I’d love to hear a Dame Shirley version of any (or all) of the Craig era, especially Skyfall (gives me chills to imagine it). I also think her muscular style could resurrect and breathe life into Writing’s on the Wall, and even Another Way to Die.
4 Likes
- YOLT
- TMWTGG
- ATH
- LTK
- GE
- TND
- TWINE
- SF
- TWOTW
- NTTD
So, basically most of them.
Which would be a terrific idea for an album, if she wanted to and the rights could be sorted out.
5 Likes
I think Thunderball would have been great with Shirley singing, though at the time I can see where it would have been considered too soon for her to return. In fact, since it’s a song about a man it might make more sense for a woman to sing it.
I’d also love to hear her tackle “Surrender” from TND. Others I’m not so sure would be a great fit. All Time High was always going to be a snoozer and even Shirley’s pipes wouldn’t change that. TMWTGG to me is a train wreck of a song – almost a parody of a Bond song – but she might be able to spin a bit of gold from the dross.
I can also imagine YOLT working, and maybe SF.
I’m happy enough with history as it unfolded, however, since it means Ms Bassey’s the only Bond veteran besides Lazenby to retire with a perfect record.
4 Likes
Picking one from each 007’s tenure:
You Only Live Twice
(no lyrics from On Her Majesty’s Secret Service Theme)
The Man With The Golden Gun
Licence To Kill
Tomorrow Never Dies
Writing’s On The Wall
Regarding Sean Connery’s tenure, Never Say Never Again needs (a lot) more help, but I don’t know how much better Shirley Bassey could improve the song. But while that should be my vote, I’ll go with You Only Live Twice because that suits her better even though Nancy Sinatra did a fine job with it (once it was edited together).
As for Roger Moore’s run, I like most of the songs. Ironically, my least favorite is Bassey’s own Moonraker. 
But the choice comes down to The Man With The Golden Gun and All Time High. I like both songs better than most people and think they’re both a bit underrated, especially ATH. But my vote goes to The Man With The Golden Gun. Lulu sang it more like Bassey, and I’m curious as to how the Dame would do and perform to its suggestive lyrics. 
As for the Timothy Dalton era, the vote is Licence To Kill. A-ha’s version of The Living Daylights is solid, and LTK fits Bassey better anyway.
In Pierce Brosnan’s tenure, I like Sheryl Crow’s version, but that is the song (taking out GoldenEye which is great as is with Tina Turner) that best fits Bassey’s talents.
And for Daniel Craig’s era there’s a lot of options. Another Way To Die would benefit from only one singer not a duet, and Skyfall would better fit Bassey, but any excuse to eliminate or replace Sam Smith’s falsetto in Writing’s On The Wall gets the vote.
3 Likes
Nobody does it better - I’d have loved to hear Bassey going at this intimate song.
2 Likes
I’ll be honest, this thread shows more love for it than I’ve ever seen. My impression is that it left a lot of folks cold and was always considered unworthy of Dame Shirley’s talents. Personally I’ve always been a fan, but I’m a sucker for anything MR, so I’m the wrong one to ask.
5 Likes
Deathmatch for Bond (ie preferred performance) now open. Some of the groups promise much death.
Good.
2 Likes
There are three
All time high
The world is not enough
Another way to die
OK, with the Group Stage for “Bond” done, some anticipated results and some startlers - boo!
| Group A | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connery – FRWL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 61 | 6 | 55 | 91.15 | 12 |
| Moore – Moonraker | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 21 | 26 | 69.13 | 9 |
| Craig – QoS | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 37 | -6 | 45.58 | 6 |
| Craig – Spectre | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 48 | -29 | 28 | 3 |
| Moore – A View to a Kill | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 57 | -46 | 16.18 | 0 |
Although I’m rather fond of the performance, Moore - A View to a Kill never seems that highly regarded. It might be because he is evidently speaking out of what used to be his navel. It’s not the worst showing, though. Can you guess what that might be? The winner here will take some beating, which is only right and proper as it is a tremendous show. Craigs a bit frail, but Quantum of Solace will make it into the Second Round as a Lucky Loser. Always pleasing to see some Moonraker love, my love.
