Mount Rushmore Bond Films | The 4 Essential 007 Films For Newbies

[@filipratkovic5561]

My fiancée didn't like Bond at all, but as she is my fiancée that had to change. We started with Casino Royale, than we watched Goldfinger, but then I switched to Brosnan era cause I noticed she enjoyed Judy Dench as M. We watched World Is Not Enough and then now, for Valentine's Day, we gave Skyfall a go, and SHE REALLY LIKED IT. Now I can commit to marriage.

[@sloth_energy]

Try and get her to sign a prenup so that you are guaranteed custody of your Bond collection

[@TomfromExeter]

If she agreed to watch a Bond film on Valentine's Day, I foresee a happy marriage indeed.

[@mikeRedMDK2032]

Good choices

[@davidjames579]

Maybe skip OHMSS till after you're married. Lol

[@sharp52092]

5:12 That's something I like about the Bond films. They're each a product of that time. That's why I'm reluctant to ever do a period piece. It's cool to see the fashion, locations like old Vegas in Diamonds are Forever, the evolution of phones/cell phones, etc.

[@ralphroshia9247]

My Mount Rushmore films 1 Goldfinger 2 the Spy Who Loved Me 3 Goldeneye 4 Casino Royale Deep Cut 1 From Russia With Love 2 OHMSS 3 Tomorrow Never Dies 4 Skyfall

[@Aceimus1066]

What a beauuuutiful list 👏🏻

[@loganwilkinson2740]

Tomorrow never dies is a fun inclusion

[@ravensthorne4631]

As much as I enjoy TND, if we're being objective, I agree with Calvin and would replace it with Licence to Kill in that secondary list. TND did nothing new, whereas LTK was new ground.

[@t7489]

Was gonna list mine but no need to. You absolutely nailed it

[@ralphroshia9247]

@@ravensthorne4631 well that may be true but I'm a little bias to TND as it was the first Bond Movie I seen in the Theater even though I was born in 1973 and I was tempted to with LALD since it came out the year I was born bottom line I got into Bond late not until 1995 and I missed Goldeneye I decided to throw some love to my first Theater Bond Experience it's that simple

[@jdraven0890]

Great choices for all of your eight. I wish we could also get in: You Only Live Twice: lots of classic Bond tropes, exotic locations, evil guy lair, gadgets and vehicles, and one of the best music scores Live and Let Die: one of the best of the Roger Moore era

[@HunterJ1999]

I would recommend to a Bond newbie Diamonds are Forever, The Man with the Golden Gun, Die Another Day, and Quantum of Solace because if you can get through those four you can get through the rest of the series.

[@calvindyson]

That's not a bad shout actually! Start by setting the expectations pretty low 😂

[@NightmareLink110]

I personally replaced Man with the Golden Gun for A View to a Kill and Quantum of Solace for Spectre.

[@strikerbowls791]

None of those will prepare you for Spectre

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I wouldn't show Q of S and Spectre to a newbie-both continue the story from the pervious entry and freely discuss the endings of those films-not only spoiling those films but would be hard to get invested in Bond's grief for Vesper and loyalty to Judi Dench's M if you don't know those characters. It would be like showing someone new to the MCU 'Avengers: Endgame' or jumping to season 2 of a serialised TV show [and I feel those films work best watched in a 'Craig marathon' due to it being a continuing storyline]. I love 'Mission Impossible Fallout' but you do need to have least seen 'Rouge Nation' first as it's a direct sequel [and without 3 you won't get the same impact of the Julia sub-plot].

[@SpaceCattttt]

A View to a Kill is harder to get through than all those four combined...

[@cookiesontoast9981]

I'm almost 25, My first Bond film was the 1954 Casino Royale.. 😅 I got into Bond around 2015-16 time when I was 16-17 and I went to the beginning... the VERY beginning and started with the 54 Casino. Not the best place to start at all, but I think it's okay to be honest. I always rewatch it and the other unofficial ones when I rewatch the franchise. Obviously right after that I went to Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger etc etc etc all through to when No Time To Die came out. Saw the whole franchise in order of release. Including the 66 Casino Royale and Never Say Never Again, which I enjoy both of those too. Especially Casino 66 is a really fun time. I'm an exception I guess though, I already had a history of watching loads of old movies before I got into Bond, like the Universal Horror movies, classic Godzilla movies and other classic monster movies like King Kong, Harryhausen's work etc. So Casino 54 didn't put me off. On the contrary though I wanted to show my wife 007 I showed her all of the Craig films on our honeymoon trip, she really enjoyed them! Haven't gotten around to showing her the older ones but she's not against it, I will one day. But the Craig films will forever be a symbol of our honeymoon period. 😊 We even bought the big lego DB5 to commemorate it and it's been sat on our living room shelf ever since.

