902 replies to this topic

[Quantumofsolace007]

I'm at work so i';ll read the total film article tonight at 8:30 (EST) when i get home but i am very excited about Sam Mendes possibly doing this. To me It seems like with him on board and based on the idea of furthering Craig's bond emotionally we'll get a dark From russia with love styled bond film. which I want.


I'm hoping Zorin that the Mgm stuff clears up by Febuary/march because based on what his publicst says i get the impression Mendes is a fan of bond and more specifically Craig's bond and really wants to do bond 23. So for his sake and our i hope negoations don't break down due to MGM or whoever buys MGM.


I'm Curious to see if Mendes is the director does thsi mean they have locations scouted or are in the process of scouting locations?

[Santa]

In all fairness, GS, it's not that easy either. They're among the longer posts on any given thread and your use of exclamated ALL CAPS has a way of calling attention as well. I think it's human nature to look at the person talking directly at you.

Maybe I have a stronger constitution or more will power. There are a half-dozen or so posters who I simply do not read. When I first came here 3.5 years ago I quickly realized who I could get along with and who I couldn't. I didn't email them. I didn't PM them. I didn't announce to them on the threads that I wasn't going to read them or respond to them. I just, for the peace of the newsgroup, made a point not to read their posts so that there would be no temptation to respond to them.

It reminds me of the scene from PRIVATE PARTS, where an executive at NBC tells another executive that media research showed that people who loved Howard Stern listened to him an average of an hour a day...and people who hated him listened to him for an average of two hours a day!

My use of all caps is an odd habit I picked up over the past few years...I use it for a variety of different reasons, but it's not to stand out from the other posts, but usually to emphasize points within my own posts.

'Block' is a very useful little tool. If you don't want to see someone's posts you just block them and they don't appear. I expect it has saved me from responding unnecessarily to a few posts that would only have ended up in arguments.

[Skudor]

I for one am very excited about that Mendes dude. Maybe he'll do a Bond film in the vein of a Benny Hill episode. At least it would be interesting...

But, seriously, I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

[Judo chop]

I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

Good point, Skud. Why is an Oscar winning director willing to entertain Bond in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Mendes' childhood dreams of helming a Bond picture, so that motive is likely a non-entity. Thus, it's probably for one of the two reasons you mentioned.

I dearly hope that it's the first.

[Skudor]

I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

Good point, Skud. Why is an Oscar winning director willing to entertain Bond in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Mendes' childhood dreams of helming a Bond picture, so that motive is likely a non-entity. Thus, it's probably for one of the two reasons you mentioned.

I dearly hope that it's the first.

Well, it could be that M gets killed, after an extensive monologue, and Bond then goes on an action packed emotional journey to exact revenge on his M(other)'s killers... possibly involving Michael Sheen as the evil prime minister who hold's Dame Helen's Queen hostage. Maggie Smith could have a role as the new M and Kevin Spacey could be a nefarious US President...

[Dr.Fell]

I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

Good point, Skud. Why is an Oscar winning director willing to entertain Bond in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Mendes' childhood dreams of helming a Bond picture, so that motive is likely a non-entity. Thus, it's probably for one of the two reasons you mentioned.

I dearly hope that it's the first.

And Michael Apted and Marc Forrester weren't Oscar-caliber? Why is it the view from some that Mendes might be slumming it if he lowers himself to do a Bond film, but Forrester and Apted weren't?

Personally, I'm hoping he's considering doing the film because he wants to direct his wife, Kate Winslet, as Tracy Bond in the movie.

I think it's great that the series has attracted Oscar winning and Oscar-caliber talent over the past 15 years like Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Forrester, Apted, and Mendes. Despite my problems with both TND and QOS, the last six films have represented the greatest, best six-run film of the series. There's not been a TMWTGG or a LICENSE TO KILL REVOKED among the last six. So, let the good times roll!

I don't think there has been a good six-film run of the series. Two or four on the other hand, yeah.

