154 replies to this topic

[Tybre]

Agree and Connery and Brosnan need to get over themselves then.
Never understand these people who get their break and make money out of a role then refuse to be "associated" with it afterwards.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. -Mark Twain

Isn't it the truth?

Sad to say it is sometimes yes. Because of whatever reasons made Connery, Laz, Dalton and Brosnan stay away, they need to ditch their personal feelings and show up for the fans. After all, Cubby may have hired them but the fans put them where they are.
Simply not on my good man.

Sometimes they can't. Life does not revolve around Ian Fleming. Connery may be retired from film, but he still does other projects and the man is getting old for God's sake. See if you like globe trotting when you're in your late seventies and not exactly the world's pinnacle of fitness. While I have no doubt Brosnan would not have shown up regardless, as I understand it he has been very busy filming several movies for quite some time now. Paying the bills supersedes fans sometimes. As for Lazenby, well I have no idea. Busy in court? Point is, yes they should have been there but is wholly possible they were busy with other things at the time and could not conceivably attend. C'est la vie.

[JimmyBond]

For what it's worth Lazenby did film a message for Cubby's funeral, so four of the five Bonds were present. Understandably Connery stayed away, suppose he didnt care for Cubby much outside of the series.

[Zorin Industries]

I think people need to realise that Eon don't need to pander to fan expectations with regards to preproduction. Lets be honest, QoS may have been released 2 years after CR but the film overall was considered dissapointing and underwhelming by many people compared to CR. That's not the same as saying the film was bad, it just didn't fare well as many people had hoped or expected. Add to that the writer's strike and filming without a solid, structured script and the fact that there was so much hooplah around the film's title; the film's exposure was highly anticipated but met with a certain level of scepticism and thus, even though the film was a financial success, there were too many factors that worked against the films favour, particularly the Bourne references and the fact that many people didn't like or understand the film.

And your evidence for all this claims can be found where....?

Please remember that just because YOU may have had problems with the title, plot, tone and any potential Bourne-isms (which are only there if you want them to be) NOT EVERYONE ELSE did..... So it's not wise to make blanket assumptions about SOLACE in order to suit a theory.

A great many critics got the film and stood behind it (and I am not talking about bedroom geeks who think rotting tomatoes are the best way to indicate cinematic opinion) and the world's audiences certainly endorsed the film. You do not get to be Number 2 at the European box office (behind MAMMA MIA) for 2008 with only two months left of the year to make your mark. That is what is called word of mouth.

Well, as I understand it:

Connery and Moore are friends. Moore is also a friend of Lazenby and sends him jokes via e-mail (this extraordinary nugget of info comes courtesy of his DVD commentary for THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN). Moore has also praised Brosnan and Craig. Don't know what he thinks of Dalton, mind, but I don't imagine there's any bad blood between them.

If anyone can be the "peacemaker" to get all the Bond actors together for a photo, it's gotta be genial old Rog, especially if they could do a shoot for charity (which, let's face it, no one would wish to snub for fear of, well, seeming uncharitable). If it could be spun as a charity thing (let's say the world's top mags, Vanity Fair, Empire, Rolling Stone, whatever, have to bid for the right to be the first to run the photos, and the money goes to charity), a pop culture milestone and a present to the fans rather than a tribute to "Cubby" (presumably, Eon need not be involved), then I can't see anyone saying no, unless....

Does anyone know whether there's actually any ill feeling between any of the Bond actors? I vaguely remember reports of some kind of spat between Lazenby and Brosnan, but apart from that....

Roger Moore has tried and failed to be a peacekeeper before (Connery is beyond making any peace that doesn't involve a pay cheque).

Timothy Dalton was the only Bond to be a pall bearer at Cubby Broccoli's funeral. He is a great friend of the family and had a "special relationship" with them in the 1980's.

Don't know what he thinks of Dalton, mind, but I don't imagine there's any bad blood between them.

Roger Moore stated in a review of QoS he did for some newspaper (I forget which) that he has never seen the Dalton films and has no intention of ever seeing them simply to avoid the question of what he thinks of his successor.

Yes, that sounds like a standard PR response... OF COURSE he has seen the films, but is under no obligation to like, hate or even comment on them.

Cubby may have hired them but the fans put them where they are.

I would disagree. It was indeed Cubby Broccoli and the Broccoli family who put them where they were.

