24 replies to this topic

[DanMan]

I heard somewhere that in 1983 when NSNA went against OP at the Box Office there was a hate campaign going against Roger Moore in the media? Is this true?

[zencat]

Hate campaign? As I remember it, the press had a sort of smug preference for Connery (as do most who don't really know jack about Bond) in the "Battle of the Bonds", but I don't recall anything that seemed like a "hate campaign." Not even sure I know what a hate campaign is.

[DanMan]

Thanks Zencat.

[DLibrasnow]

I don't recall any hate campaign either...the media certainly was out strongly in favor of Sean Connery and "Starlog" had the now famous "Battle of the Bonds" cover but among the general public there were a lot of people (me included) who liked both the Connery and the Moore Bond interpretations.

[zencat]

That's just my memory. Maybe someone else has something to say about it. I do remember a very good quote from Roger Moore about NSNA. He said something like, "It was the only time I got panned for a movie I was never in." I feel bad for Moore. He didn't get respect then (the JBIFC featured NSNA on four covers of 007, OP, zero), and I don't think he gets enough credit now. He was the right Bond for the right time.

[DLibrasnow]

Originally posted by zencat
That's just my memory. Maybe someone else has something to say about it. I do remember a very good quote from Roger Moore about NSNA. He said something like, "It was the only time I got panned for a movie I was never in." I feel bad for Moore. He didn't get respect then (the JBIFC featured NSNA on four covers of 007, OP, zero), and I don't think he gets enough credit now. He was the right Bond for the right time.

Yes he was. I too feel sorry for Moore, even today he is still getting attacked, even by some members of the BBC CBn community (I remember one of them stating that they didn't have a favorite Roger Moore Bond movie because RM had never made one).

What fans of Brosnan's don't seem to understand is that Roger kept the 007 movies alive and profitable so they could get to see Pierce don the tuxedo. if memory serves me right a lot of people were saying the series was dead when Connery left the role.

[Robinson]

Originally posted by zencat
I feel bad for Moore. He didn't get respect then (the JBIFC featured NSNA on four covers of 007, OP, zero), and I don't think he gets enough credit now. He was the right Bond for the right time.

C'mon Zen, there are plenty who champion Moore's Bond. Many even make the case that since Moore's movies grossed more than Connery's, Roger should be considered "the best Bond ever." Moore seemed to put himself above the fray concerning his performances as Bond. Roger seemed to always put things in perspective- always letting folks know that in the end, it's just a movie.

Again, every actor who played Bond brought something to the character and to the series as a whole. I believe we should all be thankful for that.

[zencat]

Originally posted by Robinson
C'mon Zen, there are plenty who champion Moore's Bond...

Good. I hope so. I do think some are giving Moore the respect he never got back in the day. And, ironically, I'm talking about Bond insiders here. The public loved Moore, but the old school fans (and back then it was pretty much only the JBIFC that was the voice of the "fans") was predicting Moore's departure after every film and lusting for the return of Connery in

[DanMan]

I happen to be be a big Brosnan fan, but a huge Moore fan also. I actually prefer Roger to Sean. Does anyone know what the box office figures for OP and NSNA were?

[zencat]

I have domestic U.S. (OP $67,893,619, NSNA $55,432,841) but I've never been able to find NSNA's worldwide gross. I have OP worldwide at $183,700,000.

[DanMan]

Thanks again Zencat.

[Lazar]

Originally posted by DLibrasnow


What fans of Brosnan's don't seem to understand is that Roger kept the 007 movies alive and profitable so they could get to see Pierce don the tuxedo. if memory serves me right a lot of people were saying the series was dead when Connery left the role.

True. Good point. Is it me, or do the Brosnan films feel un-British? Whenever I watch one of them, I feel like I watching a Hollywood version of Bond. Not that this is necessarily bad -- but it's certainly not something I like. The Connery, Lazenby, Moore, and even, Dalton films had a certain British feel which I think is entirely missing in the Brosnan films. What do othrs think?

