81 replies to this topic

[zencat]

I'm beginning to think Eon might ignore the whole 50th Anniversary thing, and I don't think that's a bad thing. I think they went all in on the 40th Anniversary (I can still find branded 40th Anniversary merchandise on shelves), and I wonder what that really accomplished except to tell the world James Bond has been around for a long time, and we all know that. Certainly fans didn't really respond to DAD as an "anniversary film" with all its insider references, etc. The more I see of Skyfall, the more I think this is a Bond film that means to fearlessly push the franchise forward into a new era of realism and drama, and celebrating the "classic" Bond with all the girls and villains of the past might work against it, know what I mean?

So what do we think? Should they go all out because of the magic number 50? Or is it time to stop celebrating the past and just go with the new?

I say ignore it.

[Pussfeller]

They don't seem to be ignoring it. They went on about a "year-long celebration", a commemorative documentary, and so forth.

[zencat]

Oh, yeah, the documentary. Forgot about that?

But a really nice documentary, aimed at a specific market, might be a good way to mark the 50th. I'd be down with that.

But will they do more? Will they come up with a 50th Anniversary logo and slap it on everything. Will Skyfall be called "the 50th Anniversary film" etc?

Maybe not. Was there any mention made of the 50th Anniversary at the press conference?

[DamnCoffee]

They did say that they had a lot of stuff planned, butthey didn't want to announce anything at the present stage.

Edited by Mharkin, 19 November 2011 - 10:03 PM.

[MarkA]

They will not ignore it. It is too much of a marketing opportunity. I already have knowledge of a huge expensive book from Taschen like the ones that were done for the Godfather and Taxi Driver for starters. I think it will be huge and aimed at emptying as much of our wallets as they can.

Edited by MarkA, 19 November 2011 - 10:12 PM.

[Pussfeller]

As for the documentary, that hardly seems an extraordinary event, considering that every DVD is loaded with such stuff. Unless they actually intend it to be a proper, stand-alone documentary rather than yet another behind-the-scenes featurette.

[tdalton]

I hope that they end up ignoring it. It's better to focus on the future rather than reminding everyone just how old the franchise is.

Regardless of what they do for the 50th, however, I will be ignoring it. I'll take the opportunity to get a few of my favorite films on Blu-ray if they release those (but certainly not the full 22 film set, only a small handful of them), but other than that, I don't really care about the 50th Anniversary.

[doublenoughtspy]

I do believe they made mention of the 50th at the press conference, because it was 50 years to the day that Sean Connery was announced as Bond.

I think what Zencat is getting at, or at least my interpretation of it, is twofold: the anniversary as a marketing opportunity, and anniversary acknowledgement within the film itself, and how it is branded.

Of course Danqaq/Eon/MGM/UA/SONY/etc. will acknowledge and celebrate the 50th with merchandise, documentaries, re-releases, blu-rays, etc. etc.

But I don't think the film itself will be acknowledge/be a slave to the anniversary the way DAD was. I remember appreciating the in-jokes/references while watching DAD, but the woman I saw it with at a critics screening had never seen a Bond film so it was all lost on her, and I suspect, most of the audience.

[007jamesbond]

I think there should be some kind of celebration but no too big and not too small. A documentary and other events will be fine but does not need to be super big because not everyone cares about Bond movies at all

[quantumofsolace]

I don't think Eon should ignore it and they have said that they won't. The press certainly will not ignore it. But I hope that the movie Skyfall does.

Edited by quantumofsolace, 19 November 2011 - 11:27 PM.

[the doctor]

As long as it's not the focus of the film (which it doesnt seem to be) it's all good. I'm sure the merch though will be flooding out like in 2002 which means we all get to be a little poorer next year. I dont really get why some people want them to ignore it exactly, its a pretty big milestone for the spy we all love.

[Guy Haines]

One problem with Die Another Day, as much as I enjoyed it, was that some, but not all, of the references back to previous Bond movies had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The scene between Bond and Q in particular. I hope that if Skyfall has any homage scenes they are shown with a little more imagination.

