Daniela Bianchi

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An excellent addition to the Bond franchise.
One of the best of the entire series
"She's had her kicks"
One of the Best James Bond Films

From Russia With Love
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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You Only Live Twice
Thunderball
Goldfinger
The Living Daylights
Moonraker

ASIN: B000NDEXPC
Release Date: 2007-05-22

Amazon.com

Directed with consummate skill by Terence Young, the second James Bond spy thriller is considered by many fans to be the best of them all. Certainly Sean Connery was never better as the dashing Agent 007, whose latest mission takes him to Istanbul to retrieve a top-secret Russian decoding machine. His efforts are thwarted when he gets romantically distracted by a sexy Russian double agent (Daniela Bianchi), and is tracked by a lovely assassin (Lotte Lenya) with switchblade shoes, and by a crazed killer (Robert Shaw), who clashes with Bond during the film's dazzling climax aboard the Orient Express. From Russia with Love is classic James Bond, before the gadgets, pyrotechnics, and Roger Moore steered the movies away from the more realistic tone of the books by Ian Fleming. --Jeff Shannon</p>

Customer Reviews:

An excellent addition to the Bond franchise........2007-06-16

Brimming with tension, suspense, and understated cool, From Russia with Love is one of the very best movies in the entire James Bond series. The plot, which revolves around the criminal organization SPECTRE and its attempt to steal a Soviet codemaking machine by manipulating and ultimatley murdering a certain British secret agent (guess which one), is clever and engrossing. Part of the movie's charm comes from simply watching SPECTRE's plan unfold. The film is also incredibly atmospheric: Bond travels to a lush, decedant Istanbul before heading back west on a train trip that hangs heavy with mystery and paranoia.

Sean Connery is, of course, incredible. To put it plainly, the guy simply IS James Bond. He's in complete command of the character, playing his role with absolute confidence, brimming with wit, charm, and ruthless intelligence. Connery's Bond is mesmerizing, his performance a masterpiece. The rest of the cast is fantastic as well: Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as the brutal Colonel Rosa Kleb, playing her part with relentless authority and barely subdued insanity. Ditto for Robert Shaw, whose portrayal of ruthless assassain Donald "Red" Grant is fiery and intense. Shaw turns his charater into an omen, a source of constantly escalating tension and nervous energy. Pedro Armendariz is superb as the exuberant, friendly, and loveable Kerim Bey, who befriends and assists Bond in Istanbul. The film also contains the first appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q, one of the series' most beloved characters (he'd appear in every subsequent Bond film until 1999's The World is Not Enough).

Throw in John Berry's tension-filled soundtrack and some of the sharpest one-liners ever found in a Bond film and you've got an absolute classic, and one of the finest entries in an excellent series.

