18 replies to this topic

[Triton]

Quentin Tarantino has recently received a lot of free publicity and press coverage about the comments he has made of his desire to film Casino Royale with Pierce Brosnan.

After re-watching Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, and Kill Bill: Volume 1, I am even more convinced that Quentin Tarantino's style is totally incompatible with Eon Production's James Bond formula. I don't believe that it would be possible for him to work within the constraints imposed by the producers and I believe that he would leave in a huff during production over creative disagreements if he were ever offered directing duties. Plus, his style of filmmaking is far too radical for Broccoli and Wilson to ever consider him as a James Bond director.

Since I firmly believe that hell will freeze over before Tarantino ever got the film rights to the novel Casino Royale or any other James Bond property for that matter, I was thinking that Tarantino should instead spend his time and creative efforts on developing another assasin/spy character from the 1950's or 1960's. Perhaps Donald Pendleton's Matt Helm series, since Tarantino once expressed that doing Matt Helm was one of the great lost opportunities in the genre.

Think of the wonderful possibilities if Tarantino created a period hard-boiled spy thriller series set in the 1950's or 1960's that made use of his non-linear story telling, his style of ultraviolent, almost satirical, violence, and his unconventional use of popular music? He could also take a satirical swipe at the James Bond series at the same time.

[Loomis]

I remember the rumour of a few years back that Tarantino would direct THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. as a big budget, major studio summer blockbuster (presumably intended as the start of a franchise) as his PULP FICTION followup. Fell through, evidently.

There were also some stories a few years ago that he and Robert Rodriguez were planning a MODESTY BLAISE series, to star Uma Thurman. Rodriguez was to direct the first film, with Tarantino directing the second. Again, must have fallen through.

There's been some talk recently that KILL BILL may turn into a franchise of sorts, with Tarantino supposedly mulling over an animated prequel revealing the early life of Bill, and a live action sequel in which the child of one of the Bride's victims sets out for revenge as an adult. Tarantino has said that he may shoot said live action sequel between five and 15 years from now, but then again Tarantino says a lot of things, doesn't he? (CASINO ROYALE, anyone?)

Personally, I don't believe there will be any KILL BILL sequels or KILL BILL-related films (KILL THE BRIDE would be a pretty cool title, though). I'm certain that Tarantino will cut VOLs 1 and 2 together into a super-duper "full-length" version at some point for DVD (and possibly limited theatrical) release, probably with hitherto unseen scenes, but that'll be it.

[Triton]

Very interesting Loomis. I didn't know about the Man from UNCLE or the Modesty Blaise project with Robert Rodriguez.

I don't know if fans of the Robert Vaughn and David McCallum television series would have liked a Tarantino written and directed UNCLE film. I presume that Tarantino would have recrafted the property into something that was unfamiliar to the fans of the television series.

I am not familiar with Peter O'Donnell's Modesty Blaise series, is there character and story material in the comic strips and novels that could make for an interesting and entertaining series of motion pictures?

[JackChase007]

I think it would be cool to see Tarantino do a spy movie. After having just seen Reservoir Dogs, I think he'd make a great director for Casino Royale, but Wilson and Broccoli have their heads shoved too far up their es to see this as a great opportunity. So yes, Tarantino should make his own spy movie, which I bet would still be a better Bond movie than what Bond 21 has a chance of being at this moment...

[Triton]

I think that Wilson and Broccoli are generally unwilling to depart from the "James Bond formula" and have an aversion to risk.

If Tarantino was in the director's chair, he wouldn't create the James Bond product we are accustomed to and Eon Productions and MGM/UA are content to produce.

[Loomis]

[quote]
I don't know if fans of the Robert Vaughn and David McCallum television series would have liked a Tarantino written and directed UNCLE film.

[Triton]

I wonder if Inglorious Bastards will be Quentin Tarantino's take on the The Dirty Dozen. According to imdb:

Set in World War 2, Tarantino's story revolves around group of soldiers on their way to be executed, only they get the chance for a reprieval. He describes them as "Not your normal hero types that are thrown into a big deal in World War II." This is the only information he will release at present.

[Blofeld's Cat]

It would be very interesting should QT start his own spy series, or do at least one Bond-like spy movie much in the way Jim Cameron did with True Lies.

[JackChase007]

Regarding Tarantino's next project, I heard that he's now considering bringing back the idea of a "Vega Brothers" movie, focusing on Vic (Michael Madsen's character in Reservoir Dogs and Vince Vega (John Travolta's character in Pulp Fiction). Apparantly, he once considered the idea, but scrapped it because Travolta and Madsen are older than they were when the respective movies were released, but he's reportedly thought of a way to get around that. So who knows..

