Top 10 Best Bond Villain Lairs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.ค. 2024
- Counting down the top 10 best Bond baddie bases in the series.
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A million dollars gets you...
1967: Volcano lair
2020: Broom closet in San Francisco
Unpopular opinion: I always did love Scaramanga’s Island from The Man with the Golden Gun. Who doesn’t want a whole island to himself, having Maud Adams in a swimming suit, eating oysters, and maybe kill some people for fun? That is my personal favorite.
I do too. I love the fun house as well.
That butterfly room was so lame and random though.
Animatronics are awesome!
How is this a unpopular opinion?
@@lloydjones11, TMWTGG is an unpopular movie, so I must have thought of that when I wrote it.
Drax was by far the richest baddie, don't forget he also had a rebuilt version of Versailles as personnal HQ.
Just imagine if Moonraker was the final film in the SPECTRE story instead of Diamonds are Forever; having Bond and Blofeld battle in space would have been an epic closure
I would give all my money to have them drag Craig and Waltz out to the moon in the next film. Film ends with both of them stuck there, like at the end of Carpenter's The Thing.
@@DarthRushy Gay
@@DarthRushy gay
People would've rioted at the absurdity.
Rushy Gay
I am sure that Safin's Poison Island lair would make it onto this list now, somewhere around the middle.
I am also curious to see where Safin's island would go on this list.
Carver's stealth boat should get on the honorable mentions list personally. It's a bit bland on the inside, but its outside is just badass looking.
The weird thing about that boat is it seems to be bigger on the inside.
*S T E A L T H B O A T*
It's actually based on the Sea Shadow stealth boat that the US Navy made.
My favourite Bond film
Before I watched the video I guessed his 10 choices and thought he'd include that...
This has convinced me that Elon Musk is a real life Bond villain. He's even building his own personal monorail.
real version of Drax
Well, this didn't age well. A one lane tunnel with gamer lights in your lair isn't nearly as cool as a monorail.
All billionaires are lmao
*Jeff Bezos
@@ObsessedCollector Yes. Musk is more of an Austin Powers villain while Bezos the Bond Villain.
I’ve been on Scaramanga’s island. It’s beautiful
Okay - I know the actual island existed, but exactly HOW did you find it and visit it? Was there any hint on the outside of it being used as a set in the past? Of course I speak ONLY of the outside elements. I know that the interiors were filmed someplace else - Pinewood studios most likely. And of course the solex array on the pinnacle rock was just a model, etc. But there was that nice pit of beach between the two main spires where the Seaplane landed. Was that where you did most of your exploration?
@@logandarklighter There are tours in Thailand, Phuket that take you there. They actually call the island “James Bond Island”. It was amazing. The mushroom shaped rock is especially great. I also took a picture with my brother with our backs against each other just like bond and scaramanga at the beginning of the duel
@@Gijseikie That’s freakin’ awesome. And just the sort of picture pose I would think of in that situation as well! 😀
You are so lucky!!!
Lucky dawg!
The elevator music from goldeneye 😂
The Liparus interior was also really impressive, and it's the set that birthed the 007 sound stage at Pinewood.
Apparently Kubrick approved it
Fun fact about Atlantis: the prop used for the exterior shots is only about human size.
But what about Greene’s Eco-Hotel???
Just kidding, of course. Half surprised it didn’t also get a dishonorable mention for being in the middle of nowhere, but it was kinda cool when it exploded. Great vid!
I think you have to give the Eco-Hotel some kind of credit for being an actual location that not only actually *is* in the middle of nowhere but yet somehow *is* also an actual hotel.
I just didn't get the whole hydrogen inflammable risk factor
Nice list Calvin. I would add an honorable mention for the Liparus - technically it was not Stromberg’s lair, but it’s my understanding that the submarine pen was the biggest move set ever built and still impresses the hell out of me.
The set must have been almost twice as big as what we see - in order for the submarines to sail in and out, there must have been an equivalent area the other side of the bow doors.
