I was 20 when I first saw Diamonds are Forever in Dec.1971. I remember seeing a long line outside the theater. It had been 4 1/2 years since Connery played Bond and people couldn`t wait to see him. When the gunbarrel sequence came on the screen , there was thunderous applause from the audience and when Connery appeared and said " my name is Bond - James Bond ", the audience cheered and applauded. I`ll never forget it. You see , people didn`t care if this movie was good or bad. They came to see Sean Connery play James Bond again.
@@jonburrows8602 what the critics say and what the general populous think are usually two different things, I don't read critics cos they're usually pretentious arseholes paid to say whatever they think will be popular as opposed to genuine opinion but the comments I see here on TH-cam repeatedly accuse him of showing lack of interest, my personal opinion is there's no difference in his acting in diamonds to any of the others people just see things that aren't there cos they're aware he only did the film for money and not cos he genuinely wanted to come back, reviewers were most likely going with the line he was having fun cos everyone at the time was just glad to see him back, it's all personal perspective but from what I read Sean's perspective was he agreed to do the film on the basis that the money he received from it be used to fund a Scottish education program or something so that's all he cared about. He was sick of bond though that was certain.
Howard Weber > Let me tell you what happened when I first saw Diamonds are Forever back in December 1971 ( I was 20 at the time ). Now you have to remember that Connery was away from Bond for 4 1/2 years. When the gunbarrel sequence came on the screen , there was THUNDEROUS applause from the audience. Then , when Connery appeared on the screen and said " My Name is Bond - James Bond ", the audience went nuts. They cheered and applauded like I never heard before. To this day , it`s still the loudest audience reaction I`ve ever heard watching a Bond movie in a theater. And yes , I`ve seen every Bond movie in the theater , most of them on opening day.
I love "Diamonds Are Forever". If you make the grave mistake of taking it seriously, you're lost. Even though the plot is actually quite complex (as it adds a third party to the diamond smuggling ring in the novel), most of that doesn't really play a role once we're in Vegas and it becomes basically a self-parody - and it does it beautifully! Connery is dry as as martini as he walks through Roger Moore sceneries and, unlike "Moonraker" or "Die Another Day", the film is very self-aware and never slips down into trash. "Diamonds Are Forever" will never leave my top 10 - even if it's just 10.
I thought YOLT would have been an excellent final film for Connery. Lazenby should have done a 1-2 punch in OHMSS and Diamonds. Would have felt so much cleaner.
Lego Qui-Gon Jinn it’s flawed for sure but I think it would have been a better note to go out on for Connery, rather than Diamonds (or Never Say Never Again).
@@ΜακηςΛ-ε5ρ Connery looked better than ever in "Outland"; he could easily have played Bond through "For Your Eyes Only". Not sure why, 7 years earlier, he looked 20 years older. Hell, he looked better in "The Rock" than he did in DAF.
You got to love this film and all of the awkwardness which you very well point out. Nice to hear your thoughts but for me its one of my all time favourite Bond films! Great score by John Barry, many of memorable scenes and great locations and set designs. I prefer Connerys films but to me Roger and the films of the 70s/80s are just as much Bond but in a different way. Worst Connery is Never say never again of course... unless your one of those not counting it in the first place ;)
For all the reasons you stated you didn't like this movie are the exact reasons i love Diamonds are Forever. I actually much prefer the stranger out there Bond Films like this one and The Man with the Golden Gun as opposed to the more Realism based Bond films of the Daniel Craig era which are way too serious and take themselves too seriously for my personal tastes.
Hilarious review, guys! I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said, but I do feel the film has a certain charm to it that you failed to convey. You have to go into it knowing it's a comedy. Some of the dialogue is pure gold and the score is fantastic! I would argue that Connery is more engaged here than in YOLT. However, it does feel very cheap and tacky at times as you pointed out. I've always enjoyed it for what it is.
I feel like the difference between this and other "bad" Bond movies is that DAF is actually trying to be the way that it is. And you're right, it's actually a pretty funny movie, and Connery looks like he's having a good time (which, by all accounts, he was).
In fairness to this film much of the dialogue is actually quite well written and film-noir esque in places. But yeah, it has some awful campiness that really spoils it.
When I was 10, my parents wouldn't let me go to OHMSS with my friends. (Sad Face) My first Bond film--in the theater in those days (for $2.50, not $10.00)--was Diamonds. I was probably 12-13, maybe just entering adolescence, and I was amazed. The action, the women, the excitement, the women--it was incredible. It made me a Bond fanatic. I read all the books. I saw the movies at theaters that ran older films (including a triple-feature once), and had a man crush on Connery. I remember seeing the older Connery films and wondering what happened--he looked so fit and trim. Your criticisms are justified, but at the time, it was probably the best movie that I'd ever seen.
Performance wise, You Only Live Twice is worse because it's obvious how bored Sean Connery was and just phoned it in. It's the rest of the film that somehow manages to pull it together to carry his bad performance. Diamonds are Forever, Connery at least was enjoying himself again but this was a script that clearly was more a Roger Moore style movie. But just because it's bad doesn't mean its not entertaining,
100% agree. I’ve tried to watch this flick several times and I was only recently able to finish it. I usually love Bond films even if they don’t hold together, but this one I actively dislike.
i'm surprised that you didn't mention connery's actual last bond film 'never say never again'...whether you liked it or not, that was his last bond film, not diamonds...
I think it also suffered from being mostly filmed in America, so it didnt have that British/ international feel like a proper Bond film should have. Connery didnt look as bad as I remembered, but I felt the clothes were dated, rather than timeless like the early Bond films. I also think the plot was muddy and this was the beginning of the campiness that continued with Roger Moore, until For Your Eyes Only came along as kind of a return to form. This still had some good moments, good lines, and I do think Connery's worst is probably still better than some other's typical films. I actually liked Connery better on Never Say Never Again, which was years later. By then I think he took on the role with renewed interest.
@@ricardocantoral7672interesting, especially with OHMSS being the superior film. The producers do seem to often be guilty of trying too hard, trying to catch trends, stay with the times, etc. , instead of getting back to the basics and simply having a great story. Sometimes they get it right, like with Casino Royale.
At first I thought David put on his campiness but watching more of these brilliant shows it's just his enthusiasm mixed with excitement that shows ,well done David on re-creating a bond like life
If I remember correctly, they got Connery back for about $1.5 million (most of which set up a film school in Scotland) and a three-picture deal with UA (only one movie of which, the disturbing drama "The Offense", was actually made).
Honestly, this is my favorite Connery Bond film. its not the best, but its my favorite. I just love the setting, Las Vegas is a place I feel James Bond thrives in and should definitely go back to in the future. Mr Wint and Mr Kidd are two amazing villains with great death scenes, the action in the movie is solid, the theme song is amazing, the humor is hilarious, the one liners are witty, the special effects are very good and the set pieces are memorable. love the gags, love the style and love Connery.
I really agree guys. Gone are the real graceful movements, his youthfulness and his thin profile. It's just not the same guy. Throw in the atrocious clothing styles of the 70's and the magic is gone. No one moved like Connery in his early films.
