Spy films I have seen
A list of all the espionage films, miniseries and TV series I have seen, from serious films to James Bond thrillers to spoofs
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- StarsAlec GuinnessMichael JaystonAnthony BateIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced out of semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.The best spy film/TV series ever made, bar none. Alec Guinness is great.
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsDean MartinAnn-MargretKarl MaldenHandsome top-secret American agent Matt Helm must recover a laser-weapons inventor who has been kidnapped by arch-villain Julian Wall.Groovy Matt Helm film has a great hovercraft chase and a delayed-action gun.
- DirectorHenry LevinStarsDean MartinSenta BergerJanice RuleSecret agent Matt Helm must battle foreign spies and a rogue nation's exiled ruler in order to recover a hijacked U.S. government experimental flying saucer.Only Janice Rule and the Mexican locations save this movie from being total garbage.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsDean MartinElke SommerSharon TateGold bullion worth USD 1 billion has been stolen from a hijacked train in Denmark. The main suspect is Count Massimo Contini. The US government sends Matt Helm, one of its top agents, to investigate and recover the gold.Ok Matt Helm entry. Chuck Norris has a small part in this.
- DirectorDaniel MannStarsJames CoburnLee J. CobbGila GolanWhen scientists use eco-terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather, Intelligence Chief Cramden calls in top agent Derek Flint.Too over-the-top to enjoy but James Coburn is good.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsJames CoburnLee J. CobbJean HaleSuper-spy Flint takes on a cabal of women plotting to rule the world.Don't remember much from this film which is never a good sign.
- DirectorGerd OswaldStarsPeter Mark RichmanWendell CoreyCarl EsmondSecret agent tries to stop a scientist who has devised a bacterium that devours the body from within.Wow. How cheesy can you get? Looks like they shot this over a weekend in someone's house and backyard.
- DirectorPhil KarlsonStarsDean MartinStella StevensDaliah LaviRetired agent Matt Helm is re-activated in order to stop an evil organization from exploding an atom bomb over the USA and starting WWIII.Easily the best Matt Helm film with terrific performances by Daliah Lavi and Stella Stevens. Gun that shoots backwards is nifty gadget
- DirectorRalph ThomasStarsRichard JohnsonDaliah LaviBeba LoncarA series of unexplainable accidents befall the people and companies responsible for developing the world's first supersonic airliner (SST1). A British agent is sent to investigate and with the help of another agent uncovers a plot masterminded by Carl Petersen who stands to gain eight million pounds if the aircraft is not ready by a certain date. The evil Petersen has developed a number of "robots" (actually rather beautiful girls with "electronic brains") to help him sabotage the SST1 project by means of "infrasound" (extreme low frequency sound waves) which can be directed at people or objects with devastating results.Not as good as Deadlier than the Male but it does have Daliah Lavi, which is always a good thing.
- DirectorAlberto De MartinoStarsNeil ConneryDaniela BianchiAdolfo CeliThe civilian brother of Britain's best spy must use his skills in plastic surgery, hypnotism and lip-reading to stop a crime syndicate's bid for world domination.Total nonsense but it does have Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell as M and Moneypenny like characters. Neil Connery is, well...Neil Connery. A carpenter, not an actor. Adolfo Celi(Thunderball) , Daniela Bianchi (From Russia With Love) and Anthony Dawson (Dr. No) round out the official Bond film veterans.
- DirectorYvan ChiffreStarsGérard RinaldiGérard FilippelliJean SarrusThe Queen of England has been kidnapped. As " their best man " has been dead for three years - according to Bernard Lee very own M , the British S.I.S. ask the French secret service for help, which comes with four bumbling secret agents, and a cleaning lady who is a perfect match for the Queen. The chase will lead them from Spain to Hong Kong with many broken cars, boats and planes along the way. Along the way various figures from Eon regular 007 film series make an apparition - such as Lois Maxwell or Clifford James...Total craziness with Bernard Lee and Lois Maxwell making a short cameo as M and Moneypenny(??) Clifton James (Sheriff Pepper) also appears as does the famous Bond Gun-barrel sequence where Bond gets shot!!