[@lionspawfilmandphoto]

I completely agree with your top 4 iconic films. I called it before you even listed them. These all rank very high for me and while only a couple are among personal absolute favorites, they all represent the era identity of Bond perfectly.

[@leroystea8069]

I hadn't realized this until you doing this video that "The Spy Who Loved Me" had a visual style that was larger than life. Stromberg's base on the water, the scene where the submarines are stored, the location shots...all suggested something gigantic visually....tall ceilings, panoramic outdoor shots and exotic locations. Other Bond films used this visually as well, but "Spy" seemed to capitalize on that visual style that drew you into the story.

[@jdraven0890]

I've seen "Spy" so many times and it's still one of my favs for exactly the reasons you said

[@archibaldsalyards926]

Of course this one stands out, Stanley Kubrick helped incognito with the lighting and shots!

[@jamesatkinsonja]

'Larger than life' certainly was Lewis Gilbert's style with Bond given he also did YOLT [Volcano Layer] and Moonraker [Bond in Space], which is interesting as outside Bond he did low key+ 'real life' films like 'Alfie', 'Shirley Valentine' and 'Educating Rita'.

[@davidjames579]

It was also the first Bond film shot in Widescreen since OHMSS. Ken Adam's supertanker set was so big it necessitated a soundstage be built from scratch as one big enough didn't exist anywhere in the world.

[@gabrielledebourg2487]

GoldenEye is my go to Bond recommendation as well, so no bias accusation here! Coming from someone whose favorites are the deep cut ones!

[@frostyfoster6056]

Agree with your Rushmore, but for my Deep Cuts I’d keep OHMSS and Skyfall but probably pick Live and Let Die and Living Daylights as the other two. There’s something with those two that resonates well with me.

[@MortenLM]

Exactly the 4 films I thought before watching. The Classic Goldfinger. The best Action with Spy and GoldenEye. Personal Drama with CR. If one more could be included it would be OHMSS.

[@DM-kv9kj]

What about the utterly cringeworthy "kitchen sink drama" of Spectre and NTTD? Bond, Q and Moneypenny all hanging out together visiting each other's flats all the time. Or the little family MI6 soap opera stuff that Purvis and Wadehead started way back with TWINE?

[@MortenLM]

@@DM-kv9kj i agree with you. Spectre and Nttd is by far the worst bond films. Personal stuff worked in OHMSS and Cr maybe because it was taken from the novels. And the worst decision ever in the bond series was to make the best Spy AND the worst criminal foster brothers. What are the odds on that happening in real life?! Mi6 actors should only have one or two scenes.

[@TheQuietReader1920]

My Mount Rushmore picks: Goldfinger (could it be anything else?), OHMSS (it's the first emotion-heavy film), Octopussy (because it blends humour, tension, action and adventure together so well) and Casino Royale (it is a modern classic and updates the franchise really well) My molehill Rushmore picks: You Only Live Twice (scale and spectacle, as well as iconography), Live and Let Die (it does demonstrate just how much Bond can tap into contemporary pop culture), Goldeneye (a great choice if said new-fan is really into video games) and No Time to Die (it's such a great instance of Bond being grandiose, silly and emotional all at once) And, if you have someone whose brains you wish to scramble: The Man with the Golden Gun (what do you mean you don't like the slide-whistle? We Bond fans *love* the slide-whistle!), Never Say Never Again (for that friend who likes Sean Connery, but isn't a fan of the Bond theme...), Die Another Day (sometimes in Bond, plot is optional--look, an invisible car! We all love the invisible car!) and Quantum of Solace (for that friend who likes Jason Bourne, but if only the editing was more chaotic...)

[@DutchBondFan]

Completely agree with this, exaclty the 4 I would pick! And yes, I would also exclude Dalton in terms of 'rushmore' despite LTK being my favorite Bond film

[@samuelbarber6177]

I won’t name four, but I really think the two most essential ones are Goldfinger and Casino Royale. You get the best of both worlds, a classic, zany adventure and a grittier, modern spy tale. The second is also more accurate to the tone of the Ian Fleming novels.

