Sam 0:18 Welcome to monkey off my backlog the podcast where we exercise our pop culture demons by tackling our media to do list one week at a time. I'm your host, Sam, and with me is my co host, Tessa. Unknown Speaker 0:30 I really asked him to call me agent triple Tessa, but I guess we're not doing that. Sam 0:35 Joining us today are two friends of the pod the really the only experts on bond that we know who are not us, Nigel and Elise. Hello, hello. Hi, long last. The day is almost here. That's right, I'm talking about no time to die. So today we'll be talking about every single one of bonds adventures that were brought to the big screen by Eon productions, no knockoff Casino Royale or Thunder ball for us. For these episodes, Tessa and I put together a ranking of the Bond films. in putting this list together. disagreements were had a harsh word or two might have been spoken. We're going to present this list to Nigel and Elise film by film and let them tell us what we did correctly and what we got wrong. We'll also talk about some of the other elements of the Bond films that people just love to rank. Unknown Speaker 1:33 Can I say it? No. Rank that Sam 1:36 list? No, because it comes later. So no, fail? Unknown Speaker 1:43 No, that whole part should be left. Sam 1:46 So I agree. This is definitely the biggest project we tried to do in one day on this podcast. I feel ready, and yet unprepared. So tell your technology that this is no time to die, because we're about to dance into the fire in hopes that Nobody does it better than us. And that we finish on an all time high. Unknown Speaker 2:09 I feel like fist pumping right now. Unknown Speaker 2:11 I'm just glad that as an English student, I have practically zero things to be doing my time. So I can like afford to sit down and do this in one setting. Sam 2:21 English major. Unknown Speaker 2:23 Yeah, because all of my friends went into engineering and so they're like, you know, doing 25 hour weeks or whatever. I'm just like I've got before Unknown Speaker 2:34 I can afford to sit down and watch all 24 Bond films. Let's do this. Sam 2:39 Because there are only 24 films. This first segment we'll only talk about the four films, the bottom of the barrel in putting this list together. We did the good, the bad, and the ugly. So these are the ugly or the bad films. Starting with number 24 1960 sevens. He will Only Live Twice the one where the bond franchise goes full orientalist. And there's a volcano base. We think it's the worst Bond movie. I told you why it's not the volcano part. Are we wrong? Unknown Speaker 3:18 You are not wrong in my opinion, Unknown Speaker 3:22 right it's like I don't think I don't think you're enough. Wrong hold on how do words work? I don't know I think you're wrong. But at the same time I don't know whether I whether I say it's the worst bahnsen mainly because for me there's like a couple that are like in contention so I'm excited to see what the other ones you've put in. Because definitely when I was watching it it was like what the fuck Why is Sean Connery dressing up like he's Japanese and everyone is fine with this. Unknown Speaker 3:53 What do you think Elise? Unknown Speaker 3:54 This movie has very achy stereotypes of Asian women. Especially that massage scene is kind of gross. I agree the the bond dressing up as a Japanese man is kind of disgusting and it is a very early example of women that sleep with blonde that get murdered just because of a wrong place wrong time. I guess. There are a couple things I don't hate about this movie though. I do love a bomb death fake out which we get at the beginning. And I do think that Aki is a very cute Bond girl even though there are major bad stereotypes happening. Unknown Speaker 4:37 Yeah, I think for me, the worst Bond films and we'll talk about this with some of the others that are in this segment are their bits. They're not like fully formed plots. They're kind of like let's do this bit and I think that this film is not it doesn't have like a really great plot. It's just like let's put bond in Tokyo and do things We think Tokyo is like and it comes across as really racist and really yellow face. And that's why I think this is a bad film. It's not I mean it is the racism but it's also just not like the plot isn't really anything it's just like let's have bond be in Tokyo, but I do really like the volcano base because this is the first time that we see Blofeld like actually see him. In the other films that he's in. We just kind of see the cat and we see him like from the back. So this is really cool that the volcano vase is like a classic Blofeld, like supervillain base and we actually do get to see him with the cat so that that's for me the one standout part of this but the rest of it's just like, let's let bond do Japanese stuff. And to me that does not make a good movie. Unknown Speaker 5:47 I agree. Unknown Speaker 5:48 I was just gonna say based off of the start of this episode, now I'm imagining Sam and Tessa as the makers of bond and Tessa saying can we do? Can I say it? And some will say no. And then Tessa will say do that bit. Unknown Speaker 6:06 I was