- DirectorJay RoachStarsMike MyersElizabeth HurleyMichael YorkA world-class playboy and part-time secret agent from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.The best of the bunch with a gorgeous Liz Hurley and even more gorgeous Mimi Rogers. I wish they had only made this one and skipped the other two.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsMike MyersHeather GrahamMichael YorkDr. Evil is back and has invented a new time machine that allows him to go back to the 1960s and steal Austin Powers' mojo, inadvertently leaving him "shagless".Ugh. What a piece of garbage. Enough said.
- DirectorJay RoachStarsMike MyersBeyoncéSeth GreenUpon learning that his father has been kidnapped, Austin Powers must travel to 1975 and defeat the aptly named villain Goldmember, who is working with Dr. Evil.Who cares?
- DirectorClaude ChabrolStarsRoger HaninMaria MaubanDaniela BianchiA Turkish ambassador arrives in Paris to sign an important trade agreement, allowing Turkey to buy a sophisticated new war plane from France. Immediately he is the target of an assassin, and a special agent is assigned to protect him.Groovy French Bond spoof with the always great Roger Hanin.
- DirectorSidney J. FurieStarsMichael CaineNigel GreenGuy DolemanIn London, a wisecracking spy investigates the kidnapping and brainwashing of British scientists while dealing with the constraints of his agency's bureaucracy.Extremely well made film with an intensity you don't see in most spy films. Michael Caine is great in this as is Nigel Green. The direction by Sydney J. Furie is simply sublime and the use of locations in London is well thought out. The plot can be a little confusing but overall this is a great film. Not to be missed.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsMichael CaineOscar HomolkaPaul HubschmidSent to East Berlin to retrieve a Communist defector, British spy Harry Palmer suspects the situation is not what his superiors believe it to be.Gritty cold war spy drama with a lot of crosses and double crosses. Excellent use of the Berlin location.
- DirectorKen RussellStarsMichael CaineKarl MaldenEd BegleyBritish spy-turned-detective Harry Palmer stumbles upon an oil tycoon's plot to overthrow Communism using a supercomputer.Wow. How crazy can you get. The most "Matt Helm"ish of the Harry Palmers. Too over the top but Michael Caine is what makes this one work.
- DirectorJoseph BarberaWilliam HannaStarsAlan ReedMel BlancJean Vander PylWhile preparing for a camping trip, Fred Flintstone is enlisted by the Bedrock Secret Service to capture a criminal mastermind after a spy who looks like him is injured on the job.Spy spoof starring the Flintstones. That is all you need to know. Fun to watch but silly as hell.
- DirectorVal GuestKen HughesJohn HustonStarsDavid NivenPeter SellersUrsula AndressIn an early spy spoof, aging Sir James Bond comes out of retirement to take on SMERSH.The ultimate Bond spoof starring...James Bond! Too bad it is so bad. Woody Allen and Daliah Lavi(again) are the best parts of this.
- DirectorTheodore J. FlickerStarsJames CoburnGodfrey CambridgeSevern DardenWhen the overworked and stressed-out White House presidential shrink runs away, the CEA and the FBR scramble to retrieve him before he could be abducted by various competing foreign intelligence services.Was this ever weird!
- DirectorAlvin RakoffStarsRoger MooreMartha HyerAlexis KannerAn advertising executive sets out to find a woman for a new advertising campaign. His only clue to the woman is a photograph, and the search leads him into bewildering political ploys and mayhem.Roger Moore as...Roger Moore. Very poor "thriller" and what's with Roger's hairstyle?
- DirectorJean-Luc GodardStarsEddie ConstantineAnna KarinaAkim TamiroffA U.S. secret agent is sent to the distant space city of Alphaville where he must find a missing person and free the city from its tyrannical ruler.Out of this world man!
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsFrançois DamiensJean DujardinKhalid MaadourSecret agent OSS 117 foils Nazis, beds local beauties, and brings peace to the Middle East.Hilarious spoof with a Jean Dujardin in top form.
