How about four seasons and EIGHT movies?
August 20, 2015 1:30 PM Subscribe
Hollywood's reboot-a-palooza continues with the recent release of "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", based on the classic 1960's television series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum. However, this is far from the first time the property has been in theaters.
The show's popularity at the time inspired the creators do some inspired recycling: Take one or two episodes, add some additional footage too hot for sixties TV, re-title the result and put it on the big screen. This resulted in eight feature films released in Europe and (in the case of the first few titles) the United States.
Enjoy some vintage 1960's spy goodness with these trailers:
To Trap a Spy (1964)
The Spy with My Face (1965)
One Spy Too Many (1966)
One of Our Spies Is Missing (1966)
The Spy in the Green Hat (1966)
The Karate Killers (1967)
The Helicopter Spies (1968)
How to Steal the World (1968)
The show's popularity at the time inspired the creators do some inspired recycling: Take one or two episodes, add some additional footage too hot for sixties TV, re-title the result and put it on the big screen. This resulted in eight feature films released in Europe and (in the case of the first few titles) the United States.
Enjoy some vintage 1960's spy goodness with these trailers:
To Trap a Spy (1964)
The Spy with My Face (1965)
One Spy Too Many (1966)
One of Our Spies Is Missing (1966)
The Spy in the Green Hat (1966)
The Karate Killers (1967)
The Helicopter Spies (1968)
How to Steal the World (1968)
A bunch of these trailers were in the Alamo Drafthouse pre-show. My husband was interested in putting them in our Netflix queue after seeing them.
posted by immlass at 1:46 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by immlass at 1:46 PM on August 20, 2015
The Man From Uncle reruns on CBN (formerly Christian Broadcast Network, now ABC Family) were very important to developing my love of 1960s spies and fictional United Nations organizations.
I still haven't seen the new movie, but I did very much enjoy this article ("A sexy ’60s spy got dumbed down in Guy Ritchie’s new Man From U.N.C.L.E."), which is mostly about how hot David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin was but in a cultural historical context.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:47 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
I still haven't seen the new movie, but I did very much enjoy this article ("A sexy ’60s spy got dumbed down in Guy Ritchie’s new Man From U.N.C.L.E."), which is mostly about how hot David McCallum's Illya Kuryakin was but in a cultural historical context.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 1:47 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
Between emma peel snd illya kuryakin I think half of all sexual awakenings in the 60s were spy related
posted by The Whelk at 1:52 PM on August 20, 2015 [12 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 1:52 PM on August 20, 2015 [12 favorites]
Between emma peel and illya kuryakin
I just had a sexual awakening of my own.
posted by maxsparber at 1:54 PM on August 20, 2015 [14 favorites]
I just had a sexual awakening of my own.
posted by maxsparber at 1:54 PM on August 20, 2015 [14 favorites]
Was kind of hoping for a successful sort-of implementation of the period 60s Bond thing we all want.
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 2:05 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
The trailer for The Karate Killers is pure gold. Also, a mispronunciation by the portentious narrator gives us a wonderful new phrase: "Diabolical sad-ism is their trademark." Oooh, I like that. They make people sad...diabolically.
That's totally gonna be my new thing. Diabolical sad-ism.
The "movie" also has Joan Crawford, Kim Darby, and Telly Savalas, and the music is very much of the era, that Batman-esque adventurey-jaunty style. It has Herbert Lom, a secret villain lair in the arctic, hilarious "karate" fights, motorcycle stunts, and killer geishas.
HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THIS?
posted by Harvey Jerkwater at 2:07 PM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
That's totally gonna be my new thing. Diabolical sad-ism.
The "movie" also has Joan Crawford, Kim Darby, and Telly Savalas, and the music is very much of the era, that Batman-esque adventurey-jaunty style. It has Herbert Lom, a secret villain lair in the arctic, hilarious "karate" fights, motorcycle stunts, and killer geishas.
HOW HAVE I NEVER SEEN THIS?
posted by Harvey Jerkwater at 2:07 PM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
Releasing TV as a movie outside of the U.S. reminds of how I saw Battlestar Galactica in a Canadian theater over summer vacation.
I came back to my U.S. elementary school telling my friends I had just seen a Star Wars-quality movie in Canada, with star fighters and lasers and robots and everything. They were like, yeah, right. I was really puzzled why they'd never heard of it.
When the TV show finally came on that fall, I was like the littlest hipster. "Yeah, I was waaay into that before it went mainstream..."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:30 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
I came back to my U.S. elementary school telling my friends I had just seen a Star Wars-quality movie in Canada, with star fighters and lasers and robots and everything. They were like, yeah, right. I was really puzzled why they'd never heard of it.
When the TV show finally came on that fall, I was like the littlest hipster. "Yeah, I was waaay into that before it went mainstream..."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 2:30 PM on August 20, 2015 [3 favorites]
"Diabolical sad-ism is their trademark." Oooh, I like that. They make people sad...diabolically.