Though there is that phrase that Cubby said to Lazenby during OHMSS filming when the latter was letting certain things go to his head... "You are not a star because you say you are a star...you are not a star because I say you are a star... you are only a star when the public say you are a star"...

Anyone know why only Craig and Moore turned up for the Fleming Tribute?

Where was Dalton?? I thought he'd be there.

People can genuinely be busy.

And a surprisingly unrelated but apt cast of personnel attended the launch screening (DR NO) of Cubby's Centenary season at the NFT... and not the Bond that was in the film, nor the girl...

[double o ego]

Um, excuse me, I didn't say I didn't understand the title or didn't get the movie. There were numerous instances where people both in the media (journalists and interviewers)and casual audiences alike had no clue what QoS meant. I een remember getting frustrated at how based on common sense alone, people couldn't understand what the title of the film meant, particularly seeing as it was/is a direct sequal to the events of CR.
After the film's release the general public documented their thoughts and opinions on the movie on radio shows, in various newspaper based forums as well as online and failed to grasp what was going on in the movie (plot) let alone what the title of the film meant. Also, if you want to dismiss that there is an obvious comparisson to the film's action scenes to that of Bourne by all means do so. It's not about if I want them to be there, it's a FACT that they are there. They even hired the Dan Bradly as 2nd unit director for goodness sake. Tell yourself anything you want if it will make you feel better. However, I'm merely telling it how it is as opposed to you assuming I'm coming up with half baked excuses to "suit a theory" or what ever it was you said.

[Zorin Industries]

Um, excuse me, I didn't say I didn't understand the title or didn't get the movie. There were numerous instances where people both in the media (journalists and interviewers)and casual audiences alike had no clue what QoS meant. I een remember getting frustrated at how based on common sense alone, people couldn't understand what the title of the film meant, particularly seeing as it was/is a direct sequal to the events of CR.
After the film's release the general public documented their thoughts and opinions on the movie on radio shows, in various newspaper based forums as well as online and failed to grasp what was going on in the movie (plot) let alone what the title of the film meant. Also, if you want to dismiss that there is an obvious comparisson to the film's action scenes to that of Bourne by all means do so. It's not about if I want them to be there, it's a FACT that they are there. They even hired the Dan Bradly as 2nd unit director for goodness sake. Tell yourself anything you want if it will make you feel better. However, I'm merely telling it how it is as opposed to you assuming I'm coming up with half baked excuses to "suit a theory" or what ever it was you said.

The Bourne similiarities are there... but I prefer to think of what influenced Bourne itself AND how Bond films were cut in the 1960's. That is why to dismiss SOLACE in the same breath as Bourne is limiting and a tad restrictive.

What a Bond title means to the world's press is NOT important. Seriously. Did anyone know what a THUNDERBALL was, who an OCTOPUSSY is and what a MOONRAKER did when plugged in? The important thing is that a new Bond film gets press space full stop. If some lame, kneejerk hack is trying to muster up a story about the moniker QUANTUM OF SOLACE (whose meaning is there in the short story anyway - and it doesn't take rocket science to work it out anyway) then he or she is discussing the film anyway. There is no such thing as bad publicity - full stop. People don't go and see The Quantum Of Whatever... they go to see the "Bond movie".

And it is a futile exercise discussing what the "general public" think as a) the "general public" does not exist and people always make blanket assumptions based on what they want to believe rather than the facts which are that SOLACE got a great many people paying their money to see the film and not hating it by any stretch. You don't get to be the second film at the 2008 box office (behind MAMMA MIA) with only two months left of the year to make your mark and bad word of mouth (which simply wasn't there). This is not me trying to twist and win for the pro-SOLACE contingency. This is me looking at the evidence as it is plain and simple.

[Manticore]

(...) if you want to dismiss that there is an obvious comparisson to the film's action scenes to that of Bourne by all means do so. It's not about if I want them to be there, it's a FACT that they are there. They even hired the Dan Bradly as 2nd unit director for goodness sake. Tell yourself anything you want if it will make you feel better. However, I'm merely telling it how it is as opposed to you assuming I'm coming up with half baked excuses to "suit a theory" or what ever it was you said.

Good shot. But you know there's plenty like him in the neighborhood ! They reminds me somethin'...in a certain Bond film...
Three blind mice there they go...

