Muuuch better, Jim. Yessssss…
5 Likes
Well, I’ve never seen one quite like that, nor so hirsute. Do you think it will cause serious harm if I have a go at it with these pinking shears? I do hope so.
Meanwhile, we’re at an end of the Group Stage for Costume/Garb, and it’s puked up a number of curious outcomes.
| Group A | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 4 | 60 | 94.1 | 12 |
| Spectre | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 36 | 34 | 2 | 50.9 | 9 |
| Octopussy | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 50.18 | 4 |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 29 | 41 | -12 | 40.85 | 4 |
| A View to a Kill | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 60 | -50 | 13.98 | 0 |
But…but…but May Day’s Ascot Hat? Bond’s leather blouson crafted from the offcuts of Roger Moore’s face? Stacey’s all terrain white heels? May Day’s kung-fu thong thing? May Day’s Killing Snood? Tibbett looking [young and thin] in his action slacks and comfortable stealth jacket? Bond’s white-piped tracksuit? Are you mad? Not sure either how Octopussy, all clown shoes and generously cut waist-hiding troos, outpaces Tomorrow Never Dies, although that coat worn by The Actor Pierce Brosnan that is the colour of the content of a nappy, ok, fair enough, I get it.
A baby blue romper suit romps home. I suppose that is all one can ask of it.
| Group B | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From Russia with Love | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 59 | 10 | 49 | 85.53 | 12 |
| Dr No | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 23 | 23 | 66.58 | 9 |
| Live and Let Die | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 30 | 39 | -9 | 43.3 | 6 |
| For Your Eyes Only | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 28 | 44 | -16 | 38.9 | 3 |
| TMwtGG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 58 | -47 | 15.7 | 0 |
The Sixties cruise through once more. Interesting contrast with the wilder excesses of Live and Let Die - I covet Mrs Bell’s flying goggles, it’s a strong look - over the drab middle-aged casual wear of For Your Eyes Only, where everyone wears horrible things. The magnificence of MooreBond’s ice blue silk suit when he’s slapping Andrea Anders about (of itself not magnificent) is, one is forced to agree, horribly undermined by that awful sports jacket he wears later. Ah, the Seventies.
| Group C | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderball | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 14 | 42 | 80.15 | 12 |
| Diamonds are Forever | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 31 | 38 | -7 | 44.83 | 7 |
| Quantum of Solace | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 35 | 0 | 49.68 | 5 |
| YOLT | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 34 | 36 | -2 | 48.88 | 4 |
| TWINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 18 | 50 | -32 | 26.48 | 0 |
Oh look, it’s something from the 1960s at the top; what a novelty. And Thunderball floats above utter carnage, all pink ties and baggy ninja pyjamas and white jeans. In the Group Stage, it’s wins that count for position, but the form table is all over the place. Can’t remember much that’s memorable about what people have to wear in TWINE; they might as well all be naked, and even then it still wouldn’t be worth watching.
| Group D | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Royale | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 9 | 51 | 87.1 | 12 |
| Skyfall | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 48 | 23 | 25 | 67 | 9 |
| No Time to Die | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 42 | 29 | 13 | 59.63 | 6 |
| GoldenEye | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 48 | -26 | 31.85 | 3 |
| Die Another Day | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 66 | -63 | 4.43 | 0 |
The Mr Craig v Mr Brosnan group, and a pretty clear demarcation between the two. Yes, it’s The Group with Die Another Day in it, but that did substantially better last year; this time, woeful. Is it not a reasonably well-dressed film? At least until Robocop turns up and it gets ever more silly. Nothing from the 1960s in the group, but something as close as we have had since does top out.
| Group E | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OHMSS | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 58 | 14 | 44 | 80.58 | 12 |
| TSWLM | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 45 | 26 | 19 | 63.8 | 7 |
| Moonraker | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 28 | 13 | 60.06 | 7 |
| The Living Daylights | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 43 | -17 | 38.19 | 3 |
| Licence to Kill | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 64 | -59 | 7.38 | 0 |
The frilly end of the 1960s wins out. The two Daltons are notable for being boringly garbed, and it seems a straight fight between some of the horrible things the Stromberg fleet have to wear and some of the horrible things a generation of perfect people must. All very much of their day, I guess. Licence to Kill seems particularly charity shop, and not just in this category.
