kuampapwder

A View To A KIll is not particularly good or bad. There seems, once we get past Walken´s impressive country mansion and into the second half of the film, to be a lack of lavish backdrops. Although the grand house at Dunsmuir Gardens does make a short appearance. On the whole, A View To A Kill leaves us with less of a feeling of luxury compared to previous movies. A last hurrah not just for Moore, but for the swinging vibe of the 1960s & 70s; a vital source of the series´ charm and what, even well into the 1980s, gave it its mojo. But the times where a changin. The 1990s were just round the corner and after a short stint for Timothy Dalton in which the series dwindling vitality became even more apparent. Bond would not find his footing again until times once again became ripe, this time in the form of Cool Britannia, for Bond, if only for one film, to regain his mojo in Goldeneye.

The harsh filming regiment and hot oppresive weather conditions translate well into the end product. Especially the first section where the characters are driving in their van. Unsettling odors from the local slaughterhouse occasionally wafting into the sweaty van, all mingling with the stagnant, heavy Texan summer air.

The film has that special energy that arises from a pioneering crew who all feel they are along on a special ride, willing to go great lengths and sacrifice for the end product.

The film would have benefitted greatly from just one good actor to tie it all together, as with Neville Brand in Death Trap, in which I think Tobe Hooper really nailed the atmosphere that was apparent, but underdeveloped in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which ultimately went for shock value, and kind of hits bottom when it, towards the end, begins relying solely on characters' incessant screaming as its main source of tension building. Something which ruins many otherwise decent horror films.

The scene where the guy who shouts "I've found the biscuits" is brushing his teeth for what feels like forever is, intentionally or not, a great comedic moment.