gonna say that I feel like we should have scrapped this whole episode and just ranked all the movies based on how much cat is in them. This one might I also write I agree with Sam 6:20 we'll come back to that we'll come back to that. Unknown Speaker 6:23 I agree with Tessa that there are many Bond movies that have racism in it, but this one also has a boring plot. So that makes it worse. Like I need a decent plot for me to personally get over some of the racism in the and I obviously that say that as a white person. So that is a privileged take. But this movie does not have any plot that I like so it just is racist and boring. So Sam 6:53 it's interesting that you bring up the plot. And and part of the the mishmash structure of some of the Bond movies is that they're pulling from bits and pieces of the Fleming novels instead of just doing a Fleming novel. This novel falls after On Her Majesty's Secret Service. This novel is about bond being depressed and going through grief and mourning. And he goes to Japan and he ends up getting clobbered on the head if I recall correctly, and the whole Japan thing is an amnesiac situation. That's why he's in the fishing village. And it's like it's it's still problematic, but it actually has a plot and so one of the reasons I hate this movie so much is it's right there he had the right plot right there. You didn't have to do any of this Unknown Speaker 7:42 but also then you consider like what's the next Bond film chronologically that they put out on Her Majesty's Secret? Sam 7:49 Well and what's interesting is that you know, they they tried to adapt On Her Majesty's Secret Service basically since Dr. Know, they kept trying to do it and got distracted. Unknown Speaker 8:00 I think another reason why they switch them is because the weather in the were on Her Majesty's Secret Service, it was the wrong season to be shooting there. So they switch the the filming. Sam 8:14 So we're all pretty good on the idea that this is a bad movie, right? which is unfortunate because famed children's author and fellow spy to Ian Fleming they knew each other Roald Dahl was a major writer on this screenplay so it's it's very disappointing that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory could not make it happen for this. So coming in at number 23 1970 threes Live and Let Die the one where the bond franchise goes full racist, and there are crocodiles Unknown Speaker 8:54 so do we also think that this is one of the worst Bond films in our ranking? Is this better or worse than You Only Live Twice? Unknown Speaker 9:02 I think it's slightly better but like for my memories, it's like I enjoyed this film in terms of like, just sit down it you know in front of a screen and turn your brain off like I enjoyed this one more than You Only Live Twice where it's like I can appreciate you know I can appreciate the jumping over crocodiles thing and you know obviously we can't just ignore the blatant racism and I feel like it'd be really fun way to rank the Bond films have is like how uncomfortable do they make me feel? But this one definitely had more of a fun factor to it also, is this the one where they play the slide whistle sound effect Sam 9:44 that comes later? No, no, I Unknown Speaker 9:47 was about to say because it was like that also adds the fun factor. But no, that's a different film. Unknown Speaker 9:51 No, this one had the terrible terrible character of j w. Pepper who was a sheriff in In Vienna, and he's super super like he's racism incarnate and somehow he's also in the one with this yeah he is also the one with a slide. Like this was again this film is another bit like it's a slightly better bit then You Only Live Twice but it's still like a lot of racism. It's bond in Louisiana. You have the super racist Sheriff who's supposed to be funny. Like it's just not it is not a thing. Unknown Speaker 10:31 I think I'm about to cancel myself because I have this movie as my as number 15 on my list Why? Mostly because of what Nigel said it's just it's a lot of fun I enjoy the music I very much love the scene at the beginning where they that that person get or one of the agents gets killed and they hide them in that casket I that little bit pretty much carries the movie for me because it's so funny. I do like the plot of bond having to figure out why these agents have been killed. Like that feels very bond to me. But on top of the racism in this movie, there's also a lot of misogyny like we said earlier, for the racism part, every villain in this movie is black. Jane Seymour's character Solitaire loses her psychic powers once she loses her virginity. I can't think of anything more cringy than that, this movie definitely came out in the middle of the like blaxploitation era films in the 1970s. And they kind of capitalize on that with having the plot be more about drug trafficking instead of world domination, or like some of the other villains we've had, which is really gross. But yeah, I agree. Like I just turned my brain off, and I like the set pieces, and I really hated this movie. The first time I watched it, and the second time I was like, Okay, I know I'm going in