One of the best of the entire series.......2007-04-08

A favorite of many Bond fans and filmmakers alike is this second entry into the EON Bond film canon (a separate production company had produced Fleming's CASINO ROYALE for American television CBS in the 1950s). Alongside 1969s ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE as one of the more faithful movie adaptations of the Fleming book this movie is disliked by some for its slower pace and less fantastical plot and adored by others for precisely the same reasons.
I suppose it all depends on what you are looking for in a Bond movie. For it was not until the next entry in the series in 1964s GOLDFINGER that the movies budgets ballooned and took on the more recognizable Bond-movie shape of fantastic world domination plots, cartoonish action and over-the-top villains. Here, we have a more quiet down-to-earth plot involving extortion and revenge, but its carefully woven plot makes the movie just as thrilling and the action just as compelling.
There are some deviations from the plot of the Fleming novel, but nothing that detracts too seriously from what is the most important element here - the story and characterization. For example in the book Flemings villains was the real-life Soviet agency SMERSH, which is changed to the fictional private organization SPECTRE (which Fleming created along with Kevin McClory for a failed movie script after he had written the novel on which this movie is based.) No doubt the filmmakers decided to change the villain for political reasons as well as to develop the recurring villain mentioned in passing in the first of the EON movies (1962s DR. NO).
The plot concerns SPECTRE's attempts to use British intelligence to steal a valuable Soviet decoder, blackmail British intelligence and murder British agent James Bond in revenge for the loss of their agent Dr. No.
In order to pull off this audacious scheme, SPECTRE's Col. Rosa Klebb (brilliantly played by Lotte Lenya) enlists the aid of Russian clerk Tatiana Romanova who believes that she is working for the KGB. Romanova is chosen for her beauty as a lure for James Bond and the Lektor decoder as a lure for 007 and British intelligence. Indeed the ploy works to perfection as we witness later the disinterest of 007 change to amiable interest after being shown a picture of Romanova.
Following the traditional gunbarrel sequence we are given our first true precredits sequence. In the first movie the gunbarrel went straight into the credits sequence, but here we are treated to a mini-adventure in what would become a standard trademark for the series. James Bond is on the hunt, or is he the hunted? Stalking around a garden in the middle of the night when all of a sudden Bond is set upon by a giant man (played to perfection by the always excellent Robert Shaw.) Who then pulls a wire from his watch and garrotes the British agent. The sequence serves as a foreshadowing of a scene towards the end of the movie and is also the first instance in which the audience is tricked into believing that 007 has been killed. In the future 007 movies 1967s YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE and the rogue movie 1983s NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN this ploy would also be used. Sure enough following the death of "James Bond" the lights go up revealing a big estate house (actually a house on the backlot of Pinewood Studios) and it is revealed as a SPECTRE training session with a man posing as 007.
Shaw is excellent as Red Grant. Even today over 40 years later he regularly tops the list among Bond fans as a favorite villain. He plays the role with understated deliberate menace and the fight scene on the orient express (which is usually cut down for television) is brutal and frenetic. Similar scenes of fighting on a train have been repeated in later Bond movies but none have quite matched this one.
Other elements that would become a series trademark also make their first appearances in this picture. We have the introduction of a real bona fide gadget and the first screen appearance of the actor who would become famous for introducing James Bond to all manner of incredible gizmos while in real-life being the most un-mechanically minded of people - the late Desmond Llewelyn.
Here Bond is equipped with a briefcase with such hidden qualities as a knife that protrudes out of the side, coinage for bribing enemy agents and a innocent looking bottle of talc that is actually tear gas for disabling prying eyes who open the case the wrong way. Of course all of these help save 007 later on in the movie (strange how he always seems to have just what he needs for any eventuality).
Overall then we have a taut, well-crafted James Bond movie with standout performances from all the principal actors. Of particular note is the Mexican actor Pedro Armendáriz who plays the Turkish British agent Kerim Bey. There seems to be a genuine friendship between Bond and this amiable rogue, a chemistry similar to that between Bond and Columbo in the 1981 movie FOR YOUR EYES ONLY.
With a travelogue feel that was a feature of the early movies, this was after all before the holiday shows and Discovery Channel documentaries on different areas of the world. And some compelling action (though on a smaller scale than later scenes the fight between Bond and Klebb with the latter wielding a poisoned tipped shoe is white knuckle stuff). This is a movie that should be on everyone's must-see list.

"She's had her kicks".......2007-04-04

Col. Klebb (Lotte Lenya) Tells Tatiana Romanov that the KGB wants her to defect and take the LEKTOR (a typewriter sized cipher device with her). M (Bernard Lee) tells James bond that he is to help Tatiana and get the Lector. Every thing sounds pretty simple. But who is Klebb really working for?

This movie relied more on acting than gadgets. In later movies gadgets almost outshine even 007. Here the only real gadget is the brief case with the standard 00 issue.

As if you have not heard it a million times this is the definitive 007 movie. When some one mentions 007 this is the one that come in mind. It has well known good guys, bad guys and good-bad guys (Lotte Lenya). See her in the movie that made her famous "The Threepenny Opera".

Who can forget the posters of Daniela Bianchi with the velvet band around her throat? She even looks good through a periscope.

