The 10 Best Moments from Moonraker (1979): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Moonraker. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. Dr. Goodhead puts Bond in his place: "... we'd better get started, you don't want to lose time as well as the space shuttle, do you?"

9. The use of the 5-note Close Encounters signature.

8. When Jaws is caught up in the stream of Carnaval-goers, he just goes with it.

7. The scientists die from the poison gas, as Bond looks on.

6. As purposefully over-the-top as it is, I do enjoy Bond's gondola hovercraft ride through St. Mark's square, with the repeat gag (from The Spy Who Loved Me) of the guy looking at his drink (the second of three appearances by Victor Tourjansky).

5. Bond makes quick work of the knife-throwing assassin in the coffin on the gondola.

4. 007 helps Drax "take a giant step for mankind."

TOP THREE

3. Drax notes that Bond missed his shot (at the pheasants), to which Bond shortly replies, "Did I?"

2. In the recesses of his fading mind, Bond flashes back to M's office where he demonstrated Q's latest gadget on one of M's oil paintings.

1. Bond is pushed out of a plane without a parachute.

Moonraker, like Die Another Day is hopelessly cartoonish, however, also like Die Another Day it's one of the single most enjoyable to watch of all of the Bond films, and I look forward to every repeat viewing of it.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Moonraker: Bond's micro camera having 007 written on it— even for Moonraker's standards, just too silly.

The 10 Best Moments from The Spy Who Loved Me (1977): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from The Spy Who Loved Me. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. I had to cut it down from a very long list! What are your favorite moments?

10. The scientists look to Stromberg terrified as the elevator door shuts on them.

9. Jaws lives up to his nickname, killing the shark.

8. Bond interrupts XXX, when, while rattling off 007's dossier, she gets to Tracy's death.

7. XXX bests 007, correcting him about the location of Stromberg's marine research laboratory on Sardinia.

6. After having been instructed not to, Bond attempts to shake hands with Stromberg.

5. 007 doesn't fall for (or through) the elevator's trap door (even a greater moment when you recall Bond's instincts in Blofeld's elevator in Diamonds Are Forever).

4. Bond gives Stromberg a taste of his own medicine, firing through the under table gun barrel chute.

TOP THREE

3. We find out the Lotus' main functionality.

2. Bond fails to assist Stromberg's henchman... "What a helpful chap."

1. The climax of the pre-title sequence.

For the Connery set, The Spy Who Loved Me is a pale remake of You Only Live Twice; for me it's one of the single most entertaining and solidly dramatic of the entire canon.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from The Spy Who Loved Me: I can understand the British and Soviets joining forces, but it's a little too much to think MI6 would march the Russians straight through Q's lab!

The 10 Best Moments from The Man with the Golden Gun (1974): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from The Man with the Golden Gun. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. When Bond wonders who'd want to pay $1 million to kill him, M responds: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors, the list is endless!"

9. Andrea Anders' (Maud Adams) demise.

8. The canted temporary headquarters of M are revealed inside the wreckage of the Queen Elizabeth.

7. Bond sucker kicks his opponent at the training school.

6. Lt. Hip's nieces turn out to be karate experts.

5. The return of Sheriff J. W. Pepper.

4. We see that the fingers of Bond's left hand are "back" on his wax figure.

TOP THREE

3. Scaramanga assembles his gun.

2. Bond aims the specially-made rifle at Lazar with the line: "...speak or forever hold your peace/piece."

1. The AMC Hornet's astonishing mid-air 360.

The Man with the Golden Gun qualifies as one of the least effective films in the series, with nonetheless one of the best villains.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from The Man with the Golden Gun: Crazily it's the same as my #1 favorite moment, the 360 done by Bond in the AMC Hornet, because the moment was colossally ruined by that awful "comic" penny whistle sound effect— when the stunt is shown in "compilations" invariably the James Bond theme is properly played.

The 10 Best Moments from Live and Let Die (1973): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Live and Let Die. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. (There are a surprisingly high number of great moments in this Bond which you never think of as one of the best entries per se, I didn't even have room for the double decker bus' top getting sliced off!) What are your favorite moments?

10. Baron Samedi makes one final appearance at the film's end.

9. Mr. Big implodes the couch that Whisper is sitting on.

8. As the tarot cards fall from Bond's hand we see the stacked deck of "lovers."

7. "Same time tomorrow, Mrs. Bell?"

6. Tee Hee's disappointment at not being given the order to snip Bond's finger.

5. Bond and his table vanish through the floor at the second Fillet of Soul.

4. Sheriff J. W. Pepper finds out he can't arrest Bond: "Secret agent? On whose side?!"

TOP THREE

3. The second trick that Bond's watch is capable of is revealed.

2. The flying leap Bond's boat makes across the highway.

1. Bond's escape from the crocodiles.

Live and Let Die is always better than you remember, but so atypical as to never be worthy of the top tier of Bond movies.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Live and Let Die: the embarrassingly comical killing of Mr. Big.

