Deathmatch 2024

Special Interest Games
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The Deathmatch for Sets & Locations has concluded.

Usual rubbish going through the figures will come later; I’m off out… hunting. If you hear something you don’t recognise behind you, don’t worry; I am merciful, despite general appearances.

Anyway, tomorrow it all starts again with “Score”.

Obviously, Songs have already been subjected to a vote, back in the summer. Now it’s all the rest of da moosic, which would include other renditions of the song as heard in the film, anything played over the opening credits that wasn’t a previously considered Song per se (eg Dr No and OHMSS) and anything played over the end credits, even if it is a song (and The Experience of Love, which defies categorisation). And The James Bond theme, as and when it appears. Everything on the soundtrack, everything yet to find its way to a soundtrack subject to the good work undertaken by the wonderful lovelies at La-La-Land, all the rest of it.

To avoid bickering about whether Tosca or London Calling or bits of Lawrence of Arabia are included - they are (it’s easier to say so, and I am a lazy man). Basically anything musical that didn’t come into the “Songs” category earlier. The smallish janitor whistling Goldfinger in that bit in OHMSS - included. That bit when Jaws & Dolly meet - included. That bit with the Bondola going through St Mark’s Square - included. Whatever it is Kara Milovy thinks she’s up to, the perpetually vacant twerp - included. You get the idea (and if you don’t, I’m still not giving you further examples as I was not given life to tolerate the stoopid).

With that garbled and none-too-convincing parameter set, tomorrow they start to Die.

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Goody. I’ve just witnessed a speed death metal rendition of Silver Bells, slaughtered in about 45 seconds on the site of an Advent school concert of the neighbours’ kids last week.

This was the spirit exactly.

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Righty-ho.

OK, so the outcome of the Sets & Locations Deathmatch was:

Winner: Moonraker
Runner-Up: OHMSS
3rd: The Spy who Loved Me
4th: Goldfinger

This has only run for two years now, but a pattern is still probably emerging…

2023 2024
Winner Moonraker Moonraker
Runner-Up TSWLM OHMSS
Third OHMSS TSWLM
Fourth No Time to Die Goldfinger

Moonraker does have Outer! Space! on its side, so it might be hard to dislodge. Had forgotten No Time to Die did well last year, and from memory it does all look jolly nice, so fair enough.

All the Deathmatches 2024 so far (you may need to scroll along)

Villain Song Bond Women Hench Titles Victim Costume/Garb Other Villains Sets & Locations
Winner Goldfinger Live and Let Die From Russia with Love OHMSS The Spy who Loved Me Casino Royale Moonraker Goldfinger Moonraker Moonraker
Runner-Up OHMSS Goldfinger The Spy who Loved Me Casino Royale Goldfinger Skyfall From Russia with Love Thunderball Diamonds are Forever OHMSS
Third Skyfall Diamonds are Forever Goldfinger Thunderball Diamonds are Forever You Only Live Twice Goldfinger Casino Royale TSWLM TSLWM
Fourth Casino Royale OHMSS Thunderball The Spy who Loved Me Thunderball Goldfinger You Only Live Twice From Russia with Love Thunderball Goldfinger

The same old faces keep appearing. Makes one wonder why they bothered for about 50% of the time. Ah, yeah, $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Only two rounds to go; can anything from the 1980s or (perhaps even more unlikely) a Brosnan squeak in? It could happen.

(It won’t happen).

Final form table - Sets & Locations

Film Form % (% shift) / form shift
1 You Only Live Twice 83.36
2 Moonraker 78.74 (-2.32) / -
3 TSWLM 76.47 (+1.58) +1
4 OHMSS 72.56 (-5.01) - 1
5 Casino Royale 63.04
6 Thunderball 58.75
7 No Time to Die 58.73
8 Octopussy 58.69
9 From Russia with Love 57.51 (-) / +1
10 Goldfinger 52.01 (-5.64) / -1
11 GoldenEye 48.9
12 Diamonds are Forever 46.07
13 Dr No 41
14 Quantum of Solace 40.47
15 Spectre 40.28
16 Skyfall 38.21
17 For Your Eyes Only 37.22
18 TMwtGG 33.48
19 Tomorrow Never Dies 31.25
20 Live and Let Die 30.83
21 A View to a Kill 26.4
22 The Living Daylights 23.63
23 TWINE 21.05
24 Die Another Day 19.45
25 Licence to Kill 14.03

From on high, You Only Live Twice casts its scarred eye over the carnage. Is it a flaw in the system that something knocked out in the Quarter-Finals can still win? Moonraker could have come top here if it had administered a belting to OHMSS, but it didn’t and was probably never fated to, so there y’go.