I agree. How could anything but the volcano lair be #1? Ken Adam is an absolute God of production design.
Yeah this one was such a no-brainer really. It was 10 to 3 that were tricky ranking. 1 and 2 are sure fires.
@@calvindyson You're right about Blofeld's volcano lair. The volcano lair definitely would have made a great tourist attraction for Bond fans alike, like how the Piz Gloria is actually a real life rotating restaurant anyone can actually visit.
@@calvindyson PS. If you want to look for more James Bond related content, I suggest you check out these four documentaries currently available on TH-cam, titled "Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles", "The Music of 007", "Double O Stunts", & "Inside Q's Lab". I'd say you'll enjoy viewing those was wait for Bond 25 to come out. They'll give you some information that would answer some of your questions you asked in your previous videos.
I know! Calvin just got it so right with this list.
May I congratulate all of you on your excellent taste? I have adored the volcano base since I was a little girl. Ken Adam should have gotten an Best Art Direction Oscar for this.
Am I the only one who hasn't noticed woman's hand at Atlantis till now!? I feel dumb now...
No, I’ve never noticed it either.
I saw the hand, but didn't realise it was specifically the secretary's. I thought it was just some random enemy from the past who Stromberg gave the same fate.
It's easy to miss, but even easier to miss is the webbing between Stromberg's fingers. They go to all the effort of applying that effect to the actor's hands, and then they don't really film it well.
Crab Key is a personal favourite. It's almost the blueprint for every good lair design. Ken Adams needs a statue
Other great villain lair's:
SPECTRE Training Island (Only Lair Bond never visits(except for the fake Bond))
Whitaker's Warfare Museum (Like an even more sadistic version of Scaramanga's fun house)
Carver's Stealth Ship (Impossibly bigger on the inside, but great set for a long shootout)
Raphael Drake's Gothic Castle on an Austrian Alp precipice amidst a dark snow storm.
There's nothing especially villaine about the structure itself it's just a Castle, on the edge of a cliff with no visible means of Escape except ziplining down a cable car line.
My favorite Bond villain lairs tend to be the more low key ones. Kristatos’ Monastery, Kamal Khan’s Monsoon Palace and Zorin’s blimp (I count it)
I wouldn't call Zorin's blimp low key haha
Benny Schwartz When you compare it to places like a volcano or city under the sea it is.
Nicolai Diavlo's booby-trapped swamp Plantation from _Everything or Nothing_ instantly came to mind.
It's deceptively small but houses an underground Platinum Laboratory, and in the Spirit of Resident Evil 7 and Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, gives an unsettlingly morbid atmosphere.
It's because it looks small and defenseless from outside that it gives you the impression that local SWAT could take the place down, without Bond ever having to step inside, but that false sense of security adds to the terror.
I completely agree with your Number One pick. It’s what I always immediately think of when “Bond Villain Lair” comes to mind, and yeah, it practically won’t ever be topped.
I loved Scaramanga's lair and Dr No's. One that Graves had was also pretty cool.
I agree that the oil rig from Diamonds Are Forever was kinda lame and looked too normal considering it came from Ken Adam, but that might have also been the point, because Blofeld had to make it look like one of Willard Whyte's structures as opposed to an obvious villain's lair that the coast guard could see in broad daylight.
0:37 I agree. There's nothing on Earth like a genuine, bonafine, electrified, six-car... uh, personal Monorail!
What'd I say?
@@calvindyson Monorail!
What's it called?!
[indifferent Patty/Selma voice] Monorail
@@BenCol I hear those things are awfully loud.
In 1990, while in the Navy, I got to visit two locations from The Man with the Golden Gun. The Island near Phuket, Thailand, and Kowloon, Hong Kong. The island was pretty, and in Kowloon, I came across "The Bottoms Up Club", which is where Scaramanga shot the guy with the Solex. The interior of the bar had not changed since the film in 1974, and was a bit worn with time...the lady tending bar was the same topless bartender, that was in the film too. She was a bit worn with time too.