Of course with out Sean Connery as 007 became a classic. All the later Actors that played the bond Character are compared to him. This is almost a series of several mini movies as we move focus from one character to another.

One of the Best James Bond Films.......2007-04-04

There is not much more that can be added to what has already been written or said about FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. It is considered to be one of the better Bond films in the series.

Before I get on to the main point of what I have to add, I do want to comment on the widescreen versions that have been issued. I am not sure what the proper aspect ratio of this film is. In a comparison of the DVD to the Laser Disc, the DVD appears to have been cropped at the top and bottom to give it a wider effect. The proportions of the prints I saw in several theaters all resembled the Laser Disc.

My more important note of curiosity however is the content of the film itself. I still have not seen any version on VHS, Laser or DVD as the ones I have seen in the theater for FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE.

It appears that on video two scenes contain cuts.

Cut # 1: When Red Grant has Bond on his knees at gunpoint aboard the Orient Express, he editorializes in a most graphic manner about the roll of film that was shot of Bond and Tatiana in the boudoir. For its time, this was a rather risqué piece of dialogue. By today's standards it is somewhat timid. Bond's comeback is still intact on the video, responding to Grant how it took a collection of pretty sick minds to dream up such a scheme. That was a direct response to Grant's cut line and gives us an insight into Bond's moral standards that there is a line that even he would not cross given his flare for the more amorous pursuits.

Cut # 2: This cut line is more obvious and comes at the end of the film when Bond and Tatiana are floating down the canals of Venice. Bond holds up the reel of film seized from Grant. Again, Bond makes a direct reference to Grant's cut line from the train in a droll throwaway remark to a puzzled looking Tatiana. You can actually see this cut because the music jumps. Once more, this cut line of dialogue gives us another glimpse into the James Bond mystique as it was still being formed and honed for the screen. I am sure Bond is probably saying to himself, "Take all the dirty pictures you want. I'm the one with the girl and Grant, "old boy," you're the one six feet under."

As for the film itself, it is one of the classic James Bond films and will remain so for all time. The tone of the series would be altered slightly from what director Terence Young had established in DR. NO and in this film. The next film, GOLDFINGER directed by Guy Hamilton, would retain the style established by Terence Young yet he would refine the character of James Bond with a more tongue-in-cheek approach. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE James Bond is the dedicated civil servant with a licence to kill and he uses it in the assassination of Krilencu (Fred Haggerty) just as coldly and objectively as he had eliminated Professor Dent (Anthony Dawson) in DR. NO. For these reasons I believe there are two distinct camps in the ranks of Bond loyalists. One prefers the style or more specifically the portrayal of James Bond found in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, while the other faction favors that established in GOLDFINGER. The James Bond found in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is a much tougher fellow not to be seen again until ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and LICENCE TO KILL.

Another specific point about FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is the score composed by John Barry. Barry's score in this film is not as complex or melodically constructed as in his subsequent Bond scores. Yet, Barry's score is as old school as is Sean Connery's approach to the role and that is exactly the way it should have been. Barry's no-frills score compliments Connery's no nonsense Bond. In essence FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is a product of its time and a very good one at that.

Average customer rating:

The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition
A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!
Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!
The film introduces "Q" to the series...
My Favorite James Bond Film

From Russia With Love
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz , Martine Beswick , Daniela Bianchi , Hasan Ceylan , and Sean Connery
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

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DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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You Only Live Twice
Dr. No (Special Edition)
Thunderball
Diamonds are Forever
Goldfinger

ASIN: B00004W9CA

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition.......2007-03-13

It is almost hard to imagine, given the immense critical acclaim it has received, that FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE almost failed to make it to the big screen and could have caused the end of the series. Instead, largely thanks to the ingenuity of director Terence Young and film editor Peter Hunt, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE topped the success of the first film and solidified the success of the James Bond series in a single blow. Widely considered to be one of the best films of the entire series (if not the best), FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE manages to get everything right. Sean Connery is at his finest in this picture, confident in his sophomore performance. The plot is intricate and the action is well-paced. Indeed, not only was the second James Bond film a wonderful action movie, it was a good movie in its own right.