The 10 Best Moments from Diamonds Are Forever (1971): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from Diamonds Are Forever. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences.  What are your favorite moments?

10. Bond walks out onto his balcony and rides the top of the outside elevator to the penthouse of The Whyte House.

9. The real Klaus Hergersheimer from G section arrives in Dr. Metz's lab.

8. Fighting Peter Franks, Bond stops the elevator with his foot, just as he's about to be decapitated.

7. "Welcome to hell, Blofeld."

6. Mr. Wint drops the scorpion down Dr. Tynan's shirt.

5. The flames rise as 007 is trapped in the casket.

4. Bond tricks Mr. Wint into blowing his cover, by exposing his lack in knowledge of clarets.

TOP THREE

3. On two wheels, Bond and Tiffany escape down the narrow alley (continuity issue and all) in Vegas.

2. So she'd give up Blofeld's location, Bond chokes the girl in the pre-title sequence with her bikini top.

1. Bond uses his piston gun for something other than "mountaineering about outside The Whyte House."

Diamonds Are Forever is a solid Bond actioner, however with kind of a loosey-goosey performance by Connery and a weak climax.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from Diamonds Are Forever: Why, knowing that this was Connery's one-shot Eon Productions finale, did they leave Blofeld dangling in the air, instead of providing fan's with a great villain death? If this non-moment doesn't count, there's always Blofeld in drag (ugh!).

The 10 Best Moments from On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from On Her Majesty's Secret Service. (For OHMSS, I could probably have come up with 20, truth be told— so many moments!) I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorites?

10. Tracy kills the SPECTRE man by impaling him on the wall ornament.

9. Blofeld taunts Bond, saying he needs to be calmed until he's allowed back into "polite society."

8. Approaching Ruby's bedside, Bond is surprised by Fraulein Bunt!

7. Bond tears his pockets out to make gloves.

6. When Tracy pulls Bond's PPK on him, he has to get tough with her.

5. Bond smashes his ski into the jumping henchman, sending him off the mountain.

4. Tracy's re-entrance into the plot, skating up to Bond at the village party, rescuing him.

TOP THREE

3. Lazenby's take on the gun barrel logo stance of Bond, droping down to one knee as he shoots.

2. Bond slides down the ice in the raid on Piz Gloria, maching-gunning the SPECTRE agents.

1. Bond reacts to the loss of Tracy.

The Bond fan community is mostly agreed that On Her Majesty's Secret Service is among the very best of the James Bond movies, and I concur: the action is solid and the love story dovetails perfectly.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from On Her Majesty's Secret Service: as with Thunderball, none really, although I find Bond's rummaging through his desk looking at various relics from past missions unrealistic and heavy-handing (see this is the same Bond!-- the clips in the titles were enough of a reminder I think).

The 10 Best Moments from You Only Live Twice (1967): Countdown to Skyfall— Nov. 9th!

Spoilers, of course. Although at times I've been purposefully oblique: if you're a fan, you'll get the references.

Here's my list of the top ten best moments from You Only Live Twice. I've tried to pick actual individual moments rather than sequences. What are your favorite moments?

10. When the nerve center of Blofeld's underground lair is damaged by explosives, Bond mocks Blofeld's earlier suggestion that it's "impregnable."

9. To ascertain his identity, Bond takes Henderson's cane from him and smacks his wooden leg with it.

8. Little Nellie is constructed and her "identity" revealed.

7. Bond pushes away his oysters when Kissy tells him they won't be sleeping in the same bed.

6. Aki (sadly) meets her end.

5. Bond uses a couch as a weapon against Osato's thug.

4. Tiger's classic line: "Good choice— she's very sexyful."

TOP THREE

3. Bond seizes the opportunity to use the cigarette rocket gun.

2. Helga Brandt is shown the price of failure to SPECTRE.

1. We see Ernst Starvo Blofeld in the flesh, introducing himself and then reciting the titular line.

You Only Live Twice has many defenders but to me it's only just OK, with some repetition (Aki driving up and rescuing Bond) and unfortunately an unsatisfying conclusion with Blofeld taking center stage this time as the main villain and then escaping at the end.

For good measure, what I think is the worst moment from You Only Live Twice: Bond conveniently has not only a camouflage outfit but also the suction cup devices he needs to descend into Blofeld's secret lair before he even knows it's there!  (This coincidence-city situation happens earlier too: Bond has a safe-cracking device in his suit pocket just when he needs it in Osato's office!) You Only Happen to Have Exactly the Gadget You Need Twice