128 replies to this topic

[Loomis]

Fair enough, Simon, but I think you'll find that neither zencat nor myself stated categorically who was to blame. We were simply playing "what if?", which is what most of us do on these forums most of the time.

When I say that MGM have some explaining to do, surely they do, if one of 19 Bond films scheduled for an international re-issue suddenly seems to be unavailable with no reason given. This isn't finger-pointing, just a simple statement of fact.

As for specifically asking you for a reaction, Simon, or there being enough ideas "strewn around" for you to comment on, for heaven's sake man feel free to add a few of your own.

It's just that so far on this thread, you seem mainly concerned with shooting down other people.

[Jim]

Oh, it's probably just marketing ineptitude

(Something we've heard before)

Noticed that some adverts have put TWINE before TND.

I notice this, then feel dirty that it's bothered me, then wonder why I've felt dirty when it's only an innocent interest. Oh, watch me spiral into doom.

[Kingdom Come]

They could be holding on to TLD like Kubrick did with A Clockwork Orange and Friedkin for The Excorcist... Hitchcock also withheld some of his films for many, many years to help make them more valuable.

[The Girl With The Golden Gun]

ok ok kiddies, calm down. what started as a ligh hearted mystery has somehow spawned into a slanging match, which i'm sure others will not tolerate!

all i can say is that i'm working this weekend so i'll see if we (stationers chainstore whsmith) have the missing DVD. at least i got my copy well b4 the offer!! i can't understand y they didn't get rid of LTK instead, its about as much of a Bond movie as TND is!!

[Simon]

Oh hell, I was just beginning to enjoy this thread!

There has nary been any sight of slanging, not a swear word to behold. On the contrary, it would appear that everything was clearly and fairly stated.

Certainly, I have never wished to appear to be shooting anyone or anyone's comments down. It has just been the one which drew my interest aftyer requests for reaction and which might have benefited from the insertion of some winking smiley faces to denote attempts at humour - to wit, "You just have to get to know me better".

As for contribution and fair play, a rough look at my other posts would exemplify that and some time ago I wrote my very own review of The Man with the Golden Pen for this site. Where possible, I do try.

Anyway, I am sure that the reasons for the omission of the DVD will come to light in the fullness of time, at which point we can all reconvene - yahoo. Insert big dancing, winking, grinning, smiley face right here.

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

What on earth happened here whilst I was away! Well... if this what happens when daddy leaves the room!

Anyway... I have more information (however limited.... and it is from an extremely mentally limited source!) coming soon... and my own little theories. Have to pop off now... but will post later tonight with exactly what happened today when I asked the woman behind video and DVD desk why on earth she didn't have Dalton's second best film (tee hee) out with the rest of the series. Her answer was not - contrary to popular belief - "Jim and Xenobia made me do it!"

[Jim]

Oh, I've nothing against The Living Daylights.

Against Licence to Kill, I have a box of matches.

[freemo]

Originally posted by Simon
denote attempts at humour

The key word there being "attempt" (Now that's wit, oh Freemo, you've still go it).

Sorry, but I don't see what's so implausable about Zencat's theory, hell, it's what I thinking and I would have posted it if he hadn't. Easily the best explaination I've heard in this thread so far, but tossed aside like expired milk, the Cat deserves better than that.

[Loomis]

Okay, now let's get back on topic, shall we?

The question is:

WHY CAN'T WE BUY THE BLEEDING THING?

[zencat]

Originally posted by freemo


The key word there being "attempt" (Now that's wit, oh Freemo, you've still go it).

Sorry, but I don't see what's so implausable about Zencat's theory, hell, it's what I thinking and I would have posted it if he hadn't. Easily the best explaination I've heard in this thread so far, but tossed aside like expired milk, the Cat deserves better than that.

Thank you freemo!

Now if I could just get someone behind my Hugh Grant will be the next James Bond theory.

[Loomis]

You're in luck, zencat. I'd love to see Grant in the role! Okay, so, enough bickering and talk of Osama Bin Laden. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS - has it or has it not been internationally withdrawn from sale?