watching this racist movie, and I feel really bad saying this, but I still had fun watching Sam 12:05 it if Moonraker is bringing me Star Wars. Live in love dies bring me shaft? Definitely. Unknown Speaker 12:13 Yeah. And I have another another movie later that we'll talk about that is bring me another thing that came out right around the same time, which is funny to me, that bond kind of does do that throughout history, like, see what's popular at the time and tries to do their own version. Unknown Speaker 12:31 You mentioned this briefly. It does have one of the best themes though Live and Let Die is clearly like a very iconic Paul McCartney bond theme. So that that is like the one plus in my plus column for this film. Unknown Speaker 12:47 Yes, yeah. Um, when I had my bar mitzvah Live and Let Die was mine, and my best friend at the time, his favorite song. So this was 1995. I probably didn't know that it was also in a Bond movie at that time. So I had my friend come up and light a candle on my bar mitzvah cake to Live and Let Die. And I wonder what all the adults in the room thought? Because we did not know that James, we were not into James Bond at age 13. Sam 13:18 And who isn't in the James Bond when they're age 13? What? What's up? Unknown Speaker 13:23 I mean, I feel like I have better I have very dad interests, like I have dad tastes a lot. So I feel like if I was who I am now, 13 year old me would have been all about this as well. Unknown Speaker 13:36 I just I have like similarly fond memories to do with the theme song to this film where it's like, right as COVID was cracking down and college was getting ready to shut down like we have a society room. For the Literary Society. It's like four flat flights of stairs and it's this really small like pokey little room, it's great. But it's like locked and we have to get we always had to get a key from the central society's committee and stuff and so they were literally like, discussing whether we would be allowed in an enclosed space when there'd been like three or four cases of COVID on campus and so we were like, you know, what's the story with this and everyone was coming in because they were normally would have gone into the attic, that's the room. And so we were standing in the Students Union kitchen is directly opposite their offices waiting for a verdict. And then me and my friend Sean OSHA, and Penelope were just talking about James Bond and then we started singing Live and Let Die acapella in the kitchen and you could see like people who came in to use the microwave came in and sauce and they were just like, what the fuck and left. It's like, the film, like racist trash film, but it's like, you know, this is a nice bonding moment before the whole row but Sam 14:55 yeah, and we're we're gonna come back to the the The songs here in a few minutes. So one of the most interesting things about the franchise is all the behind the scenes stuff that happens. You know, we talked a little bit about Solitaire a minute ago, Diana Ross was originally in the picture for this, but there's a whole problem with white bond. Yeah, I'm not gonna finish that statement. And that's why we got what we got. Tom Mankiewicz is is a writer screenwriter on this nephew of the bank, as in Citizen Kane, dude. And of course, we'll talk more about him later, but this is the first Roger Moore movie. We could have had an American. We could have had McQueen. We could have had new men. We could have had Eastwood, we could have had Batman, but instead we got Roger Moore. Actually, the Batman thing comes earlier I'm sorry, Batman was going to replace Connery. I put Batman. I mean Adam West, so yeah, the best Unknown Speaker 16:02 clearly, Unknown Speaker 16:04 I didn't think Michael Keaton was gonna get up there with Val Sam 16:07 Kilmer. Alright, so anyway, Unknown Speaker 16:10 can I can I just say about this though I think it's really weird that this is the film where it's like is the villain immortal you know, because like at the end burn samedi is on the front of the train and laughing when he's like quite clearly been shot and we have the fake out we're you know, Bond shoots the like statue or automaton or whatever. And we're like, Is he dead? Is he not and then we get like, No, he's dead and now he's on the train at the front and it's like this as well with like losing your psychic powers when you lose your virginity. It's really like weird dicey stuff that they're playing fast and loose with from different religious cultures and stuff because that's the thing, but specifically with like, the law and gods that are worshipped in in the Bible, these are closed practices and so you're, you know, you're not meant to really write about them or talk about them if you're not part of that subsection and or you know, people who practice that Sam 17:10 so it's just like another problematic thing that this film is doing right and you know, of course that's built on Fleming's whole thing about his love of Jamaica and his his resort yeah home GoldenEye you know, so it's really based on what you're saying the whole franchise and you know, this is also a storytelling