| Group B | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connery – Goldfinger | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 7 | 50 | 89 | 12 |
| Moore – FYEO | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 47 | 17 | 30 | 73.45 | 9 |
| Moore – Octopussy | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 27 | 37 | -10 | 42.18 | 6 |
| Brosnan – TND | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 38 | -12 | 40.63 | 3 |
| Brosnan – DAD | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 61 | -58 | 4.68 | 0 |
Yikes. That Die Another Day performance is massively wretched, as indeed is the performance in Die Another Day. I think that’s the worst it’s ever done, and it’s hardly an auspicious record. That’s just CRAP (takes me back to wandering, dazed, out of the cinema in 2002 - I suspect my reaction was even more vulgar). The only Brosnan win in “Bond” is against another Brosnan; folk suggest the Craigs are a pocket universe, but the same could be said here of the Brosnans. Seal them up and throw them into the sea. Moore - Octopussy does ok but won’t make it as a Lucky Loser. Winner and second place probably massively predictable here.
| Group C | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connery – Thunderball | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 49 | 15 | 34 | 76.6 | 10 |
| Moore – TSWLM | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 16 | 32 | 75.03 | 10 |
| Connery – Dr No | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 39 | -14 | 59.35 | 6 |
| Lazenby – OHMSS | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 36 | -8 | 43.73 | 3 |
| Brosnan – GoldenEye | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 54 | -44 | 15.6 | 0 |
Last year’s knockout winner just about wins the group, but might be a bit of a challenge to defend its title. Lazenby gets through as a Lucky Loser for the first time. Mr Brosnan saved the series, apparently. That GoldenEye outcome is woeful - and do I like to say “I told you so”? Yes, yes I do. Very often.
I told you so.
| Group D | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig – Skyfall | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 18 | 34 | 73.55 | 12 |
| Moore – LALD | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 39 | 29 | 10 | 57.35 | 9 |
| Connery – DAF | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 50 | 6 |
| Craig – NTTD | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 35 | -2 | 48.55 | 3 |
| Brosnan – TWINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 54 | -40 | 20.55 | 0 |
Surprise package of the Group Stages is Moore - Live and Let Die with a pretty convincing second place. Connery - Diamonds are Forever scores bang averagely and therefore seems to be the planet around which everything revolves this year; he’s planet-sized, after all. Brosnan, Brosnan, Brosnan - pfft. No Time to Die shows a “range” but perhaps not one we all wanted.
| Group E | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig – Casino Royale | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 55 | 13 | 42 | 80.93 | 12 |
| Dalton – TLD | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 64.75 | 9 |
| Dalton – LTK | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 52.98 | 6 |
| Moore – GGun | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 45 | -22 | 33.75 | 3 |
| Connery - YOLT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 | 56 | -44 | 17.6 | 0 |
Interesting how much more approved was Dalton’s first over the one notionally tailor-made for him. Clear winner here, though… Connery-You Only Live Twice living down to its reputation as a performance but anyone who can carry off those wrinkled grey jim-jams may have hidden subtleties to the performance.
Form table - Group Stages - Bond
| Bond (seed) | Form % | Group Stage outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connery – FRWL (1) | 91.15 | Winner A |
| 2 | Connery – Goldfinger (2) | 89 | Winner B |
| 3 | Craig – Casino Royale (5) | 80.93 | Winner E |
| 4 | Connery – Thunderball (8) | 76.6 | Winner C |
| 5 | Moore – The Spy who Loved Me (3) | 75.03 | Runner-Up C |
| 6 | Craig – Skyfall (4) | 73.55 | Winner D |
| 7 | Moore – For Your Eyes Only (9) | 63.45 | Runner-Up B |
| 8 | Moore – Moonraker (10) | 69.13 | Runner-Up A |
| 9 | Dalton – The Living Daylights (6) | 64.75 | Runner-Up E |
| 10 | Connery – Dr No | 59.35 | Lucky Loser 1 |
| 11 | Moore – Live and Let Die | 57.35 | Runner-Up D |
| 12 | Dalton – Licence to Kill | 52.98 | Lucky Loser 2 |
| 13 | Connery – Diamonds are Forever | 50 | Lucky Loser 3 |
| 14 | Craig – No Time to Die (7) | 48.55 | Lucky Loser 4 |
| 15 | Craig – Quantum of Solace | 45.58 | Lucky Loser 5 |
| 16 | Lazenby – OHMSS | 43.73 | Lucky Loser 6 |
| 17 | Moore – Octopussy | 42.18 | |
| 18 | Brosnan – Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.63 | |
| 19 | Moore – TMwtGG | 33.75 | |
| 20 | Craig – Spectre | 28 | |
| 21 | Brosnan – TWINE | 20.55 | |
| 22 | Connery – You Only Live Twice | 17.6 | |
| 23 | Moore – A View to a Kill | 16.18 | |
| 24 | Brosnan – GoldenEye | 15.6 | |
| 25 | Brosnan – Die Another Day | 4.68 |
Pot 3 next year will have 3 Brosnans in it, and the most successful one is in Pot 2. Hmm. Not great. But then I told you so. I would say the difference in quality between the top 5 and the bottom 5 is probably the greatest in this category than in many others.
