Live and Let Die VHS

LIVE AND LET DIE marks the advent of the 13-year, 7-film Roger Moore Era of the James Bond Legacy. Moore is the third actor to step into this illustriously dashing role, and it's plain to see from the get-go he cuts a fairly sharp contrast to his predecessor, Sean Connery. Gone are the smooth, easy mannerisms of our hero of the 60's - Connery's unconscious charm - the burly pitch of his voice, the fluent expressiveness mingled with a somewhat rough, dour edge unique only to him. No, Moore is a whole different Bond altogether. However, that's not to say he's a bad one - his demeanor formal, his chiseled features essentially inexpressive, his voice balanced, refined and imbued with an astute droll dry wit, he's the quintessential British gentleman. Not once during the entire coarse of this film does this Bond lose his cool; he is unshakeable, never missing a beat. Never does even a hair on his head get tousled out of place. His take on 007 is, in fact, very apt for the era.Even the villains here are of another variety: for nowhere are the likes of a Blofeld or a Goldfinger to grace us with a fantastical Save-The-World Challenge for Bond to sort out. No, the villains here are a sinister all Black ring of international drug smugglers. LALD commences with a rather unique pre-credits sequence: for our favorite spy doesn't even grace us with his presence until after the fiery opening credits are razed - in consummate style by Maurice Binder's swarthy & spooky main title design: touched up in fire and skulls, intense wide-open staring eyes, against the backdrop of Paul McCartney's bizarre, piquantly invigorating title song. The pre-credit events involve the killing of three British agents: the first at a consulate in New York, a second during a jazz funeral in New Orleans, and another in a voodoo ceremony on the Caribbean island of San Monique. Agent 007 is assigned the task of getting to the bottom of these crimes, which leads him first to New York, thence onward to San Monique, New Orleans and the surrounding Louisiana Bayou, on the trail of the sinister Doctor Kananga (Yaphet Kotto), the menacing Mr. Big, and a mysterious woman called Solitaire (Jane Seymour), who can foresee the future in her Tarot Cards. Perhaps one of this movie's most enjoyable scenes takes place in Bond's first meeting with Mr. Big and Solitaire in the back room of a Harlem restaurant. Yet for this movie, scenes like that are rare; it's mostly action to be found here - and maybe too much action, actually. There's plenty of car chases, including one fairly entertaining pursuit in New York involving a taxicab, a pimp-mobile and a freeway full of 1973 Chevy Caprices and Impalas; there's an exceedingly exciting boat chase; there's also a great scene in which Bond, wearing crocodile-skin shoes, prances atop the heads of the crocodiles strewn malevolently across a sweltering bayou. Ha! Now, that is hot - quite hot!But as for Roger Moore's first mission, he not only had a hard act to follow, but also a great many first-time occurrences to contend with. And it's apparent that he was yet just taking tentative steps into feeling his own way into the role. He's the only Bond who never ordered vodka martinis "shaken not stirred." This is the first (and fortunately only) Bond film since DR. NO lacking any appearance whatsoever by "Q." It's the first time John Barry's deep, lush compositions are absent from the score. And first black Bond girl, Rosie Carver (Gloria Hendry) sparks the first interracial love scene with Bond.LIVE AND LET DIE has some undeniably curious aspects. First of all, Solitaire's ability to foretell the future in her Tarot Cards is apparently real. Dr. Kananga's henchman, Baron Samedi (Geoffrey Holder) is eerily menacing with his terrifying deep laugh and lurid association with the arts of voodoo. This is the first, and I think only, instance of the supernatural woven into a Bond adventure.Though DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER, Connery's last official Bond film, appeared in 1971, it still very much retained the 1960's feel that had epitomized each of the first seven in the series. It's actually LIVE AND LET DIE that strode the 007 series, with a firm and sure step, into the blithe and spirited 70's.