[dinovelvet]

I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

Good point, Skud. Why is an Oscar winning director willing to entertain Bond in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Mendes' childhood dreams of helming a Bond picture, so that motive is likely a non-entity. Thus, it's probably for one of the two reasons you mentioned.

I dearly hope that it's the first.

And Michael Apted and Marc Forrester weren't Oscar-caliber? Why is it the view from some that Mendes might be slumming it if he lowers himself to do a Bond film, but Forrester and Apted weren't?

Apted slumming? Apted indeed was Oscar-caliber...IN 1980. If he'd been hired by EON to direct, say, Octopussy, then one could make the argument that he was a classy director slumming. But by the time EON hired him, he was doing TV movies and couldn't get arrested in Hollywood. Let's face it, he was a bargain basement choice hired to do a workmanlike job on a business-as-usual Bond film.

[Judo chop]

Oscar winning

And Michael Apted and Marc Forrester weren't Oscar-caliber?

One is a fact and the other is an opinion. Some people have college degrees, and some people have minds which are college-caliber. The degrees get you the jobs and the money. I'm suggesting, perhaps wrongly, that with that little gold statue comes some business leverage. More options.

Why is it the view from some that Mendes might be slumming it if he lowers himself to do a Bond film, but Forrester and Apted weren't?

Are you saying it would be “lowering” of him to do a Bond film? I honestly don’t know what your argument is, Gravity, other than to put forward your opinion that Apted is just as good a director as Mendes.

I’m not saying that Bond is gutter material, but it’s not typical Oscar-winner stuff either. There is a distance between Bond films and Oscar-winning material. And now it would seem we have an Oscar winning director (who, because of his accolade, probably has a variety of work to pick from) looking at Bond. To you this seems natural?

As for (most of) the rest of it...

Personally, I'm hoping he's considering doing the film because he wants to direct his wife, Kate Winslet, as Tracy Bond in the movie.

I think it's great that the series has attracted Oscar winning and Oscar-caliber talent over the past 15 years like Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Forrester, Apted, and Mendes. Despite my problems with both TND and QOS, the last six films have represented the greatest, best six-run film of the series. There's not been a TMWTGG or a LICENSE TO KILL REVOKED among the last six. So, let the good times roll!

[Santa]

And life on CB.n gets weirder and weirder.

[Judo chop]

And life on CB.n gets weirder and weirder.

Yep. Becoming more like family every day.

[Safari Suit]

Let's face it, he was a bargain basement choice hired to do a workmanlike job on a business-as-usual Bond film.

Well I wouldn't go quite that far as he still had his Up series and other respectable projects going on, but lets not forget a whopping 12 years before TWINE (and a year before Gorillas in the Mist, his last truly critcally successful fictional film) he directed the forgettable, entirely generic and ultimately rather dire Richard Pryor vehicle Critical Control and before that the equally generic not-dire-but-only-memorable-because-the-star-made-very-few-films Continental Divide, and I don't think you'll find anything like those on Mendes' filmography (or Forsters, but frankly in a few cases they might have been preferable).

[Dr.Fell]

I'm impressed that the guy is in talks to direct. It must mean the script is interesting enough for him to consider (or flexible enough, perhaps).

Good point, Skud. Why is an Oscar winning director willing to entertain Bond in the first place? I haven't heard anything about Mendes' childhood dreams of helming a Bond picture, so that motive is likely a non-entity. Thus, it's probably for one of the two reasons you mentioned.

I dearly hope that it's the first.

And Michael Apted and Marc Forrester weren't Oscar-caliber? Why is it the view from some that Mendes might be slumming it if he lowers himself to do a Bond film, but Forrester and Apted weren't?

Apted slumming? Apted indeed was Oscar-caliber...IN 1980. If he'd been hired by EON to direct, say, Octopussy, then one could make the argument that he was a classy director slumming. But by the time EON hired him, he was doing TV movies and couldn't get arrested in Hollywood. Let's face it, he was a bargain basement choice hired to do a workmanlike job on a business-as-usual Bond film.