The Spy Who Loved Me also had the supertanker where they kept the subs it had eaten, which was the scene of the big battle. Pretty cool-and a monorail!
Spy was like Twice, only it involved submarines not shuttles
My favorite will always be Volcano Lair and my most hated is the Ice Palace.
Well, they are opposite if you think about it.
Baron Samedi should’ve come back in another movie. Such an under-utilized villain. And such an amazing screen presence!
I love your passion and enthusiasm for this series.I grew up watching my Dad's VHS tapes of the Connery and Moore movies. While I might not always agree with your rankings and breakdowns, if you ask me, that is the *beauty* of this series. Different people take different things from these movies and that is something worth celebrating! Keep up the awesome Bond content! You are really the only one out there taking it to this level.
I'm surprised you still haven't done a ranking of the best Villain schemes/plans.
And if Mr. Big's plan to flood the drug market with free heroin isn't on the list, then I revolt! I often chuckle at how absolutely mad that scheme was.
Top 10 Bond watches...
Top 10 Bond costumes...
Top 10 Bond guns...
Top 10 Bond one-liners...
Top 10 Bond top 10 lists...
Atlantis seems to be the Overlook hotel of the Bond series :D
spyrob98 isn’t that the hotel from the The Shining
Exactly 😊
You are so damn right
Can you do top 10 bond allies ?
Great suggestion.
I think Felix Leiter gets first place
@@firelight193 yep now i'm wondering do bond girls count?.
Tanaka would be high up
@@thorntonwager6750 I agree! Tanaka is one of my favorite allies and characters in the entire series.
I would give a mention to the Liparus, considering it led to the creation of the 007 Stage and also has a monorail. Just a shame it's overshadowed by Atlantis.
Piz Gloria is unbeatable for me
Yes its the best one!
Looked forward to hearing Calvin say "laahr' about fifteen times . And I wasn't disappointed.
A View to a kill deserves a mention just for when Zorin is gunning people down and laughing to himself
Wouldn't the Chateau or the Blimp technically be consider as the lair? The Chateau had the computer system, and the Blimp was where the meeting with the investors took place; even though you can't see that area during the finale as it was just regular seating.
@@spectrum8133 The blimp where the investors meeting took place was a different one than the much smaller blimp at the end of the film.
I’m just delighted that Calvin appreciates License to kill a lot more........hope he reviews it again
Good to see the Ice Palace on the list. Can't really argue with many of these choices. Maybe that the Oil Rig doesn't strike me as a lair.
If I was a supervillain in the James Bond world, my secret lair would be on a scruffy council estate somewhere. The sort of place Bond would never visit.
I was honestly surprised to not see Greene's deserted (pun intended) hotel in this ranking, but I really enjoyed your list regardless!
It was a close call for dishonorable mention tbh... But, despite it not making any sense I think it's a pretty cool design. Unlike the oil rig.
@@calvindyson "...not making any sense".
It's a real location. And it really is a hotel.
Well, the interior and possibly clientele' are a bit different, but it does exist and it is in the desert.
@@calvindyson Great job, Calvin! Keep up the good work!
I don’t know if it counts as a lair because the villain does not live there, but my favorite set is the oil tanker in Spy Who Loved Me. I just like how it has submarines docked inside it.
But my favorite lair is the monastery in For Your Eyes Only, partly because it’s a real place.
Love the use of nightfire music with various lairs. An awesome set of songs to use to show extravagant Bond villain lairs!!
Missed opportunity to use the Atlantis track for... Atlantis. But it works well as a celebratory tune to the the no.1 lair on the list.
The Atlantis and Moonraker Space Station comments I completely agree with, and honestly I can't choose a favourite/number one lair between the top three you mentioned. I would have thought Carver's Stealth ship would be an honorable mention though. Love how you use Nightfire's soundtrack for a lot of these, nice touch :)
For 1 million dollars production budget, Dr. No looks fantastic. Dr. No's own secret lair base is super cool.