[@BenCol]

Agree with you 100% on the Mount Rushmore picks. For the Deep Cuts I'd keep FRWL, OHMSS and LTK but I'd take You Only Live Twice for my fourth DC. While yes there is a lot of overlap with Spy in terms of plot and tone, I'd say it's the best showcase of Ken Adam's craft in the series - that Volcano (and Donald Pleasence's Blofeld inside) is so iconic it feels wrong to leave it out entirely. While Goldfinger is great, I think it's YOLT that truly codified the image of Bond villainy and the world they inhabit. While the Bonds before had been larger-than-life, YOLT is the point where it became truly outlandish. It feels wrong to leave Dr. No off too but considering how much that one also did to establish the world of a Bond film, but seeing as how we're sticking to four Rushmores and four DCs I guess I have to leave it off.

[@erictattersall5046]

I agree 100%. Those 8 are not only the best representation of franchise but the ones I regularly return to.

[@barbarian92]

Honestly Calvin, your Mt. Rushmore is spot on! You pretty much nailed the reason why they're the four Bond flicks I'd show, and I love how Casino Royale (which is my favorite in the series) is on there

[@Cable-grifter-vi4tp]

Being a somewhat younger fan, the first intro I had to Bond was through one of the special edition box sets found at a thrift store. It included Dr. No, Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, and Goldeneye. Shortly after, I watched Tomorrow Never Dies, and I was hooked.

[@mikeysorrentino8480]

I agree with both your Mt Rushmore and Deep Cut picks. If I were to add a third tier to this my picks would be: Dr. No A toss up between Moonraker and Octopussy The World Is Not Enough No Time To Die

[@MatthewHarkin]

This came at such the right time. Your videos have been keeping me sane all day moving and packing boxes around!

[@neiltaylor6645]

Some bond fans 4 films could be a rocky choice

[@DafyddBrooks]

Highly agreed

[@TCFan25]

Funny how this video was uploaded 9 hrs ago and your comment is showing up as 1 day old lol.

[@Thatguy55595]

@@TCFan25it’s called patreon

[@TCFan25]

Sarky 🌵

[@johnwells5414]

I would say for me Level 1: The grittier, spy thriller Casino Royale, Goldeneye, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, From Russia with Love Level 2: the classic with style and huge plots, and a badass Bond who means business. Goldfinger, Spy Who Loved Me, License to Kill, Skyfall Level 3: Fun, comedy and games that makes your inner child smile. Moonraker, Die Another Day, View To a Kill, Thunderball

[@edvaira6891]

Spot on! The four you picked would be the exact same ones I would say give the best idea of JUST WHAT BOND HAS BEEN OVER THE ENTIRE SERIES

[@spaceodds1985]

Absolutely the best choices for both the Mount Rushmore and the deep cut selection.

[@monaarty]

Thanks

[@calvindyson]

Thank you so much!

[@JLvatron]

My Mount Rushmore Bond: (in chronological order) -Thunderball -Spy Who Loved Me -GoldenEye -Skyfall My Deep Cut: -You Only Live Twice -On Her Majesty's Secret Service -Man with the Golden Gun -Living Daylights

[@stephenkoranteng6260]

I remember when I did the Bond marathon at uni with my mate's freshers The Man With The Golden Gun, The Living Daylights and Goldeneye. That actually went down well with them. Also, Skyfall at my old uni flat when it came out on DVD and shit. Then a year later, showing Goldfinger to a few other friends and that went well. Then I remember having another Bond marathon with my best mate from uni (he moved up to Liverpool), along with a mutual friend of mine. We watched Dr No (well, we watched that before my mate joined in), Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, Living Daylights and Goldeneye. Just thinking about those days and how those movies surprisingly went down well with certain people. So, I reckon the Timothy Dalton ones will go down well with certain people. Oooh, also watched Goldeneye with my old primary school friend (and his flatmates) a few years ago at his place. Back in the day, we used to re-enact scenes from the film/video game back at school!

[@kournut]

I literally paused the video before you listed your choices and thought about what my answers would be...I can't believe we picked the exact same films

[@Darknightsayni]

For mine, I'd probably go with Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, GoldenEye and Skyfall. Excited to see how this stacks against the video

[@Darknightsayni]

I didn't do too bad. I think Casino Royale is good but it's not as accessible as Skyfall and has a really weird structure (with that extended epilogue where they kill Vesper).

