31 replies to this topic

[doublenoughtspy]

http://www.tmz.com/2...places-martini/

[iexpectu2die]

Is it really impossible for our man to drink two different drinks in a 2+ hour-long film?

[Dustin]

The awesome thing is, they call him the former Bond because most readers wouldn't know who George Lazenby is supposed to be...

[S K Y F A L L]

Its true what he says though producers will go where the money is.

[Vauxhall]

Pah. Well, the Heinken's not instead of the Vodka Martini in the film, so Lazenby's annoyance is pretty moot.

[thecasinoroyale]

Bloody Lazenby.

Look, this business IS about money, really. They need money to survive. If a global brand wants to get in for a wad of cash and it works, let them at the expense of not cheapening the film / franchise.

If Bond has a beer, as he did in 'Quantum Of Solace'...fine. He's not a machine sticking to the Vodka.

I hope he has his signature vodka martini maybe at the casino as we expect that, and that's his thing...and I am sure Mendes will give us this but if not...I didn't miss it in 'Quantum', but will always hope it comes back at the right time.

Heineken is NOT replacing Smirnoff vodka and the martini...this is going WAY out of hand I feel, and with Lazenby having a dig, to what end? We probably won't even notice the beer as we're engrossed in the film.

Bond has a drink for a few seconds, we move onto the next scene... it's DONE.

We don't moan about other products in the films (Virgin/ Shell/ Aston Martin/ Omega/ Bosch etc), so why is this beer so big?

Dear me!


*rant over*

[sharpshooter]

Lazenby is basing his response on Bond abandoning martinis altogether, he was probably asked for his opinion in a particularly phrased question. You know how the media sensationalise things. In any case he's under that presumption. I don't have a problem with taking money from companies for product placement. But if it was about removing one iconic feature of the character completely, selling out your soul in a sense, I would agree with Lazenby completely. But it's not the case.

[univex]

What?! Lazenby ranting about money and the Bond producers? Chocking!

[SecretAgentFan]

TMZ... Why do people even bother?

[x007AceOfSpades]

Heineken has been a beer sponsor in Bond films since the Brosnan era if I'm correct right? I personally don't care by this, it's not like they taking out the classic 007 theme music, removing the gun barrel completely, "the name is Bond, James Bond" phrase etc. Remember, Dalton did drink a Budweiser in Licence To Kill.

[MattofSteel]

It's TMZ. A good reporter would have made the effort to list all the partnership sponsors involved in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, to see if that would have shut him up.

[SecretAgentFan]

Strange that Bond still attracts these idiotic, always negative headlines:

- Bond is blonde now!
- Bond cannot drive stickshift!
- Bond broke his teeth during a fight scene!
- Bond is dead (due to the MGM situation)"
- Bond drinks Heineken!

I mean, I get the "bad news are always better selling than good news"-thing.

But how slow must a newsday be if they drag out ol´ George to voice his disgust over this tired old story? Didn´t any C-celebrity go slipperless to the supermarket today?

[Harry Fawkes]

Oh, right, George. The film makers of Bond movies are not in it for the money,

Heeeellllloooooo. How else d'you think the things survived for so long??? Cause they made money, duh!

Mind you though, I would have gone up in arms with George had our Bond ordered a strawberry Milkshake.

God forbid!!!!

[SecretAgentFan]

It surely can´t be a coincidence that dear George will publish his autobiography soon, can it?

[MattofSteel]

Surely not. Funny how that works, isn't it?

[Germanlady]

You think, he is in it for the money then? LOL

[FOX MULDER]

There was plenty of product placement in Ian Fleming's novels... I don't know if he got paid for them, but I don't see how this Heineken thing is any different...

[AMC Hornet]

Would George complain if the beer were Foster's?

At this rate, Bond won't even have to touch a green bottle in the film - everyone who gives a crap knows by now about the $45m deal for product placement. I for one am glad EON got the funding to make what may turn out to be one hell of a film.

I can see the pundits now, gripping the arms of their theatre seats, missing what's going on as they wait for the moment when the series goes irrevocably to hell...then it's over, and they miss the rest of the film waiting for it to happen again...

Afterward, outside the theatre, people are talking:

"That wasn't so bad - just a beer when Bond needed one..."
"What? Bond had a beer? I didn't notice..."
"The whole damn movie was just one long commercial for Heineken (grumble mutter curse)..."

Then life goes on. Those who are curious try Heineken once and either like it or don't. Those who already like it will go on liking it. Those who still object will still never touch the stuff. Those who didn't notice will be unaffected. Heineken may or may not partner with MGM/EON again. EON announces that Bond will be seen eating a slice of pizza in B24 and the whole process will start over...

Edited by AMC Hornet, 23 May 2012 - 05:29 PM.

[THX-007]

Wasn't a complaint about the Brosnan movies the very blatant product placements? Having a certain drink or vehicle or whatever in a movie is fine but depending how you shoot it it can come off as very blatant advertising (see every Adam Sandler movie).
I notice that in Brosnan films, DAD especially, there are long shots of something that he's using that serves no purpose to the film other than to get a good shot of the brand logo. Ex: Bond shaves with an electric razor. He puts it down. Camera cuts to a shot of the razor on the table in a close-up.
I liked what director Robert Zemeckis said about product placement, if it doesn't serve the film than its meaningless. For example in the Back to the Future, Marty (Michael J. Fox) is trying to open a Pepsi and his dad without missing a beat opens it easily using the bottle opener on the side of the Pepsi machine. It served the comedy of the film. One doesn't doesn't really think about the Pepsi itself but for the older audience it brings back nostalgia while the younger audience feels for Marty as a fish out of water in the 1950s.

There's a fine line between just having props in the scene and advertising a product.