Form Table after Group Stage - Costume/Garb
| Film | Form % | Seed | Group Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 94.1 | 1 | Winner A |
| 2 | Casino Royale | 87.1 | 4 | Winner D |
| 3 | From Russia with Love | 85.53 | 2 | Winner B |
| 4 | OHMSS | 80.58 | 5 | Winner E |
| 5 | Thunderball | 80.15 | 3 | Winner C |
| 6 | Skyfall | 67 | 7 | Runner-Up D |
| 7 | Dr No | 66.58 | 9 | Runner-Up B |
| 8 | The Spy who Loved Me | 63.8 | 6 | Runner-Up E |
| 9 | Moonraker | 60.06 | Lucky Loser 1 | |
| 10 | No Time to Die | 59.63 | Lucky Loser 2 | |
| 11 | Spectre | 50.9 | 10 | Runner-Up A |
| 12 | Octopussy | 50.18 | Lucky Loser 3 | |
| 13 | Quantum of Solace | 49.68 | 8 | Lucky Loser 4 |
| 14 | You Only Live Twice | 48.88 | Lucky Loser 5 | |
| 15 | Diamonds are Forever | 44.83 | Runner-Up C | |
| 16 | Live and Let Die | 43.3 | Lucky Loser 6 | |
| 17 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.85 | ||
| 18 | For Your Eyes Only | 38.9 | ||
| 19 | The Living Daylights | 38.9 | ||
| 20 | GoldenEye | 31.85 | ||
| 21 | TWINE | 26.48 | ||
| 22 | TMwtGG | 15.7 | ||
| 23 | A View to a Kill | 13.98 | ||
| 24 | Licence to Kill | 7.38 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 4.43 |
Personally I would have thought Quantum of Solace would do better than that, but hey ho. Five of the Top Ten places taken by the 1960s; indicative. I suspect some of the Second Round matches will be carnage.
Bonus Points to Date
| Film | Bonus Points |
|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 29 |
| OHMSS | 18 |
| The Living Daylights | 12 |
| Spectre | 12 |
| A View to a Kill | 11 |
| Octopussy | 8 |
| TWINE | 7 |
| No Time to Die | 5 |
| Thunderball | 5 |
| For Your Eyes Only | 5 |
| Skyfall | 2 |
| You Only Live Twice | 1 |
| Quantum of Solace | 0 |
| Die Another Day | 0 |
| The Spy who Loved Me | -1 |
| GoldenEye | -2 |
| From Russia with Love | -4 |
| Dr No | -4 |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | -5 |
| Live and Let Die | -7 |
| Casino Royale | -10 |
| The Man with the Golden Gun | -11 |
| Moonraker | -18 |
| Licence to Kill | -20 |
| Diamonds are Forever | -20 |
It’s a different Top Ten, certainly, but even so, Goldfinger did actually outperform its own impressive performance from last year to gain another couple of points. It may be headed for a serious fall next year - perhaps?
Ignoring Goldfinger, which seems tricky but must be done so it doesn’t overshadow that The Living Daylights and A View to a Kill are improving over last year, the odd couple Bonds of my childhood, my first transitional period as such. Can’t readily explain Spectre, other than it did pretty badly last year, and OHMSS did arguably underperform last time round. Moonraker may have overplayed last year (it did finish 2nd overall in the Final Reckoning) so perhaps its current position on Bonus Points is more about its quality of play last year than any inherent lack of quality per se. I cannot (and note bene, will never) apply the same logic to Licence to Kill. As the years pass it just seems to get worse.
The pivots, Quantum of Solace and Die Another Day, are doing just as well/badly as at this stage last year. “Just as badly” is a smidgington closer than “just as well”.
5 Likes
Garb and costumes is always a tricky category for me. I have no other reference point than what I like/what I would wear (if pressed with money) and what generally impressed me. Therefore TMWTGG’s 70s wardrobe (of the men; the ladies tend to be clothed decently and comparatively timeless and classic) for me falls short over OCTOPUSSY’s colourful fantasy costumes.
That said, the modern film that seems to come closest to the GOLDFINGER/60s ideal would probably be CASINO ROYALE. Of the top of my head I only remember Craig’s ‘tourist/backpacker’ disguise as off (and that is supposed to look horrible as his cover). Everything and everybody else seems dressed with taste and style. Craig even pulls off a cardigan that previously was the epitome of the middle-aged teacher at home. And Gettler in his Panama hat and eyepatch glasses adds the scurrilous touch we’ve been missing in the costume department.
4 Likes
Oh, that’s lovely. Lovely. Smear it a bit more just there. No, to the left. Bit more to the left. The other left. That’s absolutely fantastic. Now clean all the other windows.
Meanwhile, it’s the end of the Second Round for Costume/Garb, which was a bit… a bit.
