Octopussy (1983) Chase Four

The train chase. In East Germany, Bond steals General Orlov's Mercedes.


Two IFAs full of Red Army dudes try to give chase but are stopped by tire puncture barriers.


Bond drives on two wheels and gets away. But he drives over another barrier and blows all four of his tires. He drives his car onto the railroad track on rims. He chases Octopussy's Circus train and is shifted onto a parallel track. Orlov chases the Merc in a GAZ.


Bond improvises cruise control by using an umbrella on the gas pedal. Just as he jumps onto the train from his Merc, an oncoming train hits the Merc head-on, sending the sedan flying into a nearby river, where it crashes into a fishing boat. Orlov gets out of his GAZ and chases the train on foot, and is promptly shot in the back by East German guards at the border. The train, with Bond, escapes into West Germany.

CKY

Octopussy (1983) Chase Three

Probably the most ethnic chase. Gobinda, with an elephant gun, and two goons are in an Indian taxi and chase Vijay and Bond in a souped up taxi (Vijay is the driver).


Four goons in an olive green Jeep join in the chase. Vijay fends them off with a tennis racket. The Jeep crashes. Bond briefly flees on foot, and quickly rejoins Vijay. Bond throws rupee notes into the crowd to slow Gobinda. Vijay drives through a wall, where a big advert promptly covers the hole in the wall.

CKY

Octopussy (1983) Chase Two

This is a very short follow. After the Faberge egg auction in London, Kamal Khan and Magda get in a Mercedes Pullman driven by Gobinda.


Bond gives a fellow agent the signal to follow the Mercedes in an Austin taxicab. End scene.


CKY

Octopussy (1983) Chase One

This chase is the opening sequence for the movie. A sultry lady drives Bond to a South American air force base in a two door Range Rover convertible towing a horse trailer.


Bond impersonates an officer and is promptly arrested. He is taken away in the back of an army GMC truck.


Bond's companion distracts the guards and Bond jumps into the back of the Rover. He promptly blasts the driver of the GMC truck, sending it crashing into a farmhouse. A number of army vehicles, including two motorcycles, two Jeeps, and two Dodges begin chasing the Rover.


Bond climbs into the horse trailer, disconnects it from the Rover, and out comes the Acrojet.


After kicking some serious ass and blowing up an airplane hangar, Bond escapes and lands at a filling station.


CKY

For Your Eyes Only (1981) Chase Two

After raiding Kristatos' factory, Bond chases Locque in his Mercedes-Benz 450SEL on foot up a hill. By taking the stairs, Bond catches up and shoots the driver in the right shoulder. Locque loses control and slides his car to the edge of a cliff. Bond kicks it over.


CKY

The Legacy of Chinggis / Genghis Khan

I finally saw Mongol the movie last night. Though it was a little on the long side, I was glad to have watched it. I think the movie is important not because it was so great, but because it was long overdue. Financed in part by the Kazakhs, it showed that proud Central Asians finally had the money and organizational wherewithal to put together a grand homage to their hero/demigod. It was as much a national vanity project as an attempt to make a serious biopic.

The Yoke of History.

So how is Genghis / Chinggis Khan's name and likeness used? In the post-Soviet era of fervent capitalism, his name is plastered everyhere, from Motorola phones to vodka. Here is just a sampling of vodka bottles bearing the great Khan's mug.






CKY

Kashgar Olympic Torch Run: A Day of Thanks

Thanks, Chairman Mao, for your fatherly guidance of our people.

Thanks, PLA comrades, for watching out for our safety.

Thanks, officers, for protecting our freedom to worship.

Thanks, Uyghur imams, for selling out.

CKY

2008 Election MVP: Chuck Todd

As we spend this Father's Day mourning the loss of Tim Russert, we should celebrate the gift that Russert gave to this year's election-- NBC Political Director Chuck Todd.

Until recently, I've avoided the loudmouths and pundits of cable news. This primary season, I started off watching CNN's coverage. Slowly, I moved over to MSNBC. And though Matthews and Olbermann are entertaining to watch, it was Chuck Todd that kept me tuned.

I believe Russert hired Todd because he saw a younger version of himself in Todd-- hard-working, humble, smart, and honest. Although Todd is no Russert, by any stretch of the imagination, they have a lot of the same qualities. Good qualities.

Watching Todd work throughout the primary season has been fun and informative. His general election analysis will no doubt be just as insightful. Russert's greatest gift to us this election cycle wasn't his declaration that the race was over for Hillary, it was the hiring last year of Chuck Todd.

Apparently, my respect for Todd is shared by others. Here is a great article written by Howie Kurtz and an actual, honest to goodness, Chuck Todd fan site. Chucky T., you rock!

CKY

For Your Eyes Only (1981) Chase One

My favorite Bond chase of all time. Two sinister Peugeots, a limber 2CV, and cheesy 80s muzak in the Spanish countryside. It doesn't get any better than this.


CKY

Moonraker (1979) Chase One

Bond lands in Rio and is picked up in a Rolls.


Manuela, a Brazilian agent, follows Bond in an MP Lafer, a Brazilian MG replica. She snaps a few phtoss, makes a u-turn, and ends the "follow".


CKY