41 replies to this topic

[TheSaint]

After LTK & before GE, there were rumors that McClory was going to come out with various Bond projects based on his Thunderball scripts...the ones that got the most talk was either an animated Bond film or a series of Bond tv/cable movies. Had he been successful, would you have seen this production? I know I would've, especially since McClory was considering casting Pierce in the tv/cable movies.

[ChandlerBing]

Kevin "I Invented the Question Mark" McClory is an idiot.

[kevrichardson]

Kevin Mc Clory is the reason that Blofeld ans SPECTRE never made it into "The Spy Who Loved Me".

[Turn]

To answer the main question, sure, I would have seen another McClory-produced Bond film. I saw NSNA, which he did, when it came out in 1983. It wasn't anywhere near as good as the EON productions, but if it is Bond, it draws my attention.

[Xenobia]

I think I would see one of KM's productions, but not more than one. I believe all he has the rights to are the plot and characters of Thunderball. How many different ways can he re-write that without becoming seriously repetitive and boring?

-- Xenobia

PS: I am not saying that Thunderball itself is boring and repetitive. It's not. But if you took the same plot and characters and merely changed the locations and character names over and over and over again, *those* reincarnations would become repetitive and boring.

[Daltonitus]

Well, whichever way he re-wrote it, I hope it wouldn't send me to sleep like the last 2.

[Roebuck]

I think a lot of people have developed the mindset that because the only non EON Bond films made in the last forty years have done less than brilliant box-office, only EON can make decent Bond movies. But while this current incarnation of EON happily trades on the company's forty year reputation, these ain't he same guys who made the classic movies I grew up on. No Harry or Cubby. No Ken Adam or John Barry or Richard Maibaum. So if McClory or anyone else could put together the right combination of writers, director, lead actor (etc) to make a hum-dinger of a Bond flick, sure I'd go and see it. EON have siphoned off a lot of my cash over the years because they have the monopoly on my favourite movie hero. Doesn't mean I owe them any particular loyalty.

Anyway, since McClory doesn't have the kind of track record that would inspire a studio to entrust him with the stratospheric budgets required to make the sort of Bond movie audiences expect today, his involvement would probably be minimal. If it happened it would be more than likely a case of them leasing the rights off him and giving him some kind of producers credit as a sop to his ego.

That still leaves the issue of would fans pay to see yet another adaptation of Thunderball? Well I've read some interesting synopsis on fan sites that showed how the basic plot could be effectively redressed and refreshed for a new generation of movie goers. I'm convinced it can be done. After all, look how long EON have been recycling ideas from the Connery era? Aren't we about due another rehash of YOLT from them?

[MarkA]

If the man attracted great talent you say.
Well last time he had Sean Connery (the best Bond). The Man who directed the best Star Wars film. Nearly all of the production team of the Indiana Jones films and still he produced ****. 'Never Say Never Again' is worse than all the Bonds, including BOTH versions of 'Casino Royale', and lets hope we never see its like again!

[Doubleshot]

Originally posted by Roebuck:
After all, look how long EON have been recycling ideas from the Connery era? Aren't we about due another rehash of YOLT from them?

In a way, we have already had one: Tomorrow Never Dies, which was a rehash of The Spy Who Loved Me, which itself was a rehash of You Only Live Twice. It's almost like the "Three Degrees of Hollywood" game.

[TheSaint]

This has been my most successful thread topic to date, even though some of the responses have gone far afield. I've noticed that happens alot with these threads.

[brendan007]

Originally posted by TheSaint
After LTK & before GE, there were rumors that McClory was going to come out with various Bond projects based on his Thunderball scripts

i always thought that mclory only became interested in making a new bond film when bond was suddenly successful again following goldeneye and tomorrow never dies.
during the time between LTK and goldeneye, i thought hed given up on bond, following the 'failure' of LTK.

[Daltonitus]

I thought it was because of him (to some extent) that GE was delayed?

To be honest, if someone made a more down to earth 'flemming' type bond again instead of the ever emotional and character changing current 'bond' then I would pay to see it for sure.