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 85.8 | (-8.3) | - |
| 2 | Casino Royale | 83.36 | (-3.74) | - |
| 3 | OHMSS | 82.36 | (+1.78) | +1 |
| 4 | Thunderball | 79.9 | (-0.25) | +1 |
| 5 | From Russia with Love | 78.94 | (-6.59) | -2 |
| 6 | The Spy who Loved Me | 66.82 | (+3.02) | +2 |
| 7 | Skyfall | 64.12 | (-2.88) | -1 |
| 8 | Dr No | 62.74 | (-3.84) | -1 |
| 9 | Moonraker | 57.53 | (-2.53) | - |
| 10 | No Time to Die | 57.18 | (-2.45) | - |
| 11 | Spectre | 56.5 | (+5.6) | - |
| 12 | Quantum of Solace | 46.06 | (-3.62) | +1 |
| 13 | Octopussy | 44.36 | (-5.82) | -1 |
| 14 | You Only Live Twice | 41.02 | (-7.68) | - |
| 15 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.85 | +2 | |
| 16 | Diamonds are Forever | 40.08 | (-4.75) | -1 |
| 17 | For Your Eyes Only | 38.9 | +1 | |
| 18 | The Living Daylights | 38.9 | +1 | |
| 19 | Live and Let Die | 38.86 | (-4.44) | -3 |
| 20 | GoldenEye | 31.85 | ||
| 21 | TWINE | 26.48 | ||
| 22 | TMwtGG | 15.7 | ||
| 23 | A View to a Kill | 13.98 | ||
| 24 | Licence to Kill | 7.38 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 4.43 |
A very close match with Moonraker draws Goldfinger back to a status of being at the very least touchable. Some shuffling about elsewhere and be wary of Spectre; that’s some increase in form given reductions elsewhere. A dark horse, or perhaps at the very least an off-white donkey, although given that it is Spectre, “ass” springs to mind. As it often does.
5 Likes
No, I couldn’t manage another one, but very kind of you to offer. Zip yourself up and I’ll shoplift you an ice cream.
Meanwhile, the Quarter-Finals stage of Costume/Garb has completed, with the flowthrough as:
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 83.53 | (-2.27) | - |
| 2 | Casino Royale | 78.28 | (-5.08) | - |
| 3 | From Russia with Love | 77.75 | (-1.39) | +2 |
| 4 | Thunderball | 76.77 | (-3.13) | - |
| 5 | OHMSS | 73.27 | (-9.09) | -2 |
| 6 | The Spy who Loved Me | 63.53 | (-3.29) | - |
| 7 | Dr No | 62.74 | +1 | |
| 8 | Skyfall | 59.92 | (-4.2) | -1 |
| 9 | Moonraker | 57.53 | ||
| 10 | No Time to Die | 57.18 | ||
| 11 | Spectre | 51.98 | (-4.52) | - |
| 12 | Quantum of Solace | 46.06 | ||
| 13 | Octopussy | 44.36 | ||
| 14 | You Only Live Twice | 41.02 | ||
| 15 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.85 | ||
| 16 | Diamonds are Forever | 40.08 | ||
| 17 | For Your Eyes Only | 38.9 | ||
| 18 | The Living Daylights | 38.9 | ||
| 19 | Live and Let Die | 38.86 | ||
| 20 | GoldenEye | 31.85 | ||
| 21 | TWINE | 26.48 | ||
| 22 | TMwtGG | 15.7 | ||
| 23 | A View to a Kill | 13.98 | ||
| 24 | Licence to Kill | 7.38 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 4.43 |
Spectre’s stalking horse was reined in, after all. The top four are fighting it out in the Semi-Finals so there are still a couple of rounds left for them to wound each other so much that others may take advantage.
Oddly - or perhaps not that oddly - the final four here were the final four for the “Bond” category back in June. Clothes evidently make the man, which makes my personality a bit baggy, at least two decades out of date, a tragic attempt to recapture youthful days, in sore need of replacement and most frayed. Occasionally underwashed. Adage holds true, then.
5 Likes
Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry.
However, now that you are, it’s so much more gratifying to me that you do. Aesthetically, your “face” is considerably more appealing when it’s so very, very miserable, so carry on, worm.
Meanwhile, we’re into the Final stage of the September Deathmatches, so the Form Table for the Semi-Finals stands proudly erect as:
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 81.88 | (-1.65) | - |
| 2 | Casino Royale | 74.71 | (-3.57) | - |
| 3 | From Russia with Love | 73.31 | (-4.44) | - |
| 4 | OHMSS | 73.27 | +1 | |
| 5 | Thunderball | 71.52 | (-5.25) | -1 |
| 6 | The Spy who Loved Me | 63.53 | ||
| 7 | Dr No | 62.74 | ||
| 8 | Skyfall | 59.92 | ||
| 9 | Moonraker | 57.53 | ||
| 10 | No Time to Die | 57.18 | ||
| 11 | Spectre | 51.98 | ||
| 12 | Quantum of Solace | 46.06 | ||
| 13 | Octopussy | 44.36 | ||
| 14 | You Only Live Twice | 41.02 | ||
| 15 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.85 | ||
| 16 | Diamonds are Forever | 40.08 | ||
| 17 | For Your Eyes Only | 38.9 | ||
| 18 | The Living Daylights | 38.9 | ||
| 19 | Live and Let Die | 38.86 | ||
| 20 | GoldenEye | 31.85 | ||
| 21 | TWINE | 26.48 | ||
| 22 | TMwtGG | 15.7 | ||
| 23 | A View to a Kill | 13.98 | ||
| 24 | Licence to Kill | 7.38 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 4.43 |
The outcome may be open to sensible assumption now, but places 2, 3, 4 and 5 still have acreage to play for, which maintains a level of interest. To conclude this month of Matches O’Death, just one last push. Or punch. Or stab. Or tickle.