@@thefoxcritic1 Barry's score here sounds more consistently fitting than some of his other Bond scores, which sound either like overuse of a main theme, or a patchwork of different tones. Not Barry's fault in some Bond movies.
Connery's voice is different here than it was in Dr No through to YOLT and sounds more Scottish. Best Bond movie of them all is OHMSS. Crying shame Lazenby burnt his bridges.
Unlike the earlier Bond movies, this one and along with You Only Live Twice, were a massive departure from the novels, and I mean a massive departure. The original movies had some elements of the novels, On Her Majesty's Secret Service being the closest and probably Dr No being second closest, but seriously this is nothing like Fleming had written.
Very good, honest, review. You are hard core Bond fans and know your stuff. It is the worst of the Connery movies. I think it was Connery himself who changed to tone more to make it a bit more campy than his earlier movies. He said it in an interview in 1986 I think. Because he had power, people listened to him and I think he ruined it. I still say the line "It's a small world" to this day! One of the best attempts to kill Bond was to cremate him in a coffin. I always remember that from when I was a kid. I grew up with Roger Moore so when I saw the earlier Connery movies they weren't my favourite as a child but when I got older I could appreciate the brilliance of From Russia with Love. This was a bad movie. Connery is by far the best Bond but for this one he was just in it for the money!
6:41 that is absolutely spot on. I saw On Her Majesty's Secret Service and then Diamonds are Forever. It is so weird that Diamonds are Forever do not make any reference to On Her Majesty's. On Her Majestys had a huge emotional impact and amazing. Of course George Lazenby did annoy producers a lot but movie afterwards should have made a reference to it like it did in the Ian Fleming's novel You Only Live Twice. Hell they could even put this tragedy on the sidelines like in the book. I enjoyed Diamonds a lot a while ago.
The story goes they offered Lazenby big money to return for diamonds and it was only his agent that stopped it by telling Lazenby spy films would be passe soon since there was a new decade coming however had Lazenby returned it would've been a proper sequel to ohmss and seen bond getting revenge on Blofeld for Tracey's death, mind you the opening sequence is about bond seeking out Blofeld to kill him so it does kinda continue through even if Tracey isn't mentioned.
i agreed on the Tiffany character. i was surprised t osee how cool and feisty..she is in the first half of the movie..cos all i remember about her from the first time i watched this movie long long long time ago is her being one of the biggest bond bimbos.
I like how Connery didn't even shave his back hair for this one. He was really in not-give-a-fuck mode. As much as I enjoyed this one, this should have been Roger's first.
Well, that was the first Bond I saw. I was 9 years old that time... So , until today is one of my favorites, by I really now , that is far from the best ones.
This film is at least fun. I think it has elements that work really well for me, and it taps into the enjoyable campy spy stuff that Moore would later perfect.
Connery would have ruined OHMSS. Even with Lazenby’ shortcomings OHMSS is desperately underrated and a refreshing break from Connery. He shouldn’t have come back for DAF.
@@jackdunkley1605 I agree with you Jack about the OHMSS being underrated, however based on stories from the filming of YOLT Connery wanted to dive into the character rather just the action adventure side. My question which has still not been asked (media) or answered by anyone (readings from published articles or video interviews) is would Connery have stayed to play Bond for a sixth time if the producers would have offered OHMSS.
@@dgomez007 Connery was Bond for everyone until the early 70s. Producers, although his relationships is very bad after ''Thunderball'', wanted him in ''Live and Let Die''. If he had played in O.H.M.S.S. he would had play in D.A.F. as a revenge film (now is a follow-up of ''You Only Live Twice''). His appearance and performance fits perfectly, after Tracy's death.
@@ricardocantoral7672 After watching Connery in The Offense, he could have easily played the emotional scenes. He was pissed off with greedy producers after YOLT.
HOWARD W. says > You can say what you want about DIAMONDS are FOREVER. All I know is that I saw it opening day back in Dec. 1971 ( I was 20 ) and it had the best audience reaction for a Bond film I`ve ever seen to this day. Goldfinger also had great audience reaction.
I think his body, as visible during the scene with Tiffany before bed, also points out that he didn't care for the movie. His body looks phenomenally better in Never Say Never Again, 12 years later.
Great to see the two of you back again! Never Say Never undoubtedly Connery’s worst though. I actually liked Diamonds are forever -it’s the weakest of his “official”films but I have great memories of this movie. I remember seeing this with my parents in the theatre when I was young and everyone cheering when he says “my name is Bond,James Bond”because he was back!
I think it's a load of rubbish, sadly. I feel Connery was a financial mercenary by this point and this was a form of revenge on the producers - he was having fun as he had got his own way, and unfortunately he lacked the artistic credentials to either realize he was taking part in something that wasn't very good, or just didn't really care as long as he was being paid a fortune and got the contractual concessions he was looking for, or maybe he just enjoyed the shoot as a fun experience. Either way, it's just pants, and I think Connery is the quintessential Bond.
I agree with Carl Wilson. There is a lot of great humour in Diamonds are Forever. Quite sly and subversive humour. Yes Connery is out of shape but he looks like he is enjoying himself. He seems engaged in the role. He certainly didn't look like he was enjoying himself in You Only Live Twice or Thunderball. Having Bond in Las Vegas was fun. Was it his worst film? Like Carl Wilson I think Thunderball is his worst film. If I had to rank his films it would go Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, Dr No, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever and then Thunderball. And then there is Never Say Never Again....... :-) Great video guys. Always enjoy them. Keep them up.
You guys nailed it. I almost feel like Eon was punishing Connery with the script and Connery was sticking it to Eon. Sean looked so old that he reminded me of my father, which is bad for Connery but some serious street cred for my dad. Looking forward to a View to a kill.
Okay, I admit to being completely mystified by the omissions -- both in Joe & Dave's otherwise excellent commentary and in the comments below -- of two indisputably effective scenes in DAF. No matter how much one dislikes the film as a whole, why is there zero mention of Bond's near cremation which, for one blessed moment, feels as though he is truly in real danger, and, most especially, the brilliantly choreographed and exhilaratingly brutal elevator fight, clearly one of the standout punch-ups in the whole series? Truly, why were those very effective scenes not even alluded to? I'll never forget the impact of that lift fight upon seeing the film on it's original release at Grauman's Chinese in Hollywood and hearing the cheers & applause of the audience at its conclusion. This, for me, was in the same distinguished company as the train fight in FRWL, Bond and Oddjob in Fort Knox, the pre-credits fight in Thunderball, the Osato Chemical fight in YOLT, and the terrific ones in OHMSS. Yes, there've been other excellent ones since -- most notably in TLD (the cargo-net sequence), Goldeneye (Bond & Trevelyan), Casino (the men's room flashback, the truck fight, and especially the unforgettably brutal stairwell fight), and, most recently, the terrific train fight in Spectre. But, of all the punch-ups in the Connery/Lazenby era, I can't see how anyone would not find that elevator brawl to be one of the few highlights in an admittedly flawed and very uneven film.
Howard Weber says > Hi Paul , I just wanted to say that I`m a huge fan of your mother. She was a under rated actress. I met you twice when I lived in Los Angeles. Once on a bus and then at The Living Daylights screening at the Village theater in Westwood. I really miss Stans Donuts. I went there every Saturday for almost 30 years.