Man I agree totaly on this:
3. On her majestys secret service base
2.Moonraker space station
1. Vulcano base from you only lived twice (I loved as a kid and saw it as many times as I could)
My favorite lairs:
1) Olympatec Meditation Institute (Licence to Kill)
2) Cuban Goldeneye Facility (Goldeneye)
3) Piz Gloria (OHMSS)
4) Crab Key (Dr. No)
5) Drax's Space Station (Moonraker)
6) Largo's Palmera Castle (Never Say Never Again)
7) St. Cyril's (For Your Eyes Only)
8) Blofeld's Base (Spectre)
9) Spectre Office (From Russia With Love)
10) Zorin's Mansion (A View to a Kill)
The only lair that I felt was unfairly skipped by this video is the mountaintop monastery in For Your Eyes Only. Otherwise, fine list, Calvin, and I can't fault your choices.
Good list. The only one I'd include, at least as an honorable mention is Kamal's palace from Octopussy, which pretty much defines the term opulent, even if it isn't particularly functional.
Love your videos, Calvin.
The Volcano Lair is so iconic, that much of it was the basis for Syndrome's lair in The Incredibles. Quite a few of the lairs get a nod, but the Volcano Lair seems the most prominent.
I’m really enjoying how often you’ve been uploading, keep it up Calvin!
Great list as always, Calvin. One of my favourites of your ones, in fact. Here's my personal top 10:
0010: Kristaos's Monastery from For Your Eyes Only
009: Crab Key from Dr No
008: Kamal Khan's Palace in Octopussy
007: Gustav Graves's Ice Hotel/Fake Diamond Mine from Die Another Day
006: Island Lair of Dr Kananga from Live and Let Die
005: Zorin's Airship from A View to a Kill
004: SPECTRE Yacht from From Russia With Love
003: Raoul Silva's Island from Skyfall
002: SPECTRE Volcano Lair from You Only Live Twice (personally like the other one more)
001: Piz Gloria from On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On a side note, which places really qualify as Goldfinger's lair, or Elektra and Renard's lair? I've never really been able to pin it down on either of them.
Scaramanga’s island has to be number one for me. Perfection.
Goldfinger's Romper room? Just classy, fun and deadly
I think the one from For Your Eyes only is very underrated. Bond nearly gets killed getting to that
I think the abandoned island (which has a cool real-life backstory, check it out) could be the coolest, but you're right that not enough time was spent there. We didn't see enough.
Video idea: times when either the villain Bond girl or the Bond girl who gets killed was better than the actual primary love interest.
While I've never written a bucket list, if I ever did "go to Piz Gloria" would be at top of it. The only problem is Switzerland is expensive - I'm not sure I could afford the free bread there, let alone a whole meal.
Still, I've been to the Eden Project, which is where they filmed Graves' fake diamond mine in 'Die Another Day' (It's also where they filmed the Magrathea scenes in the BBC 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' TV series, which is a plus). It's always taken me out of the film a bit, actually, because I know it's not in Iceland like they say, but rather Cornwall.
I know that's my hold back too... I'd also love to travel to the 007 Elements exhibition but again, expensive.
Calvin - Bond Reviewer “Can’t afford to go to Piz Gloria? Want to have a Bond holiday on a budget?
Come to Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre! It stood in for San Francisco in ‘A View to a Kill’, but it’s actually in Sussex! Experience a genuine piece of Bond history for a fraction of the price! We may not have glamorous views or memorabilia, but you can stand in the place where Grace Jones blew herself up! Don’t delay, visit today!”
Just discovered your channel 3 days ago. Fucking brilliant. Im trying not to binge watch everything at once.
Thanks, David :D very glad you're enjoying the stuff! :D
I always loved Eliot Carver's stealth ship.