[danslittlefinger]

Considering he will be involved in a play now maybe in August, I cant see any filming until Jan 2010.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Agreed which i bet next week wil;l be the kick off of rumours and more rumours ( I was hoping it would be this week but oh well) till finnaly we get some news. then we get filming trailers and finnaly we get to see The Hildebrand Rarity in theaters (bond 23 )

[dee-bee-five]

Also, if you want to dismiss that there is an obvious comparisson to the film's action scenes to that of Bourne by all means do so. It's not about if I want them to be there, it's a FACT that they are there. They even hired the Dan Bradly as 2nd unit director for goodness sake.

Judi Dench was once in A Little Night Music. By that logic, you'll be suggesting next that QoS was heavily influenced by Sondheim. And there was me thinking it was Puccini...

[Germanlady]

Considering he will be involved in a play now maybe in August, I cant see any filming until Jan 2010.

Guess the play wil be in sept/oct - but the shooting for QOS only started in january also. He can go to the gym during day time and do the play in the eve. Perfect...

[Quantumofsolace007]

could the play mean that New york might be apart of bond 23?

[byline]

Roger Moore stated in a review of QoS he did for some newspaper (I forget which) that he has never seen the Dalton films and has no intention of ever seeing them simply to avoid the question of what he thinks of his successor.

Yes, that sounds like a standard PR response... OF COURSE he has seen the films, but is under no obligation to like, hate or even comment on them.

It may be the standard PR response, but it also makes sense, given Moore's circumstances. Moore said he deliberately stayed away from Dalton's films because Dalton was his immediate successor, and Moore wanted to be able to evade the usual media question of, "So, have you seen your successor's film, and what do you think of it?" If he hadn't seen it, he couldn't very well comment on it either way. It saved him from having to lie about it, or struggle to come up with a reply that would make everyone happy.

Looking back, the quote was in a column written by Moore called "Bye bye to Ian Fleming's James Bond?" and published in The Times just prior to "Quantum"'s release. He wrote:

Cubby [Broccoli] again decided to reinvent and recast. He brought in Timothy Dalton as a more chaste 007. Timothy is a brilliant actor and I’m told was a very good Bond. I never saw his films – purposely to avoid having to answer “What do you think of Timothy Dalton?”. His tenure was cut short by a lengthy legal battle between MGM and the Broccoli family over rights.

I'm reminded that Moore's article contained one of my all-time favorite leads. You've gotta love the guy's wit!

As an incumbent of the role from 1973 to 1985, I believe that I was (and still am, if the pacemaker keeps working) the longest-serving James Bond in the franchise’s history, with seven adventures under my light tan safari-suit belt.

Edited by byline, 27 May 2009 - 05:44 PM.

[danslittlefinger]

Considering he will be involved in a play now maybe in August, I cant see any filming until Jan 2010.

Guess the play wil be in sept/oct - but the shooting for QOS only started in january also. He can go to the gym during day time and do the play in the eve. Perfect...

Agreed, win-win for everyone.

could the play mean that New york might be apart of bond 23?

I think so. Bond business is never far away from Barbara and Daniel's minds I'm sure. Again perfect time.

[Quantumofsolace007]

Considering he will be involved in a play now maybe in August, I cant see any filming until Jan 2010.

Guess the play wil be in sept/oct - but the shooting for QOS only started in january also. He can go to the gym during day time and do the play in the eve. Perfect...

Agreed, win-win for everyone.

could the play mean that New york might be apart of bond 23?

I think so. Bond business is never far away from Barbara and Daniel's minds I'm sure. Again perfect time.

would be interesting if the first rumour for bond 23 (the new york one reported in Varity) was true.

is bond 23 007 in new york? lol

[Matt_13]

I really don't think they will be ready to go for Jan. 2010. A script needs to get written, casting needs to be done, a director found before that, script rewrites, then location scouting, then more script rewrites so everyone is more or less happy, and THEN they can begin shooting. If they were to get a film rolling by January, we would essentially be asking them to follow the same shooting schedule they had with Quantum, which we all know had it's groundwork laid out during CR's promotional campaign allowing them to start quickly (we also know that even with all of this stuff in place a finished script wasn't totally ready yet and the whole production was a bit rushed in order to meet the release date, which as we also know had been pushed back once already). The fact of the matter is, the work that has begun on this film (assuming the source from The Sun is actually telling the truth) is in it's primary stage; a massive brainstorming session that will stretch for weeks and even months. After that, an outline can begin to form and then comes the first draft of a script. My bet still goes to a summer 2011 release, but as always I could be totally wrong about all of this. In the end. everything is conjecture until we hear info straight from the horses mouth. And afterall, it is just a movie.