After the famous "gun barrel" sequence at the top of the film, we are treated to the first pre-credit `teaser" and made to believe that James Bond just might be killed. Initially planned as a later scene, editor Peter Hunt decided to show it before the credits as he completely reworked the order of the first twenty minutes of the film. Lasting only three minutes or so, it works perfectly to draw us once again into the dangerous world of Bond. It would, of course, set the tone for the Bond films to come, as the opening "teaser" would gradually become more and more elaborate, taking on a world of its own. The opening credits that follow are more stylized than in DR. NO, as we see the credits cast across the half-clothed bodies of women dancing (tying in a "gypsy" theme that is repeated later in the film). The music is a slightly re-worked version of the Bond theme by John Barry, including the "From Russia With Love" theme--the first ever popular song in a Bond film.

The plot begins with a nod to the Spassky/Bronstein chess match of 1960, widely considered one of the most inspired, brilliant chess matches of all time. Our competitors are Czechoslovakian Kronsteen and Canadian MacAdams. Kronsteen (Vladek Sheybal), whom we later find out is a member of the secret organization SPECTRE, receives a message mid-match informing him that he is required at once. Immediately, he makes his move, uncovering a deadly discovered check. MacAdams resigns and immediately Kronsteen is whisked off to a private, luxury yacht that serves as the command post for SPECTRE. It is here that we are introduced to Ernst Stavro Blofeld (or his hands, at any rate). Blofeld is the leader of SPECTRE and referred to, mysteriously, only as Number One. He busies himself watching Siamese Fighting Fish, explaining to Number Three, Soviet defector Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya), the parallel between the deadly fish fight and his current evil plans. Kronsteen enters the room and we learn that he is Number Five. Kronsteen, known for his brilliant chess play, has devised an evil plan that is perfect. He has considered every move and countermove and all that is required is proper execution.

The plan is wonderfully complex for a James Bond film and might seem rather down-to-earth compared to the evil plots of the later Bond films. As in DR. NO, there are no immediate plans of world domination. Instead, as demonstrated in the Siamese Fish Fight, suppose that two fish fight it out to the death. At the end of the fight, the victor will have exhausted himself and will not be able to fend off a third party who swoops in at the right moment for the kill. Kronsteen plans to lure the British Secret Service and Russia into a deadly game, making each to think that the other is the true enemy, all the while disguising the true puppeteer--SPECTRE. The bait is a Soviet Lektor decoding machine. The British Secret Service will jump at the chance to get their hands on such a machine and, no doubt, will send James Bond to retrieve it, allowing SPECTRE to exact revenge for the killing of Dr. No. All that is needed is a Russian agent to assist in getting the machine out of Turkey. This is where the newly defected Rosa Klebb comes in. Posing in her former role as a Soviet agent, Klebb enlists the help of Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), who believes that she is working for mother Russia. Bond and MI6 will smell a trap, but will be forced to investigate the matter. And while Russia and Britain are trying to figure out each other's aims and motivations, SPECTRE will control the whole plan, like an elaborate chess game, using each as pawns for its own goals. While the British and Russians battle it out for the decoding machine, SPECTRE will swoop in and capture it for themselves.

As you can tell, no world domination is planned here. Just a little theft, blackmail, and revenge. While many people have found FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE to be a little slow-paced, it is precisely this down-to-earth style that lends the film genuine authenticity and appeal. I won't belabor the plot any further. Suffice it to say that what evolves is a wonderful series of events, elaborately controlled by SPECTRE, in which both the British and the Russians try to figure out what is going on. Everything is pulled off in fine style and the film works, so long as you keep track of exactly who is doing what to whom.