4 Likes
Right, am off on holiday, early easyPussy flight to catch, so will do the totting up when I get back but, and this you knew already, Goldfinger won both the Knockout and the Form.
With only four rounds to go in December… can it be stopped?
Arrivederci.
4 Likes
Enjoy your flight–and your holiday. 
3 Likes
Bon voyage. Best avoid the sandwiches on easyPussy, there is talk about SoylentGreen™ having secured the catering contract…
3 Likes
I don’t think there’s a need for a warning here. SoylentGreen™ is people, and that’s what he has for breakfast every day 
6 Likes
But he prefers them fresh fried and crunchy, not powdered and baked into cakes (that conspicuously glow in the dark).
3 Likes
Another December heralds the Advent of Deathmatch. Hark! Death, she approaches and she’s mighty angry.
Recognising that there was a bit of tidying up after September which I seem to have forgotten about, or couldn’t be bothered with at the time, how things stood as a result of that, and then how things stand moving forward…
Knockout outcome - Costume/Garb
Winner: Goldfinger
Runner-Up: Casino Royale
Third: Thunderball
Fourth: From Russia with Love
Probably no great surprise, not least because this category, over the years, seems to have been a little exclusive club:
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Goldfinger | Goldfinger | Goldfinger |
| Runner-Up | Casino Royale | Thunderball | Casino Royale |
| 3rd | Thunderball | Casino Royale | Thunderball |
| 4th | Dr No | From Russia with Love | From Russia with Love |
Hmm. Even with the baby blue romper suit. Even with Pussy’s weird purpley unsubtly-indicative mauve get-up. Even with Felix Leiter’s hideous hat. Even with a duck on his head. But then it does have Connery looking like liquid sex in that magnificent suit.
Final Form Table - Costume/Garb
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 78.22 | (-3.66) | - |
| 2 | OHMSS | 73.27 | - | +2 |
| 3 | Casino Royale | 71.3 | (-3.41) | -1 |
| 4 | Thunderball | 71.13 | (-0.39) | +1 |
| 5 | From Russia with Love | 68.1 | (-5.21) | -2 |
| 6 | The Spy who Loved Me | 63.53 | ||
| 7 | Dr No | 62.74 | ||
| 8 | Skyfall | 59.92 | ||
| 9 | Moonraker | 57.53 | ||
| 10 | No Time to Die | 57.18 | ||
| 11 | Spectre | 51.98 | ||
| 12 | Quantum of Solace | 46.06 | ||
| 13 | Octopussy | 44.36 | ||
| 14 | You Only Live Twice | 41.02 | ||
| 15 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 40.85 | ||
| 16 | Diamonds are Forever | 40.08 | ||
| 17 | For Your Eyes Only | 38.9 | ||
| 18 | The Living Daylights | 38.9 | ||
| 19 | Live and Let Die | 38.86 | ||
| 20 | GoldenEye | 31.85 | ||
| 21 | TWINE | 26.48 | ||
| 22 | TMwtGG | 15.7 | ||
| 23 | A View to a Kill | 13.98 | ||
| 24 | Licence to Kill | 7.38 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 4.43 |
Another Grand Slam for Goldfinger, winning both the form and the knockout. Always surprised OHMSS does well in this category; all seems a bit frilly.
Costume/Garb form over the years and Seeds and Pots for 2026
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Avge | Pot/Seed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr No | 7 | 12 | 7 | 8.67 | S8 |
| FRWL | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3.33 | S4 |
| Goldfinger | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | S1 |
| Thunderball | 4 | 2 | 4 | 3.33 | S3 |
| YOLT | 17 | 15 | 14 | 15.33 | Pot 2 |
| OHMSS | 6 | 5 | 2 | 4.33 | S5 |
| DAF | 12 | 9 | 16 | 12.33 | Pot 1 |
| LALD | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17.67 | Pot 2 |
| TMwtGG | 22 | 23 | 22 | 22.33 | Pot 3 |
| TSWLM | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6.67 | S6 |
| Moonraker | 11 | 13 | 9 | 11 | Pot 1 |
| FYEO | 14 | 16 | 17 | 15.67 | Pot 2 |
| Octopussy | 19 | 14 | 13 | 15.33 | Pot 1 |
| AVTAK | 24 | 25 | 23 | 24 | Pot 3 |
| TLD | 20 | 19 | 18 | 19 | Pot 2 |
| LTK | 25 | 22 | 24 | 23.67 | Pot 3 |
| GoldenEye | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18.33 | Pot 2 |
| TND | 10 | 20 | 15 | 15 | Pot 1 |
| TWINE | 21 | 21 | 21 | 21 | Pot 3 |
| DAD | 23 | 24 | 25 | 24 | Pot 3 |
| CRoyale | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3.33 | S2 |
| QoS | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10.33 | S10 |
| Skyfall | 5 | 11 | 8 | 8 | S7 |
| Spectre | 13 | 7 | 11 | 10.33 | S9 |
| NTTD | 15 | 8 | 10 | 11 | Pot 1 |
Were the Craigs notably that much better dressed? Perhaps less blandly. They took away Blofeld’s socks at one point, so that was quite novel.
