More Looks At Moonraker

videoarchives
August 9, 2022

Today on the After Show, Judge Gala oversaw the biggest trial in the short life of this podcast so far!

Listen to Roger and Quentin go toe to toe with even more Moonraker discussion, debating everything from the villainous Hugo Drax, to the structure of the film, to the gondola chase and the value of animal reaction shots. Are you Team Roger or Team Quentin? Tune in to draw your final conclusions, and get more Moonraker facts here on Counter Talk…

Before I get started – did you know we now have Video Archives merch? Go to Podswag.com and search for Video Archives to get your hands on T-shirts, hats, mugs and stickers! Here are Roger (with listener @jonpaul.lewis) and Gala showing off their shirts at our screening at Whammy Analog:

And speaking of, thank you Whammy for hosting the first ever Video Archives live event, a VHS screening of Cocaine Cowboys! If you live in the LA area and want to start building your own VHS collection, you have to stop by Whammy. We loved seeing so many of you there for probably the most popular screening of Cocaine Cowboys ever – stay tuned, because there may be more live events coming…

I don’t have any new VHS covers to show you, but I did get a kick out of comparing the Moonraker tape to other Moonraker art before and after this VHS release. Here’s that CBS/Fox VHS tape again, showing off the incredible main poster for the film:

There were a couple alternate posters made for Moonraker as well - one almost downplays the space aspect, showcasing some of the more terrestrial set-pieces from the film like that infamous gondola chase, as if to say "Don't worry Bond fans, if you're looking for a more traditional secret agent adventure, you'll be happy too:"

However, this other alternate poster leans in the opposite direction, supplementing Holly Goodhead with a bevy of other women lovingly surrounding Bond, perfectly posed in the depths of space. And none of them are wearing helmets! Setting a very bad example for future astronauts:

When MGM/UA got a chance to do their own Moonraker video release in 1988, they weren't content to reuse the poster, switching to this 'improved,' weirdly plasticine Moore-focused art for the 007-series special edition:

By the time we get to the 2000 DVD release, all personality has been lost, a placid Moore promo shot under a title in vaguely sci-fi typeface:

Finally, today I'm going to start an occasional series where I show off a cool detail from the Archives rooms! Recording here is a trip, because every nook and cranny of the space has an amazing piece of memorabilia or eye-catching accessory, and I catch something new every time we tape an episode. Just look at this wind-up T-Rex on the shelf keeping Ozu's Equinox Flower company. Is it from a movie or TV show, or just a dino toy? Who knows? (Maybe you do!)

That’s it for this week – next week we’ve got a whole new triptych of films for you! Remember to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and tell your friends about the show: even rating the show on Apple or Spotify helps! You can hear even more Quentin and Roger on the ReelBlend and Unspooled podcasts from last week. And we’re still taking your letters for a future mailbag segment – just send them to The Video Archives Podcast, c/o Earwolf Media, PO Box 66, 5551 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA, 90028.

–Josh