Goldfinger just clings onto the record of appearing in every Top Ten to date; just. That was mighty tight. With Score and Deaths to come, can it achieve a Grand Slam?

I did a funny, there.

Top Ten of Everything So Far - 2024

10 visits to Top Ten 9 visits to Top Ten 8 visits to Top Ten 7 visits to Top Ten 6 visits to Top Ten 5 visits to Top Ten 4 visits to Top Ten 3 visits to Top Ten 2 visits to Top Ten 1 Visit to Top Ten Yet to bother the scorers
Goldfinger Thunderball Moonraker From Russia with Love Diamonds are Forever You Only Live Twice Licence to Kill Octopussy Dr No The Man with the Golden Gun Tomorrow Never Dies
The Spy who Loved Me OHMSS Live and Let Die No Time to Die AVTAK For Your Eyes Only TWINE
Casino Royale Skyfall The Living Daylights Quantum of Solace Die Another Day
GoldenEye Spectre

And there it is, on its lonesome. Those yet to bother aren’t going anywhere soon, are they, although I suppose Tomorrow Never Dies has a chance with Score. Octopussy seems to have picked itself up by the laces of its clown shoes and finally decided to bother a bit.

Sets & Locations - Seeds and Pots for 2025

2023 2024 Average Seed/Pot
Dr No 14 13 13.5 Pot 1
FRWL 3 9 6 Seed 6
Goldfinger 7 10 8.5 Seed 10
Thunderball 6 6 6 Seed 5
YOLT 5 1 3 Seed 3
OHMSS 4 4 4 Seed 4
DAF 15 12 13.5 Pot 1
LALD 19 20 19.5 Pot 2
TMwtGG 21 18 19.5 Pot 2
TSWLM 2 3 2.5 Seed 2
Moonraker 1 2 1.5 Seed 1
FYEO 10 17 13.5 Pot 1
Octopussy 8 8 8 Seed 9
AVTAK 25 21 23 Pot 3
TLD 20 22 21 Pot 3
LTK 22 25 23.5 Pot 3
GoldenEye 13 11 12 Pot 1
TND 18 19 18.5 Pot 2
TWINE 24 23 23.5 Pot 3
DAD 23 24 23.5 Pot 3
CR 11 5 8 Seed 7
QoS 16 14 15 Pot 2
Skyfall 12 16 14 Pot 1
Spectre 17 15 16 Pot 2
NTTD 9 7 8 Seed 8

Because this had only run once before, there was always some girth for change, but there’s a fair amount of consistency on show. Some big drops in form between consecutive films for Sets & Locations, which possibly do mark some turning points in the series - OHMSS to Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker to For Your Eyes Only; even Octopussy to A View to a Kill does feel like a reining in of spectacle. Hmm.

General standard dwindling of form after Moonraker, common to these exercises. Also hmm.

Most Valuable Player

Has to be placed (Semi-Final or better) to count

Placings Wins Top Ten Top Form Points
Goldfinger 8 2 10 2 22
TSWLM 5 1 9 2 17
Moonraker 3 3 8 2 16
Thunderball 5 0 9 0 14
OHMSS 4 1 7 1 13
FRWL 3 1 7 1 12
Casino Royale 4 1 7 0 12
DAF 3 0 6 1 10
You Only Live Twice 2 0 5 1 8
Skyfall 2 0 5 0 7
LALD 1 1 5 0 7

Couple of points apiece in this most recent category maintains the gap between the top two, and Moonraker with 3 points scored just rockets up behind them. With “Score” to come, which it won last year with clean sweep of all available points, don’t rule out last year’s MVP OHMSS just yet. (Ectually you can; it’s mathematically impossible for it to win but until I pointed this out, you were going along with the assertion, weren’t you? Don’t lie to me.)