Deathmatch outcomes over the categories - 2025 to date
You might need to scroll across, even if there’s no great surprise when you do.
| Villain | Song | Bond | Women | Hench | Titles | Victims | Costume/Garb | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | Goldfinger | Live and Let Die | Goldfinger | OHMSS | The Spy who Loved Me | Casino Royale | From Russia with Love | Goldfinger |
| Runner-Up | Skyfall | Diamonds are Forever | Thunderball | Casino Royale | Goldfinger | The Spy who Loved Me | Moonraker | Casino Royale |
| 3rd | Moonraker | The Spy who Loved Me | From Russia with Love | Thunderball | Diamonds are Forever | OHMSS | Goldfinger | Thunderball |
| 4th | From Russia with Love | You Only Live Twice | Casino Royale | Goldfinger | GoldenEye | Live and Let Die | No Time to Die | From Russia with Love |
One wonders why they really bothered with any of the others.
Most Valuable Player
| Placings | Wins | Top Tens | Top Form | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 6 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 21 |
| Casino Royale | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 12 |
| FRWL | 4 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 11 |
| TSWLM | 3 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 11 |
| Thunderball | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 |
| OHMSS | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 9 |
| Moonraker | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 8 |
| Live and Let Die | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 |
| Skyfall | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 |
| DAF | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| YOLT | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| NTTD | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| GoldenEye | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
Still four rounds to go and Moonraker has tended to do well in those final four. However… this probably is a race now run. Still, tight for second place, albeit that is only first of the losers.
Top Ten of Everything to date
| 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 | OHMSS | From Russia with Love | Dr No | You Only Live Twice | The Living Daylights | For Your Eyes Only | TMwtGG |
| The Spy who Loved Me | Moonraker | Casino Royale | A View to a Kill | Diamonds are Forever | GoldenEye | Octopussy | Tomorrow Never Dies | |
| Skyfall | Live and Let Die | TWINE | Die Another Day | |||||
| Licence to Kill | Spectre | Quantum of Solace | ||||||
| No Time to Die |
Is there anything those in Camp Zero can do? It’s so very, very tense. Yes it is. Yes it is. Quiet, Piggy.
Bonus Points to date
| Film | Bonus Points |
|---|---|
| Goldfinger | 29 |
| OHMSS | 21 |
| The Living Daylights | 13 |
| Octopussy | 9 |
| AVTAK | 9 |
| Spectre | 8 |
| TWINE | 7 |
| Skyfall | 5 |
| FYEO | 4 |
| No Time to Due | 3 |
| Thunderball | 3 |
| You Only Live Twice | 2 |
| Dr No | 1 |
| Tomorrow Never Dies | 0 |
| The Spy who Loved Me | -1 |
| Die Another Day | -1 |
| Quantum of Solace | -2 |
| GoldenEye | -5 |
| From Russia with Love | -6 |
| Live and Let Die | -8 |
| Casino Royale | -9 |
| The Man with the Golden Gun | -10 |
| Moonraker | -14 |
| Licence to Kill | -22 |
| Diamonds are Forever | -27 |
This may be an experiment that might need tweaking next year, although there are some unfamiliar names towards the top of one of these nonsense tables. Diamonds are Forever plainly overperformed last year, although given that its acting style is “overperformance” / shrieked pantomime, that’s probably confirmation rather than criticism.
