772 replies to this topic

[dinovelvet]

We could save the Apparition for a future installment, true. I could definitely see Mr. Big cruising around Harlem in that sleek beast.

Oh, good idea. If we're not bringing back the pimpmobile!

You know, if we're going to pick a Mad Men actress here, why not Christina Hendricks for the role of Jill? She'd certainly bring some valuable...assets to the role, and she seems to be more similar looking to Juno. At least facially.

Good idea. There's nothing saying that both sisters need to be blond.

Also, I quite liked your idea of Blofeld reacting to Pussy's cat. I was curious how we were going to handle the white cat issue, as it's become something of a cliche nowadays.

Thanks! Yeah I think it's appropriate to address that with a quick gag/reference and then move on.

[Captain Tightpants]

I hopw I'm not too late for this one, but instead of having a golf game, Bond and Goldfinger could race one another in classic racing cars. I'm thinking a Lotus 72 for Bond and a Ferrari 312B for Goldfinger. The venue could (and should) be the Nürburgring Nordschleife (here's a video; unfortunately, it's from a video game). Also known as the Green Hell, it's the single most demanding racing circuit ever built. Jackie Stewart famously won a race there by four minutes in 1968 in conditions that meant the race never should have been run. And he had a broken wrist at the time. And he absolutely hated the circuit.

In the original film (and possibly the novel; I can't recall), Goldfinger cheated by switching out his ball. I'm not sure what he could do here that is similar; the cheating depends on Bond having enough knowledge of the rules to catch him out. However, it could be possible that Bond deliberately throws the race to let Goldfinger get the bar of bullion, which has been tagged in some way so that Bond can track it.

Apparently we're also introducing Q here. As a riff on the character, I'd suggest making him more of an administrator, a Quartermaster in the army before retiring due to injury. He now looks after the Q Branch, but doesn't actually do any of the inventing. Rather, Q Branch could be populated by a group of near geniuses who lack social skills. Q runs the division and issues equipment because the people under his command don't like social interaction too much.

[dinovelvet]

I thought terminus' suggestion of Goldfinger using a magnetic golf ball was just fine; it keeps the point of Fleming's original scene intact while putting a different spin on it.

[coco1997]

I thought terminus' suggestion of Goldfinger using a magnetic golf ball was just fine; it keeps the point of Fleming's original scene intact while putting a different spin on it.

Tdalton seemed to think perhaps the golf game was a bit too low key, so maybe we could consider CT's idea. Either way, I'm fine.

[tdalton]

I thought terminus' suggestion of Goldfinger using a magnetic golf ball was just fine; it keeps the point of Fleming's original scene intact while putting a different spin on it.

Tdalton seemed to think perhaps the golf game was a bit too low key, so maybe we could consider CT's idea. Either way, I'm fine.

I'm OK with keeping the golf scene. It just seemed like back when we were discussing it yesterday that the sentiment was that it wouldn't be exciting enough so I proposed maybe changing it to a different sport. Whether it ends up being golf or some other kind of sport, I'm OK with, though.

[dinovelvet]

OK well I'm actually going on vacation tomorrow, so I will not be participating in this thread for about a week. I might check in again later tonight, but otherwise, feel free to assemble Goldfinger however you like and move on to LALD, etc.

I leave you with one consideration : Idris Elba for Mr.Big.

[coco1997]

I admit I rather like terminus' treatment because it's so radically different from the original film. I think we can combine the best elements of both your ideas and terminus to create a real doozy of a film. Here are a few things to consider:

1- We can go with dino's idea of setting the PTS in Mexico with Bond on an assassination mission.

2- We need to find a way to fit in Tilly Masterson.

3- Where does everyone think the heist should occur, Kentucky or Hong Kong? Either way, we should dino's EMP idea over the relatively lame knockout gas from the film.

4- I like dino's idea of Goldfinger using satellite imagery to cheat during cards, but as a compromise, maybe we could use the idea for Drax once we get to "Moonraker"? It will give us a chance to do a modern update of the classic Blades Club scene.

5- Anyone have an idea of who could play Q/Boothroyd?

[dinovelvet]

I admit I rather like terminus' treatment because it's so radically different from the original film. I think we can combine the best elements of both your ideas and terminus to create a real doozy of a film.