There is one I'd like to see though. The gunbarrel at the start of the film, and with that odd "radio signal" in the background as the white dot bounces across the screen, as per the introduction to Dr No. Then straight into the Bond theme and the pre title credits. But please, no title credits like Dr No - they reminded me, for all the world, of the old "Ki-Ora" adverts you used to get promoting soft drinks in the local fleapit!

[WC]

I think EON should pay homage to their 40th anniversary by having homages to Die Another Day throughout Skyfall for every other scene. I suppose it would be a kind of second-hand homage to the other films, since DAd overdid it with homages to them.

I expect to hear hear Naomie Harris saying "Yo mama" and talking about Mr Bond's big bang theory. Maybe Ralph Fiennes will land somewhere with a union jack parachute. His secret identity won't be Blofeld but Gustav Graves. Bond will say "I see you live to die yet another day."

[sharpshooter]

Of course Danqaq/Eon/MGM/UA/SONY/etc. will acknowledge and celebrate the 50th with merchandise, documentaries, re-releases, blu-rays, etc. etc.

But I don't think the film itself will be acknowledge/be a slave to the anniversary the way DAD was.

My thoughts exactly. My guess is they will acknowledge the past outside of the new film. With the new film being just that. Adding to that pile of history by having its own identity.

[Pushkin]

There was another nice thread that mentioned the possibility of subtle references. One example was including the painting that was in Dr. No. I think a few things like that would be fine in the film (i.e. where there are very much part of the scenery, and in the background) but they would need to be very subtle and not become the focus of scenes the way they did in Die Another Day... That being said, I think Halle Berry looked wonderful in that orange bikini.

Edited by Pushkin, 20 November 2011 - 03:33 AM.

[Captain Tightpants]

Is it really that important that EON "celebrate" the 50th anniversary within the film? Wouldn't making the best possible film be the best way to celebrate the milestone?

[Jim]

I expect them to market the bitch until it's blue in the face but as far as the film goes, it would be nice if they have learned the hard lessons of DUD and take the approach from The Living Daylights - make a terrific film without being hidebound to "celebrate" anything.

Writing that whilst slowly coming to terms with the fact that The Living Daylights will shortly be the halfway point of the series. Wow.

[DaveBond21]

They will do this.....again...


James Bond 2002 40th anniversary show




But as for the movie, no, they will just make a good film.

[Simon]

I think what Zencat is getting at, or at least my interpretation of it, is twofold: the anniversary as a marketing opportunity, and anniversary acknowledgement within the film itself, and how it is branded.

Of course Danqaq/Eon/MGM/UA/SONY/etc. will acknowledge and celebrate the 50th with merchandise, documentaries, re-releases, blu-rays, etc. etc.

But I don't think the film itself will be acknowledge/be a slave to the anniversary the way DAD was. I remember appreciating the in-jokes/references while watching DAD, but the woman I saw it with at a critics screening had never seen a Bond film

!!!

....so it was all lost on her, and I suspect, most of the audience.

I was interpreting the same as DNS; leave the film alone, but every soft toy in the land has 50th Anniversary slapped on its .

[The Shark]

Just release the rest of the Barry Bond scores (so far they've only done YOLT-DAF) - and I'll be a happy shark.

[DLibrasnow]

I don't think its a bad thing for them to ignore the anniversary. I feel that EON tried too hard to shoehorn Bond references into Die Another Day and that was partly to blame as the reason for the movie ended up being the disjointed movie that it is. I have nothing against nods to the past if it fits the movie (eg IMO the aborted plan to have Anya Amasova in A View to a Kill would have worked) but not at the expense of the story.

[Professor Dent]

My preference is to leave the film itself alone so no DAD style in movie throwbacks to previous films. Maybe an acknowledgement in writing would be ok. Similar to when a movie studio celebrates an anniversary the put a mention of the year by their logo. Since we don't have a consistent Bond logo that is shown at the beginning of each movie, some sort of recognition in the end credits would be fine by me.

[Bond... Raybond]

Just release the rest of the Barry Bond scores (so far they've only done YOLT-DAF) - and I'll be a happy shark.