Ultimately, it is the memorable characters that make FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE so enjoyable. In particular, while the film gives us several villains to feast upon, the best is Red Grant (Robert Shaw). A homicidal maniac who has recently escaped to join SPECTRE, Red Grant is the man we recognize from the opening teaser of the film in which he strangles "Bond" with expert efficiency. What makes Red so compelling is the fact that he is so understated. Rather than rely on complicated devices or ridiculous ploys to tackle his opponents, Red is simply an efficient assassin--a man worthy of James Bond himself. Red is truly one of Bond's equals. He plays Bond's "guardian angel" throughout the film, making sure that everything goes according to SPECTRE's plans. When Bond and he finally meet in the climactic train fight (a fight known for its brutality and complexity), it is a true battle or equals. I only wish more villains of Red Grant's ability had come along later in the series. I was almost sad to see him go. But Bond must prevail.

Tatiana Romanova is our new Bond girl and she pulls off the part in fine style. Although not nearly as interesting as Ursula Andress in DR. NO, Tatiana manages to play her part convincingly and is the first Bond girl that is on the same playing field as Bond, given that she is a Russian agent. Of course, this does not stop Bond from winning her over and charming her into defecting. It would prove a constant challenge to the James Bond series to try and create an equal for Bond and a compelling love interest, while still allowing for the action to drive the story. And, of course, I can't review a Bond film without mentioning Sean Connery's fabulous performance of the protagonist. Connery looks far more confident in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE and now seems to wear Bond's grace & wit naturally. When we first meet him in the film, we find him romancing Sylvia Trench, a woman we first met in DR. NO. She establishes the time of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE as occurring six months after his previous adventure. Connery is as smooth as ever with the ladies and seems even more relaxed than in his first adventure. Wonderfully understated, Sean Connery manages to deliver all of the dry one-liners with perfect taste and there is nothing campy about them. The romance is all hinted at and nicely done. Connery truly is the best Bond. No question.

Major Boothroyd (later known only as "Q") makes his second appearance in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, this time played by Desmond Llewelyn. Of course, Llewelyn would go on to reprise the role a record seventeen times. This time, Q is armed with the first official Bond gadget: a Swiss-army briefcase containing a compact folding rifle, forty rounds of ammunition, fifty gold sovereigns to serve as currency and bribery money in a pinch, a hidden throwing knife, and (most importantly) a defensive mechanism designed to harm those who try and open the case. If the case is opened improperly, a can of tear gas explodes, disabling prying eyes. Naturally, the gadget is put to full use later in the film, where the circumstances just happen to require its unique properties.

On the whole, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE features more action than DR. NO, and yet many complain that it is slow-paced. The meeting of Red Grant and Bond on the train is the best action sequence in the entire film and is one of the most brutal encounters Bond would ever have on screen. In fact, the spectacular helicopter chase and boat chase that round out the end of the film pale in comparison to the suspense generated in the close quarters of the Orient Express. For my tastes, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is perfectly paced and the film divides into several neat chapters.

If you're a fan of Bond films or espionage films in general, it doesn't get better than FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. Buy it today and don't delay. Just make sure that you skip this version for the Ultimate Edition DVD's.

A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!.......2007-01-28

This is one of the finest James Bond stories and films, and possibly *the* finest. The storyline in this film tracks the Ian Fleming novel almost perfectly, and generally when 007 films do this, they turn out for the better. This one exemplifies this.

The only deviation that this film takes from the Fleming novel (no spoiler here) is that Spectre, rather than Smersh, is the villain. This was evidently to avoid being anti-Soviet. The Fleming novel had no such qualms, and in the novel the Soviets are portrayed as frank thugs. No matter, other than the substitution of Spectre for Smersh (Smersh is the Soviet counterspy organization, the name of which roughly translates to "Death to Spies) this film tracks the novel with great fidelity.

This is a wonderful film. A beautiful Soviet cipher expert agrees to defect with a valuable code-breaking machine on condition that James Bond handles the defection. Of course, M and 007 smell a trap, but cannot pass up the chance to snag the priceless Soviet code machine. More would be telling, but this is a fast-paced, engaging, and classy film that will hold the viewer's interest.
As always, Sean Connery is perfect as agent 007, and carries off the role with class and elan. Highly recommended.

Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!.......2007-01-13

A beautifully remastered copy of From Russia with Love, full of vivid color and crisp detail. The Ultimate DVD edition includes still photos on and off-set of the cast, and includes director Terence Young and Ian Fleming. There are behind the scenes stories from the production crew, from Daniela Bianchi, a near-fatal helicopter crash for Young, and the very real danger Sean Connery was in during the helicopter scene near the end -- something Hollywood insurance companies probably wouldn't allow today. Also there is the story of Pedro Armendariz illness and death during filming, making From Russia with Love not only his last movie but the performance for which he is most remembered, Kerim Bey. A must have for Bond fans!

The film introduces "Q" to the series..........2006-12-31

For the first time, we are introduced to the leader of Spectre, Ernst Stavros Blofeld known as number one, and whose face remains hidden until "You Only Live Twice."

His goal is to steal a new decoder, the Lektor, from the office of the Russian consulate, heats up the Cold War by killing and attacking the Russians and the British, through their respective agents, the Bulgarians and the Gypsies...

Spectre has a feeling of resentment against Bond, because he eliminated Dr. No... He instructed number 5: "Let his death be a particularly unpleasant humiliating one."

Sean Connery's second portrayal of the Secret Agent 007 is right on target... Our patriot-libertine is always ready to seduce a pretty spy for his country... He is hard during his interrogation of Tatiana... That slap must have hurt... He has trouble disabling his vicious adversaries... His ultimate match with Klebb's poisoned toe cap left him sweaty... Luckily Tatiana knows which side to stand...

The charming Daniela Bianchi is Tatiana Romanova, a young Greta Garbo... She plays a pawn in Spectre blackmail scene... She knows her defection is fake but doesn't know that Klebb is a Spectre agent who will try to acquire the Lektor, and trap Bond at the same time... She also ignores that behind the mirror above the king sized bed, Spectre agents are secretly filming her love making with Bond from a cabinet de voyeur...

In his final appearance, Pedro Armendariz plays Bond's most memorable Turkish Ally, the delightful Ali Kerim Bey, head of Station T, in Turkey... Kerim Bey is the perfect combination of aggression and intelligence... (Dying of cancer and hospitalized in Los Angeles, this great Mexican actor, took a pistol from under his pillow and shot himself...)

Lotte Lenya plays number three, Rosa Klebb, former head of operations for SMERSH, and now a sadistic Spectre agent placed in control by the mysterious number one, who found Donald "Red" Grant fit enough for duty... This repugnant lady recruits the good-looking Tatiana from the Istanbul consulate... For her, "Training is useful, but there is no substitute for experience."

Robert Shaw is "Red" Grant, a psychopath training on Spectre island who has to take the decoding device from Bond... He is, perhaps, the most memorable assassin who succeeds in making Bond kneel...

Walter Gotell (later known as General Gogol) makes his first appearance in the series...

Vladek Sheybal plays the master planner, Spectre top operative on the mission, number five, Kronsteen... He is a chess master known as the "Wizard of Ice." His plan involves using Bond and Russian cipher clerk Tatiana as pawns...

Fred Haggerty plays the Bulgarian killer Krilencu... The way he is dealt with is very original...

"From Russia with Love" introduces "Q" to the series... Desmond Llewelyn isn't called "Q" yet, but the credits refer to him as Major Boothroyd, the equipment officer...

"From Russia with Love" is a straight spy adventure with lots of action and beautiful women: The attractive masseuse oiling Grant in the garden of Spectre training camp; Sylvia, the "interesting old case;" Kerim's slinky mistress lying on the settee, chews 'her breads and whines for attention;' Leila, the belly dancer at the Gypsy camp overwhelming Bond with her abdominal skill; the stunning two Gypsy girls (Vida and Rosa) whom Bond is told to select the victor in their Gypsy fight to the death; the lovely Tatiana lying naked in Bond's bed with only a black ribbon tied around her neck...

"From Russia with Love" is a splendidly entertaining film against exotic Istanbul and Venice backgrounds...

