A long argument has been debated on who is the best James Bond, with a total of six candidates. With Australian actor George Lazenby, and that actor from Hawks named Timothy Dalton each appearing in less than three movies, that rules the two out, while Pierce Brosnan is also scratched out by appearing in only one good James Bond movie out of four in Goldeneye. And while Daniel Craig is posing as a strong contender for the best James Bond… he doesn’t have any Bond movies on Videocassette, so you now may know where this is going. Hell, even Celebrity Deathmatch beat me to the punch with the idea almost 16 years ago. It’s Sean Connery vs Roger Moore to settle the Battle of the Bonds in the VHS war!
…The VHS Surprises…
To fight the fight for Sean Connery (and to be fair, I’m only focusing on the official Bond films), we have arguably the weakest film that he made as James Bond, being Diamonds are Forever, with the VHS being made coincidentally in 1983. Fighting on Roger Moore’s side is certainly not one of his best works as Bond, in The Man with the Golden Gun, with the VHS made a year earlier in 1982, thus making it one of the oldest videocassettes I’ve owned by default (along with the Heaven Can Wait VHS from Rigby-CIC Video). And already they have something in common: both of them are rental Videocassettes released by Warner Home Video. The reason why is because a deal was made betwixt the two companies, whilst MGM… was yet to get their movies out another way until 1983, through PBV at the time.
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Both of the Videocassettes are similar to each to each other, yet the two copies I own are both rental Videocassettes, unlike the two shown above.
The similarities with both VHS’s are identical; both of them were packaged in clamshells (a popular packaging feature back in the early 80’s) made by Warner Home Video, and both of them showcase the movie’s poster, part of the plot which appears to be summed up by a paragraph, and the main cast. I can tell you that Diamonds are already pulling ahead, because it features 12 cast members, whilst Golden Gun only shows a quarter of that! Must’ve been an early era for the latter VHS…
The stickers differ as well; Both of them carry the mandatory Warner Home Video polarised seal, and also the ’20 cents’ sticker (which is the cost of every videocassette I can nab by the way), both have different stickers. Diamonds carries a somewhat torn brown square sticker on the spine, a number 4 sticker, a ‘Strictly 1 Day Hire Only’ sticker (which is ruined at a corner, and it even carries a square ‘M’ rated sticker (which was one of the early ways to tell what rating the VHS was, even though it could complicate things as well in some cases). Golden Gun, on the other hand carries a square sticker with the letter ‘D’ in blue ink and the number ‘68’ on the front and spine respectively, while as it is opened, it also carries a white rectangular sticker, presumably indicating how many times it was rented and/or played, totalling four times when I bought it.
And with the Videocassettes, it’s the same story; completely black Scotch VHS tapes made in the U.S.A, both carrying the same top and front stickers (with Golden Gun looking slightly superior), both carry the polarised seal, and they also carry the similar stickers on the cover, such as the letter sticker (in Diamonds’ case, it is ‘E’) and the number sticker. On the one hand, the Diamonds are Forever Videocassette stickers looks to have weather the test of time, with both major stickers looking dirty, whilst The Man with the Golden Gun’s polarised seal is on the other way around. At this point, it truly is a neck-and-neck game, but will this change when they’re both put in?
Credit goes to Logo Archive for the upload of this rare warning. I'm assuming that it ended before 1984 began, since a WHV/UA Videocassette (Trail of the Pink Panther) of that mentioned year never had that.
Well, when they’re put in, it’s the same story, but a completely different thing that I have seen. Both videocassettes feature a rather ware Warner Home Video/United Artists warning, probably only seen on a couple of Videocassettes at the time. Diamonds starts with the warning right off the bat, whilst Golden Gun takes 30-40 seconds, but they both start and finish the same way. And they also carried the plastered United Artists logo of 1982 at the time, and would immediately run with the feature presentation.
Speaking of the feature presentation, both videocassettes, surprisingly, have above average quality: clear visuals and sounds, no signs of flickering, and were amazingly well-treated (despite the fact that both videocassettes were rentals, and are over 30 years of age. Out of the two films, however, the one that I would want to see more commonly would have to be Diamonds are Forever. The reason why is because Sean Connery, despite showing signs of aging in his early 40s, still puts on a show and gives a consistent performance, yet Golden Gun, on the other hand, has more unusual moments, including Tattoo portraying the Villain’s henchman (played by Christopher Lee, famous for his roles of Dracula, Lord Summerisle, and Scaramanga himself). The barrel stunt, however, I have no complaints with it, especially when there’s Sherriff J.W. Pepper and the slide whistle involved.
By the time both videocassettes finished the movie (yes, I’ve been watching until the very end of many videocassettes to see if there are hidden easter eggs or surprises), Diamonds cut to black almost immediately, whilst Golden Gun showcased another warning screen from Warner Home Video, showcased on a blue screen with orange text. Apparently, this was a warning for rental videocassettes, yet since it didn’t appear on Diamonds, I would assume that it was only before 1983.
