought that someone whould have told Cubby Broccoli that no-one had any idea what the hell that was supposed to mean....
@@matthewganong1730 That's not true. It's a gangster thing as Jesse Howard pointed out. It's explicitly in the movie for that reason. Cubby knew what it meant, the writers knew what it meant, everyone who made the film knew what it meant. We shouldn't blame them for kowtowing to audience ignorance like movies do nowadays.
@@ConstantineFurman I’ve heard that explanation, but every interview I’ve heard where they bring it up, the filmmakers still sound unsure as to why it actually ended up in the film, because it’s a ridiculous line.
Don't know if anyone said, but the big spikey balls are sea mines which are typically placed at differin depths to close off certain areas of water much in the way land mines are used to close off roads. You can see more of em and how they're placed in Finding Nemo.
The musical director in this film was Bill Conti, as John Barry was doing another project at the time of filming. Bill Conti is best known for his scores in the Rocky films and "The Right Stuff"
Your right and John Barry’s final Bond films he did score for was The Living Daylights in 1987. Barry did score for of Roger Moore’s films except The Spy Who Loved Me and Live and Let Die
Roger Moore was discovered and lived with a very famous British Singer: Dorothy Squires who had him as a young lover and she introduced him to the Hollywood Set. He played the lead in British TV's "Ivanhoe" in the late 1960s before becoming very famous as "THE SAINT". I have just watched Series 5 Episode 28 lol Great part and he is as self-deprecating as always. He was born 4 miles from me in South East London and lived in a big, detached house with Dorothy Squires just 1/2 mile from me when I moved to Outer S E London.
Richard Jeni on Jaws: The Revenge ua-cam.com/video/22BcaJf8g90/v-deo.html the oceans get their saltiness from the tear drops of sharks that just want a hug The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Sharks Teeth ua-cam.com/video/_BT4nafu-II/v-deo.html
So much fun watching your Bond reactions, Jen. Just a quick bit of trivia that I'm sure someone must have already posted, but Moneypenny was played by Lois Maxwell who was from Kitchener, Ontario!
Lois was a regular on the very Canadian production 'Adventures in Rainbow Country'. She also starred in an episode of Roger Moore's other claim to fame 'The Saint'.
They referenced his wife's death in Live And Let Die. The ski chase scenes are On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, this one, A Biew To A Kill, The Living Daylights, The World Is Not Enough and Spectre.
Yes, the music in For Your Eyes Only is very different from typical Bond films. The music was composed by Bill Conti, who also composed the music for Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, The Big Chill, The Right Stuff, and the television series Dynasty. For Your Eyes Only was one of three Roger Moore Bond films that were not scored by legendary Bond film composer John Barry, the other two being Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Your right Live and Let Die was composed by George Martin and The Spy Who Loved Me was composed by Marvin Hamlisch. John Barry’s final score was The Living Daylights in 1987.
There is a good interview on UA-cam with Julian Glover, and he talks about playing Kristatos, as well as Roger Moore. He even mentions how the production crew suggested the idea of Kristatos having that small beard.
Bernard Lee died early in 1981 after 11 appearances. He was too ill to film so M was written out. We get Chief of Staff Bill Tanner a character who features in the books and other Bond movies. Regarding OHMSS the ending is brutal and so sad (I cry every time I watch it) in my view Tracy was the only girl who could ever win Bond's heart.
Fun fact, The actor who played Apostis who was one of Kristatos's killers was also a rebel pilot (red 4- John D ) in Star Wars- A New Hope and was first pilot to be killed by a Tie Fighter. His name is Jack Klaff and only had a 2 word line... "I'm hit!!!"
Bill Conti composed "disco-flavored" music for the film. It sounds like The Jacksons and A Taste of Honey. He also wrote the theme song for the short-lived 1984 NBC TV show The Master.
Jorge Zarco,the theme from The Master is only Slightly Differant from the great ski chase theme in this movie , too good a tune to waste on just the one production
The actor playing #1 in the pre credits sequence was John Hollis. Producer Kevin McClory held the copyrights to the Blofeld character. Therefore, Blofeld is not mentioned by name despite the obvious clues
This is my favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films. Interestingly, 'For Your Eyes Only' is not a novel but a book of five James Bond short stories. The plots of two of these stories were combined to form the outline of the script.
I just discovered your reactions, Jen. I think they're great. You're so much fun to watch and you have great taste in movies. I'm subscribed. for Your Eyes Only is one of my favorite Bond Films. I think it's full of non stop action and has a great plot. Everybody seems to have a story about this film. The one I heard, reading the film critics of the time, is that after Raiders of the lost arc, all the studios were trying to add a lot more fast paced action to their films and this was a result. So many great things in this, The locales, the supporting cast and Carole Bouchet is just marvelous. She was a well regarded European actress as well as being stunningly beautiful.
The Actor who played M in all previous movies, Bernard Lee, died before his scenes for this movie could be filmed. Out of respect, the role wasnt immediately recast and his lines given to his Chief of Staff Bill Tanner instead.
They gave the actors playing Q(Desmond Llewelyn, Tanner more lines in film and wrote it in to film M was on holiday rather then bring in new actor to play M. Robert Brown replaced Bernard Lee officially in Octopussy as M and would play M until Licence To Kill.
@@scottknode898 Which was a logical way to write M out of the film. After all the various world crises that required Bond, M really deserved a long vacation!
Here's the answer to some questions. The director was an editor on On Her Majesty's Secret Service, so he worked in some references to it. Roger Moore was 53. the long time composer did not do the score, John Barry. he returned for the next 3 movies. Lastly since they had gone so far into science fiction they wanted to make this one much more realistic. it's one of my favorites
Interesting side notes, Carole Bouquet could not handle the underwater filming due to an inner ear problem so all her underwater close-up scenes were done using special lighting, air fans, and slow motion. Also, actor Bernard Lee (M) passed away shortly before filming began, so the Chief of Staff character was created and M’s character was on leave for this film.
I should note that all the films in the series up to Moonraker were based on full length James Bond books by Fleming, For Your Eyes Only is the first to be adapted from a short story albeit in name only. Licence to Kill would be the last film to adapt any aspect of a Fleming work, being a combination of short stories as inspiration. GoldenEye onwards with the exception of Casino Royale which adapted the Fleming book of the same name as a kind of reboot, are all original stories. Which is a shame. Fleming died in 1964, long enough to see his creation become a phenomenon with Goldfinger, but then Bond novels were subsequently written by a mixture of authors. Around 28 full length novels with original stories have been written since Fleming’s death, including authors Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Charlie Higson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffrey Deaver, William Boyd and Anthony Horowitz (who’s published novels utilising unpublished material by Fleming). So if the film series ever runs out of ideas, I’d be gobsmacked, there’s a wealth of material to adapt for Bond.
