130 replies to this topic

[Vauxhall]

Royal Dalton is exactly right. Max von Sydow clearly meant Amalric is the new villain. It's just like saying "Christopher Lee is the Blofeld of The Man With The Golden Gun."

While this may be what he meant, I'm not sure that this is "clearly" the case. I do hope that Amalric is just a regular villain though. I can see the reasons behind re-introducing Blofeld, but I would personally prefer if this wasn't the case!

[triviachamp]

The way he says it, "He is going to be Blofeld," doesn't sound like he is speaking figuratively. Again do people often use "Blofeld" as a synonym for Bond villain?

Of course he could still be wrong. A Bond villain who heads a nefarious organization, just like a character you played? He could have just assumed that this character is Blofeld and may have been told that this character was "like Blofeld."

But as Shrublands points out they have not explicitly ruled out SPECTRE and they may have gotten McClory's rights....

Who knows, it will be very interesting to see what happens next...

[WC]

You know, even if Amalric is going to be Blofeld, I wish Max Von Sydow didn't tell us. I don't think we should even know that Blofeld is in the movie or even who the actor is going to be playing him. I would've preferred for the appearance of Blofeld to be a surprise and perhaps leaving it to the viewer to guess the actor's voice. It would be great if he was either unseen or only partially seen, as in FRWL or TB. That would make him more mysterious and menacing again.

I have to say that Dr No would've made a great Blofeld - both the actor and the character. He was only seen about 2/3 of the way through the movie, only heard for the first part of the movie. And when he actually appeared, he was still as fear-inspiring as this disembodied voice we heard earlier on. In fact, it did sound rather a lot like Joseph Wiseman as Blofeld in one of the movies - either FRWL or TB, even though another actor was credited.

[stamper]

if Blofeld is back in Bond 22, Bond fans will be so pleasured that it will take another atlantic ocean to fill their spunk. Nuff said.

I very much hope that he is wrong. If Blofeld returns, it's a sign that the franchise has completely run out of fresh ideas, and I will no longer be a fan of the Bond franchise.

Wrong, it will means a return to form, and good riddance, you"re one of the fews !

[Mr. Blofeld]

if Blofeld is back in Bond 22, Bond fans will be so pleasured that it will take another atlantic ocean to fill their spunk. Nuff said.

Sounds like someone thinks Christmas is coming early, and I don't mean Denise Richards in a tank top...

[Mr_Wint]

I have to say that Dr No would've made a great Blofeld - both the actor and the character. He was only seen about 2/3 of the way through the movie, only heard for the first part of the movie. And when he actually appeared, he was still as fear-inspiring as this disembodied voice we heard earlier on. In fact, it did sound rather a lot like Joseph Wiseman as Blofeld in one of the movies - either FRWL or TB, even though another actor was credited.

Some sources actually claims that Wiseman provided Blofelds voice in TB (in FRWL it was Dawson/Pohlman).

Anyway, Joseph Wiseman did one of my favourite Bond-villains and he would've been great as Blofeld. And so would Christopher Lee.

[stamper]

Hi Blofeld, Denise left that other guy who's father was in Apocalypse now for me...

[Mr. Du Pont]

Royal Dalton is exactly right. Max von Sydow clearly meant Amalric is the new villain. It's just like saying "Christopher Lee is the Blofeld of The Man With The Golden Gun."

Mind you, I'd love to see a faithful adaptation of Fleming's Blofeld in future films, but it simply isn't going to happen. Sorry, but I'd bet my life's savings that you've all misinterpreted this quote.

But as someone else pointed out, Max von Sydow is fluent in English and it's not like he doesn't know the word "villain". Also, whoever says of Christopher Lee that he is "the Blofeld" of TMWTGG? I don't think people have ever really referred to other Bond villains in that vein. I'm sure no-one would say Elektra King was the Blofeld of TWINE or Le Chiffe was the Blofeld of CR. That's just stretching things and the interpretation of Sydow's words.

So either Sydow is mistaken - in which case he either thinks Blofeld is the recurring villain still, or he knows something about the plot. I don't think he would, on the other hand, mix up the word Blofeld for villain or refer to other adversaries in that way.

I saw the "he's fluent in English" argument before. I just don't think it's relevant. He was speaking figuratively, so it doesn't matter that he knows the word "villain." It's not a matter of confusing the word; it was a deliberate allusion (made possible by the very fluency you reference). And the figurative interpretation (which my mind went to immediately upon reading his quote) is bolstered by the fact that von Sydow played Blofeld. He simply relates the casting news to his own personal Bond experience.

Also, I cited Christopher Lee as an example. The fact that the expression "the Blofeld of (name the movie)" isn't commonly used, although I have heard it before, doesn't prove that von Sydow was either mistaken or cognizant of the plot. That conclusion simply doesn't follow. Whether others frequently make the allusion is irrelevant to whether or not von Sydow was making it here. I will eat my hat if Bond 22's villain is actually Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Like I said before, I'd be delirious with excitement if Blofeld and SPECTRE returned, and I even think Amalric could do well with the literary character, but it just isn't going to happen.