[@jackredshaw9255]

100% agree with the mountain but I find it weird how none of these films have blofeld or spectre in them

[@AnnieB097]

Well done Calvin: these were excellent choices

[@calvindyson]

Thank you, Annie!

[@LordsOfSalem666]

My top 4 hasn't changed for nearly 20 years and I always recommend these to new viewers; Licence to Kill OHMSS Casino Royale For Your Eyes Only

[@FrogwomanOrgReloaded]

Yeah, perfect choice for the 4 essentials.

[@keith-kessinger]

Nailed it and I knew beforehand what you were going to choose!

[@jseeker1867]

Personally, I think Tomorrow Never Dies should also be somewhere in contention. It hits so much of the classic Bond tropes in it that it can be considered a sampler for the entire franchise.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

It certainly feels like the classic Bond with a 90's flavour, even if it does become very action heavy in it's second half.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

TND (1997) seems to be an updated version of TSWLM (1977); watch them back-to-back perhaps.

[@therealtwiggyleaf]

At the start of your video, I made my own Mount Rushmore choices, and I am happy to say I chose exactly the same ones as you. I also correctly guessed that you would choose these four films, so thanks! 😎😎❤❤👍👍

[@christianhagen9006]

My Mount Rushmore: - Goldfinger - Licence to Kill - Casino Royale - The Spy who loved me Deep cut: - Moonraker - Dr. No - OHMSS - You only live twice

[@callummoore6962]

Yeah, I am pretty much with you on this one like as a history buff who likes to look into the history of cinema in all forms, this is shockingly on par with what I consider the Mount Rushmore of Bond films.

[@eoghanryder]

The Mount Rushmore and deep cut picks are definitely correct! I would also suggest a third category called tonal whiplash where you show someone Dr. No, Moonraker, The Living Daylights, and Die Another Day back to back. Just sit back, relax, and watch the confusion unfold. 😎

[@jamesatkinsonja]

It is amazing that the same series can go from OHMSS to Diamonds are Forever, Moonraker to FYEO and DAD to Casino Royale.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

My 4: 1. From Russia With Love 2. Goldfinger 3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service 4. The Spy Who Loved Me

[@derrenwood-peterson8518]

As always, can't really argue with your Rushmore. Excellent video. 👍

[@Cyklopz007]

Deep cut gotta go with: FRWL, LALD, LD, TWINE

[@davidsummer8631]

How about a list of four guilty movie pleasure Bonds on my list would at least be Diamonds are Forever

[@PeteLunnRecords]

Moonraker would be the Space Needle then I suppose?

[@damienfenton3880]

Nice video Calvin. I was actually thinking recently of who I'd include on a Mt. Rushmore of actors who appeared in Bond aside from the Bond actors themselves. I'd have to include Desmond Llewelyn because he is so beloved as Q. Although I really want to include Bernard Lee, I think Judi Dench just about pips him at the post as the one to represent M. Donald Pleasence isn't my personal favourite Blofeld but I'd have to include him due to his iconic appearance. And to represent Bond girls, I'm actually doing to go for Diana Rigg. You could argue that Eva Green may be more well known to modern audiences but I think 1960s Rigg was such as cornerstone of British pop culture and Tracy is without question the MVP of OHMSS. Runners up would definitely be Lois Maxwell and Gert Frobe.

[@calvindyson]

Ohhhh interesting idea! If only one character/actor could epitomize the whole category... May well make a video on this topic!

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Very interesting question. Certainly the 'original' actors for the MI6 regulars-Bernard Lee, Lois Maxwell and Desmond Llewelyn are the people most think when you mention the character but later actors [Judi Dench, Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw] put there own spin on the parts and often got much more screen time. Bond girls/villains are harder as there is a much bigger choice-I do wonder if two of the earliest ones-Honey Ryder and Pussy Galore-would be the best known to the public although Eva Green's Vesper is my personal fav! Good shout on Diana Rigg although the Avengers' Emma Peele is the character she'll most be remembered for. Goldfinger and Jaws would rank highlight for the villains.

[@loganjamieson4176]

Same for the Mount Rushmore choices here. Calvis has good taste. Also, please bring back the bow tie if able.