3 Likes
Form table after Second Round - Bond
| A | Bond | Form % | (% shift) / place shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connery – From Russia with Love | 91.47 | (+0.32) / - |
| 2 | Connery – Goldfinger | 86.5 | (-2.5) / - |
| 3 | Craig – Casino Royale | 83.57 | (+2.63) / - |
| 4 | Connery – Thunderball | 74.22 | (-2.38) / - |
| 5 | Moore – The Spy who Loved Me | 74.14 | (-0.89) / - |
| 6 | Craig – Skyfall | 71.78 | (-1.77) / - |
| 7 | Moore – For Your Eyes Only | 71.7 | (-1.75) / - |
| 8 | Moore – Moonraker | 65.88 | (-3.25) / - |
| 9 | Dalton – The Living Daylights | 57.68 | (-7.07) / - |
| 10 | Moore – Live and Let Die | 52.94 | (-4.41) / +1 |
| 11 | Connery – Dr No | 48.66 | (-10.69) / -1 |
| 12 | Craig – No Time to Die | 48.26 | (-0.29) / +2 |
| 13 | Dalton – Licence to Kill | 47.08 | (-5.9) / -1 |
| 14 | Connery – Diamonds are Forever | 47.06 | (-2.94) / -1 |
| 15 | Moore – Octopussy | 42.18 | (-) / +2 |
| 16 | Lazenby – OHMSS | 42.04 | (-1.69) / - |
| 17 | Brosnan – Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.63 | (-) / +1 |
| 18 | Craig – Quantum of Solace | 40.04 | (-5.54) / -3 |
| 19 | Moore – TMwtGG | 33.75 | |
| 20 | Craig – Spectre | 28 | |
| 21 | Brosnan – TWINE | 20.55 | |
| 22 | Connery – You Only Live Twice | 17.6 | |
| 23 | Moore – A View to a Kill | 16.18 | |
| 24 | Brosnan – GoldenEye | 15.6 | |
| 25 | Brosnan – Die Another Day | 4.68 |
Some pretty bruising encounters in the Second Round has shuffled the pack of the middle order; with some very close Quarter-Finals underway, there could be more movement in that top ten to come. Doesn’t happen very often that the number one spot gets stronger.
Brosnan - GoldenEye - saved the series, so it is said.
2 Likes
Form table after Quarter-Finals for Bond
| A | Bond | Form % | (% shift) / place shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connery – From Russia with Love | 86.41 | (-5.06) / - |
| 2 | Connery – Goldfinger | 83.2 | (-3.3) / - |
| 3 | Craig – Casino Royale | 76.13 | (-7.45) /- |
| 4 | Connery – Thunderball | 71.1 | (-3.12) / - |
| 5 | Moore – The Spy who Loved Me | 71.03 | (-3.11) / - |
| 6 | Craig – Skyfall | 67.23 | (-5.05) / - |
| 7 | Moore – For Your Eyes Only | 67.17 | (-4.55) / - |
| 8 | Moore – Moonraker | 60.45 | (-5.43) / - |
| 9 | Dalton – The Living Daylights | 57.68 | |
| 10 | Moore – Live and Let Die | 52.94 | |
| 11 | Connery – Dr No | 48.66 | |
| 12 | Craig – No Time to Die | 48.26 | |
| 13 | Dalton – Licence to Kill | 47.08 | |
| 14 | Connery – Diamonds are Forever | 47.06 | |
| 15 | Moore – Octopussy | 42.18 | |
| 16 | Lazenby – OHMSS | 42.04 | |
| 17 | Brosnan – Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.63 | |
| 18 | Craig – Quantum of Solace | 40.04 | |
| 19 | Moore – TMwtGG | 33.75 | |
| 20 | Craig – Spectre | 28 | |
| 21 | Brosnan – TWINE | 20.55 | |
| 22 | Connery – You Only Live Twice | 17.6 | |
| 23 | Moore – A View to a Kill | 16.18 | |
| 24 | Brosnan – GoldenEye | 15.6 | |
| 25 | Brosnan – Die Another Day | 4.68 |
On the face of it, nothing much changes but there’s been some cutting away and in several places it is very tight indeed.