In fact, based on Amalric's own quotes, he seems to view this as a lark and not a recurring role, which Blofeld would seem to necessitate. The only other option would be a return to changing actors for the same role - something I can't envision the producers resorting to nowadays with a rebooted series. I can't see the point in resurrecting Blofeld for a single film.

[Righty007]

I hope this is true!

Have they run out of ideas?

No. If this is true, Ernst Stavro Blofeld will be a more realistic and modern version and nothing like Donald Pleasence's version. Think of the difference between Heath Ledger's Joker and Jack Nicholson's Joker.

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond's archenemy and it would be a shame to leave him in 1981 (or 1983 if you like Never Say Never Again).

What we don't need is Nena Blofeld.

[Cody]

I don't believe that Amalric is actually playing Blofeld. If he is, or Blofeld is in 22 at all, I will be really disappointed. Leave Blofeld in the smokestack and move on.

[MicroGlobeOne]

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond's archenemy and it would be a shame to leave him in 1981 (or 1983 if you like Never Say Never Again).

I agree completely. Why bring the character back? The answer is simple. If James Bond has an arch-nemesis, it's Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

[DaveBond21]

You know, even if Amalric is going to be Blofeld, I wish Max Von Sydow didn't tell us. I don't think we should even know that Blofeld is in the movie or even who the actor is going to be playing him. I would've preferred for the appearance of Blofeld to be a surprise and perhaps leaving it to the viewer to guess the actor's voice. It would be great if he was either unseen or only partially seen, as in FRWL or TB. That would make him more mysterious and menacing again.

I have to say that Dr No would've made a great Blofeld - both the actor and the character. He was only seen about 2/3 of the way through the movie, only heard for the first part of the movie. And when he actually appeared, he was still as fear-inspiring as this disembodied voice we heard earlier on. In fact, it did sound rather a lot like Joseph Wiseman as Blofeld in one of the movies - either FRWL or TB, even though another actor was credited.

I agree with you. Dr No and Blofeld from FRWL are my favourite Bond villains, and part of the reason is that we only hear their voice or (even better) see the faces of their employees (Professor Dent, Klebb, Kronsteen) and how scared they are of him!

[K1Bond007]

Ernst Stavro Blofeld is James Bond's archenemy and it would be a shame to leave him in 1981 (or 1983 if you like Never Say Never Again).

I agree completely. Why bring the character back? The answer is simple. If James Bond has an arch-nemesis, it's Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Well the thing about Bond and villains is that Ernst Stavro Blofeld is the only (main) villain to live and to return. So really I think it's unfair to say that the reason they should bring Blofeld back is because he's Bond's arch nemesis - as if Bond couldn't have another. What they need to do is just come up with a captivating character that they can bring back throughout Craig's films.

Personally, if I were writing the scripts for the next few Bonds, as far as villains go, I'd make the organization turn out to be headed up by Jack and Seraffimo Spang from Diamonds Are Forever. I would then kill off Seraffimo in Bond 22, make Jack go all out revenge on Bond in '23 in a perhaps Man with the Golden Gun sort of way (but with more focus on actually trying to kill Bond) or From Russia with Love and then finish it all off with Bond 24 and Jack's demise. And I think people from there on out would rank that organization and the Spang family just as high as Blofeld.

[stamper]

Come on, not having Blofeld in the bond series is like erasing Moriarty from the Sherlock Holmes mythos, or the Joker from Batman, or Luthor from Superman, or...

[Shrublands]

I saw the "he's fluent in English" argument before. I just don't think it's relevant. He was speaking figuratively, so it doesn't matter that he knows the word "villain." It's not a matter of confusing the word; it was a deliberate allusion (made possible by the very fluency you reference). And the figurative interpretation (which my mind went to immediately upon reading his quote) is bolstered by the fact that von Sydow played Blofeld. He simply relates the casting news to his own personal Bond experience.

Also, I cited Christopher Lee as an example. The fact that the expression "the Blofeld of (name the movie)" isn't commonly used, although I have heard it before, doesn't prove that von Sydow was either mistaken or cognizant of the plot. That conclusion simply doesn't follow. Whether others frequently make the allusion is irrelevant to whether or not von Sydow was making it here. I will eat my hat if Bond 22's villain is actually Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Amalric has also worked with Michel Lonsdale (twice to my knowledge) can you imagine him saying “Amalric is going to be Drax in the next James Bond”?

Not “The Drax” But “Drax”?

As Von Sydow didn’t say “The Blofeld” but “Blofeld”.

Whichever way you look at it, it’s a very odd way of saying “he is going to be the villain in the new James Bond film”, for a man with a perfect grasp of English, if that is simply what he intended to say.

I think he has either misunderstood what was said to him by Amalric himself or Amalric is indeed playing Blofeld.

Edited by Shrublands, 06 December 2007 - 12:12 PM.

[Royal Dalton]

More than likely, he was just saying it as a joke, and the interviewer didn't transcribe it properly.

[Shrublands]

More than likely, he was just saying it as a joke, and the interviewer didn't transcribe it properly.

Yes, he failed to mention that Von Sydow was wearing a revolving bow tie.

The conversation actually went like this

Edited by Shrublands, 06 December 2007 - 01:01 PM.