Thunderball seems to be chugging along without really ever achieving anything of note, which one understands is a critical appraisal of the whole of Thunderball as expressed by the cretinous.

Road to Best Picture

Villain – form place Song – form place Bond – form place Women – form place Hench – form place Titles – form place Victim – form place Costume – form place Other Villains – form place Sets & Locations – form place
Dr No 12 23 11 6 18 20 5 12 13 13
From Russia with Love 2 16 1 3 15 16 2 3 3 9
Goldfinger 1 5 3 9 4 9 3 1 7 10
Thunderball 8 10 7 5 5 6 18 2 5 6
You Only Live Twice 13 11 22 21 10 5 4 15 9 1
OHMSS 4 8 16 1 12 3 24 5 10 4
Diamonds are Forever 16 1 14 4 3 11 8 9 6 12
Live and Let Die 15 3 10 11 9 7 20 18 4 20
The Man with the Golden Gun 9 19 19 22 14 23 12 23 22 18
The Spy who Loved Me 7 2 6 7 1 1 23 6 2 3
Moonraker 5 4 8 8 11 8 1 13 1 2
For Your Eyes Only 20 14 5 17 17 12 16 16 16 17
Octopussy 19 22 15 15 16 17 9 14 8 8
A View to a Kill 11 9 23 24 8 19 13 25 14 21
The Living Daylights 25 15 9 18 6 21 15 19 18 22
Licence to Kill 10 20 13 10 7 24 10 22 12 25
Goldeneye 14 13 24 14 2 4 22 17 17 11
Tomorrow Never Dies 17 18 17 12 22 13 17 20 15 19
TWINE 18 12 21 25 23 18 19 21 21 23
Die Another Day 24 25 25 23 21 22 25 24 24 24
Casino Royale 6 6 2 2 24 2 14 4 11 5
Quantum of Solace 23 21 18 16 25 25 11 10 23 14
Skyfall 3 7 4 20 19 10 6 11 25 16
Spectre 21 24 20 19 13 15 21 7 20 15
No Time to Die 22 17 12 13 20 14 7 8 19 7

Based on placings in the form table. Skyfall has dwindled rather alarmingly of late, and Tomorrow Never Dies might be underachieving rather massively. Die Another Day is overachieving, in last.

With two rounds only to go, this is where matters stand as compared to the previous round ups:

Film- after 6 rounds – PLACES 1-10 Film – after 8 rounds – PLACES 1-10 Film – after 10 rounds – PLACES 1-10
The Spy who Loved Me Goldfinger Goldfinger
Goldfinger The Spy who Loved Me The Spy who Loved Me
Thunderball From Russia with Love Moonraker
Casino Royale Moonraker From Russia with Love
OHMSS Casino Royale Thunderball
Moonraker Thunderball Casino Royale
Diamonds are Forever Diamonds are Forever Diamonds are Forever
From Russia with Love OHMSS OHMSS
Live and Let Die Skyfall You Only Live Twice
Skyfall Live and Let Die Live and Let Die

Not a done deal. There are mere fragments of percentages between the averages of the top three. The Spy who Loved Me would be comfortably ahead were it not for that Commander Talbot. Just can’t think of another victim, other than my expectation that they will make something quite so good again.

Five Connerys, Three Moores, The Decent Craig One and “The Lazenby”. Feels about right, somehow.

Diamonds are Forever sadistically teases its 0.1% average advantage over OHMSS. Can it maintain this slightly unlikely position? It did well in “Score” last year, but OHMSS won that category comfortably so… probably not. But it could, and that’s what makes for excitement. Sheer bloody excitement. Not a phrase lingering around Diamonds are Forever very often, one accepts,

Live and Let Die might be underrated?

