Top 10 Ken Adam Movies

A Tribute to A Visual Genius

♦We lost special effects wizard Ken Adam at the end of last week so we thought it would be a nice tribute to him to give our visitors ten of his best films…

1. Dr No (1962)
   The first James Bond film, despite its absence of gadgets and a more simple approach, saw Adam create a visual style that would last well into the seventies.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsT1bLR2sfM
2. Goldfinger (1963)
   The second James Bond film but one which was light years ahead of its progenitor, arguably the grand daddy of all modern spy films. Adam got to go crazy creating Fort Knox and the golf club where Bond encounters Goldfinger.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoQwKe0lggw
3. Doctor Strangelove or How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love The Bomb ((1964)
   Kubrick’s darkly satirical Cold War comedy wouldn’t have looked the same without Adam’s input especially the war room.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuP6KbIsNK4
4. The Ipcress File (1965)
   The first Harry Palmer film had a visual style all its own, separate from the feel of the James Bond films, and Adam created a unique visual palette.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv2fFVnN6zM
5. Thunderball (1965)
   One of the greatest opening sequences of any early Bond film, Adam did some of his most distinctive work here, having lots of fun with the Bahamian setting.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNL3POV6OoI
6. Funeral in Berlin (1966)
   Michael Caine’s second outing as Harry Palmer with some wonderful sixties Berlin footage and another opportunity for Adam and co to really bring the setting to life with style and pizzazz.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWnrfwiT-bY
7. You Only Live Twice (1967)
   Bond’s adventure in Japan gave him the opportunity to really pull out all the stops with Blofeld’s secret volcano hideout and showing a country that many people hadn’t visited at that time.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Maos82cqguo
8. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
   Sean Connery’s brief return to James Bond’s tuxedo proved to be a very diverting affair with a silly but imaginative plot and lots of wonderful visual set-pieces including Blofeld’s lair and the funeral home that Bond almost meets his end in.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztXmwXBlF-E
9. Barry Lyndon (1975)
   Adam returned to working with Kubrick again on this period film and visual highlights include the battle scene and the duel.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBFpw-459VU
10. Moonraker (1979)
    Although the script wasn’t one of Bond’s best, visually it was ahead of the game with some wonderfully memorable scenes on the space station.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pG5v7ng0o4A