[@Nightofthelivingandy]

Nice one Calvin! My Rushmore of shareable Bond Movies is exactly as you said with your top 4. My “double dip” movies if people are still onboard are You Only Live Twice - the Austin Powers similarities usually help people connect. Moonraker - to follow up with Jaws and for the hilarious space fight Tomorrow Never Dies - same millennial draw but a little more fun than goldeneye Skyfall - very watchable. What people expect from a modernized bond. Cheers!

[@EyesOfaCreeper]

I have that same buster keaton collection. Great set!

[@onemansopinion8135]

I totally agree with your four picks. And yes, not necessarily my favorite Connery or Moore films, but their significance in the franchise cannot be ignored.

[@charlesmarsh316]

Great video, Calvin! 100% with you on the Rushmore films. In addition to being (arguably) the best films in the series, they represent a wonderful array of different narrative styles and tones. TND stands out to me as a solid entry for the second tier.

[@Marshallman007]

All the yes! Totally agree with all your 8 picks and would choose the same ones myself! Another fantastic video Calvin!

[@gorlomimargheriti8870]

When I first started getting into Bond two years ago, I asked my friend who knows a lot about movies which ones I should start with. This is the list he gave me: Goldfinger, YOLT, OHMSS, Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, A View to a Kill, both Dalton films, the first three Brosnan films, and the first, third, and fifth Craig movies

[@ruudmc]

Agree with the Mount Rushmore four. I'm going to introduce my boy to Bond shortly and being a big Connery fan I'm starting with Goldfinger.

[@robertwild9447]

Wow, our lists actually lined up perfectly this time! I absolutely agree with the main four mount Rushmore choices as quintessential Bond films that are the best way to introduce people to the series. The runners up choices have more variety in tone and style, and might appeal more to some peoples specific tastes. From Russia with Love is the definitive 60s spy thriller Bond, OHMSS the definitive love story/tragedy (besides Casino Royale), License to Kill the gritty 80s action movie, and Skyfall the self referential, reflective one. For Your Eyes Only is another one of my favorite Bond films, it just doesn't quite make either list for me since I do think there are several movies you should watch before you get to that one. Most of the films on these lists can be enjoyed more as standalone adventures, at least if you watch them chronologically. None of the films on the second list I would recommend to anyone as their first Bond film.

[@DrStrangeGene]

While I can never fault anyone for going with the iconic Goldfinger, I think FRWL is the better film and there is absolutely no doubt that Connery as Bond peaked in Thunderball - he is just so smooth and suave and nails every line and movement. Thunderball was billed as The Biggest Bond of All and it feels bigger and more modern that the 3 films that preceded it, which is why it would be my #1 pick for the Mt. Rushmore of 007 films, with FRWL, Goldfinger and then a toss-up between TSWLM and Casino Royale for the 4th spot. If you want to limit it to one film per Bond actor, I'd go with Thunderball, TSWLM, Casino Royale and, with apologies to OHMSS and Goldeneye, I'd go with The Living Daylights for the actual most world-weary, Fleming-esque portrayal of Bond ever (get out of here with this Skyfall nonsense!!)

[@philobrien8920]

My Mount Rushmore. - Goldfinger - The Spy who Loved me - From Russia with Love - Live and Let Die

[@nickporter9264]

My amount Rushmore was identical. I personally start most people with Goldeneye as I call it the first “modern” Bond film. My personal deep cut: You Only Live Twice, Live and Let Die, The World is Not Enough, Skyfall

[@andrewklang809]

I would recommend Diamonds are Forever, Casino Royale 1967, Never Say Never Again and either Quantum of Solace or Spectre. If they get through those and still want to see more, you know they're hooked for life.

[@davidranderson1]

Really fun video! Between the mountain and mound, I strongly agree with the Connery movies, the Craig movies, and the Brosnan movie -- and not just because those are my favorites for each of those actors. I concede the logic of your choices of OHMSS, the Spy Who Loved Me, and License to Kill. However, for Moore and Dalton, I would prefer to swap in Live and Let Die and Living Daylights.