In his defense he did recieve much critical acclaim for his work after Coal Miner's Daughter. However TWINE still turned out to be a piece of crap.

Yep. Becoming more like family every day.

Oh we are ? Okay so can I have five bucks for the week ?

[Judo chop]

Yep. Becoming more like family every day.

Oh we are ? Okay so can I have five bucks for the week ?

You know the old adage about mixing business and family?

[Dr.Fell]

Yep. Becoming more like family every day.

Oh we are ? Okay so can I have five bucks for the week ?

You know the old adage about mixing business and family?

Um...I want money.

[Dr.Fell]

I have always had my reservations about a-list stars staring Bond films, it has always ended disaterously IMO. The less said about Halle Berry the better.

[HildebrandRarity]

So, Haggis is out, then?
















I hope this Mendez chap can make a film as totally awsome as Quantum Of Solace - the BEST James Bond 007 film in history.

[Judo chop]

And now it would seem we have an Oscar winning director (who, because of his accolade, probably has a variety of work to pick from) looking at Bond. To you this seems natural?

Maybe he is tired of making quirky, independent films.

Maybe he is. But "why turn to Bond specifically" is the question here.

Maybe he wants to work with Daniel Craig.

Sure. I imagine Craig is a powerful draw.

Maybe he wants the challenge of making a Bond film.

Ok, but that's it? New Bond film is offered to Oscar Winner and he says, "Ooh, that'd be challenging. I'll TAKE IT!" That sort of thing may seem slightly more likely now that EON has turned things up a notch, but I don't see it happening in 1999. Not a chance. (Sorry, but no respect for your Apted.)

Before I forget what it is we're talking about, let me get back to my premise. I'm just suggesting, hoping, that there might be another reason for Mendes to take the job. Like he's seen the script and it looks good. The same kind of thing that drew Craig to CR in the first place, really. People had all kinds of theories about why Craig would take Bond, and though I'm sure $$$ came into play, I think the bottom line is that he saw something fresh that he could work with creatively.

Why did Tiger Woods leave a beautiful wife and mother of his two children to go have sex with a bunch of cocktail waitress and prostitutes? Because he wanted variety and spice

I think probably rather because he didn't know, or realize, what he actually wanted. He may now. But that's neither here nor there. On topic, "variety" as a motive will only take us so far in our theories I think. It'd be variety for Kubrick to direct a Chevy Chase VACATION film, but if such a thing were announced, I think we'd all expect a better reason than "Stan probably just wants some variety". We'd all be thinking "insanity".

[DR76]

I have always had my reservations about a-list stars staring Bond films, it has always ended disaterously IMO. The less said about Halle Berry the better.

Why? She didn't do anything wrong in the film. Brosnan was still the star. Both Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman were more known than the actor playing Bond when they popped up in their respective Bond films.

[dinovelvet]

So, Haggis is out, then?

Er...I think that Haggis was out back when they, you know, gave the job to Peter Morgan. Of course they might ask him to come back and do a polish, or maybe Mendes would bring another writer on board like Forster did.

[DaveBond21]

The main thing I like about this story is the rumour that Daniel Craig wants Sam Mendes on board himself.

I like the idea that Daniel wants a director he knows quite well, who will build on what we've seen so far in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, and iron out any of the issues that made the latter inferior to the former.

Also - IF IT ALL GOES WRONG, THEN DANIEL IS TO BLAME!!!

[Dr.Fell]

I have always had my reservations about a-list stars staring Bond films, it has always ended disaterously IMO. The less said about Halle Berry the better.

Why? She didn't do anything wrong in the film. Brosnan was still the star. Both Diana Rigg and Honor Blackman were more known than the actor playing Bond when they popped up in their respective Bond films.

Diana Rigg and Blackman were famous in the UK on television. I am talking about A-list US actors in films. Anyway Halle Berry was terrible Die Another Day and I she is one of the most over rated *snicker* actresses today.