[Xenobia]

So glad I missed the fighting amongst the cubs....now back to the matter at hand.

I do believe that MGM is getting ready to put itself on the selling block. To that end, it wants to appear as user friendly as possible. So of course, they do not want to risk of angering the public by reminding everyone that the UK and US used to count on the Afgani rebels as allies...and probably still would had Bin Laden not taken to works of radical urban redevelopment. (If you think the change in US foreign policy had anything to do with the way the Taliban treated women, you are sadly mistaken.)

I have a second theory...the US government (which evidently has been asking Hollywood to dream up some impossible terrorist scenarios that they would use in movies, to get a handle on what Al Queda could be up to next), may have asked MGM to remove TLD from the single buy category because the government does not want folks to be reminded that we and our allies used to be friendly with the rebels. In exchange the gov't may be quietly giving them sort of a tax break, or may make things easier vis a vis the anti-trust laws when MGM goes on the selling block.

So here is MGM hoping every one forgets that they once glamourized the Afgan rebels, so they can have a nice easy sale when the company is sold...which I expect will probably happen before April 1, 2003.

-- Xenobia

[zencat]

I agree with you Xen that MGM will go on the block next year, but I can't agree that the US government had anything to do with the TLD withdrawl. It's all MGM's doing. They are their own worse enemy.

[Jim]

It is most curious. Curiouser still is that the trailer for the DVD re-issue, where it uses Dalton at all in clips, tends to use him from The Living Daylights (good judgment there) and when displaying some of the title pages for the DVDs, it uses the one that is/was used for TLD.

Yes, I know that's a tragic observation.

However, I'd argue that is a representation that TLD will be amongst the releases. Who knows - is it in the tin box special edition, hidden away unless one buys the lot.

(Already got it anyway; bought it in September 2001. Wasn't withdrawn from sale then, so why now?)

[Sir James]

you know, I dont see the big deal. I think TLD is one of the series strongest entries, and its a great DVD. You would think that people would be hinding LTK out of the Dalton era due to the bad rap it gets. And i really have not seen it disappear at all, of the remaing Bonds that are shown on TBS, TLD is the one that is shown most often...

[jim74454]

You know what? I SERIOUSLY doubt all of this conspiracy junk.

Go Here:

http://www.jamesbond.com/dvd-vhs/us/

Know what that is? THE UNITED STATES DVD SECTION. Weren't we the ones who got attacked? Yes. Could it be possible that the Government is not allowing MGM to re-release the DVD? NO, for one simple reason. Look along the bottom row of DVDs that are COMING SOON. It is right there between Moonraker and Live And Let Die. It is also listed as COMING SOON on other countries' DVD sites. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS IS COMING.

What was said earlier was right. It is simply out of stock.

CASE SOLVED.

-Jim

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

I reckon that it's just really hard to make 19 videos look pretty when you put them out for display in a shop. It's an odd number...so they skip out the one that looks most dull!

The woman I asked looked at me like I had just broke wind when I asked... maybe I had.

Either way she said that it wasn't in stock at the moment and that she'd tell me when it was in. How nice of her. She was an idiot... she said that when a Bond film came on the telly she switched it off. I really hoped that I had broken wind so she was forced to remain and inhale my rancid whiff.

[zencat]

Hey, I just went to the DVD page and The Living Daylights is right there with the others in the "Coming Soon" section. So what's the dealio?

[Blue Eyes]

Shhh Zencat. It makes it a lot more interesting if you ignore that fact

[Simon]

Well that was 50 posts (and counting) all about nothing.

Oh well, I'm sure we can fit this theory into another scenario - it looks good enough for a re-working.

(No smiley face - no attempt at humour)

[Evil Doctor Cheese]

I'm not particullarily not going to ignore zencats' post Mr Dykes but instead ask indeed what is the dealio?

The most interesting part of this highly trivial (and obviously annoying simon) saga is WHY? (I sound like Elliot Carver)

Why is it "Coming Soon?". If it's out of stock... why? It aint the most popular Bond film in the world. Porqoui? As the French would badly spell.