issue because up until this the Craig era there is literally no follow through from film to film, or if it is it's it's really shot now. So Well, there's Unknown Speaker 17:41 On Her Majesty's Secret Service well, Sam 17:43 right which, okay, so we'll talk more about that one later, and it's lingering effects on the franchise. But for now let's move to number 22. on our list is for your eyes only from 1981 the one where the cool girl with the bow and arrow and the really not cool car and that's really all I had to say about that. Unknown Speaker 18:05 This is actually number 22 on my list also so not do it incorrectly. I do absolutely love the ridiculous bananas opening scene of this movie with the motorized wheelchair and Blofeld finally dying it's the dumbest thing I've ever seen and that's why I love it it's completely ridiculous but at the same time underwhelming because he was such a big villain for so long and he goes out in the most underwhelming way possible. And the other thing I love about it is Charles dance as henchmen Klaus he looks menacing. Those are the two only things I Sam 18:52 like it and they wrote that opening as for two reasons, right like a middle finger to Oh, what's his name? The guy with the rights to Thunderball Kevin McClory? Yeah as a middle finger to him and they didn't think they were going to get Roger Moore backs they needed to establish some continuity in the series right and that's what they went with. Unknown Speaker 19:13 I also I did not like this film because like the other ones we've talked about, I didn't feel like it was a really cohesive plot. It just kind of played like a greatest hits of bonds like it was more scene work than it was like an overarching movie. However I also really love topel who is in this film, he he of course you probably know him dear listeners from Fiddler on the Roof that's what he's like most famous for. But I'm Unknown Speaker 19:41 a Jewish person that's never seen that movie for some reason. Unknown Speaker 19:47 will say well, I thought last year but it's Unknown Speaker 19:50 it's really weird because the episode of Monkey we're used to discuss that was the first time on the podcast. Unknown Speaker 19:56 We came full circle. Unknown Speaker 19:58 When Tessa asked me to Be on monkey. Originally I thought of doing that and then I was like, Oh wait, you guys covered that already. And so I did surely instead. Unknown Speaker 20:09 But Topol is such a wonderful actor and he is just like, ridiculously funny in this movie. Like he's played like this Greek mob boss. That bond is like, going to kill but then finds out that he's actually like the good mob boss of the two bosses. Yes. And it's, it's really funny. But the rest of the film isn't really anything. And I think that this is also the first film where I was like, man, Roger Moore is getting really old to play Dexter, there's a scene where he's like running up a flight of stairs, and you can almost hear him like being winded. He's like running up this flight of stairs. And like, I don't want to be like, I don't want to be ageist but there are he was too old to play bond in a few of these films. Like this was just he was just was and yeah, especially because the female bond girls were just like, half his age, which is true in this film as well. Unknown Speaker 21:06 Did you ever see the archer episode that spoofs this movie? He so Archer has to watch this rich dudes daughter and she keeps coming on to him the whole time and it ends in like he's on this I don't know one of those like, snowmobile things and this young woman is just topless and he's trying to like get away and it just is gross but Archer does a very funny but this this movie is disgusting to me like everything involving GB grosses me out. It's just I don't even have more to say about it because I feel like I mentally blocked it out Sam 21:47 that I think that's the right move with this movie. Nigel, what thoughts do you have? Unknown Speaker 21:50 Sorry, I was distracted because I wanted to I wanted to double check something for a later segment by keyword searching my handle on Twitter with the phrase bond and I'm reading some of my old tweets from my initial watching. Oh, my God. Unknown Speaker 22:08 I did that. Yes. Yeah, it Unknown Speaker 22:09 really isn't. Yeah, there's some really isn't anything to write home about is where it's like, I kind of have it down, like near the end of my list, but there's one that I put very much down at the bottom of my list that still hasn't come up. So it's more more like I'm waiting for this one where you know what I mean? It's like I'm not particularly pushed. I have no I have nothing to add. Yeah, Sam 22:36 it unlike even for us, I think unlike the ones we put a little bit lower on the list. This one's just nothing. Like it's it's nothing. In fact, it's it's the Bernard Lee M has gone. Yeah, and they don't even there's no m in this movie. This is where we get Tanner, who is an interesting character that carries on Unknown Speaker 22:59 I like Bill Tanner a lot in general, but I think as I think they did it out of respect to not recast em right away they had him be