I've always enjoyed *Diamonds Are Forever*-it's fun, witty, and not meant to be taken too seriously. And the John Barry soundtrack? Absolutely delightful from start to finish. The "007 and Counting" space laser sequence is definitely one of my all-time favorites. The music really holds the film together. I had the pleasure of watching it again at the London Waterloo IMAX, and I loved every moment!
I like Diamonds are forever but mainly because of Tiffany Case and the joy of having Connery back. It isn't his best performance but he's better here than on his previous outing and the age thing jars less than late period Moore. Some of the side characters like Wint and Kidd are great, I like the sleaze and campiness of Vegas and I even don't mind Charles Grey as Blofeld
You probably will never see this comment but at 6:45 if a movie goer plopped down $10 dollars for watching a film, that would have been outrageous in 1971. A movie then would have cost $1.65 per person. Which shows how old I am.
It wasn't so much just his age, but the 60s Connery Bond looked really out of place in the 70s. YOLT should have been his swansong, as I actually really enjoyed it next to FRWL as his best two in my opinion. John Barry's score in YOLT was his best of the time! You's should do a review on Never Say Never Again!
I love Diamonds are Forever. It's fun all the way. And, unlike the Moore movies starting with Golden Gun, there is no farce, just tongue in cheek. It is my most quoted Bond, and yes, that line "I got a brudder" is hilarious (as is Connery's reply). It has the best fight scene in any Bond. There are a few "who cares" moments which are disappointing, like the car tilt and the story gap between being thrown out the window and ending dead in the pool. But these had already started to appear in You Only Live Twice. Bambi and Thumper - absolutely terrific and part of what makes Bond such a wild fantasy. My favorite Bond is OHMSS but this will always be in my top 10.
Being Older, I'm 70 now, "There can only be One!" and that was Sean Connery. I loved that they did it in LV, old Downtown where you can see the Plaza that was still under construction at the end of Fremont St. Circus Circus when they used to have all that they showed in the flick and the Howard Hughes tie in with Jimmy Dean. The outside high wire act was the old Hilton/International where Elvis lived for some time. When Roger Moore came along I didn't care for him at all. To me he was just too Prissy. Then the other Hollywood guys came in and I didn't care for them either. I saw the 1st two with Craig and when they cashed in on the Poker Craze at that time in Casino Royale I was Done with the franchise. I just have the films with Connery in my library.
It is interesting to see the difference with whats being said here and the BondExperience discussions with Calvin Dyson. The guy is saying that everybody kinda dislikes the 70s era and saying that it was just a 'window' between serious Connery and serious modern Bond, which idk i think a lot of fans might disagree, e.g. Calvin Dyson and Bond experience discussing Moonraker for being goofy. Some ppl see more upbeat, comedic Moore as the peak of Bond, while Connery or Craig fans might see it as a valley. It all depends though on who ur favorite Bond is. But I definitely agree with what they're saying about Diamonds Are Forever and they have some good insights
The first time I saw this was when I was 11. I'm a lifelong Bond fan, but if there is one thing I regret about the Bond movies, it's seeing Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever practically naked at the age of 11.
You both disliking DAF - I think how little you would like it if it had someone else as Bond (such as John Gavin). Connery gives a more enthusiastic performance here than in YOLT.
James Bond's attire in this film hasn't aged well as fashion, but it's also inappropriate in some scenes. I remember in a Las Vegas portion he was wearing some jacket or suit that looked as though it belonged more in a British winter. And I'm sure Bond wore a black dinner suit/tux (with a red lining!) for no logical reason at all; breaking into a penthouse apartment from outside the building. I guess this might have been the key moment the dinner jacket became the James Bond Bat Suit. Apparently, despite it being so popular just a few years earlier, no one wore black tie anymore in Vegas when this was shot. In a cut scene from the film, Sammy Davis Jr exclaimed upon seeing Bond in his white dinner jacket; "There isn't a wedding cake big enough for that guy!" Probably deleted because it illustrated how out of place Bond's get up was now.
I watched this last night (working my way through all of them) and it’s as if Connery was acting out of spite against producers who were acting out of spite to see who could make a worse film. It’s almost surprising that it didn’t kill off the franchise at times.
I place 'Diamonds' at #3, after 'Thunderball' and 'You Only Live Twice'. The only flaw I find in it is the fire part and the silly Mustang scene. 'Never Say Never Again' would be his worst Bond for me, as it is a complete waste of effort rehashing the great Thunderball.
I enjoy watching this movie today because of the cars and the time period when it was produced. Jimmy Dean after Burt Saxby shoots at him "Tell him he's fired!"
Connery is better in the previous films. Especially in first four, where everything is like a big family. After ''Thunderball'' his relatioships with producers go from bad to worst. But if D.A.F. was a revenge film and not a follow-up of ''You Only Live Twice'', his appearance and performance would fit, as Bond after Tracy's death.
It's not all Connery's fault. I think the story was the albatross. I think everyone is right, though about how Connery didn't care that much about giving his all.
A friend and I used to always joke about how Connery came back looking ancient in Diamonds are Forever... and it came up again in a recent conversation and we realized that we are now the same age as Connery was in that film... That was... sobering.
Guys, any chance of you doing a piece on The Michael Caine 'Harry Palmer' trilogy (which I absolutely love, even 'Billion Dollar Brain')? Obviously there's a Bond connection with Harry Saltzman. Also, my favourite (and easily most authentic Spy genre author, John Le Carre's, 'The Spy who came in from the cold' (tenuous Bond connection with Richard Burton being apparently offered 'Dr No' before Connery, but declined/ or was too expensive). My reason for asking, is that I absolutely adore 'The Ipcress file' book and film, and again 'Funeral in Berlin'. I feel that these three films (Ipcress, Funeral... and The Spy who came in... are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best of the non- Bond Spy boom (and at least on a level with, and in places superior to Eon's efforts). They are all truly great films and novels, in their own right, and though loosely connected, and sometimes indebted to Fleming/Broccoli etc (Palmer is a first person, unnamed protagonist in the novels, and rarely carries a gun, but Bond made Spy's with guns a 'thing'). I would love to hear your thoughts. Very Best wishes, from England, Lambert, James Lambert. ;) Really enjoy the channel by the way, especially these type of good natured and spot on, reviews. Ps- I only really like 'Diamonds...' for Jill St John' I find her very underrated, but only in the first couple of acts - they seem to have nothing for her to do once she switches sides, and her wonderful, sassy attitude dissipates utterly.
I love James Bond but there isn't single a Bond film that can lick The Ipcress File. I love films that threaten the mental and physical well being of the main character.
Diamonds is great, just like Moonraker you gotta go in ready for comedy. Diamonds cheep greasy look is also kind of psychedelic at times, lots to enjoy
The only thing DAF contributes to cinema is self-parody which eventually paved the way for Austin Powers. The film is bitterly disappointing for me, because this is the climax of the SPECTRE run. Really this should have been a revenge film with Bond allying with Marc Ange Draco to bring SPECTRE and Blofeld to their knees. It's a crying shame really because the early 70s did indeed usher in revenge pics. So this approach would not be out of step with cinematic trends at the time. DAF is a mostly stupid film that brings nothing to the franchise and certainly is a hollow ending to the SPECTRE continuity.