My Favorite James Bond Film.......2006-12-02

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE has always been my favorite James Bond film. Why? I can't say for sure. Being adversaries in the film, both Sean Connery and Robert Shaw both possessed enough masculinity and virility to square off against each other very convincingly in a highly dramatic and very physical display of fisticuffs in their ultimate confrontation aboard the Orient Express. Connery not only possessed enough polish, sophistication and wit as James Bond but he looked like he was more than capable of handling himself in any scrape. The enigmatic and chameleon-like Robert Shaw, though lacking social refinement, was probably Bond's greatest equal when they came face to face. Dramatically it was a duel between two blunt instruments. Philosophically the confrontation represented more than good against evil. The world's social hierarchy of the superiority of the sophisticated and cultured class opposed to the unrefined lower classes was at stake. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is full of emotion and energy. In a modern world filled with criminal minds living behind a veneer and facade of refinement it was just good to know that a worldly man like James Bond was on our side. Sean Connery embodied all those qualities.

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The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition
A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!
Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!
The film introduces "Q" to the series...
My Favorite James Bond Film

From Russia with Love
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz , Martine Beswick , Daniela Bianchi , Hasan Ceylan , and Sean Connery
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Beswick, Martine | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Connery, Sean | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gayson, Eunice | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gotell, Walter | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lee, Bernard | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lenya, Lotte | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Shaw, Robert | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wolff, Francis De | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

All Deals | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

You Only Live Twice
Dr. No (Special Edition)
Thunderball
Diamonds are Forever
Goldfinger

ASIN: 6303651461
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition.......2007-03-13

A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!.......2007-01-28

Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!.......2007-01-13

The film introduces "Q" to the series..........2006-12-31

My Favorite James Bond Film.......2006-12-02

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Special Mission Lady Chaplin
Director: Alberto De Martino
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( S ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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The Silent Partner

ASIN: B000JEPUB6

Product Description

Dick Malloy (Ken Clark) is a CIA Agent assigned to investigate a developing mystery involving the U.S.S. Thresher. With his wits, and a host of specialized weapons, he uncovers that the truth is worse than they imagined. The ship remains 2 miles below the surface of the sea floor, but the 16 Polaris missiles have been stolen. Only Kobre Zoltan (Jacques Bergerac), the wealthy, power hungry owner of an underwater salvage company, has the expertise and equipment to raise the Thresher. Dick Malloy follows his instincts to discover where the missing Polaris missiles are. All the while, the mysterious Lady Chaplin (Daniela Bianchi, "From Russia With Love") thwarts Dick's efforts. Who really is Lady Chaplin and what is her agenda? Special Mission Lady Chaplin was shot on location in New York, Spain, France, and Morocco. Philippe Hersent, Ida Galli, Helga Liné, and Mabel Karr round out this film's amazing supporting cast. Directed by Alberto De Martino with music score composed by Bruno Nicolai.

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Dirty Heroes
Starring: Frederick Stafford , Daniela Bianchi , Curd Jürgens , John Ireland , and Michel Constantin
Director: Alberto De Martino
Manufacturer: Vci Video
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Action & Combat | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

International | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

World War II | Military & War | Genres | VHS | Video

Celi, Adolfo | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Dawson, Anthony | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ireland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ross, Howard | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Deals Under $12 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Uprising
Men in War
Massacre in Rome (Remastered Edition)

ASIN: 6301302915
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Average customer rating:

The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition
A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!
Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!
The film introduces "Q" to the series...
My Favorite James Bond Film

Bond: From Russia With Love
Starring: Pedro Armendáriz , Martine Beswick , Daniela Bianchi , Hasan Ceylan , and Sean Connery
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Espionage | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | VHS | Video

Beswick, Martine | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Connery, Sean | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gayson, Eunice | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gotell, Walter | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lee, Bernard | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lenya, Lotte | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Shaw, Robert | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wolff, Francis De | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

You Only Live Twice
Dr. No (Special Edition)
Thunderball
Diamonds are Forever
Goldfinger