on leave instead of being just recast. Sam 23:12 Right and so that I mean, that probably is a good move out of respect, but it makes the movie that less of a thing. Yeah. Tessa and I had a little bit of a disagreement here. And this is why this this next movie is at number 21. It's 1974 is the Man with the Golden Gun. The one with the descriptive title, starring Dracula the Sith Lord. Unknown Speaker 23:36 I disagree. Sam 23:37 This ranking is incorrect. All right, Nigel. Tell us why. And then Elise can tell us why to okay. This is Unknown Speaker 23:43 one of the best Bond films Okay, I'm okay. Can I can I be permitted to turn to outside sources for this? Okay, go ahead. Yeah, I just need to get up on Google because I was not expecting I was not expecting this so soon. To be Sam 23:59 face. Alright. Alright. Wait, okay, Elise. wine. Wild Nigel is getting receipts. Yeah, go ahead. Unknown Speaker 24:08 There This movie has one of my favorite movie transitions of all time, which I will speak to later when we talk about our top bond jokes. Christopher Lee has a third nipple i mean i don't know what else needs to be said about this Sam 24:25 you know that's that's also my reason for one it's one of the worst so I don't really know. Unknown Speaker 24:31 I love when bond is completely ridiculous. The belly dancer wearing the golden bullet as jewelry is completely It's wild. I don't like that Mary Good night is treated super dumb the whole time because you know she's cute. That's really all I have to say. I didn't have this like super high like I feel like Nigel is gonna have it way higher. I had it at number 18 so it wasn't like I had it in like the top 10 or something. Yeah, Sam 24:59 I just Want to point out before we give Nigel the mic that that director guy Hamilton said we were really scraping the bottom of the barrel on this one as far as source material and now I'm gonna wait I'm gonna wait Nigel, you ready? Unknown Speaker 25:14 Right Okay, so first of all, I would like to read out the rotten tomatoes review for and the Man with the Golden Gun right? Which is, like 40% critical score 55% audience score critic consensus. A middling Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun suffers from double entendre laden dialogue, a noteworthy lack of gadgets and a villain that overshadows double oh seven. Okay, so first of all, if we disregard the double entendre laden dialogue, which is you know, symptomatic of every Bond film which came out pre Austin Powers, were then they decided, Okay, we're gonna make things gritty and serious. What films that reminds you of a Bond film with a distinct lack of gadgets and a bond fill and a villain which overshadows double oh seven That's right. It's Skyfall that's the exact beats of Skyfall which everyone loves so I don't part of me okay Unknown Speaker 26:15 that's gonna come up later in our conversation, Sam 26:18 but like okay continue Yeah, Unknown Speaker 26:21 critics love that so first of all, I like it on that level, but I think it does a really good job of being a spy film and not just a bit at least in my at least in my opinion, like I mean, like at least as well I like the fact that one of the only gadgets in this film is an extra nipple because it's like, like, patently ridiculous but like it has a point. Unknown Speaker 26:48 I laughing at you calling the nipple a gadget and has a point because a nipple kinda does have a point. Unknown Speaker 26:55 Yeah, because it's like, no one is no one has seen Scaramanga. I like all that's known, which is really weird than that. All that anyone knows about him is that he has a super mammillary nipple, you know, right. Unknown Speaker 27:09 pretends to be him at one point and no one knows the difference and Unknown Speaker 27:12 we know that he also has a gun Unknown Speaker 27:17 Yeah, this film is called the man with the third nipple although I Unknown Speaker 27:25 like that that's the type of humor that is throughout this film. And I think you either like that type of humor and bond or you don't like that type of humor and bond which is probably why it's lower on our list and higher on your list. Unknown Speaker 27:39 Yeah, I'm in tears right now. Unknown Speaker 27:41 This I'm really fond of this humor and bond. And as much as I like gritty spy films, I think Bond was almost better with this kind of humor. The villain the villain is really good. I like the scenes that are in the big like maze. Those are great like the Hall of Mirrors thing. Right? I don't Okay, I don't understand his like, I don't understand scaremongers asst of the dynamic they have between them. That's a bit weird, like, but yeah, I think this is really good. And the whole setup of like, you know, this gone it only ever shoots one bullet, it always hits a target until like, the plot has to happen. I think that's like, I mean, that's why everyone loves characters like Deadshot in in comics and stuff because they never miss until it's convenient for him not to hit our protagonist. Unknown Speaker 28:33 Right. And this is also your film with the slide whistle. Nigel Unknown Speaker 28:38 Yes, this is the this is the slide