For Your Eyes Only - Danilia Village, Corfu

At the end of september we spontaneously went on vacation for a week on the gorgeous Greek island of Corfu. When I found out that some scenes for the 1981 James Bond film For Your Eyes Only were filmed here, it was of course inevitable to visit some of the locations.

We start at Danilia, which is an authentic looking replica of a traditional 1930s Corfiot village. There you can let yourself be spoiled with culinary delights, you can buy regional products in beautifully decorated farm shops or hold festivities in a great atmosphere. But it is also quite obvious to shoot films there, since the whole village somehow looks like a prepared film set.

The outer gate of the village was also used for the film's main car chase. If you look closely you will see that many details of the gate and the wall look different now. This is because the walls were so dilapidated that they were torn down and rebuilt.

For Your Eyes Only - Pagi, Corfu

The course of the car chase now leads us to a place called Pagi (sometimes referred to as Pagoi), a village in the northwest of the island of Corfu. Bond and Melina, driving a yellow Citroen 2CV, try to shake off their pursuers in the village's narrow streets. 

The building on the next screenshot now houses a grandiose James Bond fan-restaurant called "Spiros Bond 007 Cafe-Bar". This place comes highly recommended. How the fan culture is lived out there is really lovely. Inside there are various autographs hanging on the walls (including one from Sir Roger Moore and even one from Michelle Yeoh). A chair on which Mr. Moore sat has been marked ROGER SAT HERE! and may be used for fan photos. There are guestbooks with entries from fans from all over the world and the food is also very tasty. What more do you want? The location link to this post takes you directly to my new favorite restaurant.

For Your Eyes Only - Vatonies, Corfu

The Citroen jump was filmed on a winding country road called Eparchiaki Odos Arkadades-Agiou Georgiou. Way too long, so I decided to use the name of the nearest village. The location link below takes you to the exact filming location. By the way, this is the first of many 007 car chases coordinated by French stunt legend Rémy Julienne, who would later also work with Jackie Chan on Armour of God and Armour of God ll - Operation Condor. 

For Your Eyes Only - Vlacherna Monastery, Corfu

Sir Roger Moore and Carole Bouquet plan their next steps in front of the picturesque Vlacherna Monastery. She wants revenge for the death of her parents and he wants to save the world as always. This location is of course a tourist hotspot, so I was happy to get a photo without passers-by in the picture.  

For Your Eyes Only - Poster

The Clones of Bruce Lee - Jardine House

The Clones of Bruce Lee is a cinematic summit meeting of three fakes: Bruce Le, Bruce Lai and Dragon Lee. To be fair, the film's title already makes it clear that no real Bruce Lee is to be expected. As compensation you get to see the real Jardine House.

The Lama Avenger - North Kowloon Magistracy

With The Lama Avenger (aka The Three Avengers) we are re-entering the dubios realms of Bruceploitation. Bruce Li and his friends digest Chin Yuet-Sang's guilty verdict on Tai Po Road in front of the North Kowloon Magistracy.   

The Lama Avenger - Nai Chung

Chin Yuet-Sang and the other convicts pick up trash on the beach. The guys did a great job, when I was there the beach was clean.  

The Lama Avenger - Pik Uk Prison

Chin-Yuet Sang's sentence is over. Pik Uk Prison is located in the beautiful Sai Kung District, which is probably of little consolation for those incarcerated there. 

Bodyguard from Beijing - Clearwater Bay School

A very cool looking Jet Li ensuring safety in the schoolyard. Clearwater Bay School is located about 100 meters from the legendary Shaw Brothers Studio. You can bring your child to school in the morning and indulge in old kung fu flicks at the same time. What a life.

Bodyguard from Beijing - Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly

Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly is located in the epicenter of the golden era kung-fu film locations. The striking mountain and its surroundings can be seen in countless movies. I've already written a post about it a few years ago, if you want to read it click here. Frequently used filming locations such as Starfish Bay, Chat Sing Temple, Ma On Shan and Three Fathoms Cove are all within walking distance. In Bodyguard from Beijing, Cheung Muk Tau Holiday Centre for the Elderly was probably used for the first time as a filming location, since the facility was only opened a year before the movie was released. By the way, in 2007 a scene for Flash Point with Donnie Yen was filmed here too.

Red Fists - Victoria Peak

Red Fists aka Perfect Partners aka Joint Investigation, starring Yu Rong-Guang, is one of those many Hong Kong films that begin with the world famous view from Victoria Peak. As the spongy screenshot shows, Red Fists is also one of those many Hong Kong films that don't have a high definition release. But as a fan of these films I am used to eye pain. Victoria Peak (552m) is Hong Kong Island's highest hill, but only ranked 29th in all of Hong Kong. 1st place goes to Tai Mo Shan (957m), which is located in the New Territories.

Cheetah on Fire - Observatory Road

Cheetah on Fire contains a short scene which was filmed on the steep Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. By the way, a fight scene with Cynthia Rothrock, Mang Hoi and Hsiao Ho (Cynthia's double) for the film Blonde Fury was shot three years earlier at the same location.