PLACES 11-15 after 6 rounds PLACES 11-15 after 8 rounds PLACES 11-15 after 10 rounds
GoldenEye You Only Live Twice Skyfall
You Only Live Twice Dr No Dr No
Licence to Kill GoldenEye GoldenEye
For Your Eyes Only No Time to Die No Time to Die
Dr No Licence to Kill Octopussy

No Time to Die and Octopussy break into the Top 15 and always nice to see Dr No appreciated. Skyfall is on the tumble. GoldenEye is “there”, which is the most polite one-syllable word in my vocabulary to describe GoldenEye. I have a selection of less amenable ones.

PLACES 16-20 after 6 rounds PLACES 16-20 after 8 rounds PLACES 16-20 after 10 rounds
A View to a Kill For Your Eyes Only For Your Eyes Only
The Living Daylights Octopussy Licence to Kill
No Time to Die The Living Daylights A View to a Kill
Tomorrow Never Dies A View to a Kill The Living Daylights
Octopussy Tomorrow Never Dies Tomorrow Never Dies

Ah, the 1980s plus a film that could have been from the 1980s. Anyway, this lot. The ho-hums. The meh, although I am fond of a couple of them, but meh nonetheless. Reviewable with… with a shrug.

PLACES 21-25 after 6 rounds PLACES 21-25 after 8 rounds PLACES 21-25 after 10 rounds
The Man with the Golden Gun Spectre Spectre
Spectre The Man with the Golden Gun The Man with the Golden Gun
The World is Not Enough Quantum of Solace Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace The World is Not Enough The World is Not Enough
Die Another Day Die Another Day Die Another Day

Although seemingly not much difference here since the last time we gaped into the abyss, due to a couple of (relatively) decent rounds for it, the gap between Quantum of Solace and the bottom two is widening. Marinaded in the aromatic juices at the bottom of the bin, they are getting beyond rescue. Still, two rounds to go, although that will probably just exacerbate their humiliation.

Good.

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Felicca, that lady in Fekkesh’s house. If she isn’t a victim, who else is?

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Right, will do her next year. As t’were.

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My quibble with that is that she really isn’t a Bond ally. She’s a bad guy’s (Fekkesh’s) girl and is ultimately trying to keep 007 from accomplishing his mission. So how much of a sacrificial lamb is she really?

Like him or not (or however competitive a sacrificial lamb or not), Talbot is the best choice of a slim lot for The Spy Who Loved Me.

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Hmm, fair point.

However, since the Victims category regularly includes Andrea Anders who is significantly more complicit in bad deeds and with a likely history of same, and Mishkin who is a Russian Defence Minister after all, and a North Korean General for DUD, I think Feliccia is worth a spin. I doubt she knows what’s going on. #felicciaisinnocent

Hang on a mo - Sandor is tasked with killing anyone who comes into possession of The Thingy, but hasn’t encountered Bond before and knows Fekkesh is at the Pyramids. So he must be there to kill Feliccia, not Fekkesh and not Bond. VICTIM.

Also, Bond nearly asphyxiates her. VICTIM.

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And then there are all these women he has to delve into in the desert.

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With the Group Stage of Score completed, fallout descends as follows:

Group A Played W D L F A GD % Pts
OHMSS 4 4 0 0 62 6 56 91.18 12
TSWLM 4 3 0 1 40 28 12 58.83 9
FYEO 4 1 1 2 31 36 -5 46.35 4
TWINE 4 1 1 2 31 36 -5 46.3 4
Dr No 4 0 0 4 5 63 -58 7.35 0

Possibly foregone conclusions at both ends of this group, and that’s a mighty lead over second place that OHMSS achieved. Not the best goal difference for a Runner-Up for The Spy who Loved Me, and it just about scratches its way into the Top Ten. 0.05% form separates For Your Eyes Only and The World is Not Enough, and both get into the Second Round as Lucky Losers.

OHMSS achieves success even though it includes that horrible shrieking enquiring how Christmas trees are grown. As 'tis the season, I asked our local monger of Christmas trees the same question. His answer, snarled through his three working teeth, was “with worms and pooh-pooh” (I paraphrase), and on reflection it is an eccentric ditty.

Dr No… well, it’s not an easy listen, is it?

