56 replies to this topic

[TheSaint]

Yeah, I have that A&E bio. He's surrounded by the Slaygirls(2 of whom were in the title sequence). That bio undercovered his Helm films big time.

[HENRY]

I ended buying this boxed set. The films are definitely uncut.

Not true.

The Silencers definitely has small sections of scenes missing that can be found on the VHS version. It looks like it is simply the same version as the previous DVD release of this movie.

[Dr. Noah]

There was a "Son of Matt Helm" spoof-script floating around Hollywood while Dean Martin was still alive, and it was supposed to open with Helm ushering his son into the family business. "Austin Powers" killed it off.

Edited by Dr. Noah, 16 March 2006 - 06:07 AM.

[dunmall]

i don't know wether to be thankful or not....

[TheSaint]

There was a "Son of Matt Helm" spoof-script floating around Hollywood while Dean Martin was still alive, and it was supposed to open with Helm ushering his son into the family business. "Austin Powers" killed it off.

I'm guessing it was killed off before "Austin Powers". Dino passed Christmas Day 1995. AP came out in 1997.

[Dr. Noah]

There was a "Son of Matt Helm" spoof-script floating around Hollywood while Dean Martin was still alive, and it was supposed to open with Helm ushering his son into the family business. "Austin Powers" killed it off.

I'm guessing it was killed off before "Austin Powers". Dino passed Christmas Day 1995. AP came out in 1997.

If I remember right, it was a rival project. They were trying for several years to get everybody to sign off on it. (Studio, Hamilton, etc.) The Powers script was also having trouble getting produced until Demi Moore was attached as the executive producer and took it into the studio. When Powers was announced, it was the final straw for the Helms Jr. project. They were trying to do it independently, so there were a lot of questions as to who had the film rights.

[TheSaint]

I guess it depends how old the AP script was by the time Demi Moore showed interest. Plus, once Dino died, why do "Helm Jr."? At that point, you might as well do "New Helm".

[Napoleon Solo]

I guess it depends how old the AP script was by the time Demi Moore showed interest. Plus, once Dino died, why do "Helm Jr."? At that point, you might as well do "New Helm".

You mean like this?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0475419/

Supposedly, it'd be a lot closer to the Donald Hamilton originals. Whether it actually happens it another matter.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

Donald Hamilton, the author of the Matt Helm books, once said he would prefer Dolph Lundgren to play the part of Matt Helm. I always thought Quentin Tarentino would be a perfect director for the novels since the violence is right up his alley. In the books, Matt Helm is over 6 feet tall, slim, kind of Jimmy Stewart lookalike. I personally don't think Dolph is right for the part, let alone young enough anymore.

The books are very graphic and violent. Not the kind of book I would offer to a young teenager who is just getting started with adult books. Yet, they are unique and Helm is one mean bastard.

As for the Dean Martin movies, I plan on getting the set soon, but I too am sad that they did not offer any extras. I do have an original trailer to The Ambushers, though.

But it would have been nice if they offered any stills, lobby cards, posters or presskit photos as an extra or just a bit of a backstory. Too time consuming I guess.

[TheSaint]

But it would have been nice if they offered any stills, lobby cards, posters or presskit photos as an extra or just a bit of a backstory. Too time consuming I guess.

More like too lazy. I have a Murderers' Row featurette that was included on a Bear Family Dean Martin 6 cd set. If that could be included on a German cd box set, I don't see why it couldn't have been included on an official Columbia dvd release.

I used to correspond with Mr.Hamilton in the early '90s and he told me that he would've cast Richard Boone as Helm.

[Jackanaples]

While I prefer Clint Eastwood for Helm, Richard Boone would have been way cool!

[FLEMINGFAN]

I used to correspond with Mr.Hamilton in the early '90s and he told me that he would've cast Richard Boone as Helm.

Jack Palance might have been interesting and, though not masculine enough, Timothy Dalton might have pulled it off.

[Doctor Shatterhand]

But it would have been nice if they offered any stills, lobby cards, posters or presskit photos as an extra or just a bit of a backstory. Too time consuming I guess.

More like too lazy. I have a Murderers' Row featurette that was included on a Bear Family Dean Martin 6 cd set. If that could be included on a German cd box set, I don't see why it couldn't have been included on an official Columbia dvd release.

