46 replies to this topic

[Doubleshot]

Have you ever read a post and thought, "Hey, this guy's pretty smart and I completely agree with him!" only to realize you're reading your own post?

Boy, do I feel smart right now.

[Blofeld's Cat]

Originally posted by Doubleshot
Boy, do I feel smart right now.

What does ":P" mean, smart boy?

[Doubleshot]

The ":P" symbol is usually an indicative internet emoticon putting forth the feeling of sarcasm and wit.

I, of course, am laughing at my own lack of wit and creative sarcasm on the inside.

[Blue Eyes]

Ah the famous Doubleshot wit, I of course am laughing on the inside.

I've been waiting a while to use that.

[JimmyBond]

If only they kept the line like that for TWINE, Cleese would have made that line work. Instead they gave him a half witted joke about half wits.

[Spectre001]

Originally posted by Blue Eyes
In reference to the title, that reason they don't shoot it down is explained in the film as it is in North Korean airspace, and the South/US can't start the attack.

Where is Reobuck when you need him? He could have ordered an attack.

I always wondered why Bond never started the helicopter inside the plane before exiting. Can this be done? Obviouslt there was no problem with the rotor span.

[Simon]

Bringing up Daniel's remarks about diamond mines and hollowed out volcanoes, I have to wonder how the old films would stand up to today's internet criticism.

We do seem to be amazingly forgiving of the "classics" that were produced by the "old team".

Yes the stories were simpler in those days, but they were following Fleming's stories and templates. Today's production values are far better and at the end of the day, it is just a film.

It would not be too difficult to utterly and devastatingly rip YOLT apart at the seams, but we don't. Why not?

[Icephoenix]

Because it was the sixties! The special effects were some of the best for it's time, along with alot of other material that's now considered dated...because it is! It's been forty years for cryin out loud, it's like complaining about how stupid man was for creating the wheel instead of building a Ferrai (despite not having the tools or knowledge to do so).

[JBond007]

FACT: Die Another Day is an excellent film. The only thing that spoiled it was the torture scene. The pre-title sequence ending was easily the worst of ANY Bond film.

I mean, come on, why bother having him captured? Oh, "to show Bond's vulnerability" you say. hmmmmm, why not have him lose in the end when the villain wins? That would shut all those "to show Bond's more human side" fans up.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by JBond007
FACT: Die Another Day is an excellent film.  

Not a fact, an opinion.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Icephoenix
Because it was the sixties! The special effects were some of the best for it's time, along with alot of other material that's now considered dated...because it is! It's been forty years for cryin out loud, it's like complaining about how stupid man was for creating the wheel instead of building a Ferrai (despite not having the tools or knowledge to do so).

I wasn't talking about the effects so much as the practicalities of the hollowed out volcano, the multiple continuity errors in Thunderball, the car chase shots in Dr No being used again and again.

This isn't effects, just basic things that we would now be arguing about if there hadn't been a "latest" film and if we weren't so forgiving of the "classics".

The minutae bitching is not represented across the board in the series.

[DLibrasnow]

I have a feeling that if Thunderball was a current 007 movie that fans would be calling the undersea battle at the end too long and confusing.

[Roebuck]

You know, this phrase 'hollowed out volcano' has been used ad nauseum since YOLT was released but in the film there is no indication that Blofeld hollowed out anything. Surely its more a case of draining the lake that had formed in the crater of the volcano and building a launchpad on top of the lava plug? Still a major feat of engineering, but achievable with enough time and resources.

Anyhow, in fairness, if you go back and review the first six entries in the series they have worn a lot better than some of the subsequent films. The dodgy back projection in the Connery movies probably wouldn't have caused the consternation in the sixties that the iffy CGI in DAD caused. But the state of the art is different today and audiences expect more. And so they should. As Simon points out, today's production values are supposed to be much better.

[General Koskov]

An update on my thoughts on DAD:

What caused DAD to be such a let-down for some of us was the fast pace of it. A very good example is the introduction to Iceland: a sped-up film of endless snow, accompanied by fast music, ending up at Bond's fast car. Now let's look at OHMSS' introduction to Suisse: slower, swelling music accompanying a horse-drawn carriage and helicopter ride up Piz Gloria--in which Bond is able to talk with Bunt and take in the scenery of the various resorts.

When the only eye-candy given by a film to its audience is explosive action--the action palls quickly. Consequently, people are rather disinterested in the Spy vs Spy car chase, or the Antonov ending. Conversational, and character-building scenes in the Ice Palace were dropped (Bond takes a bath with Miranda, and Graves confronts them (unless I'm reading photos wrongly, and Stephens is just on set)).

If the Ice Palace scenes were akin to Piz Gloria (excuse the over-referring to the best Bond film) in that they provided non-(explosive) action screen time, the audience would anticipate the latter action more (who didn't love the escape from Piz Gloria?).

Anyway, those are my current thoughts until I see DAD again.

[ray t]

Originally posted by Paul Scrabo
What is DAD about?? The Icarus Project? North Korea? Trying to please one's father? Bond as a prisoner? Gene therapy?? I know what Goldfinger is about.....Greed.
[/B]

simple. its about (the acquisition of) power.

[ray t]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow


Yeah, well this is Purvis and Wade we are talking about. I never thought two people could do so much damage to a franchise -- they are the Braga and Berman of the 007 world.

umm....not quite. check the infation adjusted box office figures for the last couple of star trek films in relation to twine and dad.

it seems 007 is greater than the sum of its part. whether those parts be the editor, writer(s), director...and on and on...

the one constant is the family-oriented nature of the production team which is an inheritance from mr albert broccoli

[ray t]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow
I have a feeling that if Thunderball was a current 007 movie that fans would be calling the undersea battle at the end too long and confusing.

i rank thunderball at number one. having said that, i would have "tightened" up the editing on the underwater finale'. but for its time, and even now, the entire underwater/bahamas thing stands up as both eerie and epic as well as romantic.

the production costs of an epic that thunderball was/is would, in 2002/2003 dollars, be outrageous....