The Road to Best Picture - with December 2025 to come…
| Last Year’s Final Placing | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldfinger | 1 |
| 2 | The Spy who Loved Me | 3 |
| 3 | OHMSS | 6 |
| 4 | Thunderball | 4 |
| 5 | From Russia with Love | 5 |
| 6 | Casino Royale | 8 |
| 7 | Moonraker | 2 |
| 8 | Skyfall | 11 |
| 9 | Diamonds are Forever | 7 |
| 10 | You Only Live Twice | 9 |
| 11 | Live and Let Die | 10 |
| 12 | Dr No | 13 |
| 13 | GoldenEye | 15 |
| 14 | For Your Eyes Only | 16 |
| 15 | No Time to Die | 12 |
| 16 | The Living Daylights | 17 |
| 17 | A View to a Kill | 20 |
| 18 | Octopussy | 14 |
| 19 | Licence to Kill | 18 |
| 20 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 19 |
| 21 | Spectre | 21 |
| 22 | The Man with the Golden Gun | 23 |
| 23 | Quantum of Solace | 22 |
| 24 | TWINE | 24 |
| 25 | Die Another Day | 25 |
Things can still change. A bit. As I said (and I do so hate having to repeat myself; cretins find loopholes), Moonraker tends to do well in the remaining categories. In its own little way, A View to a Kill improves. Not a sentence one has readily written other than at gunpoint.
On Monday 1 December, DEATHMATCH SHALL RETURN. It’ll be “Other Villainy”.
Go Kratt! Actually, yes, just go.
4 Likes
At first I thought the Craigs spent significant time showing Bond in comparatively accessible leisure wear but I‘m not sure that’s the real reason they do so well. Moore wore lots of ski suits and blousons and Brosnan and Dalton did similar attire.
Where Craig really put Bond on the fashion map was with the hardcore fans investing in every available piece of costume - and subsequently with fashion journalists spreading the word about labels and designers. There could be a case for Craig making the Barbour and the cardigan cool again. But it’s debatable whether that might not have happened anyway and the Craig run just picked up the early vibes of this.
5 Likes
There is probably an arguement to be made that Craig happened to join in an era of fashion bloggers and more styled clothes became more common place in the wider population than it had been when the other 5 started. I know Craig pushed for the Tom Ford suits after Casino Royale but i do recall Lindy Hemming talking about the other outfits, in particular the jacket he wears in Miami, needing to be iconic in there own right.
The Brioni suits I know was all Lindy Hemming. She took them with her to The Dark Knight Trilogy.
3 Likes
Agreed, Craig hit at a time when men’s fashion had a moment and the general public embraced the idea Bond was a fashion icon beyond the suits. One of the many many articles, vlogs and blogs leaning into this:
4 Likes
You really don’t have to point at it and laugh like that; I’ve always previously been commended upon its girth, rigidity and uninterrupted gush.
But enough about my rainwater barrel, it’s time to consider the outcome of the Group Stage for additional miscreants, those Other Villains:
| Group A | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRWL | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 12 | 40 | 81.28 | 12 |
| OHMSS | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 42 | 22 | 20 | 65.65 | 9 |
| CRoyale | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 39 | 25 | 14 | 60.9 | 6 |
| Spectre | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 50 | -36 | 21.85 | 3 |
| TWINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 51 | -38 | 20.3 | 0 |
Bit of a surprise that the additional badhats in OHMSS didn’t amount to a Seed, given that they appear to be SPECTRE at its nearlymost competent, but they take second place away from Casino Royale and its highly memorable roster of Thingy and Him and Wassface and Other Him, You Know, That One. Arguably still more fondly recalled than those in Spectre who come and go without ever really being there; spectres, at best (ooh, I get it now). TWINE seemed to bother to try to have some characters but they’re in TWINE so deserve their fate. Viva Krilencu. Love the moustache.
| Group B | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSWLM | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 54 | 6 | 48 | 89.98 | 12 |
| YOLT | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 16 | 28 | 73.35 | 9 |
| NTTD | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 25 | 34 | -9 | 42.75 | 6 |
| Dr No | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 19 | 40 | -21 | 32.25 | 3 |
| DAD | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 53 | -46 | 11.68 | 0 |
Possibly a foregone conclusion here, especially with the top two. I let you into a lickle secret - they’re the same film. Ssh. Just keep it between ourselves. Y’know, like that other thing. Surprised that the generally threatening collective of Miss Taro, the Three Blind Mice, all the inhabitants of Crab Key and a tarantula don’t achieve more; they seem to possess more threat than the crueller inhabitants of No Time to Die, although that does have Logan Ash and his adorable teeth. Die Another Day is Die Another Day is Die Another Day. Still, Ms Pike has made a career out of it. Sigmund Freud, Don’t Waste Your Time.
| Group C | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonraker | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 13 | 38 | 79.7 | 12 |
| Octopussy | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 41 | 23 | 18 | 64.08 | 9 |
| FYEO | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 31 | 43 | -12 | 48.45 | 6 |
| AVTAK | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 23 | 41 | -18 | 35.93 | 3 |
| GGun | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 50 | -36 | 21.85 | 0 |
Even with BEIRUT FATTY, The Man with the Golden Gun is a pretty Lo Fat affair after all. Shame; I like BEIRUT FATTY; he’s so useless. Zorin’s bolus of sidekicks make it through as a Lucky Loser, which is something new given how totally unthreatening they all are, and if Jaws does count for Moonraker, that’s all to Moonraker’s good. For Your Eyes Only does its habitually boring thing, and Octopussy its probably racist one.
