Diamonds are Forever (DVD)

While not as good as Goldfinger, I always liked this film because of the extensive filming in old time Las Vegas. The Mustang chase scene through Freemont Street (before The Experience was built) and The Mint parking garage is a classic. I will enjoy multiple views of this film.

Diamonds Are Forever was the seventh James Bond film and the last with Sean Connery. He actually announced he was no longer going to do the series after You Only Live Twice, but after the experiment with George Lazenby in the lead didn’t work out in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Connery was convinced to come back and do one more. SPECTRE leader Ernst Blofeld (Charles Gray) returned as the bad guy this time with a plan to put a laser into a satellite and hold the entire world for ransom. The movie gets its name from the fact that Bond initially gets involved in the case chasing smuggled diamonds, which are used for Blofeld’s laser. The movie was a fitting exit for Connery from the franchise because he really looked like he was aging out of the role.The film has most of the elements associated with Bond movies by this time. There was a classy title track by Shirley Bassey and composed by John Barry. There were two Bond girls, first Tiffany Case (Jill St. John) who was working for the diamond smugglers and then becomes Bond’s companion. Also Plenty O’Toole (Lana Wood) who Bond meets at a casino in Las Vegas. Interestingly there were no real gadgets in this film. The movie was also unique for having two contract killers Wint (Bruce Glover) and Kidd (Putter Smith) who were gay lovers.As for Connery he wore a hairpiece in all the Bond movies even the first one Dr. No. Here it was really apparent that he had a toupee on. He was also looking much older and this role called for someone with a more youthful look.Still Diamonds Are Forever was a very good Bond film and was much better than the previous two in the series On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and You Only Live Twice.C

I fell in love with this movie from the first moment that I saw it in 1977. Unfortunately, I had not watched On His Majesty's Secret Service before this film, so I didn't at all understand the pre-title sequence where Bond hunts down Blofeld. Still, there was plenty of action and the rest of the movie was very interesting -- wasn't it funny how Bond escaped from a casket? So I would have given this movie a 5 in 1977 and I'm giving it a 5 today, in 2013.What really got my attention when I re-watched it on Amazon recently were the 1960s furnishings in the sets. Notice the old radios? Hey! And then when Tiffany pulls into a Shell gas station, you can see old fashioned gas pumps straight out of the 1960s with revolving dials of numbers that would spin to indicate the sale amount and the number of gallons pumped. No credit card readers on these pumps. And look at the stands of oil cans -- for those of you too young for those days, the cans of oil were constructed of paper with metal tops and bottoms. You opened them with a can opener, of course, or if you were very fancy, you had a special oil dispenser spout that you could push onto the top. I've used both.Notice also the Ford Econoline van driven by Professor Metz. The passenger vans of that day didn't have prominent engine hoods or an engine space that offers "crush space" in case of an accident. The front bumpers were jokes that couldn't protect you from anything. The bench passenger seats of that era were uncomfortable vinyl that would roast you if the vehicle was left parked on a hot day and then you sat down.Ahh, nostalgia! Not a single cell phone in sight with this movie. I love it.

According to my reading, 1969's ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, the first James Bond film without Sean Connery, didn't live up to expectations (although I think it's one of the best of the series), so the producers lured Connery back to the role for a million dollars.Connery, always incensed that the producers made the lion's share of Bond profits, asked for, received and then, out of spite, gave away the million dollars to Scottish charities.Nobody cared about the payscale then: Connery was back as Bond and that's all that mattered.Although the previous films had come close at times, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER was the first flat-out camp take on the spy film. Connery looks like he's ready to roll his eyes at times and then having fun at others. The gay killers Wint and Kidd are very funny in several scenes (Bruce Glover, who plays Mr. Wint, is Crispin Glover's dad). Blofeld even shows up in drag at one point!It's fun to see Las Vegas, circa 1971. During the car chase on Fremont Street, you can see the construction signs for the Union Plaza in the background. One daylight shot shows Bond driving a red Mustang past the Dunes...and he's immediately in open desert!Jill St. John and Lana Wood certainly fill out their roles and become memorable Bond girls. Bruce Cabot, the studly male lead in the original KING KONG, plays an old henchman. On the DVD, you can catch Rat Pack member Sammy Davis Jr. in a deleted cameo.I still think the best Bond films are the first three, the one starring George Lazenby, and Pierce Brosnan's first outing.But, like THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER are among the most fun.Good time had by all.

This is by far Connery's least great outing as Bond. You can feel his heart isn't quite in it anymore as he returns to the iconic role after the once off appearance of George Lazenby in the previous film. However, Diamonds is fun. The kind of 70s campy fun that would become the trademark of the series during the Roger Moore years.Jill St John's Tiffany Case is a sassy Bond Girl, and who could forget Lana Wood's suggestively named Plenty O'Toole? Also quite memorable are Mr Kidd and Mr Wint. The main villain of the film (Charles Gray as Blofeld) I found rather less memorable and the rather low speed chase with the Moon buggy is just silly. Though strangely the most memorable scene of the movie.While it's not among my favourites in the series, and nowhere near as good as some of the earlier films with Connery, it's still good fun and a bit of easy entertainment. You can do much worse on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Sit back and have a laugh and enjoy the sillyness of it all.

OK Mr Connery (RIP) starred in one last film after this, 'Never say never again'. But I guess for me this was goodbye to him. His last main franchise film.For me I think he was James Bond. Here in 'Diamonds are forever' he doesn't disappoint.Of his films only 'Thunderball' disappointed me. I'm not sure what happened there. Probably not Mr Connery to blame. He just does as he is told after all.Anyway, I can recommend this one, enjoy.

At a time when films like 'Straw Dogs' and 'The French Connection' were capturing everyone's emagination, it's not surprising that director Guy Hammilton opted for more violence rather than action. It was certainly the roughest, toughest Bond so far, and lacks the iconic score of 'You Only Live Twice' - but then even John Barry couldn't be expected to maintain that quality without repeating himself.But it's a likeable film, without the sillyness of some of the Roger Moore movies that came later. Connery somehow embewed the genre with an odd kind of realism however unrealistic the subject matter. This was in fact very much in keeping withIan Fleming's philosophy, who wrote with the understanding that 'It couldn't possibly happen, but if it did this is what it would be like.' Once again, however, Flemming's original story goes by the board, but it's a good ripping yarn for when you want to put your feet up for some well deserved relaxation and slip into a world without financial crisis, tax bills and highstreet banks. Go on. Enjoy

Listed as one disc, this particular cover art delivered the Ultimate 2-disc Edition. Can I just say, having now viewed several newly remastered Bonds, these versions are so pristine, so pictorially perfect, viewing can easily overcome any associated negative criticism. It is very much like being there during filming. And really, DAF is an awful lot of fun, plus a ton of Extras.Note: I just finished watching GoldenEye. First sight of Brosnan as Bond. Nothing more than an imitation of Connery that didn't work for me. Connery-Dalton-Lazenby. Craig is up there with Connery but an altogether different man. Whomever, enjoy these new sets!

This was purchased for my brother who is disabled and in a care home. We watched it together and both enjoyed it very much. As ever Sean Connery we think is the best James Bond.