42 replies to this topic

[zencat]

In 1976 ABC presented a MUCH different version of OHMSS than what we have today on DVD. In order to make it a two night television "event", ABC radically re-edited the movie, and added James Bond's voice over narration to bridge the gaps. The movie STARTS with Bond skiing away from Piz Gloria, and everything leading up to that plays in flashback during the stock car chase. Most Bond fans remember this as the ultimate sacrilege and just another insane butchering job by ABC on our beloved Bonds. The version was repeated in 1980.

At one of the BCWs, I found a VHS copy of this fabled version. I bought it out of pure morbid curiosity to see how "bad" it was. But, you know, in a weird way, I kind of like it. They really changed the movie around to make it play like a mini series and in doing so highlighted the Tracy storyline over the action. It

[ChandlerBing]

...and what did you think of the phony narrator?

[Coop]

>>(rocks begin to fly at zencat)<<

The first one thrown by Coop who loves OHMSS like no other film. He even takes the DVD to bed with him and strokes it- the perv!!!!

[zencat]

Originally posted by ChandlerBing
...and what did you think of the phony narrator?

Well, he sounded terrible, but the idea of using James Bond's V.O. to narrate the "flashback section" of the movie was interesting and not ineffective.

(more rocks fly)

[ChandlerBing]

I think there are laws against networks like ABC screwing around that drastically with films like that. If not, there should be.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Coop
>>(rocks begin to fly at zencat)<<

The first one thrown by Coop who loves OHMSS like no other film.  He even takes the DVD to bed with him and strokes it- the perv!!!!

Don't worry, Coop. I'm not saying I like this version better. I'm just saying it's not the abomination that people make it out to be. So, stroke away.

[kevrichardson]

Originally posted by zencat
You know, I have a VHS of the fabled OHMSS ABC cut and, in a weird way, I kind of like it. They really changed the movie around to make it play like a mini series, and highlight the Tracy storyline over the action. Thing is, it's not mindlessly rearranged. It actually works in some strange way.

I remember that version of OHMSS in 1976 ! Spent the whole two nights watching the film . I thought it was great .

[OOSe7en]

That ABC narrated version rocked !!! As a matter of fact, I was disappointed when first seeing OHMSS on DVD since it DID NOT have the narration. It had been 26 years ago since I had first and last seen it !!!

[zencat]

Originally posted by Dr.Carl Mortner
You have to give ABC credit for the OHMSS debacle - they were trying to lend some epic scope to a movie that may have otherwise fell into complete obscurity. Those two-nighter ABC Bond presentations were real events - I'll never forget the schoolyard excitement over the FYEO two-parter back in the mid-'80s.

[Mister Asterix]

I remember liking the narrated version, but I didn

[zencat]

Here's a web page devoted to this version of the film. http://shatterhand00...tedVersion.html

[brendan007]

i think its competely wrong that they did that to the film, i agree with chandlerbing that there should be laws against doing what they did. however i would really like to watch it just once, just out of curiosity.

[doublenoughtspy]

The narration is not bad at all. It's introspective and thoughtful - and as Zencat points out it does emphasize the romance angle.

Its the chopping up of the story and running it over 2 nights that I object to.

[OOSe7en]

That movie is so long it should've been run over the week not two days.

[Turn]

I also remember when this was aired. I had seen OHMSS only once before in a theater. I didn't dislike it, just found it disorienting from what I had seen before.

But it also helped form that impact the film has. It just seemed so much different and on a much more personal level. You really felt for Bond and how much he cared for Tracy. This was strange to feel this way considering I was only 9 at the time. When they showed it in one three-hour showing later on in 1980 it cemented OHMSS as one of the best Bond films for me.

[BONDFINESSE 007]

dang, i have never seen that version, i might like it better then what i have

[DLibrasnow]

[quote]Originally posted by zencat
In 1976 ABC presented a MUCH different version of OHMSS than what we have today on DVD. In order to make it a two night television "event", ABC radically re-edited the movie, and added James Bond's voice over narration to bridge the gaps. The movie STARTS with Bond skiing away from Piz Gloria, and everything leading up to that plays in flashback during the stock car chase. Most Bond fans remember this as the ultimate sacrilege and just another insane butchering job by ABC on our beloved Bonds. The version was repeated in 1980.

At one of the BCWs, I found a VHS copy of this fabled version. I bought it out of pure morbid curiosity to see how "bad" it was. But, you know, in a weird way, I kind of like it. They really changed the movie around to make it play like a mini series and in doing so highlighted the Tracy storyline over the action. It

[marktmurphy]

I was thinking the other day- do foreigners know where the OHMSS title comes from? You see, to most british people its a corruption of the lettering which is written on the envelope of all tax letters- just above the address window they read 'On Her Majesty's Service'.