ASIN: 6302380561
Release Date: 1992-05-27

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

The Quintessential Bond Film: Skip this Edition for the Ultimate Edition.......2007-03-13

A James Bond Classic! 007 Rocks!.......2007-01-28

Great Digital Print and Behind the Scenes Stories - Awesome!.......2007-01-13

The film introduces "Q" to the series..........2006-12-31

My Favorite James Bond Film.......2006-12-02

Average customer rating:

Dirty Heroes
Starring: Frederick Stafford , Daniela Bianchi , Curd Jürgens , John Ireland , and Michel Constantin
Director: Alberto De Martino
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay Entertain
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Celi, Adolfo | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Dawson, Anthony | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ireland, John | ( I ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Ross, Howard | ( R ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Deals Under $8 | Today's Deals in Video | Features | VHS | Video

Uprising
Men in War
Massacre in Rome (Remastered Edition)

ASIN: 6302272491
Release Date: 1988-03-15

Average customer rating:

"She's had her kicks"
One of the Best

From Russia with Love [Region 2]
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Goldfinger
You Only Live Twice
Thunderball
Dr. No (Special Edition)

ASIN: B00004TLJR

Customer Reviews:

"She's had her kicks".......2006-11-22

One of the Best.......2006-11-21

Average customer rating:

From Russia with Love
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
ProductGroup: Video
Binding: VHS Tape

Beswick, Martine | ( B ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Connery, Sean | ( C ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gayson, Eunice | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Gotell, Walter | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lee, Bernard | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Lenya, Lotte | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Shaw, Robert | ( S ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Wolff, Francis De | ( W ) | Actors & Actresses | VHS | Video

Young, Terence | ( Y ) | Directors | VHS | Video

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | VHS | Video
ASIN: B00004CZGI

Average customer rating:

One of the best OO7 films
One of the Best James Bond Films of the Series
Ian Fleming's Bond Comes to Cinematic Fruition
"She's had her kicks"

From Russia with Love [Region 2]
Starring: Sean Connery , Daniela Bianchi , Pedro Armendáriz , Lotte Lenya , and Robert Shaw
Director: Terence Young
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

You Only Live Twice
Thunderball
Dr. No (Special Edition)
Diamonds are Forever

ASIN: B00004X0VA

Customer Reviews:

One of the best OO7 films.......2007-03-10

I am really concerned about this being number 18 on the lists of bond films. I thought it was one of the best. The reason why I think it is because the many awesome characters-James Bond, Red Grant, Kerim Bay, and Tatiana Romanova. Another reason is all the cool things that happenned- the exact same face as OO7 gets killed as a training tool by the disturbed mind of Red Grant, a helicopter, a meeting with Red Grant on a train, etc. It is better than "A View To A Kill," I can tell you that!

P.S. Good enough to buy too.

One of the Best James Bond Films of the Series.......2006-11-23

Ian Fleming's Bond Comes to Cinematic Fruition.......2006-11-22

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is one of the better Bond films in the series. It is probably Sean Connery's best depending if you prefer his performance here before he redefined his performance permanently in GOLDFINGER. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Sean Connery continued his portrayal of the character in the Fleming literary mold. It follows the directorial style of DR. NO. In FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE Connery refined his performance adding more depth to the character's worldliness, intellect, social graces and wry humor. The film's story and plot are very good. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. returns and we are introduced to Blofeld. This time the villains' plot is twofold as it lures James Bond and the Soviets into a tangled web of espionage from Istanbul to Venice as it unfolds like a travelogue of intrigue and adventure. There are so many superlatives to this film. The characters have real depth. The acting is excellent. The locations and sets breathe real life into the story. The fight scene in the gypsy camp is a triumph of choreography, cinematography and editing which is only equaled by the death struggle between Red Grant and Bond on the Orient Express. John Barry's first complete score brings a highly recognizable sound to the Bond series with his unique musical style. It works very well in this film as it works on both an intellectual and emotional level. I don't think Ian Fleming could not have asked for more.

"She's had her kicks".......2006-03-05

Actress:

Actress

Actress