I should clarify, I do like a lot of what terminus wrote, but at the same time I don't want to deviate too far from Fleming - I like putting in new scenes and material, but we shouldn't throw out the baby with the bathwater! Like I said, I think a lot of what he wrote is very suitable for a potential LALD plot.

Here are a few things to consider:

1- We can go with dino's idea of setting the PTS in Mexico with Bond on an assassination mission.

2- We need to find a way to fit in Tilly Masterson.

3- Where does everyone think the heist should occur, Kentucky or Hong Kong? Either way, we should dino's EMP idea over the relatively lame knockout gas from the film.

I think this is one of those cases where the specific location of Fort Knox is tied to the film and characters, like Japan in YOLT...I was about to say and the Alps in OHMSS, but we could conceivably have that taking place in any mountain range really. Anyway, having American gold works here because Blofeld's master plan may be to cripple the American economy (even further than it is!), so he can swoop in and buy huge amounts of shares in corporations, and thus will wield real power and influence over a superpower.

As for Tilly, she could already be working "undercover" somewhere in Goldfinger's organization, trying to get up close to GF to take her revenge.

4- I like dino's idea of Goldfinger using satellite imagery to cheat during cards, but as a compromise, maybe we could use the idea for Drax once we get to "Moonraker"? It will give us a chance to do a modern update of the classic Blades Club scene.

I thought the satellite idea works specifically for GF because the card game takes place outdoors, with GF using the excuse that he's working on his suntan (which would be plausible with the ghostly pale Alexander Skarsgard!). You can't use a satellite if Drax is playing indoors at a Bridge club. (Will we have Bond doing speed in that scene, btw? )

5- Anyone have an idea of who could play Q/Boothroyd?

I'm still questioning if we even need him.

[coco1997]

I thought the satellite idea works specifically for GF because the card game takes place outdoors, with GF using the excuse that he's working on his suntan (which would be plausible with the ghostly pale Alexander Skarsgard!). You can't use a satellite if Drax is playing indoors at a Bridge club. (Will we have Bond doing speed in that scene, btw? )

Good point, but it wouldn't even have to be indoors, if we're going to really reimagine it. Regardless, I understand your point.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Idris Elba would not work, dino; how about Delroy Lindo, instead?

[coco1997]

Idris Elba would not work, dino

Um...what makes you so sure of that?

[dinovelvet]

how about Delroy Lindo, instead?

Do you have any specific reasons why he would not work ?

Delroy Lindo is almost 60 - I feel he would have been a viable choice if this were the Brosnan era, but he's a bit TV-ish these days.

[Mr. Blofeld]

Idris Elba seems too young, to me, and I don't know if he could pull off a Haitian accent (I already know Lindo can do more than just the standard Brit and American)...

I'm open to other suggestions, of course.

[terminus]

Idris Elba seems too young, to me, and I don't know if he could pull off a Haitian accent (I already know Lindo can do more than just the standard Brit and American)...

I'm open to other suggestions, of course.

Elba's 38. FYI - he's actually two years older than Yaphet Kotto was in LALD.

And why would pulling off a Haitian accent be a prerequisite for the role? Its yet to be established that the UB-verse Mr Big will be Haitian/French, or if he will be from St. Monique and have an American accent - or something else?

[dinovelvet]

Idris Elba seems too young, to me, and I don't know if he could pull off a Haitian accent (I already know Lindo can do more than just the standard Brit and American)...

I'm open to other suggestions, of course.

Elba's 38. FYI - he's actually two years older than Yaphet Kotto was in LALD.

And why would pulling off a Haitian accent be a prerequisite for the role? Its yet to be established that the UB-verse Mr Big will be Haitian/French, or if he will be from St. Monique and have an American accent - or something else?

Quite - I assume that our version of Mr.Big will be somewhat different from Fleming's '50s view of a black gangster

[coco1997]

The last couple posts have raised good points--but I think for now, we should re-focus back on "GF".

[tdalton]

The last couple posts have raised good points--but I think for now, we should re-focus back on "GF".