whistle film. Unknown Speaker 28:41 This is the slide whistle film. The reason it's so low on my list is because of the reappearance of JW pepper who is like my least favorite, least favorite character least favorite thing? least favorite gag like whatever is the least favorite of bond it is JW pepper for me, I hate this character so much. I literally hid under my blanket the entire time he was on screen because I just couldn't like it was just so cringy to me that he was in this and I hate that they introduced him and Live and Let Die and then we're like, you know what, we're gonna bring him back for another film. like that to me. Why Unknown Speaker 29:17 is he the only point of continuity between these like, Unknown Speaker 29:21 Oh my gosh, I hate him so much in this film, Sam 29:25 the jump so it they It is the first bond stunt to be blocked out via computer simulation. And then they actually did it. A real person in a real car did that and you just incred and so the entire team at Eon dropped their pants and just took a giant gap on that. Start by adding that stupid stuff. Stupid slide whistle, the antithesis of what these Bond movies are supposed to be. I can, I can do camp, I can do jokes. What I can't do is that and at the AMC Pacer has had to cinema moments in all of history. It has had its two moments to shine one was this and the other is that Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar famously drive AMC Pacer in Wayne's World, and that scenes better the Bohemian Rhapsody scene in Wayne's World is the correct usage of the AMC Pacer. This is not it's a terrible movie and I hate it. Unknown Speaker 30:44 Do you think you would like it better in this movie if they had a licorice dispenser? Sam 30:53 If you get an earl Hurley did this. Unknown Speaker 30:58 I'm gonna be myself and correct you and it's beaut, that's why I'm an anal retentive person. If you're gonna spew spew into this Sorry, I'm very pedantic. Sam 31:09 I'm sure it's, I mean, the term spew hurl and blow junk show up in that movie in different places. Unknown Speaker 31:16 That's fair. Sam 31:19 I'm, I'm sorry. I hate this movie. Can we talk about the songs instead? Yes. Okay. To the song that Nigel thinks I'm wrong. Okay. And that's fine. I can live with that before. Before we get into the the soundtracks before we do that. At least really quickly. Yes. How did you come to start watching James Bond? Unknown Speaker 31:41 I think it was just something that my dad always liked. And while I don't really remember us, watching them so much together mice I spoke with my sister yesterday and she thinks that we were taken to the theater to see GoldenEye I really don't remember this. I I just as I said earlier, I have dad takes tastes I just like spy stuff. A lot. Like I love the movie spy game with Robert Redford and Brad Pitt. Which is not even that great of a movie but I love it. I like all the gadgets. Ladies are hot. That's always a plus. I don't I wish I had a better answer for this. I just Sam 32:23 that's okay. Unknown Speaker 32:24 I just thought they were cool. You thought they were on and then once I and then once I watched them more I got into like the tropes you know, the gadgets and the there's a lot of repeat themes in these movies. And I feel it's like watching it's like how I feel when I rewatch the sopranos a million times. Like it's like really, you know, seeing your friends act as you'd expect them to and I feel the same way about James Bond. Sam 32:54 All right, we'll start with you. I call this segment that bond song. Now Cisco has not yet participated in the James Bond franchise although he has participated in CW is DCs legends of tomorrow shout out Andy. But that said tell us about your favorite song getting it is it is in you're a better person for at least what are your favorite bond songs. Unknown Speaker 33:22 So I could not get a smallest so I narrowed it down to my top five. So at number five I have another way to die by jack white and Alicia Keys. I just think that song rocks it's very catchy. It kind of gives you I don't know it just it feels like of the era when it came out. I didn't even write is that from Quantum of Solace. I completely forgot to write that. The other ones are obvious it's one of the movies that obviously the theme song is not the same as the movie title. I don't really have a reason of why I love it except it like that opening do do to do whatever I'm not a musical person. It's just really catchy and I really love it. Number four is a View to a Kill by Duran Duran. This song rules is stuck in my head all week began same I told I've told everyone this off pod but apparently when a View to a Kill came out all these young girls like that love Duran Duran went to the movie and watch the opening theme and then left before James spawn because they are not interested in watching Roger Moore do a movie. And I just think that's really funny. Third is living Let Die by Paul McCartney and wings. I mentioned earlier this was at my bar mitzvah like I loved the song. I didn't know that it was James Bond adjacent when I fell in love with it. So hearing it in a James fun