This is one of my favorite Bond film with Roger Moore. The reason why I liked it is because it's not like any other Bond film ever. It takes the viewer from New Orleans to the darkest depths of Haiti. It involves the mysteries of voodoo as well as twists and turns throughout the movie. It's a Bond film that every 007 fan should watch.Kris L. CocKayne

I guess there is something wrong with me. My girlfriend loves Roger Moore as James Bond, but I find him too unbelievable, and extremely predictable. But I bought it anyway just to complete my collection of all 23 James Bond Movies.

Yes, Hurricane Katrina reminds of some soulful stereotypes of blacks in the Western psyche i.e. black evil vooodoo worshippers, racist cops, sexual stereo-types as evident in the book and movie, "Live and Let Die." What more can I say......

A good 007 movie, but I could only see it three times. It didn't want to run anymore on my VHS player. It got stuck forever

This is the Bond film with the famous boat jump setting record. This is Moore's first Bond film. J. W. Pepper is hilarious!

thanks

This is an excellent movie. So it's not traditional Bond, and it's certainly not the heaviest in the series. Actually, it seems to lack depth in some places, it's kind of long, and the plot seems to really deviate about 90 minutes into the movie. But if you're looking for a fun, not-so-involving movie, this is it.This one has an altogether different flavor than the others in the series, probably because it's set mostly in America (and 70's Harlem at that!). I'd like to see 007 make a return to the U.S.Roger Moore, in his first turn as 007, gives a very offhanded, lightweight, amusing performance. Yaphet Kotto does the best he can with the writing Mr. Big was given, and Jane Seymour (her first film) is very good as Solitaire. Julius W. Harris made a formidable Tee-Hee, the henchman with a mechanical arm and a hook for a hand. And I am still not sure of Baron Samedi's importance to the story, but Geoffrey Holder was very memorable in the role.This is far and away the funniest Bond I've ever seen. The laughs start kind of slow, then they keep coming. First of all, to see James Bond, crisp, white, British secret agent, in 1973 Harlem is a blast in itself. He looks so out of place, it's actually funny! I think that was meant to look that way, though. Moore did a good job at playing a Bond who was trying not to look like he felt out of place, but nevertheless obviously was. Check out the first taxi scene and the following scene where he enters the Fillet of Soul--this defines the whole fish-out-of-water thing. Inside the restaurant, Bond talks to his waiter at his table, and as he asks him for information, the wall revolves with Bond still at the table! Watch how Moore tries in vain to get up from his seat, and how the waiter, unfazed, spins on his heel and walks away drinking Bonds drink. If you don't laugh at that, you don't know humor!Then, a little over halfway through, there's a big detour in the film itself. Bond is in New Orleans with Solitaire, and one thing leads to another and there's a big chase scene with 007 driving a double-decker bus. Somewhere after that long comic chase, portly, balding, tobacco-chewing (and -spitting), profanizing, pants-hiking, hillbilly redneck Sherriff J.W. Pepper enters the picture. Clifton James gives a hilariously classic performance as the uber-stereotype, and the time he spends onscreen (although irrelevant to the plot) is among the film's best. From the moment he strides up to the speeding Harlemite's car, cocks his hat, hikes up his pants, and says that no one pulls one over on Sherriff J.W. Pepper, you'll be rolling in the aisles, trust me! What follows is another wild (and even longer) demolition chase scene with Bond in a speedboat that is humorous as well.After it's felt like two hours, then there is some action with Bond and Solitaire over a shark tank, with Mr. Big laughing at their plight. I thought it would have been more fitting to use the crocodiles that were already in the movie instead of bringing in a new animal, personally. (Although it is interesting to note that 007 helper Felix Leiter, who appears here, was eaten by a shark--partially, anyway--in his only other appearance in "Licence to Kill.")I know I haven't seemed very kind in my review, and acknowledge that it has many plot holes and things. But it is a very good movie, and very fun. Just don't go looking for this one if you want the Bond that everyone knows.