Moonraker

(Lewis Gilbert, UK/France/US 1979, 126 min., 35mm)

Celebrating James Bond. In 1977, James Bond and The Spy Who Loved Me were outdone at the box office by a newcomer to the multiplex: Star Wars. Eon Productions gleaned a lesson from this, and just as how Live and Let Die was influenced by ’70s blaxploitation flicks, Moonraker would incorporate elements of the now-popular space adventure genre. For better or worse, this concept was paired with a bizarre sense of humor and a level of camp that makes Diamonds Are Forever look modest by comparison. This film marks the final appearance of both veteran actor Bernard Lee as M and Richard Kiel’s giant metal-toothed henchman, Jaws.