Edited by Dr.Fell, 07 January 2010 - 10:13 PM.

[Judo chop]

Also - IF IT ALL GOES WRONG, THEN DANIEL IS TO BLAME!!!

Good thing we already have a thread in that event.

CBn. Always one step ahead of the game.

[stromberg]

Also - IF IT ALL GOES WRONG, THEN DANIEL IS TO BLAME!!!

Good thing we already have a thread in that event.

CBn. Always one step ahead of the game.

A few days ago, I was thinking about changing my signature (for the first time in years - oh, the variety )
Looks like I'd better keep it for a while

[blueman]

Knowing who to blame is always top priority.

And, I want a pony! (that's in response to this place becoming like family, and reading through three pages of breakfast-table bickering... )

Personally, I'm hoping he's considering doing the film because he wants to direct his wife, Kate Winslet, as Tracy Bond in the movie.

I think it's great that the series has attracted Oscar winning and Oscar-caliber talent over the past 15 years like Halle Berry, Judi Dench, Forrester, Apted, and Mendes. Despite my problems with both TND and QOS, the last six films have represented the greatest, best six-run film of the series. There's not been a TMWTGG or a LICENSE TO KILL REVOKED among the last six. So, let the good times roll!

I fell off my chair. "Disastrous" indeed.

[Ambler]

when I used to run 007Forever.com, we used it as a platform to lobby for Halle Berry to get cast as a Bond Girl. EON took note of our suggestions and did exactly that. Fast forward 9 years and EON is still taking my suggestions

Delusions are often a sign of neurological or mental illness. Of course, it might just be self-aggrandizement.

Is there anyone here who's medically qualified?

[Dr.Fell]

when I used to run 007Forever.com, we used it as a platform to lobby for Halle Berry to get cast as a Bond Girl. EON took note of our suggestions and did exactly that. Fast forward 9 years and EON is still taking my suggestions

Delusions are often a sign of neurological or mental illness. Of course, it might just be self-aggrandizement.

Is there anyone here who's medically qualified?

I believe GS was joking as well as saying "Great minds think alike". At least I hope so or I may have to call the men in white coats.

[blueman]

when I used to run 007Forever.com, we used it as a platform to lobby for Halle Berry to get cast as a Bond Girl. EON took note of our suggestions and did exactly that. Fast forward 9 years and EON is still taking my suggestions

Delusions are often a sign of neurological or mental illness. Of course, it might just be self-aggrandizement.

Is there anyone here who's medically qualified?

To the Batcave!

[jaguar007]

Incidentally, when I used to run 007Forever.com, we used it as a platform to lobby for Halle Berry to get cast as a Bond Girl. EON took note of our suggestions and did exactly that.

So it's ALL YOUR FAULT


I also wouldn't count on Winslet being in Bond 23 just because her husband will be directing it - she has only been in 1 Sam Mendes movie.

Terrible news. I hope it will not be him. I still hope that we will see a director that has some previous experience in action movies, and has proved to be good at that (!). We all now that B23 will 5-6 big setpieces and someone like Mendes will be overwhelmed.

I have not seen all of Mendes films, nor have I seen all the previous films from any Bond director, but what kind of previous, big action setpiece films had Young, Hamilton, Gilbert, Campbell, Spottswoode, Apted, Tamahori or Forester have before tackling Bond?

[The Dove]

Boy..2010 has gotten off to erm..an interesting beginning here at CBN hasn't it?!!

[Mr_Wint]

I think Mendes is a firm statement from EON not to leave the path chosen. Bond now is not just action entertainment. It is about the character (...)

Yes, this is the "path" that started with TWINE. But so far I'm not impressed with the outcome. Maybe it is time to re-think?

As for the "can he do action"-concerns: Do you know how an action film is shot? The action is always supervised by the stunt coordinator. Hiring the right one is key to great action sequences.

I don't think it is as simple as that. There is a grey-zone between action and drama. And that aspect may be more important than anything else.