I used to correspond with Mr.Hamilton in the early '90s and he told me that he would've cast Richard Boone as Helm.

I would assume Richard Boone in his pre-Alamo days. Although he made a pretty good ruthless badguy in Big Jake.

[Napoleon Solo]

[quote name='Doctor Shatterhand' date='10 May 2006 - 14:20' post='554142']

I used to correspond with Mr.Hamilton in the early '90s and he told me that he would've cast Richard Boone as Helm.
[/quote]

I would assume Richard Boone in his pre-Alamo days. Although he made a pretty good ruthless badguy in Big Jake.
[/quote]


The first movie was filmed in 1965 and came out in early 1966 (and the first novel in 1960), so not necessarily pre-Alamo, but mid-60s. Think latter episodes of Have Gun-Will Travel (which went off the air in 1963) or as the villain in Hombre.

[Arbogast777]

Please, please, please...

"Variety is reporting that Steven Spielberg is seriously considering directing a movie about fictional secret agent Matt Helm, created by author Donald Hamilton. The film was developed for several years by DreamWorks before the studio left it behind at Paramount Pictures, which owns the rights.

Spielberg's representatives told the trade that he is attached to produce, but it's unclear if he's going to direct. Spielberg is reportedly excited about the project again after the rewrite that Paul Attanasio delivered last week.

As Spielberg and Stacey Snider near the closing of their financing through Reliance and their new deal with Disney, they would like nothing more than to have those partners be part of Spielberg's next picture. But Paramount isn't obligated to make that deal, and it's unclear whether the studio will step up to Spielberg's traditionally rich deal terms.

Matt Helm is based on a series of 27 novels about a government agent whose mission is to take down enemy agents. Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci are producing."

[Matt_13]

http://movies.ign.co.../1009125p1.html

Huge news.

[delfloria]

Huge, HUGE news. This could put Helm into direct competition with Bond and Bourne. The character in the novels (not the films) was always one of the best secret agents ever created.

[jaguar007]

This would be cool. It is a good sign that they talk about the novels, but don't mention the Dean Martin films. Although I must confess I do have a soft spot for the Martin parodies.

[delfloria]

I'm surprised there are not more comments here about this. Is it possible that there are Bond fans who are not familiar with the Helm novels? Unthinkable.

[TheSaint]

I'm surprised this old thread was unearthed but, considering the reason, I approve. Hopefully this will get the novels back in print and allow for the 28th novel to finally see the light of day, posthumously.

[OmarB]

Sounds cool, kinda tough to find these books though.

[AgentBentley]

I wonder how the movies are going to keep Matt Helm sufficiently different from both Bond and Bourne to make him interesting though. I'm not very optimistic about Spielberg as director since he hasn't done anything 'hard' since well, Saving Private Ryan and maybe Minority Report.

[Napoleon Solo]

No additional hard info, just the take from the HMSS Weblog:

http://hmssweblog.wo...ation-possible/

[OmarB]

I wonder how the movies are going to keep Matt Helm sufficiently different from both Bond and Bourne to make him interesting though. I'm not very optimistic about Spielberg as director since he hasn't done anything 'hard' since well, Saving Private Ryan and maybe Minority Report.

Dude, Munich was pretty harsh and a spy thriller too.

[Matt_13]

Munich was good.

[delfloria]

Uh Oh... Munich...... I can see it now....... Daniel Craig as.... Matt Helm!

[Von Hammerstein]

I wonder how the movies are going to keep Matt Helm sufficiently different from both Bond and Bourne to make him interesting though. I'm not very optimistic about Spielberg as director since he hasn't done anything 'hard' since well, Saving Private Ryan and maybe Minority Report.

Matt Helm was an agent more in the Mike Hammer two-fisted, hard drinking, mode. The novels were just as violent as anything Mickey Spillane wrote. They were taut, good counter-spy thrillers. No chicks in silver bikinis, no hollowed out volcanoes, no trick spy cars,(not that there's anything wrong with that) just rough and tumble, all-American hardcase action.


PS: Variety is reporting now that Spielberg has declined to direct the Helm feature but may continue on as a producer. Ah well, hopefully they'll find someone that knows his way around an action flick to do it. Spielberg would have been cool though, it's well known he always wanted to direct a Bond flick, wonder why he decided against Helm?