moonraker

A visually stunning fight sequence from Skyfall (2012)

It’s…beautiful!

A visually stunning fight sequence from Skyfall (2012)

A visually stunning fight sequence from Skyfall (2012)

James Bond (Roger Moore) in Moonraker (1979) admires Roger Deakin's cinematography in Skyfall (2012)

James Bond (Roger Moore) in Moonraker (1979) admires Roger Deakin’s cinematography in Skyfall (2012)

The title card from Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker – Production costs out of this world!

The title card from Moonraker (1979)

The title card from Moonraker (1979)

The beginning of the end credits for Moonraker references an out-of-this-world filming location!

The beginning of the end credits for Moonraker references an out-of-this-world filming location!

Moonraker was literally filmed in space! (note the exclamation point used for emphasis)

It must have cost a fortune for filming…perhaps Drax assisted with production costs? A quick Google shows it’s possible to use private space agencies to go intergalactic at ~$200,000 per flight, or around $60,000 in 1979 dollars. Although no such agency existed back then…

Richard Kiel as Jaws in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Which Jaws smile is best?

Richard Kiel as Jaws smiles in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Richard Kiel as Jaws smiles in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

OR

Richard Kiel as Jaws smiles in Moonraker (1979)

Richard Kiel as Jaws smiles in Moonraker (1979)

The start of the space fight in Moonraker (1979)

Open the cargo doors

The Bond movie franchise’s response to the space-based Star Wars phenomenon of the late 1970’s comes in the form of Moonraker (1979). And this fight scene perfectly encapsulates the movie’s attempt at inserting some James Bond action into the vast bleakness of space.

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The end credits of The Spy Who Loved Me says that For Your Eyes Only is the next movie

But what about Moonraker?

The end credits of The Spy Who Loved Me says that For Your Eyes Only is the next movie

The end credits of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) says that For Your Eyes Only (1981) is the next movie

Eon Productions jumped the gun!

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Roger Moore as James Bond escpaes via hang glider in Moonraker (1979)

The Great Escape

Roger Moore as James Bond escapes via hang glider in Moonraker (1979)Roger Moore as James Bond escapes via hang glider in Moonraker (1979)

Might be my favorite escape!

Hugo Drax's estate in Moonraker (1979)

Chez Drax: Chateau de Vaux-le-Vicomte

Hugo Drax's estate in Moonraker (1979)

Hugo Drax's estate in Moonraker (1979)

So where is Hugo Drax’s gargantuan mansion in Moonraker (1979) in real life?

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Every James Bond Movie Title Animation

from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Just an awesomely descriptive setting subtitle

from Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)“A Terrorist Arms Bazaar on the Russian Border” hilariously packs a lot of information for a single line-description of a setting. Well done! From Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

The above is a real subtitle from a Bond movie, but the below are not. 🙂

You Only Live Twice (1967)You Only Live Twice (1967)

Moonraker (1979)Moonraker (1979)

Casino Royale (2006)Casino Royale (2006)

Octopussy (1983)Octopussy (1983)

Michael Lonsdale as Huge Drax and Roger Moore as James Bond in Moonraker (1979)

Drax’s Chopin

Michael Lonsdale as Huge Drax and Roger Moore as James Bond in Moonraker (1979)

Ever wondered what the name of the song that Drax plays on his Steinway the first time he meets 007? It’s Frederic Chopin‘s “Prelude No. 15 (Raindrop)”.

Check out a full performance of the piece by world-reknown Chinese pianist Yi Lundi below: