17 replies to this topic

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I just saw the 1974 Roger Moore film Gold for the first time. In addition to Moore, several Bond film veterans worked on it: Peter Hunt directed it, Maurice Binder did the title sequence, and John Glen served as editor and 2nd unit director on it. It involved a villainous plot to flood a South African gold mine and kill many working miners so its owners could make a killing in the gold market. That struck me as eerily prescient to certain scenes in A View To A Kill, i.e. Zorin's flooding the mines and killing his own men as part of his diabolical scheme. Has anyone else seen Gold and noticed the Gold/AVTAK connection?

[doublenoughtspy]

It's been a while since I've seen it.

I remember talking with Peter Hunt about it in the late 1990s, he special ordered it through his local video store.

The clerk asked if it was a favorite movie or something.

Hunt told her "Oh, I was involved in it's production."

The man's modesty was amazing. Yea, you might say the director was "involved"!!!

[Predator007]

I own a copy of "Gold" on VHS somewhere. I only remember watching the first few minutes of it. I may have to dig it out and watch it tonite now. I'll let you know my thoughts on it after i've seen it....

[DLibrasnow]

I have seen it many times and even own a rather shoddily put together DVD of the movie. I have never noticed a connection to A View To A Kill which to my mind was actually a remake of Goldfinger

[Triton]

According to the The Incredible World of 007 by Lee Pfeiffer and Philip Lisa, an early draft of the screenplay of A View to a Kill had Max Zorin attempting to bring down Halley's comet to destroy Silicon Valley.

So it's possible that the idea of flooding a mine was inspired by the movie Gold, though I have never heard anyone involved in the production of A View to a Kill say that the Mainstrike Mine, and the plot to flood it by tunneling and blasting underneath a lake bed, was inspired by Gold. I wouldn't be surprised if John Glen made use of his experiences as second unit director on Gold in directing the action on the Pinewood Main Strike set.

But aside from the plot to flood the mine, Gold has little in common with A View to a Kill. For the most part, I would say that the movie is about the affair between mine manager Rod Slayter (Roger Moore) and the wife of one of the executives in the mining company played by Susannah York.

[[dark]]

I've owned this on DVD for almost a year now [I got it free with my copy of Die Another Day on DVD], but have never got around to watching it.

One of these days...

[Tanger]

It was on TV here in the UK a few weeks ago but I missed it for the second time. That's twice it's been on and I've forgotten to watch it. I don't think I've ever taped it either.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I own a copy of "Gold" on VHS somewhere. I only remember watching the first few minutes of it. I may have to dig it out and watch it tonite now. I'll let you know my thoughts on it after i've seen it....

So have you seen it yet, Predator007?

[DLibrasnow]

According to the The Incredible World of 007 by Lee Pfeiffer and Philip Lisa, an early draft of the screenplay of A View to a Kill had Max Zorin attempting to bring down Halley's comet to destroy Silicon Valley.

Yes, this was widely covered at the time of A View To A Kill's release. It was also mentioned in the interview with Richard Maibaum and Micheal Wilson inside the Starlog Movie Magazine Special of the production. The idea of the comet (although topical for 1985) was dropped when the writers decided to go for something a little more realistic.

[Blofeld's Cat]

The idea of the comet (although topical for 1985) was dropped when the writers decided to go for something a little more realistic.

And arn't we all glad common sense prevailed. What a truly rediculous idea it was, even for a Bond movie.

[Predator007]

So have you seen it yet, Predator007?

Well, i put it in and again, i only made it through a small portion of the film. It just seemed so, i dunno....low-budget. I didn't care for what little bit i saw. I only made it to the part where they were down in the mine shaft and they were about to do some work on one of the miner's legs. I guess after watching Moore as Bond it's hard to watch him in something so bland.

[DLibrasnow]

The idea of the comet (although topical for 1985) was dropped when the writers decided to go for something a little more realistic.

And arn't we all glad common sense prevailed. What a truly rediculous idea it was, even for a Bond movie.

I agree Brett...Bond has been dealing with outer space stuff in too many movies. I mean three of Brosnan's 007 movies have dealt with outer space to some extent - Goldeneye weapon, Carver's fiddling with the satellites and the Icarus weapon.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

So have you seen it yet, Predator007?

Well, i put it in and again, i only made it through a small portion of the film. It just seemed so, i dunno....low-budget. I didn't care for what little bit i saw. I only made it to the part where they were down in the mine shaft and they were about to do some work on one of the miner's legs. I guess after watching Moore as Bond it's hard to watch him in something so bland.

It does move more slowly and is more realistic than a Bond film. I recommend sticking it with it though. I found myself getting very involved in it and the finale is quite intense. Moore's Rod Slater character is quite different from his 007. He's a lot grittier, less suave and more serious than his Bond. I could easily see Mel Gibson playing the same role if it had been made about a decade or two later.

[DLibrasnow]

Yes GOLD is a movie you have to stick with....it takes its time getting there but the end is very gripping.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

Yes GOLD is a movie you have to stick with....it takes its time getting there but the end is very gripping.

Peter Hunt definitely shows his directing chops with the finish. Also, special kudos are owed to underrated actor Bradford Dillman for his performance as the film's villain. Spoilers for Gold........................













Dillman actually evokes some sympathetic moments as a cuckolded husband. His scenes when he realizes what's going on between his wife Susannah York and Roger Moore and later as he sees his plan fall apart are great. My biggest complaint about his character is his relatively quick death at the hands of his former partner-in-crime. I wanted to see his character go thru a public trial and humiliation and be forced to deal with the evil he perpetrated but in retrospect that would have made the film too long.

[DLibrasnow]

No I liked the way the dealt with Dillman's character.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

In the recent tradition of old threads being dusted off, I've found the first 9 minutes and 8 seconds of "Gold" on you tube-

http://www.youtube.c...feature=related

I highly recommend this film to all Roger Moore and Peter Hunt fans.

[5 BONDS]

I remember seeing it when I was young and clearly thought it was a Bond movie..I knew I enjoyed it and always felt it was one of the Bond movies because of a young Roger Moore and the way he portrayed the character and the style of the movie. Since I have grown up I have never seen it again..back in the day ITV used the show these movies countless times.
Only later in life perhaps in my early teens when I finally realised it was not a Bond film.Unfortunately the only thing I could remember was Roger's character in pain at the end and trapped..I think it was this scene that made me think it was not a Bond movie.

Great times growing up..no internet, no satellite..just 3 home grown channels to enjoy.