Group B Played W D L F A GD % Pts
Moonraker 4 4 0 0 55 17 38 76.4 12
Thunderball 4 3 0 1 57 15 42 79.15 9
Skyfall 4 2 0 2 35 37 -2 48.63 6
Octopussy 4 1 0 3 26 46 -20 36.1 3
GoldenEye 4 0 0 4 7 65 -58 9.73 0

Should anyone be tempted to “celebrate” 30 years of DulldenEye and find additional bits of the GoldenEye score, one could undertake a lot of painstaking research and negotiation of licences to produce a quality product; however, as it’s not worth a quality product, one could hurl all one’s pots and pans around a garden shed whilst being recorded from about a mile away and achieve the same effect with minimal expense.

Anomaly here about form; Moonraker wins the group on games won but Thunderball, by dint of a couple of 100% walkovers against Octopussy and… guess who, achieves the best form. Can sometimes happen like that.

GoldenEye… well, it’s not an easy listen, is it? Nor should it be listened to. It basically sounds like a recording of some low-level domestic violence.

Group C Played W D L F A GD % Pts
DAF 4 4 0 0 51 13 38 79.7 12
TLD 4 3 0 1 42 22 20 65.65 9
FRWL 4 2 0 2 31 33 -2 48.43 6
QoS 4 1 0 3 25 39 -14 39.05 3
Spectre 4 0 0 4 11 53 -42 17.18 0

Big reverse, here: From Russia with Love was third seed and yet only scrapes into the Second Round as a lucky loser. Good to see The Living Daylights score get a bit of recognition. Spectre lazily can’t be bothered so it fits that it can’t be bothered getting out of last place. Diamonds are Forever is Diamonds are Forever and confirms that even slightly dodgy John Barry is still John Barry.

Group D Played W D L F A GD % Pts
YOLT 4 4 0 0 54 10 44 84.38 12
LALD 4 3 0 1 49 15 34 76.6 9
TND 4 2 0 2 36 28 8 56.3 6
LTK 4 1 0 3 13 51 -38 20.3 3
DAD 4 0 0 4 8 56 -48 12.48 0

Die Another Day. (Sigh). You were handed the intermittent atonal dross that is Licence to Kill on a plate and you still couldn’t win. Pfft.

Fairly obvious winner and second place here although one is fond of the Tomorrow Never Dies score and it clearly gets through to the Second Round as a most able lucky loser; how far can it go? Licence to Kill seems to benefit from being in The Group with Die Another Day in it and doesn’t finish the dead last it patently deserves.

Group E Played W D L F A GD % Pts
Goldfinger 4 4 0 0 51 13 38 79.73 12
Casino Royale 4 3 0 1 42 22 20 65.63 9
AVTAK 4 2 0 2 29 39 -10 45.3 6
TMwtGG 4 0 1 3 21 43 -22 32.8 1
NTTD 4 0 1 3 17 47 -30 26.55 1

Youth is no guarantee of innovation, it seems. Nice to see A View to a Kill get into the Second Round as that has a lot of appealing noises and whatnot. Goldfinger seems likely to secure another Top Ten finish - can anything stop its dawn raid on Best Picture?

Film (seed) Form % Group Stage outcome
1 OHMSS (1) 91.18 Winner A
2 You Only Live Twice (4) 84.38 Winner D
3 Goldfinger (5) 79.73 Winner E
4 Diamonds are Forever (8) 79.7 Winner C
5 Thunderball (9) 79.15 Runner-Up B
6 Live and Let Die (7) 76.6 Runner-Up D
7 Moonraker (2) 76.4 Winner B
8 The Living Daylights 65.65 Runner-Up C
9 Casino Royale (6) 65.63 Runner-Up E
10 The Spy who Loved Me (10) 58.83 Runner-Up A
11 Tomorrow Never Dies 56.3 Lucky Loser 1
12 Skyfall 48.63 Lucky Loser 2
13 From Russia with Love (3) 48.43 Lucky Loser 3
14 For Your Eyes Only 46.35 Lucky Loser 4
15 TWINE 46.3 Lucky Loser 5
16 A View to a Kill 45.3 Lucky Loser 6
17 Quantum of Solace 39.05
18 Octopussy 36.1
19 The Man with the Golden Gun 32.8
20 No Time to Die 26.55
21 Licence to Kill 20.3
22 Spectre 17.18
23 Die Another Day 12.48
24 GoldenEye 9.73
25 Dr No 7.55

John Barry dominance of the Top Ten as reasonably anticipated, and the bottom five to be expected, if not necessarily in that order. Some reasonably close averages in the mix, which opens up the Second Round most pleasingly.