So much for Roger Moore’s facelift; the form table is also above.
4 Likes
Form table after Semi-Finals for Bond
| Bond | Form % | (% shift) / place shift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connery – From Russia with Love | 82.47 | (-3.94) / - |
| 2 | Connery – Goldfinger | 78.04 | (-5.16) / - |
| 3 | Craig – Casino Royale | 76.13 | |
| 4 | Moore – The Spy who Loved Me | 68.44 | (-2.59) / +1 |
| 5 | Craig – Skyfall | 67.23 | (-) / +1 |
| 6 | Moore – For Your Eyes Only | 67.17 | (-) / +1 |
| 7 | Connery – Thunderball | 66.83 | (-4.29) / -3 |
| 8 | Moore – Moonraker | 60.45 | |
| 9 | Dalton – The Living Daylights | 57.68 | |
| 10 | Moore – Live and Let Die | 52.94 | |
| 11 | Connery – Dr No | 48.66 | |
| 12 | Craig – No Time to Die | 48.26 | |
| 13 | Dalton – Licence to Kill | 47.08 | |
| 14 | Connery – Diamonds are Forever | 47.06 | |
| 15 | Moore – Octopussy | 42.18 | |
| 16 | Lazenby – OHMSS | 42.04 | |
| 17 | Brosnan – Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.63 | |
| 18 | Craig – Quantum of Solace | 40.04 | |
| 19 | Moore – TMwtGG | 33.75 | |
| 20 | Craig – Spectre | 28 | |
| 21 | Brosnan – TWINE | 20.55 | |
| 22 | Connery – You Only Live Twice | 17.6 | |
| 23 | Moore – A View to a Kill | 16.18 | |
| 24 | Brosnan – GoldenEye | 15.6 | |
| 25 | Brosnan – Die Another Day | 4.68 |
Connery - Thunderball takes a bit of a Connery - Tumbleball, but it’s still in the Third Place Death Off, and those form placings are quite squeaky, so still some things to play for.
The top ten is dominated by Roger Moore with 4 performances in there, which gladdens one’s soul. That the bottom ten is similarly dominated with 4 placings for one performer, gladdens one’s brain. It’s probably fitting that all the actors have at least one placing in the top ten, and the non-actors don’t.
3 Likes
Deathmatch 2024 for Bond is complete.
Winner: Connery - From Russia with Love
Runner-Up: Moore - The Spy who Loved Me
Third: Connery - Goldfinger
Fourth: Connery - Thunderball
More to come later on.
Tomorrow, the Group Stage for Women will open with voting to 24 June. Despite my reservations and protestations, the participant for Skyfall remains M The Dench despite it obviously being Moneypenny but then this isn’t about me.
Apparently.
4 Likes
Right.
With the final category for June opening tomorrow - Women - state of play for Bond category, and generally, below
Bond category
Final form table
| A | Bond | Form % | (% shift) / place shift |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connery – From Russia with Love | 80.5 | (-1.97) / - |
| 2 | Craig – Casino Royale | 76.13 | (-) / +1 |
| 3 | Connery – Goldfinger | 75.22 | (-2.82) / -1 |
| 4 | Craig – Skyfall | 67.23 | (-) / +1 |
| 5 | Moore – For Your Eyes Only | 67.17 | (-) / +1 |
| 6 | Moore – The Spy who Loved Me | 64.05 | (-4.39) / -2 |
| 7 | Connery – Thunderball | 64.04 | (-2.79) / - |
| 8 | Moore – Moonraker | 60.45 | |
| 9 | Dalton – The Living Daylights | 57.68 | |
| 10 | Moore – Live and Let Die | 52.94 | |
| 11 | Connery – Dr No | 48.66 | |
| 12 | Craig – No Time to Die | 48.26 | |
| 13 | Dalton – Licence to Kill | 47.08 | |
| 14 | Connery – Diamonds are Forever | 47.06 | |
| 15 | Moore – Octopussy | 42.18 | |
| 16 | Lazenby – OHMSS | 42.04 | |
| 17 | Brosnan – Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.63 | |
| 18 | Craig – Quantum of Solace | 40.04 | |
| 19 | Moore – TMwtGG | 33.75 | |
| 20 | Craig – Spectre | 28 | |
| 21 | Brosnan – TWINE | 20.55 | |
| 22 | Connery – You Only Live Twice | 17.6 | |
| 23 | Moore – A View to a Kill | 16.18 | |
| 24 | Brosnan – GoldenEye | 15.6 | |
| 25 | Brosnan – Die Another Day | 4.68 |
Bit of jiggery and a smidge of pokery in the final stages, but perhaps we all saw that result coming, with such a strong start. Connery - From Russia with Love dominance continues. However, as previously noted, the dominant player with four top ten entries is Roger Moore, although perhaps it’s just a quirk of the game that the For Your Eyes Only performance comes highest; not a favourite of mine, I have to admit (I don’t have to, but am admitting it nonetheless; I can smell your complete fascination from here).