Just finding this again tonight, and really enjoying it. Somehow, I feel like Connery's 007 was present for two accidental B-movies; the first is Dr. No, which is amazing, and gritty, but feels like a '50's B-movie, and this, which is also enjoyable, but feels super-cheap, and a lot worse. I think his performance in Diamonds is very charming, and much more invested than anything past-Goldfinger, so, I would recommend it! However, it's stuck in that early-70's, discount-bin of ,"The Man with the Golden Gun", etc. The Bond films just didn't feel as grand in this era. The early '70's is also my very favorite period for movies, but definitely not so for James Bond; sorry 007!
Diamonds is by no way the worst, thunderball is probably connerys worst cos its mediocre which is worse than being corny cos at least corny is memorable, also lazenby didnt come back cos his stupid agent told him not to it had little to do with the producers, they were offering him big money to return which had he done so diamonds wouldve been a revenge film after traceys death.
“It’s like comparing poetry to the back of a Bazooka Joe comic” …holy shit. The call of the century. Thank you for putting so succinctly why this movie pisses me off in principle. Not just for being tacky and cheap, but for actively ignoring OHMSS as if to apologize for it. Like it wasn’t a masterpiece. If I weren’t subscribed to you already, Darling…I’d subscribe again.
It was the worst! The story was weak and silly! Sean was clearly uninspired and just not interested! He was just 41 and yet he looked out of shape, fat and old! May be even older than Daniel in his 50s in NTTD! Sigh! Sean should've acted in OHMSS and bow out. It would have been his career best in the Bond series......
Sean Connery will always be THE best Bond to me, but Diamonds is easily one of the all-time WORST James Bond movies. I tried, and always failed, to appreciate this movie. It's just a dud on so many levels. Every element of this film is sub-par (weak villains, dated costumes, campy characters and settings, lack-luster settings and sets, boring finale, easily John Barry's worst score, cheesy tacky style, terribly bad special effects, total lack of suspense, convoluted plot, laughably stupid moon-buggy chase, etc.). At least Moonraker, for all it's faults, has the wonderful sets by Ken Adam and a brilliant score by John Barry. And with Moonraker, the camp kind of works, (Moonraker doesn't feel cheap by comparison), whereas Diamonds just feels sleazy like a B-rated movie with a low budget. Bond films, like Bond's tastes, should never feel cheap and Diamonds lacks class. Diamonds just stinks, face it. Diamonds comes close to ranking at the very bottom of all Bond films for me.
1971 Let me give you a bit of cultural background. I lived as an adult in the 70’s. Society was collapsing. You young guys can’t know how things went south, and very deeply. Riots, killings, bombings, some by the state were a common almost everyday occurrence. In 68 the US had 16,000+ Vietnam casualties, and 19,000 more by the end of 1971. Drug use soared, Belushi died from it. It was the golden age of drugs. Protests. The establishment was breaking up, the public in a state of perpetual shock. DAF reflects the chaos and loss of direction. It could summed up with this. Mike Douglas hosted a popular national afternoon variety show in the US. Reminiscing in the late 80’s, he said the during the entire 70’s run of the show, in the live audience, no one ever laughed.
Diamonds Are Forever is actually my wife's favorite Connery Bond film. And while it's not my favorite I've always been able to enjoy it mainly because I don't take it too seriously and can just laugh at the silly aspects of it.
They wanted sean Connery back because they felt on her majesty was not good they wrong in so many ways they did this movie in this way because of on her majesty. This movie was done as part of a way to look at james bond in different way. For the 1970s
Agree with most of your comments, Diamonds is a poor Bond movie, probably in the bottom five. Feel bad for Jill St John because, as you said, her character starts out strong and then the script writers cheat her character of any substance. Bad villain, bad henchman, bad script, poor cinematography, one of the poorer looking Bonds, and a tired lead actor. I would argue Jill St Johm is the best thing in the film.
I would rather have seen Bambi and Thumper more then Win and Kidd . Why were the girls not killing the pipeline in Vegas ? Also I wanted to see the Minisub running in the water . It just look so cool .
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I was 20 when I first saw Diamonds are Forever in Dec.1971. I remember seeing a long line outside the theater. It had been 4 1/2 years since Connery played Bond and people couldn`t wait to see him. When the gunbarrel sequence came on the screen , there was thunderous applause from the audience and when Connery appeared and said " my name is Bond - James Bond ", the audience cheered and applauded. I`ll never forget it. You see , people didn`t care if this movie was good or bad. They came to see Sean Connery play James Bond again.
Connery,despite his lack of fitness,was clearly having fun again in this film.
Interesting cos you're the first person I've ever read say Connery was having fun, everyone else says he's phoning it in.
What??? Contemporary and retrospective critics have all said he was more relaxed and having fun than in his previous 2 efforts.
@@jonburrows8602 what the critics say and what the general populous think are usually two different things, I don't read critics cos they're usually pretentious arseholes paid to say whatever they think will be popular as opposed to genuine opinion but the comments I see here on TH-cam repeatedly accuse him of showing lack of interest, my personal opinion is there's no difference in his acting in diamonds to any of the others people just see things that aren't there cos they're aware he only did the film for money and not cos he genuinely wanted to come back, reviewers were most likely going with the line he was having fun cos everyone at the time was just glad to see him back, it's all personal perspective but from what I read Sean's perspective was he agreed to do the film on the basis that the money he received from it be used to fund a Scottish education program or something so that's all he cared about. He was sick of bond though that was certain.
@@jonburrows8602 He spent more time on the golf course than he did in the studio.
@@jonburrows8602 he was wayyyy more engaging in thunderball gtfo
As a child I was traumatized by the scene where James Bond was lying in a coffin and was almost burned.
Too bad in the end they laughed it all off as if it were a joke. Pretty much removes any tension the scene may have had.
Howard Weber > Let me tell you what happened when I first saw Diamonds are Forever back in December 1971 ( I was 20 at the time ). Now you have to remember that Connery was away from Bond for 4 1/2 years. When the gunbarrel sequence came on the screen , there was THUNDEROUS applause from the audience. Then , when Connery appeared on the screen and said " My Name is Bond - James Bond ", the audience went nuts. They cheered and applauded like I never heard before. To this day , it`s still the loudest audience reaction I`ve ever heard watching a Bond movie in a theater. And yes , I`ve seen every Bond movie in the theater , most of them on opening day.
I love "Diamonds Are Forever". If you make the grave mistake of taking it seriously, you're lost. Even though the plot is actually quite complex (as it adds a third party to the diamond smuggling ring in the novel), most of that doesn't really play a role once we're in Vegas and it becomes basically a self-parody - and it does it beautifully!
Connery is dry as as martini as he walks through Roger Moore sceneries and, unlike "Moonraker" or "Die Another Day", the film is very self-aware and never slips down into trash. "Diamonds Are Forever" will never leave my top 10 - even if it's just 10.
I thought YOLT would have been an excellent final film for Connery. Lazenby should have done a 1-2 punch in OHMSS and Diamonds. Would have felt so much cleaner.
YOLT is awful tbh
Lego Qui-Gon Jinn it’s flawed for sure but I think it would have been a better note to go out on for Connery, rather than Diamonds (or Never Say Never Again).
