796 replies to this topic

[Miles Miservy]

In 1995's release of GOLDENEYE, I was taken aback with the way they'd re-tooled the gun barrel. I thought, "Now THIS is cool." Even when they tweaked it with a 3-D bullet in DAD, I was really impressed.

So you can imagine my surprise when the sequence was abandoned until the very end of CR and all but missing in QOS. I hope whomever's doing Pinder's old job remembers that's one of the things that makes a Bond movie a Bond movie.

Edited by DamnCoffee, 24 October 2012 - 05:30 PM.

[Messervy]

100% agree. I think the DAD one where we actually see the bullet was a nice one.

I just rewatched earlier Bond movies, and I must admit that hearing the first notes of the Bond theme, then seeing Bond walk trhough the screen and finally that iconic shooting pose sent thrills down my spine. You're immediately in the Bond mood. I do miss it in more recent films.

[JCRendle]

It was at end of the PTS in Casino Royale



and at the end of QOS

[JCRendle]

I'm hoping for a more traditional opening gunbarrel

]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6aRyNDnt0Lc

[Pussfeller]

I'd prefer the classic style, as opposed to the Spaceballs raspberry jam gunbarrel.

[Judo chop]

Of all the things to care about in Bond, I think the gunbarrel is... well, it barely even registers for me.

To answer your question... No. Definitely not. You are NOT the only person to care about the gunbarrel in one way or another. You only need to poke around the archives to see threads upon threads discussing (analyzing!) the topic.

The more interesting question might be, am I the only person who doesn't give a flying flipperoo what they do with it or where they stick it or how much blood of some particular viscosity pours forth from it?

I may be.

(So long as it's there. Total absence I think I might notice.)

[Dustin]

The more interesting question might be, am I the only person who doesn't give a flying flipperoo what they do with it or where they stick it or how much blood of some particular viscosity pours forth from it?

I may be.

(So long as it's there. Total absence I think I might notice.)

No, you're not the only one. Welcome to the club, I too hardly register the gunbarrel and its specifics.

[thecasinoroyale]

I'd prefer the classic style, as opposed to the Spaceballs raspberry jam gunbarrel.

Bloody fantastic summary Pussfeller!


I also really miss this. 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum' would have been even better in their right if the gunbarrel was at the start, regardless of a re-boot or sequel, or whatever.

After everything Mendes has said about 'Skyfall', I will be so dissapointed with the team, and EON, if they omit another gunbarrel because the Craig films aren't 100% Bond films yet. We NEED that element. It's worked for 50 years, and it is, as you say, the start of where your excitement for James Bond starts.

The pulsating music, the familiar man in a suit, the shot, the blood, the fade in for the pre-titles...if 'Skyfall' doesn't have this, and I mean an updated better one, not the rushed 'Quantum' effort...well, EON will have my seal of dissaproval.

Fans may say Bond films don't need this or that to work...but Bond films NEED the gunbarrel, and I reckon every single fan agrees with you here!

[Miles Miservy]

I'd prefer the classic style, as opposed to the Spaceballs raspberry jam gunbarrel.

I NEVER caught that.
Thank you.

[S K Y F A L L]

The gun barrel moved to the end of QOS didn't work for me.

We can only assume SF on the 50th annvirsary will show case the gun barrel at the start of the film and now we are left with this one darn film, QOS which doesn't. Sad story to me.

[OHMSS Fan]

Yep I miss it too, and believe, if they don't restore it to the front of Skyfall, they will be making a grave mistake.

[ggl]

I think we ALL want the gunbarrel at the very beginning...

[Vauxhall]

I've never been a keen gunbarrel watcher, but I think it has to be at the start of SKYFALL really. Doing something different with it would appear to contradict what we know about the film so far. Plus we haven't had a "normal" gunbarrel since 1999.

[glidrose]

So you can imagine my surprise when the sequence was abandoned until the very end of CR and all but missing in QOS. I hope whomever's doing Pinder's old job remembers that's one of the things that makes a Bond movie a Bond movie.

You mean this Pinder?



C'mon, the guy hasn't been in a Bond film since '65. Give him a rest.

[KBOX007]

I remember very clearly the disappointment I felt at the gunbarrel sequence during opening night of CR. I was SURE that they would go back to normal during QoS, but they did not. The lack of the gunbarrel to start that film really set a disappointing tone for me personally, and I still haven't gotten over it yet. The gunbarrel must return at the beginning of Skyfall. IMO, it is the most iconic sequence in all cinema, it sets the tone for the film, and sets Bond movies apart from other films (among many other factors of course).

If George Lucas were to release another Star Wars movie and discarded the theme song and rolling credit intro, you better believe Star Wars fans would put a bounty on his head. There are some film traditions that should not be messed with, and none more so than the gunbarrel sequence. I think Broccoli and Wilson know that, and will return the gunbarrel to where it belongs in Skyfall. The reboot is over, let's return to the classic Bond style.

[tdalton]

I don't particularly care what they do with the gunbarrel sequence. If it's there, fine. If it's somewhere else, that's fine as well. They could completely remove it and I don't think I'd particularly care either. The only things that I really require from a Bond film are a solid story and the James Bond character.

[Single-O-Seven]

I really hope it's back at the beginning of the film, complete with a rousing, orchestral Bond theme to accompany it. My heart flutters when that sequence hits the screen, even if I've seen it a million times before. But when it's a new Bond film it's just tremendously exciting to kick the adventure off with that intro, and to hear a new rendition of the Bond theme.

[Darth Prefect]

I miss the gun barrel and much much more...