Form – Pots and Seedings for 2025 Bond category - based on form over the years
| Film (2024 seeding) | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Average | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr No | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12.33 | Pot 1 |
| FRWL (1) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1st seed |
| Goldfinger (2) | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2nd seed |
| Thunderball (8) | 12 | 6 | 7 | 8.33 | 8th seed |
| YOLT | 18 | 24 | 22 | 21.33 | Pot 3 |
| OHMSS | 15 | 16 | 16 | 15.67 | Pot 2 |
| DAF | 10 | 19 | 14 | 14.33 | Pot 1 |
| LALD | 19 | 15 | 10 | 14.67 | Pot 1 |
| TMwtGG | 14 | 18 | 19 | 17 | Pot 2 |
| TSWLM (3) | 4 | 3 | 6 | 4.33 | 5th seed |
| Moonraker (10) | 11 | 10 | 8 | 9.67 | 9th seed |
| FYEO (9) | 9 | 11 | 5 | 8.33 | 7th seed |
| Octopussy | 21 | 17 | 15 | 17.67 | Pot 2 |
| AVTAK | 25 | 25 | 23 | 24.33 | Pot 3 |
| TLD (6) | 5 | 8 | 9 | 7.33 | 6th seed |
| LTK | 16 | 7 | 13 | 12 | Pot 1 |
| GoldenEye | 23 | 20 | 24 | 22.33 | Pot 3 |
| TND | 7 | 21 | 17 | 15 | Pot 1 |
| TWINE | 24 | 22 | 21 | 22.33 | Pot 3 |
| DAD | 20 | 23 | 25 | 22.67 | Pot 3 |
| Casino Royale (5) | 3 | 5 | 2 | 3.33 | 3rd seed |
| QoS | 17 | 12 | 18 | 15.67 | Pot 2 |
| Skyfall (4) | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4th seed |
| Spectre | 22 | 14 | 20 | 18.67 | Pot 2 |
| NTTD (7) | 8 | 9 | 12 | 9.67 | 10th seed |
Remarkable consistency over the years; equally remarkable that No Time to Die features as a seed, but perhaps on the slide? Always on the slide is Die Another Day - at least it cannot do worse next year, so let’s all put on our sunshine faces and do a lickle dance. Had forgotten that Brosnan - GoldenEye hasn’t proved popular in any year and that is a bit of a mystery. It’s notably the only time where a change of “actor” has taken things downwards, according to these results. Every other occasion there’s a bump (or near equivalence / smooth transition Diamonds are Forever > Live and Let Die); interesting. Interestingish.
Bond category - Deathmatch outcomes over the years
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | From Russia with Love | Thunderball | From Russia with Love |
| Runner-Up | Goldfinger | Casino Royale | The Spy who Loved Me |
| Third | Casino Royale | From Russia with Love | Goldfinger |
| Fourth | Skyfall | Goldfinger | Thunderball |
These performances may well exemplify the strongest leading performances. I find very few gaps between any of them, although the tendency does seem to be towards favouring the slightly more serious approach / actually having a character portrayed unto us rather than a wristwatch salesman in a suit.
Anyway, that’s it for 2024.