Connery should have play in O.H.M.S.S. and as final film should be ''Live and Let Die'' in 1972 to celebration 10 years Bond films.
@@ΜακηςΛ-ε5ρ Connery looked better than ever in "Outland"; he could easily have played Bond through "For Your Eyes Only". Not sure why, 7 years earlier, he looked 20 years older. Hell, he looked better in "The Rock" than he did in DAF.
You got to love this film and all of the awkwardness which you very well point out. Nice to hear your thoughts but for me its one of my all time favourite Bond films! Great score by John Barry, many of memorable scenes and great locations and set designs.
I prefer Connerys films but to me Roger and the films of the 70s/80s are just as much Bond but in a different way.
Worst Connery is Never say never again of course... unless your one of those not counting it in the first place ;)
I read somewhere that this film was on constant rotation in Howard Hughes personal theatre, at his Vegas hotel. No joke.
For all the reasons you stated you didn't like this movie are the exact reasons i love Diamonds are Forever. I actually much prefer the stranger out there Bond Films like this one and The Man with the Golden Gun as opposed to the more Realism based Bond films of the Daniel Craig era which are way too serious and take themselves too seriously for my personal tastes.
Hilarious review, guys! I don't necessarily disagree with anything you said, but I do feel the film has a certain charm to it that you failed to convey. You have to go into it knowing it's a comedy. Some of the dialogue is pure gold and the score is fantastic! I would argue that Connery is more engaged here than in YOLT. However, it does feel very cheap and tacky at times as you pointed out. I've always enjoyed it for what it is.
I know it's unpopular... But I absolutely LOVE Diamonds Are Forever!!!!!!
Big fan of DAF and the score is excellent!
I feel like the difference between this and other "bad" Bond movies is that DAF is actually trying to be the way that it is. And you're right, it's actually a pretty funny movie, and Connery looks like he's having a good time (which, by all accounts, he was).
In fairness to this film much of the dialogue is actually quite well written and film-noir esque in places. But yeah, it has some awful campiness that really spoils it.
The "I gotta brudda" character is Sid Haig!!! He manages to make such an impression with just that one line and what, two others scenes without lines.
When I was 10, my parents wouldn't let me go to OHMSS with my friends. (Sad Face) My first Bond film--in the theater in those days (for $2.50, not $10.00)--was Diamonds. I was probably 12-13, maybe just entering adolescence, and I was amazed. The action, the women, the excitement, the women--it was incredible. It made me a Bond fanatic. I read all the books. I saw the movies at theaters that ran older films (including a triple-feature once), and had a man crush on Connery. I remember seeing the older Connery films and wondering what happened--he looked so fit and trim. Your criticisms are justified, but at the time, it was probably the best movie that I'd ever seen.
Performance wise, You Only Live Twice is worse because it's obvious how bored Sean Connery was and just phoned it in. It's the rest of the film that somehow manages to pull it together to carry his bad performance. Diamonds are Forever, Connery at least was enjoying himself again but this was a script that clearly was more a Roger Moore style movie. But just because it's bad doesn't mean its not entertaining,
100% agree. I’ve tried to watch this flick several times and I was only recently able to finish it. I usually love Bond films even if they don’t hold together, but this one I actively dislike.
This always felt like a Pink Panther movie without Inspector Closeau to me.
It is very much a parody. I mean look at the poster. But a good one, it's fun and silly.
Half of it was like a version of colombo
Perfect comparison!
i'm surprised that you didn't mention connery's actual last bond film 'never say never again'...whether you liked it or not, that was his last bond film, not diamonds...
To me the film the rock is the last Connery bond film
It’s literally just a knockoff that wasn’t even produced by Eon. It’s not a real Bond movie.
I think this movie is is my bottom five.
I think it also suffered from being mostly filmed in America, so it didnt have that British/ international feel like a proper Bond film should have. Connery didnt look as bad as I remembered, but I felt the clothes were dated, rather than timeless like the early Bond films. I also think the plot was muddy and this was the beginning of the campiness that continued with Roger Moore, until For Your Eyes Only came along as kind of a return to form. This still had some good moments, good lines, and I do think Connery's worst is probably still better than some other's typical films. I actually liked Connery better on Never Say Never Again, which was years later. By then I think he took on the role with renewed interest.
The producers wanted an Americanized Bond film because OHMSS did poorly in the domestic market.
@@ricardocantoral7672interesting, especially with OHMSS being the superior film. The producers do seem to often be guilty of trying too hard, trying to catch trends, stay with the times, etc. , instead of getting back to the basics and simply having a great story. Sometimes they get it right, like with Casino Royale.
At first I thought David put on his campiness but watching more of these brilliant shows it's just his enthusiasm mixed with excitement that shows ,well done David on re-creating a bond like life
If I remember correctly, they got Connery back for about $1.5 million (most of which set up a film school in Scotland) and a three-picture deal with UA (only one movie of which, the disturbing drama "The Offense", was actually made).
1.25 million
Joe nails it - Diamonds falls so heavily because it follows Majesty’s, like a comic strip after poetry.
Honestly, this is my favorite Connery Bond film. its not the best, but its my favorite. I just love the setting, Las Vegas is a place I feel James Bond thrives in and should definitely go back to in the future. Mr Wint and Mr Kidd are two amazing villains with great death scenes, the action in the movie is solid, the theme song is amazing, the humor is hilarious, the one liners are witty, the special effects are very good and the set pieces are memorable. love the gags, love the style and love Connery.
Who hurt you?! 😆😆
I really agree guys. Gone are the real graceful movements, his youthfulness and his thin profile. It's just not the same guy. Throw in the atrocious clothing styles of the 70's and the magic is gone. No one moved like Connery in his early films.
Really wish Connery kept You Only Live Twice as his swan song. This film felt like Joe Montana playing for the Chiefs.
Dang, at least he went to the AFC championship game with the Chiefs.
The only good thing about this film is John Barry's great score!
And Shirley Bassey's return to the franchise. Agree with you about Barry's music. it's one of his best in the series.
@@CaminoAir It wasn't his best though.
I love listening the soundtrack album on its own. I think the music is among the best of the series.
@@CaminoAir no.
@@thefoxcritic1 Barry's score here sounds more consistently fitting than some of his other Bond scores, which sound either like overuse of a main theme, or a patchwork of different tones. Not Barry's fault in some Bond movies.
Connery's voice is different here than it was in Dr No through to YOLT and sounds more Scottish. Best Bond movie of them all is OHMSS. Crying shame Lazenby burnt his bridges.
I noticed that too! I always wondered why that was.
Shame that Lazenby messed up that's true.
Well the Shirley Bassey theme song , Diamonds are Forever, was good. The rest was pretty much inspiration for Austin Powers.
The drag and double making sounds like something Dr. Evil would do.
What, no mention of Never Say Never Again?
Neither should you
Unofficial Bond film.
Unlike the earlier Bond movies, this one and along with You Only Live Twice, were a massive departure from the novels, and I mean a massive departure. The original movies had some elements of the novels, On Her Majesty's Secret Service being the closest and probably Dr No being second closest, but seriously this is nothing like Fleming had written.