movie was very exciting for me. And even though I enjoy Live and Let Die, it's definitely the best part of that movie. Second is Skyfall by Adele. I really loved that movie, but I just, and I'm not even like the biggest Adele fan, but I like her in general, and it's just a really good song. I don't I'm not like I'm not good at like being critical towards music. So it's really just I like it or I don't like it. And number one is the most classic bond song to me, which is gold finger by Shirley Bassey. That song is amazing. And I always laugh that at the line, The Man with the Golden Gun in that theme song because they don't it's not the same Golden Gun. Unknown Speaker 35:47 It's like, honey, we haven't even gotten to that one. Yeah. Unknown Speaker 35:50 Yeah. All right, Nigel, what are your top bond songs? Unknown Speaker 35:56 Okay, so I kind of went with I guess three, but honorable mention, I guess to the one for casino or not for Casino Royale for Doctor No. Which is just them playing like three blind mice? And yeah, it's psychedelic. Yeah, nonsense, where it's like, What the hell's going on? Unknown Speaker 36:17 It's fun, because I think I like it. Yeah, I Unknown Speaker 36:18 think early bond has a problem with sound tracking and stuff where it's like this one, just gonna have like an official bond song written for it. They don't play, they don't really play the bond theme for that one. And then like later, earlier, Bond films, if that makes sense. Bond, we'll just be walking around a hotel, and they'll be blaring the bond theme and it's like, what the like, this is a completely mundane interaction that they're having. And we're just getting it like, like in the background. So bond has been for me has a weird relationship between music and how you're meant to feel with it. So I'm number three, I'm going to go no time to die by Billy Eilish, which the film hasn't come out yet. But I've, I've just read a lot into what in theory, it could mean for the film. And if half of what I've thought about half if half of what of my takes come true, then it'll be an incredible themed theme to go with to go with the film. If none of that may 1 Sam 37:25 of all that is a solid choice. It's a good song. It's that song has been out for 18 months in the film hasn't come out yet. Unknown Speaker 37:34 Yeah. Then I'm going to go. No. So then this is a bit of a toss up. And can I do a joint number two? Unknown Speaker 37:43 Of course. Yeah, so Unknown Speaker 37:45 it's Skyfall by Adele, and live in that die by Paul McCartney? Because it's like I feel like with bonds there's ones that you instantly think of and it's like you know, these ones are fairly recognizable where I know Sam doesn't I know now that Sam doesn't like Skyfall which is strange because in my head Skyfall and the Man with the Golden Gun take place on opposite ends of the spectrum are like it's a dichotomy. And sounds like I don't like either opposite Sam 38:17 ends of a Unknown Speaker 38:22 All right, that's it, I'm just I'm just connecting. I've had too much where it's like that, you know, that's what you associate with bond. And like I said before, I have really wholesome memories singing, Live and Let Die in the Students Union kitchen. So that brings us predictively to number one, which is Goldfinger by Dame Shirley Bassey making her first appearance in the bond theme singing but it's like, it's a good song, because like I heard my father singing when I was younger, like the first two lines or whatever. I'm like, Oh, that sounds cool. And when you hear Shirley Bassey sing it, you know, she's got an amazing voice, so she can really carry it, but then when you consider consider the lyrics, you realize that Shirley Bassey has, like she'd been written into a corner with this is, this is the Bond film that she had been given. Because like the opening one is like gold finger. He's the man, the man with the Midas touch, a spider's touch such a cold finger, and it's like, only so many things. So many things will rhyme with cool things. So you have to use them all. Sam 39:45 And yet, the song Yeah, and yet the song lingers in your mind. Yeah, it's just, Unknown Speaker 39:57 it's wacky. I wanted to mention that because Surely Bessie also does Diamonds Are Forever and Moonraker which actually I really liked those songs too, but I don't think that they're as good as her first one. But I also wanted to comment on Dr. No, not really having a theme song. And I'm pretty sure correct me if listeners correct me if I'm wrong, but I was reading that they use some john Barry in Dr. Know, without his permission like in the score. And they and he was like, Hey, you use some of my songs. And he's and they were like, Yeah, but if you don't sue us, we'll let you score the next one. So he scored From Russia with love and he ended up scoring like 12 Bond movie, so it's interesting that they kind of used him in a shady way. At first. Sam 40:48 You know, I'll just say really quickly, I liked Goldfinger better when it was called Moon River. I'm gonna let Tessa finish this out because we have the same top two. I have honorable mention. We've already talked