Don't know if this has been mentioned already but the previous Bond movie (Moonraker) was the last time we got to see Bernard Lee as M. He sadly died just before the filming of this movie started (or during, can't remember) so that's why M in this movie is on vacation.
I loved the Rodger Moore Era of 007. He was Bond when I was a kid in the 80s. My other favorite is Pierce Brosnan. Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only wasn't just the title song, it actually was a class hit for her too. She was a big star then. Prince wrote a song for her called "Sugar Walls". Yep, just what it sounds like 😂😂😂.
3:07 Yep. That's Sheena Easton. I wa a big fan back in the day. I liked how she was featured on the reality show "The Big Time" as an example of all the unknown singers who struggle in obscurity sustained by their fragile dreams of someday making it big, and from that exposure, she actually did get discovered and had to talent to used that opportunity to become a major pop star.
The "Countess" was played by Pierce Brosnan's, wife, Cassandra Harris and Julian Glover also played Donovan in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE making him the only actor to play a villain in a James Bond movie AND an Indiana Jones movie.
You made my Friday! I do so enjoy your Bond reactions. This one is my favorite Bond movie. I love the exploding car. I first saw this in 1982 or 83. To this day I still say pistachio-nuts when referring to them. The title song was another huge hit. I’m sure you’ve heard this in the credits, but you gotta watch the Austin Powers trilogy.
The round object with spikes that blew up the boat is an old style sea mine, they were used in World War 2. In real life, Roger Moore was very fond of skiing. I had forgotten that Julian Glover was a Bond villain.
Jen, I feel like Bond could never really have a very serious love interest, because if his enemies found out they could use it against him. Looking forward to more of your Bond reactions their great. 🍿📽️👍
I very much enjoy your enthusiasm for the 007 series, a series that has entertained 'the living daylights' outta me for more than 50+ years. Your critiques are quite interesting and your anticipation of upcoming scenes is mostly spot-on. It's great that you are a fan of the various portrayals of Bond as they differ from one lead actor in the role to another. I hope you continue to enjoy the Bond films-know that they are meant for repeated viewings(!)-and hope that you get many more UA-cam subscribers...I will be doing so momentarily!!!
A young Charles Dance in a small role was one of henchmen working for main villain Kristatos as Claus who is killed on the beach by Columbos men with a spear in back.
The finale in the water as they are dragged across coral is actually from the book Live & Let Die. Also for the keen eyed, Charles Dance can be spotted as a henchman in the ski/ motorcycle chase.
Due to a long legal battle with Thunderball co-writer Kevin McClory over the rights to Ernst Stavro Bloefeld and SPECTRE (which were actually created by Ian Fleming) the Albert R. Broccoli company and United Artists weren't able to use either Bloefeld or SPECTRE for the Roger Moore Bond films, such as The Spy Who Loved Me, which originally was going to feature Bloefeld and SPECTRE. So Broccoli and the studio decided to just have James Bond kill off Bloefeld in the opening sequence of For Your Eyes Only and avoid any legal issues by not actually mentioning Bloefeld's name or the name SPECTRE.
It wasn't that exactly. I mean, yes, everything you said is true. But the actual reason they killed Blofeld was basically a big ol' "fuck you" to Kevin McClory. They did it to show McClory that Bond doesn't need Blofeld cause they were absolutely sick of dealing with McClory and his constant lawsuits (that McClory always lost) by that time. SPECTRE's inclusion wouldn't have made sense at any rate and the reason is Bond destroys SPECTRE at the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Blofeld is acting completely on his own in "Diamonds Are Forever" and he has kidnapped and is impersonating a billionaire because he's broke now and he doesn't have that organization to help him anymore.
@@Pikachu132 And I'm saying that would have made no sense since Bond had already wiped out SPECTRE and Blofeld was on his own, which was evident in "Diamonds...". It doesn't matter anyway since they aren't in "...Loved Me."
@@ConstantineFurman Well, yes, I wasn't trying to put it in those terms, but yes, they were telling McClory to go screw himself by killing Bloefeld off. I still would have liked to have seen Bloefeld in The Spy Who Loved Me, but it was fitting to kill Bloefeld off in For Your Eyes Only just as McClory was getting his Thunderball remake made as Never Say Never Again, the most unnecessary Bond movie ever made.
Ahhh my favourite Bond film. Hoping you love this...Writing this as your video starts off. Jen, the score was written by Bill Conti who famously scored Rocky. Bill went onto score all 3 of the original The Karate Kid films too. An amazing talent.
When they asked Roger Moore what his favourite car was in all the bond movies he has don’t he said it was that Yellow Citron 2CV6 because it literally took a beating like in the movie and it still worked perfectly every time.
30:15 The ironic trivia: Greek Orthodox monks didnt want the film crew to shoot a scene in Meteora. Understandably cos they were concerned that few foreigners would go there and disrupt their monastery, whilst shooting a fight scene. Jerry Juroe, who was a long time Bond publicist, flew over there to smooth things out between the crew and the monks.
Favorite Bond & 007 movie 🖒🖒 Watched this for the first time on a top loading VCR as a kid. I still enjoy the theme song. Just a comment from one of the 35% 😁 Nice reaction!
Roger Moore was 53 while filming For Your Eyes Only... He originally wanted to leave the role after Moonraker, but he agreed to stay on... Your next Bond adventure is Octopussy, where Roger Moore returns to battle a rival Bond film (a Thunderball remake starring Sean Connery)...
For this movie was a different composer comparing to the other ones. This James Bond movie is one of the most "realistics" and it's also my favorite one withe Roger Morre a long side with The Spy Who Loved Me, of course.
Best ski stuff in any Bond film imo. I actually knew the guy who did some of the ski stunts in this. He was playing Bond in the bobsled run, they had to tie a rope around his waist and he was dragged by the bobsled so he could keep his speed up. Pretty crazy.
One of the stuntmen died filming the chase. Quote 23-year-old stuntman Paolo Rigoni died during the filming of the bobsled chase. This was due to a poorly designed track. Rigoni was not the only one to lose his life there, however. During an actual competition another bobsledder was killed at the same exact spot. The track was later modified for a less severe turn.
RIP Topol from a few weeks ago. This is one of the best Bonds, and I always have to choose between it and Octopussy as my favorites. It has the best sidekick (Columbo), one of the best songs, one of the best Bond women in Melina, and some of the absolute best set piece action sequences. I still remember the first time I saw it and just how freaked out I was by the St Cyril's climb (I am terrified of heights). One of the other cool things about this Bond film is that it doesn't have someone trying to take over the world. This is a legit Cold War spy thriller. It is MI-6 vs KGB via their surrogates in the Greek underworld. The story itself is actually one of the most realistic in the entire franchise in that respect. As you noted, Bond here shows carnal restraint for possibly the first time in the series, which I always appreciated for showing him seeming to mature (maybe?). It has so many broader connections too. The actress who plays the contessa is Cassandra Harris, who was married to Pierce Brosnan at the time. She lobbied hard for Pierce to be the Bond after Roger Moore, but he was locked into his contract from Remington Steele at the time. Sadly, she died of breast cancer before she got to see him be Bond. The villain, Kristatos, is played by Julian Glover, who was one of the best villain character actors of the 80s. You can find him as General Veers in Empire Strikes Back, in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and even in Game of Thrones as Grand Maester Pycelle. The guy just ACTS in everything and is always solid. Oh- and Charles Dance with barely, almost, kinda a line of dialogue.
