Episode 99 — A View To a Kill: LIVE

[JulyDiaz 2797]

In a very special podcast cross-over event, Bond experts Matt Gourley and Matt Mira of James Bonding join Paul, June, and Jason to figure out if A View To a Kill is the worst Bond movie of all time. Recorded LIVE at Largo in Los Angeles, they cover how Bond invents snowboarding, the most French man in the world, Tanya Roberts’ stunt double being a grizzly old man, the multiple blimps, race horses, the robot dog, and of course, the butterflies. Plus, Gourley & June’s wigdar shines during audience Q&A and we hear from the person who reviews A View To a Kill every year in another edition of 2nd Opinions!

[VinsanityV22 500]

HOLY SHIT! A JAMES BONDING CROSSOVER!?! *faints*

 

*regains consciousness*

 

Oh, I forgot to hit download!

 

This is going to be what Heaven sounds like

 

*faints again*

[OctavisWitcher 22]

True Story:

 

While attending college at the University of South Carolina, I was required to take an Into to Media-type class for my major. For this class, the professor said he was going to play us just the sound from a movie. He then said it was one of the best use sound effects ever and defines the film. What happened next was a group of college kids sat in the dark and for the next 10 minutes listened to some of the worst dubbed in "swooshing", gun fire, and explosions. After that sequence, he turned on the lights and played the clip for us again with video and low and behold it was A View to a Kill. We then had to witness this over again this time with the terrible stunt work to match the terrible sound effects.

 

True Story Part 2:

 

At that time, I was a terrible student and ended up failing that class. Since it was required for my major, I had to take this same class again next year. And of course he gave the same grand speech praising this movie and made the class listen the watch.

 

Moral of the story kids? Work hard so you aren't forced to watch terrible movies.

[anneymarie 105]

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

Moral of the story kids? Work hard so you aren't forced to watch terrible movies.

 

I work hard, yet I choose to watch terrible movies. Is there something wrong with me?

[starri 116]

"No, there's an old man in there!"

 

I heart June.

[wyldride 285]

Not a real alternate theme, but back in the VHS days, I made a music video out of the (mostly) skiing parts of View to a Kill for this song:

 

 

It just seemed to fit.

[wyldride 285]

Speaking of crossovers:

 

[devscoots 2561]

This episode was a goddamn masterpiece

[anneymarie 105]

Maybe it's my Catholic school education, but when I heard "Jenny Flecks," I thought "genuflects," not that that makes any more sense.

[denimgremlin 1179]

this might be my favorite HDTGM so far. amazing

 

as a side note, I hate that I'm even saying this because I have a Gourley A View to a Kill type relationship with the movie Caveman, I saw it as a kid and became obsessed with it but when they brought it up I couldn't help but think it would be an incredible film for them to do on this podcast, it's bonkers, in the best way. the fact that more than half the movie's dialogue is in a weird made up caveman language alone is enough to make it a perfect HDTGM movie.

[denimgremlin 1179]

Maybe it's my Catholic school education, but when I heard "Jenny Flecks," I thought "genuflects," not that that makes any more sense.

 

I'm positive thats the pun they are trying to make but yeah it doesn't make any sense

[anneymarie 105]

 

I'm positive thats the pun they are trying to make but yeah it doesn't make any sense

 

All I could think was that was some sort of innuendo about kneeling but that's a stretch.

[walterwoodsiv 215]

I heard June's in talks to star in a biopic of the butterfly woman.

[seanotron 2307]

I will continue to insist that Dalton was a great Bond despite Jason's protestations!

[Lukas Holmes 2287]

Gross. Won't listen.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Okay, here's are a couple issues I had with the film. First of all, Bond meets with Zorin in his office and is ID'd by a hidden video camera. So establishing that a) the technology exists and b ) Zorin already has hidden cameras in his house, why does he rely solely on bugging Bond's room, which--as evidenced in the film--can be easily faked out with a pre-recorded cassette tape?

 

My second point is, right after meeting with Zorin, Bond sends Tibbett out to contact M and put a trace on a check. He tells him to do it as quickly as possible. Tibbett, who is washing the car, asks what he should say if they ask where he is going. Bond replies, "Tell them you need to get the car washed." At which point I think the sound editor missed a real opportunity to add a sad trombone as Tibbett dumps the dirty water all over the car. Anyway, he gets out, drives to the city, and the first thing he does is...get the car washed?? I think Tibbett may be too deep into his cover. Yes, there was someone in the phone booth and Yes, he is being followed, but I wouldn't exactly consider either of these things insurmountable issues. Maybe drive around the corner and find another phone FIRST, and then worry about washing the goddamn car.

 

And, why is he even being followed?? May Day is crouched down in the backseat of the car. You can't get anymore "followed" than that!

 

But of course this all leads to Tibbett being killed and my favorite exchange in the movie.

 

BOND: Killing Tibbett was a big mistake.

 

ZORIN: I am about to make the same mistake twice.

 

So...you're going to kill Tibbett again? That seems a bit redundant.

[Cameron H. 23786]

I will continue to insist that Dalton was a great Bond despite Jason's protestations!

 

He is the best! I love me some "angry" Bond.

[anneymarie 105]

So I don't really watch Bond movies. Is it typical for the theme song to be played in like a midi version really quietly any time a sexy lady shows up?

[Blast Hardcheese 636]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned that the song playing during the scene where Bond crashes the wedding on the boat is - I shit you not - a dixieland version of Duran Duran's "A View To A Kill." Listen closely when Bond jumps off the bridge, and you can totally hear it. Oh, the French and their love of American dixieland jazz covers of British new wave hits!

 

Other notables:

1. Regarding that opening scene, snowboarding pioneer Tom Sims (R.I.P.) did the snowboarding stunts.

2. Silicon Valley to The Golden Gate Bridge by blimp in a matter of minutes.

3. Bond's Ford LTD rental is only slightly less pimpin' than his break-away Citroen Deux Chevaux taxi.

4. I know that they're bad guys, but seriously; how can Zorin and Mayday drown a Rolls Royce? Bury the bodies and keep the Rolls, guys!

5. And finally, in the scene where Bond gets his mission briefing at the beginning of the film: microchips in modern toasters?!?

[Blast Hardcheese 636]

And, why is he even being followed?? May Day is crouched down in the backseat of the car. You can't get anymore "followed" than that!

 

I've always imagined a cut scene where Tippet sees Mayday crouched down in the back seat, and says, "Say. What are you doing back there?"

 

Mayday (embarrassed): "I... um... ah..." Then sheepishly gets of of the back of the car.

[Shannon 2953]

ahahahaha the whole "goosing" conversation reminded me of the time my grandmother sent me a joke card for Halloween that she clearly didn't understand...

 

Front: What do you get when you goose a ghost?

Inside: A handful of sheet

 

GET IT?!? My super conservative grandmother didn't,and my mom insisted that I never tell her because maybe she would die of embarrassment.

 

 

Also I love Matt Gourley. The End.

[klemjohansen 748]

I feel like a moron. Why is it significant that the bomb counts down from 1994?

[starri 116]

I feel like a moron. Why is it significant that the bomb counts down from 1994?

I might be wrong about this, but I think it's because twenty minutes is an enormous amount of time for a movie bomb. Generally a Red Digital Countdown gets at most five minutes to make it as tense as possible.

 

There should be more blimps in movies.

[anneymarie 105]

I feel like a moron. Why is it significant that the bomb counts down from 1994?

 

Because you can't have 94 seconds on most timers. 19:94 would be 20:34.