General position - 2024 to date
Deathmatch outcomes 2024 so far
| Villain | Song | Bond | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Goldfinger | Live and Let Die | From Russia with Love |
| Runner-Up | OHMSS | Goldfinger | The Spy who Loved Me |
| Third | Skyfall | Diamonds are Forever | Goldfinger |
| Fourth | Casino Royale | OHMSS | Thunderball |
7 of the 12 placings so far taken by the 1960s. I wonder what that tells us? (I don’t; I think it’s alarmingly obvious what it tells us).
Most Valuable Player - has to be placed (i.e. Semi-Final at least) in the knockout to qualify
| Placings | Wins | Top Ten | Top Form | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 8 |
| FRWL | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| LALD | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| OHMSS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Thunderball | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| TSWLM | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Casino Royale | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| Skyfall | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| DAF | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
From Russia with Love with a Grand Slam 4 points from the Bond round bursts into the board, but the gradual, steady progress of Goldfinger is still evident. Last year’s MVP - OHMSS - possibly yet to get going and admittedly the Bond category is never its strongest. A few pretenders to its throne with similar results so far, only release date order determining places. No Brosnans. Still a fair old way to go
Top Ten of Everything so far - 2024
| 3 visits to Top Ten | 2 visits to Top Ten | 1 Visit to Top Ten | Yet to bother the scorers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfinger | From Russia with Love | Diamonds are Forever | Dr No |
| Thunderball | OHMSS | The Man with the Golden Gun | You Only Live Twice |
| The Spy who Loved Me | Live and Let Die | For Your Eyes Only | Octopussy |
| Moonraker | A View to a Kill | GoldenEye | |
| Casino Royale | The Living Daylights | Tomorrow Never Dies | |
| Skyfall | Licence to Kill | TWINE | |
| Die Another Day | |||
| Quantum of Solace | |||
| Spectre | |||
| No Time to Die |
Mm-hm. Quarter of the way through the 2024 rounds. Perhaps those six films in the lead do represent peak Bondness? If only financially, but they possibly are the top tier even without this laborious process.
Brosnans yet to feature, but GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies have seeds in the Women category. so they could break the cy-kel. That said, TWINE and Die Another Day most assuredly do not, and I’m pretty confident won’t. Unless the World goes mad.
Finally - Form, the road to Best Picture 2024
| Villain – form place | Song – form place | Bond – form place | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr No | 12 | 23 | 11 |
| From Russia with Love | 2 | 16 | 1 |
| Goldfinger | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Thunderball | 8 | 10 | 7 |
| You Only Live Twice | 13 | 11 | 22 |
| OHMSS | 4 | 8 | 16 |
| Diamonds are Forever | 16 | 1 | 14 |
| Live and Let Die | 15 | 3 | 10 |
| The Man with the Golden Gun | 9 | 19 | 19 |
| The Spy who Loved Me | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| Moonraker | 5 | 4 | 8 |
| For Your Eyes Only | 20 | 14 | 5 |
| Octopussy | 19 | 22 | 15 |
| A View to a Kill | 11 | 9 | 23 |
| The Living Daylights | 25 | 15 | 9 |
| Licence to Kill | 10 | 20 | 13 |
| Goldeneye | 14 | 13 | 24 |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | 17 | 18 | 17 |
| TWINE | 18 | 12 | 21 |
| Die Another Day | 24 | 25 | 25 |
| Casino Royale | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Quantum of Solace | 23 | 21 | 18 |
| Skyfall | 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Spectre | 21 | 24 | 20 |
| No Time to Die | 22 | 17 | 12 |
It’s just not Die Another Day’s year, is it? GOOD.
3 Likes
I awake on the day after the election finding myself quite content with the results of the voting.
As this experience is unlikely to be repeated in November, I thank you.
5 Likes
Smells right to me - despite many things in its favour, I find it strangely underedited, considering, you know, Glen.
3 Likes
Didn’t Eon, almost as a default, mention they wanted ‘back to (the spirit) of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE’ almost every other film? Jim’s fabulous in-depth analysis of our preferences proves handily why that should be a consideration even for future films.
3 Likes
With the Group Stage for the Women category done, outcomes are:
| Group A | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tracy | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 4 | 60 | 94.1 | 12 |
| Pam | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 32 | 4 | 52.95 | 9 |
| Octopussy | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 35 | 33 | 2 | 51.48 | 6 |
| Madeleine (Spectre) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 25 | 43 | -18 | 36.78 | 3 |
| Jinx | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 58 | -48 | 14.7 | 0 |
Despite initial appearances, “The Group with Die Another Day in it” doesn’t quite run true to form. Obviously the Die Another Day element finishes last - obviously - but were it that weak, the others would have done better. The winner was probably a foregone conclusion in such company but the gulf between winner and runner-up, and that the Die Another Day element isn’t the worst bottom-feeder of the Group Stage, made this a slightly more interesting group than its participants deserved.