I love your attention to detail Cal. Specifically the music options. I heard that 007 Legends spiel during the Olympatec Meditation Institute section and loved that you included it! Keep up the awesome work my man
10:30 That meal is clearly a selection of Aunt Bessie potato products including potato balls, potato croquettes and some ready salted crisps. Usefully for Blofeld, Iceland do free home deliveries.
No way would that lady keep her figure if that's all she was eating every day.
"Not ground, Iceland!"
No come on guys, Le Chiffre's hotel room is obviously the best lair.
Or his tastefully sized yacht where guests that over stay their welcome get thrown overboard.
@@dexterwestin3747 "Tastefully sized" describes LeChiffre himself really well. He's just a SPECTRE villainy middleman, nowhere near head honcho.
I've visited Piz Gloria and there's a whole Bond World exhibit there with bits and bobs from the movie. I was also lucky enough to ski down from there whilst listening to the On Her Majesty's Secret Service soundtrack. Probably the closest I'll ever get to being 007 😂
So my take on Blofelds Oil Rig was always that it was never ment to be his main base, he just retreated there because he thought it would go un noticed.
Great video and a pretty unique concept as I haven't seen another video about villain lairs.
I think you should consider doing a top ten best list on boss battles in Bond video games, as that's another idea that I haven't really seen, at least with bond.
Really diggin the Agent Under Fire and Nightfire music
Yeah it had to be the Volcano, anything else would have been endlessly contrarian.
I also can't believe the Piz Gloria still exists. I've been to the Spectre glass mountain top building but this is on a whole different level, must visit really
Nice video, and a good selection of locations, but we are missing the liparus tanker, that sodding thing had a harbour for 3 submarines, monorails, big fook off bow doors, holding cells, control centre, hatches everywhere to unleash your hordes of hired goons and presumably a large canteen to feed them all
Great video Calvin!
Honestly, the volcano lair is so big and complex I sometimes wonder if it would have been cheaper for Eon to hollow out an actual extinct volcano somewhere.
That would have been Lord Grade's solution, per "Raise the Titanic".
Great video calvin
I know you have done a Top Bond Title Songs and Top Bond Theme Versions video before, but a ranking video of the overall soundtracks would be another great addition.
Another great video idea would be the top songs from within the score that aren't the Bond Theme, main title, or end credits song from the movie. Songs like "Gumbold's Safe" from OHMSS, and "Capsule in Space" from You Only Live Twice immediately come to mind as examples of what I mean. I think "Fight at Kobe Docks" from You Only Live Twice or "Hercules Takeoff" from The Living Daylights are both examples of a track that can be heavily influenced by the main title theme and still make the list since it isn't actually the version heard during the opening titles or end credits.
I'm not trying to put words (or songs, in this case) in your mouth with the ones I mentioned above, but they are just some of the many great pieces of music that come to mind when I think of great songs from the 007 series that aren't the Bond theme or "main songs" of the movie.
Love the night fire music in the background
My favorite is Bloefeld's lair in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
I adore Drax's Aztec base. Fabulous. Excellent choices.
I live and work in the town next to Piz Gloria, and I can say the chicken is very nice!!!!! 👌😂
At 0:00 or 0:01 I straight away noticed the Agent Under Fire Forbidden Depths song. That game had such an awesome soundtrack back in 2001.
Would you consider Carvers stealth boat to be a lair?
Yeah, I am not sure it qualifies.
I also love the Liparus tanker (the interior that is) in The Spy Who Loved Me as well as Atlantis.
A few top 10s ideas for you...
Top 10 bond film Endings
Top 10 actors who auditioned but never played Bond
Top 10 Bond one liners
I know that Atlantis is the main lair of The Spy who Loved Me but the Liparus was awesome too. Reminded me a lot of the Volcano base
Your number one choice is a no-brainer.....I remember seeing You Only Live Twice as a kid on cable multiple times, right around the time of the first Star Wars trilogy and wondering, "Where the play set for that volcano??" Would have put the Ewok Village play-set to shame. ;)
Hey Calvin great video!!!!!!
The Volcano Lair will forever be the greatest!!!!!!
