Minister of Science and Chief Protector of the Faith

Saturday, September 15, 2007

YouTubing Casino Royale

 
Casino Royale (1967) Trailer [ 2 ]
Casino Royale Spoof Trailer
Casino Royale 1967 Fan Trailer
AFSD - Anti-Female Spy Device
Casino Royale (Peter Sellers)
Peter Sellers IS James Bond
The Look Of Love [ 2 ]
Torture Sequence
Soundtrack (Audio only)
Everybody has a film that is their "absolutely favorite movie of all time." I probably have about 15 or 20 favorite films that are my "absolutely favorite movie of all time." The film "Casino Royale" is certainly my favorite Bond film, as well as being the film that I have seen the most times - over and over and over again. I know all of the lines by heart. It is rerun on television endlessly, and every time it comes on I watch it again.

The movie is a satire of the James Bond films and the spy genre in general. The film actually directed by six different directors, including John Huston. This is evident when you watch the film, as it seems very choppy and disjointed. There was also some problems with Peter Sellers on the set during the filming, so that many scenes that he was supposed to star in were never filmed, adding to incoherence of the film.

Thorndike: And to think that you knew Mata Hari, sir!
She really was one of the greats.
James Bond: Yes. Great little dancer, terrible spy.
Whereas young Mata is a terrible dancer...
Might be a great little spy.

In many ways Peter Sellers, Woody Allen and Ursula Andress stole the picture, but I felt that David Niven was quite brilliant as well, although he played his role in a bit more of an understated fashion. How they got Deborah Kerr to work on this picture I'll never guess. Jacqueline Bisset has a small but delicious role near the end of the film.

Miss Goodthighs: Very sexy pants you're wearing, James.
Evelyn Tremble: Yes, they're the new double-O-fronts.

Youtube has a clip of the Casino Royale (1967) Trailer, and a fan has made a a great trailer of their own for the film. The funniest trailer is this spoof one, though. It uses clips from the flim with modern James Bond Music.

The funniest sequence in whole film is when Agent Cooper is being trained as an AFSD (Anti-Female Spy Device). If you have not seen the film and watch the clip out of context, the scene probably doesn't make a lot of sense. But even then, the way the scene is edited, with the punctuation of the music and the dialog is still very representative of the genre and the period. A brilliant scene.

The Detainer: You're really learning to put up quite a resistance.
Agent Cooper: It goes against my nature, you know.
The Detainer: I sense that too. What are you doing after the exercise?
Agent Cooper: Getting my head examined.

Another great clip features the carwash scene [4:00], Jacqueline Bisset as Miss Goodthighs [3:00] and Peter Sellers dream sequence montage scene [0:38]. I wish that I had clips for the Mata Bond (Joanna Pettet) dance sequence, and the scenes that took place inside "International Mother's Help," AKA the "Mata Hari Dance & Spy School".

They was a flurry of movies and TV shows that were made in the sixties that were representative of the "camp" or "wacky" film genre. This film is sort of like "What's New Pussycat", but it is also sort of like the television show "The Monkees" or "Get Smart." It even shares similarities to the Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon "Beach" movies. Though hard to describe in specific terms, any of these vehicles invariably feature pretty girls, are filled with characters confronted with ridiculous situations and generally culminate in a long drawn out chase scene. Often faded movie stars of a bygone era play cameos.

Mata Bond: What's all this about an important conference, hm?
Polo: A representative of Le Chiffre is coming. Tonight.
Mata Bond: Who is Le Chiffre?
Polo: Nobody knows. Not even Le Chiffre.



Peter O'Toole: Excuse me. Are you Richard Burton?
Evelyn Tremble: No, I'm Peter O'Toole.
Peter O'Toole: Then you're the finest man that ever breathed.
 

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5 Comments:

At Sat Sep 15, 01:03:00 PM, Blogger Distributorcap said...

Zaius

you must sort of like the James Coburn Flint movies too then? same type of flick ---- only even campier

 
At Sat Sep 15, 10:49:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

DrZ, I'm with you. I have some 15 or 20 movies as my fav evah. Same with songs and bands and tv shows and foods etc Each one I am very sincere about in my love and reasons for thinking they are the bestest. Maybe it's a mood thing. At some hours of certain days certain books or movies or foods appeal the the mood I am in at that time. I haven't watched the original "Casino Royale" in years, but remember it being a very funny spoof of the genre, especially considering it was the first of that genre. My son, never having seen the original, thought the remake was amazing ( I think he saw it 3 times in the theater). I finally rented the dvd and agreed with him it was very good, but the anathema of the first one. I have almost never been able to rank one thing as number one for more than a few weeks at a time.

 
At Sun Sep 16, 05:33:00 AM, Blogger Dr. Zaius said...

Distributorcap: Yes! "In Like Flint" and "Our Man Flint!" I love those movies. I even like the old Matt Helm movies.

Dee Loralei: "I have almost never been able to rank one thing as number one for more than a few weeks at a time."

Yes, that's it. Very well put! I think that the version of "Casino Royale" that your son is interested in is the latest James Bond film, which actually very closely followed the book. I thought it was a very good film, quite a departure from the other Bond films. Up until now, Bond has turned into a ridiculous superhero, deserving to be spoofed.

As you stated, the film that I am discussing is a spoof, the 1967 version of "Casino Royale" actually has no resemblance to the book, and is so offbeat and camp that you can't really call it a James Bond film, per se. But it is so much fun to watch!

 
At Sun Sep 16, 11:02:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agreed, loads of fun.

And the soundtrack is surprising great. I used to have it on vinyl. And I'm pleased it's on CD now too!

 
At Mon Sep 17, 08:38:00 AM, Blogger Dr. Zaius said...

We ave very similar taste in movies and television. Perhaps we should pool our efforts at some point in a collaberation of some sort.

 

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