Other than the ironically bulletproof Tracy, will those who make it through to the Second Round (Octopussy will be a Lucky Loser, just) survive that? One fears a bit. Not cares; never that. Just fears.
| Group B | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vesper | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 6 | 52 | 88.58 | 12 |
| Honey | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 43 | 21 | 22 | 67.2 | 9 |
| Natalya | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 32 | 30 | 2 | 52.68 | 6 |
| Kara | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 40 | -17 | 38.15 | 3 |
| Christmas | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 60 | -58 | 3.35 | 0 |
It’s mid-June so unless you are a shopowner, your thoughts aren’t yet turning to Christmas and that seems to be the case here. Scores 2 votes only; arguably 2 too many but it’s totally wretched and much to the benefit of the other players in this much tighter group, albeit another one that was probably fairly predictable.
| Group C | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anya | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 47 | 17 | 30 | 71.38 | 12 |
| Holly | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 65.63 | 9 |
| Wai Lin | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 29 | 10 | 56.78 | 6 |
| Madeleine (NTTD) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 33 | 31 | 2 | 51.55 | 3 |
| Stacey | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 61 | -58 | 4.68 | 0 |
Another shocker of a performance (and it is a shocker of a performance) for the lowliest member here, which is only to the advantage of the rest as both Madeleine (part deux) and Wai Lin get through comfortably as Lucky Losers. That observed, the unseeded Dr DirtyName defied the seedings and got sucked through to the Second Round as Runner-Up.
| Group D | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domino | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 17 | 34 | 75.03 | 12 |
| Pussy | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 24 | 20 | 64.73 | 9 |
| Camille | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 37 | -6 | 45.58 | 6 |
| Melina | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 42 | -16 | 38.23 | 3 |
| M The Dench | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 50 | -32 | 26.45 | 0 |
Yeah, OK. M The Dench will probably never qualify for the Second Round, and will muck up Skyfall’s overall statistics, but would Moneypenny have done any better? It’s not as if it is the worst of the last places, after all… Domino is in a position of domination, something of which one has often daydreamt. And nightdreamt.
| Group E | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tatiana | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 14 | 40 | 79.4 | 12 |
| Tiffany | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 20 | 28 | 70.58 | 9 |
| Solitaire | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 41 | 27 | 14 | 60.28 | 6 |
| Kissy | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 17 | 51 | -34 | 25.03 | 3 |
| Goodnight | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 58 | -48 | 14.73 | 0 |
Solitaire evidently getting through as a Lucky Loser but both of the final two places perform weakly; art does its imitation of life thing, once more. Fairly close in form percentage for the top two. Ms Case’s prospects seem very attractive. For a lady.