- DirectorMichel HazanaviciusStarsJean DujardinLouise MonotRüdiger VoglerAnother mission of world-known French secret agent leads him to exotic Brazil.Disappointing sequel but Dujardin is still funny.
- DirectorDouglas JacksonStarsMichael CaineJason ConneryYuri LimontySpy-turned-detective Harry Palmer is tasked with recovering a consignment of stolen plutonium in Saint Petersburg.Wow was this ever bad. Why did they bother to resurrect Harry Palmer if they were going to treat him so badly?
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsDonald SutherlandElliott GouldZouzouTwo spies end up being chased by the CIA, the KGB, and a group of anarchists after a botched mission invoked an unwritten "corpse for a corpse" pact.Is this ever awful. Why did they bother?
- 19831h 36mTV-PG6.4 (744)TV MovieDirectorRay AustinStarsRobert VaughnDavid McCallumPatrick MacneeWhen THRUSH steals a nuclear weapon and demands a ransom delivered by Napoleon Solo, UNCLE recalls him and his partner to duty.Well George Lazenby appears in a cameo as JB and Napoleon and Ilya are back. What more can you ask for?
- DirectorJoseph SargentStarsRobert VaughnDavid McCallumJack PalanceU.N.C.L.E. agents Napoleon Solo and Ilyia Kuryakin are sent to stop a T.H.R.U.S.H. employed ex-Nazi scientist from diverting the Gulf Stream.Man From UNCLE two-part episode released theatrically. All I remember is the stereotypical Sicilians in the film. No need to say more.
- DirectorPeter HowittStarsRowan AtkinsonJohn MalkovichNatalie ImbrugliaAfter a sudden attack on MI5, Johnny English, Britain's most confident, yet unintelligent spy, becomes Britain's only spy.Mr. Bean as a secret agent? Ok, it really isn't too bad don't expect anything serious.
- DirectorShawn LevyStarsSteve MartinKevin KlineJean RenoBumbling Inspector Clouseau must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.The uncredited cameo by Clive Owen as agent 006 is easily the best part of this catastrophe.
- DirectorClive DonnerStarsDon AdamsAndrea HowardSylvia KristelMaxwell Smart is recalled to duty to help fight a villian who threatens to detonate a weapon that destroys clothing.A huge disappointment for fans of Get Smart. The script is just bad and a lot of the jokes just fall flat. The positives: Don Adams is always fun and he is ably helped in this one by Andrea Howard as agent 22. She's no Barbara Feldon but she does a good job. Bill Dana also has a nice little cameo. For diehard Get Smart fans only.
- DirectorRick FriedbergStarsLeslie NielsenNicollette SheridanCharles DurningDick Steele, Agent WD-40 is assigned by his Director, to stop the evil General Rancor from destroying the world. WD-40 believed Rancor was dead and he teams up with the hot KGB Agent Veronique Ukrinsky to find Rancor and save the world.Good old Leslie Nielsen. Thank you for this stupid but funny spoof.
- DirectorRuss MayberryStarsHugh O'BrianElke SommerBurgess MeredithHigh-tech investigations company World Securities uses Agents, called Probes, to solve various international cases, such as the retrieval of a famous diamond collection stolen by the Nazis during World War II.This was a pretty cool TV movie that spawned the "Search" TV series. The agent had some cool gadgets including (if I remember correctly) a pendant he wore around his neck with a camera hidden in it.
- DirectorPeter SegalStarsSteve CarellAnne HathawayAlan ArkinMaxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, is tasked with preventing a terrorist attack from rival spy agency KAOS.Not bad, but lacking the ridiculous fun of the original TV series. Steve Carrel was good but Anne Hathaway just didn't do it for me. A bit too convoluted overall.
