Favorites :: Soundtracks :: Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai's Amazing Awesomeness of Operation: Kid Brother (1967)

Operation: Kid Brother a/k/a O.K. Connery a/k/a Operation: Double 007 is producer Dario Sabatello and director Alberto De Martino's completely demented Italian James Bond knock-off about what happens when your top spy isn't available to save the world from a dastardly plot and your fall back plan is to recruit his younger brother. (Just roll with it, folks.) Made to help feed the world's spies and espionage-addled cinematic appetite, their end result is both great and goofy as all hell. The production landed Sean Connery's brother, Neil, for the lead (he's honestly not that terrible), and several other Bond mainstays, including Bernard Lee (M) and Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny, who kicks butt in this thing), and former Bond Girl Daniela Bianchi (From Russia with Love), and arch-villain Adolfo Celi (Thunderball) to round out the cast, who are all plugged into a plot that makes no sense, but you, like me, probably won't give a shit as this thing washes over you. And on top of all that, we get an inspired musical score co-conspired by the great Ennio Morricone and Bruno Nicolai, with a vocal assist by Maria Cristina Brancucci.

Video courtesy of Valdez244.

Yeah. Good luck getting that out of your head. Alas, the movie itself is not available on this side of the pond except on VHS, but the film was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000; an episode that is currently available in one of the boxsets.

Operation: Kid Brother (1967) Produzione D.S. :: United Artists / P: Dario Sabatello / D: Alberto De Martino / W: Paolo Levi, Frank Walker, Stanley Wright, Stefano Canzio / C: Giovanni Bergamini / E: Otello Colangeli / M: Ennio Morricone, Bruno Nicolai / S: Neil Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Adolfo Celi, Lois Maxwell, Bernard Lee

Moments of Pure Cinema Fusion :: Leone's Masterpiece: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1967)

By definition, nuclear fusion is the process by which multiple like-charged atomic particles join together to form a heavier nucleus -- usually accompanied by the release of a massive amount of energy, depending on the elements involved. Applying that theory to film, there are certain moments in certain movies when the direction, cinematography, acting, editing, and soundtrack collide and merge into something I like to call Moments of Pure Cinema Fusion.


Here's probably the best example of this theory in use: The final, three-way duel in Sergio Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Honestly, there are a ton of scenes from this film that would qualify, and I wish there was a clip that started when Tuco is first blown into Sand Hill Cemetery and finished with the closing credits. Alas, this is as close as I could get.

Up first ... Tuco is overcome by the ecstasy of gold.

Which ultimately leads to the final duel.

Honestly ... I'd argue with anyone that, when you add up all the elements, that entire sequence is the greatest twenty-five minutes (give or take) of cinema ever committed to film.

Credit where credit is due:

Director: Sergio Leone / Screenplay: Leone, Luciano Vincenzoni, Furio Scarpelli, Angenore Incrocci / Cinematography: Tonino Delli Colli / Editing: Eugenio Alabiso, Nino Baragli / Original Music: Ennio Morricone / Cast: Clint Eastwood, Eli Wallach, Lee Van Cleef.