7:35 The amazing score in this film is provided by Bill Conti! The Lethal Weapon soundtrack was done by Michael Kamen, who would provide the soundtrack for Licence To Kill, the last Bond film of the 80s...
JAMES BOND PLAYLIST: ua-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5dp_oymDpZRwVEgCMP9fUpks.html
LETHAL WEAPON PLAYLIST: ua-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5drIlwrH9yKm0mHdTbgf7aSo.html
1980'S PLAYLIST: ua-cam.com/play/PLQHhQlj8i5drsQx2uSifPV3sKWZEJrnyx.html
Jen, I know I'm annoying, but I have to try again. ' QUIGLEY DOWN UNDER! ' you will absolutely love it...I promise!
@@e.d.2096 Patience My Friend, Patience...We Both Know that She would Enjoy it! 👍
For the next one, Octopussy awaits you, a good film and then the last film by Roger Moore as Bond: "A View to a Kill", an almost 60-year-old Roger Moore, a film that I like, it has fans and detractors too, to Roger Moore He didn't like it, not because it's a bad movie, but because of the excess of violence in the third act, where there is a brutal scene where the villain kills all his employees, which were many and in a very sadistic way. very psycho. It's without a doubt the most shocking scene in Moore's Bond movies and it's strange because his movies were always light and enjoyable, not so violent.
I suggest you react to Octopussy first, and then Never Say Never Again. The latter is not a satire, but rather an unofficial remake of Thunderball, and has the merit of being Sean Connery's last film in his iconic role. Both movies came out in 1983, which was a big thing back then, to the point that the press called it "The War of the Bonds."
The story of why a different studio was able to make an unofficial Bond movie is a bit convoluted but interesting. On the Wikipedia page you can find the short version, which helps you understand this matter.
Jen I really think you would enjoy Danger: Diabolik from 1968. It’s a great mix of Bond and supervillain action. A very fun watch!
Sadly Israeli actor Chaim Topol who plays Colombo passed away last week...RIP. He was best known for playing the lead role in the musical film fiddler on the roof.
And Dr. Zarkov in Flash Gordon
Topol was a class act!
@@machfront He was!
Underrated bond film.
It's actually nice seeing Roger Moore starting to get his due. So many only liked Connery for a long time and wrote Moore off as silly and 2nd rate. I thought he played the debonair and smooth facet of Bond perfectly.
i think its Moores best
@@cchavezjr7 Moore was brilliant, behind only Brosnan but it's very close
A little Bond trivia for the group, the Countess played by Cassandra Harris was Pierce Brosnan's wife until her death in 1991.
I met both Pierce and Cassandra at a Malibu, CA auction in the late '80s.
And Pierce was on set for this film while his wife was shooting.
The saddest thing is that she thought (correctly) that Pierce would make for a great Bond and championed him for the role, but she died before it she got to see it happen
@@christianwise637 a missed opportunity
Her death nearly destroyed Pierce Brosnan!
Theme song sung by the magnificent Sheena Easton, amazing singer
I met Roger in 2016, he was doing a talk about his career and he was asked which of the cars was his favourite. He said the Citroen 2CV from this movie. I know a few people who have fallen in love with that car. As a kid my brother and I had CORGI toy car version of this. Such a suave gentlemen he was even in real life and actually very self-effacing. He said the proudest work he'd done in his life was when Audrey Hepburn introduced him to UNICEF and he became an ambassador. sadly only a few months later he passed away.
The producers realised that they couldn't top going into space so they decided to go back to basics for this one. At the time I was disappointed but watching it years later I feel it is a superior movie as a result. It's now one of my favourites. I also think Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock is very underrated. IMO she's one of the best bond girls.
That wasn't the real reason. United Artists went vastly overbudget with Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" which was a box-office failure the year before. This ultimately destroyed its reputation with Transamerica and the greater Hollywood community. Hence why they had to trim the budget for the next Bond movie, that being For Your Eyes Only. The next year they would merge with MGM due to their big financial losses, and this would lead to Octopussy once again having a bigger budget under MGM/UA. The back-to-basics was producer PR spin, although FYEO was written to introduce a new Bond, and not Roger Moore who was refusing to sign his new contract.
yes, i think For Your Eyes Only is one of the best Bond Roger Moore films.
@@SmartCookie2022 they when in to a different direction in 2 years time. Cubby knew he has to progress in a new era for the bond
Whatever the reason, I’m glad they toned it down. It always gets on my nerves when movies are made with the intent of being the next big thing and end up failing because of it. I always prefer it when they’re made as their own thing instead of actively trying to one-up another production. Otherwise, it just comes across as made for the critics rather than the audience.
One thing I've been wondering lately; Moonraker was made to cash in on Star Wars, and For Your Eyes Only is heavily toned down in comparison, probably to make up for the excesses of that film...but in an alternate timeline, what would this movie had been like if it _had_ followed up on The Spy Who Loved Me, as originally intended?
This is one of my favorite Bond flics. Classy, with a real-world villain and stakes. Exotic locations, explosions, gorgeous Melina and good period music.
Columbo is played by Topol, who sadly passed away earlier this month. He had a great career, but I remember him most as playing Hans Zarkov in Flash Gordon (1980). If you love cheesy sci-fi movies, that would be a good one for you to watch at some point.
I was going to mention that myself. I love everything about that movie, and it has a second Bond connection besides Topol - Timothy Dalton plays Prince Baren, leader of Arboria, and of course, was the Bond between Moore and Brosnan. Flash Gordon is so giddily over the top and cheesy, and I love it, as well as the soundtrack by Queen. Brian Blessed, Richard O'Brien (Riff Raff from Rocky Horror), and best of all, Max von Sydow (Father Merrin in The Exorcist).
I also wanted to mention that the guy who plays the main bad guy in this was the (spoiler alert) main bad guy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
The best Bond ally since Kerim Bey in 'From Russia, with Love'.
He's probably most famous for his portrayal of Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof, the role for which he was nominated for an Oscar and won the Golden Globe. It's an excellent movie. I was lucky enough to see him in the stage play in Boston on his farewell tour in 2009.
Besides For Your Eyes Only I remember Topol best from the 1971 classic Fiddler on the Roof he sings well and his performance was outstanding.