| Group D | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunderball | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 51 | 13 | 38 | 79.7 | 10 |
| LALD | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 46 | 18 | 28 | 71.9 | 10 |
| LTK | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 24 | 40 | -16 | 37.5 | 6 |
| TLD | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 45 | -27 | 29.05 | 3 |
| Skyfall | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 43 | -23 | 31.85 | 0 |
Now that’s proper side-villainy; the top two (which have proper characters, even if one is an unkillable demon) fighting it out between themselves but still finding time for mercilessly dispatching the opposition. That’s proper secondary badhattery, that is. Given that Patrice counted (if barely) in the Henchperson category, I cannot genuinely recall anyone else of note in Skyfall; so dominant is the main Villain that everything else just fades away. Its minor triumph is to beat off (fnarr) The Living Daylights on form, but these are crumbs, my petal, just crumbs.
| Group E | Played | W | D | L | F | A | GD | % | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DAF | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 52 | 12 | 40 | 81.25 | 12 |
| Goldfinger | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 44 | 20 | 24 | 68.78 | 9 |
| TND | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 36 | -8 | 43.78 | 6 |
| GoldenEye | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 22 | 42 | -20 | 34.35 | 3 |
| QoS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 50 | -36 | 21.85 | 0 |
Goldfinger in Not Winning a Group Shocker! Didn’t last year either, though, and although probably more competent as threats to Bond, its collection of additional naughtybods can’t really cope with the Circus of Shambolic Incompetence that Diamonds are Forever spews at one. Interesting that Tomorrow Never Dies is favoured over GoldenEye given that there seem to be a lot of villains kicking around GoldenEye, but Dr Kaufmann does remain a good joke and Boris is played by That Alan Cumming. So, fair enough. There probably are some other villains in Quantum of Solace BUT MY EYES HURT I CANNOT SEE THEM. Or something.
Form table after Group Stage for Other Villainy
| Film | Form % | Seed | Group Outcome | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Spy who Loved Me | 89.98 | 2 | Winner B |
| 2 | From Russia with Love | 81.28 | 1 | Winner A |
| 3 | Diamonds are Forever | 81.25 | 5 | Winner E |
| 4 | Moonraker | 79.7 | 3 | Winner C |
| 5 | Thunderball | 79.7 | 4 | Winner D |
| 6 | You Only Live Twice | 73.35 | 9 | Runner-Up B |
| 7 | Live and Let Die | 71.9 | 7 | Runner-Up D |
| 8 | Goldfinger | 68.75 | 6 | Runner-Up E |
| 9 | OHMSS | 65.65 | Runner-Up A | |
| 10 | Octopussy | 64.08 | 8 | Runner-Up C |
| 11 | Casino Royale | 60.9 | 10 | Lucky Loser 1 |
| 12 | For Your Eyes Only | 48.45 | Lucky Loser 2 | |
| 13 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 43.78 | Lucky Loser 3 | |
| 14 | No Time to Die | 42.75 | Lucky Loser 4 | |
| 15 | Licence to Kill | 37.5 | Lucky Loser 5 | |
| 16 | A View to a Kill | 35.93 | Lucky Loser 6 | |
| 17 | GoldenEye | 34.35 | ||
| 18 | Dr No | 32.25 | ||
| 19 | Skyfall | 31.85 | ||
| 20 | The Living Daylights | 29.05 | ||
| 21 | Spectre | 21.85 | ||
| 22 | Quantum of Solace | 21.85 | ||
| 23 | TMwtGG | 21.85 | ||
| 24 | TWINE | 20.3 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 11.68 |
Strong start for Sandor, Naomi and the deliciously garbed crews of the Stromberg submarines. Much to form so far. With Moonraker and Thunderball, although the form is the same, Moonraker gained more group stage points. With the three near the bum of the table all on 21.85, there were some distinguishing features justifying the eventual order but my interest in what those were ends with the next full stop, as must yours.
Bonus Points to Date
| 1 | Goldfinger | 28 |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | OHMSS | 22 |
| 3 | The Living Daylights | 13 |
| 4 | Octopussy | 12 |
| 5 | For Your Eyes Only | 7 |
| 6 | Spectre | 7 |
| 7 | No Time to Die | 6 |
| 8 | Skyfall | 6 |
| 9 | A View to a Kill | 6 |
| 10 | You Only Live Twice | 4 |
| 11 | TWINE | 4 |
| 12 | Thunderball | 2 |
| 13 | TSWLM | 1 |
| 14 | Tomorrow Never Dies | 0 |
| 15 | Quantum of Solace | -1 |
| 16 | Dr No | -2 |
| 17 | GoldenEye | -4 |
| 18 | Die Another Day | -4 |
| 19 | From Russia with Love | -5 |
| 20 | Live and Let Die | -6 |
| 21 | Casino Royale | -8 |
| 22 | TMwtGG | -10 |
| 23 | Moonraker | -14 |
| 24 | Licence to Kill | -23 |
| 25 | Diamonds are Forever | -26 |
Goldfinger actually lost a point here; isn’t it rubbish? The final two might be drifting away too far to get rescued. Jolly good.