[Roebuck]

Originally posted by Daltonitus
To be honest, if someone made a more down to earth 'flemming' type bond again instead of the ever emotional and character changing current 'bond' then I would pay to see it for sure.

Me too. I'd like to see what someone else would do with the character. It crosses my mind that EON are now at the point where the Bond movie formula they've established has become more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to creating a fresh and exciting product.

Of course, as MarkA pointed out, you can assemble a great array of talent and still make a pigs ear of it...

[00 deceased]

Kevin McClory is no friend to 007. He sued Bond's father Ian Fleming an affair that Fleming could have done without given his poor health. He tried to sue EON and delayed the production of "The Spy who Loved Me" and it was EON, mainly Terrance Young and Sean Connery that made his Thunderball film good. He murdered SPECTRE, a SPRECTRE story with Moore would had been great, perhaps a revenger one like the YOLT book. He released that terrible NSNA on the same year as OP trying to take on an excellent film. He is jealous of EON and has done nothing but interfer and interfer. We don't need him!

[TheSaint]

We may not need him now but, we could've used him from 1990-1994. Also, may I remind you that the reason he sued Fleming was because of either Fleming's ignorance or stupidity. Publishing a story written by committee as your own wasn't exactly the smartest thing Fleming could've done.

[00 deceased]

This is true, but he was still far too sue happy

[TheSaint]

Sue happy? Maybe but, I think Broccoli & Connery could give him a run for his money in the lawsuit department.

[00 deceased]

That is it, I am going to SUE YOU!

[TheSaint]

We're going far afield again.

[00 deceased]

That is precisely why you are being sued!

[DLibrasnow]

Sure I would see it.
"Never Say Never Again" was better than the last six "Bond movies" that EON has put out.

Incidently, Sam Neill was attached to a Kevin McClory backed Bond series in the mid-1980s. After it fell through EON tested him to take over the role from Roger -- the copycats!

[00 deceased]

The last 6 movies?

Die Another Day - Ok, it was pretty dreadful
The World is not Enough - Was Excellent
Tomorrow Never Dies - Was very good (The remote control BMW)
Goldeneye - Very Entertaining
Licence To Kill - One of the best examples of Fleming Bond ever
The Living Daylights - A truly brilliant Bond film

And the weak Never Say Never Again was better then all of them? Are you really a Bond fan?

As for Sam Neil, I admire him as an actor but he is not Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosan! Is he?

What a shocking statement!

[Daltonitus]

The last 3 movies for sure, but the last 6...no way.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by Daltonitus
The last 3 movies for sure, but the last 6...no way.

I loved both "The Living Daylights" and "Goldeneye", but I also love "Never Say Never Again" precisely because it is so different from the other entries in the series - plus Xenia Ontatopp (GE) and Fatima Blush (NSNA) are my two favorite Femme Fatales.

[00 deceased]

How is Never Say Never Again different from any other in the series, it's a remake of Thunderball!

[ChandlerBing]

...and a pretty piss-poor one at that.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by 00 deceased
How is Never Say Never Again different from any other in the series, it's a remake of Thunderball!

It improves dramatically upon that lame 1965 movie.

[ChandlerBing]

No, it doesn't. Not even close.

[DLibrasnow]

Of course it does...
Just look at the cast:
"Never Say Never Again"
Sean Connery
Klaus Maria Brandeur
Kim Basinger
Barbara Carrera (Fatima is the best Femme Fatale of the series)
Max Von Sydow
Rowan Atkinson
Edward Fox
Bernie Casey

"Thunderball"
Sean Connery
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
Nobody
Bernard Lee
Nobody

"Never Say Never Again is a far superior movie than the limp and lame "Thunderball". We get the best dialogue of any Bond movie, the best femme fatale, Edward Fox plays a wonderful twist on James Bond, treating him much the same way Dame Judi Dench did in "Goldeneye", Rowan Atkinson is hilarious as Nigel Small Fawcett and there are some great fight scenes.
Also who could forget the crazed performance of Klaus Maria brandeur.

I could go on and on listing ways that NSNA improves over its predecessor but you get the point.

[ChandlerBing]

Poor Claudine Auger. She's now a nobody. Adolfo Celi is now a nobody. Do you want to tell them, or should I?