@jodonnell64 Julian Glover also was the AT-AT Commander in The Empire Strikes Back plus played King Richard in a William Hartnell Doctor Who story, The Crusades and later what is considered to be one of the best classic series stories, City of Death with Tom Baker and Lalla Ward which also guest starred Catherine Schell, who was on Space 1999.
This might be my personal favorite of the entire Bond run(at least up to what I've seen), and for sure my favorite Roger Moore outing(Roger was starting to show his age here). After Moonraker(and that big budget), this movie was back to basics, no gadgets, no fancy cars(until it exploded), no world destroying super villain. Just Bond and his wits, on a mission for the Queen. Melina was also my favorite Bond girl as she didn't have the curves most are known for, but she was drop dead gorgeous. The fact that she was just out to avenge her parents was also great, as she didn't need saving, she just needed to get even. This was my 2nd Bond movie at theaters, and for me, it still holds up all these years later. EDIT: and the opening scene is also one of my favs as well, maybe top spot as well.
Also my second Bond film at theaters, and my favorite Moore film. And I too like how it's "back to basics," not over the top.
I agree that Moore was showing his age here, and that Timothy Dalton should’ve been the Bond of the 80s.
@@JedHead77 how ? Moore still got it, but he knew he wants to do something different
Love the continuity by making reference to Bond's late wife, Teresa. I always enjoy these more down-to-earth Bonds. They remind me of OHMSS and From Russia with Love.
After the over the top silliness of "Moonraker", this was a welcome return to Bond actually doing "spy stuff". You'll notice there were little to no gadgets in this film and he's on a mission to deal with actual espionage.
Most fans and critics think "The Spy Who Loved Me" is Moore's best Bond film, but this is my personal favorite of his.
Interesting fact, this is the only Bond film where you see the theme song sung by the artist, Sheena Easton, in the opening credits.
Topol, who played Columbo (Pistachios), passed away just around a week ago.
The actress who played Lisl, Cassandra Harris, was married to future Bond, Pierce Brosnan.
I couldn’t agree more with everything you said. My personal favorite Moore Bond.
This is my absolute favorite Bond movie. The cliff elevator. The Reef pull. The Greek guy ally (guess they weren't ever really adversaries - chalk it up to faulty memory). The submarine scenes.
Sheena Easton's performance of the song "For Your Eyes Only" is amazing. It actually gets to me. Not sure why. Definitely the only Bond theme to do so, others are just sentimental or nothing.
My favorite Bond movie, and my favorite Bond song.
It's a beautiful song, and she has a gorgeous voice.
There's a video of her performing it in 2014 with an orchestra conducted by none other than Bill Conti himself. I honestly found that better than the song itself. I cried watching it.
The Bond Girl becomes James' friend as well lover
I think this song, though simple and basic in some ways, is genuinely romantic in a way that most other love songs aren't. It's expressed from the singer's point of view, but it's about two people who really know and trust each other, and therefore can be completely open and reveal their true selves, but only for each other. It's sentimental, but in a very real and deep way, and Easton made it sound profound, earnest, and sincere. Yeah, it gets to me, too. I like many of the other Bond theme songs, but none of them evoke any actual feelings like this one does. I don't know what all of this has to do with Bond, but as a pop song, it is sheer brilliance!
Maybe thematically it would have been a better fit for _On Her Majesty's Secret Service_ , since it had the only true love story for Bond (up to that point). Fortunately, _For Your Eyes Only_ apparently comes right after that movie in the Bond cinematic timeline, with Bond visiting his wife's grave and avenging her death in the pre-credits scene, so I suppose it's better slightly late than never. And it's not a bad fit for Bond's relationship with Melina, either. While that wouldn't end up being true, lasting love, they did have to get to know and trust each other over time, with Melina's anger and thirst for vengeance in the way, and it was more than just hooking up and shagging as soon as they had the opportunity. Like billolsen4360 pointed out, they had become friends, not just lovers. I really wouldn't have minded if Melina had appeared in subsequent Bond movies. They seemed to have this...bond. 😏
Remember seeing this at cinema when I was 6 with dad + grandad, all enjoyed it, this is the bond film that made me a fan ( RIP you 2 )
007 TRIVIA: Cassandra Harris (who played Countess Lisl von Schlaf in this film) died of cancer in 1991 but her husband Pierce Brosnan would go on to play James Bond from 1995 to 2002.
Roger Moore was 54 when he made For Your Eyes Only and felt very uncomfortable with some of the scenes he shared with the much younger female co-stars. It was because of this, that the overtly sexual script was toned down and this decision actually made this a better movie.
Yes its actually quite endearing the way he reacts to Bebe played by Lynn Holly Johnson in the film. It shows a new side to Bond as a more paternal figure to a female character.
He was older than Sean Connery. IIRC Connery was 52 in Never Say Never Again. Back then they were considered pushing it with regards to playing action roles. Just think of all the action stars in their 50's and above today.
Yes, but that only works in the case of Bibi, because she is written to be 15 or 16. In real life Carole Bouqet (Melina) and Lynn-Holly Johnson (Bibi) are the same age, been 23 / 22 during filming. But yes, the 30years agegap would be to much.
His tenure ended when Tanya Roberts told him that he was older than her mother.
@@zacharylewis2802 Though, Cubby Broccoli was still going to work with Moore on "The Living Daylights" and the script was written for Moore. He had to come in himself and tell Broccoli "I'm too old for this. I can't do it anymore."
The same stuntman who did the Bond rock climbing fall to arrest on the end of a climbing rope was the same stuntman who did the ski jump/parachute at the start of "The Spy who Loved Me." Rick Sylvester was amazing.
Gluhwein is wine with sugar, fruit and spices, served hot. They drink it in Germany when it is cold. That's what the bearded guy offers to James Bond at the ski place. The "coffee heater" you saw was a little hot plate for keeping the gluhwein warm. Usually it is made of red wine, but white wine can be used as well.
Delicious
I love pistachio dude. He's level headed, does his homework, and handing the gun back to Bond... Epic gesture of trust.
Also, that was a real thing in Greece. I only know the short story, but the king wanted to side with the axis powers in WW2 but the prime minister wanted to side with the Allies so there was a bit of spat until the king abdicated. So pistachio would have been on the allied side. Goatee McBackstabber was clearly on the opportunist side. Whichever side made him more money. Flip flop back and forth in a fancy suit.
That was Columbo who ate the pistachios played by the late Topol who passed away this month.