- DirectorAlberto LattuadaStarsPatrick O'NealIra von FürstenbergDonald PleasenceA secret agent possesses a ring that makes him invisible for a short time, once every 10 hours. He is in pursuit of an evil criminal mastermind but, at the same time, must evade an enemy agent who also wants the ring.Ultra-groovy Euro spy film with a very silly premise: The main character has a ring that can render him invisible for 20 minutes at a time. Patrick O'Neal is having a blast in this and he is ably assisted by scantily-clad Euro-babe Ira Von Furstenberg. As silly as this is, it was shot all over Europe and in New York which gives it a really nice look. Henry Silva and Donald Pleasance are the cartoonish villains in pursuit of O'Neal who in turn is trying to get some secret vials of poison or some other such liquid . As 1960s as you can get and a hell of a lot of fun.
- DirectorWoody AllenSenkichi TaniguchiStarsWoody AllenThe Lovin' SpoonfulFrank BuxtonA Japanese James Bond -esque spy flick reused and redubbed into the plot of a secret agent searching to uncover a recipe for the world's greatest egg salad in Woody Allen's directorial debut.What happens when Woody Allen dubs a Japanese spy film with his own silly dialogue? You get a very funny film...for 30 minutes and then it gets tiresome very quickly. The idea was great but it was too much of a good thing.
- CreatorMel BrooksBuck HenryStarsDon AdamsBarbara FeldonEdward PlattMaxwell Smart, a highly intellectual but bumbling spy working for the CONTROL agency, battles the evil forces of rival spy agency KAOS with the help of his competent partner Agent 99.James Bond meets Inspector Clouseau. Don Adams, Barbara Feldon and Edward Platt are simply great in this. The stories are quite repetitive and there is too much shot in the studio but the episodes are fun. Enjoyable series.
- DirectorGary NelsonStarsDon AdamsBarbara FeldonBernie KopellSmart is called back to duty as KAOS is back causing trouble again with a 'weather machine'.After the catastrophe that was The Nude Bomb, we get the original cast in some further adventures. It is great to see the original agent 99, Larabee, Hymie, Sigfried, Starker, agent 13 and Max of course. The story is ok but the treat is seeing the original cast (a little older but still funny) having a blast. A must for Get Smart fans.
- DirectorGerald ThomasStarsKenneth WilliamsBarbara WindsorBernard CribbinsAgent Simpkins and trainees chase STENCH (the Society for the Total Extinction of Non-Conforming Humans) for a stolen chemical formula, using gadgets and disguises to defeat villains The Fat Man, Dr Milchman, and Dr Crow.Oy!! This is so unbelievably stupid but what else would you expect from the Carry On gang. Corny jokes and double entendres galore. Makes the Matt Helm films look like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. You have been warned.
- DirectorLindsay ShonteffStarsTom AdamsKarel StepanekPeter BullDauntless British agent Charles Vine is called upon to escort to London the famed Swedish scientist Henrik Jacobs to negotiate the sale of a secret formula. However, sinister forces gambling for enormous stakes are already at work. With the aid of the most fantastic gadgets, Vine manages to extricate his charges from the most diabolical traps until the final battle in a mile-a-second showdown fought along the Thames dockside and culminating to a wild and unexpected climax.This is a very enjoyable James Bond copy/spoof. It never takes itself too seriously but never veers into total silliness (like Carry on Spying, for example). This film has a very funny, clever opening and keeps our attention throughout. Budget is limited so there is a great deal of location shooting throughout London including a sequence outside Buckingham Palace. There are several funny references to James Bond and Goldfinger which are great. The jokey theme song by Sammy Davis Jr. is very good and sets the tone right away. The plot is somewhat confusing as there are way too many double-crosses throughout but it is still entertaining. A very enjoyable film to see on a rainy day. By the way, the version I saw was called the 2nd Best Secret Agent in the Whole Wide World and includes the Sammy Davis song I spoke of earlier. I don't think the original British version had the song and I believe the film was called Licensed to Kill.