Will you ever rank all 6 Bond actors
Or do top 10 Bond allies????
Ah I was too excited for the vid. I agree about Silva's lair it is a very different Idea of how it came to be but little is seen, sadly. The rest of your choices I totally agreed with! Ken Adam (RIP) and Peter Lamont are amazing!
N64 Goldeneye lift musak for the credit sequence *chef’s kiss*
So glad you noticed it! I do love that little ditty :D
Ironic.....mine was also the Volcano base, mainly due to the piranha area!
Not a lair in the strictest sense, but Stromberg's super-tanker has got to be on the list. Another great Ken Adam design and, IIRC, the largest movie-set ever built at the time. Plus most of the third act action takes place on it, not on Atlantis.
Watching this video more I absolutely love the nightfire music !!!
Great video once again how about a video of top 10 bond trailers could be a fun idea or you could do dvd menus
Piz Gloria's probably my favourite.
Being on top of a mountain alongside the surrounding landscape, it just looks like a magical place.
They may be villains, but they sure have style.
Don't forget that Dr. No's dining room had Goya's Portrait of the Duke of Wellington that had recently been stolen from the Natinal Gallery.
10. Monsoon Palace
9. Crab Key
8. Olympatec
7. Solar Island
6. Atlantis
5. Volcano Lair
4. St.Cyril's
3. Ice Palace
2. Moonraker space city
1. Piz Gloria
I never wondered about the geographically logic of Stromberg's lair but it makes sense, although I always wondered the same thing about Carver's Stealth boat that seems ridiculously tiny compared to what's inside or I guess it's an iceberg boat and everything is under water ... But it would be a stealth submarine in that case ahah.
Anyway, it's the same logic than in the pre title sequence of Goldeneye when Bond keeps going down and finnishes on top of a mountain, honnestly, I don't really mind and I think "fuck the logic, it's just so cool"
Have you seen how fast your channel’s growing right now? Holy shit.
Ever since I had my teeth fixed...
Fantastic list! Honestly, I couldn't agree more--it's probably sacrilege to suggest anything other than the Volcano lair as #1. I'm also quite partial to the monastery from FYEO, since it is so unique in the franchise, and of course I'd give a shout-out to the ridiculously lavish Monsoon Palace from Octopussy! I think a great future list could be the most shocking or saddest moments in the franchise, since it's not something I've seen other people do before--and, perhaps, 10 things that need to be done/avoided in Bond 25?
That place Bond and Green have their final fight in Quantum of Solace is pretty cool. That like huge hotel thing in the desert
Shame they edited so much out of the movie. The main henchman was supposed to put up a decent fight against Bond.
Great video - agree with the top picks, for sure! Interesting observation about the uniqueness of the YOLT volcano, and how unlikely it is anything like it will ever be built again. For dishonourable mentions I would also take into account the extent to which the set was actually used. The poster for The Man With the Golden Gun appears to depict a battle in the giant solar power plant set, but it's only attended by one actor who unceremoniously falls into a vat, which was very disappointing. And in Spectre, Blofeld's giant desert server farm should have been the site of a much more protracted and difficult escape and gun battles with henchmen, but it was just blown up, another grossly underutilized set.
Can't disagree with your choices much to be honest - also loving the 007 Nightfire music in the background!
Is there a reason the series hasn't used Mont Saint Michel as a villain's lair yet? Like, look at that place! Great list, Calvin :)
Hey Calvin Bond Reviewer. I know you dont know me but I still wanna thank you for giving me some good memories. Like you're content seriously kept me positive through some times. Any who though. You must be busy. Hope you have a good day!
Thanks very much for getting in touch. I'm glad you've enjoyed the videos and that they've provided some assistance and contributed something towards positivity. Hope you're having a good day as well and thanks for this again! Much appreciated and very kind of you. I hope today is one of the more positive days for you! :)
@@calvindyson oh my goodness!! You've actually replied!!! You're the best youtuber ever!