This film has such a wonderful vibe. It's pure and traditional, very few gadgets, but gorgeous Mediterranean locations
This was the first Bond movie to show the singer of the opening score, and the singer, Sheena Easton was from Bellshill in Scotland, literally a few miles outside of where I live here in Glasgow. She was the 2nd Scottish singer to start a Bond movie, the other being Lulu who sand "The Man With the Golden Gun", who coincidentally, although being born in Stirling, was raised here in Glasgow. Hopefully this is NOT the single most useless piece of information among your replies. 😁😉
I saw this at age 13 when it was on HBO fresh out of the theaters, and I never missed a showing of it. I still consider my all time favorite Bond film and also with the most beautiful Bond woman. ❤️💕❤️💕
The Countess is played by the late Cassandra Harris. During this films production, Cassandra's young husband first came to the attention of the Bond producers, a young bloke named Pierce Brosnan.
So glad I found your channel. Currently going through your Bond stuff, with a little side trek to watch your Exorcist vid (heehee), but have to say that I've been enjoying my visit so far. Take care
The climbing scene reminded Jen of "Cliffhanger" but it was really a homage to "Guns of Navarone" with Gregory Peck, and I hope that Jen will do a video on that one in the future.
It’s always a great day when Jen reacts to Bond movie😃
Absolutely :)
Thanks Will! ☺️👍
@@jenmurrayxo
That you know who Margaret Thatcher was is truly impressive.
@@jenmurrayxo I love your james bond reactions ;)
I just wanted to remind you that you should react to "never say never again" (1983) between octopussy and a view to a kill. It is a james bond film not made by EON with Sean Connery BACK AS JAMES BOND !
And come on, you can't say no to another james bond with sean connery :)
It was released the same year as octopussy with roger moore but only few months after
@@marievjing Agree! And it's better than the last two Roger Moore ones. The writing, plots were terrible. I honesly have a hard time deciding which of those two movies I hate worse, Good thing it's Jen reacting. That will make them watchable.
Gotta love the 'theft protection system' on the Lotus, lol.
He sure didn't Live to Regret it! (LOL)
It was a known fact that in N.Y.C. during that time, many a Lotus was stolen.
So the theft protection system of Bond's Lotus in FYEO was 'a wish fulfillment' as an joke.
Less theft, more boom.
Bond fact- your saying you didn't know bond had climbing skills. In bond's family background his father was a famous mountaineer and both bonds mother & father died in a climbing accident.
Fun fact: the music during the ski chase was the theme used for the first season of the TV show "Lifestyles of The Rich & Famous" composed by Bill Conti.
I knew I wasn't only who remembered that.
Pistachios as you called Colombo (played by Topol) is most famous for the musical Fiddler on the Roof. He was a great sidekick
The singer is Sheena Easton, and she had a fantastic career in the late 1970s, all the way through the 1980s.
This is actually one of the best Bond opening songs.
Milena marks a strong shift toward more assertive and competent Bond girls, and the trend continues in the future films.
This one also has one of the most satisfying plots and endings. It's my close second favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films.
Gluwein means "warm wine."
It's heated and spiced red wine; they drink it frequently in the winter, on the European mainland.
Sheena could have been a Bond girl.
@@reesebn38 She was certainly attractive enough, but I don't think she'd had any acting experience at the time they made this movie.
She did okay as Sonny Crockett's wife in Miami Vice for a short run, but you could tell her talent lay in her voice, not in her acting talent.
Sweden has Glögg which is heated and spiced red wine and is drunk mainly at Christmas time.
4:00 That's an under water naval ship bomb, from WWII.
They float a few meters under water, and are attached to the sea bed, with a chain hooked to a weight, so that they don't drift away.
Even up to the 1990s,there have been vessels and small boats sunk, by hitting one of these by accident, because they were not discovered earlier. Many have been killed post WWII, just as many have been killed by land mines, not discovered.
It's no more than maybe 10 years ago, that the last bit of coast of the Danish western coast, was cleared of mines, in the sand dunes, near the water.
Jen, the beautiful actress and singer Sheena Easton is the only performer of a Bond theme song, to actually appear in the title sequence of a Bond movie.
She could have been a Bond Girl.
4:15 and 4:31 Jen earns even more awesomeness points for conversationally using the words "methinks" and "'twas" less than a minute apart. Best UA-cam reactor ever!
Thanks waterbeauty ☺️👍
Terrific review as always! After the excesses of MOONRAKER (1979), the producers decided to bring Bond back down Earth (pun intended) in this lean, taut action-thriller where Moore's Bond proves that he can be a cold-blooded killer when need be. Big props to new director John Glen--who would helm all of the '80s Bond movies, as well as composer Bill Conti (ROCKY) for an updated, rock-influenced score. Melina was portrayed by the very lovely French actress Caroline Bouquet with great supporting turns by the late, great Topol (fresh off his entertaining role as Dr. Hans Zarkov in 1980's FLASH GORDON--another fun flick you should screen) as the charismatic Colombo and the wicked Kristatos, played by Julian Glover (fresh off a role in 1980's THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK as General Veers). The Countess was portrayed by the late Casandra Harris, who was future Bond Pierce Brosnan's first wife. And one last note: M is absent from this one because Bernard Lee (who portrayed the head of MI6 since 1962's DR. NO) had recently passed away. So, a new M will appear in the next outing, OCTOPUSSY (1983). All in all, FYEO is one Moore's very best outings. And, he's got two more to go!
It felt innovated. It's like Raiders Of The Lost Ark cover
Excellent info. By the way, does anyone else remember Carole Bouquet as the Chanel No. 5 (legendary perfume) ad girl during much of the 1980s? She has a very distinctive look, obviously, and I always got a kick out of seeing "Melina" on TV ads and posters. That was before they started using multiple better-known celebrities to advertise. She pretty much was the face of the product for years and years, as I recall.
( I am not a Moore fan Timothy Dalton plays the part closest to Flemming's Bond) but I think this is the best story line in the Moore movies. Great job as always, Jen!
I like Timothy Dalton as Bond too. He’s my second fav behind Sean Connery.
@@Robert-un7br yeah, Sean was great! He made the part his own, (which wasn't exactly what Ian Flemming had in mind lol) That is why I say Dalton played the character closest to what Flemming wrote in the books. Don't get me wrong, Sean WAS James Bond, just like many actors played Sherlock Holmes, but Jeremy Brett WAS Sherlock Holmes! Even though Flemming did not initially approve of the Scott, Sean, playing the role, he did warm up to Sean after a while, & even gave Bond a Scottish mother in the next 007 novel! Haha
Being born in 1982, Moore's Bond was my first introduction thanks to reruns on TV. This is one of my favorites.
The fun sidekick Pistashio is Topol. He was known by 1 name like Madonna and Cher. My favorite film of his is Flash Gordon. Super fun 80s film with a Queen soundtrack based on the comic strip orriginaly from the 1930s. Has Timothy Dalton who plays the next 007.
The opening helicopter sequence was filmed at Beckton gas works which was also used as a filming location for the city of Hue in the last third of Full Metal Jacket.