[zencat]

MGW saying "work has begun" could mean as little as they are reading sample scripts and putting together a list of writers to talk to. Or maybe they've throw some ideas to P&W who have gone off to work up some more ideas. It could be very early "work" indeed.

[DamnCoffee]

MGW saying "work has begun" could mean as little as they are reading sample scripts and putting together a list of writers to talk to. Or maybe they've throw some ideas to P&W who have gone off to work up some more ideas. It could be very early "work" indeed.

Indeed! Though it is comforting to know that Pre-Production has started.

[zencat]

MGW saying "work has begun" could mean as little as they are reading sample scripts and putting together a list of writers to talk to. Or maybe they've throw some ideas to P&W who have gone off to work up some more ideas. It could be very early "work" indeed.

Indeed! Though it is comforting to know that Pre-Production has started.

Well, I wouldn't call what I described as pre-production. More like "development". But, yeah, nice to know something is happening.

[Loomis]

Even pre-production's no guarantee of anything - look at the third Dalton flick and JINX.

I don't have the faintest idea when BOND 23 will emerge, but my gut feeling tells me November 2011. My gut also informs me that it'll be Craig's last outing as 007, but, hey, I've been deceived by my gut before and will be again. Still, there's my two cents on this matter.

[Quantumofsolace007]

I'll be happy when we get a director choice and set eand locations and casting


and pre production is a worse beast than that look at The A-team or Jaws 5 both have been in "pre production" since the late 80's

[danslittlefinger]

Even pre-production's no guarantee of anything - look at the third Dalton flick and JINX.

I don't have the faintest idea when BOND 23 will emerge, but my gut feeling tells me November 2011. My gut also informs me that it'll be Craig's last outing as 007, but, hey, I've been deceived by my gut before and will be again. Still, there's my two cents on this matter.

Yes, my feeling too as it has been since day one but we will see.

[DamnCoffee]

I think this, too. Even with all of the positive comments we've had from Craig saying "I'll be Bond untill my knees go!" and "I'll be Bond as long as the scripts are good!", I can't help thinking that Bond 23 will be his last.

If he does a fourth or even a fifth, I will be pleasantly suprised.

[Blofeld's Cat]

MGW saying "work has begun" could mean as little as they are reading sample scripts and putting together a list of writers to talk to. Or maybe they've throw some ideas to P&W who have gone off to work up some more ideas. It could be very early "work" indeed.

So, have they called you yet, zen?

[Zorin Industries]

(...) if you want to dismiss that there is an obvious comparisson to the film's action scenes to that of Bourne by all means do so. It's not about if I want them to be there, it's a FACT that they are there. They even hired the Dan Bradly as 2nd unit director for goodness sake. Tell yourself anything you want if it will make you feel better. However, I'm merely telling it how it is as opposed to you assuming I'm coming up with half baked excuses to "suit a theory" or what ever it was you said.

Good shot. But you know there's plenty like him in the neighborhood ! They reminds me somethin'...in a certain Bond film...
Three blind mice there they go...

The two phrases "pot" and "kettle" come to mind. As does the phrase "sheep"...

And can people who haven't really a clue stop throwing in Dan Bradley as if that wins an argument about not liking QUANTUM OF SOLACE?

Shall we look at Dan Bradley's CV....SEABISCUIT, FREE WILLY 3, DONNIE DARKO, ADAPTATION, THREE KINGS and CASINO - I don't quite see the so-called Bourne-ness there. Unlike some of the comments against him being bandied around here, he is not a one-trick pony and neither is his work on SOLACE. Also - and I hate to tell you folks - it is worth watching OHMSS for how a fight scene is edited and choreographed. That is where you find the DNA of Bond action scenes - not the Bourne films.

And it most certainly worth noting that it is an EDITOR who cuts a fight sequence based on what was filmed. An editor could make Bradley's Bourne work look like a slo-mo ballet if they like. What you apparently so scorn is creatively nothing to do with the stunt unit.

[eddychaput]

MGW saying "work has begun" could mean as little as they are reading sample scripts and putting together a list of writers to talk to. Or maybe they've throw some ideas to P&W who have gone off to work up some more ideas. It could be very early "work" indeed.

Basically what I was about to type.

[HildebrandRarity]

I think Dan Bradley being on board a 007 film is good for Dan Bradley. Period.

