110 replies to this topic

[Royal Dalton]

Yeah I suppose. Are there any action sequences in the script that haven't yet been used in a Bond film? Aside from the opening train sequence which was removed because it was too similar to Mission: Impossibles ending action scene.

I don't think that's why it was dropped. GoldenEye came out six months before Mission: Impossible. I think they just changed it so they could establish the back story between Bond and Trevelyan, which was changed from France's script.

As for action scenes, there's a scene where Bond escapes an ambush at a Russian safe house. I think that could probably be used again. As could an action scene from Jeffrey Caine's script set in the St. Petersburg Metro.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Are there any action sequences in the script that haven't yet been used in a Bond film? Aside from the opening train sequence which was removed because it was too similar to Mission: Impossibles ending action scene.

Hmmmm... there was one involving Marina escaping a lackey of Trevelyan trying to blow up her apartment that could certainly work in a future film; there's also the complex attack on the safe house (not the one Royal Dalton mentioned, but a later attack simplified into the escape from interrogation in St. Petersburg). The Archives sequence seems to have descended from a sequence involving Bond escaping from KGB headquarters after infiltrating it to get information on certain murdered Russian scientists, which features a nifty use of a miniature remote-controlled surveillance helicopter.

Could I have a copy, please?

Certainly; just PM me your e-mail address, and you'll have it within the day.

I don't think that's why it was dropped. GoldenEye came out six months before Mission: Impossible. I think they just changed it so they could establish the back story between Bond and Trevelyan, which was changed from France's script. As for action scenes, there's a scene where Bond escapes an ambush at a Russian safe house. I think that could probably be used again. As could an action scene from Jeffrey Caine's script set in the St. Petersburg Metro.

Huh... that seems to be based off of France's depiction of Bond and Marina's escape from Russian authorities on a train. Where'd you get the Caine script?

As an addendum, there's no mention of Lienz Cossacks in the France draft, despite the fact that Trevelyan is an older man; it must have been added on in one of the subsequent drafts, because it certainly doesn't fit Sean Bean's young Trevelyan.

[marktmurphy]

Bond's Aston Martin can drive at over 300 mph! I love it!

[Mr. Blofeld]

Bond's Aston Martin can drive at over 300 mph! I love it!

Heh... "heightened reality", as always. Perhaps it's one of Q's "special modifications"...

After all, you can't really make a huge explosion from shooting a pressurized oxygen container, can you?

[Mr. Blofeld]

Any more questions about, comments on, or takers for the Michael France GoldenEye draft?

[marktmurphy]

So which is the one where Trevelyan is, effectively, M? Is it this one? I haven't made it all the way through yet so perhaps it is this one. Is there an extended flashback in the middle?

It is quite bizarre how similar the pre-titles are to Mission Impossible. Quite hard to swallow Bond being to run/stand on the roof of a train doing 300mph, especially after M:I showed the effects of it slightly more realistically. Was there not a version where his Aston's ejector seat was involved? That's in the dim reaches of my mind somewhere.

[Mr. Blofeld]

So which is the one where Trevelyan is, effectively, M? Is it this one? I haven't made it all the way through yet so perhaps it is this one. Is there an extended flashback in the middle?

Yes, he is, but the flashback is not extended; it's one scene, and contains no dialogue, at that, but it's rather impressive at how effectively it conveys the relationship we've seen between Bond and Trevelyan, just through broad strokes.

It is quite bizarre how similar the pre-titles are to Mission Impossible. Quite hard to swallow Bond being to run/stand on the roof of a train doing 300mph, especially after M:I showed the effects of it slightly more realistically. Was there not a version where his Aston's ejector seat was involved? That's in the dim reaches of my mind somewhere.

There wasn't, but I'm almost certain M:I ripped off Bond, rather than the other way around; France was a big name in screenwriting actioners after the success of Cliffhanger, so his GoldenEye draft must've been passed around Hollywood, at some point or other...

[Royal Dalton]

Was there not a version where his Aston's ejector seat was involved? That's in the dim reaches of my mind somewhere.

That's from the story outline for the 1991 film. Bond's in the DB5 being chased by a heat-seeking missile. So he drives the car off a cliff and uses the ejector seat (which is fitted with a parachute) to escape.

Pretty much the same as Bond and Natalya's escape from the Tiger helicopter in GoldenEye, really.

[Dekard77]

Any more questions about, comments on, or takers for the Michael France GoldenEye draft?

I don't know if it's question than a statement but the France draft is quite like The Saint movie or even a bit of TLD, Too much of Russian involvement and less Bond like. GE dealt with the Bond world in perfect balance. Bond escapes and destroys anything in his path while maintaining some form reality... if that's possible.

I can't understand the True Lies connection. One thing I do like is mixing Dalton into the thick of action.
France was also spot on abt how the villains lair should be Ken Adam inspired, Peter Lamont ruined the finale of GE.

[marktmurphy]

A weird thing about this script is is, at the beginning it appears the Soviet Union is still together.

Was there not a version where his Aston's ejector seat was involved? That's in the dim reaches of my mind somewhere.

That's from the story outline for the 1991 film. Bond's in the DB5 being chased by a heat-seeking missile. So he drives the car off a cliff and uses the ejector seat (which is fitted with a parachute) to escape.

Pretty much the same as Bond and Natalya's escape from the Tiger helicopter in GoldenEye, really.

Ah thanks: that must be it. Actually, an ejector seat would have made more sense: Bond's car 'bumps' the helicopter causing it to crash? A bit rubbish; and very lucky! If he'd fired his ejector seat into it as he drove underneath it'd be a bit more impressive.

There wasn't, but I'm almost certain M:I ripped off Bond, rather than the other way around; France was a big name in screenwriting actioners after the success of Cliffhanger, so his GoldenEye draft must've been passed around Hollywood, at some point or other...

Well I didn't think Bond ripped off a film that hadn't been made yet!

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Hey I want that script NOW!!!!!

[Mr. Blofeld]

I don't know if it's question than a statement but the France draft is quite like The Saint movie or even a bit of TLD, Too much of Russian involvement and less Bond like.

It was damned Bond-like; there's even an homage to the SPECTRE bait-and-switch kill scenes!

GE dealt with the Bond world in perfect balance. Bond escapes and destroys anything in his path while maintaining some form reality... if that's possible.

Highly impossible; there's no consequences for rampaging through St. Petersburg in a tank! Granted, there's no real consequences here for Bond's involvement in the whole affair, but I'm sure France would've included more of a Russian-involved closure scene had the second draft not started to trend in another direction...

I can't understand the True Lies connection.

The chase on horseback was done in True Lies; I don't know if it was parallel development, or if someone nicked the idea from France.

One thing I do like is mixing Dalton into the thick of action.

Indeed; he also gets to show his knowledge of foreign languages and chess -- he's smart, but not an encyclopedia, like Roger Moore's Bond was...

A weird thing about this script is is, at the beginning it appears the Soviet Union is still together.

I'm pretty sure they were not; only the apparati left over, like the KGB, remained, which was why Trevelyan was jumping ship with the weapon in the first place.

Ah, thanks; that must be it. Actually, an ejector seat would have made more sense: Bond's car 'bumps' the helicopter causing it to crash? A bit rubbish; and very lucky! If he'd fired his ejector seat into it as he drove underneath it'd be a bit more impressive.

He bumps it while it's in the tunnel, causing it to crash against the side and lose altitude; it's a wonder EON didn't sue Paramount, the two sequences are so close...

I didn't think Bond ripped off a film that hadn't been made yet!

True; just look at how Disney's Aladdin borrowed part-and-parcel (even character design!) from the long-gestating Richard Williams project The Thief and the Cobbler, mainly through Williams going through so many animators who later went to work at Disney -- similarly, both Bond 17 and the M:I movie had been in gestation in Hollywood for so long that sequences were bound to be passed from writer to writer.

Hey, I want that script NOW!!!!!

PM me your e-mail address, and you'll get a copy.

[Mr Twilight]

Mr. Blofeld, respect. Kudos for you. Thanks

[marktmurphy]

A weird thing about this script is is, at the beginning it appears the Soviet Union is still together.

I'm pretty sure they were not; only the apparati left over, like the KGB, remained, which was why Trevelyan was jumping ship with the weapon in the first place.

Yes; but there's no sense of it not existing any more in the first few scenes: people talk about the KGB and people defecting recently as if it's still the 60's.

Ah, thanks; that must be it. Actually, an ejector seat would have made more sense: Bond's car 'bumps' the helicopter causing it to crash? A bit rubbish; and very lucky! If he'd fired his ejector seat into it as he drove underneath it'd be a bit more impressive.

He bumps it while it's in the tunnel, causing it to crash against the side and lose altitude; it's a wonder EON didn't sue Paramount, the two sequences are so close...

I know that's what happens; but it's rubbish. Why would it suddenly be so low as to allow a car to bump it? And it's not even something Bond is trying to do; just a happy, unlikely accident.

[Mr. Blofeld]

A weird thing about this script is is, at the beginning it appears the Soviet Union is still together.

I'm pretty sure they were not; only the apparati left over, like the KGB, remained, which was why Trevelyan was jumping ship with the weapon in the first place.

Yes; but there's no sense of it not existing any more in the first few scenes: people talk about the KGB and people defecting recently as if it's still the 60's.

Bond mentions in the briefing scene that "this type of assassination used to be" the KGB's "specialty" (meaning they no longer do that sort of thing), but then goes on to say, "But why would the Russians try to kill him now?"... meaning there's no point in trying to kill Razhnov because the Soviet Union (and its aeronautics program) is no more, officially disbanded due to the collapse of the USSSR -- remember, this was back in '93-'94, when the Soviet Union was still transitioning into the Russian Confederation and having to deal with still-extant Soviet organizations and hardliners.

I know that's what happens; but it's rubbish. Why would it suddenly be so low as to allow a car to bump it? And it's not even something Bond is trying to do; just a happy, unlikely accident.