Well, they did make JOAN CRAWFORD cry.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:41 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Well, they did make JOAN CRAWFORD cry.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 2:41 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Artw: "Was kind of hoping for a successful sort-of implementation of the period 60s Bond thing we all want."
Has Q-Division finally gone too far and created a technology that even superspy James Bond can't control? A stolen time machine offers SPECTRE the ultimate weapon to wipe James Bond off the face of the Earth, and off the pages of history! Who, where, and more importantly when, is the real James Bond?
Daniel Craig
Sean Connery
and
CGI Young Sean Connery
in the new 007 film
Time of Death
posted by Rock Steady at 2:57 PM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
Has Q-Division finally gone too far and created a technology that even superspy James Bond can't control? A stolen time machine offers SPECTRE the ultimate weapon to wipe James Bond off the face of the Earth, and off the pages of history! Who, where, and more importantly when, is the real James Bond?
Daniel Craig
Sean Connery
and
CGI Young Sean Connery
in the new 007 film
Time of Death
posted by Rock Steady at 2:57 PM on August 20, 2015 [4 favorites]
Special guest star: CGI early-80's Sean Young.
posted by The Tensor at 3:07 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by The Tensor at 3:07 PM on August 20, 2015
As someone who grew up playing Man From UNCLE with my GI Joes with Kung Fu Grip, I have a soft spot for this show, and just can't bring myself to go see this movie, especially after seeing what Ritchie did with Sherlock Holmes (I'm a former mystery novelist).
Lest I be thought of as an old man who yells at clouds, I absolutely love Daniel Craig as Bond, even though I grew up with Roger Moore, who should have remained The Saint.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 3:16 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Lest I be thought of as an old man who yells at clouds, I absolutely love Daniel Craig as Bond, even though I grew up with Roger Moore, who should have remained The Saint.
posted by Major Matt Mason Dixon at 3:16 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
I thought the movie was pretty fun for what it was, and Cavill did try to capture a bit of Robert Vaughn, but Armie Hammer is not Illya Kuryakin, sorry. But it did definitely whet the appetite for the retro Bond flick I want so badly. It just had nothing to do with Man from UNCLE other than some names.
posted by immlass at 3:24 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by immlass at 3:24 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
There's an early Man from UNCLE episode starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and Werner Klemperer. The Strigas Affair. I'm kinda hoping the new series takes off so they can recreate it with Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:42 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 3:42 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Don't forget it had a spin-off as well - the Girl From U.N.C.L.E.. And a reunion TV movie from the 80's.
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:52 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:52 PM on August 20, 2015
MCMikeNamara: I saw Battlestar Galactica in a Canadian theater over summer vacation.
Not only did I see Battlestar I also saw Buck Rogers in the theatre when I was a kid (talk about sexual awakening!). I still remember the "theatre" in my small northern Canadian town - small room barely heated, sitting on crappy folding chairs, my dad smoking, me drinking a small cup of orange pop and eating a bag of greasy popcorn. Good times.
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:58 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
Not only did I see Battlestar I also saw Buck Rogers in the theatre when I was a kid (talk about sexual awakening!). I still remember the "theatre" in my small northern Canadian town - small room barely heated, sitting on crappy folding chairs, my dad smoking, me drinking a small cup of orange pop and eating a bag of greasy popcorn. Good times.
posted by Ashwagandha at 3:58 PM on August 20, 2015 [2 favorites]
When I saw the trailer for the new movie in the theater, I honestly said to my husband, "I did not realize that the Baby Boomer demographic really really really wanted this film because who the hell of the younger demographic even knows the original TV show??"
posted by Kitteh at 4:12 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Kitteh at 4:12 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
When I first saw the trailer, I thought it was nice to see Cavill pile on the charisma after the dourness of Man of Steel. As for Hammer, well, we'll always have Winklevoss.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:24 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:24 PM on August 20, 2015
but guys, appreciate this movie, because now i can bond with more people over illya kuryakin aaaaah. even if in this incarnation he is a precious tol cinnamon roll of rage.
posted by cendawanita at 4:58 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by cendawanita at 4:58 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
i mean, a lot of what that av club article said isn't... technically wrong, but i am reporting from the wilderness of tumblr. it's crazy funny that most of the chatter is over illya, again.