[rogermoore007]

Originally posted by Robinson


C'mon Zen, there are plenty who champion Moore's Bond

That would be me

[zencat]

Originally posted by Lazar
True. Good point. Is it me, or do the Brosnan films feel un-British? Whenever I watch one of them, I feel like I watching a Hollywood version of Bond. Not that this is necessarily bad -- but it's certainly not something I like. The Connery, Lazenby, Moore, and even, Dalton films had a certain British feel which I think is entirely missing in the Brosnan films. What do othrs think?

Interesting. I have to agree with you.

[Simon]

Originally posted by zencat
I do remember a very good quote from Roger Moore about NSNA. He said something like, "It was the only time I got panned for a movie I was never in."

I remember that as well, I think the JBIFC rhetorically asked how he remained so eternally good humoured. Well that for me sums up why I like Moore so much. That and, as someone else says, he kept the series alive during an unprecedented length of time with an unerring ability to put in such a continually "on form" performance throughout. No "one or two" film wonders, no depreciating performance towards the end of his tenure. Sean may or may not have had a higher peak, but there's no getting away from the fact that he dialled in his performance for Twice and Diamonds, leaving a potentially lower overall average in terms of the tenure.

He was the right Bond for the right time.

Absolutely correct.

[Simon]

Originally posted by Lazar


Is it me, or do the Brosnan films feel un-British? Whenever I watch one of them, I feel like I watching a Hollywood version of Bond.  

Yeah, erm perhaps they feel more "international". I don't think they have totally sold out to the Hollywood dream, but I think we have the current producers to appreciate for that. I dread to think of the pressures they must be under to make all sorts of ridiculous "MGM advised" decisions. Like it or not, I firmly believe they do understand the appeal for this character.

[Simon]

.............But getting to the point, (sorry) I don't think there was a hate campaign - far from it.

As Zencat says, there was the media smugness and the general stirring of trouble but even at the tender age of 16 as I was then, I wasn't taken in by any of it.

[Coop]

>>I've never been able to find NSNA's worldwide gross<<

According to www.imdb.com the figures are: $28m (USA)
$55.5m (Worldwide)

How accurate that is though is anybody's guess.

[zencat]

Really? Well that's quite low, even by 1983 standards.

[Mourning Becomes Electra]

From B.O. Mojo:

http://www.boxoffice...ises/jamesbond/

NSNA: (US) $55,432,841 (WW) $82.4

OP: (US) $67,893,619 (WW) $183.7

Basically from these numbers, NSNA did fine in the U.S. (better than TLD, LTK, AVTAK that came after) and went pfft worldwide.

[4 Ur Eyez Only]

I agree.. it is more of a Smug feeling.. more or less The Media was the age that grew up on Sean (more) and thought for sure.. He would have to mop up Roger..

but the $100 Million doesn't lie.. the public spoke!

[stromberg]

Interesting points were made in this thread. I also can't remember any sort of hate campaign. But I still must have some old issues of German "cinema" magazine (used to be good at that time, now it's mostly rubbish) from that time. Have to check out what they wrote.

OP was Roger's 6th outing as 007 and people seemed to be of the opinion that it was time for a replacement. Unfortunately, there was no "obvious public choice" like he was when he took over in LALD or like Brosnan was. So most people thought the only one who could replace Roger as Bond was - Sean Connery.

[zencat]

Thank you for the box office numbers, MBE. Yes, NSNA tanked internationally, but this may have had something to do with the distributor. My UK poster says it was distributed, not by a top flight outfit like UIP, but someone called PSO. Who are PSO? I've never heard of them. Was PSO a major distributor in

[Dr Niles Crane]

Dear Lazar

Pierce Brosnan is Irish, Timothy Dalton is welsh, Sean Connery is Scottish and George Lazenby is Australian - perhaps this is why you were getting an Un-British feel?

But yes I agree with you on the 'How many completely pointless car chases can we whack in here to appeal to the younger audience feel of DAD", but the others still felt er... British to me.


George actually comes from a town called Wollongong - yes in Australia we have towns called silly names like this - we also have one called Humptydo, although I am not too sure of the spelling.

[goldengun]

[quote]Originally posted by zencat
Thank you for the box office numbers, MBE. Yes, NSNA tanked internationally, but this may have had something to do with the distributor. My UK poster says it was distributed, not by a top flight outfit like UIP, but someone called PSO. Who are PSO? I've never heard of them. Was PSO a major distributor in