Yeah that’s probably why I’m not looking forward to watching the roger Moore films; specifically Moonraker
Very good, honest, review. You are hard core Bond fans and know your stuff. It is the worst of the Connery movies. I think it was Connery himself who changed to tone more to make it a bit more campy than his earlier movies. He said it in an interview in 1986 I think. Because he had power, people listened to him and I think he ruined it. I still say the line "It's a small world" to this day! One of the best attempts to kill Bond was to cremate him in a coffin. I always remember that from when I was a kid. I grew up with Roger Moore so when I saw the earlier Connery movies they weren't my favourite as a child but when I got older I could appreciate the brilliance of From Russia with Love. This was a bad movie. Connery is by far the best Bond but for this one he was just in it for the money!
6:41 that is absolutely spot on. I saw On Her Majesty's Secret Service and then Diamonds are Forever. It is so weird that Diamonds are Forever do not make any reference to On Her Majesty's. On Her Majestys had a huge emotional impact and amazing. Of course George Lazenby did annoy producers a lot but movie afterwards should have made a reference to it like it did in the Ian Fleming's novel You Only Live Twice. Hell they could even put this tragedy on the sidelines like in the book. I enjoyed Diamonds a lot a while ago.
Producers ignored On Her Majesty's Secret Service, as in On Her Majesty's, ignored Bond and Blofeld meeting in You Only Live Twice.
The story goes they offered Lazenby big money to return for diamonds and it was only his agent that stopped it by telling Lazenby spy films would be passe soon since there was a new decade coming however had Lazenby returned it would've been a proper sequel to ohmss and seen bond getting revenge on Blofeld for Tracey's death, mind you the opening sequence is about bond seeking out Blofeld to kill him so it does kinda continue through even if Tracey isn't mentioned.
i agreed on the Tiffany character.
i was surprised t osee how cool and feisty..she is in the first half of the movie..cos all i remember about her from the first time i watched this movie long long long time ago is her being one of the biggest bond bimbos.
The " Yeah, I gotta brudda ..." guy, was played by the late , great Sid Haig
I like how Connery didn't even shave his back hair for this one. He was really in not-give-a-fuck mode. As much as I enjoyed this one, this should have been Roger's first.
Yeah he gets like that when film is boring for him
Well, that was the first Bond I saw. I was 9 years old that time... So , until today is one of my favorites, by I really now , that is far from the best ones.
I simply love and adore this movie! One of my favorites! I will pop this in all the time..... So much more often than Goldfinger.
This film is at least fun. I think it has elements that work really well for me, and it taps into the enjoyable campy spy stuff that Moore would later perfect.
That Looney Toons joke with the scorpion was really funny 😆
Just watched 💎s a couple weeks ago. I still really enjoy it.
I have a question for both of you gentlemen "Does Connery regret not doing OHMSS?" I agree that this is his worse in all of his movies.
Connery would have ruined OHMSS. Even with Lazenby’ shortcomings OHMSS is desperately underrated and a refreshing break from Connery. He shouldn’t have come back for DAF.
@@jackdunkley1605 I agree with you Jack about the OHMSS being underrated, however based on stories from the filming of YOLT Connery wanted to dive into the character rather just the action adventure side. My question which has still not been asked (media) or answered by anyone (readings from published articles or video interviews) is would Connery have stayed to play Bond for a sixth time if the producers would have offered OHMSS.
@@jackdunkley1605 Connery would not have "ruined" OHMSS but he definitely would not have exhibited the vulnerability that Lazenby did.
@@dgomez007 Connery was Bond for everyone until the early 70s. Producers, although his relationships is very bad after ''Thunderball'', wanted him in ''Live and Let Die''. If he had played in O.H.M.S.S. he would had play in D.A.F. as a revenge film (now is a follow-up of ''You Only Live Twice''). His appearance and performance fits perfectly, after Tracy's death.
@@ricardocantoral7672 After watching Connery in The Offense, he could have easily played the emotional scenes. He was pissed off with greedy producers after YOLT.
HOWARD W. says > You can say what you want about DIAMONDS are FOREVER. All I know is that I saw it opening day back in Dec. 1971 ( I was 20 ) and it had the best audience reaction for a Bond film I`ve ever seen to this day. Goldfinger also had great audience reaction.
I think his body, as visible during the scene with Tiffany before bed, also points out that he didn't care for the movie. His body looks phenomenally better in Never Say Never Again, 12 years later.
That's because he saw Never Say Never Again as a payback against producers.
At 52 he was in way better shape than at 40 in Diamonds.
4:10 a kind way of saying he'd let himself go. He should have been told "if you want the money get down to the gym".
Great to see the two of you back again!
Never Say Never undoubtedly Connery’s worst though.
I actually liked Diamonds are forever -it’s the weakest of his “official”films but I have great memories of this movie.
I remember seeing this with my parents in the theatre when I was young and everyone cheering when he says “my name is Bond,James Bond”because he was back!
I think it's a load of rubbish, sadly. I feel Connery was a financial mercenary by this point and this was a form of revenge on the producers - he was having fun as he had got his own way, and unfortunately he lacked the artistic credentials to either realize he was taking part in something that wasn't very good, or just didn't really care as long as he was being paid a fortune and got the contractual concessions he was looking for, or maybe he just enjoyed the shoot as a fun experience. Either way, it's just pants, and I think Connery is the quintessential Bond.
I agree with Carl Wilson. There is a lot of great humour in Diamonds are Forever. Quite sly and subversive humour. Yes Connery is out of shape but he looks like he is enjoying himself. He seems engaged in the role. He certainly didn't look like he was enjoying himself in You Only Live Twice or Thunderball. Having Bond in Las Vegas was fun. Was it his worst film? Like Carl Wilson I think Thunderball is his worst film. If I had to rank his films it would go Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, Dr No, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever and then Thunderball. And then there is Never Say Never Again....... :-) Great video guys. Always enjoy them. Keep them up.
The 2 hitmen just revel in their campness. I'm guessing they enjoyed working on this.
You guys nailed it. I almost feel like Eon was punishing Connery with the script and Connery was sticking it to Eon. Sean looked so old that he reminded me of my father, which is bad for Connery but some serious street cred for my dad. Looking forward to a View to a kill.
Connery was only 40! Wild huh?
Okay, I admit to being completely mystified by the omissions -- both in Joe & Dave's otherwise excellent commentary and in the comments below -- of two indisputably effective scenes in DAF. No matter how much one dislikes the film as a whole, why is there zero mention of Bond's near cremation which, for one blessed moment, feels as though he is truly in real danger, and, most especially, the brilliantly choreographed and exhilaratingly brutal elevator fight, clearly one of the standout punch-ups in the whole series? Truly, why were those very effective scenes not even alluded to? I'll never forget the impact of that lift fight upon seeing the film on it's original release at Grauman's Chinese in Hollywood and hearing the cheers & applause of the audience at its conclusion. This, for me, was in the same distinguished company as the train fight in FRWL, Bond and Oddjob in Fort Knox, the pre-credits fight in Thunderball, the Osato Chemical fight in YOLT, and the terrific ones in OHMSS. Yes, there've been other excellent ones since -- most notably in TLD (the cargo-net sequence), Goldeneye (Bond & Trevelyan), Casino (the men's room flashback, the truck fight, and especially the unforgettably brutal stairwell fight), and, most recently, the terrific train fight in Spectre. But, of all the punch-ups in the Connery/Lazenby era, I can't see how anyone would not find that elevator brawl to be one of the few highlights in an admittedly flawed and very uneven film.
