Rating: 
Summary: Woody Allen, David Niven, and Peter Sellars are James Bond
Review: Though it superficially follows the Ian Fleming novel, this is my favorite Bond movie. It's actually three directors' spoof of the Bond movie craze. Watch for puns, side gags, and double entendres (I think I spelled that right.)
Rating:
Summary: Excellent '60s Magic; Acid Soaked Bond Spoof
Review: As a '60s afficionado I finally got around to seeing this great psychedelic mindblower of a film. It starts off slow....enter Ursula Andress. There are at least 100 beautiful European girls in this film and I can see Woody Allen's motivation to kill all men taller than him so he can get them all. As the film takes off you realize that you have to be on Acid to understand the plot, as everyone remotely connected with this film must've been. The sets range from a Scottish castle to a Berlin haunted house to Orson Wells' psychedelic torture chamber complete with mod spiral funhouse rooms, and it gets more bizarre from there. Great music by Burt Bacharach (The Look of Love). Has cameos from practically every British star of the time, has a Spaceship full of Woody's duplicate World Leaders...it has everything. What can I say, if you like the '60s you'll love this if you possess that '60s Psychodelic Consciousness that is.
Rating: 
Summary: "Casino Royal" not "Austin Powers"
Review: This movie is horrible....first off....even with a HDTV and Surround Sound, I still could not hear the dialouge....damn English accents are just too thick for me to enjoy....Mike Myers was most definetly stoned when he saw this and thought it was a good enough film to base "Austin Powers" on.....Austin Rocks....Casino is a flop!!.....stay away....if interested....rent but do not purchase this garbage!!
Rating: 
Summary: -----1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000STARS!!!!!!!
Review: A HORRIBLE FILM! I COULD NOT GET THROUGH THE WHOLE MOVIE WITHOUT LITERALLY FALLING ASLEEP! IF ANY OF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS MOVIE I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT YOU ARE NOT MISSING ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Kick's Austin Powers to heck and back!
Review: THIS is ENTERTAINMENT!! Rock on! I loved the german expressionist whatever part of the film, utterly hilarious!
Rating: 
Summary: Two Films: The 1967 Spoof and the 1954 Original
Review: One of the great things about DVDs is that occasionally the extras are really worth it. In this case one of the extras is the original production of Casino Royale as it appeared on Climax Television. Once upon a time it was decided to do a spoof of the James Bond films. A four-part script was created and four directors were hired. Ian Fleming originally claimed that he envisioned David Niven in the role of James Bond. That became a reality in this film. James Bond is needed and must be called out of retirement. The original, that is. The film James Bond is merely a replacement for the original played by Niven. He quit the spy business after the death of his true love; Mata Hari (1917). To redirect attention, Peter Sellers is hired as a new James Bond. He has a system for beating Baccarat and is needed to defeat badguy Orson Wells. But as Wells goes down, we discover the sinister plot of young Jimmy Bond (Woody Alan). Add Mata Hari's daughter and plenty of slapstick and the result is an amazing spoof. The original 1954 version of Casino Royale was produced on Climax Television and had a few unusual twists. Although this was the first Bond "film", it is out of character with the rest as Bond is an American (What!, you say). Bond must go against badguy Peter Lorre (who gets a place in history as the first to play a Bond villain). The story is very close to the original novel except SMERSH has been replaced by the Syndicate. A great disk with some great footage. I especially recommend the original production that was included.
Rating:
Summary: How Many 007s Does It Take To Change a Light Bulb?
Review: Eon Production's DR. NO was a great hit in the early 1960s, and Eon quickly snapped up the rights to the rest of Ian Flemming's novels about super spy James Bond--except for the CASINO ROYALE, which had already been purchased earlier by CBS for a 1950s television adaptation. When the property wound up at Columbia Pictures, they decided to create the satire to end all satires with a host of writers, five famous directors, and an all-star cast led by Peter Sellers. But Sellers' ego reached critical mass during the production and he was fired mid-way into filming--and suddenly roles that were originally envisioned as cameos had to be expanded to finish the project. The result is one of the most bizarre films imaginable. The story, such as it is, finds James Bond (David Niven) called out of retirement to deal with the sudden disappearance of secret agents all over the world. In order to confuse the unknown enemy, Sir James orders ALL secret agents to use the name James Bond--and before you can blink there are Bonds aplenty running wild all over the globe. Eventually all the Bonds, including (through the magic of editing) Peter Sellers, wind up at Casino Royale, where they confront the evil agents of SMERSH and a diabolical mad man with a plot to rule the world. The plot is absolute chaos, but that doesn't prevent the film from being a lot of fun to watch. The entire cast runs wild with some marvelous over-the-top performances, and whenever the writers can jam in a gag or a weird plot turn they do precisely that: Bond (Niven) is attacked by decoy ducks; counter-agent Mimi (Deborah Kerr) swings from a drain pipe; Bond's daughter by Mata Hari (Joanna Pettet) is kidnapped by a UFO; double agent Vesper (Ursula Andress) hides bodies in the deep freeze. And that's just for starters. At one point Niven blows up the locked door of a psychedelically decorated dudgeon with lysergic acid--better know as LSD--and in a way this is indicative of the entire film, which was made at the height of the 1960s ultra-mod movement: the whole thing has the feel of a blow-out acid trip, right down to flashing multicolored lights and swinging 60s fashions. It is visually arresting, to say the least. And then there is that famous Burt Bacharach score, easily one of the best of the decade, sporting Herp Albert on the main theme and Dusty Springfield's legendary performance of "The Look of Love." On the whole, the film is one of the most entertaining hodgepodges of talent and weirdness I've ever encountered, and it never fails to amuse. As for the DVD itself, the print is good and the sound is too. The extras are a bit disappointing, however. The original CBS version, included here, is a bore, and the making-of documentary is essentially a prolonged interview with one the film's several directors. I've found that viewers tend to have extremely different reactions to this film--they either love it or hate it, so you may want to rent this one first. But it's one of my favorite guilty pleasures, and I recommend it for fans of the unexpectedly odd.
Rating:
Summary: Casino is Royale
Review: I have loved this movie from the time I saw it in 1967. I was 7 years old at the time, although not understanding all I loved the images and the music. As an adult, the humor is so witty. Really a gem. I cannot recommend Casino Royale enough. The acting is on the mark - especially David Niven. I have laughed and laughed, time after time at his comedic timing. And Deborah Kerr's performance is oh, so funny and wonderfully inspiring. I fell in love with her wit and spunk. Too funny! As for the music - my, what can I say? I bought the CD long ago and have loved the Burt Bacharach soundtrack. Especially, "The Look of Love" by Dusty Springfield. You won't find a finer rendering that evokes such wonderful emotion. Let me say - Casino Royale is a keeper.
Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: If one has only seen the traditional James Bond movies, this film may come as a shocker. Yet it is surprisingly accurate (for a parody) when compared to the book of the same name-- especially in the card game scene. It pokes fun at the Bond movies of the '60s in addition to '60s pop culture (i.e. the opening scene with "Les Beatles" on a lamppost). Casino Royale is a refreshing delight with an All-Star cast!!!
Rating:
Summary: Not A Bond, But Just As Good
Review: I love the bond series and own them all. When i found out about Casino Royale I had to have it. Finding out it wasn't a bond movie was, at frist, a little weird to me, but if you watch it you'll understand. It's not an action mystery, it's a full out insain comedy and probably the best movie of all times.
| 