Further, for a Bond production to limit itself by not using talented folk who have worked on other 'spy/action' franchises is to do itself and it's fans a dis-service.

Why would you not use someone good behind the scenes simply because they worked on a similar genre of film?

As Zorin said, it's not as if Bradley only worked on Bourne.

[Loomis]

Yes, but it's not as though he was hired for anything other than his work on Bourne.
Zorin mentions SEABISCUIT, FREE WILLY 3, DONNIE DARKO, ADAPTATION, THREE KINGS and CASINO - does anyone really think that those films got him the QUANTUM OF SOLACE gig, or was it more his action work for Bourne?

Let's be realistic here. To deny the Bourne influence on QUANTUM OF SOLACE (as though it's somehow wrong for Bond to be influenced by something else - it's how the Bond series has kept going all these decades!) is just plain ridiculous.

[eddychaput]

Yes, but it's not as though he was hired for anything other than his work on Bourne.
Zorin mentions SEABISCUIT, FREE WILLY 3, DONNIE DARKO, ADAPTATION, THREE KINGS and CASINO - does anyone really think that those films got him the QUANTUM OF SOLACE gig, or was it more his action work for Bourne?

Let's be realistic here. To deny the Bourne influence on QUANTUM OF SOLACE (as though it's somehow wrong for Bond to be influenced by something else - it's how the Bond series has kept going all these decades!) is just plain ridiculous.

I hate to beat a dead horse, but here's hoping they shy away from the Bourne influences for the next installment. I'm sure that guy is really talented (in fact, I like the Bourne films), but that style didn't vibe well with Bond I felt.

[HildebrandRarity]

Yes, but it's not as though he was hired for anything other than his work on Bourne.
Zorin mentions SEABISCUIT, FREE WILLY 3, DONNIE DARKO, ADAPTATION, THREE KINGS and CASINO - does anyone really think that those films got him the QUANTUM OF SOLACE gig, or was it more his action work for Bourne?

Let's be realistic here. To deny the Bourne influence on QUANTUM OF SOLACE (as though it's somehow wrong for Bond to be influenced by something else - it's how the Bond series has kept going all these decades!) is just plain ridiculous.

In certain circles Seabiscuit, Adaptation, Three Kings and Casino are SUPERIOR to Bourne Ultimatum. Those four movies are a cut above Bourne and Bradley's cachet is greater as a result.

You, my old friend, should know that Broccoli doesn't hire based on someone's action histroy. Craig, Forster, Amalric, Haggis, Whoever were not hired because of "action"...

...I suspect you already knew that but (as usual) were playing Devil's Advocate.

Isn't that right, Loomy?

[Zorin Industries]

Yes, but it's not as though he was hired for anything other than his work on Bourne.
Zorin mentions SEABISCUIT, FREE WILLY 3, DONNIE DARKO, ADAPTATION, THREE KINGS and CASINO - does anyone really think that those films got him the QUANTUM OF SOLACE gig, or was it more his action work for Bourne?

Er - yes.

Dan Bradley would have been hired for his action credentials granted, but that doesn't imply he has been hired to emulate Bourne at every turn. And any number of other films would have also have got Bradley the gig as you get hired in this business on your CV and - more importantly and usually more often - because of how you have gelled and worked personally on any manner of previous projects. Yes, Dan Bradley could easily have got the Bond gig because of his work on - say - SEABISCUIT. Eon and most other companies need to know that someone can deliver the goods - but that doesn't mean his action and dual stunt work. That means his personality, his adaptability, his resourcefulness, his people skills (VERY important), which union he belongs to, how many tax days he can work in Britain, who does he bring with him, are the British stuntmen wise to his ways, foibles and temperament....none of these vital criteria are bound to Bourne and nothing else. Daniel Craig didn't get Bond because he had been in LAYER CAKE and TOMB RAIDER alone. Daniel Craig got Bond because of a whole body of work - theatre, television, film...

To paraphrase a better man than I - "Stop getting Bourne wrong!"

In fact, can people stop getting Bond wrong too? I only say that as it seems some people appear to want every action scene in a 21st century Bond film to be shot on a static camera with only two new camera set-ups for cutaways and scope for the audience to see a Bob Simmons clone fall onto a table as if that is going to blow them away in 2009... CINEMA has moved on... and it turn, so has James Bond 007. It is how he survives. Not what keeps him alone (!).