[CommanderBond]

I think it would be great for him to do a bond-like movie to get a feel of how he can direct a spy film and to see how he would approach bond. I like the idea of him doing a bond movie but i just can picture pierce in it. I think that if Tarantino does the next one it will be one of the greatist because of his story telling ability. He would focus more on the chracter than the special effects and cars.I think he would show how dirty a busness bond is in and stick to the point with out making a character over shine bond.

[JackChase007]

Who knows - due to Tarantino's indie-film backgrounds, he'd be a good choice for a future "Jason Bourne" film, following the likes of The Bourne Identity helmer Doug Liman and The Bourne Supremacy's Paul Greengrass. Actually, that would rock! Quentin Tarantino for The Bourne Ultimatum!!!

[Roebuck]

There were also some stories a few years ago that he and Robert Rodriguez were planning a MODESTY BLAISE series, to star Uma Thurman. Rodriguez was to direct the first film, with Tarantino directing the second. Again, must have fallen through.

Now that was a sad and sorry tale.

Miramax had had wanted to launch a Modesty Blaise franchise and had draft scripts based on 'The Night of MorningStar', 'A Taste For Death' and a version of 'I, Lucifer' by British comics writer Neil Gamin. But the project spent eight years in development hell, so Tarantino decided to redirect his energies into making a film about The Bride.

In the end Miramax did make a Modesty Blaise film, directed by Scott Spiegel and starring British actress, Alexandra Staden.
It's an original, prequel story called 'My Name Is Modesty' which followed the character from her early as a refugee to her meeting up with the Louche gang in Tangier. It was shot over three weeks in Bucharest and is supposedly a dogs breakfast of a film. Unforgivably, there isn't even a cameo appearance from Willie Garvin.

At one point a straight to DVD release was rumoured, with an introduction from Quentin tacked on to give it an air of respectability.

Edited by Roebuck, 25 April 2004 - 11:30 AM.

[rafterman]

He won't get the chance to do an EON Bond flick, he's good, but does not fit the mold enough. That said, he should most definitely create his own spy film. After watching Kill Bill, I think he could take all the great stuff of the past and distill it into one cool spy flick.

[CommanderBond]

as long as its modern....he likes to have all those retro themes.

[trevanian]

While I remain FIRMLY convinced that QT could do an excellent job with a faithful adaptation of CR, I also agree it ain't gonna happen, due to the powers that be.

But since QT has a certain 'mind[censored]' aspect to his projects, if he wanted to re-launch an old franchise, a great bet would be OUR MAN FLINT. Especially since there is already superb virgin material available, namely, the never-filmed Harlan Ellison script for a Derek Flint TV series. Called FLINTLOCK, the teleplay, which plays almost like FLINT meet THE PRISONER, has a terrific intellectual quality, plus is witty as all get out. There is even a brief casino scene up front as I recall.

[bonded56]

Last Fall Taratino selected programming for Trio-TV Channel. He made comments about his selections before and after they were shown. The were 3 Richard Johnson movies form the sixties. DANGER ROUTE with Johnson as JONAS Wilde an assassin; and two Bulldog Drummond entries DEADLIER THAN THE MALE (also out on DVD, albeit without an extras) and its sequel SOME GIRLS DO. He said he showed the two Bulldog Drummond movies to some friends who commented they wish there had been more Richard Johnson as DRUMMOND movies. Yet another character he could resurrect. Ricard Johnson had apparently also been on the "short list" to portray Bond at one point.

[trevanian]

Yeah, I think after Patrick McG said no, Johnson was the WHOLE list for awhile, but he wouldn't sign a multi-picture contract. Johnson is one of those guys like Stephen Boyd who seemed to get much better as an actor once he put some age on ... I saw Johnson in a MAGNUM PI once and was very impressed with him (and I saw Boyd in a couple cheap 70s pics that he enhanced a lot ... a far cry from his 'work' in THE OSCAR.

[1q2w3e4r]

He's talked about doing a straight "action film" so who know's. He'd do a bloody great job of it. Hopefully he will it'd get my $ quicker than Bond 21.

[Von Hammerstein]

But since QT has a certain 'mind[censored]' aspect to his projects, if he wanted to re-launch an old franchise, a great bet would be OUR MAN FLINT. Especially since there is already superb virgin material available, namely, the never-filmed Harlan Ellison script for a Derek Flint TV series. Called FLINTLOCK, the teleplay, which plays almost like FLINT meet THE PRISONER, has a terrific intellectual quality, plus is witty as all get out. There is even a brief casino scene up front as I recall.

Oh most certainly! With QT's passion of retro-kitsch. Derek Flint is the perferct foil for him. Though The Man From UNCLE would also be very cool to see.

PS: Anyone know where you can get a copy of the FLINTLOCK script. Is it on the net anywhere?