On Her Majesty's Secret Service - The LS Cut

For me, the amazing action, cinematography and music in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service make the film one of the richest pleasures in the Bond series. No doubt the public would agree with this assessment had Connery stayed on as Bond, if only because so many people dismiss the film due to Lazenby. It must also be said that OHMSS – which features Bond falling in love, resigning and getting married – is probably the least appropriate story with which to introduce a new actor.

But what can you do? Last Survivor removes many of Bond’s worst lines, improving Lazenby’s performance (I would have liked to see several other lines dropped, such as “He’s branched off”). LS also wisely cuts references to previous Bond adventures, which in the original film only ensure that Lazenby is haunted by his predecessor in the role.

Scenes are cut so that Tracy can return to the film sooner. Nancy’s seduction is not missed, as it only echoes Ruby’s seduction; neither is Bond’s bash-up with the SPECTRE goons in the barn filled with bells, as there’s plenty more action extravaganza to enjoy. LS also fixes a few pet peeves, such as some goofy editing in the stock car rally and the mistimed detonation countdown at Piz Gloria.

But I feel the editor has cut too much in an effort to speed up the second act. The amusing idea that Bond (posing as Sir Hilary Bray) doesn’t like women isn’t properly established when the dinner scene is trimmed so heavily. Not a huge loss, but the film is less rich for the cut. What is a huge loss, for me, is Telly Savalas’ menacing, take-no-prisoners performance as Blofeld in the curling scene. Blofeld later calls Campbell, the bumbling climber, a “brilliant conversationalist” – a line dripping with condescension, my fav line in the film – but it doesn’t work without Blofeld confronting Campbell at the curling game. While the curling scene certainly could have been shorter, I think excising it completely is a mistake. Blofeld's presence is also diminished when he's not even on screen, as Bond and Bunt's "characteristic ambition" exchange (another fav of mine) is gone, and we hear less in the dinner scene about how much Blofeld controls the clinic's patients.

I found no issues with video or audio quality, and the video editing is seamless. Two issues in audio editing: there’s a loud pop at 52:13; and although I appreciate the option of “We Have All the Time in the World” over the titles sequence (it’s not for me), I would have preferred this option appear in the second audio track, rather than the main audio track, where it took me by surprise (not in a fun way).

I did enjoy the inclusion of John Barry’s “Bond Settles In” when Bond, er, settles in at Piz Gloria. Perhaps a future edit could also include Barry’s beautiful “Dusk at Piz Gloria,” which was unfathomably cut from the original film (you can find the track synced to the proper scene on YouTube). Also, props to LS for using the film’s original mono track, so we can hear all the glorious ‘60s SFX, and for his commentary track, which contains great insight into the mind of an editor and Bond fan.

In summary: The LS Cut makes all the changes necessary to bring OHMSS closer to perfection. However, the removal of too much material (particularly regarding Blofeld and the “angels of death”) brings the film back down for me.

Another Bond from LS always feels like X-Mas to me :-). I'm esp. thrilled that this one doesn't seek to "rescue" an obnoxious entry, but to improve upon an already good one. LS keeps showing his dedication to the Fleming spirit of the series in his stellar commentary and defines the "gold standard" together with HAL9000.

It's a pity some technical problems hamper further improvements, I for one wouldn't mind to see the cartoon-style action scenes slowed down. And I agree that "when in doubt, cut one-line jokes" is the way to go. Concerning the (on a PC screen nearly invisible) compression artifacts in the deep shadows: Afaik crazy bitrates aren't the only or best solution for this, but proper encoder tuning. I suggest you seek help on the doom9 video forum with a sample clip, esp. if you're doing the final encode with x264 this should be solvable.

But these are minor nitpicks, because LS convinced me that OMSS is a “golden age” movie and Lazenby is an authentic Bond after all. It’s amazing to see good fan-editors identify and solve key problems and how much a movie can benefit from dedicated work. After you’ve been told what the problems are, it’s all clear, but figuring it out is another matter altogether...

... and LS got it right: The basic problem I always had enjoying this one is that the Tracy love story seemed so disconnected from the dragging Bond vs. villain part. And all the references to the "real" Connery made Lazenby look like a single O who cannot decide between traditional promiscuity and being a soft Bond with a skirt. LS' edit solves these problems, and I can hardly wait what Bond movie he'll tackle next!

My favourite fan editor is BACK! And he does not disappoint!!!

The original OHMSS seems to divide many Bond fans, some praise it, others seem to loathe it. As a casual Bond watcher, it has always fallen somewhere in the middle for me. It has a fantastic cast in Rigg and Salvalas and some truly spectacular stunt work. Lazenby definitely has the physicality for Bond and exudes the needed confidence, though his inexperience at times shines through. His performance in the original was also hampered by the producers constantly injecting references to previous Bond movies in the film, thus keeping the ghost of Connery present throughout the film and causing Lazenby to never truly own the role.

Luckily, this frustrating weakness has been smartly removed by Last Survivor. The suggestion of past exploits remain, but the blatant over the top/in your face references through past movie soundtracks, one liners and trophies are gone. This small but significant change goes a long way to make Lazenby immediately more acceptable as the new OO7.

The other weakness of the original film for me has always been the second act. As soon as Tracy disappears from the screen and Bond begins his investigation/infiltration of Blofled's headquarters, the movie moves like molasses. But again, it is here LS makes the most of his cuts. His edit choices are smart and very well executed; they keep the story moving forward as fast as possible without losing any vital plot.

Last Survivor's overall edit work has improved the story significantly, and clearly enhances Lazenby's performance and proves to me he had the potential to be one of the great Bonds.

But LS's work does not end in mere story editing. As always, he has done some truly incredible audio replacement work. I watched the Alternate Audio version and was blown away! I think his music switching and changes are sheer genius and far superior to the original! Great work mate!

If I were to nit-pick....There is also a couple of instances of clever audio/dialogue dubbing that works though slightly noticeable. Also, the jump cut during the conversation between Bond and Draco is a bit off putting, I completely understand why it was done. Some of the more cringe worthy one liners remain. And there is some minor video artifacts/compression in the blacks. But none of these detract from the enjoyment I experienced with watching.

But for me, the absolute best part of this edit is Last Survivor's commentary. I have said it before, but LS delivers some of the best, most engaging, informative commentaries I have ever had the pleasure to listen to... he puts many professional dvd commentaries to shame. What I enjoy so much about his commentaries is the sheer love for the material he has and how infectious it is. When I listen to LS's love for Bond, I begin to love Bond. I see the character and the franchise in a new way. It makes me want to go out experience more Bond -- watch more Bond movies, research more about Bond, read the books, etc. Anyone and everyone who watches this or any of LS's previous edits, MUST take the time to listen to Last Survivor's insights and comments. To do otherwise, is to do your self a great disservice.

So to recap, a brilliant edit both technically and narratively. Definitely superior to the original in my opinion and well worth watching for both Bond fan and non-fan alike.

BOTH THUMBS WAY, WAY, WAY UP!!! :)