Agreed. The last couple of posts have raised good points, agreed. I would imagine that, as dino said, this version of Mr. Big would be much different from what Fleming's view of the character would have been some 50+ years ago now. It just has to be, given that it's a modern retelling. Just to tip my hand a bit on the topic, the idea I'm going to put out there for the Solitaire character is going to be, while somewhat familiar, in a way very different as well from what both Fleming and EON put together the first times around.

To get back to GF, I like the idea of using satellites to cheat at cards. It seems like such a brilliant case of going to such extreme lengths at something as trivial as a card game. I think it would be a good way of establishing the Goldfinger character as someone who would go to whatever length necessary to accomplish whatever it is that he's setting out to accomplish.

[dinovelvet]

OK so what else do we need for GF then while I'm still here. We have the problem of all the military around Fort Knox - do we have GF trying to poison the water supply, and Bond/Pussy stopping it?

And we need to work on where we go once the heist takes place. Obviously we can't actually have GF getting away with the gold, Bond has to stop it somehow. The depressurizing plane finale was done in the original GF as well as in the climax of DAD so maybe we can work something else out.

I like the idea of using satellites to cheat at cards. It seems like such a brilliant case of going to such extreme lengths at something as trivial as a card game. I think it would be a good way of establishing the Goldfinger character as someone who would go to whatever length necessary to accomplish whatever it is that he's setting out to accomplish.

Presumably he'd use the same satellite for some purpose during Operation Grandslam?

[tdalton]

And we need to work on where we go once the heist takes place. Obviously we can't actually have GF getting away with the gold, Bond has to stop it somehow. The depressurizing plane finale was done in the original GF as well as in the climax of DAD so maybe we can work something else out.

Maybe something that revolves around the idea you had about Goldfinger sending the trucks off in many different directions so that they wouldn't be caught? Obviously some kind of coordination would have to occur for that kind of plan to take place, so maybe Bond finds some sort of map or computer file that details the routes that all of the trucks are heading and, much to Goldfinger's dismay, he finds out that very little of the gold actually made it into his account, prompting him to go back to after Bond in the final part of the film.

[dinovelvet]

And we need to work on where we go once the heist takes place. Obviously we can't actually have GF getting away with the gold, Bond has to stop it somehow. The depressurizing plane finale was done in the original GF as well as in the climax of DAD so maybe we can work something else out.

Maybe something that revolves around the idea you had about Goldfinger sending the trucks off in many different directions so that they wouldn't be caught? Obviously some kind of coordination would have to occur for that kind of plan to take place, so maybe Bond finds some sort of map or computer file that details the routes that all of the trucks are heading and, much to Goldfinger's dismay, he finds out that very little of the gold actually made it into his account, prompting him to go back to after Bond in the final part of the film.

Hmm yeah Bond could relay this to Felix somehow. (And perhaps this could be the real purpose of GF's satellite, to co-ordinate and track his trains and trucks, etc, with the card-playing at the beginning being a test run of the satellite).

[tdalton]

And we need to work on where we go once the heist takes place. Obviously we can't actually have GF getting away with the gold, Bond has to stop it somehow. The depressurizing plane finale was done in the original GF as well as in the climax of DAD so maybe we can work something else out.

Maybe something that revolves around the idea you had about Goldfinger sending the trucks off in many different directions so that they wouldn't be caught? Obviously some kind of coordination would have to occur for that kind of plan to take place, so maybe Bond finds some sort of map or computer file that details the routes that all of the trucks are heading and, much to Goldfinger's dismay, he finds out that very little of the gold actually made it into his account, prompting him to go back to after Bond in the final part of the film.

Hmm yeah Bond could relay this to Felix somehow. (And perhaps this could be the real purpose of GF's satellite, to co-ordinate and track his trains and trucks, etc, with the card-playing at the beginning being a test run of the satellite).

I hadn't even thought of that, but that would be a great way to bring back the satellite from the beginning of the film in a more meaningful way. I could see the scene playing out as we see several trucks being stopped in several different places, the last of which being Felix as the one stopping the truck and then cut to a scene of an enraged Goldfinger looking at a computer screen and seeing a rather small (relatively speaking, of course) amount of money shown as having been delivered to his account (or he could check the satellite surveillance and see his trucks disappearing off the map, I think either of those would work pretty well on screen).

[dinovelvet]

I hadn't even thought of that, but that would be a great way to bring back the satellite from the beginning of the film in a more meaningful way. I could see the scene playing out as we see several trucks being stopped in several different places, the last of which being Felix as the one stopping the truck and then cut to a scene of an enraged Goldfinger looking at a computer screen and seeing a rather small (relatively speaking, of course) amount of money shown as having been delivered to his account (or he could check the satellite surveillance and see his trucks disappearing off the map, I think either of those would work pretty well on screen).

I can see that. And presumably GF gets away on his own train (IIRC, he tries to get away on a train in the novel), but that one he hasn't entered into the computer/satellite as he's overseeing it himself. Maybe Bond and Oddjob brawl on top of a pile of gold on a moving train or something!

[tdalton]

As for Tilly, she could already be working "undercover" somewhere in Goldfinger's organization, trying to get up close to GF to take her revenge.

I think that this would be the way to go. She would obviously be in search of revenge against Golfinger himself, but she could also be holding out on taking her revenge so that she can humiliate him by sabotaging his attempt to rob Fort Knox (maybe she's the one that gives Bond the information regarding the trucks, where they're headed, and all of that at the end of the film).

[Mr. Blofeld]

I've an idea for some dialogue:

M: "If we're sending you against Goldfinger, you've got to have a cover."
BOND: "I understand."

M slides a folder across the table; Bond opens it and does a double take:

BOND: "Is that the best you can give me?"
M: "It's one of the last unblown covers we've got; you'll take it, or not go against him at all."

Bond stares across the desk:

BOND: "Well... I'll do my best with it."

Cut to a sunny day on the golf course, where Bond, attired in stylish, yet subtle, golfing attire, gets out of a chauffered vehicle; he is introduced to Goldfinger:

MANAGER: "Mr. Goldinger? We have a new player on the course."

Goldfinger turns around to contemplate the new arrival:

MANAGER: "This is Auric Goldfinger, sir."
GOLDFIGER: "My pleasure."
BOND (shaking hands): "How do you do? I'm Peregrine Maltravers."

Goldfinger involuntarily snorts; Bond looks quizzical:

BOND: "What's so funny?"
GOLDFINGER (laughing): "What a name! I hope you forgive me saying this, but it sounds like an advertisement for high-priced bourbon! You must have given your parents hell for that."
BOND: "Surely, it couldn't be as bad a name as Auric Goldfinger."

Goldfinger pauses for a moment:

GOLDFINGER: "That is a name of my own choosing, Mr. Maltravers. I have an affinity for gold--"
BOND: "And Auric? Hell of a forename."
GOLDFINGER (smiling): "It helps, Mr. Maltravers, to learn a little Latin in the course of your education; you may find it useful in the course of our interactions."
BOND: "What, you mean this game? Some Latin..."

Goldfinger chuckles at Bond:

GOLDFINGER: "I think you know better than that, Mr. Maltravers."
BOND: "It's Perry."
GOLDFINGER: "For Peregrine? I do not think I am that close to you, yet, Mr. B-- Maltravers. Forgive the misstep."

He licks his lips lightly:

GOLDFINGER: "I daresay, however, that I will be. Shall we begin the game, Mr. Manager?"

[tdalton]

Just in an effort to get some of the particulars straight on this, what locations are we looking at for this?

I know we've got:

-MEXICO (presumably the PTS to go along with the idea of Bond performing an assassination there)

-MIAMI (introduction to Goldfinger and his satellite)

-NEW YORK (I know dino said something about a lot of the novel happening here. Are we using this location for the story or are we relocating these sequences elsewhere?)

-KENTUCKY / FORT KNOX (the heist)


We'll probably need a location for the confrontation between Bond and Goldfinger at the end of the film as well. As dino already pointed out, it's probably better to avoid the decompressed plane ending since we've now seen it a couple of different times in the films, so we'd need to come up with some other way for Goldfinger to trap Bond and we'd need a location for it. Seeing as how this is a fairly American film in terms of location, maybe some kind of tropical location.