[Royal Dalton]

Since it's the 50th Anniversary and all that, I think they should digitally recreate the original one from Dr. No, but cropped to 2.35:1, and with slicker animation. Perhaps with those two extra white dots at the end. The smallest one irising out on an establishing shot of Istanbul.

[AMC Hornet]

Even if CR and QoS had just had the parade of white dots (sans music) opening onto the first scene, I would have been satisfied.

Now that Craig's Bond had 'earned' his 007 status (and I don't just mean the number, I mean the whole mantle) let's celebrate with a full-bore classic opening (and maybe shooting up another embassy or two...)!

[Morgan]

We all know the reason behind no opening gun barrel in CR and only at the end of QOS is because the two films are really one story of how Bond becomes Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. The previous films show Bond after he's already earned his license to kill so it makes perfect sense to not have had the opening gun barrell until the end of QOS. Besides we get a great taste of it anyway prior the opening credits in CR. That BW sequence is absolutley one of the hightlights of the entire series.

That being said you could argue the gun barrel sequence is the standard introduction to every Bond film regardles of plot.

We will see it for sure in Skyfall and it will be fantastic!

[SPECTRE ASSASSIN]

Since it's the 50th Anniversary and all that, I think they should digitally recreate the original one from Dr. No, but cropped to 2.35:1, and with slicker animation. Perhaps with those two extra white dots at the end. The smallest one irising out on an establishing shot of Istanbul.

That's a great idea.

I liked how the gunbarrel was 'glimmering' in OHMSS and DAF; wish it was presented again today.

[S K Y F A L L]

Why don't they move the title sequence to the end too, can't believe the gun barrel at the end even made it to the film.
The gun barrel is like a Bond film production logo to me, like UA, MGM or Sony. It's how I know I'm not in the wrong theater. I liked how the gun barrel tied into the QOS title, but I think it would have worked better at the start with the lake.

If CR and QOS are one story then shouldn't have CR not have had one at all, the reason being at the end of QOS Bond becomes the Bond we always know?

I wouldn't mind seeing a Bond film starting like this;
black and white like in CR however probably a longer story introduction like QOS then back to color with the gun barrel.
Then another scene before the title sequence.
I think it could work out alright because it would spread out our favorite Bond motifs and possibly start a new one with the black and white scenes.

[AMC Hornet]

I liked how the gunbarrel was 'glimmering' in OHMSS and DAF; wish it was presented again today.

I liked the reflective barrel in PB's time.

I always remembered that the Dr. No barrel did the same thing, but retrospective watching has proven that memory erroneous.

The one in OHMSS glimmered too? I thought it was just DAF.

[Leon]

I think nothing would make as much sense for the 50th anniversary picture than an original styled gunbarrel, improved upon visually of course, and with the dirty electric guitar and raw brass punch.

I also think a link to the first gunbarrel sequence in Dr No would be cool. Perhapse just that radio morse codey sounding motif as a precursor on a black screen with the text "Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli present" just *before* the white dots and brass kick in.

[SecretAgentFan]

Um, didn´t we discuss this for the umpteenth time? The gun barrel in QOS was put at the end because now Bond has fully become Bond.

There´s no reason why SKYFALL should not start with the traditional gun barrel at the beginning.

And, personally, I would love a completely new take on it.

[thecasinoroyale]

On the idea if they use the gunbarrel, I would make a new poll thread but it probably would be moved for discussion here so I'll put it to you:

What style of gunbarrel music do you want 'Skyfall' to have, for the first proper time we launch into a 'Bond with a Capital B' for Daniel Craig, considernig this sets the tone for the movie...would you like to have...


The big, loud "DA DA DUMMM, DA DA DUMMM, DA DA DA DA DA..." into, like we hear in 'From Russia With Love', 'Live & Let Die', 'The Living Daylights', 'GoldenEye' etc...actually, bar the experimental 'Dr.No', it seems every actor gets the big triumphant intro for their first gunbarrel, so maybe Craig will get this big Bond intro?

OR

The slow, mysterious "DUMM DUMM DUMM DUMM, DUMM DUMM DUMM DUMM.." intro, like hear in 'The Spy Who Loved Me', 'Moonraker', 'Tomorrow Never Dies' etc... seems a lot more subtle, thrilling and spy-ish.

OR

Something different, like 'Dr.No' and 'Licence To Kill', totally shaking it up!


I wonder what makes them decide to use the specific intro, if it is a musical introduction to the tone of the film? 'Licence To Kill' worked very well, dark, brooding and threatening. Perfect.

[The Shark]

The slow, mysterious "DUMM DUMM DUMM DUMM, DUMM DUMM DUMM DUMM.." intro, like hear in 'The Spy Who Loved Me', 'Moonraker', 'Tomorrow Never Dies' etc... seems a lot more subtle, thrilling and spy-ish.

Not MOONRAKER.



THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH on the other hand...

[AMC Hornet]

Keep in mind that they may just use the one created for the end of QoS.

That's one element that never had to be reshot every time directors changed - it only changed with lead actors & screen ratios.

Just because a lot of people hated it doesn't mean EON will take the hint.

[thecasinoroyale]

D'oh! Thanks The Shark, going of my memory, I was bound to confuse one! Thanks for the vids too..great stuff.

Fair point AMC, but I think Craig deserves another crack at it, under the guise of a director wanting to start his Bond a fresh, with no tie to 'CR' or 'QOS' as that gunbarrel turned into a 'Q' at the end.

I hope they change it, make it a bit slower, with more detail than the evident rush job, but as you say...EON call the shots here, not the fans!