A good reporter would have made the effort to list all the partnership sponsors involved in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, to see if that would have shut him up.

Mercury and Plaboy magazine. Watch out this film's one giant billboard!

Edited by THX-007, 24 May 2012 - 05:53 AM.

[Chief of SIS]

Oh for 's sake.

Edited by Chief of SIS, 24 May 2012 - 02:27 AM.

[Golddragon71]

I posted this on my Facebook page when they first announced the "BIG SWITCH"

Well, there have been many changes to the Bond franchise since Casino Royale was released in 2006 (No flirting with Moneypenny, no Q (until now) and a car that had nothing more in the way of gadgets than a specially designed Gun tray where the glove compartment is generally located)
after all this, Bond getting something other than his classic cocktail is almost the straw that broke the camel's back for many fans.

However, This new timeline of the Bond Franchise has been careful to inject a higher level of reality into the various parts of Bond's trappings. That said, while Gordon's gin and Vodka (Two key ingredient in Bond's drink of choice) are both more than accessible in any number of bar's and restaurants around the world, the third element, Kina Lillet, doesn't seem to get as much mention. in fact, until Daniel Craig mentioned it in Casino Royale, this third ingredient has been completely overlooked in the films from Dr. No through Die Another Day.

The true James Bond literary martini as described in 1953's Casino Royale is as follows
Three measures of Gordon's (gin)
One measure of Vodka
Half a measure of Kina Lillet
Shaken until ice cold and served in a deep champagne goblet with a large thin slice of lemon peel

The cinematic martini's have usually been much simpler with vodka (traditionally the secondary ingredient in the novels) taking the top Billing (i.e.: A medium dry Vodka Martini, Shaken, Not Stirred.....and does anybody ever stir-prepare martinis anyway?) Often times the cinematic Bonds prior to Craig also are clearly seen taking their martinis with olives rather than the proper slice of lemon peel.

One other note, while a man who could die at any time wouldn't care about the effects of High octane drinks on his system, (at least not when he faces so many more gruesome methods of being dispatched) most true secret agents would not (while undercover) make themselves conspicuous by ordering such a meticulously specific drink. (which would almost certainly call attention to themselves) I think that while many classic BOND MOVIE fans would say "But Bond's not supposed to be realistic!*", This new film does consider practical reality in reference to the general plot. and in a realistic situation an "under-cover" James Bond is far more likely to just order a beer in a setting where anything more elaborate than simply the name of a drink would attract unwanted attention.

* I agree with this. While a Bond film shouldn't be so far removed as to be completely unbelievable, too much reality takes away from the escapism.

Edited by Golddragon71, 24 May 2012 - 02:43 PM.

[201050]

Lazenby:
I was in one Bond film, 43 years ago. I'm not relevant to the franchise, so this is a non-story

I agree.

Edited by 201050, 24 May 2012 - 05:24 PM.

[The Dove]

Not even gonna bother reading this article... Man, what is it with Lazenby?? He clearly still maintains some of the arrogance, albeit much less now, that he had when he was making OHMSS. Anyone remember when he made that unflattering comment about Pierce Brosnan duing Die Another Day? Sheesh..didn't hear him complaining about Coke Zero product placement in Quantum of Solace or Omega sponsoring Casino Royale..

[Miles Miservy]

http://www.tmz.com/2...places-martini/

Product placement in a OO7 movie??? You can't mean it. Poor George... always getting the short end of it. Just because Heiniken has placed advertising revenue into a Bond movie (along with Aston-Martin, Omega, Bollinger and others) does not mean that cinematic integrity will be compromised. In fact, I can remember, even in his OWN movie OHMSS, he drank bourbon, along w/ vodka martinis. Ian Fleming, himself, placed Red Stripe Beer in the hands of his hero within the pages of his novels so I think we've got nothing to worry about.

In fact, if you go back & look, you can pick out which vodka each OO7 preferred. Actually, I've only found 3:

S. Connery = Absolut
R. Moore = Stoli
P. Brosnan = Smirnoff

Can anyone find the other 3?

[AMC Hornet]

Terence Young made sure Connery held his bottle of Smirnoff label-out in Dr. No.

There was some fuss over Finlandia trumping Smirnoff for placement in DAD, but I never noticed the bottles anyway.

Apart from that, I never paid much attention to the brands, not being a vodka drinker meself.

Don't remember as much ballyhoo over Bond ordering a mojito in DAD - too much else for people to complain about I suppose, and anyway he had his Bollinger and martini as well (just as I'm sure he will in SF) .

Edited by AMC Hornet, 24 May 2012 - 07:04 PM.

[lazenbyland]

Blimey. All George is doing is expressing an opinion. Some would think he'd spoken blasphemy.

His point, which is obvious, is that Heineken isn't a brand you would associate with Ian Fleming's Bond. I have to admit I didn't know it was a sponsor in previous movies but I can't say I'd noticed. It certainly hasn't prompted me to buy any.

The placement is important as it does help finance the film but needs to be done without sacrificing the artistic intent. Something they succeeded with in the early films but less so with the Brosnan ones. I mean, Bond in a BMW?!?

[Skudor]

It's understandable that the producers should be keen on good money deals. But I still think that associating Bond with a below average beer is counter to his image. Not that it will harm Bond. And of course it can't fail to help Heineken. It's juzt one of those things that's simply wrong.

[Shrublands]

.....and does anybody ever stir-prepare martinis anyway?

Yes, in fact, most bartenders consider stirring the correct way to make one.

[Chief of SIS]

The shaking bit comes from when potato vodkas were more common. It mixed better. With today's vodka, especially the ones Bond uses, he should be using the stirring technique.

[LoveVolpe]

I didn't miss it in 'Quantum', but will always hope it comes back at the right time.

He has "six of them" on the airplane in Quantum of Solace, actually.