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What kind of music would you expect to accompany a movie starring “a fat man” enmeshed in “a mediocre pantomime done on the cheap”?

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Uh-oh… I sense a bombe surprise moment coming up…

Be warned, he’s extremely good at spotting those (in fact, you’d be the first to achieve). And his revenge will be terrible in case he finds out who was behind it (which he usually does).

Beware: I’m certain that you’ll get the scorpions first (as a Dr Tynan wink and nod), but they’re only a feint. His next step usually depends on your reaction to those. I very much doubt that he’ll try the atomizer routine again anytime soon – the last time went just a little bit wrong and turned really messy (cost him a small fortune upon which he incurred the wrath of the Mrs).

There’s been strange (and frankly said inhuman) noises coming from his office as of late, mixed with his incessant high pitched cackling. Oh, and he’s been to a chainsaw carving workshop in October – but that could turn out to be a family thing.

All I can tell you. Be alert. And good luck.
:sunglasses: :cocktail:

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Definitely–and in the bombe surprise, no doubt.

I am an old queer, so DAF hostilities are similar to what I encountered in the late 70s/early 80s (only in my later years did I recognize the significance of coming out within 10 years of the Stonewall riots, and appreciated how that shaped me).

So we persevere, and look for small victories along the way, knowing that DAF enthusiasm will never be shared by all, just as there are people who still wear polyester clothing.

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Yeah, they’ve been coming up a lot, as of late :roll_eyes:

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Lulu popped by, Her strange and inhuman noises will now have ceased. As I said to her at the time, “Well go on, go on, it’s merely a lift. Or should I say immensely powerful combine harvester?”

The chainsaw carving is just semi-regular readiness for Christmas dinner. Promise. Am I a man of my word? Yes, if the word is “lie”.

My suite of offices at Chateau CBn is still incomplete. Brick by brick from France it’s coming, and due to Brexit half of it’s in a lorry park outside Calais, still. This is more an explanation of a bad mood rather than to bore both of us with an excuse, and it’s late, I’m tired and there’s so much left to do.

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OK, so the Second Round of Score produced a draw. “Score draw”. I may just have wet myself in the brilliance of that fatuous pun.

So, The Living Daylights and Casino Royale hit deadlock and it’s The Living Daylights going through, which for a child of the 1980s wearing out their cassette tape of the score, gives me as warm a glow as kicking a pigeon does.

Both won 3 and drew one and lost one. Point each.
Both had the same number of votes for (remarkably) and the same goal difference of +20, so that’s a couple of further points each. I make that The Living Daylights 3 - Casino Royale 3.
The Living Daylights had a better form average (not including the draw) by 0.02%, but that’s worth a point. The Living Daylights 4 - Casino Royale 3.
No common foe, no points there.
The Living Daylights finished 14.05% below top place in its Group; Casino Royale 14.10%. Another point to The Living Daylights making that 5-3.
Casino Royale finished 20.33% clear of third place in its Group, The Living Daylights a lesser 17.22%. Point to Casino Royale so that’s 5-4.
Both (with the same number of votes) had a biggest win of 12 clear votes so that’s 6-5.
When playing the highest seeded member of their group, Casino Royale lost 11-5 to Goldfinger but rather remarkably The Living Daylights won 11-5 against From Russia with Love. Additionally bearing in mind that From Russia with Love was third seed, that all works out as a final score of The Living Daylights 7 - Casino Royale 5.

I have spake, and thus mote it be.

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Form table after the Second Round for Score.