[tdalton]

I decided to just kind of put this together as an idea of how to mesh the ideas put out there by dinovelvet and terminus regarding where to take the story for this one. I know that dino's not participating most likely for the duration of this particular round, so I'm just trying to ease us forward a bit towards starting the treatment portion of the round.

This is just the portion of the story at the beginning, adapting the ideas that dino and terminus have put out there.


Mexico

-Bond travels to Mexico to eliminate an assassin.


Miami

-Bond stops off in Miami after completing the Mexico job. He comes across Mr. Fukutu, whom he remembers from the card game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. He notices the man that Fukutu is playing cards with, and decides to investigate a bit.

-He comes across Jill Masterson, who is monitoring a GPS system for Golfinger, using the satellites to tell what cards Fukutu is holding so that Golfinger can take him to the cleaners.

-Bond alerts Goldfinger to the fact that he has been caught, and shuts off Goldfinger’s access to the GPS by stealing Jill away for a romantic afternoon.


London

-M, Tanner, and Bond go over newly acquired surveillance tape of the opera assassination of Mr. White, which shows a man leaving the box and bumping into Bond on his way out. Tatiana Romanova identifies the man only by the name “Blofeld”, claiming that he is, or was, a new addition to the Quantum council, and was the one behind the Suez Canal attack. M makes the capture of Blofeld the organization’s #1 priority, sending Bond to Dubai (cameras at the airport spotted Blofeld boarding a plane headed there) to bring him in.

Dubai

-When Bond arrives in Dubai, he runs into Jill Masterson at a high-end establishment that caters to the world’s richest people. She gives Bond a lead on where to find Blofeld, saying that her boss (Goldfinger) would be playing golf with him later in the afternoon.

-When Bond arrives at the club, with the invitation that Tilly had forged for him, he finds that Blofeld is a no show, Goldfinger is willing to play a round with Bond (based on the notion that he recognizes him from Miami, although Goldfinger does not let Bond know that he recognizes him until after they play the round).

-Goldfinger threatens Bond by having Oddjob show him what he can do with his hat.

-Although trying to stay off of Goldfinger’s radar, Bond nevertheless follows him to a gala event where Bond gets his first glimpse of Blofeld, who is meeting with Goldfinger.

-Bond uses a bug to eavesdrop on their conversation
-Bond tails Blofeld out of the gala and the two are involved in a high-speed chase, which ends with Blofeld escaping, although with a nasty scar from wrecking his car.

-Bond returns to the hotel to find Jill Masterson on his bed, dead by way of gold paint.

[coco1997]

Good work, t. It's a nice mesh of both dino's and terminus' ideas. The only thing I would add is that at some point we should showcase Goldfinger's car (the gold-plated DeLorean proposed by dino) and we're also missing Tilly Masterson at the present. However, if her character is extraneous, maybe we don't even need her.

[tdalton]

Good work, t. It's a nice mesh of both dino's and terminus' ideas. The only thing I would add is that at some point we should showcase Goldfinger's car (the gold-plated DeLorean proposed by dino) and we're also missing Tilly Masterson at the present. However, if her character is extraneous, maybe we don't even need her.

All of those are things that the story definately has room for. The above is just the usual pre-treatment outline with just the bare bones of the story up through about midway through the picture.

I have a good idea of when and how to introduce Tilly in the second half, but maybe terminus has some ideas about how to incorporate some of those elements, as this outline is in large part based on his ideas for the project. I'm willing to do the treatment again if necessary, given that we're down a contributor for the week, but I think terminus should at least be given the first crack at it, should he wish to given that its largely based on his own ideas.

Mainly, I'm just itching to get this one done and move forward to LALD. I've actually come up with something that's pretty over-the-top for that one (which is very unusual for me) and I can't wait to attempt to develop it.

[Mr. Blofeld]

What about my dialogue suggestions?

[tdalton]

What about my dialogue suggestions?

The outline for the first half is just a bullet-point idea of how the first half could go. There isn't any dialogue in it, as that would be reserved for the treatment once that gets underway.

I don't think we know who is doing the treatment yet, so I guess it would probably be up to them. I think that if I were to end up doing it that it could be worked in, but I don't think we've decided yet who is doing the treatment.

Edited by tdalton, 31 January 2011 - 10:02 PM.