In the windup to the second Bond film to star Daniel Craig and shot in a presumably grimly serious and relatively realistic mode, I’m looking to revel in the utter cheesiness that is [I’m guessing primarily] '60’s and '70’s international knockoffs of the Bond franchise.
I actually saw the last half of one of these once, but didn’t make a note of what it was and have been kicking myself ever since. It was Italian, circa 1967-70, and aired on TV or cable in the mid-'90’s, but I don’t remember if it was on an NYC/Jersey indie channel, basic cable, or premium. Being basically a giallo version of Bond-style espionage, it featured set designs and wardrobe choices that puts to shame the “Austin Powers” series. [The Italian “Bond” was also more attractive than Mike Myers, but I digress.] I don’t remember anything about the plot or cast, except that the former didn’t make any sense, and the latter didn’t feature anyone I recognized then or remember now. However, it was obviously a Bond ripoff, featuring a debonair spy who survives various action-intensive exploits, seduces beautiful women, and saves the world – or at least, the Italian government coalition of the moment, heh heh.
But wait, there’s more! I’ve read or heard that the Soviet film industry capitulated to public demand at some point and produced a whole series of Russian Bond-style spy capers, featuring a Red Team equivalent to Bond, to great public (if not critical) acclaim. I think it’s a given that the production values on these babies weren’t quite up to the Broccoli/UA standard, but that would be part of their charm now. I must see these, but have no idea where to look. Any info would be helpful… just leave it in microfiche in a secret panel on a lightpost in a park in Istanbul, and I’ll deposit some money in your Swiss bank account…