(also funny: posts going, "ah, so ready for baby fandom!", and the original, never-dead, fandom casually shows up all low-key going, 'sup.)
posted by cendawanita at 5:01 PM on August 20, 2015
(also funny: posts going, "ah, so ready for baby fandom!", and the original, never-dead, fandom casually shows up all low-key going, 'sup.)
posted by cendawanita at 5:01 PM on August 20, 2015
Not only did I see Battlestar I also saw Buck Rogers in the theatre when I was a kid
I did, too, but it opened in the U.S. in addition to Canada, so it wasn't as special as Battlestar to me. I was the only kid in town that saw Battlestar, but we all saw Buck Rogers.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:19 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I did, too, but it opened in the U.S. in addition to Canada, so it wasn't as special as Battlestar to me. I was the only kid in town that saw Battlestar, but we all saw Buck Rogers.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:19 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I saw The Man From U.N.C.L.E. over the weekend. I'd never seen the original show, but I thought the movie was actually pretty good. Better than Mission Impossible. I was surprised that Rotten Tomato was giving Mission Impossible a rating in the 90s and Man from U.N.C.L. a rating in the high 60s. I would have reversed it.
posted by willnot at 5:26 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by willnot at 5:26 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I enjoyed MI as pleasant enough post-Bourne spy nonsense, but have no explanation for the high 90s score that doesn't involve weird conspiracy theories.
posted by Artw at 5:54 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by Artw at 5:54 PM on August 20, 2015
I would love to watch the original series but I fear it would be like Rat Patrol, and not live up to my memories. See, the original series ran while I was in early grades. My brother and I worshiped that show. I was brunette and my brother blonde so we naturally had our favorites. I was always Solo, my brother Illya. Then came The Elastic Incident.
We lived in a small town in North Dakota, raised in the American Lutheran Church (a moderate synod but still, this is the 60s). My brother was in first or second grade. In front of a Sunday congregation, my brother's Sunday School class was set up to answer questions up near the altar. This was very well rehearsed because y'know, kids say the darnedest things. My brother is to answer a question regarding David and Goliath.
Sunday School Teacher: Eric, do you know what a sling is?
My brother Eric, at full volume: IT'S WHAT ILLYA KURYAKIN MAKES FROM THE ELASTIC IN HIS UNDERWEAR!
We got banned from watching that show for at least a month.
In regards to sexual awakening, fast forward to the 68 Winter Games - Peggy Flemming. Oh damn!
posted by Ber at 6:10 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
We lived in a small town in North Dakota, raised in the American Lutheran Church (a moderate synod but still, this is the 60s). My brother was in first or second grade. In front of a Sunday congregation, my brother's Sunday School class was set up to answer questions up near the altar. This was very well rehearsed because y'know, kids say the darnedest things. My brother is to answer a question regarding David and Goliath.
Sunday School Teacher: Eric, do you know what a sling is?
My brother Eric, at full volume: IT'S WHAT ILLYA KURYAKIN MAKES FROM THE ELASTIC IN HIS UNDERWEAR!
We got banned from watching that show for at least a month.
In regards to sexual awakening, fast forward to the 68 Winter Games - Peggy Flemming. Oh damn!
posted by Ber at 6:10 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
Back in the late 1960s I learned you could send fan letters for TVs shows using extremely vague mailing addresses, things like "Robert Vaughn, The Man from UNCLE, c/o NBC, NYC, NY." Surprisingly these worked more often than not and usually you'd get a publicity photo or two back for your trouble. (I still have some of these.) Sometimes these would be signed but who knew by whom. Anyway, in return for my letter to Robert Vaughn I got not only a few signed stills (Vaughn, McCallum, and possibly Leo G. Carroll) but an UNCLE ID card, sadly all long gone.
[Just did a quick google search and, of course, lots of scans of the cards out there if you're interested in seeing one.]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:56 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
[Just did a quick google search and, of course, lots of scans of the cards out there if you're interested in seeing one.]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 6:56 PM on August 20, 2015 [1 favorite]
I actually enjoyed the movie- as I said on Fanfare, it was Guy Ritchie without being all Guy Ritchie-y. It was diverting, well-filmed, and smarter than it could have been.
It was also better than every other boomer-targeted movie coming out this summer, which all seem to be: "Boomer feels disappointed about their life, has profound experience of some sort."
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:19 PM on August 20, 2015
It was also better than every other boomer-targeted movie coming out this summer, which all seem to be: "Boomer feels disappointed about their life, has profound experience of some sort."
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 8:19 PM on August 20, 2015
Echoing: Saw it last weekend and liked it. Not the greatest film ever, but it and dinner made for a nice evening out. It made we want to watch some old episodes.
posted by LastOfHisKind at 11:10 PM on August 20, 2015
posted by LastOfHisKind at 11:10 PM on August 20, 2015
Woah now, the Bond movies aren't exactly Oscar material. This movie is just as good as any of that crap.
posted by Brocktoon at 4:14 AM on August 21, 2015
posted by Brocktoon at 4:14 AM on August 21, 2015
Damn, I saw One Of Our Spies Is Missing first time round, in 1966. It doesn't even seem that long ago.
posted by Segundus at 6:44 AM on August 21, 2015
posted by Segundus at 6:44 AM on August 21, 2015
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