The Bloody Pit

118 - DR NO & FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE


Listen Later

When the news broke last month that Sean Connery had passed away it didn’t come as much of a shock. He had made it to 90 years of age and I can’t be the only person that was surprised that he had such a long life. For decades he had been the epitome of masculine charism onscreen even as he aged into an elder cinema stateman in dozens of movies. Able to project calm no matter what chaos surrounded him and believable as an intense man of action regardless of the crazed nature any film’s plotline he was more than a movie star – Connery was a legend. His entire career he was underestimated even though he was a supremely talented actor who made what he did seem effortless. In fact, it may have been his skill at making it all seem easy that made it difficult for critics to acknowledge his ability. Of course, it was his performances as British spy James Bond that made him an international star even as the character became a weight around his neck. He tried for years to break away from that persona and succeeded to a large degree because of his determination to pick varied roles although it was another tough guy role that won him an Oscar in 1988. We will not see his like again. 


Mark Maddox joins me to dig deeply into the first two Bond films DR. NO and FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. Finely crafted adventure tales they both stick closely to the Ian Fleming source material and, perhaps because of that, are fantastic spy tales. We talk about the films production with some added insights from the rare Criterion Laser disc commentaries that EON productions yanked as soon as they heard them! Mark brings his personal history with the character to bear explaining how his relationship with the movies have changed repeatedly over time. The differences between the books and the screenplays are discussed with some fun details about the possible reasons for certain changes. I make note of some scenes that the producers might have thought about editing from the finished movies if only to hedge their bets on mid-1960’s special effects. We also take a brief look at some of Connery’s post-Bond films to marvel at the variety of things he tried. 


If you have a special place in your heart for Connery and his portrayal of James Bond let us know. Which of his films is your favorite? How many of his 1970’s movies have you seen? Write the show at [email protected] and we’ll add you to the discussion next time. Thanks for listening! 

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The Bloody PitBy Rod Barnett

  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8
  • 4.8

4.8

44 ratings


More shows like The Bloody Pit

View all
NaschyCast by Rod Barnett

NaschyCast

53 Listeners

The Projection Booth Podcast by Weirding Way Media

The Projection Booth Podcast

597 Listeners

Decades of Horror 1980s by Gruesome Magazine

Decades of Horror 1980s

80 Listeners

Monster Kid Radio by Derek M. Koch

Monster Kid Radio

154 Listeners

Decades of Horror | Movie Reviews of 1970s Classic Horror Films by Doc Rotten and The Black Saint

Decades of Horror | Movie Reviews of 1970s Classic Horror Films

53 Listeners

Hello! This is the Doomed Show. by Richard Schmidt

Hello! This is the Doomed Show.

23 Listeners

Cinema PSYOPS by Cinema PSYOPS

Cinema PSYOPS

55 Listeners

MONSTER ATTACK! by Jim Adams

MONSTER ATTACK!

77 Listeners

Pure Cinema Podcast by Elric Kane & Brian Saur

Pure Cinema Podcast

676 Listeners

Decades of Horror The Classic Era by Jeff Mohr

Decades of Horror The Classic Era

47 Listeners

Classic Horrors Club by The Classic Horrors Club Podcast

Classic Horrors Club

33 Listeners

DieCast Movie Podcast by Steven Turek

DieCast Movie Podcast

21 Listeners

Unsung Horrors by Lance Schibi & Erica Shultz

Unsung Horrors

62 Listeners

Borgo Pass Horror Podcast by Jim Towns and Livio Merino

Borgo Pass Horror Podcast

90 Listeners

Wild, Wild Podcast by Film Stories

Wild, Wild Podcast

16 Listeners