[Pussfeller]

[quote name='Shrublands' post='803847' date='6 December 2007 - 21:50'][quote name='Royal Dalton' post='803840' date='6 December 2007 - 12:28']More than likely, he was just saying it as a joke, and the interviewer didn't transcribe it properly.[/quote]

Yes, he failed to mention that Von Sydow was wearing a revolving bow tie.

The conversation actually went like this

[Shrublands]

Blofeld (unless his character were to be essentially altered) is an older man, Bond's sinister anti-father, with a hard, cruel countenance. Above all, he is older than Bond. If he is younger than Bond, he is simply not Blofeld. Dramatically, he is another character, and I'm sure the producers understand that.

Fleming

[Mr_Wint]

[quote name='Pussfeller' post='803857' date='6 December 2007 - 14:43'][quote name='Shrublands' post='803847' date='6 December 2007 - 21:50'][quote name='Royal Dalton' post='803840' date='6 December 2007 - 12:28']More than likely, he was just saying it as a joke, and the interviewer didn't transcribe it properly.[/quote]

Yes, he failed to mention that Von Sydow was wearing a revolving bow tie.

The conversation actually went like this

[Skudor]

This all makes me think of Dr. No vs From Russia With Love. In the former we are made aware of SPECTRE and in the latter we are finally introduced to Blofeld, who, as has already been pointed out, is Bond's arch nemesis. The Vesper story makes it personal, in a way that makes Bond's struggle against Blofeld more interesting - something they can carry over into B23.

As to the arguments about what Von Sydow meant or didn't mean, who knows. Trying to state something categorically one way or another just doesn't make sense. He claimed that Amalric would play Blofeld. Does that mean that he meant to say that Amalric would play Blofeld or that squirrels are tastier than rabbits? Who knows. Does that mean that it's true - not necessarily.

Having Blofeld back would be very interesting and does make sense in terms of the reboot. Just like Bond was rebooted in Casino Royale Blofeld could be rebooted in Bond 22. The logic inherent in this makes me think that Von Sydow might not be as senile as might be assumed at first.

As to the legal rights, who knows? It all seems very complex to me and it's by no means certain that we have all the facts.

[RazorBlade]

I think EON could create a villain using Blofeld's characteristics, the older anti-father described above, without bringing the name and it's Austin Powers baggage with it.

[Skudor]

I think EON could create a villain using Blofeld's characteristics, the older anti-father described above, without bringing the name and it's Austin Powers baggage with it.

Why does the name Blofeld automatically mean Austin Powers baggage? Wouldn't that baggage have more to do with how any Bond villain is portraied than what he's called?

[Royal Dalton]

The head of the organization's bound to be something of a Blofeld-type, even if it's not the man himself.

Hopefully, they'll cast someone like Oleg Yankovsky in that role, when it comes to the crunch.

[stamper]

I don't care about the debate, but since Felix Leiter was back, it's time to bring back Blofeld, and hey, he might even change is appearance with plastic surgery for Bond 23, looking then older by the time he will meet 007 again... IN THE GARDEN OF DEATH !

[Skudor]

I have to admit that although I would love the return of Blofeld, I'm not sure Almaric would be the right guy for the role...

[Mr. Du Pont]

[quote name='Shrublands' post='803837' date='6 December 2007 - 07:08'][quote name='Mr. Du Pont' post='803691' date='6 December 2007 - 01:04']I saw the "he's fluent in English" argument before. I just don't think it's relevant. He was speaking figuratively, so it doesn't matter that he knows the word "villain." It's not a matter of confusing the word; it was a deliberate allusion (made possible by the very fluency you reference). And the figurative interpretation (which my mind went to immediately upon reading his quote) is bolstered by the fact that von Sydow played Blofeld. He simply relates the casting news to his own personal Bond experience.

Also, I cited Christopher Lee as an example. The fact that the expression "the Blofeld of (name the movie)" isn't commonly used, although I have heard it before, doesn't prove that von Sydow was either mistaken or cognizant of the plot. That conclusion simply doesn't follow. Whether others frequently make the allusion is irrelevant to whether or not von Sydow was making it here. I will eat my hat if Bond 22's villain is actually Ernst Stavro Blofeld.[/quote]

Amalric has also worked with Michel Lonsdale (twice to my knowledge) can you imagine him saying

[Shrublands]

And I already addressed the "perfect grasp of English" argument.

There speaks the voice of authority

I saw the "he's fluent in English" argument before. I just don't think it's relevant.

Consider the argument

[blueman]

Call me wacky, but I'm going with what the man said, until a press release says otherwise: Amalric is playing Blofeld in Bond 22.

[Mr. Du Pont]

[quote name='Shrublands' post='804371' date='7 December 2007 - 05:50'][quote name='Mr. Du Pont' post='804033' date='6 December 2007 - 21:30']And I already addressed the "perfect grasp of English" argument.[/quote]

There speaks the voice of authority


[quote name='Mr. Du Pont' post='803691' date='6 December 2007 - 01:04']I saw the "he's fluent in English" argument before. I just don't think it's relevant.[/quote]

Consider the argument