[zencat]

Actually, I didn't know that. Interesting.

[TheSaint]

I haven't seen all of it. What I do like about it is when the narrator refers to Blofeld's henchmen as "bully boys".

[Mister Asterix]

Originally posted by marktmurphy
I was thinking the other day- do foreigners know where the OHMSS title comes from? You see, to most british people its a corruption of the lettering which is written on the envelope of all tax letters- just above the address window they read 'On Her Majesty's Service'.

I din’ know that either. That’s right up there with finding out that the word the Japanese use for ‘Top Secret‘ translates to ‘You Only Live Twice’.

[marktmurphy]

Eh? Really? How does that work?

[Mister Asterix]

According to an article about Fleming’s notebook at 007Forever:

Elsewhere Fleming writes that the Japanese word for "top secret" is gokuhi, which translated into English means You Only Live Twice.

[Loomis]

Originally posted by Mister Asterix

Elsewhere Fleming writes that the Japanese word for "top secret" is gokuhi, which translated into English means You Only Live Twice.

That is totally, utterly, 100% incorrect. Fleming was either fibbing or had misunderstood something he'd heard or read. "Gokuhi" (極秘) may be translated as nothing other than "top secret", "absolute secrecy" or something like that. The first character, "goku" (極), means "extremely", "very" or "most", while the second, "hi" (秘), means absolutely nothing other than "secret". Neither on its own nor in combination with the other to form a word does either character give any kind of notion of living or of doing something twice. Translating "gokuhi" into "you only live twice" would require such an enormous leap of the imagination as to be absurd. Basically, it just means "top secret" and nothing but.

Besides, the novel already gives a perfectly good explanation for the phrase, with Bond's haiku. "You only live twice" is also, of course, a twist on a popular saying, as is "live and let die".

[General Koskov]

I recently watched OHMSS over two days and found that watching this epic in short bits (an hour and eleven minutes, approximately) made the last half seem short, and voer-packed with action.

I'm definitely no expert on the layout of film acts and length, but I assume directors make some sort of balance between non-action and action scenes. Since the latter come at the end of OHMSS (with only the barn and M's office scenes as non-action breaks) the end seems, as I've said before, over-packed with action.

However, I'm sure ABC makes their version work better in two parts. Does anyone know how much production this version took?

[zencat]

Originally posted by General Koskov
I'm definitely no expert on the layout of film acts and length, but I assume directors make some sort of balance between non-action and action scenes.

Director's -- and then the editor -- may change it, but this is really the writer's job. Remember these movies start FROM A SCRIPT!

(Why do people still think directors do everything. )

Sorry, I'm a little sensitive about this for obvious reasons.

[Turn]

Originally posted by General Koskov
I recently watched OHMSS over two days and found that watching this epic in short bits (an hour and eleven minutes, approximately) made the last half seem short, and voer-packed with action.  

I'm definitely no expert on the layout of film acts and length, but I assume directors make some sort of balance between non-action and action scenes. Since the latter come at the end of OHMSS (with only the barn and M's office scenes as non-action breaks) the end seems, as I've said before, over-packed with action.  

However, I'm sure ABC makes their version work better in two parts.  Does anyone know how much production this version took?

I don't think the end is any more packed with action than any other Bond film. There is plenty of build-up and story before getting to those scenes. So the action seems welcome after setting up Bond's Piz Gloria cover and getting it blown later on.

The key with OHMSS is there is suspense during those breaks in between the action, such as when Draco and his men are flying to Piz Gloria and are confronted by the Swiss Air Force.

[Jriv71]

Originally posted by Coop
He even takes the DVD to bed with him and strokes it;)

When you say strokes "IT", what do you mean?

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by zencat

Director's -- and then the editor -- may change it, but this is really the writer's job. Remember these movies start FROM A SCRIPT!

(Why do people still think directors do everything. )

Sorry, I'm a little sensitive about this for obvious reasons.

Thank you zencat....For me the most interesting part of a Bond production has always been the script writing stage. That's why I love the "Script to Screen" documentary so much on the Region 2 'Die Another Day' DVD. The companion "Inside Die Another Day" documentary is completely ridiculous fluff by comparison.

[Fawn]

Originally posted by zencat

Director's -- and then the editor -- may change it, but this is really the writer's job. Remember these movies start FROM A SCRIPT!

(Why do people still think directors do everything. )

Sorry, I'm a little sensitive about this for obvious reasons.

And everybody said, "AMEN"!


- Fawn, who wants to be a screenwriter someday