Form table - Group Stage - Women
| Name (seed) | Form % | Group Stage outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tracy (1) | 94.1 | Winner A |
| 2 | Vesper (2) | 88.58 | Winner B |
| 3 | Tatiana (5) | 79.4 | Winner E |
| 4 | Domino (4) | 75.03 | Winner D |
| 5 | Anya (3) | 71.38 | Winner C |
| 6 | Tiffany (6) | 70.58 | Runner-Up E |
| 7 | Honey (9) | 67.2 | Runner-Up B |
| 8 | Holly | 65.63 | Runner-Up C |
| 9 | Pussy (7) | 64.73 | Runner-Up D |
| 10 | Solitaire | 60.28 | Lucky Loser 1 |
| 11 | Wai Lin (8) | 56.78 | Lucky Loser 2 |
| 12 | Pam (10) | 52.95 | Runner-Up A |
| 13 | Natalya | 52.68 | Lucky Loser 3 |
| 14 | Madeleine (NTTD) | 51.55 | Lucky Loser 4 |
| 15 | Octopussy | 51.48 | Lucky Loser 5 |
| 16 | Camille | 45.58 | Lucky Loser 6 |
| 17 | Melina | 38.23 | |
| 18 | Kara | 38.15 | |
| 19 | Madeleine (Spectre) | 36.78 | |
| 20 | M The Dench | 26.45 | |
| 21 | Kissy | 25.03 | |
| 22 | Goodnight | 14.73 | |
| 23 | Jinx | 14.7 | |
| 24 | Stacey | 4.68 | |
| 25 | Christmas | 3.35 |
Bit of a mix in the middle, which may well find itself churned up in the Second Round, as often happens. Some of the seeds not performing that well and, in context, M The Dench securing a Pot 2 place for next year is some achievement (and, again, would Moneypenny really have done better than that?). As I often observe at the start of December, Christmas can just sod off sideways, thank you very much. Goldfinger’s streak of finishing in the Top Ten each time might be at risk…
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Form table - Second Round - Women
| Name | Form % | (% shift) / form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tracy | 95.28 | (+1.18) / - |
| 2 | Vesper | 88.2 | (-0.38) / - |
| 3 | Tatiana | 79.52 | (+0.12) / - |
| 4 | Domino | 73.36 | (-1.67) / - |
| 5 | Anya | 73.1 | (+1.72) / - |
| 6 | Tiffany | 65.8 | (-4.77) / - |
| 7 | Holly | 63.16 | (-2.47) / +1 |
| 8 | Honey | 63.1 | (-4.1) / -1 |
| 9 | Pussy | 62.44 | (-2.58) / - |
| 10 | Pam | 57.02 | (+4.07) / +2 |
| 11 | Solitaire | 48.22 | (-12.06) / -1 |
| 12 | Wai Lin | 48.08 | (-8.7) / -1 |
| 13 | Madeleine (NTTD) | 47.9 | (-3.65) / +1 |
| 14 | Natalya | 46.14 | (-6.54) / -1 |
| 15 | Octopussy | 45.18 | (-6.3) / - |
| 16 | Camille | 41.8 | (-4.08) / - |
| 17 | Melina | 38.23 | |
| 18 | Kara | 38.15 | |
| 19 | Madeleine (Spectre) | 36.78 | |
| 20 | M The Dench | 26.45 | |
| 21 | Kissy | 25.03 | |
| 22 | Goodnight | 14.73 | |
| 23 | Jinx | 14.7 | |
| 24 | Stacey | 4.68 | |
| 25 | Christmas | 3.35 |
Yikes on bikes; having administered a slapping as fierce as any doled out by Kananga, Tracy’s total walkover of Solitaire (a rarity outside of the Group Stage) gives this a clear front-runner so far as form goes. Some other mild turbulence in the outcomes probably secures the Goldfinger element a top ten finish again (form is temporary; class is permanent), unless something goes totally loopy in the rounds to come. Can Ms Bouvier hold onto a top ten finish? MY GOD IT’S TENSE. Ish.
5 Likes
Form table - Quarter-Finals - Women
| Name | Form % | (% shift) / form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tracy | 92.94 | (-2.34) /- |
| 2 | Vesper | 84.22 | (-3.98) / - |
| 3 | Domino | 71.13 | (-2.23) / +1 |
| 4 | Anya | 70.92 | (-2.18) / +1 |
| 5 | Tatiana | 69.39 | (-10.13) / -2 |
| 6 | Tiffany | 65.8 | |
| 7 | Honey | 63.1 | (-) / +1 |
| 8 | Holly | 59.3 | (-3.86) / -1 |
| 9 | Pussy | 58.7 | (-3.74) / - |
| 10 | Pam | 53.47 | (-3.55) / - |
| 11 | Solitaire | 48.22 | |
| 12 | Wai Lin | 48.08 | |
| 13 | Madeleine (NTTD) | 47.9 | |
| 14 | Natalya | 46.14 | |
| 15 | Octopussy | 45.18 | |
| 16 | Camille | 41.8 | |
| 17 | Melina | 38.23 | |
| 18 | Kara | 38.15 | |
| 19 | Madeleine (Spectre) | 36.78 | |
| 20 | M The Dench | 26.45 | |
| 21 | Kissy | 25.03 | |
| 22 | Goodnight | 14.73 | |
| 23 | Jinx | 14.7 | |
| 24 | Stacey | 4.68 | |
| 25 | Christmas | 3.35 |
Possibly not much change of dislodging the top two here from their positions, but the Semi-Finals could still muck around with third, fourth and fifth. A Dr No element secures a top ten finish for the first time this year; still no Brosnans, though.
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