Your fav spy series or movie

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Everyone knows the jengre, James Bond, Alias etc.

I have been skimming through older titles in my movie collection and discovered a few gems, mostly british. There is of course the outstanding Smiley series with Alec Guiness. But most remarkable I found 'The Sandbaggers' (which I learned yesterday is a golf term for cheaters).

The main character, head of SIS' special operations section, is just a complete a**hole. Arrogant, scathing, cold, calculating, opportunistic, ambitious, manipulative, ruthless. And the business is dirty and unprincipled, rather realistic I think.
Quite remarkable little series, if one can overlook the rather dreadful 1970s dresses and haircuts, and the flimsy colours of British tv productions of that time.

 

I agree that the Smiley series was outstanding.

Reilly: the Ace of Spies with Sam Neill was something I enjoyed very much also.

Then there was the first installment of Mission Impossible series which I remember fondly watching when I was a kid.

 

For a series definitely Smiley's People and Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy. The Man From UNCLE and I, Spy were fun. Get Smart was a riot as the ultimate parody.

For movies, the best were made during the cold war:

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (incredible movie and even more amazing as a book)
Eye of the Needle (again the book is even better)
North by Northwest
Ice Station Zebra
The Thirty-Nine Steps
The Manchurian Candidate (1962 version)
Notorious
Charade
Day of the Jackel (1973 version -- Edward Fox was much better than Bruce Willis).
Hunt for Red October
On Her Majesties Secret Service
In Like Flint

A few recent ones have come out that are quite fun to watch:

Bourne Identity
Bourne Supremacy
Spy Game
Casino Royale

Listing just one as 'the best' it would be The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. Burton deserved an Oscar for his performance.

 

I just love The Tailor of Panama with Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush.

A great movie with great acting and a great story.
It's definitely the anti-James Bond and it's at the same time thrilling, funny and thought provoking.

@T2Bruno: The Day of the Jackal with Edward Fox was truly amazing and I enjoyed watching Spy Games with Redford and Pitt, I really like the atmosphere of this movie.

 

T2,
funny enough I know all of them. I like The Man From UNCLE more than I, Spy. The two Flint movies are absolutely hilarious (why? because compared to Derek Flint James Bond is a bed-wetter).

Day of the Jackal and The Spy Who Came in From the Cold are just excellent. IMO pretty equivalent is The Mackintosh Man (Paul Newman)

Also see:
The Quiller Memorandum (I like Max von Sydow and George Segal)
The fourth Protocol (Pierce Brosnan as a villain)
The three Harry Palmer movies with Michael Caine

 

Thus far all the adaptations of LaCarre I have seen have been quite good (including those listed along with The Russia House and The Constant Gardener).

I haven't seen those last ones you listed Ragusa, I guess I have a few rentals to do....

 

The titles of the three Harry Palmers are:

The Ipcress File
Funeral in Berlin
The Billion Dollar Brain

 

The Fourth Protocol is a really great movie (and with Michael Caine too). I can't believe I didn't think about that one!!!

 

TV:
Get Smart - I like camp.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - have a crush on David McCallum (I also watch NCIS)

Film:
Bond
The 2 Flint movies
Austin Powers trilogy
Spy Kids

Comedy.

EDIT: Oh recalled a serious one: Marathon Man.

 

"The Dam Busters". Not realy a spy movie, but it has sabotage and espionage. And it's a war movie. How can you go wrong?

 

Excellent suggestions and good films hard to pick one. But one Tv seroes missing if you like gritty, seedy (in other words real) spy stories like the Harry Palmer movies, and George Smiley would be the series: CALLAN from the seventies and very well-played by Edward Woodeard

 

Hunt for Red october was an awesome film.

I can quote the damn thing word for word, including the russian bits.

 

I very much like Mission: Impossible, but only the original series. The newer series was ridiculous, and the movies a shame. (Albeit Vingh Rames and Jean Reno were great.)

 

Alias is my favorite. I have all five seasons (completely legally purchased), and am in the process of rewatching them all. I finished all of season 4 last week and am moving onto 5.

 

I saw the thread title and thought, 'oh, I'll recommend Sandbaggers'. But looks like I'm a bit too late for that.

So I'll just mention that I've heard good things about MI5/Spooks (US/UK titles) from folks who like Sandbaggers.

And if you're willing to give comics a shot, pick up Queen and Country.

 

There's really a lot of great spy series and moves. I'll just name a couple. When I was a kid there was this British series called The Professionals. It was my favorite during those days. Much later on, Edward Woodward as The Equalizer was a weekly affair for me.