Howard Weber says > Hi Paul , I just wanted to say that I`m a huge fan of your mother. She was a under rated actress. I met you twice when I lived in Los Angeles. Once on a bus and then at The Living Daylights screening at the Village theater in Westwood. I really miss Stans Donuts. I went there every Saturday for almost 30 years.
I've always enjoyed *Diamonds Are Forever*-it's fun, witty, and not meant to be taken too seriously. And the John Barry soundtrack? Absolutely delightful from start to finish. The "007 and Counting" space laser sequence is definitely one of my all-time favorites. The music really holds the film together. I had the pleasure of watching it again at the London Waterloo IMAX, and I loved every moment!
I like Diamonds are forever but mainly because of Tiffany Case and the joy of having Connery back. It isn't his best performance but he's better here than on his previous outing and the age thing jars less than late period Moore. Some of the side characters like Wint and Kidd are great, I like the sleaze and campiness of Vegas and I even don't mind Charles Grey as Blofeld
You probably will never see this comment but at 6:45 if a movie goer plopped down $10 dollars for watching a film, that would have been outrageous in 1971. A movie then would have cost $1.65 per person. Which shows how old I am.
The elevator fight is the best of the entire franchise.
Oh, come on. I actually agree with you-it was a really good fight, but not better than the fight on the train in FRWL. Nohow.
It wasn't so much just his age, but the 60s Connery Bond looked really out of place in the 70s. YOLT should have been his swansong, as I actually really enjoyed it next to FRWL as his best two in my opinion. John Barry's score in YOLT was his best of the time!
You's should do a review on Never Say Never Again!
I love Diamonds are Forever. It's fun all the way. And, unlike the Moore movies starting with Golden Gun, there is no farce, just tongue in cheek. It is my most quoted Bond, and yes, that line "I got a brudder" is hilarious (as is Connery's reply). It has the best fight scene in any Bond. There are a few "who cares" moments which are disappointing, like the car tilt and the story gap between being thrown out the window and ending dead in the pool. But these had already started to appear in You Only Live Twice. Bambi and Thumper - absolutely terrific and part of what makes Bond such a wild fantasy.
My favorite Bond is OHMSS but this will always be in my top 10.
I believe the number song in January 1971 was Bloodrock's D.O.A.,
Being Older, I'm 70 now, "There can only be One!" and that was Sean Connery. I loved that they did it in LV, old Downtown where you can see the Plaza that was still under construction at the end of Fremont St. Circus Circus when they used to have all that they showed in the flick and the Howard Hughes tie in with Jimmy Dean. The outside high wire act was the old Hilton/International where Elvis lived for some time. When Roger Moore came along I didn't care for him at all. To me he was just too Prissy. Then the other Hollywood guys came in and I didn't care for them either. I saw the 1st two with Craig and when they cashed in on the Poker Craze at that time in Casino Royale I was Done with the franchise. I just have the films with Connery in my library.
No " never say never again" was the worst and it hurts me to say it
Cause I love Connery!
I thought never say never again was Connery last bond movie
Jay Original That was not official. It was a Thunderball remake.
@@donaldthesavage1288 oh I c .., but even it wasn't official but yet it was very bad
What r ur thoughts regarding this movie??
Jay Original Never say never again is definitely his worst one, but they didn’t include it because it wasn’t made by Eon productions.
Jay Original Goldfinger was his best IMO.
@@donaldthesavage1288 yes it was good but I'm a little inclined to Dr no
It is interesting to see the difference with whats being said here and the BondExperience discussions with Calvin Dyson. The guy is saying that everybody kinda dislikes the 70s era and saying that it was just a 'window' between serious Connery and serious modern Bond, which idk i think a lot of fans might disagree, e.g. Calvin Dyson and Bond experience discussing Moonraker for being goofy. Some ppl see more upbeat, comedic Moore as the peak of Bond, while Connery or Craig fans might see it as a valley. It all depends though on who ur favorite Bond is. But I definitely agree with what they're saying about Diamonds Are Forever and they have some good insights
I always found DAF really hard to sit through. The only good thing about it is the theme song IMO.
The first time I saw this was when I was 11. I'm a lifelong Bond fan, but if there is one thing I regret about the Bond movies, it's seeing Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever practically naked at the age of 11.
😂 Hmmmm charming...(he aged so much in a few years!)
Great stuff guys! It is definitely Connery's worst Bond!
You both disliking DAF - I think how little you would like it if it had someone else as Bond (such as John Gavin). Connery gives a more enthusiastic performance here than in YOLT.
James Bond's attire in this film hasn't aged well as fashion, but it's also inappropriate in some scenes. I remember in a Las Vegas portion he was wearing some jacket or suit that looked as though it belonged more in a British winter. And I'm sure Bond wore a black dinner suit/tux (with a red lining!) for no logical reason at all; breaking into a penthouse apartment from outside the building. I guess this might have been the key moment the dinner jacket became the James Bond Bat Suit.
Apparently, despite it being so popular just a few years earlier, no one wore black tie anymore in Vegas when this was shot. In a cut scene from the film, Sammy Davis Jr exclaimed upon seeing Bond in his white dinner jacket; "There isn't a wedding cake big enough for that guy!" Probably deleted because it illustrated how out of place Bond's get up was now.
I like this film
I watched this last night (working my way through all of them) and it’s as if Connery was acting out of spite against producers who were acting out of spite to see who could make a worse film. It’s almost surprising that it didn’t kill off the franchise at times.
It is underrated IMO. Has a certain something to it. Can't put my finger to it. And Connery looked different because they did trim his eyebrows
I place 'Diamonds' at #3, after 'Thunderball' and 'You Only Live Twice'. The only flaw I find in it is the fire part and the silly Mustang scene. 'Never Say Never Again' would be his worst Bond for me, as it is a complete waste of effort rehashing the great Thunderball.
"you speak English. I speak English!"
"Who is your floor ?".
"Small world".
Bernard Lee is slightly only slightly above Judi dench in my books
I enjoy watching this movie today because of the cars and the time period when it was produced. Jimmy Dean after Burt Saxby shoots at him "Tell him he's fired!"
Connery is better in the previous films. Especially in first four, where everything is like a big family. After ''Thunderball'' his relatioships with producers go from bad to worst. But if D.A.F. was a revenge film and not a follow-up of ''You Only Live Twice'', his appearance and performance would fit, as Bond after Tracy's death.
It's not all Connery's fault. I think the story was the albatross. I think everyone is right, though about how Connery didn't care that much about giving his all.
A friend and I used to always joke about how Connery came back looking ancient in Diamonds are Forever... and it came up again in a recent conversation and we realized that we are now the same age as Connery was in that film... That was... sobering.
He came back looking even more ancient in 83s never say never again a staggering 13 years later.
I feel like this movie had so much potential and would have been an awesome revenge movie after OHMSS but yeah, it’s just so not good.