- DirectorLuciano MartinoStarsRichard HarrisonDominique BoscheroWandisa GuidaAn American CIA agent must find the whereabouts of valuable microfilm that was smuggled over by two Russian scientists who had been hoping to defect.Typical 1960s James Bond copy with a suave secret agent, a couple of beautiful women, one good, the other bad, exotic locations (Paris, Hamburg, Beirut) and plenty of fights and chase scenes. The sum total is an ok film that is no better or worse than most of the 1960s Eurospy films. A couple of scenes are above average like the helicopter chase scene and the ambulance being chased by Police driving amphibious cars but overall just an average film.
- DirectorGordon DouglasStarsBob HopeAnita EkbergEdie AdamsA returning moon capsule with vital information goes off-course and lands in Africa, where the little-known Ekele tribesmen find it. Washington orders African expert, Matthew Merriwether - an utter fraud and authority only on feminine pulchritude - to go find it.Silly, silly film with a pile of corny jokes by Bob Hope. The best part is the cameo by famous golfer Arnold Palmer and the game he plays with Hope (including Flinstones style golf clubs). If this does not sound like you cup of tea, avoid this at all costs. FYI, this was produced by Albert Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, the original producers of the James Bond series.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantEva Marie SaintJames MasonA New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and falls for a woman whose loyalties he begins to doubt.Terrific Hitchcock film that is one of the best spy thrillers ever made with a healthy dose of humour thrown in for good measure.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryRobert ShawLotte LenyaJames Bond willingly falls into an assassination plot involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.The most "serious Bond" film has everything you might want in a spy film and a terrific performance by Sean Connery.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsRichard BurtonOskar WernerClaire BloomInstead of coming in from the Cold War, British agent Alec Leamas chooses to face another mission.Gritty, downbeat spy film that pulls no punches. Probably one of the best serious spy films ever made.
- DirectorJohn FrankenheimerStarsFrank SinatraLaurence HarveyJanet LeighAn American POW in the Korean War is brainwashed as an unwitting assassin for an international Communist conspiracy.Great cold-war thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout.
- DirectorRichard MarquandStarsDonald SutherlandKate NelliganStephen MacKennaA ruthless German spy, trying to get out of Britain with vital information about D-Day, must spend time with a young woman and her crippled husband.Donald Sutherland is as evil as you can get in this tense WW2 spy film.
- DirectorGeorge Roy HillStarsDiane KeatonYorgo VoyagisKlaus KinskiAn American actress with a penchant for lying is forcibly recruited by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, to trap a Palestinian bomber, by pretending to be the girlfriend of his dead brother.This is very suspenseful but the chemistry between Diane Keaton and Yorgo Voyagis is simply not there. The espionage operations are well mounted though.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryUrsula AndressBernard LeeA resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.The first Bond film is fun and light.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryGert FröbeHonor BlackmanWhile investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.Probably the best Bond film ever but silly as hell when you stop and think about it.
- DirectorJohn HustonStarsBibi AnderssonRichard BooneNigel GreenDuring the Cold War a Naval Intelligence officer endowed with a powerful photographic memory is transferred to the CIA to participate in a covert operation in Moscow.Odd film.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryClaudine AugerAdolfo CeliJames Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.This is when the James Bond films started to be over the top. It still is a lot of fun but there are some underwater sequences that drag on much too long.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsSean ConneryAkiko WakabayashiMie HamaJames Bond and the Japanese Secret Service must find and stop the true culprit of a series of space hijackings, before war is provoked between Russia and the United States.Quite silly but those Japanese locations are spectacular.
- DirectorPeter R. HuntStarsGeorge LazenbyDiana RiggTelly SavalasBritish agent James Bond goes undercover to pursue the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is planning to hold the world to ransom.Great stunts and action but Lazenby is just too wooden as Bond.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryJill St. JohnCharles GrayA diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.I did not care for this. Sean Connery is sleepwalking through this and the silliness is just too present.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreYaphet KottoJane SeymourJames Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organisation and a reliable psychic tarot card reader.Roger Moore adds a great deal of charm to the Bond films and this one is a lot of fun but they are getting more and more ridiculous.