Film Form % (% form shift) / place shift
1 OHMSS 91.7 (+0.52) / -
2 Goldfinger 82.54 (+2.81) / +1
3 Diamonds are Forever 82.52 (+2.82) / +1
4 You Only Live Twice 82.5 (-1.88) / -2
5 Moonraker 76.12 (-0.28) / +2
6 Thunderball 75.82 (-3.33) / -1
7 Live and Let Die 68.78 (-7.82) / -1
8 The Spy who Loved Me 63.32 (+4.49) / +2
9 The Living Daylights 62.52 (-3.13) / -1
10 Casino Royale 62.5 (-3.13) / -1
11 Tomorrow Never Dies 46.28 (-10.02) / -
12 From Russia with Love 44.06 (-4.37 ) / +1
13 For Your Eyes Only 42.08 (-4.27) / +1
14 Skyfall 40.14 (-8.49) / -2
15 A View to a Kill 39.98 (-5.32) / +1
16 Quantum of Solace 39.05 (-) / +1
17 TWINE 38.28 (-8.02) / -2
18 Octopussy 36.1
19 The Man with the Golden Gun 32.8
20 No Time to Die 26.55
21 Licence to Kill 20.3
22 Spectre 17.18
23 Die Another Day 12.48
24 GoldenEye 9.73
25 Dr No 7.55

Some very heavy wins/defeats shake things up a bit, to the extent that there’s not much between positions 2-4, nor 5-6, nor 8-10. Possibly unlikely after the massive drop for Tomorrow Never Dies that anything will actually now fall out of the Top Ten, but definitely room for a shuffle once the Quarter-Finals are done. The Living Daylights is still in the game; can it spring a surprise and get through to the Semi-Finals, where no 1980s film has yet dared to tread / been anywhere near good enough in preceding catgories to qualify?

MY GOD IT’S SO TENSE I THINK I WILL ABOLISH THURSDAYS

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Another draw for The Living Daylights in the Quarter-Finals, and unfortunately (for the want of one more vote in its favour it would have gone through), it’s into the Prater Cafe Sliding Doors of Doom for you.

To and including the Quarter-Final, You Only Live Twice played 6, won 5 and drew 1. The Living Daylights played 6, won 3, drew 2 and lost 1. Point to You Only Live Twice.
Form not including the Quarter-Final: You Only Live Twice 82.5, The Living Daylights 65.52. 2-0 to You Only Live Twice.
Votes for including the Quarter-Final: 74 for You Only Live Twice, 58 for The Living Daylights. 3-0 to You Only Live Twice.
Group points: 12 for You Only Live Twice, 9 for The Living Daylights, 4-0 to You Only Live Twice.
No common foe.
Difference in form between its Group finish and next place down:The Living Daylights wins this one, so 4-1 to You Only Live Twice.
Walkovers for: 2 for You Only Live Twice, none for The Living Daylights, so 5-1 to You Only Live Twice.
Gap in votes for Second Round win: 8 for You Only Live Twice, and The Living Daylights drew so no gap there, so 6-1 to You Only Live Twice.
Goal difference including Quarter-Final: 52 for You Only Live Twice, 20 for The Living Daylights. 7-1 to You Only Live Twice.
Biggest win (with the same number of votes cast): The Living Daylights by 12, You Only Live Twice by 16 (…twice). 8-1 to You Only Live Twice.

Probably best to stop it there; there would be no way back from that. One more vote for The Living Daylights and it would have got through. Dwell on your guilt.

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Form table after Quarter-Finals for Score:

Film Form % (% form shift) / place shift
1 OHMSS 91 (-0.7) / -
2 Diamonds are Forever 78.15 (-4.37) / +1
3 Moonraker 78.02 (+1.9) / +2
4 You Only Live Twice 77.08 (-5.42) / -
5 Goldfinger 70.87 (-11.67) / -3
6 Thunderball 70.47 (-5.35) / -
7 Live and Let Die 68.78
8 Casino Royale 62.5 (-) / +2
9 The Living Daylights 60.43 (-2.09) / -
10 The Spy who Loved Me 54.85 (-8.47 ) / -2
11 Tomorrow Never Dies 46.28
12 From Russia with Love 44.06
13 For Your Eyes Only 42.08
14 Skyfall 40.14
15 A View to a Kill 39.98
16 Quantum of Solace 39.05
17 TWINE 38.28
18 Octopussy 36.1
19 The Man with the Golden Gun 32.8
20 No Time to Die 26.55
21 Licence to Kill 20.3
22 Spectre 17.18
23 Die Another Day 12.48
24 GoldenEye 9.73
25 Dr No 7.55