And if we can't come up with any decent theories... I have to ask the question again... what does The Living Daylights add to the franchise? I;m not a big fan of it. I;m only worried about it for the sake of my collection? Why has it dissapeared and why should they even bother getting it back in stock?

[zencat]

TLD is "Coming Soon" along with FRWL, DAF, MR, L&LD, FYEO, OHMSS, TWINE, TB, AVTAK... Try as I might, I can't find the conspiracy theory behind why these titles are being held back. MGM is simply putting these out 7 at a time, as they did when they first released the DVDs. End of story. Simon is right, this is a whole lot of nothing! (I should have checked the official site before I ever got into this crazy topic.)

[Blue Eyes]

But that would have been as fun would it?

I just wonder why they left it out of the graphic covers.

[stromberg]

Originally posted by zencat
(I should have checked the official site before I ever got into this crazy topic.)

That's exactly what I have thought after I gave my 2 cents to this topic. That's why I kept out of it. If only Blue Eyes and zencat hadn't spoiled the party by talking about that "Coming soon" section
I think it's time that DAD comes out, sometimes I get the impression that people are getting a bit nervous around here, especially when one of the evil M-words is part of the discussion .

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by Simon
Well that was 50 posts (and counting) all about nothing.

Seinfeld meets CBn.

[Simon]

LOL. Well, it was a mildly diverting thread, and none the less enjoyable for that.

[Tim007]

I had a request by a German James Bond Fan today, asking me whether I know why the The Living Daylights DVD isn't available. He indicated that he called Amazon.de and they told him they can't sell it for coyright reasons. I've no idea what it is all about

[Predator_007]

Call me an old stick in the mud, but it still seems to be out of stock or unavailable.

Rather than a sinister plot however, might it be technical issues holding the disk back (after all the box sets currently on sale could quite easily be the ones originally slated for release about 9 months ago which mysteriously never appeared in the shops?). The previous single TLD disks were, I believe, all either sold on or remaindered (meaning that they were highly likely to have been destroyed rather than stored)

And I would have laughed had it been LTK and not TLD that was unavailable (my hopes that there is a Taste Police are dashed! )

[Melango]

I know this is old now but I work for WHSmiths in the UK, and it wasnt until I pointed out Living Daylights wasnt on the shelf that any one had noticed. Then in the 'Festive fun' advert brochure it has a page displaying the titles avaliable in Buy Bond get Bond Free, then "N.B. Living Daylights not included"
I asked the boss, and also the lady in charge of Entertainment and neither had even been told so I dont know what they were supposed to say when someone came asking for LD. We checked the system and according to WHS it is part of the BOGOF deal....but then comes through as none in stock.
Looks to me like someone made a big mistake on the stock control front considering that this offer has been on the cards since at least last christmas, as a store we were warned 4 months previous. Seems odd anyway...

[Trevelyan]

The movie isn't the only thing missing. The soundtrack is gone everywhere too. I started a thread in the General Music section. Not to get too off topic here, but can somebody please check out that thread -- you can't miss it, it's called '"The Living Daylights" soundtrack' -- and see if they can help me out (it seems THIS is out of stock EVERYWHERE too -- even eBay!) ??

To get back on target here -- TLD is one of my favorite Bonds, although not too many people seem to like it. Kara is one of the cutest (most inept!) Bond girls ever, there's a kick*** chase scene, great music, a really cool henchman, and drugs. What's not to like? Most people disregard it for the fact that Dalton is in it, but I personally find Dalton to be one of the better Bond actors. He brings great emotion to the movie. Such as -- in the scene where Saunders is killed, the look on Bond's face as he pops the balloon with "Smyert Spionam" written on it. Oh -- great moment in movie history!

I think that it's just a coincidence that TLD hasn't been shown on TV lately. ... Although it is strange that TBS is going to show AVTAK and LTK over the next two months and TLD is nowhere to be seen on the schedule.... hmm....