Credit goes to Dan Openings for the Rental Warning. However, this Warning only appeared at the end of The Man with the Golden Gun, and did not have the 'Warner Home Video' logo nor the '1982 United Artists' logo attached.
And now it comes down to the final part to settle this duel; the ejection. Diamonds managed to escape with ease, yet Golden Gun ultimately falters, due to an unreliable spring in the Videocassette (which has been a relatively rare feature I have found with some old and somewhat modern Videocassettes), thus helping me decide a winner in the truly neck-and-neck race. And so, going by this VHS war, Sean Connery triumphs over Roger Moore in the Battle of the Bonds!
But in the end, both of them actually do hold their own, and they both excel in their own way. Connery succeeds in portraying a serious Bond in the most part, and has taken down the villain in some unique ways, yet Moore has literally travelled around the world by Moonraker, and even was the one Bond who defeated Blofeld for good in For Your Eyes Only. He also has the ability to kill with his foot, yet Connery could punch a villain to his eventual death. Both of them played Bond an unprecedented seven times, with Moore being the oldest to portray Bond at the age of 57, while Connery first reached that mark (unofficially) with Never Say Never. With the two, it’s literally hard to pull the two apart.
But maybe it’ll turn into a three-horse race someday, when Daniel Craig gets his golden watch after his finishes his contract and role as James Bond. And when that day comes, it’ll be torture trying to pick the best Bond out of the three.
Final Score
VHS Cover: 8/10 (Diamonds), 7.5/10 (Golden Gun) – Both are truly hard to tear apart if you remove the stickers, yet Diamonds just squeaks by with a larger cast that is quadrupled compared to what Golden Gun has.
Videocassette: 8.5/10 (Diamonds), 8/10 (Golden Gun) – Both have the similar stickers, yet Golden Gun is the cleaner of the two. However, that is sacrificed due to the failure to eject, unlike Diamonds.
Quality: 9/10 (Both) – For over 30 years, both Videocassettes have amazing quality. I’m really lucky to have both of the Rental Videocassettes in good quality!
Warning: 7.5/10 (Diamonds), 8/10 (Golden Gun) – Both of them feature the rare Warner Home Video/United Artists warning, yet Golden Gun has the added ‘Rental Warning’ at the very end of the VHS.
Logo: 6/10 (Both) – The still Warner Home Video logo is uninspiring, and the 1982 United Artists logo is a clear plaster.
Previews/Other Features: I’ve decided to bar this part of the rating, since neither of them have any previews due to the fact they were rental videocassettes.
Final Score: 39/50 (Diamonds), 38.5/50 (Golden Gun). Diamonds brings the win home for Connery, just by the skin of its tape.
…The VHS Surprises…
To fight the fight for Sean Connery (and to be fair, I’m only focusing on the official Bond films), we have arguably the weakest film that he made as James Bond, being Diamonds are Forever, with the VHS being made coincidentally in 1983. Fighting on Roger Moore’s side is certainly not one of his best works as Bond, in The Man with the Golden Gun, with the VHS made a year earlier in 1982, thus making it one of the oldest videocassettes I’ve owned by default (along with the Heaven Can Wait VHS from Rigby-CIC Video). And already they have something in common: both of them are rental Videocassettes released by Warner Home Video. The reason why is because a deal was made betwixt the two companies, whilst MGM… was yet to get their movies out another way until 1983, through PBV at the time.
Both of the Videocassettes are similar to each to each other, yet the two copies I own are both rental Videocassettes, unlike the two shown above.
The similarities with both VHS’s are identical; both of them were packaged in clamshells (a popular packaging feature back in the early 80’s) made by Warner Home Video, and both of them showcase the movie’s poster, part of the plot which appears to be summed up by a paragraph, and the main cast. I can tell you that Diamonds are already pulling ahead, because it features 12 cast members, whilst Golden Gun only shows a quarter of that! Must’ve been an early era for the latter VHS…
The stickers differ as well; Both of them carry the mandatory Warner Home Video polarised seal, and also the ’20 cents’ sticker (which is the cost of every videocassette I can nab by the way), both have different stickers. Diamonds carries a somewhat torn brown square sticker on the spine, a number 4 sticker, a ‘Strictly 1 Day Hire Only’ sticker (which is ruined at a corner, and it even carries a square ‘M’ rated sticker (which was one of the early ways to tell what rating the VHS was, even though it could complicate things as well in some cases). Golden Gun, on the other hand carries a square sticker with the letter ‘D’ in blue ink and the number ‘68’ on the front and spine respectively, while as it is opened, it also carries a white rectangular sticker, presumably indicating how many times it was rented and/or played, totalling four times when I bought it.
