28 replies to this topic

[Mrs Rabbithole]

From Trailer #3, about 41 seconds in after he says, "enjoying death,"...is that an actual drinking game of some kind? I know there are some countries that use insects or snakes to actual flavour their alcohol.

[Bryce (003)]

There is and I've done *some* digging. Not much luck thus far, but it's the equivalent of "eating the worm" at the end of a bottle of tequila but the concept is that the scorpion is released on your arm as you raise the glass and that the drink is something the scorpion has been induced to so it runs up your arm to get to it. If you don't finish the glass before it gets to your mouth, it will sting you because it wants the booze, so the trick is to drink it fast enough that you shake the bugger off (also without having it sting you) and then cap it with the glass as seen in the clip.

It's based on some ancient ritual, but I have yet to find out what it is or the title given to it.

In my drinking days I've swallowed a few worms, but this is one of those things I'd have passed on...Well...Maybe.

[Chief of SIS]

I've had a drink with a scorpion IN it. More bad than it sounds.


Otherwise no. I don't think you'll find that drink north of the border.

[Jim]

I once had some non-vintage champagne, which I promise you was equally risky.

[Chief of SIS]

Champagne will always give me a far worse headache than any drink with an exoskeleton of an arachnid in it.

Edited by Chief of SIS, 02 August 2012 - 05:19 AM.

[Bryce (003)]

Phu Yuk?....Or was it just "Yuck" and we'll leave it at that?

If so, I believe I've had it once or thirty times over the years under different labels.

[S K Y F A L L]

This reminds me of the scene in TND when Bond puts a grenade into a glass and uses his watch to set it off because they mention in the audio commentary they got the idea from a story of when Brosnan was in a bar in like West Africa and someone put a grenade into a glass and started tapping it with a knife for service.

[thecasinoroyale]

Nice, thanks for that Bryce... I figured it was some dicing with danger drinking game but have never heard of a scorpion used. Very Fleming-esque.

[Simon]

Very interesting - thanks for the research there...

[Harry Fawkes]

Nice info Bryce. And I must add from which I have now been inspired for a new Bond Fan Fic title I intend using:

D R I N K T H E S C O R P I O N

Yep, I'm getting carried away here.

[Simon]

Grief - having tried to dig further into this via Google, and having found absolutely nothing, where did you find this info Bryce??

[Major Tallon]

Thanks, Bryce. Very interesting. This has to be a first for the movies -- Bond confronts the threat posed by an alcoholic scorpion.

[univex]

Bond confronts the threat posed by an alcoholic scorpion.

Ah, nice way to put it Major.

[DamnCoffee]

Thanks for the info, Bryce. I love the idea of it. It does seem very Bond. The shot in the trailer gave me shivers, merely because it screamed Fleming for me. I think we're in for a brilliant movie here folks. Full of Bond, full of Fleming. Roll on October!

[volante]

Mmm, good research. It's going to make it seem very quite down the working men's club tonight

[Bryce (003)]

It does ring of Fleming. Certainly more deadly than Bond and Tiger going rocks, paper, scissors over sake'

Again, I did some digging and one page lead to another then I chatted with a friend who does have a bottle with a scorpion at the bottom which is some sort of Chinese high proof (about 160) liquor akin to Italian Grappa

What I'm trying to find out is the name of the game itself which would be either chinese or mandarin in origin to aid in the search.

I never drank a scorpion, but I've certainly been surrounded by more than a few of the two legged variety on several occasions if you get my drift.

[Chief of SIS]

I never drank a scorpion, but I've certainly been surrounded by more than a few of the two legged variety on several occasions if you get my drift.

I'd take a scorpion sting over that any day.

[Simon]

It does ring of Fleming. Certainly more deadly than Bond and Tiger going rocks, paper, scissors over sake'

Again, I did some digging and one page lead to another then I chatted with a friend who does have a bottle with a scorpion at the bottom which is some sort of Chinese high proof (about 160) liquor akin to Italian Grappa

What I'm trying to find out is the name of the game itself which would be either chinese or mandarin in origin to aid in the search.

Well, 'scorpion, drinking, game, arm, run' in Google is coming up with absolutely nothing. I've got nowhere with this. I can't believe there is actually some facet of the world that has not been committed to bytes in some form or other to be found by the Google spiders.

Curious.

[DamnCoffee]

I just realised that the scorpion is sitting on his hand when he's downing the drink in the trailer.

[Simon]

...as per post 2 of this thread.

[MkB]

Again, I did some digging and one page lead to another then I chatted with a friend who does have a bottle with a scorpion at the bottom which is some sort of Chinese high proof (about 160) liquor akin to Italian Grappa

What I'm trying to find out is the name of the game itself which would be either chinese or mandarin in origin to aid in the search.

Bryce, I am under the impression that you are thinking of the vietnamese Rượu thuốc (http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Rượu_thuốc). The Wikipedia page does not mention scorpions, but that's certainly one variety of Rượu thuốc.
But I don't think there's a drinking game / ritual involving a live scorpion linked to this drink, is there?

[JimmyBond]

I've watched the trailer a few times now and I haven't noticed the scorpion on Bond's arm. What it looks like to me is the scorpion is making it's way towards Bond's free hand which is resting on the table. Therefore he downs the drink quickly so he can use the empty glass to stop it from getting to his hand.

[Shrublands]

The scorpion is on the back of his hand as he drinks, it falls onto the bar as he downs the drink, then he slams the empty glass over it.

[Matt_13]

Yeah I think he has to finish the glass before the scorpion hops into his mouth. He finishes the drink, drops the creature, and covers it with the glass. This was my favorite bit.

[# 11]

I wonder if we'll see a failed attempt by someone. Just for the narrative of the gameplay.

*process of imagine it*

Ugh, I don't know if I even want to see that.

[thecasinoroyale]

Could do #11, some unlucky chap before him succumbs to the scorpion and so Bond has a go and wins the respect of everyone....

That, or we'll already see a lot of cheering and excitement in a packed bar, mingle through until we see our familiar looking 00-Agent at the bar going strong.

[Shrublands]

I wonder if we'll see a failed attempt by someone. Just for the narrative of the gameplay.

*process of imagine it*

Ugh, I don't know if I even want to see that.

Do you really think that a bar full of people would carry on laughing and cheering at a game with a dead body on the floor?

[JCRendle]

Do you really think that a bar full of people would carry on laughing and cheering at a game with a dead body on the floor?

Depends on how drunk they are really.

[Shrublands]

Do you really think that a bar full of people would carry on laughing and cheering at a game with a dead body on the floor?

Depends on how drunk they are really.

Ummm...