- DirectorSimon LangtonStarsMichael CaineJames FoxNigel HaversA war veteran tries to investigate the murder of his son who was working as a Russian translator for the British intelligence service during the Cold War. He meets a web of deception and paranoia that seems to be impenetrable.Great performance from Michael Caine. Solid film.
- DirectorJohn MackenzieStarsMichael CainePierce BrosnanNed BeattyJohn Preston is a British Agent with the task of preventing the Russians detonating a nuclear explosion next to an American base in the UK. The Russians are hoping this will shatter the "special relationship" between the two countries.It was great to see Pierce Brosnan as a villain in this. Well-made.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreChristopher LeeBritt EklandJames Bond is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin, while he attempts to recover sensitive solar cell technology that is being sold to the highest bidder.Yikes, is this ever bad. There are a few good moments in this film and Christopher Lee is magnificent but overall this is a stinker. The less said about the karate"fight" the better. Ugh
- StarsPatrick McGoohanPeter MaddenFrank MaherJohn Drake is a special operative for M9, specializing in security assignments against any subversive element that threatens world peace.A terrific TV series hampered by very, very low budgets and an over-reliance on studio sets. Patrick McGoohan elevates this to another level. Some of the episodes are well written and suspenseful, others leave a lot to be desired.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJohn GielgudMadeleine CarrollRobert YoungAfter three British Agents are assigned to assassinate a mysterious German spy during World War I, two of them become ambivalent when their duty to the mission conflicts with their consciences.A mish-mash of several Somerset Maugham short stories forms the basis of this Hitchcock thriller. If you've read the source material you will be aghast, if not you will enjoy it a lot more.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsMargaret LockwoodMichael RedgravePaul LukasWhile travelling in continental Europe, a rich young playgirl realizes that an elderly lady seems to have disappeared from the train.Fun Hitchcock title with a great deal of suspense.
- DirectorAnthony PageStarsElliott GouldCybill ShepherdAngela LansburyWhile travelling by rail in interwar Nazi Germany, a young socialite finds that a fellow female passenger has disappeared from the train, but nobody else remembers her having been on board.Cute remake of the Hitchcock film. It manages to hold its own helped greatly by the location filming.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreBarbara BachCurd JürgensJames Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads, with the help of a K.G.B. agent whose lover he killed.Great Roger Moore Bond film is a lot of fun.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreLois ChilesMichael LonsdaleJames Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.Oh brother. This is fun on a comic book level but ridiculous otherwise.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreCarole BouquetTopolSecret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.Solid Roger Moore outing as Bond. Back to basics.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreMaud AdamsLouis JourdanA fake Fabergé egg recovered from the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to uncover a jewel smuggling operation led by the mysterious Octopussy, and a plot to blow up a NATO air base.Roger Moore should never have made this. The quality was slipping fast in this ridiculous film.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreChristopher WalkenTanya RobertsThe recovery of a microchip from the body of a fellow British secret agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist scheming to cause massive destruction.Roger Moore as "grandpa" Bond. Yes, he was much too old to play Bond in this and the story is a turkey. Avoid at all costs.
- DirectorAndrew V. McLaglenStarsGregory PeckRoger MooreDavid NivenDuring World War II, British Intelligence brings a crew of ex-soldiers out of retirement, using their age as cover, to take to the seas and pull off an unlikely undercover mission in neutral Goa.Great WW2 action thriller with a wonderful cast.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonMaryam d'AboJeroen KrabbéJames Bond is sent to investigate a KGB policy to kill all enemy spies, and uncovers an arms deal that potentially has major global ramifications.Back to basics with Timothy Dalton. Good film in the series.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonRobert DaviCarey LowellA vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.After the very good The Living Daylights we get this ultra violent piece of trash. I hated this.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJames StewartDoris DayBrenda de BanzieAn American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.Solid Hitchcock film with a good dose of humour thrown in for good measure.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsPriscilla LaneRobert CummingsOtto KrugerA young man accused of sabotage goes on the run to prove his innocence.Solid Hitchcock.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsSylvia SidneyOscar HomolkaDesmond TesterA Scotland Yard undercover detective is on the trail of a saboteur who is part of a plot to set off a bomb in London. But when the detective's cover is blown, the plot begins to unravel.Another good Hitchcock thriller.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsJoel McCreaLaraine DayHerbert MarshallOn the eve of World War II, a young American reporter tries to expose enemy agents in London.Joel McCrae is great in this.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsCary GrantIngrid BergmanClaude RainsThe daughter of a convicted German spy is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them?Well made thriller with a great leading couple.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsPaul NewmanJulie AndrewsLila KedrovaAn American scientist publicly defects to East Germany as part of a cloak and dagger mission to find the solution for a formula resin before planning an escape back to the West.Another solid Hitchcock film.