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A truth evidenced every day in the news.
3 Likes
I see what you did there.
Now mop it up.
Meanwhile, back at “the plot”, the fallout of the Second Round for Other Villainy outfalls as:
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TSWLM | 88.34 | (-1.64) | - |
| 2 | FRWL | 83.48 | (+2.2) | - |
| 3 | Moonraker | 82.22 | (+2.52) | +1 |
| 4 | DAF | 81.92 | (+0.67) | -1 |
| 5 | Thunderball | 80.68 | (+0.98) | - |
| 6 | OHMSS | 69.18 | (+3.53) | +3 |
| 7 | Live and Let Die | 68.28 | (-3.62) | - |
| 8 | YOLT | 67.92 | (-5.43) | -2 |
| 9 | Goldfinger | 63.34 | (-5.41) | -1 |
| 10 | Octopussy | 62.92 | (-1.16) | - |
| 11 | Casino Royale | 51.8 | (-9.1) | - |
| 12 | FYEO | 42.4 | (-6.05) | - |
| 13 | NTTD | 37.28 | (-5.47) | +1 |
| 14 | TND | 36.56 | (-7.22) | -1 |
| 15 | GoldenEye | 34.35 | - | +2 |
| 16 | Dr No | 32.25 | - | +2 |
| 17 | AVTAK | 32.08 | (-3.85) | -1 |
| 18 | Skyfall | 31.85 | - | +1 |
| 19 | Licence to Kill | 31.54 | (-5.96) | -4 |
| 20 | TLD | 29.05 | ||
| 21 | Spectre | 21.85 | ||
| 22 | QoS | 21.85 | ||
| 23 | TMwtGG | 21.85 | ||
| 24 | TWINE | 20.3 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 11.68 |
Some reining in at the top end makes that a bit more interesting; also interesting that unusually Goldfinger goes out in the Second Round and hangs onto a Top Ten finish by barely a wisp of Machine Gun Granny’s hair. Bless her.
Seems to be a definite top five here, and as they’re all still involved in the vote, there’s plenty o’time for some really chewy viciousness to come.
4 Likes
In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan
So too did Mrs Jim, yeah; your thoughts are all your own.
Right, enough of that piffle, onward with where form lies after Quarter-Finals for Other Villainy:
| Film | % | (% shift) | Form shift | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TSWLM | 81.95 | (-6.39) | - |
| 2 | FRWL | 79.08 | (-4.4) | - |
| 3 | Thunderball | 77.95 | (-2.73) | +2 |
| 4 | DAF | 75.42 | (-6.5) | - |
| 5 | Moonraker | 74.47 | (-7.75) | -2 |
| 6 | YOLT | 67.92 | (-) | +2 |
| 7 | Live and Let Die | 67.62 | (-0.66) | - |
| 8 | OHMSS | 65.98 | (-3.2) | -2 |
| 9 | Goldfinger | 63.34 | (-) | - |
| 10 | Octopussy | 58.38 | (-4.54) | - |
| 11 | Casino Royale | 51.8 | ||
| 12 | FYEO | 42.4 | ||
| 13 | NTTD | 37.28 | ||
| 14 | TND | 36.56 | ||
| 15 | GoldenEye | 34.35 | ||
| 16 | Dr No | 32.25 | ||
| 17 | AVTAK | 32.08 | ||
| 18 | Skyfall | 31.85 | ||
| 19 | Licence to Kill | 31.54 | ||
| 20 | TLD | 29.05 | ||
| 21 | Spectre | 21.85 | ||
| 22 | QoS | 21.85 | ||
| 23 | TMwtGG | 21.85 | ||
| 24 | TWINE | 20.3 | ||
| 25 | Die Another Day | 11.68 |
It’s getting a bit tight at the top,although that might just be my avoirdupois. Octopussy is out of the knockout, but secures another Top Ten finish, which is encouraging I suppose. If The Spy who Loved Me remains where it is, it’ll narrow the gap on Goldfinger overall - maybe. A little bit. Perhaps.
In passing, I have awarded myself the first CommanderBond.net Peace Prize.
MY GOD IT’S SO TENSE I HAVE OUTLAWED DOORKNOBS AND BLOUSONS.
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