about a beauty we kill and no time to die. I just want to add a little bit of a little bit of dap to Carly Simon and Sheena Easton. Those are my two favorite after Billy Eilish or along with Billy Eilish, they do my favorite two ballads. Nobody does it better and for your eyes only. So you know I literally think the best part for your eyes only is that song. So Tessa, take it away with with yours and then our top two. Unknown Speaker 41:28 So I do have to say that the James Bond theme is just it is a rocking theme, like just the theme itself. And I probably sing it to myself a little bit too much, which at least knows because I definitely did it the other day while we were playing Mass Effect together. Anyway, I definitely want to say honorable mention to Tomorrow Never Dies by Sheryl Crow. That is a really great song even though it's not in my top three. And I think we should also mention that there aren't a lot of bad bond themes like there are definitely some that are not good, but all time high. But I like all time high. But a lot of them are actually really good songs like that the bond song is one of the highlights of watching these films for me. But here are my top three GoldenEye by Tina Turner is a killer song. It is so good and will get stuck in your head immediately. If you listen to it. The world is not enough by garbage which I also sing it quite a bit it is. Garbage is such a great band but the world is not enough and in a way that it the way that it folds into the themes of that movie I just think is really really well done. And then my favorite and Sam's favorite is you know my name by Chris Cornell from Casino Royale. Such a good song. It's just that because they were trying to update bond in some ways and I think Chris Cornell who is just a wonderful performer and singer just he nailed it. He nailed what they were trying to do with that movie. Unknown Speaker 42:57 I miss his voice so Sam 42:58 much. Yeah, no one sings like him anymore. So yeah, Chris Cornell so you know my name is probably one of my it's not probably it is in my top three soundtrack songs of all time. It is my favorite Chris Cornell solo song. When you add in his two bands, it's still top five it's really great because from a songwriting thing, he watched the film said I want to really match what's happening in here plus everything I know about bond and came up with this theme that really, you know, the lyrics describe bond, but then they get inverted in Casino Royale. You know, he's painted as this really cold person and then falls in love with Vesper. And we'll talk all about that later. It just shout out to garbage garbage. The world is not enough is not in my top three soundtrack songs of all time. But a song by garbage is in my top three soundtrack songs of all time. So I just think that's awesome. Unknown Speaker 43:52 The other day, I was listening to that guard, you know, the world is not enough. And I don't know why it was we call as I was. I don't know if it's because I was stoned. But I was listening to it. And I was like, This song is invoking. You Only Live Twice. I felt like I listened to them back to back and I feel like Shirley Manson is invoking You Only Live Twice and it's rules. And I was supposed to see garbage a couple weeks ago, but we got a hurricane and I was sad. Sam 44:23 That is I know that's very sad. I've been supposed to see them for like 20 years. I'll get there Unknown Speaker 44:29 when they were opening for they were opening for lenise Morissette who I hadn't seen since 2009. So sad face. Sam 44:38 Speaking of sad, let's talk about some more films. Except we won't be talking more films today. futures them here. We ended up recording so much material that we had to split it into five parts rather than four, but it just seemed a shame to let that transition go to waste. Anyway, part two will be available on Thursday and parts three, four and five will be released in Next week to get you even more hyped up or no time to die. In the meantime, you can find Nigel on Twitter and links to her cavalcade of podcasts at spicy Nigel. You can find a lease on twitter at lease underscore attendee in her Deep Space Nine podcast on twitter at pod race. Tessa is on Twitter at suela Tessa, be sure to listen to Tessa and Nigel's brand new podcast nanny augs book club. Find out more about that on twitter at ninnies book club. Finally, you can find me on Twitter at Sam underscore Morris nine. Send us your thoughts about the rankings we talked about today. What pop culture you've crossed off your list lately, what you'd like for us to talk about on future episodes or anything else that comes to mind. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at monkey backlog. Check out our brand new website monkey off my backlog.com email us at monkey my backlog@gmail.com our theme song is hot shot by Scott Holmes and can be found on Scott Holmes music.com please rate review and subscribe on iTunes. Follow us on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon podcasts, Google podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Get that monkey off your back Transcribed by https://otter.ai