Big form drop for Goldfinger but not too perilous due to being cushioned by stronger performance in earlier rounds; however, it’s out, although with another Top Ten finish.

The Living Daylights had to go from the knockout, but will remain comfortably in the form Top Ten, which feels like a win given the general hopelessness of the 1980s Bonds in these superannuated parlour games.

The top four fight it out in the closing stages, so although perhaps top slot here might not drop, there’s still a fistful of rummage to come…

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Form table after Semi-Finals for Score.

Film Form % (% form shift) / place shift
1 OHMSS 88.09 (-2.91) / -
2 Moonraker 78.65 (+0.63) / +1
3 Diamonds are Forever 71.19 (-6.96) / -1
4 Goldfinger 70.87 (-) / +1
5 Thunderball 70.47 (-) / +1
6 Live and Let Die 68.78 (-) / +1
7 You Only Live Twice 68.58 (-8.5) / -3
8 Casino Royale 62.5
9 The Living Daylights 60.43
10 The Spy who Loved Me 54.85
11 Tomorrow Never Dies 46.28
12 From Russia with Love 44.06
13 For Your Eyes Only 42.08
14 Skyfall 40.14
15 A View to a Kill 39.98
16 Quantum of Solace 39.05
17 TWINE 38.28
18 Octopussy 36.1
19 The Man with the Golden Gun 32.8
20 No Time to Die 26.55
21 Licence to Kill 20.3
22 Spectre 17.18
23 Die Another Day 12.48
24 GoldenEye 9.73
25 Dr No 7.55

Consider how Moonraker has gently risen up the form table, but it may be a stretch too far to overcome OHMSS; however, they are Deathmatched against each other in the Final so it remains possible, just. It seemed fated that they would eventually meet.

You Only Live Twice drops a bit but depending on the Third Place Death-Off against Diamonds are Forever, could still go up. Or down.

MY GOD IT’S SO TENSE I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO BE ME.

5 Likes
200

So, a little later than usual reporting but do excuse the very amenable litre of Gamay that I appear to have entertained, we have a winner for Deathmatch - Score

Winner: OHMSS
Runner-Up: Moonraker
Third: Diamonds are Forever
Fourth: You Only Live Twice

Final form table for Score

Film Form % (% form shift) / place shift
1 OHMSS 83.68 (-4.4) / -
2 Moonraker 73.97 (-4.68) / -
3 Goldfinger 70.87 (-) / +1
4 Thunderball 70.47 (-) / +1
5 Diamonds are Forever 68.9 (-2.29) / -2
6 Live and Let Die 68.78
7 You Only Live Twice 65.9 (-2.68) / -
8 Casino Royale 62.5
9 The Living Daylights 60.43
10 The Spy who Loved Me 54.85
11 Tomorrow Never Dies 46.28
12 From Russia with Love 44.06
13 For Your Eyes Only 42.08
14 Skyfall 40.14
15 A View to a Kill 39.98
16 Quantum of Solace 39.05
17 TWINE 38.28
18 Octopussy 36.1
19 The Man with the Golden Gun 32.8
20 No Time to Die 26.55
21 Licence to Kill 20.3
22 Spectre 17.18
23 Die Another Day 12.48
24 GoldenEye 9.73
25 Dr No 7.55

OHMSS picks up all four points available across the knockout and the form table, but with Moonraker beating off (as t’were) Goldfinger, the race for Best Picture is still lively. It’s not done yet.

Other standard stat rubbish to come.

Final category for the year - Deaths - whilst oh-so-festive, will open tomorrow.

6 Likes