You are right. I would have liked to seen it as a revenge film like you said.
Guys, any chance of you doing a piece on The Michael Caine 'Harry Palmer' trilogy (which I absolutely love, even 'Billion Dollar Brain')? Obviously there's a Bond connection with Harry Saltzman. Also, my favourite (and easily most authentic Spy genre author, John Le Carre's, 'The Spy who came in from the cold' (tenuous Bond connection with Richard Burton being apparently offered 'Dr No' before Connery, but declined/ or was too expensive). My reason for asking, is that I absolutely adore 'The Ipcress file' book and film, and again 'Funeral in Berlin'. I feel that these three films (Ipcress, Funeral... and The Spy who came in... are, without a shadow of a doubt, the best of the non- Bond Spy boom (and at least on a level with, and in places superior to Eon's efforts).
They are all truly great films and novels, in their own right, and though loosely connected, and sometimes indebted to Fleming/Broccoli etc (Palmer is a first person, unnamed protagonist in the novels, and rarely carries a gun, but Bond made Spy's with guns a 'thing'). I would love to hear your thoughts. Very Best wishes, from England, Lambert, James Lambert. ;) Really enjoy the channel by the way, especially these type of good natured and spot on, reviews.
Ps- I only really like 'Diamonds...' for Jill St John' I find her very underrated, but only in the first couple of acts - they seem to have nothing for her to do once she switches sides, and her wonderful, sassy attitude dissipates utterly.
I love James Bond but there isn't single a Bond film that can lick The Ipcress File. I love films that threaten the mental and physical well being of the main character.
Diamonds is great, just like Moonraker you gotta go in ready for comedy. Diamonds cheep greasy look is also kind of psychedelic at times, lots to enjoy
My opinion has changed a lot on this film. Especially after Spectre and NTTD. I quite enjoy it now.
The only thing DAF contributes to cinema is self-parody which eventually paved the way for Austin Powers. The film is bitterly disappointing for me, because this is the climax of the SPECTRE run. Really this should have been a revenge film with Bond allying with Marc Ange Draco to bring SPECTRE and Blofeld to their knees. It's a crying shame really because the early 70s did indeed usher in revenge pics. So this approach would not be out of step with cinematic trends at the time. DAF is a mostly stupid film that brings nothing to the franchise and certainly is a hollow ending to the SPECTRE continuity.
Just finding this again tonight, and really enjoying it. Somehow, I feel like Connery's 007 was present for two accidental B-movies; the first is Dr. No, which is amazing, and gritty, but feels like a '50's B-movie, and this, which is also enjoyable, but feels super-cheap, and a lot worse. I think his performance in Diamonds is very charming, and much more invested than anything past-Goldfinger, so, I would recommend it! However, it's stuck in that early-70's, discount-bin of ,"The Man with the Golden Gun", etc. The Bond films just didn't feel as grand in this era. The early '70's is also my very favorite period for movies, but definitely not so for James Bond; sorry 007!
Diamonds is by no way the worst, thunderball is probably connerys worst cos its mediocre which is worse than being corny cos at least corny is memorable, also lazenby didnt come back cos his stupid agent told him not to it had little to do with the producers, they were offering him big money to return which had he done so diamonds wouldve been a revenge film after traceys death.
“It’s like comparing poetry to the back of a Bazooka Joe comic”
…holy shit. The call of the century. Thank you for putting so succinctly why this movie pisses me off in principle. Not just for being tacky and cheap, but for actively ignoring OHMSS as if to apologize for it. Like it wasn’t a masterpiece.
If I weren’t subscribed to you already, Darling…I’d subscribe again.
It was the worst! The story was weak and silly! Sean was clearly uninspired and just not interested! He was just 41 and yet he looked out of shape, fat and old! May be even older than Daniel in his 50s in NTTD! Sigh! Sean should've acted in OHMSS and bow out. It would have been his career best in the Bond series......
Sean Connery will always be THE best Bond to me, but Diamonds is easily one of the all-time WORST James Bond movies. I tried, and always failed, to appreciate this movie. It's just a dud on so many levels. Every element of this film is sub-par (weak villains, dated costumes, campy characters and settings, lack-luster settings and sets, boring finale, easily John Barry's worst score, cheesy tacky style, terribly bad special effects, total lack of suspense, convoluted plot, laughably stupid moon-buggy chase, etc.). At least Moonraker, for all it's faults, has the wonderful sets by Ken Adam and a brilliant score by John Barry. And with Moonraker, the camp kind of works, (Moonraker doesn't feel cheap by comparison), whereas Diamonds just feels sleazy like a B-rated movie with a low budget. Bond films, like Bond's tastes, should never feel cheap and Diamonds lacks class. Diamonds just stinks, face it. Diamonds comes close to ranking at the very bottom of all Bond films for me.
1971 Let me give you a bit of cultural background. I lived as
an adult in the 70’s. Society was collapsing. You young guys can’t know how
things went south, and very deeply. Riots, killings, bombings, some by the state
were a common almost everyday occurrence. In 68 the US had 16,000+ Vietnam casualties,
and 19,000 more by the end of 1971. Drug use soared, Belushi died from it. It was
the golden age of drugs. Protests. The establishment was breaking up, the public in a state of perpetual shock. DAF reflects the chaos and loss of direction. It could summed up with this. Mike Douglas hosted a popular national afternoon variety show in the US. Reminiscing in the late 80’s, he said the during the entire
70’s run of the show, in the live audience, no one ever laughed.
Thank you, Sir
I don't get the story. Sorry.
Hey it's Starky and Clutch 😁
Love the Cardigans guys
Diamonds Are Forever is actually my wife's favorite Connery Bond film. And while it's not my favorite I've always been able to enjoy it mainly because I don't take it too seriously and can just laugh at the silly aspects of it.
The answer is Yes, hell yes.
If Craig had retired after Spectre, this last movie theory would be airtight!!
Craig should have left after Skyfall.
Disagree - QOS is his worst.
They wanted sean Connery back because they felt on her majesty was not good they wrong in so many ways they did this movie in this way because of on her majesty. This movie was done as part of a way to look at james bond in different way. For the 1970s
Did you guys forget Never Say Never Again?
Not a proper Bond film
Agree with most of your comments, Diamonds is a poor Bond movie, probably in the bottom five. Feel bad for Jill St John because, as you said, her character starts out strong and then the script writers cheat her character of any substance. Bad villain, bad henchman, bad script, poor cinematography, one of the poorer looking Bonds, and a tired lead actor. I would argue Jill St Johm is the best thing in the film.
I couldn't agree more with you both!
I'd probably rather watch this than Thunderball.
It's his second worst. His avbsoluse worst is Never Say Never Again.
Zaritsky's Tiffany impersonation. 😆
I would rather have seen Bambi and Thumper more then Win and Kidd .
Why were the girls not killing the pipeline in Vegas ?
Also I wanted to see the Minisub running in the water .
It just look so cool .
you cant compare the two, ohmss full stop action, dnaf, campy action
Everyone: "You can't make a worse Connery Bond film than Diamonds are Forever." Kevin McClory: "Hold my beer...."
Casino Royale 2006 is amazing. The slow-paced middle part is the best.