BONDS

June 1983. Roger Moore is James Bond in director John Glen’s OCTOPUSSY.

Then, four months later, it is Sean Connery as Bond in Irvin Kershner’s NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN.

I recently glimpsed pieces of each film airing on television, and was struck by OCTOPUSSY’s similarities to INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM (1984). Specifically, the entire “trapped in an Indian fortress eating really gross food” sequence. Which is interesting because Douglas Slocombe shot DOOM...but not OCTOPUSSY. He shot NEVER.

OCTOPUSSY was produced by Albert Broccoli, master of the Bond franchise. So it’s considered “official.”

NEVER was produced by Jack Schwartzman (Jason’s dad) who’d just produced BEING THERE.

OCTOPUSSY features “official” Q, Desmond Llewelyn, to NEVER’s Alec McCowen; as well as Lois Maxwell’s familiar Moneypenny, to NEVER’s Pamela Salem. It ends with the promise of 1985’s A VIEW TO A KILL.

Apparently, anyone can make a James Bond movie.