They were attempting to collect the "sommelier" from the roof of the train, but he went to prevent Bond from foiling the plot; with the man still attached to the line to the helicopter, they were forced to accompany the train into the tunnel... and, since this is a large, mag-lev train, there wouldn't be much clearance between the top of the train and the tunnel ceiling.

Anyhow, Bond had already latched the helicopter line to the front of the train by the time he's in the Aston-Martin; yes, it's a happy accident, but the helicopter would've blown up in seconds, anyway -- this inadvertently gave Bond the speed to get out of the tunnel before the bomb claimed him, as well. There's been unlikelier accidents in Bond films; remember the drops of poison down a string that don't even kill Bond, but the person he's sleeping next to, in YOLT?

[marktmurphy]

I know that's what happens; but it's rubbish. Why would it suddenly be so low as to allow a car to bump it? And it's not even something Bond is trying to do; just a happy, unlikely accident.

They were attempting to collect the "sommelier" from the roof of the train, but he went to prevent Bond from foiling the plot; with the man still attached to the line to the helicopter, they were forced to accompany the train into the tunnel... and, since this is a large, mag-lev train, there wouldn't be much clearance between the top of the train and the tunnel ceiling.

No; you're thinking of Mission: Impossible. The sommelier is at no point attached to the helicopter.

Anyhow, Bond had already latched the helicopter line to the front of the train by the time he's in the Aston-Martin;

No; he doesn't do that.

yes, it's a happy accident, but the helicopter would've blown up in seconds, anyway -- this inadvertently gave Bond the speed to get out of the tunnel before the bomb claimed him, as well.

Although that doesn't explain how his car accelerates away from the front of the train before the explosion of course!
I just think it's a bit rubbish that the helicopter is suddenly hovering so low as to be hit by the car. And they've just spent the last few seconds watching the car coming towards them. Doesn't quite hang together.

[Mr. Blofeld]

My apologies; I wasn't reading the scene closely enough when I posted.

It works, but it probably would've been tweaked in a more positive way for the film had the character of Trevelyan stayed as in the draft, and had Dalton not been forced out by Sean Callery -- one can only imagine...

[Mr. Blofeld]

Anyone else?

[terminus]

Isn't the train in the tunnel with the helicopter - so it couldn't really move out of the way of the Aston Martin, could it?

[marktmurphy]

If there's enough space to hover above the train, there's enough room to hover above a car. I read it as the 'copter being in front of the train at that point, so it has even more room.

[Mr. Blofeld]

If there's enough space to hover above the train, there's enough room to hover above a car. I read it as the 'copter being in front of the train at that point, so it has even more room.

I'm pretty sure it was right over the front, facing the train... meaning the pilot is flying it backwards, and, as such, has even less precision with the craft, which means it can veer off quite easily -- and, it does.

Murphy's Law of Bond movies: Anything that can go wrong in Bond's favour, will go wrong in Bond's favour.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Anyone else have questions, or need for clarification?

[Nicolas Suszczyk]

Good script! I like the way France introduced Loelia Ponsonby and Sir James Monoly!

[Mr. Blofeld]

I like the way France introduced Loelia Ponsonby and Sir James Molony!

As do I; it certainly seems a respite from the usual Bond/Moneypenny hijinks, doesn't it?

It is interesting, though, how Bill Tanner didn't come in until several drafts later...

As an addendum: Does anyone know whose idea the tank chase was? I'm sure it was either Jeffrey Caine's or Bruce Feirstein's idea, but I've no idea which... it's just such a gloriously over-the-top idea for an action scene that I'm dying to know.

[Elouise Carter]

I wouldn't mind a copy of the script if it isn't too much trouble (: thankksss <3

Anyone else?

I wouldn't mind one thanks (:

[Mr. Blofeld]

I wouldn't mind a copy of the script if it isn't too much trouble (: thankksss <3

You'll have to PM me your e-mail address, so I can send it to you...

[Mr. Blofeld]

...and good news, everyone! I've finally found a link online where you can read the first draft of GoldenEye as a PDF without you needing to give me your e-mail addresses!

MODERATORS NOTE: Link removed. Don't post script links on the forum. Thanks.

Enjoy.

Edited by Mharkin, 13 November 2011 - 07:35 PM.

[DominicGreene]

Thanks for the script guys!

Edited by DominicGreene, 12 November 2011 - 04:40 PM.

[Napoleon Solo]

...and good news, everyone! I've finally found a link online where you can read the first draft of GoldenEye as a PDF without you needing to give me your e-mail addresses!

Enjoy.

Interesting how the World Trade Center is ground zero for use of the Tempest satellite. There's even a passing refernce to the 1993 World Trade Center bomging.

Edited by Mharkin, 13 November 2011 - 07:36 PM.

[michallo_w]

...and good news, everyone! I've finally found a link online where you can read the first draft of GoldenEye as a PDF without you needing to give me your e-mail addresses!

MODERATORS NOTE: Link removed. Don't post script links on the forum. Thanks.

Enjoy.

Mr. Blofeld, since you can get new messages can you send me the script on my email? It's [email protected]

Or anyone can?