45 Years of Bondage: Every James Bond Gun Barrel Sequence
Filed under: Action, MGM, Sony, United Artists, DIY/Filmmaking, James Bond, Seven Days of 007
It's Casino Royale weekend! Sadly, it also means our (00)7 Days of James Bond will be drawing to a close as well. For your enjoyment and consideration, we've consolidated all of the opening gun barrel sequences to the James Bond films here.
I used to think this was a camera shutter when I was younger. It was only later that I finally realized it was a rifled gun barrel. Imagine my chagrin at all those years of wondering, "Why does James Bond not like photographers?"
Some trivia:
- The first three films didn't even have a Bond actor in this sequence. They were all filmed using stuntman Bob Simmons.
- Sean Connery made his debut as Bond the in the gun barrel sequence with Thunderball.
- Lazenby was the only Bond to drop to one knee while firing.
- Bond wore a hat and fired one-handed until 1973's Live And Let Die.
- Since The Spy Who Loved Me, Bond only wears a tuxedo in the opening, although that appears to change in the new film.
- 1985's A View To A Kill features a text card just before the sequence stating that the Max Zorin character does not reflect any person or company in real life.
- Die Another Day has Bond's gun firing a bullet that you actually see passing through the assassin's gun barrel. Nice shot, Mr. Bond. This was done to commemorate the 20th Bond film, and to celebrate more than 40 years of Bond.
- In the teaser trailer for Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is actually in a tiled restroom when he turns and fires, not the normal white background.
- The sequence was shot through a pinhole camera in an actual rifle barrel until GoldenEye. It has been CG-animated ever since.
Dr. No
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Diamonds Are Forever
Live And Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
For Your Eyes Only
Octopussy
A View To A Kill
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
The World Is Not Enough
Die Another Day
Casino Royale
Bonus!
The Simpsons Gunbarrel Opening
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-18-2006 @ 10:21AM
RP said...
It's a shame the casino royale blood crawl used in the film proper (it's different from in the trailer) is so hysterically rubbish.
I laughed rather loudly at it in the cinema.
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11-18-2006 @ 2:15PM
modenadude said...
Yah - if the new Casino Royale barrel sequence is anything like the one shown here... it's the worst - ever.
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11-18-2006 @ 3:12PM
RP said...
No, the barrel sequence is fine. It's intergrated into the film really well. It's just the blood that's crap.
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11-18-2006 @ 3:29PM
Beeslo said...
Actually, after seeing Casino Royale...I think its one of my favorites. I loved the fact you actually see who the gun barrel belongs to and how it fits to the scene. Oddly enough, I completely forgot about the gun sequence until this happened and I quite enjoyed it.
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11-18-2006 @ 9:30PM
Dave Duringer said...
Most of the 2,000,000 or so Americans with concealed weapon permits are not very impressed with Hollywood gun handling, including that shown in the Bond films. I know it's just theater, but kids watch this stuff and then make deadly mistakes when they handle firearms - http://www.worldexaminer.com/gun_safety/index.html -there is little gun education in schools and kids just go by what they see on TV.
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11-19-2006 @ 2:05AM
Geoffrey Miguel said...
Golden Eye one is probably my favorite. Brosman had great posture, great looking shoulders, he doesn't over exzagerate like old classic ones.
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11-19-2006 @ 9:42AM
Alex Nunez said...
I love you guys for compiling these all in one place.
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11-20-2006 @ 1:59PM
DoctorDonut said...
Here's one bullet through a barrel that was cut from Casino Royale
http://www.theweeklydonut.org/index.php/category/james-bond/
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11-30-2006 @ 7:05PM
blah said...
Every gunbarrel is a legend to the bond series. Lets just hope they bring it back. it was wrong not having it in casino royale without the bond theme. tho the theme saved til the end of the film was rather cool.
Bring back the gunbarrel
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1-02-2007 @ 8:03PM
Danil said...
The tone of the gun shot always represents the tone of the film.
Die Another Day used the effect of the bullet only to signify the strong and dark effect of Brosnan and to recognise it for being the 20th.
Casino Royale however, got it over and done with to show not much significance and is alot more darker and lethal as well showing the audience its refreshed :D
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