And with the Videocassettes, it’s the same story; completely black Scotch VHS tapes made in the U.S.A, both carrying the same top and front stickers (with Golden Gun looking slightly superior), both carry the polarised seal, and they also carry the similar stickers on the cover, such as the letter sticker (in Diamonds’ case, it is ‘E’) and the number sticker. On the one hand, the Diamonds are Forever Videocassette stickers looks to have weather the test of time, with both major stickers looking dirty, whilst The Man with the Golden Gun’s polarised seal is on the other way around. At this point, it truly is a neck-and-neck game, but will this change when they’re both put in?
Credit goes to Logo Archive for the upload of this rare warning. I'm assuming that it ended before 1984 began, since a WHV/UA Videocassette (Trail of the Pink Panther) of that mentioned year never had that.
Well, when they’re put in, it’s the same story, but a completely different thing that I have seen. Both videocassettes feature a rather ware Warner Home Video/United Artists warning, probably only seen on a couple of Videocassettes at the time. Diamonds starts with the warning right off the bat, whilst Golden Gun takes 30-40 seconds, but they both start and finish the same way. And they also carried the plastered United Artists logo of 1982 at the time, and would immediately run with the feature presentation.
Speaking of the feature presentation, both videocassettes, surprisingly, have above average quality: clear visuals and sounds, no signs of flickering, and were amazingly well-treated (despite the fact that both videocassettes were rentals, and are over 30 years of age. Out of the two films, however, the one that I would want to see more commonly would have to be Diamonds are Forever. The reason why is because Sean Connery, despite showing signs of aging in his early 40s, still puts on a show and gives a consistent performance, yet Golden Gun, on the other hand, has more unusual moments, including Tattoo portraying the Villain’s henchman (played by Christopher Lee, famous for his roles of Dracula, Lord Summerisle, and Scaramanga himself). The barrel stunt, however, I have no complaints with it, especially when there’s Sherriff J.W. Pepper and the slide whistle involved.
By the time both videocassettes finished the movie (yes, I’ve been watching until the very end of many videocassettes to see if there are hidden easter eggs or surprises), Diamonds cut to black almost immediately, whilst Golden Gun showcased another warning screen from Warner Home Video, showcased on a blue screen with orange text. Apparently, this was a warning for rental videocassettes, yet since it didn’t appear on Diamonds, I would assume that it was only before 1983.
Credit goes to Dan Openings for the Rental Warning. However, this Warning only appeared at the end of The Man with the Golden Gun, and did not have the 'Warner Home Video' logo nor the '1982 United Artists' logo attached.
And now it comes down to the final part to settle this duel; the ejection. Diamonds managed to escape with ease, yet Golden Gun ultimately falters, due to an unreliable spring in the Videocassette (which has been a relatively rare feature I have found with some old and somewhat modern Videocassettes), thus helping me decide a winner in the truly neck-and-neck race. And so, going by this VHS war, Sean Connery triumphs over Roger Moore in the Battle of the Bonds!
But in the end, both of them actually do hold their own, and they both excel in their own way. Connery succeeds in portraying a serious Bond in the most part, and has taken down the villain in some unique ways, yet Moore has literally travelled around the world by Moonraker, and even was the one Bond who defeated Blofeld for good in For Your Eyes Only. He also has the ability to kill with his foot, yet Connery could punch a villain to his eventual death. Both of them played Bond an unprecedented seven times, with Moore being the oldest to portray Bond at the age of 57, while Connery first reached that mark (unofficially) with Never Say Never. With the two, it’s literally hard to pull the two apart.
But maybe it’ll turn into a three-horse race someday, when Daniel Craig gets his golden watch after his finishes his contract and role as James Bond. And when that day comes, it’ll be torture trying to pick the best Bond out of the three.
Final Score
VHS Cover: 8/10 (Diamonds), 7.5/10 (Golden Gun) – Both are truly hard to tear apart if you remove the stickers, yet Diamonds just squeaks by with a larger cast that is quadrupled compared to what Golden Gun has.
Videocassette: 8.5/10 (Diamonds), 8/10 (Golden Gun) – Both have the similar stickers, yet Golden Gun is the cleaner of the two. However, that is sacrificed due to the failure to eject, unlike Diamonds.
Quality: 9/10 (Both) – For over 30 years, both Videocassettes have amazing quality. I’m really lucky to have both of the Rental Videocassettes in good quality!
Warning: 7.5/10 (Diamonds), 8/10 (Golden Gun) – Both of them feature the rare Warner Home Video/United Artists warning, yet Golden Gun has the added ‘Rental Warning’ at the very end of the VHS.
Logo: 6/10 (Both) – The still Warner Home Video logo is uninspiring, and the 1982 United Artists logo is a clear plaster.
Previews/Other Features: I’ve decided to bar this part of the rating, since neither of them have any previews due to the fact they were rental videocassettes.
Final Score: 39/50 (Diamonds), 38.5/50 (Golden Gun). Diamonds brings the win home for Connery, just by the skin of its tape.