RIP Chaim Topol 21:23 (who plays Colombo helping Bond to defeat Aris Kristatos)
🌹
@@jenmurrayxo 🌹Thank you, babe
Such a great actor. I saw him in this before I saw "Fiddler on the Roof."
@@jenniferjones2863 Oh yes, youre right. Its the 1971 musical turned film.
@@jenniferjones2863 And he also showed himself in the 1980 sci fi flick Flash Gordon, previously before this one.
Carole Bouquet (Melina) had a sinus problem that made it impossible for her to dive or hold her breath underwater, so all of her underwater scenes had to be done "dry for wet" with wind machines, slow motion, and lighting effects, the air bubbles were added in post production. Her voice was also dubbed, similar to some of the earlier Bond girls, however she dubbed herself in the French version. She was only a year older than Lynn-Holly Johnson (Bibi) in real life. She was also the face of Chanel No. 5 in the '80s. I think this is the film where Roger Moore had his first thoughts of leaving the role, as playing love scenes with girls young enough to be his granddaughter made him uncomfortable (he still has the most films in the official series, though Daniel Craig had a longer run in years; he was also the deadliest Bond up until Craig blew up Blofeld's base in SPECTRE.)
YES, another Bond reaction. I thought "I'm sure Jen releases a Bond reaction on a Friday", then a couple of hours later I get a notification. I'm excited and I haven't even watched it yet. Also loved the 300 reaction.
Hello from Greece Jen! This was my first bond film, and it blew my mind back in the summer of 1982! As for the locations, there was no shooting in Spain and Madrid. All these places are located in Corfu. The monastery is in a fantastic location called Meteora in central Greece. It's always a pleasure to watch your reactions! I hope you visit Greece soon!
I would love to visit Greece someday! ☺️👍
Great job Jen! As mentioned by another commenter, Topal played the Low Key MVP Milos character. Sadly he did just pass away last week. He is best remembered for his role in 'Fiddler on the Roof' on stage and screen.
RIP 🌹
Bright Angel Miss Jen while bringing witty, humorous and charismatic are all traits that come to mind first, another important characteristic is the ability to be delightful and fun.
No matter what film she can make you smile and laugh, or even shed a tear. We need more subscribers and Patrons for our reactor Queen. She works hard to bring us joy. It’s so worth it. Can’t wait for her next adventure.
Thank you Clifton! ☺️👍
Facts there!
My favorite Bond opening with a killer theme song by the lovely Sheena Easton! And of course the magnificent Jen to add the commentary/reaction! Who could ask for more?😁
Your love of explosions and evil lairs had me doubting your Canadian-ness... until you started calling foul play on the hockey dudes trying to murder Bond! It just doesn't get more Canadian than THAT. 🤣🤣🤣
Possibly the most memorable line in Bond, up there with 'Shaken, not stirred' - Blofeld's "Mr Bond! We can do a deal! I'll buy you a delicatessen! In stainless steel" - memorable for its sheer weirdness. You'd have thought that someone whould have told Cubby Broccoli that no-one had any idea what the hell that was supposed to mean....
To this day nobody behind the film has really given a clear explanation for that line. It is a total mystery within the series.
It's something to do with the Italian Mafia in 30s New York.
@@matthewganong1730 That's not true. It's a gangster thing as Jesse Howard pointed out. It's explicitly in the movie for that reason. Cubby knew what it meant, the writers knew what it meant, everyone who made the film knew what it meant. We shouldn't blame them for kowtowing to audience ignorance like movies do nowadays.
@@ConstantineFurman I’ve heard that explanation, but every interview I’ve heard where they bring it up, the filmmakers still sound unsure as to why it actually ended up in the film, because it’s a ridiculous line.
@@matthewganong1730 It's a ridiculous scene. The line fits. :)
This is my absolute favorite of all the Bond films. Could not wait for you to get to this one. Thanks Jen!
Awesome! ☺️👍
Don't know if anyone said, but the big spikey balls are sea mines which are typically placed at differin depths to close off certain areas of water much in the way land mines are used to close off roads. You can see more of em and how they're placed in Finding Nemo.
The musical director in this film was Bill Conti, as John Barry was doing another project at the time of filming. Bill Conti is best known for his scores in the Rocky films and "The Right Stuff"
Your right and John Barry’s final Bond films he did score for was The Living Daylights in 1987. Barry did score for of Roger Moore’s films except The Spy Who Loved Me and Live and Let Die
Roger Moore was discovered and lived with a very famous British Singer: Dorothy Squires who had him as a young lover and she introduced him to the Hollywood Set.
He played the lead in British TV's "Ivanhoe" in the late 1960s before becoming very famous as "THE SAINT". I have just watched Series 5 Episode 28 lol
Great part and he is as self-deprecating as always.
He was born 4 miles from me in South East London and lived in a big, detached house with Dorothy Squires just 1/2 mile from me when I moved to Outer S E London.
Ivanhoe was late 1950's.
Jen, the music was by *Bill Conti* who did the *ROCKY* films (except IV), which you MUST see! 🥊
Richard Jeni on Jaws: The Revenge ua-cam.com/video/22BcaJf8g90/v-deo.html
the oceans get their saltiness from the tear drops of sharks that just want a hug
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band Sharks Teeth ua-cam.com/video/_BT4nafu-II/v-deo.html
So much fun watching your Bond reactions, Jen. Just a quick bit of trivia that I'm sure someone must have already posted, but Moneypenny was played by Lois Maxwell who was from Kitchener, Ontario!
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Lois was a regular on the very Canadian production 'Adventures in Rainbow Country'. She also starred in an episode of Roger Moore's other claim to fame 'The Saint'.
They referenced his wife's death in Live And Let Die. The ski chase scenes are On Her Majesty's Secret Service, The Spy Who Loved Me, this one, A Biew To A Kill, The Living Daylights, The World Is Not Enough and Spectre.
Yes, the music in For Your Eyes Only is very different from typical Bond films. The music was composed by Bill Conti, who also composed the music for Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid Part II, The Big Chill, The Right Stuff, and the television series Dynasty. For Your Eyes Only was one of three Roger Moore Bond films that were not scored by legendary Bond film composer John Barry, the other two being Live and Let Die and The Spy Who Loved Me.
Your right Live and Let Die was composed by George Martin and The Spy Who Loved Me was composed by Marvin Hamlisch. John Barry’s final score was The Living Daylights in 1987.
@@scottknode898 Yes, it's ironic that the Bond films that are considered Roger Moore's best are also the ones that John Barry didn't do the music for.
@@scottknode898 octopus sy, a view to a kill and the living dayalights are the last 3 movies composed by john barry
@@alexthomas7555 I know
There is a good interview on UA-cam with Julian Glover, and he talks about playing Kristatos, as well as Roger Moore. He even mentions how the production crew suggested the idea of Kristatos having that small beard.