- DirectorAlfred HitchcockStarsFrederick StaffordDany RobinJohn VernonA French Intelligence Agent becomes embroiled in the Cold War politics first with uncovering the events leading up to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, and then back to France to break up an international Russian spy ring.Great film with a great premise.
- DirectorPeter CollinsonStarsTopolNick MancusoJanet SuzmanA true-life political thriller that dramatizes the 1960 capture in Argentina of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, by the Israelis.Terrific, tense, well-acted film on the capture of Eichmann by Israeli agents. Topol is solid in this. Martin Balsam and Janet Suzman are very good as well. Alfred Burke is quite creepy as Eichmann.
- DirectorR.G. SpringsteenStarsWerner KlempererRuta LeeDonald BukaWith the defeat of Germany that ends World War II in Europe, the Allies discover the true horror of more than six million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis - and the fact that one of the architects of this unimaginable crime has escaped. Adolf Eichmann flees to Barcelona and Argentina and the Israeli agents are determined to bring him to justice.Absolutely awful film made quickly to cash in on the capture of Eichmann at the time. Don't waste your time and watch The House on Garibaldi Street instead.
- DirectorRonald NeameStarsJon VoightMaximilian SchellMaria SchellFollowing the suicide of an elderly Jewish man, a journalist in possession of the man's diary investigates the alleged sighting of a former S.S. Captain, who commanded a concentration camp during World War II.Tense and suspenseful.
- DirectorJim GoddardStarsJohn SheaEli WallachSasson GabayYoung Israeli husband Eli Cohen is recruited by the Mossad in the early 1960's and sent to Syria. Telling his wife he has a new job that requires extensive business travel, he takes up residence in Syria, where he befriends a high-ranking Syrian government official and provides invaluable information to Israel. On a visit home, his wife pleads with him to leave his job so he can be home more, and his handler tells him he has accomplished enough, but he decides to return to Syria one last time. One day he learns of an attack on a kibbutz scheduled for that night; he abandons normal precautions in order to warn Israel as quickly as possible, and is caught.The story of Eli Cohen gets the movie of the week treatment but has a lot of positives: John Shea is amazing as Cohen; Eli Wallach, quite crafty as his handler and the Israeli locations give this film an air of authenticity. The pretty much all-Israeli cast are all quite good. The script is sometimes a little predictable and cliched but overall this is well done.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsSteven BauerMichael YorkRobert JoyChronicles a Mossad team hand picked to hunt down the terrorists involved in the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes.Very well made TV movie shot in France, Israel, Canada, the USA and Italy. The script is a little contrived at times but overall this film is much more involved than Munich.
- DirectorHenry HathawayStarsJames CagneyAnnabellaRichard ConteWhen spy chief Bob Sharkey finds out one of his agents-in-training is actually a Nazi double agent, his strategic decision not to arrest him results in tragedy.James Cagney is intense in this. Very well made spy thriller.
- DirectorMichael AndersonStarsGeorge SegalAlec GuinnessMax von SydowIn the West Berlin of the 1960s, two British agents are killed by a Nazi group, prompting British Intelligence to dispatch agent Quiller to investigate.This one was very interesting. I especially like that George Segal's character (Quiller) was far from perfect.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsTom HanksMark RylanceAlan AldaDuring the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.Tense, well scripted story. Has a great feel for the politics of the era.