[@tylordstevenson]

I agree with your Mount Rushmore and your Little Mount Rushmore 👍

[@bryanalstoncoxing]

I think TND is a good honorable mention deep cut, mainly because it arguably executes the Bond cinematic formula almost to a T, has a (sadly?) relevant and modern plot, and also shows Michelle Yeoh who has has a huge career resurgence recently

[@menkomonty]

Goldfinger, TSWLM, GoldenEye and Casino Royale are definitely the more well loved and recognised Bond films for people to watch. As the the Deep Cut I also agree with your picks. FRWL is a perfect cold war spy thriller which is what the novels are set around, OHMSS is a great adaptation and shows Bond on a more emotional level, Licence to Kill is Bond at his most Bondesque and shows how far he films can go in terms of story and Skyfall in a a modern day classic that encapsulates Bond as a franchise

[@foxh8er]

It's a good choice, but I wouldn't call Skyfall a "deep cut" by any means!

[@pieterbalk-ht7kq]

Just when I was thinking about what Bond film to watch tonight you publish this video @Calvin Dyson FRWL it will be, even though it still isn’t available on 4K Blu Ray and the 2005 scan of the Blu Ray is starting to show its age.

[@-RC-4673]

those last 2 are actually 2 of my fave bond films, skyfall being my fave of along with frwl. I also agree with your mount rushmore, they sum up what bond is really well from every era.

[@jazzhead394]

4 for 4 on guesses for your Mt. Rushmore! I’m pretty much in agreement with you

[@PhAyzoN]

Skyfall is such an incredible movie even for non-Bond fans. I went to see it in theaters with my then-girlfriend who hadn't seen a Bond film in her life. She absolutely loved it and wanted to see more. I decided to start with CR since it's the beginning of that series. She wasn't a fan. She had played a little GoldenEye on the N64 with friends as a kid, so we watched that next. Didn't like that either. Skyfall just happens to be that one film that can be enjoyable whether you're in to Bond or not, it seems!

[@nathanalmen4952]

LOVE this video, Calvin! I was strangely thinking about this to myself and just like that, you've made a video about it! I love ranking the movies, but I also recently went through a thought exercise: How would I pair down the series in a way that a group of newcomers would best digest it? I have a decent group of friends who really know nothing about the Bond franchise, and I've often wondered what the 10 most essential movies would be, or even the five most essential movies. It's fun to think about how you'd slice it into smaller and smaller pieces from a whole series marathon to "at least watch THIS one."

[@Dead_Hitori]

I mostly agree with the list but I also believe From Russia With Love deserves to also be up there. It's one of the best bond films

[@spencerkindra8822]

Solid Mount Rushmore. I think if you asked Bond fans to rank the top four not in terms of their favorite but in terms of just "the best", they'd choose the same. Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, GoldenEye, and Casino Royale are probably the four best Bond films. Though it does fluctuate. I wouldn't be surprised to see From Russia With Love or On Her Majesty's Secret Service on some top four lists.

[@jonathonriddle9922]

Past Mt. Rushmore and the Deep Cuts, I would introduce a third tier of "Comfort Food" Bond films, personal favorites that don't quite fit the previous two groups. Mine are: Dr. No, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, and The World is Not Enough.

[@johnscarsandstuff]

Another great video, Calvin. Both your top-tier and deep cut films are excellent choices. Trying to put a different slant on it, if I knew someone was a fan of Austin Powers, but had never seen a Bond film, I'd probably show them Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and The Spy Who Loved Me. I think those four films are probably the ones that had the strongest influence on the AP series.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I'd love to show an AP fan 'Die Another Day' and then tell them this was a Bond film made after those films started! To quote Daniel Craig '[Austin Powers] f-ked us [Bond]'!

[@benjaminwink3440]

No arguments with either list from me. That being said, I did enjoy the quiet shout-out to Torn Curtain!

[@FilmNerdy]

Also, Calvin. I am so glad you have such a love for silent films. If you see this, have you considered watching "Sunrise - A Song of Two Humans". Its still got that silent movie pantomime comedy hubris you find in silent classics but also has a touching story and some very interesting visuals by the Director.

[@nicksterwixter]

As someone who is still reeling from you ranking Moonraker as your #2 Bond film, I'm in wholehearted agreement with both lists you made here. These 8 are absolutely the quintessential films in the series in my mind.

[@IcePakOG]

Great lists, Calvin, and I agree with your choices in both. Although, personally, I would choose The Living Daylights over Licence to Kill because it feels closer a traditional Bond film and the novel. Still, I can't fault your choice in Licence to Kill because, as you said in the video, Dalton very much imbues the essence of Fleming's Bond in the film.

[@subarnosinha8042]

I absolutely agree with the Mount Rushmore of Bond films as those 4 would be my picks as well. My deep-cut Bond films include From Russia With Love, Skyfall, The Living Daylights and License to Kill. Honourary mention to For Your Eyes Only.