Just release expanded/complete of the remaining (yes, I'm looking at Spy and Moonraker) and they can have my money. My soundtrack collection will be complete.

[Guy Haines]

Just release the rest of the Barry Bond scores (so far they've only done YOLT-DAF) - and I'll be a happy shark.

And I'll be a happy Haines if they do that! Incidentally, given that it is almost a year since John Barry left us, I'm surprised that we have yet to see any new CDs/DVDs/downloads commemorating his work. Even re-releases of old soundtrack albums on CD, or any unreleased material. Visit your typical HMV for example and you are lucky to find any Barry discs at all. Why?

By contrast, when a so called "mainstream" artiste suddenly joins the choir invisible, the record stores are awash with "new" CDs.

[zencat]

I wasn't thinking that they'd put anything into the film itself ala DAD. How could they? The Craig films are a new timeline, there's nothing to look back at.

I was just wondering if they were going to brand the associated marketing and merchandise with a 50th Anniversary theme. It appears the answer is "yes". But my whole point was, does that really do anything? Do people even care? And does it work against the Craig era in a way?

[doublenoughtspy]

I wasn't thinking that they'd put anything into the film itself ala DAD. How could they? The Craig films are a new timeline, there's nothing to look back at.

So they put the silverbirch Aston Martin DB5 in CR because of what, a random choice? While they didn't say "Hey, this is the car from Goldfinger!" I think they might try something similar - a nod to the history, but not over the top like DAD.

I think Jim bringing up TLD is a good point. There was plenty of 25th anniversary hooplah, but the film itself did not acknowledge it, and the TLD specific merchandise did not have "25 years of Bond!" splashed all over it.

But to answer your other question, I don't think people will care that Bond has been around for 50 years, and as a marketing gimmick, it might get some play and coverage, but it won't affect people's decision to see the film.

[DaveBond21]

How about a nod to all the previous Bond movies in the titles sequence only?



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[WC]

I wasn't thinking that they'd put anything into the film itself ala DAD. How could they? The Craig films are a new timeline, there's nothing to look back at.

I was just wondering if they were going to brand the associated marketing and merchandise with a 50th Anniversary theme. It appears the answer is "yes". But my whole point was, does that really do anything? Do people even care? And does it work against the Craig era in a way?

What about the scene with Gemma Arterton covered in oil in QOS? That's already a homage to a previous film, so that already disproves your theory. Then there's the DB5 in CR. In DAD, not everything that was a homage was Bond actually reminsicing on his past adventures. Some of it was just incidental but happened in a similar way to previous movies - eg Halle Berry coming out of the sea like Ursula Andress (that wasn't prearranged to remind him of Honey Ryder), Gustav Graves parachuting with a Union Jack parachute, Bond stealing a grape when he went through that window, Bond using the ejector seat to flip the right way up etc.

[zencat]

I wasn't thinking that they'd put anything into the film itself ala DAD. How could they? The Craig films are a new timeline, there's nothing to look back at.

So they put the silverbirch Aston Martin DB5 in CR because of what, a random choice? While they didn't say "Hey, this is the car from Goldfinger!" I think they might try something similar - a nod to the history, but not over the top like DAD.

I wasn't thinking that they'd put anything into the film itself ala DAD. How could they? The Craig films are a new timeline, there's nothing to look back at.

I was just wondering if they were going to brand the associated marketing and merchandise with a 50th Anniversary theme. It appears the answer is "yes". But my whole point was, does that really do anything? Do people even care? And does it work against the Craig era in a way?

What about the scene with Gemma Arterton covered in oil in QOS? That's already a homage to a previous film, so that already disproves your theory. Then there's the DB5 in CR.

Oh, yeah, forgot about those. Guess I didn't really think that hard about it. Thanks. I stand corrected.

[Jim]

Oh, yeah, forgot about those. Guess I didn't really think that hard about it. Thanks. I stand corrected.

Wouldn't fret; albeit the car and the girl in oil aren't particularly subtle (the Robert Sterling business card was quite fun though), these references were just sort of there rather than the THERE, LOOK AT THAT, WE DID ANOTHER ONE, AREN'T WE CLEVER? lunacy of DUD.