- DirectorTomas AlfredsonStarsGary OldmanColin FirthTom HardyIn the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.Not as good as the 1979 TV min-series but still quite well done.
- DirectorRalph ThomasStarsRichard JohnsonElke SommerSylva KoscinaBritish agent Bulldog Drummond is assigned to stop a master criminal who uses beautiful women to do his killings.Very cool Bulldog Drummond film with a smooth performance by Richard Johnson and a droll one by Nigel Green. Elke Sommer and Sylva Koscina are excellent as well.
- StarsAlec GuinnessEileen AtkinsBill PatersonThe murder of a Soviet defector forces his old handler, British spymaster George Smiley, out of retirement. His investigation leads to an old nemesis, the Soviet spymaster known only as "Karla". This will be their final dance.Excellent sequel to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with all the cast putting in great performances.
- DirectorJohn SturgesStarsRock HudsonErnest BorgninePatrick McGoohanUSN nuclear sub USS Tigerfish must rush to the North Pole to rescue the staff of Drift Ice Station Zebra weather station.Taught, suspenseful film that goes on too long, unfortunately.
- StarsAlex JenningsJoss AcklandIan BannenFour-part drama about a writer recruited into espionage work by British intelligence during the First World War. Based on the writings of Somerset Maugham.Great mini-series based on the Somerset Maugham's short stories. The best of the 4 episodes is The Traitor. Great locations as well.
- DirectorSam WanamakerStarsYul BrynnerCharles GrayEdward WoodwardU.S. Agent Novak and Scotland Yard Officer Thompson go undercover to infiltrate a counterfeit organization.Good, by the numbers thriller. Yul Brynner surprised me in this.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsEric BanaDaniel CraigMarie-Josée CrozeAfter the Black September capture and massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, five men are chosen to eliminate the people responsible for that fateful day.This was well made but I prefer Sword of Gideon, which is adapted from the same book.
- DirectorJohn McTiernanStarsSean ConneryAlec BaldwinScott GlennIn November 1984, the Soviet Union's best submarine captain violates orders and heads for the U.S. in a new undetectable sub. The American CIA and military must quickly determine: Is he trying to defect or to start a war?Solid.
- DirectorMike NicholsStarsTom HanksJulia RobertsPhilip Seymour HoffmanA drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.Tom Hanks can do no wrong in my opinion but what the hell is Julia Roberts doing in this?
- DirectorWilliam A. WellmanStarsDana AndrewsGene TierneyJune HavocThe story of Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko who was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa,Canada in 1943 and defected in 1945 to reveal the extent of Soviet espionage activities directed against Canada.A fictionalized version of the Gouzenko Affair is very well made. Exteriors were shot in Ottawa, which lends an air of authenticity to the film. It is tense and the atmosphere is just right. They play a little fast and loose with the facts but that is to be expected. Acting is a little over the top in some cases. Well worth seeing.
- DirectorJohn FrankenheimerStarsRobert ShawBruce DernMarthe KellerWhen a Black September terrorist group begins a plot to carry out a massive terrorist attack in the United States, an Israeli commando works with the FBI to identify the target and conspirators, and prevent the plan from succeeding.Tense film with an intense performance by Robert Shaw,
- DirectorWilliam A. GrahamStarsRobert DuvallArliss HowardJeffrey TamborThe story of the 1960 hostile extraction of the Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann, by the Mossad to Israeli justice.Very drawn out account of the story of the capture of Eichmann. The House on Garibaldi Street is much, much better.
- DirectorSidney GilliatStarsDouglas Fairbanks Jr.Glynis JohnsJack HawkinsIn post-WW2 Europe, when the dictator of a small police state dies during surgery, the operating surgeon, who's a visiting American doctor, is held captive in order to preserve the terrible state secret.Exciting thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Terrific "evil" performance from Jack Hawkins as the head of the State Police. Well worth watching. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is quite good in the lead.