[@GreatBooksGuy]

Buster Keaton cameo! Great list. Cheers-

[@Anynom]

Great vid, can't argue too much with your picks, I'd put For Your Eyes Only close too.

[@williamwalker5244]

This video is just what I needed. Im trying to get my girlfriend into bond. Started with goldfinger, going for Casino Royale or TSWLM next.

[@whocraft3614]

If I was going in completely new to Bond, and I tried your 4 essential Mount Rushmore films, ultimately I won't like all 4 of them. I'm just not a Pierce Brosnan era person. Special effects, special effects, explosions, explosions, turn everything up to 11, ultimately it felt phoned in to me -- Goldeneye included. Daniel Craig's era I enjoy a lot more -- much easier for me to be invested. Conversely, I understand why some people are annoyed by Daniel Craig's era. Creating this story-arc for James Bond, spanning more than one movie, won't be everyone's cup of tea.

[@dekafer123]

The Mount Rushmore: 1.) Dr. No 2.) From Russia With Love 3.) The Living Daylights 4.) Casino Royale

[@sashaking1115]

Goldfinger was my first Bond film, I agree that it’s a good film for a newbie to begin with

[@Inspadave]

Goldfinger is far from my favorite Bond film, but even I would put it on Mt. Rushmore. It is iconic.

[@Ignoravo]

I agree with the first list, but I would put FRWL instead of Goldfinfer. Dr no is a good movie, but still immature as it was kinda a pilot for the Bond saga. FRWL is THE spy movie, it is full of tension and phisical, it’s sad and entertaining, it’s the perfect spy thriller. Goldfinger was the demostration that big budget can allow you to have nice gadgets and exotic locations, but it lost that spy thriller charm that FRWL matched competely. For the second list I agree also, but in any case it’s a more subjective list.

[@droidx1191]

Excellent choices

[@jbjones07]

Perfect lists Calvin, both Rushmore and Deep Cut. Those eight are my personal top 11 Bond favorites. The other three i add to them would be FYEO, TLD, and TWINE (very underrated Brosnan film). JoBlo''s channel also had a essential Bond list a while back similar to yours, and mine 😎

[@therealmovieman]

Yep agree with those 4 Calvin not all necessarily my top 4 but def mount Rushmore iconic movies

[@DafyddBrooks]

I hope I'm OK to quote what Mark O'Connell (and please forgive give me and i do apologise) said last year "Theres 25 movies so you can have a BEST and a FAVOURITE Bond movie, other wise the pub conversations wont conclude" :) So I kinda see that BEST is what the MT Rushmore is in terms of film quality and legacy and I think GR, TSWLM, GE and CR are pretty spot on and I'd agree ( even though I like TB better than GF hahah don't kill me Calvin) But FAVOURITE is like the 'deep cut' in that I'd say its more personal to the individual and their own experience of watching a Bond movie and it may not be perfect, but its defo underrated and means more to that person. Hence I'm gonna say my 4 are FRWL, YOLT, Octopussy , and TWINE because they mean alot to me and theres a lot of good stuff in them than bad stuff. I think theres room for any Bond movie to watch on any occasion, including my brothers best remembered 'A view to a kill' which we had on tape since 1990 ;) all the best Calvin :)

[@mattgalardo2022]

I think "YOLT" and "Thunderball" are quite underrated for how they've contributed to the zeitgeist. While this may not be the most important thing in terms of "Bond study" (so to speak), both of these films contributed heavily to the Austin Powers franchise: "Thunderball" with its plot an "YOLT" with the portrayal/parody of Blofeld. My "Mt Rushmore" four would be: From Russia With Love Thunderball Goldeneye Casino Royale My "deep cuts" The Living Daylights The Man With the Golden Gun The World Is Not Enough You Only Live Twice

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I;m not sure that it's the first film to use it but Thunderball's basic 'villains' steeling nukes' plot has certainly a common plot [such as 'Mission Impossible: Fallout'].

[@mattgalardo2022]

@@jamesatkinsonja True enough, but my main point was that, in terms of what Austin Powers was parodying, "Thunderball" was the basic plotline that was utilized. Also, "Thunderball" came LONG before "Mission Impossible: Fallout"

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@mattgalardo2022 In fairness that was my point-Steeling nukes is a basic and cliche plot now [perfect for Fallout as the plot is just there to string the great action together] but back in the early 60's [especially with the cuban missile crisis] it was a lot more shocking and fresh than watching the film now.