Bernard Lee died early in 1981 after 11 appearances. He was too ill to film so M was written out. We get Chief of Staff Bill Tanner a character who features in the books and other Bond movies. Regarding OHMSS the ending is brutal and so sad (I cry every time I watch it) in my view Tracy was the only girl who could ever win Bond's heart.
Fun fact, The actor who played Apostis who was one of Kristatos's killers was also a rebel pilot (red 4- John D ) in Star Wars- A New Hope and was first pilot to be killed by a Tie Fighter. His name is Jack Klaff and only had a 2 word line... "I'm hit!!!"
Bill Conti composed "disco-flavored" music for the film. It sounds like The Jacksons and A Taste of Honey. He also wrote the theme song for the short-lived 1984 NBC TV show The Master.
Jorge Zarco,the theme from The Master is only Slightly Differant from the great ski chase theme in this movie , too good a tune to waste on just the one production
He fits for this type of movie
The actor playing #1 in the pre credits sequence was John Hollis. Producer Kevin McClory held the copyrights to the Blofeld character. Therefore, Blofeld is not mentioned by name despite the obvious clues
This is my favorite of the Roger Moore Bond films. Interestingly, 'For Your Eyes Only' is not a novel but a book of five James Bond short stories. The plots of two of these stories were combined to form the outline of the script.
I just discovered your reactions, Jen. I think they're great. You're so much fun to watch and you have great taste in movies. I'm subscribed.
for Your Eyes Only is one of my favorite Bond Films. I think it's full of non stop action and has a great plot. Everybody seems to have a story about this film. The one I heard, reading the film critics of the time, is that after Raiders of the lost arc, all the studios were trying to add a lot more fast paced action to their films and this was a result. So many great things in this, The locales, the supporting cast and Carole Bouchet is just marvelous. She was a well regarded European actress as well as being stunningly beautiful.
The Actor who played M in all previous movies, Bernard Lee, died before his scenes for this movie could be filmed. Out of respect, the role wasnt immediately recast and his lines given to his Chief of Staff Bill Tanner instead.
They rewritten the scene
They gave the actors playing Q(Desmond Llewelyn, Tanner more lines in film and wrote it in to film M was on holiday rather then bring in new actor to play M. Robert Brown replaced Bernard Lee officially in Octopussy as M and would play M until Licence To Kill.
@@scottknode898 Which was a logical way to write M out of the film. After all the various world crises that required Bond, M really deserved a long vacation!
Final Act was filmed in Meteora and those were Monasteries...Beautiful village.
23:57-24:18 "Locque had no head for heights" Love how Bond uses the line with such quirkiness and he doesnt shy away from saying it.
No head for heights. Sorry to correct you.
@@peterlenham3180 Ive rewritten that part. So its alright.
Here's the answer to some questions. The director was an editor on On Her Majesty's Secret Service, so he worked in some references to it. Roger Moore was 53. the long time composer did not do the score, John Barry. he returned for the next 3 movies. Lastly since they had gone so far into science fiction they wanted to make this one much more realistic. it's one of my favorites
Interesting side notes, Carole Bouquet could not handle the underwater filming due to an inner ear problem so all her underwater close-up scenes were done using special lighting, air fans, and slow motion. Also, actor Bernard Lee (M) passed away shortly before filming began, so the Chief of Staff character was created and M’s character was on leave for this film.
I should note that all the films in the series up to Moonraker were based on full length James Bond books by Fleming, For Your Eyes Only is the first to be adapted from a short story albeit in name only. Licence to Kill would be the last film to adapt any aspect of a Fleming work, being a combination of short stories as inspiration. GoldenEye onwards with the exception of Casino Royale which adapted the Fleming book of the same name as a kind of reboot, are all original stories.
Which is a shame. Fleming died in 1964, long enough to see his creation become a phenomenon with Goldfinger, but then Bond novels were subsequently written by a mixture of authors. Around 28 full length novels with original stories have been written since Fleming’s death, including authors Kingsley Amis, John Gardner, Raymond Benson, Charlie Higson, Sebastian Faulks, Jeffrey Deaver, William Boyd and Anthony Horowitz (who’s published novels utilising unpublished material by Fleming).
So if the film series ever runs out of ideas, I’d be gobsmacked, there’s a wealth of material to adapt for Bond.
My favourite Moore film. I think the image of Melinda with the crossbow was a cue for how many heroines were armed with them in the early 80's.
Don't know if this has been mentioned already but the previous Bond movie (Moonraker) was the last time we got to see Bernard Lee as M. He sadly died just before the filming of this movie started (or during, can't remember) so that's why M in this movie is on vacation.
They rewritten the scene for M. It felt too odd with less dialogue
I loved the Rodger Moore Era of 007. He was Bond when I was a kid in the 80s. My other favorite is Pierce Brosnan. Sheena Easton's For Your Eyes Only wasn't just the title song, it actually was a class hit for her too. She was a big star then. Prince wrote a song for her called "Sugar Walls". Yep, just what it sounds like 😂😂😂.
3:07 Yep. That's Sheena Easton. I wa a big fan back in the day. I liked how she was featured on the reality show "The Big Time" as an example of all the unknown singers who struggle in obscurity sustained by their fragile dreams of someday making it big, and from that exposure, she actually did get discovered and had to talent to used that opportunity to become a major pop star.
Even scoring a recurring role in one of the later seasons of Miami Vice. Not to mention, hanging out with and performing with Prince.
I liked listening to her during the working day from, say, 9 to 5...
The "Countess" was played by Pierce Brosnan's, wife, Cassandra Harris and Julian Glover also played Donovan in INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE making him the only actor to play a villain in a James Bond movie AND an Indiana Jones movie.
Also, a "Star Wars" film. He was General Veers in the "Empire Strikes Back" in the ground attack on Hoth at the beginning.
You made my Friday! I do so enjoy your Bond reactions. This one is my favorite Bond movie. I love the exploding car. I first saw this in 1982 or 83. To this day I still say pistachio-nuts when referring to them. The title song was another huge hit.
I’m sure you’ve heard this in the credits, but you gotta watch the Austin Powers trilogy.
The round object with spikes that blew up the boat is an old style sea mine, they were used in World War 2. In real life, Roger Moore was very fond of skiing. I had forgotten that Julian Glover was a Bond villain.
Jen, I feel like Bond could never really have a very serious love interest, because if his enemies found out they could use it against him. Looking forward to more of your Bond reactions their great. 🍿📽️👍
Exactly. Death of his wife and then the seriousness of why Claudia,The Cross Bow Lady got involved.
I very much enjoy your enthusiasm for the 007 series, a series that has entertained 'the living daylights' outta me for more than 50+ years. Your critiques are quite interesting and your anticipation of upcoming scenes is mostly spot-on. It's great that you are a fan of the various portrayals of Bond as they differ from one lead actor in the role to another. I hope you continue to enjoy the Bond films-know that they are meant for repeated viewings(!)-and hope that you get many more UA-cam subscribers...I will be doing so momentarily!!!