[@BIGWes1028]

I know Goldfinger is iconic, but I don't think it has aged well, and I certainly wouldn't show it to someone in an attempt to get them into Bond. I respect all opinions though! Here is mine: TSWLM - Goldeneye - FRWL - Skyfall Deep cuts: Casino Royale - Goldfinger - OHMSS - Living Daylights

[@thefitnessgeezer.]

Excellent content, as always, Calvin. I heard somewhere that to celebrate 50 years of big screen, Bond Skyfall contains Easter eggs pertaining to all previous Bond movies. It'd be amazing to see you review the movie in this context.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Skyfall and some of the other films [Die Another Day, Spectre and No Time to Die] reference most of [if not all] previous installments. I was listening to a video from a guy who worked as an extra on Skyfall and he said the 'For Your Eyes Only' reference was in his scene and just thrown in at the last minute so they did [on that film at least] feel more 'fun for the fans' than deliberate. It's a while off but a full 'Skyfall' review is something I'm patiently waiting for.

[@deanlemckeevans]

I agree whole heartedly with your first 4. They are all so iconic. For me the level 2 movies would be moonraker, dr no, skyfall, and the world is not enough all great films on their own with some iconic scenes like the space station, the beach scene in dr no. If the person was looking for more and wanted to see something a little different to spice it up then I would agree License to Kill and OHMSS stand out on their own as being rather different from the formula as well as Octopussy for how silly and fun the films can be. I would also personally show them You Only Live Twice just because it is special to me and the whole volcano lair is pretty iconic but that is my personal pick.

[@stephenjarvis534]

Ooo. Great choice for a video topic. My thoughts are probably pretty similar to yours, as I've had the chance to introduce some family members to Bond recently and I had the same dilemma.

[@christianknight3014]

Those four are exactly the ones I thought of for the Mount Rushmore. While I haven't seen all of the films yet, I do think having the lesser known Bonds is essential as of course Connery, Moor, Brosnan and Craig are what people know, far fewer know Lazenbey or Dalton. So On Her Majesty and License to Kill I would agree to put on for that. I think either of Brosnan's middle two could work as Tomorrow Never Dies is a typical Bond adventure with very few twists, and while that may not be swaying anyone, it is the common feel for the series up until Craig. But I can also see The World is Not Enough being on there as a personal bias at least as it's my second favorite Bond film. Both of those deal with a little more of a modern idea and topics with media control and whoever controls oil reserves(which is brought up again in Quantum of Solace), but I do feel out of both, The World is Not Enough has a more personal Bond story and in general more character focused which might help a modern sensibility. For Craig I will agree with the Skyfall pick as well as it was a global event of the time and still makes sense for a deeper cut, but not too deep. As it does celebrate the tones and themes that Bond has made over the years, but still has that modern feel to it to make it more palatable for that kind of audience. While I like No Time to Die more, it is definitely a part two of Spectre and conclusion to the series for Craig, so hard to put that in a deep cut as context is needed a little more for that one.

[@anthonygray333]

You nailed it! I agree completely.

[@danielgertler5976]

Hmm... golden eye, casino royale, goldfinger, and from russia with love. Not necessarily my favorites but *the* bond movies Deep4? I'll agree with for your eyes only, skyfall and license to kill and add the world is not enough.

[@DavyDredd14]

'Goldfinger' and 'The Spy Who Loved Me' would absolutely be the most essential 007 Films for newbies to watch first.

[@joshcooper7755]

I've got a 007 newbie in my life, has awareness of the character and some of the more famous moments but has never seen a film, I've been debating how the best way to introduce her to my favourite cinematic series. The best thing about Bond (at least until Spectre) was they don't really require much homework for the audience. These 4 are perfect to just drop in and get pulled along by the adventure. I like the "deep cuts" as well, a nice balance of the series, I'd perhaps swap OHMSS for TWINE in my particular circumstance knowing what will probably work. Personally I'd love to either follow my own intro, as haphazard as that was (TLD to Moonraker to Goldfinger to OHMSS) or start with my all time favourites FRWL & LTK.

[@johnny13r]

I 100 percent agree with you on this though I might be a little biased since those are my top 4 favorite bond films.