A young Charles Dance in a small role was one of henchmen working for main villain Kristatos as Claus who is killed on the beach by Columbos men with a spear in back.
The finale in the water as they are dragged across coral is actually from the book Live & Let Die.
Also for the keen eyed, Charles Dance can be spotted as a henchman in the ski/ motorcycle chase.
Due to a long legal battle with Thunderball co-writer Kevin McClory over the rights to Ernst Stavro Bloefeld and SPECTRE (which were actually created by Ian Fleming) the Albert R. Broccoli company and United Artists weren't able to use either Bloefeld or SPECTRE for the Roger Moore Bond films, such as The Spy Who Loved Me, which originally was going to feature Bloefeld and SPECTRE. So Broccoli and the studio decided to just have James Bond kill off Bloefeld in the opening sequence of For Your Eyes Only and avoid any legal issues by not actually mentioning Bloefeld's name or the name SPECTRE.
It wasn't that exactly. I mean, yes, everything you said is true. But the actual reason they killed Blofeld was basically a big ol' "fuck you" to Kevin McClory. They did it to show McClory that Bond doesn't need Blofeld cause they were absolutely sick of dealing with McClory and his constant lawsuits (that McClory always lost) by that time.
SPECTRE's inclusion wouldn't have made sense at any rate and the reason is Bond destroys SPECTRE at the end of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service." Blofeld is acting completely on his own in "Diamonds Are Forever" and he has kidnapped and is impersonating a billionaire because he's broke now and he doesn't have that organization to help him anymore.
@@ConstantineFurman SPECTRE were going to be in The Spy Who Loved Me movie, they had to write them out of the script due to McClory.
@@Pikachu132 And I'm saying that would have made no sense since Bond had already wiped out SPECTRE and Blofeld was on his own, which was evident in "Diamonds...". It doesn't matter anyway since they aren't in "...Loved Me."
@@ConstantineFurman Well, yes, I wasn't trying to put it in those terms, but yes, they were telling McClory to go screw himself by killing Bloefeld off. I still would have liked to have seen Bloefeld in The Spy Who Loved Me, but it was fitting to kill Bloefeld off in For Your Eyes Only just as McClory was getting his Thunderball remake made as Never Say Never Again, the most unnecessary Bond movie ever made.
31:27 - My fave movie stunt of all time. No special effects, no CGI. Just a man's faith in a length of thin rope. Amazing. Terrifying.
that's the wife of Pierce Brosnan who tragically passed away
Ahhh my favourite Bond film. Hoping you love this...Writing this as your video starts off.
Jen, the score was written by Bill Conti who famously scored Rocky.
Bill went onto score all 3 of the original The Karate Kid films too. An amazing talent.
When they asked Roger Moore what his favourite car was in all the bond movies he has don’t he said it was that Yellow Citron 2CV6 because it literally took a beating like in the movie and it still worked perfectly every time.
Fun fact, The actress that played the Countess was Cassandra Harris. She was married to Pierce Brosnan at the time of filming this movie...
30:15 The ironic trivia: Greek Orthodox monks didnt want the film crew to shoot a scene in Meteora. Understandably cos they were concerned that few foreigners would go there and disrupt their monastery, whilst shooting a fight scene. Jerry Juroe, who was a long time Bond publicist, flew over there to smooth things out between the crew and the monks.
Nice to see someone who actually has a little emotion while watching. Great viewing. And not a bad English accent, well done.
Thanks! ☺️👍
Favorite Bond & 007 movie 🖒🖒
Watched this for the first time on a top loading VCR as a kid. I still enjoy the theme song.
Just a comment from one of the 35% 😁 Nice reaction!
Thanks!! ☺️👍
Roger Moore was 53 while filming For Your Eyes Only... He originally wanted to leave the role after Moonraker, but he agreed to stay on... Your next Bond adventure is Octopussy, where Roger Moore returns to battle a rival Bond film (a Thunderball remake starring Sean Connery)...
Lynn Holley Johnson was a famous figure skater in real life at the time and star of the movie ICE CASTLES
Loved you Jen when you say about the diving suit as he gets blown up you said yep your times up buddy your reaction was amazing ❤️💣💥
Great performance by Moore in this film. It’s definitely in my top ten of Bond’s
For this movie was a different composer comparing to the other ones. This James Bond movie is one of the most "realistics" and it's also my favorite one withe Roger Morre a long side with The Spy Who Loved Me, of course.
Best ski stuff in any Bond film imo. I actually knew the guy who did some of the ski stunts in this. He was playing Bond in the bobsled run, they had to tie a rope around his waist and he was dragged by the bobsled so he could keep his speed up. Pretty crazy.
One of the stuntmen died filming the chase.
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23-year-old stuntman Paolo Rigoni died during the filming of the bobsled chase. This was due to a poorly designed track. Rigoni was not the only one to lose his life there, however. During an actual competition another bobsledder was killed at the same exact spot. The track was later modified for a less severe turn.
@@bobsmithy9024 Jesus. He never told me about that!
It's a bit odd that 'ski stuff in james bond' is actually a category and not just a thing that happened, but here we are
RIP Topol from a few weeks ago.
This is one of the best Bonds, and I always have to choose between it and Octopussy as my favorites. It has the best sidekick (Columbo), one of the best songs, one of the best Bond women in Melina, and some of the absolute best set piece action sequences. I still remember the first time I saw it and just how freaked out I was by the St Cyril's climb (I am terrified of heights). One of the other cool things about this Bond film is that it doesn't have someone trying to take over the world. This is a legit Cold War spy thriller. It is MI-6 vs KGB via their surrogates in the Greek underworld. The story itself is actually one of the most realistic in the entire franchise in that respect. As you noted, Bond here shows carnal restraint for possibly the first time in the series, which I always appreciated for showing him seeming to mature (maybe?).
It has so many broader connections too. The actress who plays the contessa is Cassandra Harris, who was married to Pierce Brosnan at the time. She lobbied hard for Pierce to be the Bond after Roger Moore, but he was locked into his contract from Remington Steele at the time. Sadly, she died of breast cancer before she got to see him be Bond.
The villain, Kristatos, is played by Julian Glover, who was one of the best villain character actors of the 80s. You can find him as General Veers in Empire Strikes Back, in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and even in Game of Thrones as Grand Maester Pycelle. The guy just ACTS in everything and is always solid.
Oh- and Charles Dance with barely, almost, kinda a line of dialogue.
7:35 The amazing score in this film is provided by Bill Conti! The Lethal Weapon soundtrack was done by Michael Kamen, who would provide the soundtrack for Licence To Kill, the last Bond film of the 80s...
I am amused, I am a senior and grew up going to see all the Bond movies in the threaters. They were so much fun.